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FrankRep
09-19-2008, 09:14 PM
Here's today's task: Make One Very Important Phone Call!

1. Get your mind prepared to present a polite but well-worded message.

2. Call the Commission on Presidential Debates at 202-872-1020.

3. Please ask the CPD representative (or leave message) to "please make the debate contract between John McCain and Barack Obama available to the public."

4. Then ask the representative to please "include Bob Barr, Chuck Baldwin, and other parties in the presidential debates."



The following is from www.openDebates.org (http://www.OpenDebates.org/) :


PRO-DEMOCRACY GROUPS CALL ON DEBATE COMMISSION TO MAKE SECRET CONTRACT PUBLIC

For Immediate Release

September 18, 2008

Contact: George Farah (617-828-8296)



Washington, D.C. – Ten pro-democracy groups – Open Debates, Common Cause, Fair Vote, Judicial Watch, Democracy Matters, Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting, Rock the Debates, Personal Democracy Forum, Reclaim Democracy, and Essential Information – call on the Commission on Presidential Debates to make public the secret debate contract negotiated by the Obama and McCain campaigns.

Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC) of the McCain campaign and Representative Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) of the Obama campaign have negotiated a detailed contract that dictates the terms of the 2008 presidential debates, including who can participate and the structure of the debate formats. The Commission on Presidential Debates, a private corporation created by the Republican and Democratic parties, has agreed to implement the debate contract. In order to shield the major party candidates from criticism, the Commission on Presidential Debates has refused to release the debate contract to the public.

“In denying voters access to critical information about our most important political forums, the Commission on Presidential Debates is more concerned with the partisan interests of the two major party candidates than the democratic interests of the voting public,” said George Farah, Executive Director of Open Debates.

“In a sound democracy, it is vital that voters have full access to information, including the rules that govern influential presidential debates, in order to hold the candidates accountable and to make informed choices,” said Bob Edgar, President of Common Cause.

“The partisan, corporate-funded Commission on Presidential Debates should be replaced with a non-partisan, publicly-funded Citizens’ Debate Commission that will operate transparently and champion the public interest,” said Rob Richie, Executive Director of Fair Vote.

The Commission on Presidential Debates was created by and for the Republican and Democratic parties. In 1986, the Republican and Democratic National Committees ratified an agreement “to take over the presidential debates” from the nonpartisan League of Women Voters. Fifteen months later, then-Republican Party chair Frank Fahrenkopf and then-Democratic Party chair Paul Kirk incorporated the Commission on Presidential Debates. Fahrenkopf and Kirk still co-chair the Commission on Presidential Debates, and every four years it implements and conceals contracts jointly drafted by the Republican and Democratic nominees.

A copy of the 2004 debate contract negotiated by the Bush and Kerry campaigns is available at: http://www.opendebates.org/news/documents/debateagreement.pdf

###

SOURCE:
http://www.opendebates.org/makecontractpublic.html

Eric21ND
09-19-2008, 10:00 PM
Farah is the man! Keep up the good work.

notsure
09-22-2008, 10:30 AM
bump.
Commission On Presidential Debates
Suite 445
1200 New Hampshire Ave NW
Washington, D.C. 20036
202-872-1020
202-783-5923 (fax)
Janet Brown, Executive Director jb@debates.org



Senators McCain and Obama, as public officials running for the highest office of the nation, deserve to give the people a public statement as to their support or opposition to open debates.

Senator Obama's Office
http://obama.senate.gov/ (http://obama.senate.gov/)

Washington D.C. Office
713 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-2854
(202) 228-4260 (fax)
(202) 228-1404 TDD
http://obama.senate.gov/contact/

Chicago Office
John C. Kluczynski Federal Office Building
230 South Dearborn St.
Suite 3900 (39th floor)
Chicago, Illinois 60604
(312) 886-3506
(312) 886-3514 fax
Toll free: (866) 445-2520

Springfield Office
607 East Adams Street
Springfield, Illinois 62701
(217) 492-5089
(217) 492-5099 fax

Marion Office
701 North Court Street
Marion, Illinois 62959
(618) 997-2402
(618) 997-2850 fax

Moline Office
1911 52nd Avenue
Moline, Illinois 61265
(309)736-1217
(309)736-1233 fax




Senator McCain's Office
http://mccain.senate.gov/public/

Washington D.C. Office
241 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-2235
(202) 228-2862 (fax)
http://mccain.senate.gov/contact (http://mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm)


Tuscon Office
407 West Congress Street
Suite 103
Tucson, AZ 85701
Main: 520-670-6334
Fax: 520-670-663


Tempe Office
4703 South Lakeshore Drive
Suite 1
Tempe, AZ 85282
Main: 480-897-6289
Fax: 480-897-8389

Phoenix Office
5353 North 16th Street
Suite 105
Phoenix, AZ 85016
Main: 602-952-2410
Fax: 602-952-8702