MSNBC.com Notes O'Malley Slamming Dubious Legality of Democrat Debate Ground Rules.

[elleng]

While Chris Matthews's Hardball program thus far has failed to cover Democratic presidential candidate Martin O'Malley's critiques of the DNC's debate schedule and its ground rules, the Lean Forward network's website today has a front page article, "Martin O’Malley raises legal questions with Democratic debate plan" addressing the controversy.

Network scribe Alex Seitz-Wald reports (emphases quoted mine):

In an escalation of Martin O’Malley’s war on the Democratic National Committee over the party’s primary debate process, an attorney for his presidential campaign is saying the DNC’s plan may run afoul of federal election rules.

In a memo shared with msnbc, O’Malley attorney Joe Sandler, who formerly served as the DNC’s general counsel, calls the DNC’s debate plan “entirely unprecedented” and “legally problematic.”



Of particular concern to O’Malley is the DNC’s exclusivity requirement, which would punish candidates and debate sponsors who participate in unsanctioned debates by barring them from participating in remaining official events. The DNC’s goal was to limit the unwieldy sprawl of the last Democratic primary in 2008, when the number of debates mushroomed to about two dozen.

Of particular concern to O’Malley is the DNC’s exclusivity requirement, which would punish candidates and debate sponsors who participate in unsanctioned debates by barring them from participating in remaining official events. The DNC’s goal was to limit the unwieldy sprawl of the last Democratic primary in 2008, when the number of debates mushroomed to about two dozen.

But O’Malley’s attorney says that exclusivity clause is “legally unenforceable.”

“Under Federal Election Commission rules, the format and structure of each debate must be controlled exclusively by the debate sponsor, not by any party or candidate committee,” Sandler wrote in the memo. >>>

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/ken-shepherd/2015/08/11/msnbccom-notes-omalley-slamming-dubious-legality-democrat-debate

[99th_Monkey]

1. Good! I'm happy O'Malley's doing this

He's got as much -- if not more -- to lose than Bernie does
by the scandalous paucity of Democratic debates.

[Koinos]

2. K & R

[Vincardog]

3. The DNC’s goal was to limit the exposure of the contrast between HRC & Bernie.

[elleng]

6. And watch them and EVERYONE's recognition of contrast between hrc, Martin O'Malley and Bernie!

[Vincardog]

8. Wrong Number call DNC #202 863 8000 tell DWS we want immediate debates and end BS exclusive rule

[roguevalley]

4. I hope he keeps it up.

[progressoid]

5. Watch out Debbie.

Martin's not going to take this lying down.

[samsingh]

7. i hate anything that attacks Democracy and free choice

wtf is wrong with the DNC? they act like cowards in front of the RNC, but bash liberals and progressives.


I'm starting to lean towards O'Malley and Bernie - though I have been a loyal Hillary supporter for a long time.

[elleng]

13. pardon me, please, if this upsets you, samsingh,

but imo hrc is what's wrong with DNC, a huge power center worth lots of $$$ to the party. An IMPORTANT reason to 'lean towards' O'Malley.

[restorefreedom]

9. k and r

i don't think matthews even knows om exists, does he? he seems to think there is only one dem candidate, and a pesky fly on the wall. he is not worth listening to.

i hope om makes some headway on this. totally antithetical to democracy.

[elleng]

10. he surely 'thinks' there's only one dem candidate.

I never listen to matthews.

We've got to make headway on this, but tptb won't roll over + play dead.

[restorefreedom]

12. i liked him years ago

he is unwatchable now..total corporate shill. he was very anti iraq war which is why i kept watching until recently.

i wish all the candidates pushed harder. but it just seems to be sanders and om. doesn't seem like chaffee or webb care.

[elleng]

14. Chaffee was on Lawrence show and said he's OK with debate schedule; (paraphrasing.)

[restorefreedom]

15. i guess anytime is fine

to push the metric system.

poor guy.

[elleng]

16. Yes. Was an interesting discussion,

re: Iraq war vote, when he was senator. He went to CIA, spent time there studying 'weapons of mass destruction' 'evidence,' decided he'd vote 'no' because was clear there was no evidence and cia knew it. He and Lawrence concluded/thought he might have been the ONLY senator to have done that much due diligence on that critical matter. Impressed me.

Here it is: http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/chafee-on-debate-controversy---war-vote-502620739943

[restorefreedom]

17. thx for the link

yes he was the only repub senator to vote against the iwr. i always respected that.

[delrem]

11. Excellent!

No candidate should agree with such onerous and undemocratic terms.
Kudos to O'Malley for fighting for fairness.

[davidpdx]

18. It is very encouraging to see O'Malley challenge this

[bigtree]

19. k&r!