SAN FRANCISCO -- By John Boitnott, Web Producer

Academy Award-winning actor Sean Penn endorsed Dennis Kucinich for president in San Francisco Friday.

Penn made what had been billed as a "major political statement" at San Francisco State University.

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SLIDESHOW: The Many Faces Of Sean Penn | SLIDESHOW: See Who's Running For The White House | VIDEO Sean Penn Endorses Dennis Kucinich

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Andy Juniewicz, National Press Secretary and senior advisor to Kucinich told NBC11 that Penn made the endorsement at an open-to-the-public event sponsored by The San Francisco State College Democrats.

The event was paid for by Kucinich for President 2008.

Penn has donated $4,600 to John Edwards' campaign and $2,300 to Kucinich during this cycle, per FEC campaign finance data, NBC's Domenico Montanaro said.

Penn was set to deliver "a blistering indictment of political leaders and an impassioned endorsement of Presidential proportions," according to a Kucinich press release.

In the speech entitled, "Piano Wire Puppeteers," Penn railed against not only President Bush, but Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.

"While I'm not a proponent of the Death Penalty, existing law provides that the likes of Cheney, Bush, Rumsfeld and Rice, if found guilty, could have hoods thrown over their heads, their hands bound, facing a 12-man rifle corps executing death by firing squad," Penn said.

"I found the (recent Democratic) debate infuriating, nearly an argument for fascism with few exceptions, key among them Dennis Kucinich," Penn said. "Of course as a strategic politician, Mrs. Clinton pulled out her set of Ginzu knives and dominated once again on 'centrist' political strategy."

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Full Text of Sean Penn's Endorsement Speech

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"Penn and Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich have been close friends for years, but the Kucinich campaign was not involved with Penn in preparing the remarks he planned to deliver today," Juniewicz said.

"Sean Penn is a good friend, but he's also a very intense, independent-minded person," said the spokesman for the Kucinich campaign. "He's going to say whatever he's going to say."

Kucinich has represented the 10th District of Ohio in the House of Representatives since 1996.

Kucinich also ran for president in 2004.

Penn, who is a Marin County resident, has become increasingly well known for his support of liberal political and social causes.

He is also a longtime critic of the Bush administration.

In August Penn met with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez for two hours.

In June of 2005 Penn visited Iran acting as a journalist for the San Francisco Chronicle.

After Hurricane Katrina, Penn traveled to New Orleans where he helped provide aid to victims.

Penn has starred in more than 40 movies.

He was awarded an Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in "Mystic River."

Penn is slated to star in the Gus Van Sant movie "Milk," the biography of the San Francisco supervisor Harvey Milk who, along with Mayor George Moscone, was shot and killed in November 1978 by another supervisor, Dan White.