Peak Inside Howard Dean's Email Inbox

Mary McElveen is trying to get you to send notice to the Democratic party concerning disgust with the media's censorship of candidates views:

By Mary MacElveen
January 16, 2008

To Chairman Howard Dean,

When you were running for president back in 2004, you stated that the people “had the power to take back their country” Well in light of former Senator Mike Gravel being omitted from past debates and now with Congressman Dennis Kucinich being barred from an upcoming debate: Where is the power of the people to decide who they get to hear from? I do not see it, Chairman Dean. This is surely not democracy, but censoring the words coming from both candidates.

Read the rest and sign on if you believe the media has no right to decide which candidates are supposedly viable.

If you aren't up to speed on what this is all about, here is the most recent episode in which the media is trying to dictate which candidates the people are allowed to hear about and from:

Just announced, the Nevada Supreme court is kicking the public right to hear all of the candidates' views in the teeth:

MSNBC reports that the Nevada Supreme Court has ruled that NBC can block Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) from tonight’s presidential debate in Las Vegas, overturning an earlier ruling by a Clark County District Judge. NBC had uninvited Kucinich after changing its participation criteria.

Previously brewed here:

Kucinich Wins Nevada Debate

At least, in court, he wins the debate on whether he will get an invitation to the debate, OR ELSE:

“A judge in Nevada has just ordered MSNBC to include Rep. Dennis Kucinich in Tuesday’s Democratic Party presidential debate in Las Vegas or he will cancel the forum. Senior Clark County District Court Judge Charles Thompson vowed to issue an injunction halting the nationally televised debate if MSNBC failed to comply. Kucinich had filed a lawsuit seeking to be included just this morning.”

Good for Dennis Kucinich, and great for Democracy! And a hearty "Thank you!" to Judge Thompson...

When will the media leave it up to the voters, and only the voters, which candidates are viable? Since when did the media become the rule makers for a political party's primary?

The media needs to learn its place is to report and fact check. Not to cheer lead and blackout.

Connecticut Bob has a few choice words (and pics) to describe this recent news...

Both Mike Gravel and Dennis Kucinich have been completely shafted by the media. And John Edwards seems to suffer from a similar problem. Even though they do allow Edwards to participate in the debates, he gets little press beyond that. And when they do cover Edwards, it is usually addressing how angry he is supposed to be, or concerning his haircuts.

Honestly? I don't give a damn how much Edwards' haircuts cost, and when I have seen him talk he has seemed upbeat most of the time, and at other times grave, solemn or concerned, but never really angry. If you want angry, look at the corrupt and enraged (deranged too?) Dick "Go FV@K Yourself!" Cheney, or the average citizen that has had to suffer the complete failure of the media on about every front in the last couple of decades.

And make no mistakes about this: The media in America is failing BIG TIME. And they are dragging the rest of the country down with them.

Power To The People

Give Peace A Chance!

Not the greatest musical talent... But he sure gets the message right!

The Mike Gravel Rap:
Power to the People - Give Peace a Chance

Think. Think. Think!

Yeah
Everybody talkin about politicians. Politicians. Politicians. Politicians. Politicians.
Nepotism. Patriotism.
Jingoism. Jingoism!
Phony patriotism is Jingoism!

Why won't you let me say what I want to say
Power to the people
Give peace a chance

Everybody talkin about Fascism. Fascism.
Militarism. Fanaticism. Terrorism. Terrorism!
Despotism. Despotism.
Fear. Fear. Fear!
Islamofascism. American Imperialism. American Imperialism. Harms way. Harms way.

Why won't you let me say what I want to say
Power to the people
Give peace a chance

Everybody talkin about pollution. Solution.
Revolution. Evolution. Evolution. Revolution.
Freedom of speech.
Freedom to be who you are.
The Constitution.

Why won't you let me say what I want to say
Power to the people
Give peace a chance

Power to the people
Give peace a chance

Everybody talkin about corporate censorship. Corporate censorship. Party censorship. Parties in censorship. Why? Why?
Are they afraid of the truth?
Ripped off. Ripped off.

Why won't you let me say what I want to say
Power to the people
Give peace a chance

Power to the people!
Power to the people
Give peace a chance

Why won't you let me say what I want to say
Power to the people
Give peace a chance

Power to the people!
Power to the people
Give peace a chance

DFA Dem Presidential Candidate Poll

Via Democracy For America:

Total Votes: 135268 as of Mon, 05 Nov 2007 12:37:45 -0500

Candidate	Votes	%
Dennis Kucinich	41941	31.01%
Al Gore (write in)	36590	27.05%
Barack Obama	19586	14.48%
John Edwards	18090	13.37%
Bill Richardson	6010	4.44%
Hillary Clinton	5355	3.96%
Other	2951	2.18%
Christopher Dodd	2370	1.75%
Joe Biden	1307	0.97%
Mike Gravel	1068	0.79%

VOTING IS STILL OPEN!! Polls close at midnight on November 5th, 2007. Cast your vote now at http://www.DemocracyforAmerica.com/PulsePoll

Vote Now - Time Is Almost Up

The final DFA Presidential Pulse Poll ends tonight at midnight Eastern Standard Time. That means you only have a few hours left to vote and make sure your voice is heard.

