Kucinich wins his suit. Will be in the debate tomorrow night. Las Vegas judge rules in his favor.

[flpoljunkie]

Las Vegas Judges Rules in Favor of Dennis Kunich Law Suit

A Las Vegas judge has ruled that democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich must be included in the Tuesday night presidential debate in Las Vegas.

Kucinich filed a lawsuit against NBC. He said he was initially invited to be in the nationally televised debate but the offer was later rescinded. Base on the earlier invitation, Judge Charles Thompson ruled in Kucinich's favor saying if he isn't included, he will issue an injunction stopping the debate.

The judge will meet with lawyers from both sides to sign the court order at 4 p.m. The attorneys for NBC claim the state has no jurisdiction in this matter, but they declined to say what their next legal move, if any, will be.

Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama as well as John Edwards are the only three candidates invited to the debate.

http://www.lasvegasnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=7622444&nav=168Y

[AnOhioan]

1. He deserves to be heard, the voters deserve a real debate

[DaLittle Kitty]

51. Ain't Gonna Be N Debate W/ Dennis In There! He's A Distraction To Keep Edwards From Having A Chance

One On One Compete W/ HillBill and Obey... Dennis will take Up where Richardson Left Off! POS!

[dionysus]

61. what is with your rambling, incoherant posts?

someone put strychnine in your cheerios?

[no name no slogan]

75. Nah, Edwards is just a distraction from Kucinich

GO KUCH

[Adelante]

2. That's wonderful

:)

[mike_c]

3. good-- I hope this holds up....

eom

[RC]

4. hope Lives!

I know Dennis Kucinich has no chance to win, bet he deserves to be heard as he is one of the very few to speak embarrassing truths.

[sunonmars]

5. to be honest

I'd prefer to hear from the 3 that have a chance at winning without losing valuable debate time to Dennis who will try to inject himself into anything.

We've had the 2nd tier dwindled, time to get on with the big stuff.

[flpoljunkie]

6. It's not right to invite Dennis, and then disinvite him. The judge agreed.

[onenote]

9. I think it was a mistake to disinvite him, But I'm curious about the legal rationale

for a court essentially to tell a news organization how to cover the campaign. MSNBC is under no obligation to have a debate and, subject to certain limitations imposed on them by the campaign finance laws, are pretty much free to conduct them as they want.

Its possible that the judge's rationale is derived from campaign finance laws, although the fact that its a state judge rather than a federal judge makes me wonder about that.

[onenote]

22. Now that I've seen the complaint, my guess is that the judge agreed with the contract rationale

I doubt a state court judge would rule on the COmmunications Act issue.

[DangerDave921]

73. state courts

state courts can rule on federal issues, unless it's an area of law that is SOLELY reserved to the federal bench. I don't know much about the Communications Act. But if it's concurrent jurisidction, then the court can rule on it.

Very interesting decision from a legal standpoint. Forcing a private news organization to include a candidate in a debate.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

7. I'm an Edwards supporter but THANK GOD! The media has got to stop voting for us by narrowing down

the field!! I'm sick of it!

[cyclezealot]

13. Edwards' chatted with Hillary about eliminating Dennis

Off mic, a couple debates ago. Edward's wants a fighter on his side, he will begin to speak up for the rights of others to be heard. Besides DK in the race helps Edwards. He so relies on Kucinich to formulate his policies. He even calls himself sea biscuit .

[Sarah Ibarruri]

18. That sucks and it's nasty business, but still, the worst enemy we have is the media, and...

... the fact that no one can run for office in this country unless they collect mega-bazillions from the rich and corporations. That has to stop. Only a limited amt of money should be allowed used. The media should only be allowed to air all the major candidates, or none at all. The media should not create news by blowing out of proportion any stupid thing candidates do or say (tho I don't know how we're going to get rid of that).

[cyclezealot]

25. If someone can convince Kucinich people that Edwards' `

respected the right of Kucinich to be heard back in 2007. Please let us know it was Hillary's doing and Edwards respects fair play. I will quickly think him a better second choice. From the audio recording it sounded like Edwards was more than happy to get his opponents out before they ever had a chance to present their ideas.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

27. I'm not here to argue with you. If I thought Kucinich had a fighting chance, I'd vote for him.....

.... because I'm about as lefty as they come, and so is Kucinich. But you gotta understand me here. I'm voting for my LIFE! My country is being destroyed. I voted for Edwards, and if he doesn't make it as nominee, I'm voting for whichever Democrat does. WHY? I'll tell you. Because if I don't, another Republican will be the next President, and the old and the poor of this country CANNOT withstand one more day with those creeps. And don't tell me Democrats are the same. They are not as lefty as I am, but they're not the sick bastards Republicans are.

[cyclezealot]

30. was not disagreeing with you.

That's your choice.It's your vote. I am saying why I am bitter against Edwards. you don't respect the rights of others to be heard early on; it says something about one's character. Don't worry , it won't be fair. Brian Williams and Tim Russert. They will do all they can to denegrate Kucinich. All the more so now, that a judge would demand their station play fair.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

32. I'm sorry he did that. :( Kucinich is a great guy. So is Edwards. I'm hoping....

... that Edwards gets the nomination and nominates Kucinich to a very high post. That would make me such a happy woman!

