Kucinich Fumes Over Exclusion From Today's Debate

Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, who routinely refuses to debate challengers in his Cleveland-area congressional races, is fuming over his exclusion from this afternoon's debate for Democratic presidential candidates in Iowa.

The Des Moines Register newspaper, which is hosting the debate, says Kucinich and former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel didn't meet its criteria for participation.

"Neither Dennis Kucinich nor Mike Gravel had a campaign office in Iowa by the Oct. 1 deadline, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission," the newspaper said in a statement on its Web site. "Gravel also did not have any paid staff in the state by the deadline."

Kucinich's campaign complained the Cleveland congressman is being discriminated against because his Iowa field director, Marcos Rubinstein, works from a home office in Dubuque rather than a rented storefront. The campaign added that Rubinstein's efforts have been "bolstered by a dozen-or-so senior campaign staff who have traveled the state over the past several months."

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