CNN BARS CANDIDATE FROM DEBATE, CENSORSHIP CHARGED (warning Drudge) U.S. Senator Mike Gravel

[seriousstan]

He spoke at the DNC winter meeting standing next to Howard Dean and was at the Nevada candidate's forum with Hillary Clinton, Edwards and the others and he's been invited to ABC's debates, but CNN has barred former U.S. Senator Mike Gravel from their New Hampshire debate, without giving a reason.

Gravel is to put out this press release tomorrow:

CNN AND LOCAL NEW HAMPSHIRE MEDIA IMPOSE CENSORSHIP AND TRASH FAIRNESS IN THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES

March 15, 2007 - Washington, D.C. – CNN, the Manchester Union Leader and the Hearst-owned WMUR-TV have formally decided to exclude Democratic Presidential Candidate Senator Mike Gravel from the debates they will be sponsoring in New Hampshire.

Mike Gravel, a resident of Virginia, is a former two-term Senator from Alaska with a distinguished record that includes successfully ending the military draft with a five-month filibuster, releasing the Pentagon Papers risking both prosecution and jail, playing the leading role in making the Alaska pipeline a reality, and ending nuclear testing in Alaska. He is the driving force and author of the National Initiative for Democracy, a proposal to bring the ballot initiative lawmaking process––already proven in many states as an effective and necessary check on unresponsive representative government––to the Federal level.

http://www.drudgereport.com/flash2.htm

[northofdenali]

1. Mike was a GREAT Senator here

but I feel like he's kind of, I don't know, not all there anymore. I may very well be wrong, and if so, we could get WAY worse in that office.

Not allowing ANYONE to debate who has declared is totally wrong.

[hezekkia]

2. obviously you can't let every yokel into the debate

but Gravel seems legit. I say let him speak.

[northofdenali]

3. If they're going to bar a candidate, let it be

on economic grounds only. Look at Perot, he was certifiably nuts, but they let him debate!

[ChenZhen]

6. Maybe Perot was nuts....

But he had a lot better clue on NAFTA than Gore. :)

[Acadia Blue]

14. The pigs want to control eveything so we don't have a real choice.

[bearfan454]

15. That's what they usually do nt

[harpboy_ak]

11. No, he was a self-serving Senator here...

Mike Gravel is just another real estate salesman who happened into Alaska politics. He defeated one of the two true Democrats to vote against the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. Gravel ran against Ernest Gruening's anti-war record, then pulled stunts like reading the Pentagon Papers into a committee hearing record so that it would be published in the Congressional Record. Then he got caught with his pants down (something about trysts on a houseboat, IIRC), and was defeated by Gruening's grandson in the primary (who later lost in the general to Murkowski).

Once Gravel was out of the Senate, he didn't dare come back to Alaska --- he had screwed over too many folks, so his political life here was over.

Hardly a serious Presidential candidate.

[Toots]

13. Did you feel that way about Nader?

Gravel is a wonderful human being but he can never be elected President. But what he can do is cause people to think and bring up a lot of unpleasantness that needs to be addressed and the "mainstream" Democrats are not doing that.

[Canuckistanian]

4. Just because he doesn't have money

So, if you don't have enough money, you're ineligible?

I'm sure that George Washington didn't have to pay hundreds of dollars (equivalent in those years) to run a political campaign.

And frankly, I think his "national ballot initiative" is a good idea.

[northofdenali]

10. Amen on the ballot initiative, but

but, then how would the parties garner all that moola for the election? :P

[goforit]

5. WOW!!!.... CNN should be sued!!

[DemKR]

7. Gravel was a former US Senator

There's absolutely no reason to stamp out debate. Outrageous.

[Benhurst]

8. The other candidates should refuse to participate unless Gravel

is allowed to join in the debate.

[Robbins]

9. CNN

This Is no surprise CNN In their election coverage doesn't even mention he Is running.He Is a finge candiate but has every right to be at all debates.He IS a former United States Senator,and before that briefly speaker of the Alaska State House.No reason to exclude him.

[meegbear]

12. While this is newsworthy ...

and not right, has anyone noticed that this information comes out after Fox News was dropped from both the Nevada Democratic debate and partnering with the CBC?