Modern Whig Party: Methodology over Ideology

The Modern Whig Party has retooled its website, which features the following announcement for January 2010:

January has been a busy month for the National Whig Party. We have been organizing the party internally since our change in philosophy stemming from December' National Convention adoption of methodology over ideology. This can be unglamorous but we are proud to announce some clear progressions in the party infrastructure coming soon. We put a strong emphasis on state and local levels of politics and to support that on a national level takes a commitment to do something's internally right. Stay tuned in February to hear some of the changes we have made on the national party to better serve the state and local parties.

MD: Green party to Hold Organizing Workshops

From a press release published at IPR:

With all of the talk about a popular revolt, we have to make sure that it’s not just the right-wing that’s active.  We have to make sure people understand that the world is not just divided into Democrats and Republicans.  The Green Party is the real choice but only you can make it happen!  With the state elections coming up in November, the Maryland Green Party is running a Campaign School Saturday January 30 10:00-5:00 1323 North Calvert Street, Baltimore, Maryland

Come learn all the key skills you need to run for office, manage a campaign or just help out.
Workshops include:
-Green Party Values
-Fundraising
-Interacting with the Media
-Creating a Campaign Finance Entity
-Dealing with the Board of Elections
-Finding Volunteer Help
-Using Time Effectively
-Forums and Debates
For more information e-mail marylandgreens@gmail.com or call 443-449-4159 or

Constitution Party Makes Fundraising Push

From the Constitution Party's discussion forum:

More and more Americans have had it. They are finally waking up and realizing that their liberty and very way of life are being taken away by elected officials who are enriching themselves while serving term after term in Congress or moving from elected office to lobbying and banking jobs, then back again to political appointments.  Registrations in the two major parties have declined with more voters registering independent or third party, thousands have turned out for "tea parties," and there is increasing anger over out-of-control federal spending, and the universal health insurance plan.  The Constitution Party is the political answer, and we continue to experience a consistent increase in the number of new people joining our party, and requesting information.  As you might imagine, this is a most critical time for the Constitution Party. But unfortunately, we are desperately behind budget and your support is crucial to our effort.

AZ: Independents on the Rise

The Green Valley News and Sun reports that the ranks of independent voters in Arizona continue to swell while the Democratic and Republican Parties are losing registered voters:

Figures released Friday by Secretary of State Ken Bennett show “Independent, unaffiliated or members of an unrecognized political party” numbered 929,219 as of Jan. 1, up 13,238 from the previous quarter.  Meanwhile, Republicans and Democrats are losing voters. The latest numbers show GOP registration fell to 1,127,649, down 5,168 voters from the Oct. 1 report. The Democratic Party had 1,034,395 registered voters, a drop of 7,020. Libertarian registration grew slightly to 24,826 voters, up 798.

Socialist Party Responds to State of the Union Speech

Co-chair of the Socialist Party USA, Billy Wharton, responds to President Obama's State of the Union speech:

From the start, Barack Obama’s presidency has seemed like one big public relations campaign. Tonight’s State of the Union address did little to dissuade one from this view. Sagging under the weight of depressed dreams of hope and change, he desperately needed to appear as though he was doing something to address the growing needs of the US people. Emphasis was on “appearances”, since Obama’s speech delivered more of the same from his first year in office: high rhetoric with little substance.

Libertarian Party Responds to State of the Union Speech

The Libertarian Party has also responded to Preisdent Obama's State of the Union speech:

Libertarian Party (LP) Chairman William Redpath issued the following statement today in response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address:
“Tonight’s speech was a reminder that, for decades, the policies of Republicans and Democrats alike have failed. Libertarians are asking people to take matters into their own hands. Instead of just complaining, we’re encouraging ordinary Americans to step up and run for Congress on the Libertarian Party ballot line.
“I can say exactly the same thing about President Obama’s speech tonight that I said about George W. Bush’s State of the Union speech in January 2008: ‘Tonight’s State of the Union address went much as expected. Instead of calling for a more limited role of the federal government in American society, the President laid out plans that would only increase the government’s intervention into the realm of economics, health care, education and foreign policy.’

Boston Tea Party Responds to State of the Union Speech

The Boston Tea Party's response to President Obama's State of the Union Speech has been published at Independent Political Report:

President Obama claims “that if we did not act” on “an economy rocked by severe recession, a financial system on the verge of collapse, and a government deeply in debt” that “we might face a second depression.” I’d like to remind the President that his actions, as well as Congressional actions and those of the Federal Reserve have not helped, but instead caused higher inflation ad more federal debt. In fact, the Federal government’s deficit from 2009 was the largest in American history.

Constitution Party Responds to State of the Union Speech

The Constitution Party's response to President Obama's State of the Union speech has been posted to the organization's discussion forum:

Lancaster, PA (Jan 28, 2010) The fast-growing Constitution Party, America’s ‘Tea Party Party’, is calling President Barack Obama’s State of the Union speech a desperate attempt to calm America’s outrage at an out of control Federal government by offering too little, too late, and more of the same failed programs that provoked America’s ire. The Constitution Party pointed out that in addition, each and every “solution” proposed by the president is unconstitutional.

Green Party Response to State of the Union

Prior to President Obama's State of the Union speech, Green party leaders from across the country called on the president to reverse a number of his administration's policies:

Obama, in his State of the Union speech, must reverse his failed policies on health, war, climate change, fiscal responsibility, jobs. 

Follow the link for the specifics.

IL: Local Paper Profiles Green Party Candidate for Congress, Matt Reichel

The Elm Leaves Pioneer Local profiles Matt Reichel, Green Party candidate for US House in Illinois' 5th CD:

Matt Reichel, one of three Green Party candidates hoping to win the 5th District Congressional nomination in Tuesday's primary . . . insists the Green Party is an idea whose time has come so fast since its founding a decade ago that Greens were on the ballot in 31 states during the 2008 elections. In the upcoming primary Greens are running in the 4th and 9th U.S. House Districts, as well as the 5th, where Reichel has been fending off challenges from fellow Greens Terrence Gilhooley and Andrew Williams for the right to try to unseat incumbent Democrat Mike Quigley . . . "Even one Green congressman can say things the others can't because both the Republicans and Democrats are dependent on corporate campaign contributions," said Reichel, who's not accepting any corporate contributions.

CA: Marin County Libertarians Make Ballot Access Push

California's Marin County Libertarian Party is making a push to get as many candidates on the ballot as possible in their 2010 petition drive:

Great news!  There are Libertarian candidates for the 2010 election in your district plus two statewide candidates and they need your signature to run for office.  There are ways to get your signature on a Libertarian candidate’s petition – 1. Attend a signing event this Monday February 1 @ 6-8PM at the Round Table Pizza in San Anselmo Red Hill Shopping Center  2. We will mail you a petition with a stamped envelope to be mailed back to us with your signature if you e-mail us at Marinlp@yahoo.com or allisande_keating@yahoo.com.

Please support the welfare of this country by supporting liberty minded individuals that want to see less government and more freedom.  Contact a Libertarian candidate to help the Libertarian presence this election.  There has never been a more ready moment in our entire lives than right now. Get involved.

Candidate list after the jump.

UK: Independent Network

The UK's Independent Network is, according to its blog:

a loose association that provides support to political candidates that are not members of traditional political parties or organised factions. The IN does not impose any political views on the individuals it supports, or that support the IN. However, affiliates of the IN must be non-discriminatory and adhere to The Nolan Committee's recommendations on Standards in Public Life.

The group has put together a handy guide for independents currently involved in crafting their platform statements:

Independent candidates can sometimes find it difficult to produce a comprehensive manifesto on national and international issues. To help you get started we have put together the following suggestions.

Constitution Party Forum: "We need a standard to defeat the fear factor."

