Ron Paul Out-Foxed?
by Jason George
Rep. Ron Paul and supporters of his presidential bid are in an uproar over what they believe is his exclusion from a televised debate on Jan. 6, two days before the New Hampshire primary.
While campaigning in the Granite State on Saturday, Paul called Fox News, one of the debate's sponsor, "scared of me." They "don't want my message to get out, but it will," according to The Boston Globe's Primary Source blog.
"They are propagandists for this war and I challenge them on the notion that they are conservative."
Kent Snyder, Paul's campaign chairman continued in a statement: “Given Ron Paul’s support in New Hampshire and his recent historic fundraising success, it is outrageous that Dr. Paul would be excluded.”
A joint Boston Globe-University of New Hampshire poll from a week ago has Paul in 5th place in the state, pulling 8 percent of the vote.
Jesse Benton, a campaign spokesman, said they haven't heard directly from Fox that Paul is excluded; and if so, why that happened. "We've called Fox six times and have not had our calls returned," he said.
Calls and emails to Fox News spokespersons by the Tribune were not returned Saturday evening.
An official at the New Hampshire GOP, which is co-sponsoring the event with Fox, said that Paul might still be included, but the planning for the debate was still coming together and it was ultimately Fox's call.
The Associated Press reported on Thursday that the candidates participating in the 90-minute forum at St. Anselm College in Goffstown, N.H., will be Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Gov. Mike Huckabee, Sen. John McCain, Gov. Mitt Romney and Sen. Fred Thompson.