[GPCA Updates] GP RELEASE Greens blast barring of antiwar candidates from Dem, Repub debates

[Green Party of California Updates]

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GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
http://www.gp.org

For Immediate Release:
Tuesday, January 8, 2008


Greens protest the exclusion of antiwar
candidates from Democratic and Republican primary
debates

• Barring of Kucinich, Gravel, and Paul amounts
to censorship of candidates whose positions are
unacceptable to the Democratic and Republican
parties, major media, and their corporate
sponsors, say Greens

• First Green presidential candidates' debate set
for San Francisco on Sunday, January 13


WASHINGTON, DC -- Green Party leaders and
candidates protested the exclusion of Dennis
Kucinich, Mike Gravel, and Ron Paul from primary
presidential debates sponsored by major news
organizations.

Greens noted that Mr. Kucinich, Mr. Gravel, and
Mr. Paul hold strong positions against the Iraq
war and other Bush policies, in agreement with
most Americans but contrary to the positions of
other Democrats and Republicans running for the
White House.

Mr. Kucinich, like the Green Party, favors
single-payer national health care, unlike his
fellow Democratic presidential candidates and the
major media, which rely on corporate campaign
contributions and advertising dollars from
insurance firms, HMOs, and pharmaceutical
manufacturers.  Mr. Kucinich was excluded from an
ABC TV debate on January 5.

The six candidates for the Green Party's
presidential nomination, all of whom oppose the
war, will be featured in upcoming Green debates.
The first debate will take place in San Francisco
on January 13
<http://www.gp.org/press/pr-state.php?ID=9>.  The
nomination will be decided at the Green Party's
2008 national convention, July 10-13 in Chicago.

• Jody Grage, treasurer of the Green Party of the
United States: "In democratic elections, voters
have a right to be informed about all the
candidates whose names they'll see on the ballot.
  Fox and ABC TV have violated the public interest
and their licenses to use the publicly owned
airwaves.  They're acting like the official news
bureaus of dictatorships."

• Jason Wallace, peace activist, Iraq War
veteran, and Green candidate for Congress in
Illinois (11th district)
<http://www.electwallace.us>: "It's no accident
that Kucinich, Gravel, and Paul -- the most vocal
opponents of the Iraq invasion -- are getting
shut out of the debates.  While the Democratic
and Republican parties and big media
conglomerates try to close down serious public
discussion over the Iraq war, the Green Party's
'Peace Slate' will continue to represent the
opinion of most Americans, whom poll after poll
have shown oppose the war.  On Election Day 2008,
the only truly antiwar candidates on the ballot
will be from the Green Party or another third
party or will be independent."

• Rodger Jennings, Green candidate for Congress
in Illinois (12th District)
<http://www.rodgerjennings.org>: "The Democratic
and Republican parties and media companies like
Fox and ABC have censored the opinions of the
majority of Americans, who want to see a quick
end to the Iraq War.  It's revealing that Barack
Obama and Mike Huckabee won in Iowa.  Among the
frontrunners within their respective parties,
they've been the most critical of President
Bush's foreign policies.  But Mr. Huckabee has
only criticized the Bush Administration's
strategic blunders in Iraq, rather the war
itself.  While Mr. Obama has opposed the war, he
only favors a vague and delayed timetable for
partial withdrawal of troops, which suggests that
the occupation will continue in some form
regardless of which Democratic frontrunner might
be elected in November.  Mr. Obama has also added
his voice to the military threat against Iran,
and says nothing about holding the Bush
Administration and war profiteers accountable for
their crimes.  Unfortunately, voters are being
denied the chance to hear the real antiwar
candidates and are being told that Dennis
Kucinich, Mike Gravel, and Ron Paul shouldn't be
taken seriously."

• John Walsh, Massachusetts Green-Rainbow Party
delegate to the Green Party's National Committee:
"In recent elections, the Commission on
Presidential Debates, the corporate-owned body
controlled by the two established parties, has
only allowed Democratic and Republican
presidential candidates and has barred Green,
independent, and other candidates from
participating.  We urge all Americans --
especially those who oppose bipartisan warhawk
policies on Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran -- to
speak out in demand of fair elections and
election coverage, and inclusion of all qualified
candidates in the debates, regardless of their
positions or party memberships."


MORE INFORMATION

Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
Fax 202-319-7193
• Green Party News Center
http://www.gp.org/newscenter.shtml
• Green Party Speakers Bureau
http://www.gp.org/speakers
• Green candidate database for 2007 and other
campaign information:
http://www.gp.org/elections.shtml
• Media credentialing
http://www.gp.org/committees/media/kit.shtml