Posted on 12/11/2015 12:54:40 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
The Democratic National Committee announced Friday that it is ejecting a sponsor from the next Democratic debate over a labor dispute.
ABC News's New Hampshire affiliate, WMUR, is no longer participating in the contest Dec. 19 contest in Goffstown, N.H.
"Regrettably, as a result of WMUR's unwillingness to move forward on scheduling negotiations between the Hearst Corporation and Production Department employees represented by IBEW Local 1228 prior to the debate, we will no longer include WMUR as a co-sponsor of the debate, and their talent will not be participating in any way," DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) said in a joint statement with New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman Ray Buckley.
"The right for workers to form and organize a union is a key principle of the Democratic Party, and is key to ensuring the economic safety of the American people by protecting their rights and benefits," their statement continued.
"It is the right to organize that made it possible for the middle class in America to grow over the past century and it is important today as it has ever been to keep our economic growth as a nation moving forward."
The pair added Friday that the change does not have an impact on the debate's ties with ABC News, which still plans on airing the contest nationwide next week.
"We remain confident in our strong partnership with the ABC network and know that our Democratic candidates will have a robust debate, with a focus on issues that matter most to hard working Americans today," Buckley and Wasserman Schultz said.
Next week's debate is the third Democratic contest of the 2016 election cycle, and the party's last event this year.
ABC News, The New Hampshire Union Leader and St. Anselm College still plan on sponsoring the contest despite the changes involving WMUR.
WMUR is embroiled in an ongoing pension dispute with nearly a dozen employees, MSNBC reported Friday.
The outlet is the only network affiliate in New Hampshire and just one two news stations in the Granite State overall.
The station - located in Manchester, N.H. - is also a major recipient of political advertising dollars there, MSNBC added.
MSNBC said Friday that all three Democratic presidential candidates had urged WMUR to solve the dispute before next week's debate.
Former secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former Gov. Martin O'Malley (D-Md.) all penned letters urging the station's management to find a resolution.
Clinton leads the race for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination by nearly 25 points nationwide, according to the latest RealClearPolitics average of samplings.
Sanders, her closest competition nationally, leads the former first lady by 4 points in New Hampshire's presidential primary. The Granite State hosts its first-in-the-nation presidential primary on Feb. 9.
Extortion.
Hillary needs to win NH. Can’t have the Granite Staters seeing the debate, then.
Can WMUR debate the RATS?
Dems throwing the unions a symbolic bone.
They crap all over them the rest of the time.
And why not when 80%+ of them pull the “D” handle in lemming fashion?
Can you imagine if Trump was involved in this? It would be 24/7.
The DNC openly supporting unions should be RICO violation.
Shakedown.
True but God doesn’t sign union contracts.
Hmmmm ..?? I have wondered why Schultz was allowed to stay on as DNC chair .. I guess it must have something to do with Hillary ..??
Hmmmm ..?? Another observation, how many young women do we now have who work “closely” with Hillary ..?? The questions keep on coming.
If people don’t find that STAT disturbing .. they’re not paying attention.
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