NPR: Nevada Supreme Court Rules for NBC Over Kucinich

Nevada Supreme Court Rules for NBC Over Kucinich

The Nevada Supreme Court tonight ruled in favor of NBC and said the network did not have to include Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich in its Democratic debate tonight in Las Vegas.

Yesterday a lower court judge had ruled that Kucinich should be included. Kucinich had originally been invited to take part in the debate, but the network later rescinded the invitation when it decided to go only with the top three candidates: Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Barack Obama.

8:17 PM ET | 01-15-2008 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

thost courts apply the law but not the SPIRIT of the law.
I am not a lawyer but I can imagine that any judge must look at the raeson behind NBC decision rather than their right to invite whoever they want but this cable news is a national one & people will be watching, so its not a debate behind closed doors, but in anyway I think its a technical thing.
The lesson is everything in life is more or less relative ( what is lawful for a judge is not for another judge).

Sent by resimc | 8:26 PM ET | 01-15-2008

It is disgusting that it came down to a judges decision that Mr. Kucinich has not been included in tonight's debate. It would have behooved NBC to live up to it's own invitation and it's own stated qualifications for the Nevada debate, namely that it would invite the top four finishers in the previous contests. Mr. Kucinich came in fourth in New Hampshire and one has to wonder if NBC would have denied Gov. Richardson a platform if he had not dropped out. I think not, and it's un-American to deny the American people the opportunity to get views from a broader spectrum of politicians than the mainstream candidates.

Sent by Christopher O'Reilly | 9:27 PM ET | 01-15-2008

Shame on MSNBC. Dennis Kucinich has worthwhile ideas and it would benefit any discussion regarding the next president of this country to hear what he has to say. MSNBC's actions regarding Mr. Kucinich's exclusion from tonight's debate typifies what has gone from bad to worse in the U.S.

Sent by Ted Rowell | 10:07 PM ET | 01-15-2008

How can NBC news consider itself a source of unbiased journalism. (oxymoron) Why does General Electric have the right to exclude candidates that don't fit their view of the world while broadcasting on public airwaves? I think they should lose their broadcasting license.

Sent by D Murray | 10:21 PM ET | 01-15-2008

Here's the writ filed by MSNBC's lawyers

http://www.nvsupremecourt.us/documents/cases/50889.petition.pdf

Apparently MSNBC changed the criteria, after Richardson dropped out, from top four to top three finishers and notified Mr. Kucinich on Jan 11th. He filed with the district court on the 14th for the injunction. MSNBC is listed a "private cable company" and its lawyers argue the Nevada district court had no jurisdiction. Only the FCC could decide the issue, according to the writ.

Mr.Kucinich filed an emergency appeal with the FCC in New Hampshire in a similiar matter but didnt file with the FCC here. The district court issued the injunction based on "public interest", but evidently that did not trump MSNBC's lawyers argument with the Nevada Supreme Court.

Sent by Chester Morrison | 10:52 PM ET | 01-15-2008

This will certainly make things easier for NPR in the morning news. They wont have to dodge the comments Dennis might have made that are contrary to the remaining Dem candidates.

Sent by Anton Hoecker | 11:14 PM ET | 01-15-2008

and people wonder why no one cares about the debates?

Sent by adam schaeffer | 11:27 PM ET | 01-15-2008

ps - kucinich is officially a top three candidate, having placed second in michigan. with an asterisk, of course...

Sent by adam schaeffer | 11:32 PM ET | 01-15-2008

Clearly NBC chose to set a tone. They ensured a boring, polished, staged debate, blah, blah, blah. Mr. Kucinich is dynamic, vocal, honest and by far the most intuitive and intelligent candidate. Guess he just didn't fit the NBC mold. What cowards!

Sent by tanya Becker | 11:43 PM ET | 01-15-2008

I agree with anton Hoecker, people in NPR are relieved that Kucinich is not in the debate so that they dont have to try hard to ignore or go around what he may be saying ( like what NPR did to Ron Paul).

Sent by resimc | 11:43 AM ET | 01-16-2008

Good thing democracy is alive and well. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to make an informed choice. God bless America.

Sent by Jack Jesus | 12:14 PM ET | 01-16-2008

Shame on NBC! It is totally outrageous that NBC (a network I previously had great respect for) was allowed to exclude Dennis Kucinich from it's televised Nevada debates.

What a pathetic move on their part to successfully silence the important and refreshing views of this great statesman.

What level has political discourse in our once great democracy fallen to?

Sent by R. Orr | 1:03 PM ET | 01-16-2008

I'm sick and tired of ALL candidates!
Let's get rid of these and find some more.

Dennis Kucinich, quit whining about coming in a distant 4th (behind Loser). Nobody wants a whiner for president.

Sent by Harold | 5:28 PM ET | 01-16-2008

I listen to NPR here in Colorado two times a day and did not hear a story about this, so I came on-line to see what kind of coverage it got. NBC clearly took this as a serious matter, taking the case to the Nevada Supreme Court. How convenient for NBC that NPR and other news organizations are brushing this very important issue under the rug. Why does NBC get to decide which candidate's views are heard? AND why is our media so slow to recognize this as an important issue?

Sent by Jennifer | 7:19 PM ET | 01-18-2008

Dennis is not a whiner - he is a fighter for justice and democracy. He is fighting for us - I hope Americans will soon wake up to that fact. What *I'm* sick of is media pimping for corporations who are only advancing their own agendas at the expense of all of us. They have sold out America to the lowest bidder and keep us in perpetual war while they have free rein to continue poisioning our land, air, and water. Thank you Dennis for your courage and persistence in fighting for America. When will the rest of America support him and help take our country back? NBC, ABC - all of them - they sicken me - and others as well. Turn them off America!

Sent by Bonnie Myers | 10:50 PM ET | 01-19-2008

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