NBC TO EXCLUDE KUCINICH FROM NEVADA PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

The Cleveland Plain Dealer

Sabrina Eaton

January 11, 2008

NBC has decided to exclude congressman Dennis Kucinich from its presidential debate for Democratic candidates in Las Vegas on Jan. 15, according to an outraged press release from Kucinich's campaign.

After being informed Wednesday that he met the criteria for debate participation, Kucinich's campaign was told this morning that the network had changed the rules, and the only debate participants would be Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards.

"In the wake of Governor Richardson's decision to drop out of the presidential race on Thursday, we have revised the criteria for participation in Tuesday's debate," MSNBC's Jeremy Gaines told The Plain Dealer. "With the field now narrowed, only those candidates who have received double-digit support from the voters in Iowa and New Hampshire have been invited to participate."

The campaign said it is considering legal action to address "the blantant 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." It described "corporate media control of the information that is allowed to reach American citizens" as dangerous, sinister and un-American.

Kucinich filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission after he was excluded from an ABC debate in New Hampshire last week.

This latest action follows a judge's refusal today to allow Kucinich's name to appear on the Texas Democratic primary ballot after Kucinich wouldn't pledge to support the party's eventual nominee unconditionally. Kucinich did, however, receive some good news today: The New Hampshire secretary of state agreed to a recount of Tuesday's primary ballots. But Kucinich is going to have to help pay for it, so his presidential campaign is taking up donations.