Dear COMarc, You are speaking of the days when there was a real opposition to the status quo.

Wolf Blitzer is a right wing liberal who worked for the Jerusalem Post and he is absolutely determined to push for war with Iran at least once a day. He will not give any time to serious critics of US or Israeli policy. That is why we will end up with a corrupt democratic hawk like Clinton or another republican slime.

Let's look behind the curtain in Iowa.

The Des Moines Register editor-in-chief is Carol Hunter. Carol Hunter was editor of the Green Bay Press-Gazette which endorsed Bushie Republican Congresspuppie Mark Green, failed candidate for Wisconsin governor and now ambassador to Tanzania. Color Carol Hunter capitalist reactionary - the only kind of editor the DMR will ever have.

We are redefining democracy in America. I wonder how the "Democratic" supporters of the party allowed such a mockery of the democratic process to occur. Shame on us for letting it happen!!

"I don't know how many of you were as appalled as I was at the way that the presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich was totally erased from the last Democratic debate"

Well, count me among the "appalled" ones. I first learned about Kucinich's exclussion here in the CD discussions. Then I went go check mainstream news sources to read more details, but I found no mention of his exclussion, nowhere (except on Kucinich's own web site). Then I was even more appalled, for he was not only excluded, but his exclusion was ignored, adding insult to injury. I still wonder why he stays in the Democratic party.

I too have wondered why.....
Why are they letting CBS only interview "certain" candidates on their nightly news show?
Hmmm.....

GORE VIDAL for President! Another intellect with all the lights and soul and backbone of a human being in the great tradition of exile from the Dizney Murder Machine....I am so glad that it's coming out ever more clearly what a foolish, shallow, obeisant slob Wolf Blitzer is and that more Americans are realizing what a completely theatrical joke this "election" is---all of it staged to keep any REAL analysis out of the room completely

It's so good to see someone of Gore Vidal's stature speaking out about this. Thank you, sir!

It should be apparent to anybody who hasn't been locked in a closet for the past year that the Democratic Party has pretended that Kucinich does not exist. AARP bolstered this behavior by excluding him from the health care debate they sponsored earlier this year.

That Iowa travesty against Democracy was the final straw for me...the straw that broke THIS camel's spirit in half.

I have pushed for Dennis K. for five years; I have spoken his name to anyone who will listen; I have written angry online posts to the "I LOVE him BUT" crowd; I have written letters (pleas?) to the editor; I have given money to the campaign when I could have used it myself; I have written letters to my "representatives"; and, finally...I have given up.

I have finally succumbed to the posters and bloggers who argue that the corporate media will "select" the candidate. In essence..."they" win again. As "they" will win on and on and on until my grandchildren have great-grandchildren, if we still have a country left after overpopulation, greed of the upper 1%, and the "myth" of Global Warming" has its way unabated, without a Dennis Kucinich.

The cynics have been right all along--I have been a hopeful, Kucinich-loving Pollyanna.

Please write to the owners and staff at the Des Moines register and perform your democratic duties as a citizen of our FREE country

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=CONTACTS01

This is what I wrote addressed to the President -

Ms Laura Hollingsworth and the rest of the staff at the register,
The exclusion of Dennis Kucinich from the Democratic debate using a pathetic excuse was just a reminder to us Americans of the slow decay of the democratic process in this great country. Media outlets like you are directly responsible for shielding the voice of American democracy from the public using political bias which has become the hallmark of our great state. I certainly hope that you can put yourself to sleep at night after selling your journalistic integrity for a few lousy market dollars. I pray your paper prospers and you receive rich bonuses from its owners so you can help shape up America's future where your children are deprived the most basic civil rights which the founding fathers of this country envisioned for our great republic.

I offer my best wishes for your future endeavors towards the above said goals of your COMPANY.

"I have never felt more ashamed being an American than when I saw how this debate was handled."

My shame surfaced when the U.S. invaded Iraq. It's been increasing ever since.

KUCINICH FOR PRESIDENT 2008!