The Constitution Party discussion forum relays a document by Robert Peck calling on "Christian, conservative, Constitutional and liberty minded people" to create a vetting process to determine acceptable candidates for office and fend off the tendency toward lesser-evil voting:

Normally, 'the great conservative hope' for any given election cycle, is selected by a reactionary process of vesting all our hope in the first candidate who throws out some conservative sounding rhetoric and appears to be able to beat the evil liberal nemesis. Happily, in the current election cycle, I have heard a few people (too few) speaking of the need for a candidate vetting process for their group or organization . . . . until Christian, conservative, Constitutional and liberty loving people and organizations establish such a vetting process that looks to clearly defined, fixed, objective standards for assessing candidates, the so called conservative cause is doomed and will only proceed ever farther down the path of socialism, humanism and irrelevance.

Without such a standard to guide us, we will never know when we have lost our way. I believe that in great part, the conservative movement has indeed lost its way and doesn't even know it because we have forgotten, lost sight of, or become compromised in our understanding of key principles of original, Constitutional Americanism . . . . Then may I ask, that we have the courage to stand our ground and withhold our support and even our vote from candidates who do not sufficiently meet that standard.

And no, it is not acceptable to support a candidate simply because they are considerably better than the liberal. If we continue to compromise and settle for less than what we know to be right and believe to be necessary, then the political powers that be will rightly assess that they can continue to force on us whatever candidate they choose and we will continue to accept that candidate so long as there is a liberal to fear who we are told “Must Be Beat.”  I see two primary issues – the lack of an objective standard to guide us and our willingness to move or ignore the standard, an act which has its roots in fear.

State of the Union: 40% Independent

President Obama is in the midst of his first State of the Union speech, (transcript here) and in the meantime, independents continue to organize--and one of us gives the Prez some advice....   >>>   SOMEbody has put up an anti-open primaries website in California... Thanks to Richard Winger for the heads up...   >>>   Shades of the Harold Washington Party in Chicago casts the tone in the Illinois Gov race...   >>>   And Mike Bloomberg's gifts to the NY Independence Party makes it into the Independent Political Report (now if they could bother to distinguish between the NYC and the NYS parties, we'd be gettin' somewhere....)

AL: Newspaper Calls for Open Ballot

The Birmingham News editorial board is calling on Alabama residents to demand legislators ease ballot access restrictions:

DO YOU VOTE? Do you care? If you vote and care, get in touch with your House member (locate your state representative here) and tell him (or her) to support state Rep. Cam Ward's bill to make Alabama's ballot more accessible for independent candidates and third parties.

It's practically impossible for an independent candidate to get on the ballot in Alabama, and that's exactly what Democrats and Republicans want. They joined together in 1995 to pass a draconian ballot access bill that raised from 1 percent to 3 percent the number of signatures of qualified voters in the last race for governor that independent candidates would have to get before being put on the ballot. Of course, what these selfish, incumbent-protecting lawmakers were doing was taking care of themselves.

With voter frustration seemingly growing, you'd think more choices at election time would be a good thing. Well, it is for voters, but not lawmakers. Legislators are scared to death, so much so that a committee voted against Ward's bill on Wednesday. Ward promises to bring it up again, when all the committee members are present, and let's hope he does. What we can do is tell our legislators we want an open ballot in Alabama. Since it's an election year, we should demand it so we have some choices, instead of the same, old, failed incumbents election after election after election. 

IA: Independent for Governor?

Caffeinated Thoughts interviews (audio at link) potential independent candidate for governor of Iowa, Jonathan Narcisse: 

We met at Smokey Row in Des Moines last Friday to discuss why he’s running as what he describes as “the only small government, low tax, free market, 10th amendment candidate in the field.” We discussed government reform, cutting taxes, education, the courts, same sex marriage, and I asked him about his past support of President Barack Obama and Governor Chet Culver.  He’s a registered Democrat, but is running as an independent.

Obama, Intellectual Property and the Open Internet

The US Pirate Party provides an assessment of the Obama administration's stance toward intellectual property and the open internet, one year into the president's term:

However, during his time in office, he has NOT stood for an open internet. Instead, he has made every effort he can to prevent it from coming about.

• In September 2009, President Obama appointed intellectual property scholar Victoria A. Espinel to be the first Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (the Copyright Czar).  The CEO of the National Music Publishers Association said, "The music publishing and songwriting industry looks forward to working with Victoria in this capacity and values the [Obama] Administration's commitment to bringing to fruition the goals of the PRO-IP Act."

• Since his election, Obama has appointed five RIAA lawyers to the justice department, even after several dozen groups pleaded with him to stop choosing individuals with blatant special interests.

• Obama's Department of Justice has supported a $1,920,000 damages judgement against Jammie Rasset-Thomas, a single mother who was convicted of illegaly sharing just 24 songs (roughly two CDs), with little-to-no evidence showing she was behind the filesharing.

• Most recently, Obama said in a town hall meeting, "one of the problems we had [under the previous administration] was insufficient protection for intellectual property rights. That is true for China ... these are issues that have to be addressed"

These are not just abuses against individuals. These are abuses against the development of our country and the growth of knowledge.

MI: Independent for Governor?

Michigan Public Radio reports that a former Republican congressman may enter the state's gubernatorial race as an independent:

A former Republican congressman may run for Michigan governor as an independent.  He says an independent voice is needed at the state capitol.  Joe Schwarz has a wide variety of political experience, from the Battle Creek city commission and the State Senate to Congress. He says that experience would benefit the state, especially if he was elected governor as an independent, someone who would be able to find common ground between the legislature's ideologically divided Republicans and Democrats.

Independent Voters, the Media, and the Movement

The Massachusetts special election to fill Ted Kennedy's seat continues to reverberate (or is that ricochet?) in the media [for a quick round-up of latest Charlie Cook in National Journal, Robert Reich on Huffington Post, Dan Balz in Washington Post and Kristi Keck on CNN, see today's Hankster] and independent voters remain center stage (the newly elected Senator is that guy who posed nude for Cosmo, right?...) To wit:

• Howard Fineman gets it right with one of the most grounded descriptions of independents in print in Independent Minded (Newsweek).
• Also of note, Elizabeth Benjamin, who took Ben's place at the Daily News when Mr. Smith went to Washington with Politico, gets it right in Bloomberg's Independence (Pay)Day by making the first ever in print distinction between the grassroots NYC Independence Party Organizations and the Upstate-Anything-But-Independent-"We're proud to be the party of business"-MacKay crowd.
• And then there's Thomas Friedman's critique of Obama's first year where Friedman laments the disappearance of the President's "amazing, young, Internet-enabled, grass-roots movement he mobilized to get elected". Mr. Friedman apparently misses the distinction between running for office and governing the country, but hey, 2 outa 3 ain't bad...
• Oh, and be sure to follow the dialog about what exactly the Tea Party movement is and where it came from, latest by Ben McGrath in The New Yorker.

Much (much) more over at The Hankster... Oh, and by the way, The Hankster also blogs at Donklephant. Check it out!

TX: Libertarian Party Chair on Spoilers and Voting System Reform

Via the Libertarian Party blog, the head of the Libertarian Party of Texas, Pat Dixon, speaks out on the so-called "spoiler effect" and voting reform in the Texas Tribune:

“The expectations we try to set are not necessarily getting to office,” says Pat Dixon, the head of the Libertarian Party of Texas, “but we want numbers to go in a positive direction.” Dixon doesn’t care if his candidates take votes away from the major parties. You can’t spoil an election if the mainstream parties are already rotten, he says. “[Spoiling] would be a concern if there were candidates on the ballot on either the Democratic or Republican parties who were really close enough that we would rather have them in office,” he said. Dixon pointed to the fact that Libertarians often do not run against U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, who represents the more libertarian element of the Republican Party, and who was the Libertarian Party candidate for president in 1988. Ironically, this year a Libertarian will be challenging Paul for his seat.
Dixon advocates a different type of voting system, in which voters could check all the candidates they approved of, rather than only voting for their favorite. He says it would be friendlier to third parties, and offer voters more options. Furthermore, “in that voting system there would be no spoiler,” he says. In the current system, Dixon says Libertarians are equal opportunity spoilers — they don’t just take votes from the Republican candidates. “Now with Democrats sort of in their ascendency, that’s going to change,” Dixon says, and he points to his party’s stances on social issues, which are often more in line with Democratic policy.

