Wow!
I am speechless at the banning of Kucinich from NBC Debate tonite by the Nevada Supreme Court a few minutes ago. An outrage and a real loss for democracy.
It is another example of corrupt, corporate control of politics that makes Democrats and Republicans sound and act so alike. Any dissenting candidate that can threaten the corporate bottom line will be marginalized and muzzled.
The existing candidates should welcome Kucinich onto the stage. That would show real courage.
Kucinich would make it a real Democratic Debate about change and different ideas.
Kucinich argued that without the inclusion of all "credible candidates," the debate would be "effectively an endorsement of the candidates selected by NBC." He quoted the public interest provisions of the Federal Communications Act of 1934.
The ruling tonight shows how right he is.
The New York Times reported that it will likely be described as a First Amendment victory by NBC --- The news organization?
WHAT TWISTED THINKING? How can you talk about free speech when you are silencing someone else's voice.
Kucinich is the candidate you are not suppose to talk about. The invisable Man.
I studied the positions of the candidates at the New York Time's Election Guide 2008.
Then I took the test at http://www.dehp.net/candidate/. And the candidate whose positions I most agreed with was Dennis Kucinich. I know....I know...we are not allowed to talk about Kucinich because he is not a serious candidate, not electable...it would be a wasted vote. And I understand the argument that Ralph Nader's miniscule percentage in Florida denied the 2000 election from Al Gore. I would not vote for an independent in the general election. But these are the primaries and in the primaries you should vote your conscience based on the issues. It's the American Way. Dennis Kucinich is the only Democrat running for President who has voted against authorizing the war in Iraq and against funding its continuation and who wants to remove all the troops immediately. Dennis Kucinich is the only candidate for President with a plan for a Universal, Single-Payer, Not-for-Profit health care system. Health care in the US is too expensive and leaves 46 million Americans without insurance and millions more under-insured, causing thousands to die needlessly. Dennis Kucinich is the only candidate who is not beholden to the corporate interests, who has taken no monies from corporate lobbyists. Kucinich is the only candidate who voted against the Patriot Act, and wants to restore basic constitutional rights. Kucinich is the only candidate who supports gay marriage. This isn't far left stuff. They are simply moderate Democratic positions. This is what the Democratic Party is all about. So why won't the Democrats vote like Democrats? The reason is that they fear that if they support Democratic positions, they will give the election to the Republicans. They want to settle for the "good" rather than the "perfect."
What is outrageous is that Kucinich is being marginalized and excluded from the debates and media attention .... right at the beginning. MSNBC invited Rep. Dennis Kucinich to tonight's debate in Las Vegas. Then, less than 48 hours later network brass decided to change their qualification criteria and to limit the debate to the top three candidates. They informed Kucinich he wasn't welcome after all.
Shame on Tim Russert and Brian Williams - the scheduled moderators. And shame on NBC.
A Nevada judge said Monday that Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich must be included in the Nevada debate. But this was overruled a few minutes ago.
. It's not that Kucinich hasn't demonstrated considerable popular support. The first ABC debate gave Kucinich very little face time, yet he was the winner of the ABC online poll asking who won the debate. Kucinich has also won or done well in most of the major online polls by large margins: DFA and National Progressive Democrats of America. So what am I to do?
These primaries are a participatory farce, but will lead to the eventual nominee. The electorate -- and thre Democratic Candidate -- must not be terrified of real New Deal style change, which Kucinich represents.
Kucinich is not running to win the nomination. He knows he is not going to succeed... He is running to influence the political discourse within the Democratic party --- which is critically important. He is running to show the frontrunners what the full spectrum of Democratic opinions might be...in a real debate.
We cannot elect the really "perfect" until we see it. Which is why Kucinich and his Democratic positions are so important. I know that history is on his side and his positions are the right direction for democracy. I can only hope that Hillary and Obama see it too.
One day we will have universal medical care, we will ban corporate control and corrupt financing of the political process, we will legalize gay marriage, we will get rid of the Patriot Act, and we will stop fighting stupid wars.
So thank you Dennis, for speaking truth to power. And you will have my vote in the primaries.
jfleetwood@aol.com