[cyclezealot]

38. thanks . glad we are on the same team.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

41. Yeah! :-) nt

[Sarah Ibarruri]

35. I'm going to write them right now and demand they be fair to Kucinich and Edwards nt

[Sarah Ibarruri]

36. DELETED - twin post

[DaLittle Kitty]

55. That IS The Whole Point! A Lot Of People WILL NOT Vote For Either Hill Or Obama

and putting Dnnis the Menace in this debate is one way to increase the probability of that happening... I used to like Dennis but he is a total POS in my book! :puke:

[DaLittle Kitty]

57. I AMM Going To Call The Little POS On His Cell and Give Him A Piece of My Mind!

:puke:

[dionysus]

60. unhinged...much?

[slipslidingaway]

31. Yes, Edwards was more than happy to eliminate Dennis and

the 'less serious' candidates from debates.

There was a video where this could clearly be heard, might try and find it later.

[cyclezealot]

34. That was early in the primary season.

Maybe I am being petty, but I say that says something about their character. Edwards preempts Kucinich's ideas. Why would he not want DK's creative powers to draw upon. Tell me I am wrong, and I'll take back my anger at Edwards. not saying , we would not be for him should he get the nomination.

[slipslidingaway]

44. Well it does say something about character, at least to me

anyway.

And I cannot say that you are wrong WRT Edwards, as for voting for the eventual nominee who knows. I've given my vote to the party for over 30 years and they did not hold people accountable, always thinking about the next election. In my opinion that is short sighted, would we have had junior if his dad had been exposed? Look who junior was able to put on the Supreme Court, Alito who wrote the paper on how to make more effective use of signing statements while in the Reagan administration. Not sure I want any of these people coming back to haunt my kids or grandkids someday. From where I sit, I do not expect any significant changes from the top three candidates, maybe things do have to get worse before they get better??? My final decision will be between me and the machine in November :)

[cyclezealot]

47. Edwards should appreciate Kucinich

Without Kucinich there, there will be no one to take the press' sliming. I say Edwards will soon be done for, because the press will then put their major sliming Edward's way instead of Kucinich. We'll see how that feels when MSNBC turns their guns on Edwards.

[slipslidingaway]

67. You might be right about that, although it is a dilemma for Edwards

because Kucinich will challenge him on his votes.

:shrug:

[cyclezealot]

50. You noticed in the FOX GOP debate in NH, the Repukes

demanded Paul be heard. As wrong as Paul is, he has a right to be heard. And the Democrats don't feel compelled to do such. Shame on us.

[slipslidingaway]

68. Yes, Dennis obviously does not hold the same values as many

in the leadership of the Democratic Party :(

[truedelphi]

28. Very tired and sick of it here.

And the better the candidate is, the less likely their name is mentioned in the M$M.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

29. You are 100% correct! nt

[redqueen]

64. Completely agree...

:thumbsup:

[Nedsdag]

8. Good!

I'm glad they did! He deserves to be there along with the others.

[mikelgb]

10. PDF OF LAWSUIT:

http://www2.lasvegasnow.com/docs/kucinich.pdf

[stravu9]

12. Good For Him!

Hope he does well.

[THUNDER HANDS]

11. great

because the world is waiting to hear what Dennis Kucinich has to say.

[FreeState]

16. I am n/t

[Occam Bandage]

14. I disagree with his initial invitation, but agree with this judge's decision.

[peoli]

15. Good for Dennis. He should be in all debates

[DURHAM D]

17. I am a little shocked that the court would find jurisdiction on this matter.

On the other hand, I think DK should be in the debate.

[OzarkDem]

20. Public airwaves, right?

[onenote]

23. No. Cable network.

DK raised two grounds in his complaint, one based on contract and one based on the Communications Act. I'd be surprised if a state court judge would rule on a COmmunications Act issue, so I'm guessing the judge decided it based on the implied contract count.

[OzarkDem]

19. Holding the broadcast media accountable

It would be great to see others follow his example. Thanks, Dennis.

[no name no slogan]

21. Wow-- a debate may actually be WATCHABLE

instead of being the usual snore-fest of pussyfooting around like it normally is

[bigwillq]

24. YAY!

Great news! Let all voices be heard! :bounce:

[MonkeyFunk]

26. well, a court

can make them invite him (I guess) but he can't force them to ask him questions.

[slipslidingaway]

33. So damn true! n/t

[onenote]

39. and in the future, networks will simply be more careful

If this decision, as I suspect it is, was made on a breach of contract rationale, all it means is that in the future, when extending an offer to participate in the debate, the network will include language reserving the right to disinvite.

[MonkeyFunk]

40. Yep

and have even more stringest requirements for participation.

[kenfrequed]

77. Gods

I can always trust you to spin this.


