Kucinich Warns Of Legal Action Against ABC Over Debate

Huffington Post   |  Glynnis MacNicol   |   January 5, 2008 05:24 PM


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Manchester, NHJohn McCain may have been the main show in Peterborough, NH today, but Democratic contender Dennis Kucinich still managed to pack a capacity crowd into Harlow's Pub just down the street from where the AZ senator was holding a large rally at the Town Hall. Despite being ruled ineligible for tonight's ABC/WMUR/Facebook debate (along with Mike Gravel, and Ron Paul who are also here in New Hampshire), Kucinich is still in the game — or, at least, still determined to play it.

Kucinich took great umbrage to the network's decision to disallow his participation, on his own behalf as well as that of the American people. "It's indefensible that ABC should be able to determine who the next president is going to be," he said. "That's not their role, as a matter of fact, the airwaves don't belong to them, it belongs to the people."

Kucinich further said that he was considering legal action against the network, saying that "ABC will be called to an accounting." Said Kucinich: "We are not through with them — I'm looking at various types of legal action, that are going to go long after this election, and ABC is going to be challenged. And they're gonna find out that they've met the one person in this government who isn't going to back down from them. They don't own the airwaves."

Kucinich also pointed out that he was leading in various online and straw polls &mdash which the Kucinich campaign noted in a press release late this afternoon, pointing out that that ABC and Facebook were disregarding their own data in excluding Kucinich from the debate: "Kucinich, according to Facebook's own figures, ranks fourth in popularity among Facebook members. In the latest ABC News Poll [he] ranked ahead of Richardson."

Full interview below:

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The Democratic candidates last night might as well have been the reconstituted members of the political Dreamgirls! Where the hell was Kucinich? The NH Republicans will go to the mat against FOX for Ron Paul, but the NH Democrats are just fine with ABC excluding Kucinich?! Shame!

Kucinich is funny looking and short. But he makes sense. (Do you know how much water it takes to make one gallon of ethanol? Maybe if you did, you might worry about how we're going to water our crops. Kucinich makes points like this AND provides a balancing policy in the time it takes Obama to poke his finger at the camera and say "Look...") When allowed to participate, polls show him clearly resonating with listeners. Even those ridiculous eHarmony-like questionnaires matching us with our ideal candidate have a stunning number of us aligned with Kucinich. So WHAT'S THE DEAL?!

Of the Democratic Dreamgirls on stage last night, I won't vote for Clinton because of the war. I love Bill Richardson but he doesn't have an nth of the gravitas of Biden, Dodd or Kucinich. I won't say Obama is an empty suit, just callow and strangely enigmatic (ask me today what he said last night and I haven't a clue). Edwards has a nice wife, a great haircut, and he pounds his chest a lot to show his passion, yet he seems a 70s candidate in a post-9/11 world, out of step.

Clinton made one of the best points last night (in her own defense) reminding people that Bush was elected because folks thought it'd be nice to have a beer with him. I don't want to have a beer with Hillary and I don't think Obama represents change (if you take a look at his campaign contributions you'll understand why). What I want is a guy with good ideas and grit. And I want to Democratic Party and media to stop saying he isn't worth my attention! Maybe Kucinich can't win, but the issues he raises will keep the other candidates' feet to the fire.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:20 PM on 01/06/2008

I don't blame him... If Richardson can make the cut for the Repugs with 4% of the Iowa vote I'd be pissed too if I were excluded.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:29 PM on 01/06/2008
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Joe Biden oughta sue Iowa, for that matter.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:03 PM on 01/06/2008

Great Kucinich Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yXM-H3__Og

Largest Poll 150,000 people:

FRONT RUNNERS:

Kucinich 31.97%
Gore 24.77%
Edwards 15.6%

Still in the race:

Obama 13.86%

Hillary 4.21%
Richardson 4.09%
Gravel 0.77%
Other 2.05%

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters?pid=249126

Kucinich wins most online polls
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/29506
http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archives/2007/08/5255_kucinich_wins_d.html

So those most informed of the population, the active online people, are overwhelmingly for Kucinich.

