Kucinich Attacks ABC News And Decries "Dittos"
By Daniel Macht and Eliot Caroom
Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich railed against ABC News Saturday afternoon for excluding him from a televised debate, and characterized his rivals as "dittos."
"I'm not going to go away," Kucinich said to cheers and applause outside the Harlow's Pub in Peterborough, N.H. "I'm sorry, but this is democracy still. Those airwaves belong to the people. They don't belong to ABC."
On Friday, Kucinich filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission against ABC. The network said Kucinich did not qualify for the debate because he didn't place in the top four in Iowa, poll higher than five percent in New Hampshire, or nationally.
The Ohio congressman addressed a room full of supporters drinking pints at Harlow's on Saturday at noon shortly after two musicians sang, "hey, hey - no more war. We would rather feed the poor."
Kucinich told the Peterborough crowd that he campaigned lightly in Iowa because that state's Democratic Party was too cozy with the health care industry. As an advocate of a system that would put health insurance companies out of business, Kucinich said he knew he couldn't win-- especially since he was excluded from some of Iowa's forums and debates.
Kucinich said the decision to support Barack Obama was an "Iowa only" strategy.
He said he didn't support John Edwards because of that candidate's connection to Fortress Investment Group, a hedge fund. Kucinich promised a more clear explanation on his website later.
"Even though I disagree strongly with Obama, I felt that his sincerity merited telling our supporters to go over to him," Kucinich said.
Kucinich emphasized that he still intends to win the nomination. He said a vote for him would be the "courageous" thing to do.
"The other candidates have essentially agreed on everything," Kucinich said. "I'm the only one who voted against the war in Iraq, and then voted against funding it every time."
Here's a video of Kucinich stumping on the street against TV networks and the other Democratic candidates: the "dittos."
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Fair IS fair, if he's STILL a legitimate candidate he SHOULD be included in ALL party debates or ABC is same-same as Faux snooze with Ron Paul. It IS msm censorship, likely dictated by the 'one-party' leadership.
Major corporations that own some networks ARE indeed fighting to retain control of which candidates' message is getting to voters. Blogdom, however, is helping to defeat their efforts.
Both of 'these' networks are seemingly contemptuous of voters and deserve ONLY contempt, AND perhaps vociferous bad-mouthing, in return.
Also, contact a network sponsor of theirs and threaten boycott,..
The 'corporate candidates' now ALL proclaim THEY are the candidates of 'change', trying to dilute that message with their 'truthiness'. Voting for a corporate candidate is like using your vote to wipe your ass, and then flushing it down the toilet. Corporations AND neoCONS alike are now terrified of a 'Constitutional' and 'We the People' CHANGE message, whether democrat OR republicant.
As they should be...
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.
Dennis Kucinish is a hero for taking on corporate media monopolies. What I can't figure out is why anyone in the US still watches or reads these dedicated sources of self-serving half-truths and misinformation.
There are independent news sources on the web. Real journalism is only a few keystrokes away. Let your fingers do the searching.
Kucinich is a little whiner, boo hoo I think i will sue. He has no shot and should not take time from the big three. I would not mind a kucinich white house because his socialist ways would mean more gridlock. The less gov does now the better.
Peterborough is the perfect place for Kucinich. Why campaign in a city like Manchester, Nashua or Concord when you can go west to a small town of moonbats. He can go a little further west and get to the main part of Vermont...
The Kucinich Show is getting tiresome. He is the Pat Paulson of the 00's. I hope we don't see him in 4 years...
Seamus from New Hampshire
I supported Dennis throught this whole cycle and before that.
His backing of Obama without explaination and without any nod to the fact that Obama is the worst on issues where Dennis is the best. I have backed Dennis due to his postitions and policy ideas, not for his sparkling personality. He seems to have missed that fact, and acted like a Party tool which is just the exact opposite of what he said he was goning to do, he said he was not going to give up. And yet he did. Before a vote was cast. Most of America thinks he dropped out of the race, one day after he made a big pitch for more money at year's end.
I put myself out there for Dennis. Sadly, he did not do the same in return. At this point he does not have my vote. All of his strong positions seem to be just a line of rhetoric, as he is willing to back a candidate who is the very opposite on many issues. I never thought I'd see the day, but Dennis looks like nothing but an employee of the DNC today.
Dennis should be ashamed of himself. He asked people to take a leap of faith and they did, only he did not. Single payer means nothing to him, gay equality means nothing to him, clean safe power,again a position for the sake of a position I guess.
The biggest problem I had with his endorsment was the vauge language. Dennis is usually very specific and percise. His Obama backing was just saying 'change'. Well I got a dollar and any 7-11 will give me change. Bush brought change. The lack of specificity made me sick. No reason, just vote for the frontrunner.
Mr. Kucinich is putting himself out there to protect our freedoms and I think he'd welcome our help in the fight.
"He said he didn't support John Edwards because of that candidate's connection to Fortress Investment Group, a hedge fund."
Well that and the fact he cosponsored the Iraq War Resolution, and then there was that yes vote on the Patriot Act and China Trade Agreement.
Kucinich is going to need a new Congress, please consider running
www.peacec
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