Numerous major newspapers printed articles on the intervention of the LaRouche Youth Movement at the Democratic Presidential debates in Baltimore on Sept. 9, where LaRouche was not invited. AP and Reuters put out wires that were picked by many papers. The New York Times, Washington Post, and Newsweek all had their own spin on the intervention. Excerpts below.

* NEWSWEEK WEB EXCLUSIVE, 9/10.  An article by Martha Brant, titled, "Political Theatre" begins with the caption, "In my book, the fiery Rev. Al Sharpton won Tuesday's Baltimore debate when he -- alone among all nine Democratic White House hopefuls -- told the disruptive Lyndon LaRouche supporters to shut up. The article starts:

"FANS (or paid agitators?) of LaRouche, a perennial candidate who was not invited to take part, interrupted the debate five times. At each cascade of shouting, the candidate who had the floor just stopped talking and stood there waiting for security guards to remove the nuisance (roughly, in some cases). At one point, when Sen. Joe Lieberman got interrupted midsentence, he let out a whiny `Oh, come on!'

"Finally, Sharpton took the troublemakers on, `We are not at all going to tolerate the continual break-up of what we are trying to say here to the American people,' he shouted back (of course, he always sounds like he's shouting). `You're going to respect us on this stage because we've got something to say.' To that, Lieberman replied: `Amen.' Sharpton quipped back: `I take that as an endorsement.' There are so few unscripted moments at these debates nowadays, that as annoying as the LaRouche people were, they provoked the most impromptu moment of the debate."

* WAPO, 9/10.  Article by Dan Balz, "Lieberman, Dean, Spar Over Middle East in Debate," mentions the LaRouche Youth Movement intervention. "The debate was repeatedly interrupted by demonstrators who were followers of perennial candidate Lyndon LaRouche, and Sharpton implored and scolded them at every turn, saying that they were deliberately attempting to disrupt the first Democratic debate focussed on issues of importance to the black community. `You're going to respect us on this stage because we have something to say,' he said after one interruption." The article then cites the exchange between him and Lieberman. The article is accompanied by a large photo of Sharpton and Lieberman embracing.

* ASSOC. PRESS, 9/10. Article is entitled, "Hecklers Interrupt Democrats' TV Debate:"

 "Supporters of perennial presidential candidate Lyndon LaRouche and other hecklers interrupted Tuesday's Democratic debate at Morgan State University and university police arrested four people.

"`Where's LaRouche?' shouted one woman during remarks by Sen. Joe Lieberman. There were at least five interruptions during the 90-minute debate.

"Debra Freeman, national spokeswoman for LaRouche, said supporters disrupted the debate because LaRouche was not allowed to participate.

"University police arrested four people, although officers simply escorted others out of the building, said Det. Donny Moses, a Baltimore police spokesman.

"Morgan State, a historically black university, was the site of the debate co-sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus, and the Fox News Channel.

"`This is a historic occasion -- the first time that the CBC has hosted a debate at an HBCU,' candidate Al Sharpton said after one interruption. `Will you respect our time the way we respected yours?'"

"`Do they do that to Republicans?' asked former Illinois Sen. Carol Moseley Braun."

* NY TIMES, 9/10.  Article, "Democratic hopefuls square off over Iraq, Israel," by Adam Nagourney and Jodi Wilgoren, includes a part on the LaRouche Youth Movement:

"The nationally televised debate involved all nine Democratic candidates and took place before a mostly black audience.

"The session was marred by repeated interruptions by supporters of Lyndon LaRouche, who shouted down Lieberman and Sen. John Kerry as they tried to speak. `Lyndon LaRouche for President,' one protestor yelled as he was escorted from the auditorium.

"On stage, the candidates stood first uncomfortably and than impatiently, waiting for security to remove the disrupters. Finally, the Rev. Al Sharpton of New York scolded the protestors for disrupting what he described as a historic event.

"`We are not all going to tolerate the continual break-up of what we are trying to say here to the American people,' Sharpton said. `You're playing this phony liberal game, and you wait until our night to act this out. You're going to respect us on this stage because we've got something to say.' Lieberman said, `Amen.' `I'll take that as an endorsement,' said the ever-quick Sharpton."

* WAPO.COM.  Online discussion of the debate, "Baltimore Democratic Debate," by David Bositis, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. Included in the discussion is the LaRouche Youth Movement intervention.

"WDC: After hecklers (who claimed to be supporters of uninvited Democratic presidential candidate Lyndon LaRouche) had interrupted the debate several times, Al Sharpton threatened to sic `brothers from the National Action Network' on them if they persisted. If Dick Gephardt had made a similar threat from the stage to use union goon squads to take care of hecklers at a nationally televised debate he'd be rightly called on it. Is Sharpton being given a pass on preaching thugocracy at a presidential candidate level because he is black and a Democrat?

"David Bositis: Lighten up. The Rev Al was just joking.

"NY, NY: I heard that supporters of LaRouche were arrested at the debate because they protested against the DNC's exclusion of their candidate. How can a fellow Democratic presidential candidate be excluded this way?

"David Bositis: The Democrats do not consider Lyndon LaRouche part of the family. And ... since political parties are free associations of people, they certainly can shun someone ... although not on the basis of race, gender, etc."

