Party of ‘NO’ Says ‘NO’ to Debates on CNN, NBC
In recent years, the Republican Party has earned the well-deserved nickname of the “Party of NO.” Senior Senator form Kentucky, Mitch McConnell (AKA Senator Gridlock) is the Party of NO’s mascot with an astounding 413 filibusters since 2007.
The latest thing for the Republican National Committee to say “Hell, No!” to is debates on CNN and NBC. Why are they pulling debates from these two national networks? Because they plan to air a specials about Hillary Clinton.
Seriously? Instead of rising to the challenge of the Democratic Party’s early presidential favorite and finding an intelligent candidate (ie, not Rand Paul or Rick Perry), you’re going to HIDE from her and the American people?
Being afraid of a TV special that airs three years before the election is just silly– given the American public’s short attention span.
Stop your sniveling and man up.
5 comments on “Party of ‘NO’ Says ‘NO’ to Debates on CNN, NBC”
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Visiting with PALF chairman Fred Yamashita at the 2016 Labor Day Picnic.
PDA members, including Advisory Board Chair Mimi Kennedy, protested food stamp cuts in front of Congressman Henry Waxman’s office.
Pamela Powers Hannley, Progressive Democrat for Arizona House, LD9
There have been many lively debates in the Arizona House in 2018. This team of House Democrats fought for consumer protections and fought against risky financial deals in a “regulatory sandbox.” (Pictured are Reps. Mitzi Epstein, Kelli Butler, Athena Salman, Pamela Powers Hannley, Ken Clark and Isela Blanc.)
Rep. Sally Ann Gonzales and I were interviewed by NBC at the Phoenix rally.
PDA Tucson Coordinator Jim Hannley speaks against both the crowd management ordinance and the urban camping ban at the City Council meeting.
Ironically, I posted this blog post on the anniversary of this election on June 19. 1970ish.
Jim and I were part of a contingent of Unitarian Universalists who came up from Tucson. Here I am with Rev. Ron Phares from the Mountain Vista UU Church in my district. (Jim is photobombing us.)
John Nichols of ‘The Nation’ addressed progressives and unionists at a Tucson event.
Occupy encampment in Armory Park– before it was cleared out in the middle of the night by Tucson Police.
#RedForEd teachers and supporters in the Arizona House Gallery, 2018.
Protesters hand deliver symbolic big check from corporate American to McCain.
The Oberlin Rescuers outside of the Cuyahoga County Jail.
A homeless man sleeps in the shadow of corporate America.
Giving the LD9 update at the June meeting. What a great crowd!
It was truly a honor to meet Nevada State Senator Patricia Spearman (center) in October and to confer with her regarding our efforts to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in Arizona. Spearman led the successful Nevada efforts to ratify the ERA in 2017. Here we are with activist and NOW leader Dainne Post after the ERA workshop at the We the People Conference in Phoenix. There are a lot of Arizona women who are ready to make history in 2018. Watch my blog here and my Facebook page here for ERA updates.
Jobs with Justice marching with Occupy Tucson in support of postal workers.
I have a background in research. Help me build Tucson’s tech industry and grow our own local businesses.
Protesting anti-woman laws at the Arizona state capitol.
We are the 99%.
Desconocido (unknown)
Arizonans for New Economy co-directors Jim Hannley and Pamela Powers Hannley with UA Tech Park VP Bruce Wright.
The Living Economy event was very informative; we had a great time hob-nobbing. My husband Jim is a small business owner and a member of Local First Arizona. I have owned two small businesses in the past– Powers/Queen Associates and Wind Dancer Design. We support Local First Arizona and buying/investing locally. We believe that supporting local small businesses with low-interest loans through a public/private partnership between a public bank and community banks and credit unions is the sustainable route to improving our local economy. Trickle down economics doesn’t work; it’s time for new ideas.
Protesting cuts to education
A giant poet’s head made up of stainless steel letters marks the stop near the UA Poetry Center.
Martin Luther King, Jr. march.
Rep. Pamela Powers Hannley with members of the Tucson Chapter of NOW on opening day at the Arizona Legislature, 2018.
Protesting migrant deaths in the Arizona desert.
Despite the sweltering heat, Jim and I had a great time at the Labor Day Picnic. We collected a lot of Clean Elections $5 donations and signatures. Here I am with LD9 chair Michael Dues.
This is a broken sink in the Ladies’ Room at the Arizona State Building in downtown Tucson. One of the elevators also was broken. It’s time to fix Arizona government.
Governor Ducey had proposed increasing prison beds and funding, while cutting education. Protesters took issue with that short-sighted idea.
We often hear that corporations need migrant workers because Americans “don’t want to do these jobs.” When I hear this statement, I picture farm workers picking vegetables. Recently, I toured two dairies and an animal feed packing plant in Pinal County. The photo above from the Zinke Dairy shows a giant cow milking carousel. Nine migrant workers milk 4000 cows three times a day at this dairy. Legislators watched the two men pictured here– working at a brisk pace– bend over and pick up, lift, and attach large electronic suction cups to the cows as they ride the carousel around the giant facility. This level of automation is the wave of the future for industrial jobs.
In the 1980s, the Tucson Weekly called Tucson the “Baked Apple”.
Safe Park, downtown Tucson
Congressman Ron Barber and Pamela Powers Hannley at Cyclovia
Tucson Progressive 
Kind of like the same way MSNBC refuses to have conservative guests…. But still, do you really think the media won’t cover the debates? Won’t do their own reserach on the candidates and expose any shortcomings? In 2012 Rick Perry wasn’t asked a question about that rock on his ranch in the debate. It was the media that first exposed it.
The Republicans should have the right to have their candidate asked the questions those who can actually vote in the primary want asked. The questions asked as bombs can still be asked at press conferences, etc.
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It’s not like the MSNBC example at all. MSNBC is a capitalist corporation; they can air anything they want– as long as they comply with governmental regulations.
This is a political party (whose platform is opposing Obama) choosing to limit exposure to their presidential debates by not airing the debates on 2 channels, including NBC (which practically everyone with a TV gets).
Trying to strong-arm CNN and NBC into self-censorship because they don’t want Hillary to get exposure should scare people. This goes against our democratic principles.
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As you said, MSNBC and CNN are not government entities.
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Debates are a sham. We need real debate with instant fact check. More debates. Back to the League of Women Voters or some other, NOT this political group that represents the two parties and limits participation by ‘outside’ candidates. How can we do that?
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You are totally right. I think the Green and Libertarian candidates really round out the debate because they are free to bring up issues the corporate parties want to ignore.
I thought the best debate last year was the one moderated by Candy Crowley. She was forceful in her questioning– not a milk toast like the PBS guy. Was it Jim Lehrer?
Definitely, the debates and the whole election system — including redistricting– should be taken out of the hands of the Democrats and the Republicans. I think the US is in the minority in the crazy patchwork way our elections are conducted. Other countries don’t have political groups run the elections.
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