University glows in presidential debate spotlight (arrests)

[clown]

ST. LOUIS - Washington University again became a living lesson in democracy Friday, hosting its third presidential debate in a dozen years. The campus was alive with protesters and backers of both candidates.

Classes at the tree-lined, hilltop school gave way to the glaring spotlight of a nationally televised matchup between President Bush and Sen. John Kerry - and the security lockdown that came with it. Streets around much of the campus were barricaded and guarded by police, including two dozen in riot gear near where hundreds of placard-waving protesters massed.

Just as the debate began, two third-party presidential candidates purposely crossed a police barricade and were arrested. Green Party presidential candidate David Cobb and Libertarian Party candidate Michael Badnarik were protesting their exclusion from the debate.

Cobb's message: "To expose the undemocratic nature of these debate, this election and our government. These are not debates, these are infomercials."

Macon Telegraph

[bluestateguy]

1. There is no constitutionsl right to be in a debate

What are we supposed to do? Put every single candidate for president in the debate? We'd have 7 or 8 people on the stage and the debate would take 4 hours to complete.

[BiggJawn]

2. Once upon a time, in Indiana's 10th district...

They had a "Candidates Forum", open to all declared Democratic candidates.
There were TEN people there, all the way from incumbent Julia Carson to the "leader" of the local Black Panther "Militia"...

Talk about your goat-rodeo!