So the media wants to ignore the blogosphere again.

Kucinich is the only candidate consistently working for the 98% of the American people. He has proven as mayor that he is not for sale.

Kucinich is so feared by the MSM that his impeachment of Cheney got zero headlines. Russert was tasked with "Moon beaming" Kucinich, and finally Kucinich was just excluded from the debates, since he was getting huge applause for impeaching Cheney.

Google Kucinich Wins

Strength Through Peace!

Kucinich!

Studs Terkel writes a great article about Kucinich:

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20020506/terkel

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:28 PM on 01/06/2008
- Rove I'm a Fan of Rove permalink
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ABC/Disney already has a candidate.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:45 PM on 01/06/2008

Dennis... You must have known the media is a parent only to those it gives birth to. If you are born and likened to being a vegetarian what makes you think you will survive in a pack of hungry wolves? I like your politics Mr. Kucinuch, however why don't you see that ball and chain around your ankle? You are an eagle meant to fly not an ostrich held captive by the enormous weight of the political body weighing down this nation. You and Ron Paul ... both men of honor. We've been told we'll not have TV in 2008 unless our Tvs have digital. The same application confronts us all now as imagined in 1984. I admire you, Sir, and I know dimensional 'sight' is grasped on vibrational sameness to "SEE". Those that laugh haven't a clue to existence beyond themselves. ABC taunts the public with a stick behind the barn. Like other networks ABC is but a surrogate parent with diminished awareness to reality. Let's take this a step further... cloning of genes is nothing compared to cloning of one's mind as ABC does daily. Mr. Kucinuch I support you no matter if you're in the White House or not. It's time to bring them all down... starting at the top. You've had my vote, hoping you'd team up with Ron Paul. Not too late. Let me know what you want me to do. My house is no longer that important! The people and this nation are!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:24 PM on 01/06/2008

Dennis Kucinich is the only candidate I will vote for. I'll never watch anything on ABC again.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:48 PM on 01/06/2008
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Equal time just ain't what it used to be. Too bad. We (voters) lose.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:33 PM on 01/06/2008

Seems like all the standup truthful mensches are being banned. Edwards suffers too. He is part of the debates, yet his candidacy is marginalized and his air time is limited.

An unfair media with bias that bans candidates at will is not representative of free speech or a free country. And is in fact a complicit overt partner in elite populist fascism.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:22 PM on 01/06/2008
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It doesn't stop with Kucinich, Paul and Gravel. Richardson, Biden and Dodd were shafted by the media when the MSM started their incantations about "only three candidates". I hope Kucinich goes far with legal actions.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:54 AM on 01/06/2008

i agree with abc. there is nothing to be gained by reminding people what the democratic party is really suppose to stand for. the same goes for ron paul. who is reallly interested in what the republican party is suppose to stand for? most of you have no clue anyway.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:52 AM on 01/06/2008

ABC'S debates were shown nationwide. When they denied Kucinich a spot in the debate they gave the other candidates unfair and undemocratically advantages.

This is one reason corporate owned media should not hold debates, unless they have set ruled not detemined by them.

How ironic is it, we have at least three candidates talking about getting rid of corporate influence. But the debates are runned AND CONTROLLED, by some of those corporations. They leave the candidate whose most critical of them, out.

You talk about having a strangle hold on the politicians and our country. There isn't a better example then this.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:32 AM on 01/06/2008

Someone posted earlier and asked why the other candidates didn't raise a stink if they believed in a fair and demoncratic election process. I could not agree more! ABC dropped Kucinich and Fox dropped Dr. Paul. After watching both gentlemen on Bill Moyers' show the other night you gotta believe that there is media interference from both sides at play. I could expect if from Fox, but ABC surprises me. I think both Kucinich and Paul should get to the bottom of this.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:13 AM on 01/06/2008
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Who is ABC to decide who can debate and who cannot??? I say if you running and meet and the rules for being a candidate, who are they to say you cannot debate????

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:43 AM on 01/06/2008
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