Urgent Message from “Democracy Now!” - Kucinich Barred from Democratic Debate in Iowa
In campaign news, Congress member and Democratic hopeful Dennis Kucinich has been excluded from today’s Democratic presidential debate in Iowa. Debate sponsor the Des Moines Register told Kucinich he isn’t eligible because he doesn’t meet local requirements on a local campaign office and paid staff. Kucinich’s Iowa field director works out of a home office. The most recent poll of likely Democratic voters shows Kucinich has one percent support in Iowa the same as Senator Chris Dodd. Nationally, Kucinich has two percent support the same as Bill Richardson and Senator Joe Biden. Dodd, Richardson and Biden are all taking part in today’s debate. In a statement, the Kucinich campaign called the exclusion arbitrary and unreasonable, saying: [If] the Register has decided to use hair-splitting technicalities to exclude the leading voice of the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party, the entire process is suspect.

[Duchess Note: Apparently the BS from Iowa, when one makes a call, is that “he didn’t meet the criteria”. This is a load of crap! Not sure who is behind banning him from the debate, but who ever is the chief instigator(s) is, well, they are being unpatriotic, undemocratic and violating civil rights, liberties and the Constitution. This is disgusting and thoroughly appalling behavior. Keep calling the numbers below throughout the day. Let those buggers know in Iowa how displeased we Americans are with their behavior. As you can tell, I am NOT feeling peaceful towards my fellow Americans in Iowa.]

AND KEEP CALLING THROUGH TODAY … LET'S FLOOD THE REGISTER WITH CALLS demanding that they include DENNIS KUCINICH in the debate today. Repost from redemption (on the action site) "...Carol Washburn is the one person that made the decision to remove Dennis from the Debate." CALL Carol Washburn NOW 1-515-284-8586

Also call 1-515-284-8041, and call ALL of the numbers below, beginning with the President's office!!!

The Des Moines Register 1-800-247-5346
Laura Hollingsworth President and Publisher (515) 284-8041
Rick Bell, Vice President, Circulation (515) 284-8319
Kevin D. Hall Vice President, Advertising (515) 284-8384
Julie Harvey Vice President, Finance (515) 284-8226
Kevin R. Johnson Vice President, Production (515) 471-3505
Susan Patterson Plank Vice President, Marketing and Digital Development (515) 284-8261
Joyce M. Ray Vice President, Human Resources (515) 284-8586
Carolyn Washburn Vice President, Editor (515) 284-8502
R. Dee Wilson Vice President, Information Services (515) 284-8385

LATEST IN THE NEWS

Press Release – Kucinich Amendment Passes, Creates New Jobs
http://kucinich.house.gov/News/DocumentPrint.aspx?DocumentID=80154

Kucinich Press Release – Iraq War Funding Deal Is Immoral
http://kucinich.house.gov/News/DocumentPrint.aspx?DocumentID=80275

Arizona Congressman Co-Sponsors Cheney Impeachment
Cleveland Leader
http://www.clevelandleader.com/node/4080

The Green Philosophy of Dennis Kucinich
Amanda Griscom Little, Salon
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/12/11/kucinich_qa/print.html

Time for Change’s Journal – The Psychopathic Meaning of “Patriotism” to Militant Nationalists
Democratic Underground.com
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Time%20for%20change/255

Ready for change? Vote for Kucinich
Letter to the Editor, by Anna Ragland in Utah
Tuesday, December 11, 2007 1:50 AM

Politics is probably something many of us don’t like to get involved with. A large percentage of us may not even vote in the upcoming primary. But now more then ever we all need to get out there and vote on Feb. 5. We are provided via the major news corporations our candidates. Right now that means for Democrats that there are only three choices that get our attention. But will these candidates represent the people or will they be beholden to the corporations and special interests groups that provide their funding and promote their interests? If you are concerned about the state of affairs in our country, about the mismanagement of international relations, of wars without end, of lies and spies and destroyed CIA tapes then you need to get out and vote this primary.

For Democrats, our top runner received more funding from the defense industry than any one of the Republican candidates. Her foreign policies don’t stray far from those of Bush and Giuliani. She has backed Bush on every war funding vote and the result is we have spent over $1 trillion in Iraq. We have increased recruitment in al-Qaida as a result of these policies. This five-year war has displaced 2 million Iraqi people and killed about 80,000 civilians with at least 3,800 confirmed American soldier deaths.

If you are ready for a change and want a serious candidate who actually reads the bills presented to him in Congress then look no further. Dennis Kucinich is ready to restore democracy to this country. Famous for his pocket version of the Constitution, this is the candidate who can get it right the first time. I encourage you to look into a real Democrat, not one propped up by big business or corporate media; one that will work for environmentally sound policies, peaceful means of solving international issues and provide all the people with a not for profit health care system.

Why Is “Peace” A Dirty Word?
Alex Miller, The Vail Trail
http://www.vailtrail.com/article/20071212/OPINION/71212007

Kucinich, top-Rated Democrat, Excluded from Des Moines Register Debate
EarthTimes.org
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/news_press_release,240680.shtml

Barack Obama & the Audacity of Deception: The Manufacture of Progressive Illusion
Black Agenda Report Journal
http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=463&Itemid=1

Zenith Presents a Photographic Exhibition by The Police
Europa Star
http://europastar.com/europastar/headlines/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003683789&imw=Y
Zenith Swiss watch manufacture presents "I'll be watching you: Inside the police 1980-1983". A photographic exhibition by Andy Summers of The Police.

[Duchess Note: Many thanks to Linda Z in TX for sharing many of the above articles.]