I'm really trying to figure out why the fact that Dennis Kucinich is a vegan is relevant to the story of his getting food poisoning. It's an innocuous detail, but it is basically there to imply some sort of contrast or irony. I don't know why Dennis Kucinich is a vegan, but I doubt "because it'll make me less likely to get food poisoning" is especially high on the list of motivations. Poorly washed and contaminated vegetables are a common culprit in food poisoning cases, including e. coli.
For the record, I eat everything, including Panda veal.
