CBS Democratic Debates Cancelled

[tomreedtoon]

Source: LA Times

(Please delete this if this is a dupe.)

The Democratic Party pulled the plug today on a CBS presidential candidate debate set to be held in Los Angeles on Dec. 10, citing the possibility of a strike by CBS News employees.

"Due to the uncertainty created by the ongoing labor dispute between CBS and the Writers Guild of America, the DNC has canceled the December 10th debate in Los Angeles,” Democratic National Committee spokeswoman Karen Finney said in a statement. “There are no plans to reschedule.”

After going 2½ years without a contract, a majority of CBS’ 500 news writers and other local and network employees represented by the Writers Guild of America voted earlier this month to authorize a strike against the network.

The union had not yet decided whether to call for a labor stoppage, but the mere prospect of a walkout alarmed network and party officials, especially after the major Democratic candidates announced they would not cross a picket line to participate in the forum.


Read more: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2007/11/dnc-cancels-cbs.html

---

I wonder if the Republicans would also refuse to cross the picket lines. If they did, how would they justify it?

[pennylane100]

1. I think tha's great but I hope that another organization can sponsor it.

I heard that this is the last debate before the Iowa Caucus.

[riqster]

2. Good on the Dems!

[villager]

3. oddly,, when I posted this item, from a different source, this afternoon, it wasn't deemed "news"

I'm still baffled by that...

But thanks for getting it back in LBN...

[tomreedtoon]

9. Oh. I was surprised it hadn't been posted before.

Which is why I ask it be deleted if it happened to be a dupe.

I got the information third hand; it was posted on a WGA Strike group over on LiveJournal. I would have thought someone in LA would have posted it and screamed it from the rooftops.

[villager]

11. My post is now here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2364423

I still don't know why the Mod thought it wasn't "news" then...

[wheresthemind]

4. well damn

I am glad they won't cross the lines, but I am very disappointed there will not be another debate before the caucuses. Some of the rhetoric coming out of some of the various campaigns since the last debate is downright manipulative and I'd hoped for another face to face meeting to make everyone more accountable.

[ixion]

5. what? they can't debate because there are no writers?

:wtf:

[Fiendish Thingy]

6. I bet Hillary's camp is breathing a sigh of relief...

as the front runner, she would be the most vulnerable to a shift in voter sentiment due to a gaffe or poor performance.

[BenDavid]

7. HRC lead the way on not crossing the picket line.

[Fiendish Thingy]

10. Yes, good for her, and it supports my point that she would prefer not to debate n/t

[FREEWILL56]

8. This is bad news because up to now there really hasn't been much aired.

Many people do not have cable and aren't familiar with all of the candidates or their stances on different matters. I can see why hillary led the way.

[villager]

12. WGA Statement on Debate cancellation:

(issued last night)

"The Writers Guild of America, East and the Writers Guild of America, West regret
that the Democratic National Committee has had to cancel the December 10th
Presidential Debate hosted by CBS. This was triggered by CBS' fear that the
Democratic candidates would not cross a picket line by WGA-CBS News writers or WGA
Film and TV writers to participate in the debate - a concern that could have been
avoided entirely if CBS would simply sit down and negotiate a fair contract for its
news and entertainment employees. Instead, CBS chose to make a decision that stifles
the democratic process."