First, I'm sorry for his tragic loss. But also, isn't it ironic that before this happened the neocon MSM tried to crush him at all costs. And now when tragedy strikes they suddenly have time to talk about him? That's really tragic.

"Why won't you let me say what I want to say? Power to the people, give peace a chance..."

A garage band candidate! I can't see a rich candidate doing this: http://youtube.com/watch?v=0S2zkh6ZOGE

Kucinich is good, but Gravel makes my heart sing. Iowa blew it.

EXCELLENT LETTER, "Shame on the Des Moines Register for Excluding Kucinich and Gravel!" by political journalist Doug Ireland is posted on Mike Gravel's web site:

http://www.gravel2008.us/content/shame-des-moines-register


"Your rationale for so doing -- that neither man had an office in the state -- amounts to a monetary test of the worth of a candidate and of that candidate's ideas. Yet, in excluding these two men from the debate, you have eliminated the two candidates who most clearly and unambiguously express the views of the many voters in the left wing of the Democratic Party.

At the same time, yesterday you accorded a place in the Republican debate you sponsored to a candidate infinitely more marginal than either Kucinich or Gravel -- both of whom have held high public office -- although Alan Keyes, who refuses to discuss the real issues in this campaign and answers every question with a formulaic religious response, has never been elected to anything in the several states in which he has presented himself before the voters for Senate. Can you really pretend that the exclusion of Kucinich and Gravel is fair, and not arbitrary and discriminatory, when you include Keyes?"

Amen!

I don't feel sorry for him. The others are working much harder. And I even believe there might be aliens.

Wouldn't you know it?
Two of the most substantive candidates are cut out using "Rules of Campaigning" (spend the money locally or you're out!)
I wondered how the establishment was going to knock them out.

some wouldn't like knowing a president can't be bullied or bought. some in our country wouldn't want integrity, reason, and consistency in our white house.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Guoiag_Jyms&eurl=http://digg.com/2008_us_elections/Kucinich_to_Des_Moines_Register_I_can_t_be_bullied_2

TrevaLVF

You counted the number of conditions a corporate news executive, Carolyn Washburn, ordered for qualifying in this debate. The number of those conditions is not the point. Some of those conditions are the problem. They are anti-democratic. They are authoritarian. They are a sneaky way to violate the rights of voters to know who all is running, what their background and position on the issues are, and their ideas. It also violates the rights of candidates. It's pluto-cratic, not democratic. It is elitist. It's a way to keep wealthy aristocrats, corporate executives, and their pawns in control of our election process. That, Mr. Salty, is anti-democracy, thus anti-American.

That criteria was designed to exclude any candidate that has not clearly sold out to Big Business. (Big Business includes most valued advertisers for corporate media sources, like Gannet, and ad-papers with canned and slanted news to justify the claim of being a newspaper). It was designed to exclude, at least, one candidate with a record to prove that he has fought for the workers that corporations, through the companies they own (like newspaper producers) exploit, over-work and underpay, and expose to work-related hazards...Like Gannet Inc operates. (Gannet owns the Des Moines Register. That is a clue.)

Poll position criteria:
If the corporate media doesn't report much, or any information regarding a candidate, the candidate's record, and the candidate's ideas, then people won't know much about that candidate. Thus, that candidate will not do well in the polls.

Lack of media exposure of a candidate, particularly where the candidate is provided fair and ample opportunity to explain his/her record, position on the issues, and plans, will certainly affect campaign funds. That will affect campaign spending for travel and to maintain paid office space in a commercial location and to pay office employees. Any corporate "news" media source wishing to hurt a candidate's chances for election will use these tactics. I know, because I worked for a newspaper owned by Gannet Inc. for nearly eight years and learned these things.

This is a Kucinich coup! How many of us would be discussing Kucinich if he had been in the debate?

As a former presidential candidate, you can bet that Kucinich is fully aware of the various rules and guidelines that a candidate must follow.

Surely Kucinich must know that he would receive far more media attention from being portrayed as the candidate others are trying to silence, than he would by participating in the debate.

In this so called Democracy, they prevented Ralph Nader from the debates, now why be surprised about this?
We are being controlled, sit back and complain, but it will do no good!
Or vote for Kucinich!

Do you agree with the exclusion of Dennis Kucinich from the Des Moines Democratic Debate?

http://www.youpolls.com/details.asp?pid=1300
.

Excluding Kucinich from a Democratic debate is excluding the true anti-war movement from the debate -- and the party. Although Richardson also appears to be a strong anti-war Democrat, Kucinich has been the heart and soul of the Congressional and national anti-war movement.

Obviously the Dems believe that all strong anti-war forces will, in the end, vote for them, so they can give us the finger and continue warmongering. As all the pundits say, now is when Iowans make their picks, so they have chosen now to exclude Dennis from the debate.

The Dems are wrong if they think they can count on our votes if they exclude Dennis from the debate. It's bad enough all 3 Dem. frontrunners won't commit to getting out of Iraq by 2013 and are, therefore, despicable warmongerers. If they are not going to even allow legitimate input by the most clear, honest, intelligent, and articulate of the Dem. anti-war candidates (only one of two Dem anti-war candidates) -- to be included in the debate, why vote for one warmongerer over another?

Jeez, why discriminate against a home office?

Iowa has enjoyed way too much control over this process. Let's have a lottery for which states have primaries when and not have it until the March before the election.

I'd be pissed, too. People don't want to hear
the Real Deal, they want someone to blow
sunshine up their ass and promise em cash.
But I'd vote for him, Kucinich/Paul Independents
08, call it the New Broom coalition. Their
symbol could be a toilet handle. You could
make that a bumper sticker...

First the media decides we don't need to hear from Mike Gravel. Then they silence Kucinich. But Alan Keyes is OK? Something stinks in Iowa.

This is b ullshit big media dictating. oh gee, there are no "dictators" here? Who woulda thunk it?
Dodd is on stage.
Biden is on stage.

Less than ONE oer cent national approval.

They get included. Kucinich gets EXCLUDED.

Big shot media. . .
YOU ARE IN OUR SIGHTS

We are everywhere.

You are killers. WE are savers.
We will kill the killers to save the savers.