Today is a big day. With over 130,000 votes cast, the poll is already the largest presidential poll of progressive activists this year. Yet this isn't even close to over. Traditionally, tens of thousands of votes come in on the last day.

That means the winner is still very much up for grabs.

It is pretty obvious that my Blog (Drinking Liberally in New Milford) likes Dennis Kucinich because he is really the only liberal on that list, and a moderate liberal like myself, but you might be surprised that my second choice as a candidate would be Christopher Dodd because of the many strong stances he has taken on pet issues of mine. As a Senator, I have very little to quibble about concerning his votes. As a presidential candidate he has been responsive to the people's (and the Bloggers') serious concerns about the path this country has followed under the disastrous policies of the criminal bush administration.

I am not a Democratic party member, nor a huge supporter of that party overall either (much to the chagrin of some progressive Bloggers... heh), because there is no way in hell that they can afford to keep throwing conservative candidates on to their ballot (the ones that play the triangulation-faux-centrist games) and ever hope to fix what is wrong with this country. But that is only the Democratic party problem side of it.

Fixing it really starts by kicking every single GOP candidate out of office. The corrupt ones. The ones that hate the Constitution. The ones that trample on the Bill of Rights. The ones that have desecrated the principles of this country with torture, illegal invasions, lies and illegally spied on Americans. The ones that have been the embodiment of hatred, racism and done everything they can to divide this country in any way they can.

We, all of We the People, need to unite against these GOP atrocities.

I have said my little piece on this subject... But now it is your tun to go there, vote, and try to make a difference, because even little polls like this make a difference in shaping America's perception (sadly, this is true) of what the heart beat of America is drumming on about.

Ultimate Push Poll in New Hampshire

Sorry Kucinich and Gravel... No votes for you two in this Democratic candidate poll. I wonder why not?

My New Hampshire phone rings (caller ID 000-000-0000 WTF?)and I pick it up out of curiosity. "This is (talking like a magpie so I haven't got a clue what the name of the company is)Research. Would you like to be part of a poll for the Democratic presidential primary candidate?" I agree and the woman rapidly reads the list of candidates. "Clinton, Obama, Edwards, Dodd, Biden and Richardson." I say, "Kucinich." The woman on the phone says "Who?" I say, "Kucinich. Dennis Kucinich." I hear coaching in the background - apparently the call is being monitored. "I'm sorry, but Dennis Kucinich is not on our list. Is there anyone on the list I gave you who you would vote for?"

So there you have it. Kucinich is down in the polls because he isn't included in the polls . . . and you can forget about Gravel, too.

Just a little bit dishonest, dirty and underhanded. Ya think?
(h/t C&L)

Fox Caught in a Lie AGAIN

Here is Hannity and Colmes trying to tell people that there really isn't that much support for Ron Paul amongst their viewers regardless of the poll:



And somebody proves The Big Lie... Just another poll showing that Paul is the only credible candidate conservatives have and the corporate lackeys in the media hate it, ridicule it, and lie about it. Denis Kucinich and Mike Gravel get the same treatment too. And the vast majority of the American people align closer to those 3 candidates ideologically than they ever could to the rest of the candidates.

The MSM is the Lunatic Fringe

What is the problem with the MSM?

"Sometime Monday afternoon, after Congressman Kucinich took a commanding lead in ABC's own online 'Who won the Democratic debate' survey, the survey was dropped from prominence on the website."

But reduced prominence apparently wasn't sufficient. By Monday afternoon Kucinich was winning handily, so ABC replaced the original survey with a second one, perhaps hoping the candidates the network is hawking would be more successful.

For a time, they were - U.S. Senator Barack Obama took the lead in early voting Monday afternoon and evening - but by late Monday / early Tuesday, Kucinich regained the lead by a large margin in this second survey.

Both Ron Kaul and Denis Kucinich can't get a fair shake in this game for the simple reason that the establishment media and their favourite candidates in both the Democratic party and the Republican won't allow them.

'George, I've been standing here for the last 45 minutes, praying to God you were going to call on me," joked Rep. Dennis Kucinich, in answer to a question on prayer.

The crowd, and the moderator, erupted with laughter.

"You have a direct pipeline, Congressman,' joked Stephanopoulos.

Unfortunately for America the media is the biggest joke in American politics...

There is a very simple reason that the corporate owned and controlled media won't give guys like Kucinich a shot:

Many of us are familiar with the Political Compass. Some at MLN even had their compass score in their signatures for a while, and even took the time to chart some of their own personal scores in March. But do you know where the 2008 Presidential Candidates sit on this political chart?