The ticket to getting your own tv show is to be a right winger with a big mouth.

Thank you Gore Vidal. Unlike them, you will live forever.

Three cheers for Gore Vidal, artist and patriot! Once again, the hydra of AIPAC has struck against a progressive to further the interests of a foreign country. Can the time be far off when we must start regarding AIPAC as a sort of fifth comumn? Should dual citizen American-Israelis who occupy important government or media posts register as agents of a foreign government? May I remind all of us that taxpayer-paid "aid" to Israel has come to mean paying for at least 85 percent of the cost of its armed forces. The pilot fish is taking over the whale.

I'm an Iowan in the Des Moines metro area. I wrote a letter to the Des Moines Register editor pointing out the the inconsistent standards applied to the Republican debates (that Alan Keyes, inexplicably, participated in) and the Democratic ones. The Register's sole explination of Kucinich's exclusion is that they had criteria that each candidate had to meet before being invited to debate (office with paid staff in Iowa, polling over 1%, etc) and Kucinich didn't meet it. They have not responded to the Kucinich campaign's complaint that there is, in fact, a paid staffer and office in Iowa (albeit one run out of a home office), and they certainly have not answered any questions about Alan Keyes "eligibility" to debate. They have printed a couple letters to the editor expressing displeasure with Kucinich's exclusion, but not ones that have pointed out their hypocrisy and double standards.

The sad thing is, most Iowans have no problem with the exclusion. They expect each candidate to come knocking at their door, no matter what their resources are; the fact that Kucinich hasn't spent much time campaigning in Iowa means that most Iowa voters have no problem ignoring him (nevermind that these debates were televised nationally; it's all about being self-important about Iowa's "First in the Nation!" status).

All this has only strengthened my resolve to caucus for Kucinich on January 3. At least before I have to switch to a "viable" candidate... oh, the caucuses.

I understand that the Des Moines Register is owned by Gannett. If true, then it is pretty evident that Kucinich was excluded in no small measure because he advocates an end to media consolidation, which Gannett stands to benefit from with the new FCC ruling allowing for newspapers to own radio or TV stations in major markets. CNN has not been fair to Dennis at all, and all CBS has given him is a dismissive attitude. Even "progressive" Keith Olbermann has been dismissive of his candidacy's chances.

I think that the pundits may be in for a surprise on Iowa caucus night if Edwards finishes first and Hillary finishes third, which would not be impossible. Hillary is really nobody's second choice, her support is thin and mostly based on name recognition, and when the supporters of lesser candidates have to chose another candidate after theirs gets less than 15% of the vote in their caucus, most will probably chose Edwards as their second choice.

I have supported and contributed to Dennis' campaign since early this year, and will continue to support him as long as he is in the race. But under no circumstances will I be voting for HRC or Obama in the general election. In order to achieve structural change in our system we must totally throw out the old order.

I found out about the exclusion here on Common Dreams. I called the Des Moines Register and registered my complaints to a person and 2 voice mails. I gave my phone number to all, and never received a reply.

As I said in my blog, I believe that the election process is a charade and a fraud, but I still get furious when they drop the pretense and just go with the corporate backed marionettes; just like when they drop the pretense of appearing to care about conflict-of-interest and just give the no-bid cost plus contracts to Halliburton.

It shows that they no longer fear our opinions at all. And that is the biggest comment on the loss of our democracy.

there is a silver lining in the Register fiasco: people are more motivated to use the internet for their news.

I was born and raised in Iowa and am a 26 year old militant, radical pacifist.

I don't have any problem with the Register excluding Kuchnich from the debate. why? because he's not running a serious campaign in Iowa.

This is Iowa, home of the Iowa caucuses. Yet Kuchinich has done next to no campaigning here, has no campaign headquarters, no full-time staff, and did I mention he doesn't campaign here? There's no reason why he deserved to be in the Iowa debate if he's not going to give our state the attention it deserves.

a living room does not a campaign office make.

Besides, Bill Richardson is the new Kuchinich anyway.

