Well, the big three only supporters have their wish. The January 15 debate will now be a three centerist candidate confab!
From Dennis4president.com
NBC un-plugs Kucinich from Presidential debate
Re-writes criteria to exclude candidate with ‘dissenting’ positions
Less than 44 hours after NBC sent a congratulatory note and an invitation to Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich to participate in the Jan. 15 Democratic Presidential debate in Las Vegas, the network notified the campaign this morning it was changing it announced criteria, rescinding its invitation, and excluding Kucinich from the debate.
NBC Political Director Chuck Todd notified the Kucinich campaign this morning that, although Kucinich had met the qualification criteria publicly announced on December 28, the network was “re-doing” the criteria, excluding Kucinich, and planning to invite only Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and former senator John Edwards.
So, Dennis meets their criteria for the debate. NBC even sends Dennis a congratulatory letter and an invitation to the debate. Ah, but since it’s their microphone, they can call a re-do anytime they want, and they did. Class act, NBC, don’t you think?
The criteria announced last month included a fourth-place or better showing in a national poll. The USA/Gallup poll earlier this month showed Kucinich in fourth place among the Democratic contenders.
In an email to the Kucinich campaign at 2:35 p.m. on Wednesday, January 9, Democratic Party debates consultant Jenny Backus wrote:
“Congratulations on another hard-fought contest. Now that New Hampshire is over, we are on to Nevada and our Presidential Debate on Tuesday January 15. This letter serves as an official invitation for your candidate to participate in the Nevada Presidential Debate at Cashman Theatre in downtown Las Vegas. You have met the criteria set by NBC and the Debate.”
Not that it really matters, right? All centerism, all the time! Just what this party needs! I wonder if Keith will cover this on ‘Countdown.’ Probably not, since Dennis doesn’t exist on ‘Countdown’ as far as I can tell. Maybe Rachel Maddow will mention it next time she’s on the air.
Todd notified the Kucinich campaign this morning that the network had decided to change the criteria and limit participation in the debate to only three candidates.
The centerists should be happy! Why?
Kucinich is the only remaining Democratic Presidential candidate who: voted against the original Iraq War authorization in 2002 and every war-funding measure since; voted against the so-called Patriot Act; advocates a national, not-for-profit health system that covers all Americans; has called for the repeal of NAFTA and withdrawal from the WTO; and proposes a national back-to-work program (Works Green Administration) patterned after the Depression-era Works Progress Administration (WPA).
Hey, it’s not like NBC is owned by General Electric (one of the nation’s leading, if not the leading, military contractors). Oh…they are? Hmmmm….
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.”
Sinister and un-american! It’s time for the tin-foil hats! Except, NBC admits that they re-did the criteria so that only the three centerists would appear on the stage. Changing the rules in the middle of a contest? How WWE of NBC!
“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,” the Kucinich campaign said.
And what GE wants America to hear fromt the Democrats is the centerist position. Period.