CA: Peace and Freedom Gubernatorial Candidate Backs Same-Sex Marriage Rights

At Afro Articles, Peace and Freedom Party candidate for governor of California Stewart Alexander makes the case for same-sex marriage rights:

In May 2009, the Los Angeles Times published an article entitled “Gay marriage a minefield for candidates for California governor;” however, Stewart Alexander, a candidate for California Governor, has taken a stand in the middle of that minefield and has thrust his campaign in the middle of the debate to achieve same-sex marriage rights.

In October, Stewart Alexander launched his campaign to become California's next governor calling for the legalization of same-sex marriages and the legalization of marijuana; these are two issues that most of the Republican candidates have consistently opposed and legalizing same-sex marriage has only been half heartedly embrace by some Democrats, to include California Attorney General Jerry Brown. The only two Democrats that championed same-sex marriage rights were San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; both candidates backed out from the governor's race near the middle of 2009.

WI: Green Candidate for City Council, Ron Hardy of Green Party Watch

At Green Party Watch, Ron Hardy announces that he will be running for city council in Oshkosh, Wisconsin:

I am running for City Council in Oshkosh, Wisconsin this spring. I am running for local office because I feel that I can help develop a future focused course for the city that incorporates sustainable practices, local economies, increased energy efficiency, decreased energy consumption, and greater stewardship of the two large lakes that border the city to the East and West and the Fox River that connects them.

IL: Constitution Party Gubernatorial Campaign Organizational Meeting

Constitution Party News relays word of an upcoming organizational meeting for the Randy Stufflebeam campaign, Constitution Party candidate for governor of Illinois:

Campaign Organizational Meeting

Dear Family, Friends and Fellow Constitutionalists,

This is just a reminder of the organizational meeting for the Stufflebeam for Governor Campaign.

Date: Saturday, January 23

Time: 3 - 5 pm.

TN: Tea Party Split Between Republicans and Independents

The Commercial Appeal reports on splits internal to Tennessee's vying tea party groups:

For The Memphis TEA Party, the TEA Party Nation extravaganza convening early next month in Nashville -- featuring former Alaska governor Sarah Palin and U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. -- is a way to energize the conservative base of the Republican Party. It's also an opportunity to make it accountable, says Charlotte Bergmann, The Memphis TEA Party candidate for the 9th Congressional District. Its 600 attendees are paying $549 a piece for the privilege. . . . But for Mid-South TEA Party activists such as James Tomasik of Cordova, the national convention in Nashville is "just one of those Republican Party things where they're trying to ride the TEA Party wave." He calls his local group a mix of Democrats, Republicans and independents, with an emphasis on independence.

IL: Green Party Rallies Supporters Ahead of February 2nd Primary

The Chicago Tribune reports:

The Green Party's candidate for Illinois governor is asking supporters to come out for the Feb. 2 primary election to send a message.  Rich Whitney and most of the party's other candidates are unopposed in the primary election.

There is a fairly large slate of candidates running under the banner of the Illinois Green Party this year.  Ahead of the February 2nd primary, the full list is currently featured on the front page of the ILGP's website.  Candidates list transcribed after the jump.

NV: Independent Candidate for Governor Shaking Hands, Collecting Signatures

Third Eye on Reno relays word of a coincidental encounter with independent candidate for governor of Nevada, Gino DiSimone: 

Walking home from yesterday’s Organizing for America Food Drive for Spread Peace Reno, I met Gino as he was collecting the signatures he needs to get on the ballot as an Indpendent candidate for Governor.

I signed Gino’s petition, telling him I think he might in the end be helping Rory Reid.  I enjoyed talking with him very much and am anxiously waiting for the revelation of his plan to bring $1 billion in new revenues (without new taxes or raising any).  He reports that he was recruited by a faction of Tea Party Republicans.

MO: A Libertarian-Republican Two-Party Contest

The Branson Tri-Lakes News reports on the development of the Libertarian-Republican two-party contest for state legislature in Missourti's 62nd district:

Since last September, Missouri’s District 62, which includes Stone and Taney counties, has lacked representation after former State Rep. Dennis Wood stepped down to accept the position of Stone County presiding commissioner.  In a matter of days, that vacant seat will be filled again. . . . Republican Nita Jane Ayres and Libertarian Patty Tweedle are both vying for the District 62 seat. . . .

“I am running for the 62nd district House seat because the Libertarian party has a lot to offer,” Tweedle said. “If I can get the conversation going about liberty and less government involvement in people’s daily lives, then I’ve accomplished something. The two-party system has shown itself to be unsuccessful in promoting healthy, thriving societies all across America.”

If elected, Tweedle said she would work to stop the Real I.D. Act. Tweedle said the act would require all citizens to carry a national ID card, restricting people’s movements and cataloguing their activities.  There will not be a democratic candidate on the Feb. 2 ballot.

A Call for a Progressive Declaration of Independence

At the Pacifica Free Press, David Lindorff calls on Congressional progressives to declare their independence from the Democratic Party:

What's missing in Congress these days is real progressive leadership and real political courage.  Over the past several decades, the Democratic Party has been entirely taken over by corporate shills and money-grubbing sleazes while those who might still have some vestigial remnant of a conscience or genuine concern for the plight of the common person have been co-opted or intimidated into silence or powerlessness. . . .

It is time for any real progressives in House or Senate to admit the truth--that they are boxed in and effectively neutered by the Party leadership--and that if they really want to be defenders of the public interest and the progressive cause, they must give up their sinecures, cut themselves loose from the shackles of the Democratic Party, and form a new and independent national progressive party. They have a model: Bernie Sanders, the independent self-described socialist senator from Vermont. Of course, even Sanders is boxed in, given that he is alone in the Senate as an independent progressive , so that if he wants a committee assignment he has to agree to vote with the Democrats on the key issues of party control. But that is because there is nobody standing with him in the Senate.

This could change if the progressive caucus members of both houses were to quit the sell-out Democrats and form the nucleus of a new party, instead of just a caucus within the sclerotic and rancidly corrupt Democratic Party.

MN: Join the Constitution Party Caucus

In a letter to the editor of Minnesota's Independent, Leo Lindquist makes a pitch for the Constitution Party Caucus

"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, the public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom be tempered and controlled, and assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest we become bankrupt."

Even though the above sentence fits the situation in our country today, have you heard of any politicians willing to admit such problems, and then actually working to solve them? The ironic part is that the opening sentence was given by Cicero, the great Roman orator and statesman, in 63 B.C.

Nothing much has changed has it? So, if you are concerned about the items above, along with the globalist agenda and related so-called free trade agreements, the shady financial bailouts, the continued weakening of state's rights, inflationary dangers by the Federal Reserve, the tearing down of family and moral values, the mocking of or ignoring the Founding Fathers and the Constitution, the denigration of God and the Ten Commandments, Congress' collective failure to listen to its constituents' concerns and rush to pass laws that are basically socialistic and/or communistic in nature, and politicians who don't follow their party's platform, then I invite you to the Minnesota Constitution Party caucus, which will be Tuesday, Feb. 2, on the Second Floor of the Lyon County Courthouse, Rooms 1 & 2, at 7 p.m.

