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."...
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...
http://www.dennis4president.com/...
But wait...here come da judge....
First a little background:
Dennis Kucinich has made many errors in his political career. Never voting for the war in Iraq or the Patriot Act. Being the first candidate with a plan to get Americans universal health care. Not including the insurance companies in his health care plan. Supporting campaign finance reform and paper ballots. Being too short.
His most egregious error, though, was letting the American people know that they owned the air waves. That's right, Disney, GE, Ted Turner do not own the Air Waves....you do. The 6 big media czars broadcast for free and get millions of dollars for entertaining all of us because they promise to "serve the public interest". Not only did Kucinich point out that we own the air waves but he also pointed out that the media has not held up their part of the bargain.
And so the Empire media struck back. First trying to nix him from the debates all together. Thankfully the blogosphere prevented that, much to the chagrin of Edwards and Clinton. Then they tried to ignore him by not putting him on any news program...any where. They didn't him any questions during debates. And debates were fraught with incorrect information asked to other candidates like, "Mr. Edwards, you have the only health care plan of the candidates...." or "Mr. Richardson you are the only candidate to be fluent in Spanish..." or "Mr. Obama, you are the only one who voted against the Iraq war.."
He retaliated by asking himself a question during a debate. So then they asked him disparaging questions; like, "Do you believe in UFOs?" Finally ABC kicked him off the debates again.
So Kucinich filed a suit to the FCC and claimed that the debates were not serving the public interest. After all the only job of the FCC is to look out for our public interest when it comes to communications. The FCC did what they have done from it's inception....nothing. And then something magical happened. A Judge ordered MSNBC to serve the public interest and let Kucinich join the Democratic Debate in Nevada tonight.
A Nevada judge said Monday that Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich must be included in Tuesday's candidates' debate in Nevada.
Senior Clark County District Court Judge Charles Thompson said if Kucinich is excluded, he'll issue an injunction stopping the televised debate.
The judge sided with a lawyer for the Ohio congressman, who says debate host MSNBC at first invited Kucinich to take part and then told him last week he couldn't.
A lawyer for the network said MSNBC decided to go with the top three candidates after the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries.
The judge called it a matter of fairness and said Nevada voters will benefit if they hear from more than just Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards.
The cable network and the Democratic Party are calling the 9 p.m. EST debate a chance to hear issues from Nevada's minority communities. Tim Russert and Brian Williams are moderating.
(This version CORRECTS Corrects time of debate to 9 p.m. EST)
Source: AP News
http://www.rawstory.com/...
Looks like MSNBC will have to go back to just ignoring him or asking him stupid questions.
The Judge did this because the top tier candidates are so similar that the debate can hardly be called that. Kucinich has not had to campaign against Clinton, Obama, and Edwards. He has had to campaign against Blitzer, Cooper, and Russert. Unfortunately these men ask the questions and hold all the cards. Anyone saying things their CEO does not want to hear can not get any air time. And thus is "unelectable". The word the media uses for the people the American people are literally not allowed to vote for per the corporate controlled media. Even if that person holds beliefs that are the most in line with the American peoples.
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.
http://www.dennis4president.com/...
If you would like to know which candidate is most in line with your views (including the unelectable) see this test:
http://www.dehp.net/...