>NBC re-writes criteria to exclude candidate with 'dissenting' positions > >For Immediate Release - Friday, January 11, 2008 > >DETROIT, MI - 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 its 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. > >Paid for and authorized by Kucinich for President 2008, Inc. >P.O. Box 110180, Cleveland, OH 44111 | (877) 41-DENNIS.
-- America is waiting for a President who will lead us to peace and prosperity. DENNIS KUCINICH for PRESIDENT 2008 ~Integrity, Courage, Compassion~ <http://www.dennis4president.com>www.dennis4president.com TAKE THIS QUICK SURVEY on THE ISSUES to see which candidate comes closest to sharing your views: <http://www.dehp.net/candidate/>http://www.dehp.net/candidate/ John Johnson Change-Links Progressive Newspaper [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://change-links.org Subscribe to our list server. Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] (818) 782-1412 Cell (818) 681-7448. === [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
