The Democratic major challenger to New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez fired off a letter to CBS demanding equal time after “Late Night time” host Stephen Colbert’s fawning interview with the three-term lefty incumbent on Monday.
Candidate Martin Dolan, who’s squaring off towards AOC within the June 25 major for the 14th congressional district encompassing elements of Queens and The Bronx, accused CBS of giving the incumbent free air time to advertise her reelection bid.
“CBS simply gave $300,000 in free air time to AOC. We wish equal time,” Dolan instructed The Submit Wednesday.
“Give us a good battle,” Dolan, a 66-year-old former Wall Avenue banker and Westchester County native, mentioned later in a letter to CBS.
Dolan claimed that below Federal Communication Fee guidelines overlaying broadcast networks, he’s entitled to equal air time.
“Part 315(a) of the FCC guidelines requires stations that permit candidates to make use of their amenities to offer equal alternatives to all different candidates,” reads the letter, obtained by The Submit. “There are exceptions for information, not for leisure exhibits, or the consequence will be what you see world wide: incumbent regimes dominating their press.”
In the course of the greater than 10-minute interview, Colbert joked with AOC concerning the eclipse and her curiosity in turning into a scientist as a pupil.
He then gave her time to clarify her positions together with calling Israel’s retaliatory response in Gaza “genocide” and focus on her ideas on Democrats who voted clean or uncommitted within the major in protest of President Biden’s response. AOC additionally claimed credit score for Biden’s transfer to cancel pupil mortgage debt.
There have been no hard-hitting follow-up questions.
Colbert did ask one softball query, whether or not the democratic socialist would again Biden’s re-election. She mentioned she would.
“We applaud CBS’ resolution to make use of its worthwhile leisure platform to tell voters on NYS
14th Congressional District major on June twenty fifth by offering free airtime to my opponent,
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, on ‘The Late Present with Stephen Colbert,’” Dolan’s letter states.
Dolan mentioned there was tons to debate, together with AOC’s “left-wing hypocrisy” for avoiding questions concerning the deep poverty and poor public well being in elements of her district and her help of insurance policies “packing in undocumented immigrants, some with out childhood illness vaccines, some holding legal backgrounds, or on the very least determined and competing for scarce assets supposed for her constituents.”
He mentioned AOC’s resolution to go on “leisure TV to offer judgmental, one-sided views a couple of advanced conflict within the Center East is typical of the fraud squad,” referring to “The Squad” of lefty Home Democrats that embrace the congresswoman.
“We’re trying ahead to utilizing our equal time on CBS — the community of Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite — to debate the outmigration of 500,000 middle-class taxpayers, AOC’s radical
insurance policies on immigration, crime, and public security, and NYC’s astonishing 14% marginal tax price,” he wrote.
However CBS mentioned the “Late Night time” speak present shouldn’t be lined by the equal time requirement for political candidates.
“FCC precedent is evident that candidate interviews on packages resembling ‘The Late Present with Stephen Colbert’ are exempt from equal alternative claims by opposing candidates,” a CBS spokesperson mentioned.
Ocasio-Cortez’s marketing campaign had no instant remark.
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