The WGA is saying that CBS news writers are '
'strongly considering" a December 10th strike date. The timing appears to be an attempt by union leadership to disrupt CBS plans for a presidential debate the same day. That's because several Democratic White House candidates like Barack Obama, John Edwards and Hillary Clinton have all said they won't cross a picket line to participate in a debate. So far no exact date is set for a strike, which was authorized by the rank and file earlier this month. The writers working for both the CBS network newscasts and local news stations have been working without a contract for 2 1/2 years.
The public deserves a presidential debate. Although I fully support the writers’ strike, I think it would be short-sighted and extraordinarily selfish for the CBS news writers to shut down the debate at a time when the country is in desperate need of new leadership to right the onerous wrongs of the past eight years.
Comment by Michelle — November 28, 2007 @ 8:47 am
I don’t think the public really gives a fig whether the Dems get to debate on CBS on the 10th. Honestly, it’s not as if there haven’t been multiple debates already.
The people who really deserve CBS’s attention are the writers who have worked without a contract for 2 1/2 years. The prestige of CBS News has sunk into the toilet since the days of Murrow and Cronkite, and their treatment of their writers seals it. They’re the ones who are being selfish.
Comment by Max — November 28, 2007 @ 9:26 am
I agree with you, Michelle. But it would be interesting to see John Edwards picketing outside a debate that isn’t happening.
Comment by EdB — November 28, 2007 @ 9:36 am
This is great news for the candidates.
They could ask and answer only the questions they want.
And they would no longer be forced to plant soft-ball questions that they have scripted answer for in hand!
pb
Comment by pb — November 28, 2007 @ 9:43 am
A writer is a man who writes what he sells; an artist, on the other hand,
is a man who sells what he writes.
Comment by mark — November 28, 2007 @ 9:45 am
Mark, I think you have that wrong…
A writer is a person who sells what s/he writes. A person who writes what s/he sells is called an “advertiser”.
Comment by A Writer — November 28, 2007 @ 1:59 pm
Yes, I concede, it would be great entertainment to see the candidates themselves picketing. And I agree the writers have been treated poorly and deserve more. But I’d still like to see a debate. Interesting that the DNC ended up making it a non-issue by calling a stop to the debate themselves.
Comment by Michelle — November 28, 2007 @ 8:50 pm