In psychedelic Web vid, Gravel 'raps' about Democrats excluding him

Former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel, whose fierce anti-war views have earned him a coterie of online supporters, is protesting his exclusion from Democratic presidential debates with a psychedelic video posted this week on YouTube.

"Phony patriotism is jingoism," Gravel raps over a remix of John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance" with flashy animations interspersed with clips of Democratic candidates and President Bush playing behind him. "Why won't you let me say what I want to say? Power to the people. Give peace a chance."

Gravel, whose gadfly candidacy seems to be gaining little traction beyond a few popular Internet videos, has been denied the opportunity to appear alongside Democratic candidates in any more debates this year. In earlier debate appearances, Gravel excoriated Democratic lawmakers who voted to let President Bush invade Iraq and now are criticizing the war, and he spoke out against the government's war on drugs, a topic most other candidates have avoided.

"Why are they afraid of the truth?" Gravel asks in the two-minute video.



