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Don't Lock Me Out: My Competitor's Comments Reveal Character Traits Voters Should Know.
Earlier this month, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., made a statement that cleared up the mystery about who has been attempting to limit my participation in Democratic debates and forums. No other Democrat has had his participation limited.
When CNN, along with The (Manchester) Union Leader newspaper and WMUR-TV, did not invite me to their prospective debates scheduled to begin in New Hampshire on June 6, my staff asked why I was being excluded and were told that the senator did not meet some arbitrary "criteria."
The public's overwhelming reaction to CNN's unfairness forced the debate sponsors to reverse their earlier decisions.
An even more surprising mystery occurred next when MoveOn.org, the progressive anti-war organization, excluded me from its online Town Meeting. Its reasoning was that I did not receive any votes from its membership.
The final mystery occurred when the Los Angeles-based Human Rights Campaign chose not to invite me to its August candidate forum. The essence of HRC is justice and civil rights, and my positions on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights are the most progressive of any presidential candidate. When supporters learned of my exclusion, there was such an outcry that the HRC, too, was forced to reverse itself.
The comment by Sen. Clinton, in an exchange with former senator John Edwards at the NAACP forum in Detroit on July 12, explains why these things are happening:
Edwards:"We should try to have a more serious, and a smaller, group."
Clinton:"There was an attempt by our campaigns to do that, it got, somehow, detoured. We've gotta get back to it. Our guys should talk."
When questioned about her comment the next day, Sen. Clinton, in an apparent attempt to shift blame to Sen. Edwards, said:
"I think he (Edwards) has some ideas about what he'd like to do."
By implying that it was Sen. Edwards who was conspiring to limit my participation in public debates, Sen. Clinton was trying to deflect attention from her previous blunder. This reveals an interesting character trait in Sen. Clinton that Americans have come to expect from her.
Former senator Mike Gravel, D-Alaska, is a candidate for president.
© 2007 USA Today
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55 Comments so far
Show AllEvelyn is an old lady who is a bit senile. She just believes that the DU problem is the most serious problem we face, and after reading that website she posted on this string about Hawaii, and some others concering DU, I tend to agree with her on that score.
Evelyn got Gravel mixed up with another Senator from Hawaii and apologized for being stupid. Now she is so ashamed, she says she will never write anything here at Common Dreams again. I make mistakes now and then myself, humans at times do.
But for anyone who cares, DU was thought about and written about in 1945, a paper was written about DU by some of the wizards who built the first atomic bomb. They explained the potential militay value of DU and that paper has been available for the President ever since that time. DU weapons were first tested here in the United States in 1972. They were used in several little conflicts since then but it was kept very secret until the word got out durng the first Gulf War.
Kem, I agree it's a huge problem and needs to be addressed and I'm not angry with Evelyn at all. I just wanted to correct any misconceptions her post may have caused. Evelyn, feel free to post, mistakes happen and what you have brought up is an important issue that needs to be brought to light.
Kristina, I was pulling your leg.
Evelyn passed on and I replaced her at Common Dreams. It was her last request. She was throwing her computer out of the attic window, where she lived, and went with it.
I held her in my arms as she whispered her goodby and final words. We're gonna miss her.
She left me her false teeth and darned if she hadn't been eating a chocolate chip cookie. Yum- yum,__ good.
Mike Gravel, May Seem like a gumpy old man, something I may appear to be as well, I am 37. This äppearence"Is due to a few things but ONE major charcteristic, The Deep Undiluted knowledge, of what mankind as a whole tends to be..And as One who sees what Mike Geravel does I know. If you look at him again, Or just watch a few videos of him talking, You see a few things you DO NOT in any other candidate(possibly Ron Paul). These traits are 1) Speaking with out stoping to think up answers...This comes from telling the truth, It has been said, Give anyones speachs to much rope and they'll fuck it up. This IS True of most ALL Politicans, Mike Gravel Could speak for say...% straight months(as in his filibuster) and not lie once or be tempted to do such. 2) Mike Gravel Truly Cares for all people, all races, all shapes,sizes, and capacities for thought. This is the marking of a Truly Great Thinker. 3) Mike Gravel Acts The way he talks..No Bullshit. 4) Mike Gravel Does Not Take any BS, Nor does he give it. 5) Mike Gravel Is By Nature a Happy Man.Happy to simply be, His anger comes, only while caring for others and seeing them make mistakes,another Heart felt charecteristic, That gives one great troubles/worries, and Still yet he gives. 6) Mike Gravel KNOWS The miltary VERY Well, He know weapons,are strength, and How to use it. 7) Mike Gravel Chooses to let others Think for themselves, and does not Scare people into thinking as he does, He belives, If you tell the truth It will attract voters, It has and does.8)Mike Gravel Could Run for either party,minus the equality he feels for same sex couples.
As A single hetero sexual man. I am not scared his fairness with these people, will turn me gay, nor would I let qualified military personall go for no other reason than sexual preferance. As a Man who Has, NO OTHER Agreement with you people(all americans), OTHER Than The Constitution we all should live by, Feel very strongly that we can all get along under his leadership. I am a Freedom loving Man who would be willing die for such. And I will accept nothing less than freedom, of speach, religon, opinions, and I like to smile. Mike Gravel, Lets me smile again, even if his run is short, (I know better) I am Glad he is putting it all out there for US TI DECIDE, Every should respect that,
In case you all do not know, Letting the People choose, Comes at a very high price,at tines the ultimate price, and anyone whom puts themself in that position for no other reson than it is what a Leader should do is a Human of the highest caliber, such as a Washington, or a Jefferson, or a Franklin,etc. Since he is doing all this for YOU, don't you owe it to Yourself, and Every Solider who Gave Their Lives,so you might hear such a leader speak. Listen,Hear,Talk, Act, Vote..Thank You My Fellow Americans..
"Peace When EVER Possible, Anything Is."
Medley
p.s. sorry if that was a bit drawn out,, but I am not a professinal writer(or speller, lol), But I will no longer , ...Not at least try. Take Care