He WAS invited and then MSNBC just changed their minds without any good reason. Why is it that it is the Hillary supporters that always seem to be so vicious with regards to stomping on Kucinich? I honestly don't get it. It isn't like Dennis is trying to pull at the blue dogs or the damned DLC vote, is it?

I mean you should be happy, this pulls energy from the Edwards vote.

Or are Kucinich's ideas that threatening?

[David Zephyr]

37. Wonderful news! Go Dennis!

I may be for Obama, but I love Dennis!

Go Dennis!

[Thrill]

42. Cool........Bad News for Hillary

[Nutmegger]

43. That's fantastic news!

R&K for Kucinich!

[Mutineer]

45. So did the judge rule that they had to ask him questions?

I'm sure they will marginalize him and Edwards tomorrow night.

[MonkeyFunk]

46. and give him a microphone of equal volume

and equivalent lighting, and a state position equal to the others?

This is a pretty lousy way to get in a debate.

[AtomicKitten]

48. Very glad to hear that.

[democrat2thecore]

49. Best debates have been WITHOUT Kucinich

The back-bench flake from Ohio injects a certain immaturity and low-intellectual level to the debates. Kucinich is passionate on the issues and, at times, can be very articulate on those issues. But, so can my neighbor down the street and I don't think he should be president. To me, his being on the national stage is embarrassing and hurts the image of the Democratic Party. It's a huge ego trip for him - and that's it. He craves attention and always has. When he was the "boy Mayor" of Cleveland he would throw tantrums when the attention shifted from Dennis. Nothing has changed.


It's sad but true, other people in the House laugh and snicker at the immaturity of Kucinich. Whiny, pouty, new-age flaky, can't talk about many substantive issues. He only knows the issues he knows - they are the, "make-the-left-feel-good with rhetoric but have no way in hell to even begin to pay for all my promises of Utopia."

I just think it's time for Kucinich to pick up his toys and go home and be a congressman to his tiny Cleveland district.

That's how I see it, it's my opinion and I don't need Dennis The Menace fawners to tell me how "wrong" I am. Remember, it's just my opinion and I'm entitled to it.

edit to correct capitalization.

[DaLittle Kitty]

52. Well Constructed Opinion. I Am Well Acquainted W/ Dennis +YOU GOTTIT RIGHT!

DENNIS NEEDS TO GO HOME... Before he Saddles US W/ HillBill or Obama...


But then ... THAT IS THE OBJECTIVE , IS IT NOT? POS! :puke:

[DaLittle Kitty]

53. Well Constructed Opinion. I Am Well Acquainted W/ Dennis +YOU GOTTIT RIGHT!

DENNIS NEEDS TO GO HOME... Before he Saddles US W/ HillBill or Obama...


But then ... THAT IS THE OBJECTIVE , IS IT NOT? POS! :puke:

[Eurobabe]

54. Good for Dennis, NO ONE who is still a candidate

should ever be excluded from debates.

[MGKrebs]

56. Hard to see the legal justification for this.

"But Thompson said it was a matter of fairness to include Kucinich, and said voters would benefit.

“I don't think that just deciding that just three is good enough for the state of Nevada is a legitimate basis,” he said. "

But 4 is fair? What about Gravel?

[DaLittle Kitty]

58. hYeah, Kucinich Is NO MORE VIABLE Than Gravel! Just Grandstanding +Protecting Status Quo!

:wtf: :puke:

[MGKrebs]

63. OK, so the judge has determined some arbitrary level of viability

to make his decision? Isn't that the same as what MSNBC did?

[GreenArrow]

70. Did NBC invite Gravel and then revoke the invite?

I don't think he even got an invite, but I do think the debates would be more instructive with both of them in there.

[MGKrebs]

71. Is disinviting someone against the law?

[GreenArrow]

76. it's kind of changing the rules in the middle of the game

ain't it? It ain't cricket, and all that, what. And it may be against the law if a judge has ruled that a contract was broken.

[Vinca]

59. Great! He's a voice that needs to be heard. nt

[TerwilligeRedux]

62. At least there will be a more vigorous debate

A contrary voice on some issues will be much welcomed. I wish it would make more of a difference, but I'm glad he'll be included.

[Debi]

65. Great - but will he just be ignored?

He can force them to let him on stage but he can't force them to ask him questions.

[Mark Twain Girl]

66. This is great news, but you bring up a good point.

When I look at those "talking head time" bar charts for the debates, it drives me crazy. But regardless, this is GREAT news. Go Dennis!

[no name no slogan]

69. I believe there's a clause in the settlement

If Dennis doesn't get asked at least three questions, he's allowed to kick Tim Russert in the balls. A unique settlement, no doubt, yet highly fair, nonetheless.

[Debi]

72. Love it! But I could see where the other candidates may express a desire

to also kick Russert in the balls. Maybe this will be part of the 'lightning round'? Somebody yells 'rush the moderators' and all the candidates kick the hell out of em for 30 seconds?

[no name no slogan]

74. It would only be fair to open it up to everyone

I really like the idea of the "lightning round". It would make the debate much more watchable, IMHO. I just hope Russert is wearing a titanium cup.