The power is still in our hands when we exercise it timely and wisely. It is time for a second or third political party, however you view it.  Those of a Tea Party mindset are encouraged to attend, as you won't find any excuses here, but a call to action. How much faith do you have?

Public Education On Independent and Third Party Politics

More and more I am convinced that a large amount of people in the general public agree with independents and proponents of third parties on their complaints about the American two-party political system and its limitations. More and more I am observing pundits seriously exploring the third-party question in mainstream media. Vigorous discussion usually ensue in the comments section of web sites on the pros and cons of third party activism. People are genuinely intrigued and looking for alternatives to the two-party system.

What is interesting to me in these discussions is that, for the most part, actual third-party advocates and independent activists who have been working in the trenches on these issues for years are rarely consulted or their opinions highlighted in these explorations of third parties. Except for a few rare exceptions (Jackie Salit of the CUIP being the most prominent example) most third party and independent advocates are not tapped for their knowledge and experience on the challenges of being an activist for third parties and independents by the mainstream media. I think that is a huge opportunity lost to educate the public and a gap that the third party and independent community should seriously consider filling.

It is one thing for dissatisfied partisans to philosophically explore the possibility of third parties. It is quite a different experience for the discussion to have the voice of an actual activist who has been working this beat for years. In my mind, the issue of how to make a third party a viable choice in a two-party dominated landscape becomes a much more interesting (and educational) discussion if it included information such as alternative voting methods designed to reduce the spoiler issue, such as instant runoff, range and other voting methods. Or how about the role of electoral fusion laws in how third parties have become a force where it is legal? Or the challenges of ballot access for third parties – not theoretical discussions of how hard it is to accomplish -- but real, boots-on-the-ground experience from actual third parties and independents who have managed to secure ballot lines and the trials and tribulations they had to go through to accomplish that feat?

Most regular people who are not familiar with third party or independent activism would not know about these things. But imagine what would happen if enough light bulbs got lit in peoples’ minds about how realistic – not how unrealistic – third party and independent activism can be. Especially if guided by the wisdom of people who have been in the trenches of this type of activism for years or decades.

I see, therefore, a need for a serious, coordinated public education campaign by actual advocates of independent and third party politics. A campaign designed to:

(a) let the public know that there are activists who have been working on these issues for years;

(b) let the public know about the practical, nuts and bolts issues involved in third party and independent activism;

(c) educate the public about the different methods and strategies third party and independent advocates have developed to compensate for the role they have to play in an uneven playing field; and

(d) introduce and make known the various big players within the third party and independent community – the people which members of that community look up and whose efforts have been most effective through the years in galvanizing the community.

CA: Oakland Green to Run for Mayor

In the San Francisco Chronicle's blog pages, Zennie62 relays word that a new candidate has declared his intention to run for mayor of Oakland, Don Macleay of the Green Party. Zennie quotes an email from Macleay supporters:

The email from his supporters reveals Don Macleay as a kind of "working class hero":

Working-class, non-politician Don Macleay announced his intention to run for Mayor of Oakland earlier this week, urging Oakland voters to reject entrenched insider politicians and instead vote for a progressive advocate for people and policies that would serve the real majority in Oakland, not special interests.
Calling his campaign "Integrity and Vision for Progressive Change" Mr. Macleay is a former machinist, current small business owner, father and progressive community and environmental advocate.
Mr. Macleay said he is an "insider" only to grassroots, community-based Oakland, and will put the "people first." Mr. Macleay's goal, as he will outline Monday, is to end the systemic mediocrity that is Oakland's City government.

Don Macleay has what was reported to be a well-attended campaign kickoff of about 50 people, which isn't bad considering that he's as of this writing unknown. That's certainly about to change.
Oakland's Mayor's Race did not have a Green Party Candidate who officially announced his or her candidacy. Now it does. Give the political unrest both nationally and locally, Don Macleay just may find himself with more support for his mayoral run than he dreamed of.

Libertarian Examiner: Supreme Court Campaign Finance Ruling a Boon for Third Parties

At the Examiner, Colin Bannon argues that the Supreme Court's recent ruling on the regulation of campaign contributions could be a boon for third party and, by extension, independent candidates for office:

third parties - the Libertarian Party in particular - have the most reason to celebrate. For years the Libertarian party has been appealing the case to the high court arguing that provisions of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, part of which was overturned in this morning’s ruling, limited free speech, offered unfair protection to incumbents, and financially crippled any outside opposition. Following this decision, which takes effect immediately, Libertarian candidates will finally be able enlist the financial support of small and large businesses across nation.

The effects of this decision are both timely and decisive for the Libertarian Party. As the growing anti-government sentiment extends further and further across the country, Libertarian ideology has begun to win the hearts and minds of many Americans on both sides of the political spectrum. Up until now, the biggest road block for the party has been the inability to come up with the kind of funding of the two major parties. Now that corporations are free to spend their capital on candidates who they support, that road block may very well have been passed.

Lessons from Massachusetts from National Organizer of Independents

Jackie Salit, president of IndependentVoting.org issued the following statement about the Massachusetts Senate special election on Tuesday:

"The Obama team needs to learn a lesson from Massachusetts. If you don't attend to the political dynamics in the independent movement, you'll pay the price. That movement is in the early stages of its development and is subject to many pushes and pulls. While the progressive leadership of the movement played the key role in swinging independents to Obama in 2008, the Obama team has turned a blind eye since then, choosing instead to focus only on the Democratic Party base.  But if you do that, instead of finding ways to cultivate the progressive voices in independent politics, you're going to lose elections like the one yesterday. And, you might even lose the White House if you don't wake up to the fact that there is an emerging political universe - the independent movement - that you know nothing about.”

Apparently at least ONE Dem agrees. From CNN Analysis by Marc Preston: Brown's win changes political narrative for 2010: One of the biggest challenges for Democrats is wooing back independent voters, who broke Brown's way Tuesday to help him beat Coakley. "If we don't figure out a way to talk to independent voters, we are done," lamented another high-level Democratic staffer, speaking freely on the condition of anonymity.

IL: Greens Running Full Slate of Candidates

At the Free Independent Sun, Jack Wagner provides a roundup of the slate of candidates being fielded by the Green Party in Illinois in 2010.  From governor to county commissioner, Wagner lists no less than 46 candidates running under the Green Party banner in the Prairie State.  He writes:

Citizens of Illinois will not be short of strong Green Party candidates to vote for in the November, 2010 election. From local county offices to the office of Governor, The Green Party of Illinois has begun to build momentum and prove themselves as a viable alternative to both the Democratic and Republican Parties. For Progressives of Illinois and the rest of the Nation, this strong battle-ground is the absolute best place to send a signal to the Democratic leadership in Washington, and to the President himself (who until recently served as U.S. Senator from Illinois) without “spoiling” the election. In 2006, the Green Party Gubernatorial Candidate received over 10% of the vote, yet did not cause the Republican candidate to win, finally, without question, a vote for Green was a vote for Green.

Greens, Progressives and Populists around the country would get the most bang for their buck if they were to divert some of their energy and resources to helping the Green Party of Illinois run their slate of candidates. Four particular campaigns, Rich Whitney for Governor, Matt Reichel for U.S. House, Jeremy Karpen for State Representative and Tom Tresser for President of the Cook County Board, have been building ground in their respective arenas, gaining hard fought after media attention and praise from leaders around the country.

Many of these campaigns are still very small, and some don’t even have campaign sites up. Contacting the State Party would be the best bet if someone wanted to help these particular campaigns. Calling friends in Illinois and letting them know the names of candidates and offices being contended for is another great action one could take.

OH: Green Candidate for Governor to Push for Single Payer Health Care

Dennis Spisak, Green Party candidate for governer of Ohio outlines his health care proposal in a short post at Progress Ohio:

By electing Green Party candidate Dennis Spisak as Governor Ohio would see a proactive push for the Health Care for All Ohioans Act. This Single-payer healthcare plan would be a major focus of being adopted in Ohio.

