Cancelled Presidential Debates Smack of Manipulation by 'Run and Hide' Candidates

    AUSTIN, Texas, March 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The cancellation in
 the past two days of two planned nationally televised debates because of
 candidates' "scheduling conflicts" and unwillingness to participate smacks
 of "manipulation by some candidates who would rather run and hide than
 defend their records and their positions on the war," Ohio Congressman and
 Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich said today while
 campaigning in Texas.
     Widely publicized Presidential debates in New Hampshire in April and in
 Nevada in August were cancelled after some candidates either backed out
 after agreeing to participate or declined invitations to attend.
     "Whatever their excuses, some candidates are clearly trying to avoid
 any head-to-head public debate where they will have to answer tough
 questions -- questions about their votes in favor of the Iraq war, their
 votes in favor of trade policies that have wiped out millions of American
 jobs, their votes in favor of abridging Constitutional rights by approving
 the Patriot Act, and their collaboration with insurance companies and
 pharmaceutical corporations to deny Americans adequate health care
 protection."
     Kucinich said, "it's an insult to the voters, and the height of
 cynicism, for candidates to refuse to take the public stage and subject
 themselves to public scrutiny."
     The New Hampshire debate was announced on January 12. Just last week,
 Kucinich pointed out, did some candidates back out because of "scheduling
 conflicts." Charles Perkins, Executive Editor of the Manchester (NH) Union
 Leader, contacted the Kucinich campaign today to object to the use of the
 word "cancelled." Perkins said a debate will be held during the first week
 in June.
     "Is it possible that the real conflict was having to take the stage to
 defend their votes to fund the war?" Kucinich asked. Votes in the House and
 the Senate on a $100 billion supplemental appropriation are expected soon.
     Other candidates were trying to sidestep the Nevada debate because they
 claimed that the sponsoring television network, Fox News Channel, was
 conservatively biased.
     "If you want to be the President of the United States, you can't be
 afraid to deal with people with whom you disagree politically," Kucinich
 said. "No one is further removed from Fox's political philosophy than I am,
 but fear should not dictate decisions that affect hundreds of millions of
 Americans and billions of others around the world who are starving for real
 leadership."
     Kucinich said, "the public deserves honest, open, and fair public
 debate, and the media have a responsibility to demand that candidates come
 forward now, before the next war vote in Congress, to explain themselves."
     "I'm prepared to discuss the war, health care, trade, or any other
 issue anytime, anywhere, with any audience, answering any question from any
 media. And any candidate who won't shouldn't be President of the United
 States."
 
 

SOURCE Kucinich for President