Kucinich Blasts Edwards Over Debate Rules

(CBS)  An angry Dennis Kucinich lashed out at John Edwards on Friday, saying his Democratic rival showed "a consistent lack of integrity" by suggesting fewer candidates should participate in presidential forums and then trying to explain his remark to reporters.
"This is a serious matter, and I'm calling him on it," Kucinich, an Ohio congressman, said in a telephone interview Friday. "Whispering, trying to rig an election, then denying what's going on and making excuses. It all reflects a consistent lack of integrity."

Kucinich's comments came after Edwards and Hillary Rodham Clinton were overheard Thursday discussing the possibility of limiting the number of participants in future presidential forums.

In an exchange captured on camera and open microphone by broadcasters after an NAACP forum in Detroit, Edwards approached Clinton onstage and whispered in her ear.

"We should try to have a more serious and a smaller group," Edwards said, and Clinton agreed.

"Our guys should talk," Clinton said, complaining the format had "trivialized" the discussion.

Kucinich, who typically polls in the low single digits, clearly felt the slight was directed at him. All eight Democratic contenders took part in the program, including Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, Chris Dodd, Joe Biden, Mike Gravel and Kucinich.

Both Edwards and Clinton were asked about the exchange Friday, and offered different explanations.

In New Hampshire, Clinton seemed to lay responsibility on Edwards.

"I think he has some ideas about what he'd like to do," she said, adding she liked participating in the forums.

For his part, Edwards told reporters in Iowa that he wasn't in favor of barring anyone from future gatherings. Rather, he said he wanted to see them separated into two groups of four each, chosen randomly.

"The result would be that we would have a much more serious discussion and people would actually be able to see what the differences are between us," he said.

Kucinich called Edwards' explanation "disturbing" and said he planned to contact Edwards and Clinton immediately to demand an apology.

"I accept their offer to participate in a debate with just the two of them," Kucinich said. "John should be happy with this, since he wants a small group."

Kucinich's bitterness toward Edwards was somewhat ironic, given the boost he gave Edwards in Iowa when they were both running for president in 2004.

Kucinich, who is very popular with a small but ardent group of liberal activists, asked his Iowa supporters to back Edwards if they didn't meet voting thresholds in any of the state's precincts. That effort increased Edwards' final delegate count in the state, putting Edwards within striking distance of winning the caucuses that year.

[red164]

MR. STEPHANOPOULOS: So let's follow the metaphor. What are the ripples you want to send out in this campaign?

SEN. GRAVEL: Thank you for asking that, because the ripples are that we've got to pull away from politics as usual. I'll give you an example. At the last debate on the 32nd wing at the end I made the statement about their being immoral.

SEN. GRAVEL: (From tape.) We have to have a president who has moral judgment.

Most of the people on this stage with me do not have that judgment and have proven it by the simple fact of what they've done.

SEN. GRAVEL: It's not their personal life I was talking about. I was talking about the fact that those presidential candidates that are standing up with me, they've got the power to end this war and they're not doing anything about it. And that in my mind is immoral, because as we we're talking then, as we're talking now, George, human beings are dying and American soldiers are getting their bodies blown apart and we're killing Iraqis, and there's no reason for it. We can stop that. And so if they aspire to be president, they ought to show some leadership in the Congress right now to end it. And I've given them the tools to do this with, and they don't pick up on it.

[red164]

http://www.gravel2008.us/national_initia
tive

Mike Gravel for President 2008

The National Initiative for Democracy
A POPULIST CONCEPT OF DEMOCRACY

%u201CLet the People Decide%u201D

The central power of government in a democracy is lawmaking not voting. Those who make the laws determine how, when, and if voters can vote. Florida and Ohio are but recent examples. Governments throughout history have been tools of oppression; they need not be. American citizens can gain control of their government by becoming lawmakers and turning its purpose to public benefit, and stemming government growth
the people are more conservative than their elected officials regardless of political party.

Are the people qualified enough to make laws directly to govern their lives? They%u2019re qualified enough on Election Day to give their power away to political candidates who manipulate the electoral process to get elected. In fact, it%u2019s easier to decide one%u2019s self-interest directly than it is to guess the mind of a representative who will naturally put his or her self-interest first.