The number one reason to reform Ohio health care is because to simply improve the life of all Ohioans. Under the current system Ohioans must bear the financial burden of medical costs and many have no health care or have been bankrupted by health costs. It doesn't have to be this way as every wealthy country has univesal coverage. Universal health care would be cheaper and better than our current system.

The second reason is to have a society that helps its less fortunate members. The Health Care for All Ohioans Act would be a cornerstone for a new New Deal. This is key to our domestic rebirth in Ohio.

Governor Strickland does not support the Act. He supports keeping the status quo and big insurance companies and HMO's that suck high premiums from Ohioans. Ted Strickland has spent too much time being courted by health insurance lobbyists. It's time to move Ohio foward into the 21st century with Single-Payer Health Care.

Libertarian Party Announces Convention Speakers

The Libertarian Party blog provides an update ahead of the party's 2010 convention:

Convention Speakers
We will have a great slate of speakers in St. Louis, including

·        David Nolan, one of the Party’s 1971 co-founders

·        Neal Boortz, syndicated radio talk show host and famous Libertarian

·        Gary Nolan, syndicated radio talk show host and 2004 LP presidential candidate

·        Mary Ruwart, noted author and 2008 presidential candidate

·        Dr. James W. Lark, III, former chair slated to address the Torch Club. ($1k donors)

·        Jeff Davis, a radio personality who produces “Just a Thought” commentaries. http://www.thethoughtzone.com/PAGE1.html

PA: Independent Candidate for Congress Continues to Challenge "Republocrats"

Independent candidate for Congress in Pennsylvania's 15th CD, Jake Towne, continues an aggressive media strategy challenging his Democratic and Republican rivals:

Over the past two months, the campaign has industriously sent over 10 press releases to the local press, but none have been picked up by the mainstream newspapers. While these topics center on the economy, the campaign has addressed timely issues such as health care and the Haiti disaster . . .

Towne for Congress is the first congressional race to advertise in the district, although the Republocrat candidates are obtaining front page coverage like in today's newspaper that covers how the Democrat is avoiding talking on foreign policy and domestic issues like health care. (The Republican is the incumbent, otherwise he might be following the same strategy.) However, a sentence at the end of the article did credit the campaign: "Independent candidate Jake Towne has taken the opposite tack, producing reams of position papers and opinion pieces on issues in an effort to raise his campaign's profile." Unfortunately, the reporter did not elaborate on exactly what those positions are. Towne for Congress challenged both career politicians to a debate in November of last year and has not received a response from either campaign.

 In the campaign's current release, Towne declares his support for Ron Paul's HR 4248.

TX: Independent Announces Candidacy for Congress

The Bandera County Courier reports on Eddie Taylor's independent candidacy for Congress in Texas's 21's CD:

Cedar Park’s Eddie Traylor seemed surprisingly optimistic about his chances of winning the United States 21st Congressional District seat as an Independent candidate. He announced his intention to run on Tuesday, Jan. 12.

On an abbreviated whistle-stop tour, the prospective candidate stopped by the office of the Bandera County Courier office on Wednesday, Jan. 13, to introduce himself and discuss his cogent and straightforward platforms.

“I am running as an Independent because our national economic situation has become bigger than our political party issues,” he said. “In our country, a groundswell, demanding fiscal responsibility from the federal government, grows steadily every day.”

AZ: Independent Announces Candidacy for US Senate

Arizona businessman Ian Gilyeat announces his candidacy for US Senate in Arizona, via Benzinga:

“I am seeking office in order to limit government and their constant encroachment into every aspect of our personal and business affairs. Excessive government, from both major parties, has resulted in unsustainable debt, burdensome taxes that choke out jobs and an entitlement culture that favors extortion, bribery and sweetheart deals in our nation’s back rooms,” says Gilyeat. “The federal government has overstepped the boundaries of American freedom and forgotten their constitutional duty to protect property, life and individual freedom. It is time to replace those that have been in Washington too long…those that have compromised American ideals and return to principled leadership - leadership that defends personal responsibility and self-reliance. We must let Americans do what they do best, create jobs, care for their families, and work and serve in their communities."

American Pirate Party Gaining Steam on Reddit

At FireDogLake, Jim Moss is following developments surrounding the creation of an American Pirate Party at Reddit:

In the wake of the Brown-Coakley disaster, an interesting development has occurred today on the social news site reddit. About noon Eastern time, a post appeared on the "politics" sub-reddit which said this:   "America, we need a third party that can galvanize our generation. One that doesn’t reek of pansy. I propose a U.S. Pirate Party."

As it turns out, there is already a U.S. Pirate Party (go figure), so the name was quickly changed to The American Pirate Party. And a skeleton platform was presented . . . Almost immediately, the post took off.  As of this posting just 10 hours later, it had collected more than 4200 upvotes and 2600 total points. Soon after, a sub-reddit called "AmericanPirateParty" was created, and it already has more than 850 subscribers. Also, there’s a Facebook group with 140 members and a Digg submission with 71 diggs. All of these totals are quickly rising.

Constitution Party Advocate Makes Case Against Body Image Scanners

At News with Views, former Constitution Party candidate for governor of Oregon, Mary Starrett argues against the use of body image scanners in US airports:

Want to keep America safe? Get naked. Do your patriotic duty; after all, if you’re not hiding anything what’s the big deal?  I recently read that the largest nudist group in the U.S. and Canada, the American Association for Nude Recreation fully endorsed the use of full body scanners at airports. I tried to verify this but my web filter said “don’t go there” and the site was blocked. I got as far as Wikipedia’s entry on AANR which says, “Founded in 1931, the organization advocates nudity and nude recreation in appropriate settings.” Personally, I think it’s fine if people choose to play badminton in the all together at a nudist park. That would be an “appropriate setting” for getting naked in public.On the other hand, airports are not appropriate settings for Americans forced to get virtually naked in front of Gestapo-like TSA agents who’ll do who knows what with the images . . .

Polls showing 74% of Americans think airport body scans will make us more secure are either incorrect or else we have become a thoroughly brainwashed and ideologically lobotomized assemblage of slaves who are happy to chant “Thank you sir, may I please have another?” with each violation against our Bill of Rights and natural law.

The fourth amendment guarantees:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

AK: Libertarian Petition for Independence Vote Rejected

The Anchorage Press reports on the efforts of Scott Kohlhaas, the state chairman of the Alaska Libertarian Party, to put the question of Alaska's independence from the United States before voters this November:

Alaska won’t be severed from the United States by a vote of the people anytime soon, in part because Alaskans may never be allowed to vote on the question. Secession is “an unconstitutional end,” the Alaska Supreme Court ruled last week in an opinion that upholds a 2007 decision by then-Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell who refused to certify a secession-related ballot initiative.

“It’s obvious that we cannot rely on the courts to protect our right to choose our own destiny,” says Scott Kohlhaas, the state chairman of the Alaska Libertarian Party and the man who took the state to court after Parnell refused to certify his ballot initiative.

RI Raises Matching Funds Limit for Campaigns

The Providence Journal reports that the Rhode Island Board of Elections has raised the limit of public matching funds available to candidates for state offices:

Pointing to a 7.9-percent increase in the consumer price index since 2006, the state Board of Elections on Wednesday approved new limits for a “matching public funds” program that attempts to level the financial playing field in races for governor and four general state offices.  Gubernatorial candidates from each of the three recognized parties — Democrats, Republicans and Moderates — are now eligible for up to $1,058,000 in taxpayer dollars after primaries have been held, as are independents who meet thresholds for donations and number of donors.

