Barr Calls for Debates with McCain, Obama: Include Libertarian Party, Nominee Demands

John McCain has proposed ten weekly town hall forums before the Democratic and Republican conventions convene. Barack Obama says he looks forward to several debates during the campaign. “The apparent willingness of both presidential contenders to break the mold and engage in an extended dialogue with the American people is a welcome change from the past,” observes Bob Barr, the Libertarian Party candidate for president.

The principal problem in past presidential campaigns, however, was too few voices, not too few debates. Despite all of the shouting and campaign hoopla, “on most major issues the differences between the Republican and Democratic candidates pale compared to their similarities,” says Barr. Both favor a huge Leviathan state centered in Washington, prepared to regulate most every aspect of life across America and to intervene in most every foreign squabble overseas. “It is time for the American people to see a clash of ideas as well as of candidates,” Barr insists.

Rock-the-Debates has called for “free, open and inclusive debates” that include all candidates with a mathematical chance of being elected. Barr says he would be pleased to begin at New York’s Federal Hall next week, as Sen. McCain suggested, or at a later time, if preferred by Sen. Obama. “The critical issue is not place or format, but a willingness to engage in a rich, wide-ranging, and informative discussion that includes the American people.”

Our nation faces critical challenges in the years ahead. We can no longer accept “the tyranny of the status quo,” says Barr. The American people deserve to know that they have a real choice come November. “Let the debates begin!

CNN sets debate criteria 1% above Kucinich’s latest poll results, campaign files complaint with Federal Communications Commission

The Kucinich for President campaign filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission yesterday against CNN and its parent company, Time Warner, Inc., for arbitrarily establishing criteria for its scheduled Monday Presidential debate that will exclude the Democratic candidate from participation.

On Wednesday, the campaign was notified by CNN that its criteria included a showing of 5% or better in a national poll. In two polls completed earlier last week by CBS News/New York Times and by the Pew Research Center, Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich scored 4%.

“The CNN criteria specifically exclude the diverse and anti-war voice of Mr. Kucinich and his grass-roots supporters,” according to the complaint. “The exclusion of Mr. Kucinich undermines the purpose of the (Federal Communications) Act and is a blatant violation of the Act, including its equal time provisions.” Also, “Mr. Kucinich is a successful candidate because of his anti-war message and strong criticism of the American healthcare system, issues that are not championed by his presidential primary opponents. In these and other policy issues, his opponents share very similar policy platforms that differ from Mr. Kucinich.”

The filing also points out that Kucinich was invited to participate in the upcoming South Carolina debate by the Congressional Black Caucus, which is co-sponsoring the event. The invitation, which he accepted on May 20, stated, in part that Kucinich “will be guaranteed a rare opportunity to present your message to millions of voters unfiltered by any political organization or by any news organization.”

The complaint also argues that the Monday event “is not a true presidential primary debate without including all credible candidates. Instead, it is effectively an endorsement of the candidates selected by CNN” and is a breach of the federal requirement “to operate in the public interest and to afford reasonable opportunity for the discussion of conflicting views of issues of public importance.”

The campaign is asking the FCC to order CNN to allow Kucinich to participate.