Fwd: Re: [v911t] NBC Unplugs Kucinich from Presidential Debate
So, this is just another constitutional violation! Like mine!
Kathy Roberts <weerkhr@...> wrote:
NBC un-plugs Kucinich from Presidential debate
Re-writes criteria to exclude candidate with 'dissenting'
positions
Less than 44 hours after NBC sent a congratulatory note and an
invitation to Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich to participate
in the Jan. 15 Democratic Presidential debate in Las Vegas,
the network notified the campaign this morning it was changing
it announced criteria, rescinding its invitation, and
excluding Kucinich from the debate. NBC Political
Director Chuck Todd notified the Kucinich campaign this
morning that, although Kucinich had met the qualification
criteria publicly announced on December 28, the network
was "re-doing" the criteria, excluding Kucinich, and planning
to invite only Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and
former senator John Edwards.
The criteria announced last month included a fourth-
place or better showing in a national poll. The USA/Gallup
poll earlier this month showed Kucinich in fourth place among
the Democratic contenders.
In an email to the Kucinich campaign at 2:35 p.m. on
Wednesday, January 9, Democratic Party debates consultant
Jenny Backus wrote:
"Congratulations on another hard-fought contest. Now
that New Hampshire is over, we are on to Nevada and our
Presidential Debate on Tuesday January 15. This letter serves as
an official invitation for your candidate to participate in
the Nevada Presidential Debate at Cashman Theatre in downtown
Las Vegas. You have met the criteria set by NBC and the
Debate."
Todd notified the Kucinich campaign this morning that
the network had decided to change the criteria and limit
participation in the debate to only three candidates.
Kucinich is the only remaining Democratic Presidential
candidate who: voted against the original Iraq War
authorization in 2002 and every war-funding measure since; voted
against the so-called Patriot Act; advocates a national, not-
for-profit health system that covers all Americans; has called
for the repeal of NAFTA and withdrawal from the WTO; and
proposes a national back-to-work program (Works Green
Administration) patterned after the Depression-era Works
Progress Administration (WPA).
The Kucinich campaign, which filed an emergency
complaint with the Federal Communications Commission last week
because of ABC's decision to exclude the candidate from a
nationally televised debate, is considering legal action to
address "the blatant disregard of the public interest in
silencing public debate that dissents with the views of NBC,
its parent company, GE, and all of the military contractors
and their candidate-funding corporate interests. Corporate
control of the media is one issue. Corporate media control of
the information that is allowed to reach American citizens is
much more dangerous, much more sinister, and much more un-
American."
"When `big media' exert their unbridled control over
what Americans can see, hear, and read, then the
Constitutional power and right of the citizens to vote is being
vetoed by multi-billion corporations that want the votes to go
their way," the Kucinich campaign said.
posted by Alfons at
12:56 AM