And major-party candidates for lieutenant governor, secretary of state, general treasurer and attorney general, as well as qualifying independents, can receive up to $264,300. The new caps and the presence of three recognized parties raise the possibility that the program could cost more than $6.3 million this year — if candidates from each party seek the money in each race and qualify for the maximum public match. And the number could go higher with independent candidates.

Independent Candidates for Governor React to MA Special Election Results

In the northeast, a number of independent candidates for governor have emphasized the importance of the independent vote in the outcome of the special election for the US Senate in Massachusetts:

•Independent candidate for governor of Massachusetts, Tim Cahill:

State Treasurer Timothy Cahill, who is challenging [MA governor Deval] Patrick as an independent candidate, said Brown’s unlikely bid has boosted his own chances. “If anyone tells me over the next six months that I can’t win, I’ll look at them and say, ‘Did you say that about Scott Brown?’ ” Cahill said. “There is nothing good in this for the governor,” Cahill said. “He put his prestige on the line here (by backing Coakley.)”

• Independent candidate for governor of Rhode Island, Lincoln Chafee:

Former Republican U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee, now running for Rhode Island governor as an independent, called the historic GOP victory in the Massachusetts U.S. Senate race a message from independent voters who are worried about proposed overhauls to the nation’s health care system. “For me, the independents, the independents have spoken,“ Chafee told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday. “Used to be that solid Democrats would vote solidly Democratic, and you could count on it. And there are just more and more independents, and they’re voting more and more independently.“ Independent voters outnumber Democrats in deeply blue Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and they are a key voting bloc as Chafee tries to win the governor’s seat in November’s election without the backing of a political party.

• Independent candidate for governor of Maine, Eliot Cutler:

The Massachusetts Senate race was a great victory for the Republican candidate, but it was much more that. Scott Brown would not have won with the support of independents and disaffected Democrats. His victory was a repudiation of business as usual – of insider politics and a lack of accountability by those in power. I think Brown’s victory bodes extremely well for my candidacy as an independent and a new candidate with bold ideas and a track record of accomplishment that goes well beyond just politics.

Third Party and Independent Daily's News Pages

Third Party and Independent Daily's News Pages (in the left sidebar) are shared Google Reader pages aggregating news and blog items from across the political web.  Each page synthesizes at least three feeds: a news search, a blog search and, when possible, at least one authoritative source on the given topic.

• The Constitution Party page integrates news and blog searches for 'Constitution Party,' as well as feeds from the party's discussion forum and Twitter page.

• The Green Party page integrates news and blog searches for 'Green Party' as well as feeds from the Green Party's press page and Green Party Watch.

• The Independents page aggregates news and blog searches for the terms "independent voter" and "independent candidate."

• The Libertarian Party page integrates news and blog searches for 'Libertarian Party' as well as a feed from the Libertarian Party blog.

• The Modern Whig Party page integrates news and blog searches for 'Modern Whig Party' as well as feeds from the party's official blog and Twitter page.

• The Pirate Party page integrates news and blog searches for 'Pirate Party' as well as the feed from the party's official blog.

• The Socialist Party page integrates news and blog searches for 'Socialist Party USA' as well as the feed from The Socialist Webzine.

IL: Windy City Times Interviews Green Party Candidate for Governor

The Windy City Times, which covers LGBT issues, interviews Rich Whitney, Green Party candidate for governor in Illinois:

WCT: You received more than 10 percent of the vote in the 2006 gubernatorial election. Who do you see as your party's base of support? How do you expect to build on that momentum in this election? Is there any particular group or place where have you been most surprised to receive support?
RW: The real core base of support is what might be called the progressive movements in Illinois—the peace movement, the school reform movement, the movement towards budgetary reform, and certainly single payer healthcare. There was also a lot of people that felt disaffected, people who—if you broke down my numbers—might otherwise have voted Republican. The stereotype is that Green Party candidates just take way votes from Democrats. The reality is more complex.
Some of those who came out to support me were people who more typically would not vote had we not had a Green Party candidate in the race. My focus in 2010 is to build primarily on the progressive base. There's a lot of potential for people who reflexively vote for Democrats. If they're not put of f by the performance of that party at this juncture I don't know what will do it. The Democratic Party has had complete control since 2003 and yet what do progressives have to show for it?
WCT: As the third party candidate, do you feel like you can take more risks? What are the additional pressures of being the third party candidate?
RW: I do think that I can take more "risks" as far as speaking what I really believe. That's kind of what the Green Party is about. There are other third parties that are very dogmatic. The fact that we don't take corporate campaign money as a matter of policy means we're serious about representing the people and not these artificial constructs. These are the reasons I say things that are truthful. Take the legalization of marijuana. Does it make any sense for alcohol to be legal and for marijuana to be illegal? Alcohol tends to be associated more with violent conduct. It doesn't make sense to incarcerate people for crimes of this nature. It's an idiotic strain on our system so why isn't it legal? For whatever reason politicians of the other parties think, "Oh, you can't touch that." It's common sense public policy. I feel free to speak the truth.
The flip side of not taking corporate money is: how do you fund your campaign? Concomitant of that—so many of the media think that if you don't raise a million dollars you're not a serious candidate. One of the things I'm challenging is the notion that you can't be serious if you're not raising that kind of money. In 2006 I spent $45,000 to get 10.5 percent of the vote. Blagojevich spent $11 million or $12 million and [ Judy Baar ] Topinka spent $8 million or $9 million or something like that. We certainly get more bang for our buck. If I can raise enough money to be competitive and get my name out there, we have a shot.

Virtual Budget Cutting: Video Game Allows Users to Play Governor

Maryland Libertarians relay word on a video game developed by the Maryland Budget and Tax Policy Institute that allows users to attempt to balance the state's budget:

A nonprofit is giving Maryland residents the chance to play at being governor by trimming a virtual budget.  The Maryland Budget and Tax Policy Institute has produced a video game that allows visitors to its Web site to try balancing Maryland's budget.  The institute identifies itself as a small, nonpartisan, public policy think tank that focuses on state finances and programs. It has produced written reports and presentations to community and advocacy groups for half a century, director Neil Bergsman said.  Bergsman said that the group's mission is to increase civic literacy and to help people consider the investments the state is making with their tax dollars. He added that the group's traditional methods weren't reaching enough people.

You can try your hand at the game at the Institute's website.  They write:

Take your turn at balancing the budget. You be the Governor. You choose what to cut, what to add, and what revenue changes to make.

AL: Constitution Party Candidate to Challenge Incumbent House Republican

The Alabama Press Register reports that businessman David Walter plans to challenge incumbent Republican Representative Jo Bonner the November to represent Alabama's 1st Congressional District:

Running under the banner of the Constitution Party, Orange Beach businessman David Walter is seeking the congressional seat held by incumbent Rep. Jo Bonner, R-Mobile, according to a news release.

From Walter's press release:

Gulf Coast businessman David Walter, well known in the area for his marine related businesses announced today his candidacy for the Alabama 1st District of the U.S. House of Representatives.  Mr. Walter said, “If you’re like me, you’re not only concerned with the direction our nation is headed in, but sick and tired of Congress spending money like crazy without a single acknowledgement of the consequences. I am not a politician, I’m a businessman. I’ve owned and operated the same business for 41 years.”
Mr. Walter believes the federal government should be run like a business and that Congress should focus less on issues relating to the special interests that contribute to them and more on the voters who put them in office.
As a congressman, Mr. Walter’s goals include introducing legislation to balance the budget, reduce taxes by reducing the size of the government, simplify the tax system, enforce immigration laws that will end the current burden on our economy and health care systems, and work to limit the power of the federal government over states and citizens as intended by the Constitution.