You should:

My kingdom for a real progressive candidate!

Perhaps you've heard of the Political Compass website, where you can take a test that places you on a grid based on the degree to which you are "left" or "right" on the economic scale as well as how socially libertarian or authoritarian you are.

I'm damn near as moonbatty as it gets: -6.50, -6.67, which puts me in, for lack of a better term, the "deep Southwest" of the grid.

Anyway, thanks to a recent article on London's TimesOnline, we can see how the 2008 U.S. presidential candidates fit on the grid.

This should worry those on the left, and I know that many at MLN scored even further left than I did (I am a Liberal, but I am a moderate Liberal), as they watch the next candidate chosen for the Democratic party who is nothing less than a conservative. That is, if they chose anyone other than Kucinich or Gravel. And right now they aren't even counted in the top 3 contenders.

This is where the Democratic party is failing miserably. They are not really providing any different ideology than the GOP, just a moderate version of it, if they choose any of those conservative candidates on that chart.

Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, Chris Dodd, Bill Richardson, Joe Biden... They are all conservatives, as moderate as some of them may be, they are conservatives nonetheless.

Welcome to America! Where the government is considered a tool for corporations to rob the citizens of the world for the benefit of the few in the establishment.

How Does Your Candidate Measure Up?

Many of us are familiar with the Political Compass. Some at MLN even had their compass score in their signatures for a while, and even took the time to chart some of their own personal scores in March. But do you know where the 2008 Presidential Candidates sit on this political chart?

You should:

My kingdom for a real progressive candidate!

Perhaps you've heard of the Political Compass website, where you can take a test that places you on a grid based on the degree to which you are "left" or "right" on the economic scale as well as how socially libertarian or authoritarian you are.

I'm damn near as moonbatty as it gets: -6.50, -6.67, which puts me in, for lack of a better term, the "deep Southwest" of the grid.

Anyway, thanks to a recent article on London's TimesOnline, we can see how the 2008 U.S. presidential candidates fit on the grid.

This should worry those on the left, and I know that many at MLN scored even further left than I did (I am a Liberal, but I am a moderate Liberal), as they watch the next candidate chosen for the Democratic party who is nothing less than a conservative. That is, if they chose anyone other than Kucinich or Gravel. And right now they aren't even counted in the top 3 contenders.

This is where the Democratic party is failing miserably. They are not really providing any different ideology than the GOP, just a moderate version of it, if they choose any of those conservative candidates on that chart.

Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, Chris Dodd, Bill Richardson, Joe Biden... They are all conservatives, as moderate as some of them may be, they are conservatives nonetheless.

Gravel The Rock Outtakes

A behind the scenes look at the making of Mike Gravel's The Rock:

Virtual Trip to Vegas... Good for Your HEALTHcare

Some Emails are well worth Passing on:

Dear Stephen,

We hope you're ready for tomorrow's presidential candidates forum on health care. We're making last minute arrangements now and excitement is building.

Sign up for an email reminder and we'll let you know when the event's about to start.

Saturday, March 24, 2007
12:15 p.m. EST (9:15 a.m. PST)

If you'd like to watch the live webcast and submit a question online, visit ThinkProgress.org tomorrow at 12:00 pm EST (9:00 am PST).

Here's how it will work:

1. During the forum, ThinkProgress.org will offer you the chance to submit questions to the candidates in real time.

2. Submissions will be reviewed immediately by a panel of health care experts who will select the best entries.

3. Karen Tumulty, the forum's moderator, could ask your question live on the air!

The webcast and live blogging start promptly at 12:15 pm EST (9:15 am PST). Don't forget to sign up for a reminder!

Thanks and enjoy the forum,

Faiz Shakir
Research Director, ThinkProgress.org
Center for American Progress Action Fund

Sounds like a great opportunity to flood the candidates with demands for TRUE Universal Healthcare... You know? The single payer kind that they never seem to be talking about when they abuse the words "Universal Healthcare".

Enough with "reforming" the broken "for profit" system. We need single payer, government funded, true Universal Healthcare.

As a side note: Thinkprogress said in a seperate Email that they invited all of the Preidential candidates to participate in this...

The Progress Report is traveling to Las Vegas today to participate in Saturday's New Leadership on Health Care presidential forum, featuring Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT), Sen. John Edwards (D-NC), Sen. Mike Gravel (D-AK), Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), and Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM). (All the presidential candidates were invited to attend.) The Center for American Progress Action Fund and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) are co-hosting the forum. Karen Tumulty, National Political Correspondent for Time magazine, will moderate the forum and ask the candidates about their plans to address our nation's health care crisis. If you happen to be in Las Vegas this weekend and would like to attend the presidential forum in person, we have some seats for you. RSVP here.

I wonder if that invitation included the republican neocon-wet-set? heh