Media wrong to exclude Kucinich

The message of Rep. Dennis Kucinich was once again withheld from the public. NBC News, after inviting Kucinich to the Nevada Democratic presidential debate, reversed its decision and successfully appealed a judge’s ruling that Kucinich be included.

The control of U.S. elections by corporate interests is very dangerous. Nearly all of the secure, online (and live) straw polls have been won by Kucinich. Kucinich has won the post-debate polls on “Who won the debate?” — but the networks and the best-funded candidates (Edwards, Clinton and Obama), as well as the Democratic Party itself, do not want you to hear what Kucinich has to say. Clinton and Edwards have conspired to shut him out of all Democratic Party events. The Obama campaign excludes Kucinich in all messages, choosing instead to name the top three as if they were the only candidates. This is a very deliberate strategy. The “CEO” candidates do not want the populist in “their” DLC-controlled party. The Democratic Leadership Council is the “money wing” of the Democratic Party. Our own state organization is now also controlled by the DLC wing of the party.

People who study the issues, and support the pillars of democracy, also tend to support Dennis Kucinich. The best vehicle for supporting democracy is the Internet. People who use the Internet represent mainstream America because the corporate media cannot control the message — not yet, at least.

I urge people to contact NBC News, ABC News and Gannett newspapers to insist that they uphold the “free speech” provisions in our U.S. Constitution. With overwhelming grassroots support for Kucinich (and for single-payer, not-for-profit, universal health-care coverage; for ending the war in Iraq; and for ending “free trade” agreements), he deserves to have his message heard. Voters can visit www.kucinich.us to learn much more.

Rebecca Wolfe