Revolving Door: K-Street and the Democratic-Republican Congress

The Florida Whig Party features a video from the American News Project on the "revolving door" between the Democratic-Republican Congress and professional lobbying organizations.  They write:

The K-Street Lobbyists say we cannot build the Florida Whig Party without their money. The K-Street Lobbyists say you cannot win office without their money because the voters are stupid and respond only to attack ads. The K-Street Lobbyists say they only educate Members of Congress, they don't control them. Watch the video and decide for yourself.

Independent Voters: Let's Get This UNparty Started!

Jackie Salit's analysis of independents' support of Obama, health care and the current state of the independent movement... Mass independents are lining up behind Brown in the upcoming special election to fill Ted Kennedy's seat in the US Senate -- ignore the independents at your own peril! ...More and more elected officials are leaving the parties... Why are California minor parties SOOOOO negative on open primaries? Not sure where Green Party gov candidate Laura Wells stands on the issue (let me know, otherwise, we'll call her to find out.....) Mike Bloomberg invested $400K in the NYC Independence Party -- is Harold Ford looking in the wrong direction? Hmmm...... More news for independents on The Hankster... Cross posted on Donklephant...

TX: 21 Greens to Run for Office in 2010

At Green Party Watch, Ronald Hardy writes:

The Green Party of Texas has announced that 21 Greens have filed to run for office in 2010, from Governor to four candidates for County Clerk. This looks like a great field, and a great year to do it.  If the GP of Texas can get the signatures to qualify for the ballot, a 5% showing in a state wide race would secure ballot access for the Green Party in Texas through 2012.

From the GPTX press release, which lists the individual candidates:

The Green Party of Texas announces that 21 candidates have filed to run for nomination by the Green Party in 2010 for a variety of state, district and county offices.  Thomas Muhammad, Co-chair of GPTX, spoke on the quality of the candidates as a whole. "The Green Party of Texas is extremely excited about the wonderful slate of candidates who've put themselves up for our 2010 election cycle. We look forward to an aggressive campaign through the June convention. We will then work with our final slate to run hard as our party moves to break the dominating two-party system in our state. This is the type of work our party was created for, so we say to all Greens and to Texans one and all who love true democracy let the campaign season begin!"

CA: Constitution Party Endorses Slate of Candidates in 2010

The Constitution Party has endorsed a slate of candidates running under the "American Independent" banner in California in 2010.  For the entire list, click the link.  Among the various candidates are:

Governor - Chelene Nightingale, Lt. Governor - Jim King, US Congress CA 45 - Bill Lussenheide, U.S. Senate - Don Grundman, Attorney General - Diane Templin, Treasurer - Robert Lauten, U.S. Congress CA 10 - Jerry Denham, U.S. Congress CA-39 - John A. Smith, US Congress CA-11 - David Christensen

OH and MI: Green Party Updates

Green Party Watch carries detailed updates on the activities of the party in Ohio and Michigan.  From the Ohio Green Party:

The Ohio State Green Party is meeting Saturday January 23 in Columbus, OH. They are also seeking candidates for public office, candidates for State Party positions, and help collecting signatures for Dennis Spisak and other candidates.

From the Michigan Green Party:

The Green Party of Michigan State Membership Meeting is Feb 27-28 in Lapeer, MI. Reverend Edward Pinkney will be speaking in Detroit on MLK day.  [Click the link for] information about both of these plus State and Local meetings and news . . . from the Green Party of Michigan.

CO: Libertarian Christine Smith for State House

The Colorado Libertarian Party blog relays a campaign update from Christine Smith, who is challenging Republican Tom Massey to represent the state's 60th House District:

I've already begun campaigning across my district. Freedom.  Every issue.  No exceptions. That's what I stand for and will work for in the Colorado House of Representatives.  Think of Colorado and you think of a pioneering spirit of independence, self sufficiency, strength. A state where freedom is valued and liberty cherished.  I believe Coloradans still value those principles. But most politicians statewide do not. Thus, we see businesses close, jobs lost, and freedoms infringed upon due to excessive taxation, fees, regulation, and numerous other intrusions on the way we peacefully live. Our businesses and families suffer, while those we elect pass legislation to our own detriment. The state government keeps doing too many things it shouldn't while ignoring issues that really matter.

I will change that. As your congresswoman representing State House District 60, I will represent your rights, freedom, liberties – as guaranteed to be protected by the the U.S. Constitution.  I don't want to see the people of HD60 suffer under two more years of a legislator (Tom Massey) who, in my opinion, has a predominately anti-taxpayer and anti-freedom legislative record for the the past six years.
I want the people of HD60 to finally have a representative who will stand up for their rights and best interests – a representative who will always legislate for greater personal freedom and economic liberty. That's why I'm running. 

I will be your voice for liberty in the Colorado legislature.

FL: Libertarian Candidate for US Senate to Speak at Party Meeting Thursday

Libertarian candidate for US Senate in Florida, Peter Snitker, will be speaking at a party meeting in Pasco County this Thursday.  From a Snitker campaign press release, follow the link for more details:

Snitker will be promoting his plan to stand up against the two-party political machine by working toward Congressional term limits and restoring a Constitutionally-limited federal government.  He has been described as, “the only viable Senate candidate that can has consistently held to the philosophies of the grass-roots, Tea Party movements.”

“What we desperately need is the brand of public servants our founders envisioned. We need the kind of citizen-statesmen who will go to Washington, bringing American common sense, and then return home to their own pursuits,” said Snitker. “We must eliminate the cartel of Democrat and Republican career politicians and end the outrageous Congressional perks and pensions.”

US Pirate Party Looking to Build Its Leadership

The outgoing administrator of the US Pirate Party asks like-minded citizens to become active in the organization and build its leadership:

I must add that I am touched at the sheer number of people who have contacted me to inform me that they support my actions and my efforts and hope to work productively together in the future. I can't think of much more I could ever ask for than that.
If you are in the US and are reading this, I would implore you to please become active in the party.  It needs your help.  It currently has  no leadership. This is certainly both the time and the place in our world for the Pirate Party movement, and I eagerly anticipate what happens next.

According to the group's constitution, individuals interested in taking over the position may now announce their candidacies, and Jason Emerson of New York has already stepped forward.  Though it is still a relatively new organization, at least one independent third party candidate for congress in 2010 is affiliated with the group, Stephen Collings of Tennessee.  If you are interested in learning more about the US Pirate Party, be sure to check out their blog.

Ten Theses Toward a Critique of the Democratic-Republican Two-Party State and the Duopoly System of Government

The Democratic-Republican two-party system is undemocratic, anti-republican, and tends toward one-party rule. Cross-posted at Poli-Tea:

1) No party system whatsoever is mandated by the Constitution of the United States.

2) To maintain that political representation in the United States cannot function otherwise than by means of the reigning two-party system is to imply that the Constitution of the United States does not in fact constitute a functional representative government.

3) It is commonly asserted that, in the two-party system, the Democratic and Republican Parties each act as a check and balance against the other. Such statements are not only false, they are dangerous fabrications, confusing an extra-constitutional political convention with the constitutional construction of the United States of America.

4) Plurality voting may tend to produce a two-party system of political contests in a given polity, but the Democratic-Republican two-party system of political representation has degenerated into a one-party state in polities across the United States.

5) The monopolization and centralization of political power by the Democratic and Republican Parties represents a threat to constitutional republican government. The Democratic and Republican Parties are nothing more than the political organs of narrow factional interests.

6) The politics of the Democratic-Republican two-party state are primarily reactionary in character. Support for the one is predicated, first and foremost, on rejection of the other.

7) The reproduction of the two-party state is justified by means of nothing more than a set of ideological mystifications: lesser-evilism, historical determinism, the virtue of political impatience, etc.

8) Presented with the false choice between a Republican and a Democrat in the majority of elections – when they are provided with a choice at all –, the majority of voters reject both, opting not to vote rather than vote Republican or Democrat. The Democratic-Republican duopoly system of government is a crisis of democracy.