Gore Vidal is wrong to insult the Register, too. the DMR is a top-25 newspaper, and during caucus season is an extremely influential newspaper on the national level. He can disagree with their decisions if he wants, but he shouldn't have stooped so low with the insults like he did.

It's an ingenious system, one has to admit. The challenge is how to control who gets to be president when a democratic process would provide an open field.

You limit the field to two viable national parties, but someone like Kucinich can still run as a major party candidate. You have huge donors and corporate contribution bundling and the top apparatchiks of each major party who annoint the chosen top tier. These go a long way. You focus on personality and "character issues" to the near exclusion of coverage of issues that affect voters' lives and that pretty much does the trick because the messages and stances on issues are hardly ever systematically compared. Kucinich is just the short guy whom everyone ignores. If they know a bit more it is that he is a Rep. from Ohio who has a pretty Brit. wife taller than him.

Kucinich and Gravel have been allowed to participate in several Dem. debates but they are still portrayed as "unelectable" because 80% of the American public has little or no idea of what the "also rans" have to offer. The latest snub to exclude Kucinich (like Gravel last month) is only marginal to the process (as are the games with the voting machines, voter registration and the election process--continuing Republican rule unless Dems don't come 5-15% ahead in swing states).

Can a radical Pacifist be militant?

What defines a serious campaign?
It irks me to see a person refuting the exact point that Mr. Vidal, a thoughtful man of letters, is trying to make.

Again, it comes down to the limited exposure of most people in America.

I can't help but wonder about the death of Kucinich's brother yesterday. Firstly, dear Dennis...my condolences. Loss of loved ones is hard.

Secondly...was it a natural death or a warning?

There is a silver lining to this problem. Namely, Kucinich is becoming enough of a threat that transparently anti-democratic measures are required to counteract growing interest in his candidacy.

This might even work in his favor in the long run. Americans love n underdog, and they also agree with his views more closely than any other candidate.

A serious campaign means he should be on the ground in Iowa holding meetings, Q&A's, meet-and-greets, livingroom meetings, randomly knocking on peoples doors, showing up to random restaurants throughout the state, and having a real campaign office with staff here. Kuchinich doesn't even have an organized volunteer group here, and grassroots volunteers are bread-and-butter of any presidential campaign.

If the guy spent any time in Iowa, I would say he should have been allowed to debate. But he's not running a serious campaign. The peace community should support Richardson.

Besides, Bill Richardson is the new Kuchinich anyway.

Bill Richardson is no Dennis Kucinich. I have met both men. I was born and raised in NM and my father's family is from Amana, Iowa, just fifteen minutes outside Cedar Rapids.

This was either a troll or a seriously uninformed person.

What CNN and the Register did to Kucinich was a complete dis of democracy. Then they let Alan Keyes in the Republican debate? (Not that I'm comparing the two - Dennis Kucinich is a thoughtful, sincere public servant.)

The previous point on Gannet is important. Corporate media is as corporate media does.

See David Goodner's comment for the attitude of most Iowans. It apparently doesn't matter that the Register chose not to apply the same criteria to the Republican debates as the Democratic ones (Alan Keyes is running a "serious campaign in Iowa? Really?)

If the Des Moines Register fancies itself as having influence all over the country, then the debate inclusion standards (that they only applied to Democrats) should reflect seriousness in a national campaign, not just Iowa. But, as demonstrated above, Iowans of all political stripes are quite happy to snub a candidate if they don't give Iowa the "attention it deserves."

I moved to Iowa from California and have spent a lot of time defending my adopted state's place in the political process to friends and family. I've argued that Iowans tend to judge candidates more on the issues than advertising; that unlike in California, the money a campaign has is not the most important thing; that generally, Iowans take their responsibility to pick a national candidate very seriously. Look like I was wrong- seems that many Iowans judge candidates for national office based on how well they can make our little state feel big and important for one out of every four years. Our time to shine! So embarrassing.

