Mike Gravel is upset. In today's USA Today, the former Democratic senator from Alaska, who is running for president, accuses Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, MoveOn.org, the Human Rights Campaign and CNN of trying to exclude him from Democratic debates and forums.
Though some say he's whining, it must be pointed out that he's also right. On July 12, Clinton and Edwards were overheard calling other candidates (presumably Gravel and Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio) "not serious," and expressing interest in cutting them out of future debates. And back in May, Gravel had to fight to get onstage at a debate sponsored by CNN and New Hampshire's Manchester Union Leader newspaper. But fight he did, and win he did, mostly through an aggressive online campaign.
The Democratic Party's patience with Gravel may not last forever, but interest in his seemingly Quixotic campaign isn't dwindling yet. Just yesterday, the Los Angeles Times gave Gravel and his Republican counterpart, Ron Paul, a Page 1 feature.
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