DNC: No Way We'll Sanction June DebateSen. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama won't commit to the first Democratic debate in New Hampshire in early June. Their excuse: the debate isn't party-sanctioned. Last night, we asked DNC executive director Tom McMahon if there was any way the party would endorse the New Hampshire debate? "Our debates start in July." Period? "Yes." So -- barring a miracle, don't expect to see Clinton or Obama in New Hampshire. 3 Comments |
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Why then did Mrs. Clinton and Obama chose to attend the debates last night? Debates that were not sanctioned by the DNC?
Here is a letter I've sent to the Boston Globe.
To the Editor:
On April 25th you published an AP story about how Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are the only candidates who will not be participating in the New Hampshire Democratic debate on June 3rd. ("Clinton, Obama only Dems not pledged for N.H. debate") However, there is a third candidate who also will not be there—not because of "scheduling conflicts"—but due to media censorship. His name is Mike Gravel.
Gravel was born in Springfield, Massachusetts and served in the United States Army from 1951 until 1954. As a United States Senator from the state of Alaska in 1971, Gravel was responsible for making public an extensive volume of the Pentagon Papers, and he also conducted a five-month-long filibuster that successfully prevented the continuation of the military draft.
This past week, Gravel appeared in a debate along with all of the other Democratic presidential candidates in South Carolina. However, on March 16th the sponsors of the N.H. debate (WMUR-TV, the Union-Leader newspaper, and CNN) announced that Gravel would not be invited to participate in June. Given his many patriotic contributions to our country, it is outrageous that Mr. Gravel's voice will not be heard. With the general election more than a year and a half away, this sort of media censorship does a terrible disservice to our democratic process.
Michael Connolly
Gravel is now in.