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U.S. Government & Elections Media Activism & Independent Media

NBC excludes Kucinich from debate: a gross violation of democratic rights

by wsws (reposted)

Thu, Jan 17, 2008 3:29PM

Thursday, January 17, 2008 :Welcome to democracy, General Electric-style. The exclusion of Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich from the Democratic Party presidential candidates’ debate in Las Vegas Tuesday night casts a bright light on the reality of American political life: NBC, a privately owned company and a subsidiary of giant conglomerate General Electric, had the final word as to who would participate and who would not.

On January 9 NBC invited Kucinich to participate in the Las Vegas debate to be broadcast on cable network MSNBC (jointly operated by NBC and Microsoft). The Kucinich camp received an email from an NBC official that congratulated the congressman “on another hard-fought contest,” and continued, “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.”

Less than two days later, NBC Political Director Chuck Todd notified the Kucinich campaign that the network was “redoing” its participation criteria and that only the three leading candidates—Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards—would be invited.

Political motives determined the change in policy. NBC had issued its invitation to the Ohio congressman when former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson was still in the race. The network wanted to include Richardson, whom the media deemed to be an acceptable figure, but since Kucinich was running ahead of the former governor in several polls, they couldn’t very well bar Kucinich. Once Richardson dropped out, NBC felt free to exclude Kucinich.

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For more information: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/jan2008/...

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Comments (Hide Comments)

§We need to start a hardcore revolution on the left like Ron Pauls done to the Republicans.

by Gilberto

Thu, Jan 17, 2008 4:42PM

Now you see that you are only loved in the Democratic party when you tow the line for the big international bankers (represented by the federal reserve in the USA) and their corporatocracy. Daily KOs kicked out Cindy Sheehan for criticizing the democrats on not stopping the war. Now the Democrats are saying nothing about Dennis being kicked out by the corporatists. Thats because he is the greatest threat to them. Just like Ron Paul is on the Republican Side. I say they make an independent run together and we teach them a lesson. We will win all the true non CIA polls and expose the phoney democracy we have when they give it to the Banksters preffered candidate and leave us in the cold. That will incite us to take it to the streets and pull one like on this film. Watch THE WAR ON DEMOCRACY on google video. Lets take our country back!!!!!
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3739500579629840148&q=the+war+on+democracy&total=3333&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

Don't let the revolution stop with you. Pass the video along and raise hell about Kucinich.

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