"Look like I was wrong- seems that many Iowans judge candidates for national office based on how well they can make our little state feel big and important for one out of every four years. Our time to shine! So embarrassing."

give me a break nobody is saying that. but running a campaign and getting votes takes work. Kuchinich has no campaign office headquarters, no corps of volunteers, and he doesn't even come here to speak. iowans want to meet candidates and see them up close before making a decision and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. But Kuchinich can't be bothered to ever come to Iowa. So why should we pay him any attention? all the rest of the candidates do it.

Alan Keyes should not have been allowed to debate either, and even some columnists from the Register like David Yepsen have said as much.

The Peace community should stop its infatuation with Kuchinich and vote for Richardson. Richardson wants to withdraw ALL of our troops from Iraq, with no residual forces, and he's got the best plan to curb catastrophic climate change. What more do you want out of a candidate? Yeah single-payer universal health care would be nice but free health care won't mean shit if global warming is going to destroy human society in the next 20 years. Vote Richardson.

If Kuchinich was really all that, he'd run as an independent. In fact, I'd really like to see Kuchinich and Ron Paul run on some kind of joint Green Party/Libertarian ticket. That I could vote for.

Back in 1984, a friend of mine made a film about the Trilateral Commission. Although these elites of Western Europe, North American and Japan disavowed that they discussed politics directly at their meeting, the sound man remained behind unnoticed at first as the doors closed and the private meeting began. "Our first topic," David Rockefeller said, "is the candidacy of Gary Hart."

After the meeting the Trilateralists announced a press conference where David Rockefeller announced that they approved of "all the candidates," which he proceeded to list one by one, Mondale, Hart, Gore, etc., however his list of "approved" candidates omitted one: Jesse Jackson, who was thereby rendered an un-approved candidate and not even acknowledged therefore that he existed.

The role of the public is to endorse the hidden primary overseen by the elite and to submit to elite domination, forever and ever. Amen.

There's going to be a countercaucus of the future in Des Moines, IA January 1-3, where groups like InfoShop, Unconventional Direct Action, Catholic Worker, and others are going to be talking about how direct action can circumvent electoralism.

Want to end the war? don't petition congress, blockade an arms shipment. want to end poverty? start a house of hospitality or a communal farm and distribute your surplus. etc. that kind of direct action.

I fail to see why ANYONE is surprised by this omission.

You live in a totalitarian state, where the government is imposed by the transnationals--who only BUY candidates THEY approve for each office.

The problem here is that you all seem to believe the government/transnationals' propaganda that you live in a democracy.

On that premise, it was YOUR decision to abrogate not only Kucinich's rights, but YOUR OWN.

Have a happy Christmas.

David Goodner,

What we have with the media and Kucinich is a self-fulfilling prophecy. He doesn't have the resources because the media ignores him. He doesn't have the media coverage because he doesn't have the resources. He represents a threat to conglomerate media, so none of this is a surprise. You, as an Iowan, are privileged to be the first to cast a vote. Shame on the Des Moines Register for playing god as to who gets heard and who gets silenced at this critical time. The citizens of Cleveland have re-elected Dennis numerous times. I guess they aren't as equal as Iowans in the political process.

How about separate campaigns for Kucinich and Paul--Green and Libertarian, respectively? That would equalize the spoiler effect.

Kucinich did well in Iowa in 2004 and the media hated him then just as much as they do now. What was the difference? he put effort into his campaign back then. now he's not even really trying.

I do not know how they would get the money and understand that many of their programs are funded by large coporations, but what if PBS hosted the Democratic Debate and Amy Goodman was the moderator?

When the Antidefication League runs the Ministry of Truth those that oppose them are disappeared down the Memory Hole or branded as terrorists. If at first we don't secede then try, try again.

Gore for President! Vidal, that is.

David Goodner: To spit out that rote-from-the-Register crap, you must be employed thre!

RichM: Get into the present and grow up! He's in the Dems because what he stands for is SUPPOSED TO BE what the Dems stand for. Also, NO THIRD PARTY CANDIDATE HAS A SHOT IN HELL THIS GO 'ROUND! Maybe in the future, but NOT NOW!

