Newsgroups: alt.activism, misc.activism.progressive Subject: URGENT: PLEASE CONT. PRESSURE ON MacNEIL! --text follows this line-- I just recieved this from Steve Smith at the Agran campaign. Apparently the pressure on MacNeil/Lehrer is beginning to work..but they haven't changed their minds yet about excluding Agran from the Jan 31 debate. Your calls now (tel #s at bottom; see other posts in elec.democracy for more info or by email from me at harelb@math.cornell.edu) -- could make the difference! In light of the NH survey I just posted showing Argan ahead of "major" candidate Brown, MacNeil/Lehrer's planned exclusion of Agran from the Jan 31 debate is nothing short of outrageous, and would deny Agran exactly the national coverage Agran needs to continue this momentum on a national level. [If you missed some of the background files on Agran, you can FTP them from pencil.cs.missouri.edu at: /usr/users/ftp/pub/map/ ] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Date: 24 Jan 92 21:58:44 EST From: Stephen Smith <76150.1170@CompuServe.COM> [Issues Director, Larry Agran '92 campaign] To: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Harel, please post this -- Tell people that the pressure is working. We're getting reports of rude and angered PBS and MacNeil/Lehrer employees from across the country! But we were told yesterday by Dan Werner that he hasn't changed his mind. He is now excluding Agran on the irrelevant criteria that Agran hasn't qualified for federal matching funds. To qualify for federal matching funds, a candidate must raise a minimum of $5,000 in each of 20 different states. Larry Agran has raised over $200,000 in funds, but most of that is from California. Because of the national media blackout, he can't reach potential donors. If Larry Agran were to appear in just one nationally telecast debate, there's no doubt that he could qualify within a month. All he needs is one opportunity to get his message out. The recent New Hampshire Poll, which showed Agran ahead of Brown and just behind Harkin, clearly indicates that Agran is a legitimate candidate. MacNeil/Lehrer clearly is trying to control what Americans hear and think. It is CRITICAL that the pressure be kept up now! A nationally prominent political columnist will be running a column next week blasting MacNeil/Lehrer's censorship. The New York Times today ran an article about Wednesday's candidate debate at the U.S. Conference of Mayors. They reported that "dozens of mayors meeting here today seemed to agree on one thing: the single candidate who truly understands urban needs is Larry Agran." And for the first time, the New Hampshire State Party called today to invite Larry Agran to a candidates' event next week. The pressure is working. Please, please continue to demand your right to choose. Demand that ALL credible Democratic candidates be included in the MacNeil/Lehrer debate. Steve Smith Issues Director, Agran 92 (800) 727-9425 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Those numbers again: Robin MacNeil Dan Werner, Assoc. Exec. Producer The MacNeil/Lehrer Newshour The MacNeil/Lehrer Newshour 356 W. 58th Street 3620 S. 27th Street New York, NY 10019 Arlington, VA 22206 (212) 560-3113 (703) 998-2870 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --Harel