* CNN.COM.  They covered the AP wire, accompanied by a picture of Eric Thomas being escorted out by the police. Caption reads: "Eric Thomas, of the LaRouche Youth Movement, is led out of the auditorium after the Democratic debate was disrupted."

* MSNBC. A LaRouche supporter reported that John Kerry was interviewed on the LaRouche Youth Movement intervention, and he said, "It's weird, it's just weird...."

* RUSH LIMBAUGH SHOW, "Lyndon LaRouche is an absolute wacko. He runs for President every four years as a Democrat and ends up buying a half-hour TV time on the night before the election. He's one of these guys that believes Henry Kissinger and David Rockefeller are aligning to take over the world with communists."

* NORTH NEW JERSEY MEDIA GROUP. David Broder, a Washington Post reporter, publishes article, "Sharpton's surprising performance." Broder attacks the other eight candidates and their inability to stand up to the LaRouche Youth Movement organizers at the debate, while praising Sharpton.

Broder writes, "So one should not draw too many conclusions from the performance of the nine Democrats who met in Baltimore last week.

"But there was one thing I found revealing about their performance, and it has nothing to do with the way they dealt with Iraq, Israel, the economy, health care, or each other.
"I was riveted by their reactions when backers of Lyndon LaRouche, the leader of a fringe political faction and chronic candidate for the Democratic nomination, repeatedly interrupted proceedings at the Congressional Black Caucus debate with loud complaints about his exclusion.

"The only candidate who knew how to deal with this unprogrammed event -- the only one who figured out how to profit from it -- was, believe it or not, Al Sharpton.

"Sharpton demonstrated to the whole political world what is lacking in the rest of the Democratic field - the spontaneity that marks a winner."

Broder concludes, "The take-command reflex is a mighty useful trait when you are hoping to run against the commander in chief. That Sharpton is the only Democrat to display it does not augur well for the party's chances."

* RUSH LIMBAUGH --  Joins WASHINGTON POST insider, David Broder, who attacked the candidates for not standing up to the LYM intervention during the debates.  Limbaugh says, "Did you see the Lyndon LaRouche hecklers at last night's Democrat debate? Every time one of them piped up, the candidates stopped speaking. If they were Presidential, they'd have reacted in an entirely different way.  They're afraid of offending even these nuts demanding their nut Democrat candidate be put in the debate!"

* BOSTON GLOBE, 9/10. An article on the debates includes a quote from Lieberman attacking LaRouche. Regarding the disruption by the LaRouche Youth Movement, Lieberman joked, "The only good news for all of us is that [Arizona Senator] John McCain told me that no one's been elected since 1972 that Lyndon LaRouche and his people have not protested."

* CHRONWATCH.COM. In an article by Roger Burdick, under the headline "Burdick's Verdict, The Democratic Debate", Burdick attacks the "nine" and mentions LaRouche.

Burdick's Verdict begins: How would you feel if you went to a car lot and the salesperson told you the car you wanted was junk. (referring to the nine candidates).... Would you buy the car the salesperson wanted you to buy or the one you wanted? Well, that is the problem the nine, and probably soon to be more have. The only message they can give you is "Bush is bad for America," Of course, they won't give good, solid ideas on what they would do different.

Burdick refers to the polls and that most Americans cannot name one of the nine candidates. He says, "Because of these problems, I think the head honchos at the DNC will see to it that the field of candidates gets shaken up, and can't win with what they have now, and will have to do something if they aren't just going to allow Bush a second term."

He then names the nine candidates, and adds, "This doesn't include Lyndon LaRouche, a perpetual candidate. His name isn't even among the nine on the DNC website."
 

* THE DAILY PRESS from Hampton Roads, VA:  An article titled, "Lyndon LaRouche is running, free," appears in the "Answer Desk," by Pernell Watson.

He asks: "Is Lyndon LaRouche out of jail?  Is he running for President?"

Answer: "Yes, Perennial Presidential candidate Lyndon LaRouche was released from prison in 1994 after serving five years for fraud and conspiracy. He was convicted in 1988 on 11 mail fraud charges and one count of conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service by defaulting on $34 million in loans from supporters of his Presidential campaign.

"LaRouche first ran for President in 1976.  He has tried again every election since, then including a 1992 campaign from prison.  He has received federal matching funds for his Presidential runs and has raised over $4 million for his campaign for the White House in 2004.

"In the past, LaRouche has espoused theories that range from a drug conspiracy involving the Queen of England to plots by the United Nations and union schoolteachers to corrupt children.

"For more information on the Lyndon LaRouche 2023 campaign for the Presidency go online to larouchein2004.com.

"FYI: In 2000, LaRouche received 53,280 votes, or 22% of the total, in the Arkansas Democratic primary. That was 17,000 more than George W. Bush received from the Republican Party on the same day."

WERE-1300 AM, CLEVELAND.  Two LaRouche Youth Movement organizers were interviewed for one hour on Friday night (Sept. 12) by City Councilman O. Mays.

Other media that covered the LaRouche Youth Movement intervention: Newsday, ABC News, the Dallas Morning News, the Charleston Gazette, the Chicago Tribune, The Sunspot, WBAL-TV, BET.COM, Talon News, San Mateo County Times, Cecil Whig, and probably many others.

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