I'm an unpaid blogger for the Des Moines Register's Young Adult Contributors Board. Check my shit out here

I've also written pieces for Commondreams or been quoted in Commondreams pieces:

18 Peacemakers Busted at Giuliani and Hillary Offices and No Original Reporting From The Register
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/11/09/5125/

The war comes home to Iowa
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/11/30/5536/

American Genocide In The Middle East: Three Million and Counting
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/08/08/3059/

Iowa War Protestors Vow More Action
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/04/25/754/

If You Like Your Freedoms, You Should Thank a Protester
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0217-32.htm

Seven Arrested at White House Protest against Iraq War
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0228-08.htm

Hey militant radical pacifist,
Bill Richardson wants to withdraw all troops from Iraq - and leave them in Kuwait! He was the Clinton cabinet member who arranged for American control of oil (and oil pipelines) from the former soviet republics along the Caspian Sea. You know, Clinton, the president who refused to dismantle the worldwide system of American military bases so that they would still be around when Bush wanted them. Clinton, the president who not only didn't disband NATO after the breakup of the Soviet Union but expanded it to Russia's border. Richardson was OK with all of that.

The Des Moines Register is a corporate rag. I'm saying that as someone who spent four years trudging around in the morning delivering it back when it was locally owned. Dennis Kucinich is a serious candidate. The fact that he doesn't have corporate money to grease palms in Des Moines does nothing to disprove that.

While I much respect and admire both Kucinich and Gore Vidal, I think some context is missing. Kucinich is in the race and in the media, to some extent, because he is as far to the left as a candidate can be and still get some coverage. Personally, I would prefer someone to the left of Kucinich (on his website, Kucinich even has a short piece on "Saving Capitalism"), but any such candidate receives far less coverage and media respect than Kucinich.

So I believe it is more appropriate to take the focus off of Mr. Kucinich personally, and to view it more as just another case of media coverage being inversely proportional to the correlation between a candidate's views on economic and foreign policy issues with the common good.

Politics in the US is ugly, medusa ugly, and too few people apparently have the stomach to give it an honest look.

if Kuchinich could be bothered to show up in Iowa every once in awhile and campaign, i would say he deserved to be in the debates.
but he's not running a serious campaign. period. you guys are ignoring the facts about how to run a campaign. Ron Paul can raise money, why can't Kuchinich? its because he's not trying. Ron Paul has hundreds of volunteers in Iowa working around the clock and they are some of the most passionate and informed young people i've ever met. Why doesn't Kuchinich have a volunteer corp in Iowa? why doesn't he have a campaign office. Presidential candidates need to campaign, they need to visit towns and cities and peoples homes and talk to them. that has nothing to do with corporate media, its bread and butter stuff. And Kuchinich doesn't edo any of that. at least not in Iowa.

David Goodner: Gee...Thanks for showing us how important you. But, apparently STILL oblivious to the words "DEMOCRACY" and "EQUAL OPPORTUNITY"! Maybe if D.K. took corporate "bribes" and had a ton of bucks like the "top tier", THEN you would approve him, Iowa Boy-first-in nation-yippy-skippy. Consider this: Lack of big bucks (FOR REASONS OF INTEGRITY) have forced this honorable man to spend in ways that make the most sense on a tight budget.
Bottom Line: NO ONE running for thee highest office in the land should be withheld from "We The People" for ANY reason...especially trivial chicken shit ones.
May Iowa lose its first place status over this!!!

Kucinich came to Oregon for its always meaningless primary in 2004, and most of the local Democratic Party activists showed up to loudly applaud his appearance hereabouts. We all felt more like Democrats after he spoke than at any other time during that dismal election year. Gawd help America if Hillary is what we will have to hold our nose to vote for this time.

