Posted by Jonathan Adler:
Kucinich Challenges ABC News:
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2008_01_06-2008_01_12.shtml#1199631746
On Friday, Rep. Dennis Kucinich [1]filed a petition with the Federal
Communications Commission challenging ABCNews' decision to exclude him
from last night's presidential debate.
Kucinich argued that ABC is violating equal-time provisions by
keeping him out of the debate and noted that ABC's parent Walt
Disney Co. had contributed to campaigns involving the four
Democrats who were invited.
"ABC should not be the first primary," the Ohio congressman said in
papers filed at the Federal Communications Commission.
ABC said the candidates left out of the debates failed to meet
benchmarks for their support that were outlined to each campaign
prior to the Iowa caucus. Kucinich did not complain about these
rules ahead of time, said spokeswoman Cathie Levine, who had no
further comment since she hasn't seen the FCC filing.
The petition did not accomplish much, as the debate went ahead without
Kucinich. In any event, it is very difficult to argue that pre-set
qualification rules, such as those employed by ABCNews, somehow
violate equal-time rules.
References
1.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/04/AR2008010401586.html?hpid=sec-politics
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