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Journal North: Home | Sports | Opinion | Obits | Entertainment
Friday, October 24, 2008
TV Station Criticized for Excluding Miller
By Raam Wong
Journal Staff Writer
Independent congressional candidate Carol Miller — who a poll has shown to be within striking distance of the Republican in the race — is criticizing a local television station's decision to exclude her from an upcoming debate.
Miller called on her supporters early Thursday to urge KOB-TV to give her a podium at Saturday's debate, only to learn from a station official hours later that the event had already been recorded.
“It's in the can, as they put it,” said Miller, who is seeking northern New Mexico's 3rd Congressional District seat in next month's election. KOB news director Jamie Loos and general manager Mike Burgess did not return calls for comment.
The debate, which was recorded Monday, is scheduled to air Saturday at 6:30 p.m., according to the station Web site.
This is the second time Miller has fought to be included in a debate alongside her opponents, Republican Dan East and Democrat Ben Ray Luján. There were initial indications that Miller would not participate in a debate co-hosted by KOAT-TV Channel 7 and the Journal, but she ultimately was included in the live debate, which was broadcast Sunday.
A Journal poll released earlier this month found that Miller had the support of 14 percent of registered, likely voters, while the GOP's East had 18 percent and Democrat Luján had 41 percent.
“I think they shouldn't be allowed to show it in Santa Fe because there are more registered independents there than Republicans,” said Miller, a health care consultant from Ojo Sarco.
Miller said she accepted the station's invitation last week to record a 2 1/2-minute statement that will air Oct. 24. The offer was made to all Senate and House candidates. Miller said no one at the studio that day, or in the days since, ever informed her there was a debate.
The candidate called it “patronizing and sexist” to give her time for a statement, but not a place at the debate.
Miller has run for Congress before. As a Green Party candidate in a 1997 special election, she won 17 percent of the vote, while Democrat Eric Serna took 40 percent and Republican Bill Redmond won with 43 percent — an upset for the underdog GOP in the overwhelmingly Democratic district.
Miller is asking her supporters to gather outside the television station in Albuquerque at 5:30 p.m. Saturday in opposition to her exclusion from the debate.