This isn't the first time that Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) has dabbled in, um, the extraterrestrial. Here's an excerpt from a 2003 piece in his hometown Cleveland Plain Dealer:

Kucinich, for instance, appears on the August 2002 cover of Whole Life Times, billed as a "Journal of the Holistic Lifestyle," which is published in Malibu.

In it, he also responds to the question of whether he supports "full disclosure by the government of information on UFOs and other anomalous space sightings?"

"I'm in favor of expanding opportunities for people to have a deeper understanding of the universe. . . . I don't think we could ever discount the possibility of other intelligent life in the universe," he said.

Kucinich's willingness to listen to non-mainstream groups has created some controversy.

For instance, in his original 2001 bill to ban the use of weapons in space, Kucinich listed a series of weapons that should be outlawed.

The list went beyond the interceptor missiles and subatomic particle beams often associated with government's "Star Wars" programs.

His bill banned "other energies" directed at individuals or targeted groups for the purpose of "mood management or mind control." It also banned "chemtrails."

The term chemtrails is part of a conspiracy theory that has been at the center of lively Internet chat room debates and radio talk shows.

Its supporters believe the white streaks jets leave in the sky - known as contrails, which are formed by condensed water vapors - are actually toxic substances the government is spraying on people.

After being questioned about the bill last year, Kucinich rewrote it, removing the controversial language.

"I'm not into that," he insisted. "Understand me. When I found out that was in there, I said, 'Look, I'm not interested in going there.' "