The bipartisan coalition to “Free the Debates” has won a major victory, with the decision of CNN to make all its debate coverage “available without restrictions at the conclusion of each live debate.” CNN said in a statement that
Due to the historical nature of presidential debates and the significance of these forums to the American public, CNN believes strongly that the debates should be accessible to the public. The candidates need to be held accountable for what they say throughout the election process. The presidential debates are an integral part of our system of government, in which the American people have the opportunity to make informed choices about who will serve them. Therefore, CNN debate coverage will be made available without restrictions at the conclusion of each live debate.
Three cheers for creative and common pressure, led by Larry Lessig, and for Democratic candidates Obama, Edwards and Dodd who each wrote letters in support of the coalition’s proposal. (UPDATE: It helped a lot that a good swath of tech-savvy Republican activists signed on, also.) Let the remix rallies and watchdog wars begin!