MSNBC Uninvites Kucinich To Vegas Debate

Mediabistro's TVNewser:

Rep. Dennis Kucinich won't be taking part in MSNBC's debate in Las Vegas on Tuesday. It certainly won't be the first time that Kucinich was excluded from a recent Democratic debate. But the difference is Kucinich was initially invited, and had met the criteria, for the MSNBC debate. Then, MSNBC changed the criteria and told Kucinich he was uninvited.

Alternet published a Kucinich press release, which said that 44 hours after Kucinich got a congratulatory letter and invite from NBC to the Nevada debate, they notified him of their changed criteria, and his exclusion.

In the press release, the Kucinich campaign took a shot at the media as a whole: "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."

According to the Los Angeles Times, the original criteria for the debate called for the inclusion of the top four democratic candidates in national polling. With Bill Richardson dropping out of the race last week, that moved Kucinich to fourth place in polls. NBC decided to change the criteria, featuring the top three Dem. candidates: Sen. Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Sen. Barack Obama.

Read the whole story: Mediabistro's TVNewser

Comments

[getoffmedz]

MSM controls national dialog. Simple as that.

[Chavez08]

I wonder if Telesur has an English broadcast(?) ...

[Chavez08]

"GE - We bring fascism to life!"

[Bulbul]

Didn`t he already endorsed Obama ? Then there is no point of him to be in the debate. May be i am mistakien by a spin story in Huffy, so if he has not really endorsed anyone then he should be allowed to debate.

[Chavez08]

"Those who make peaceful Revolution impossible, make violent Revolution inevitable­."

- TJ

[SunshineDaydream]

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.”
http://www.dennis4president.com/go/homepage-items/nbc-un%11plugs-kucinich-from-presidential-debate/

[ohiomark]

If a far left network like MSLSD won't have Dennis on, you know he must be out there.

There is a reason why he can't get more than 2% of the vote in liberal states. He is even too socialist for them.

Dennis seems to be a nice guy with his heart in the right place, but his far left politics doesn't play well outside of his district. He's not even in his district long enough to make a difference there.

[atlantajoe]

Kucinich is a clown! During the last primary Kucinich was interviewed on radio, they were talking taxes and fair share. Kucinich stated the top one percent don't pay thier fair share.
The host asked Kucinich how much income the top 1% made and what do they pay, His answer was they earn 60% of all income and only pay 20% of all taxes. The truth from IRS and OMB is they earn 19% of all income and pay 38% of all taxes. He is clueless about the wealthy but when your supporters vote for whom can sound like karl marx the most this is what we get. Before running America, go back to Cleveland and try to improve on the poor job you did there!

[Ginzaman]

A short, dorky looking-guy with a babe wife who consistently tells the truth is a threat to the power elite. So what's the answer? Destroy him. All G.E. (MSNBC's parent company) cares about is more money and power. I wonder if the World's Greatest Liberal Newsman (NOT!) Olbermann will dare to risk his career and take an actual stand protesting this? Not a chance....­...

[eej]

Kucinch was barred from the NBC debates next week, despite qualifying. Why do the corporate media fear him so?

* NBC/MSNBC at 212 664-4444 and ask for the Comment Line or
* email NBC/MSNBC at msnbc.comsnbc.com

[buske]

In 2004, Democratic presidential candidate Lyndon LaRouche was barred from almost all public debates, and I don't remember that Dennis Kucinich voiced any concerns back then. Not publicly at least. That reminds me of this little poem:

----------­----------­-

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

[Gumby123]

Kucinich should hire some militant Ron Paulians to harrass a MSNBC pundit or two so that he can get in on the debate at the last minute.

[marinade]

The American people are used to having their choices made for them. It will only get worse.

[littleblackcat]

MSNBC should be so ashamed of themselves for excluding one of the smartest men in politics today that they should make a public apology on every network (including foxnoise!) every hour on the hour. Then they should pick up the cost of his transportation and hotel in Vegas, even provide him with chips if he chose to have a bit of fun while there, and make damned sure they never do this kind of thing again!!! We have ALL been laboring under the delusion that this is still a sort of free nation, not under the thumb of dictatorship. If this isn't dictatorial, I have never seen it. One further point, that I and others have made, GIVE KUCINICH EQUAL TIME, NOT A SHARE OF THE 20% THAT IS LEFT OVER AFTER THE "FRONT RUNNERS" GET TO SPOUT OFF!!!! We are lucky to have so many excellent people in the running, but Kucinich is is actually OWED time to speak! We need paper trails, and we NEED TO HEAR EVERYONE, not just whoever the media chooses. WE, THE PEOPLE (remember that phrase?) should be the ones who choose the one we want leading us. The nation wants OUT of Iraq, and Kucinich is the only one who seems to have that firmly in mind. Truthfully I wish Richardson hadn't dropped out but we have become such a money-driven bunch of hacks in this country that you have to be able to buy your way in. Presidency for sale indeed.

[Purple Girl]

MSNBC has not been added to my Rotten SOB's.
I will not even watch Keith- My fav. No more Tim (easy to live w/o Chris & tucker)!!!
This is not Democracy!!! Who put these assholes in charge of our elections???
Why did they exclude him- because he is not Their candidate!

IF WE WANT TO GET OUT FROM ALL THE CORP BULLSHIT WE MUST GO FOR THE CANDIDAE WHO HAS MADE THE RIGHT DECISOONS AT THE RIGHT TIME AND HAS HAD THE BALLS TO CALL FOR TH EIMPEACHMENT OF CHENEY (smart enought to know to go for him first)

KUCINICH for the REAL CHANGE WE HAVE WAITED FOR 40 YEARS!!!!!