Anyone who thinks Richardson would be a suitable replacement for Kucinich because of his great position on getting out of Iraq has another think coming. Richardson was head of the Department of Energy and is attached to nuclear weapons. He tooks about arms "reductions" and "control" but not about their elimination as we have heard from Kucinich, and now Edwards and Obama. Richardson hasn't taken a stand against nuclear power, like Kucinich and now Edwards. The others all support the evil proliferating twins of nuclear bombs. Richardson was part of the gang that brought us the first illegal preemptive war--the bombing of Kosovo without UN approval. Now the chickens are coming home to roost as Russia refuses to allow Kosovo to break away from Serbia and the UN Security Council just washed its hands of the matter, caught in this impasse that may lead to new bloodshed. Richardson is very much a part of the Clinton neo liberal agenda--free-for=all trade, big military budgets, nuclear power, nuclear weapons. Fuggeddabout him!! Kucinich is the one for us!!

That's nice he came to Oregon in 2004. Kuchinich has barely - if at all - been to Iowa this entire election season and I don't see any reason to support someone who can't be bothered with actually running a real campaign. No state headquarters? No volunteer staff? No meet-and-greets? No Q&A's? No addresses to the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council? No meetings with state newspapers and their editorial boards? Then he's not running a serious campaign and doesn't deserve to be included in a debate.

Kuchinich isn't even all that anyway. His only purpose is to keep the left-wing of the Democratic Party to stay loyal to whatever centrist ends up with the nomination. If Kuchinich was really down, he would go independent. He's a loyal Democrat to a party that barely tolerates him. If Hillary Clinton won, Kuchinich would tell every single one of his supporters to vote for her.

David Goodner- Sorry, but you are missing the point: This is a National race that effects everyone, whether they live in Iowa or not, and WE, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, DESERVE TO HEAR ALL SIDES IN THE DEBATE.

Health care just surpassed Iraq in order of importance according to one Iowa poll, and guess who's the only candidate proposing REAL not-for-profit health care? Answer: KUCINICH. The others propose the same screwy system that Nixon proposed, which doesn't work, as the NYT op-ed piece from Dec 15th points out.

No one knows more about knocking on doors than Dennis Kucinich. I don't give a rat's ass how much time Kucinich is spending in Iowa. He's probably focusing on New Hampshire instead because it's not as much of a rigged game. He's certainly trying to raise as much money as possible, but guess what? The working people whose interests Kucinich represents DON'T HAVE A TON OF MONEY. So, tell me and Vidal again why it's o.k. to exclude a candidate who represents working people from the debate?

If Kuchinich were serious about running for president, he would campaign in Iowa. Since he's not campaigning in Iowa, he's obviously not serious about his presidential run. He isn't even all that anyway. His only purpose is to keep the left-wing of the Democratic Party loyal to whatever centrist ends up with the nomination. If Kuchinich was really down, he would go independent. He's a loyal Democrat to a party that barely tolerates him. If Hillary Clinton won, Kuchinich would tell every single one of his supporters to vote for her.

Ok, politicians need to campaing, blah blah blah, still not being allowed in the debate is antidemocratic. Period.

Goodner,

The debate was broadcast on CNN. It was a national debate. The debate did not belong to Iowa anymore than the White House belongs to Iowa. As a national debate, it should present the candidates that are of national interest.

One candidate that is of high interest is the guy that has the guts to introduce impeachment resolutions on the House floor, and to speak out honestly about what is wrong with the country and what needs to be done to fix it.

Kucinich is a very important figure in the election, Iowa or not. Your reasons to exclude him are weak by comparison.

Unless you just love the current Executive Branch, and want to have another just like it back to back.

Goodner Why don't you just get the fuck off the site and go to redstates.com where you obviously belong!!!

mirft59 you have some good points. Kuchinich deserves kudos for his stance on the iraq war, impeachment, gay marriage, and universal health care. but if he's going to run for president, he needs to actually run for president. lets be honest with ourselves, if he was in the debate, he would have been ignored for practically the whole time, and wouldn't significantly influence the outcome of the race in any way. i think the peace community can do more than defend Kuchinich all the time. We need a better strategy.