[red164]

http://www.gravel2008.us/national_initiative

Mike Gravel for President 2008

The National Initiative for Democracy
A POPULIST CONCEPT OF DEMOCRACY

%u201CLet the People Decide%u201D

The central power of government in a democracy is lawmaking %u2013%u2013 not voting. Those who make the laws determine how, when, and if voters can vote. Florida and Ohio are but recent examples. Governments throughout history have been tools of oppression; they need not be. American citizens can gain control of their government by becoming lawmakers and turning its purpose to public benefit, and stemming government growth%u2013%u2013the people are more conservative than their elected officials regardless of political party.

Are the people qualified enough to make laws directly to govern their lives? They%u2019re qualified enough on Election Day to give their power away to political candidates who manipulate the electoral process to get elected. In fact, it%u2019s easier to decide one%u2019s self-interest directly than it is to guess the mind of a representative who will naturally put his or her self-interest first.

[red164]

%u201CThe biggest lie fed the American people by conservative pundits is that the United States is dominated by the %u2018liberal media.%u2019 As if Rupert Murdoch, Michael Eisner, General Electric, Time-Warner AOL and Viacom are owned and operated by liberals.

%u201CNot only are these folks ultra-conservatives, but the people they hire to voice their opinions are so far to the right, they give independent journalism a dirty name. No, my friends, the corporate media is in the hands of right-wing kooks parading as moderates and pushing the political envelope further and further to the right.%u201D

[frb01]

We have to look at it this way, if Hillary Clinton were not a former first lady, she would have little more experience to offer than John Edwards. We as Americans should be proud that we have eighteen or so candidates running for the office. This happens once every four years and we should have the opportunity to hear all voices, not just the frontrunners of the moment because history has shown us that frontrunners often stumble along the way. If the 2nd tier candidates want to exit, they can do it on their own, in their timeframe.

[pepperp1]

It is not about Edwards, nice hair though; we can not keep dumbing down the Presidency. It is a competitive office that requires a highly skilled capable grownup and the debates should reflect that seriousness and qualification. Dennis claiming his fellow dems are rigging the election is a reckless exaggerated accusation and I am personally sick of the Childs play, people are dying this country is facing massive challenges and you have this goof and the Huckbee types on the right making the debates a joke. He is not qualified, and he dose not represent his party well with this cry baby fair WHAH, WHAH bull. Maybe Bloomberg will run%u2026this two party stuff has run its course and is bordering if not dysfunctional..

[se sanders]

I admire Kucinich but I also like Hillary and Edwards. This is a little skirmish being blown out of proportion, and the people who are seizing on an opportunity to blast the Democratic candidates in general because of the negative tone of the article are wasting their breath. The implication that Democrats and Republicans are in bed together is outrageous! I have been around a long time and I have never, ever seen the kind of incompetence and corruption evidenced by the present White House in a Democratic administration...it is the worst in at least eight decades, if not in history!

[prinzowhales]

Edwards sat on the Senate Intelligence Committee and did not do due diligence on the materials set before him by the Neo-con intelligence assets. His office would not offer a cogent response as to why no WMDs could be located by Marine Major Scott Ritter and the UN inspection team despite the dozens of leads that they followed up from US intelligence. His office could not offer any cogent response as to why our NRO, NSA and CIA could not show the movement claimed by the Neo-scum press as to why the team could not find the WMDs at the places searched.

Edwards, in effect, bought into and sold the childish demand that the Iraqis 'prove a negative'...prove that they had no WMDs when they had opened Iraq to inspections and nothing was found.

Edwards, Clinton and the rest of the Democratic and Republican dreck which hope to continue the Long War for Anglo-American capital will be pleased that they have the support of people who want to follow the course that Bush has set... but this time with a sop to the poor and a "glad hand" for those naive enough to believe that a Kerry victory would have meant a different policy.

[sandycat2]

I don't agree with Kucinich's politics, but at least I know that cause he listen to what he has to say. Any person running for President should have the same chance to voice their views to the American people as all the rest. Kudos goes to Kucinich for speaking out and standing up for what is right and fair. And at least Kucinich isn't afraid to go on Fox News for an interview the way Clinton, Edwards and Obama are. What are they afraid of. If they can't handle Fox News, what makes anyone think they will be able to handle Iran?

[homespunlady]

Looks like the Dems are doing the same thing the Cons are doing - Shutting out the competition. So, it's Kucinich shut out on the left and Congressman Dr. Ron Paul on the right.
SAME TACTICS are being employed on BOTH sides of the SAME COIN.