9) The US electorate is composed of a highly diverse body of individuals and groups comprising a multi-polar social order. The bi-polar order of the two-party state is structurally incapable of adequately representing this multiplicity of interests.

10) Political independence is the condition of political freedom. Insofar the the people of the United States remain dependent upon the Democratic and Republican Parties for their political representation, the people of the United States are not free; rather, we are subject to a "frightful despotism."

The Democratic-Republican two-party system is undemocratic, anti-republican, and tends toward one-party rule.

CO: Independent Commissioner Continues Fight for Ballot Access

In August of last year, Joelle Riddle, a county commissioner in Colorado, switched her party registration from Democrat to independent.  With that she was forced off the ballot under Colorado's discriminatory ballot access laws.  The Durango Herald reports on her ongoing legal challenge to get her name on the November ballot:

La Plata County Commissioner Joelle Riddle switched from the Democratic Party to unaffiliated status, and state Sen. Bruce Whitehead went in the opposite direction - from an unaffiliated nonpolitical career to Democrat - to run in the Nov. 2 general election.  Each simply wants to carry on work already begun.  But it appears Whitehead will have the easier row to hoe . . .
Riddle's pro bono attorney, William Zimsky of Durango, says the deck is stacked against unaffiliated candidates and their supporters . . . Zimsky cites the case of Whitehead, who was appointed in August to fill the 6th Senate district seat vacated by Jim Isgar. Whitehead, who was unaffiliated, joined the Democratic Party on June 30, which means he will have been a Democrat less than a year by the June 15, 2010, deadline to get his name on the Nov. 2 ballot.
But state election statutes allow political parties to make exceptions to the affiliation requirements, Jean Walter, chairwoman of the La Plata County Democratic Party, said Wed-nesday. The Democratic Party's own rules, allowed by state laws, require only that its candidate be affiliated at least a year before the general election.
There's the rub, Zimsky said Wednesday, because the state law doesn't apply equally to all candidates.
“In Colorado, persons seeking to run as unaffiliated candidates face harsher restrictions than those seeking to run under the banner of political party," Zimsky says in asking the U.S. District Court in Denver to deny a petition to dismiss Riddle's lawsuit. “The statutory scheme is unconstitutional as applied because Commissioner Riddle would have been eligible to be placed on the ballot if she had changed her affiliation from Democrat to Republican, Libertarian or Green Party instead of unaffiliated on Aug. 21, 2009."

GA: Independent Candidate for Congress Kicks off Petition Drive

Access North Georgia reports that Eugene Moon, independent candidate for Georgia's 9th CD, kicked off his ballot access petition drive will cold drinks and Moon Pies:

An independent candidate for the 9th Congressional District kicked off his petition drive to get on the ballot Friday night in Gainesville . . . 
Eugene Moon invited supporters at the Gainesville Masonic Lodge to come on in, sign his petition, have a cold drink and, a Moon Pie.  He also had a message for them.

“My job is to say no, no to anything that I find that is unconstitutional or anything that will cause a re-distribution of your wealth or my wealth,” Moon said.
Running as an independent under Georgia Ballot Access Law Moon has to have just over 21,000 signatures and $6800 six thousand ready to turn in to the Secretary of State’s office in Atlanta by July 13th at high noon.  Moon said he’s confident he’ll have all those signatures and the money, believing that people are fed up with mainstream political parties and politicians.

CT: John Mertens for Senate on CT for Lieberman Ballot Line

At Independent Political Report, Ross Levin writes:

John Mertens gained the ballot line of the Connecticut for Lieberman party in his bid to represent Connecticut in the US Senate. He sent the following press release to contact.ipr@gmail.com:

John Mertens became the first candidate in the country to earn a 2010 ballot line for U.S. Senate at the Connecticut for Lieberman Party statewide caucus yesterday evening in Hartford, Connecticut.  Mertens is a West Hartford resident and a Professor of Engineering at Trinity College. He is also seeking the nominations of the Independent Party, The Green Party, and the Libertarian Party.

Mertens earned the U.S. Senate nomination with 52 votes. Peter R. Anderson of Bozrah, Connecticut received 2 votes. Two candidates were nominated to run for state representative: John Kilian for the 20th district (West Hartford) in a 23-0 vote, and Peter Votto for the 90th district (Cheshire) in a 50-0 vote. Full results of the caucus are available on the CFL website: www.CTforLieberman.org

Dr. Mertens was also re-elected as chair of the CFL in a 25-0 vote. He was seen in television commercials throughout Connecticut in December criticizing Joe Lieberman, and has been instrumental in developing the CFL platform: anti-war, anti-corruption, and sustainable fiscal, social and environmental policies.

He presents 30 detailed position statements and solutions to long-term problems on his website: www.Mertens2010.com, where he claims to offer “calm, intelligent, non-partisan problem solving.”

NY: Greens Call Ethics Reform Too Little, Too Late

In other Green Party news, the New York chapter of the party sharply criticized the new ethics reform bill in the New York State legislature:

The Green Party of New York State stated today that it opposed the ethics reform deal announced earlier this week as being too late, too late, an attempt at damage control rather than the real reform New York taxpayers deserve. The Greens said that it agreed with Gov. Paterson that this bill is “election-year window dressing.” . . .
The compromise ethics bill proposed by the Legislature on Tuesday does not go nearly far enough in addressing what is already a crisis in New York State politics. Real ethics reform would include an ethics commission independent of legislative control as well as a requirement that all clients of legislators be made public. Allowing legislators to appoint members to the proposed Legislative Office of Ethics Investigation is akin to letting the inmates continue running the asylum. The reform package should include public financing of campaigns, certainly a total ban on contributions from those doing business with the state (e.g., a ban on pay to play).

“Ethics reform whereby the Legislature is allowed to police itself is absolutely a joke. The Citizens Union of New York has shown that in the past decade, ‘one out of every fifteen legislative seats turned over because of ethical or criminal misconduct or related issues. This does not even count those who are still in office and under investigation or whose fates are currently being decided.’ What kind of real change can occur when these legislators are allowed to be on an ethics commission? New Yorkers should reject these proposed changes as another slap in the face from the Legislature,” said Gloria Mattera, Secretary of the GPNYS.

CA: Paper Profiles Green Gubernatorial Candidate Laura Wells

The Sacramento Bee profiles Green gubernatorial candidate Laura Wells:

With approval ratings at record lows for Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Democratic-dominated Legislature, it wouldn't be a surprise if Californians started looking outside the two major parties for a savior.

Green Party gubernatorial candidate Laura Wells would like to be that alternative. The Oakland woman toured Sacramento this week to announce her candidacy while preaching her message of budget reform and higher taxes on wealthy Californians . . .

"The two parties, the Democrat and Republican parties, do not address the root causes of the problem," Wells said. "That's off the table for them. ... To get what we want and to have the revenue that pays for it we need to have a budget that makes sense." . . .  

Millions of Californians have been drifting away from the two major parties over the past 30 years, but they've registered as independents, the Field Poll found. About a fifth of the state's registered voters are independents compared with 7.8 percent in 1978.

Some Questions for Independent Voters, Democracy Advocates and Third Parties

Is it possible to have political organization that isn't a political party? Can people impact policy without being organized as a voting bloc? How do you fight the power of entrenched corrupt partisan organizations without becoming one of them? Where does the issue of power come in? How can independents break out of paralysis? What is "personal democracy"? Isn't democracy by definition collective, and thus requires organization? Why do most minor parties object to open primaries? Wouldn't third parties be well served by inviting independents to participate in their candidate selection process? Is the Tea Party independent, or a right wing faction of the Repubs hoping to push the RP to the right?

Of note:

• Politics is People, Not Parties (Future Majority/Craig Berger's Blog) Linked on Third Party and Independent Daily yesterday, this article is also posted with commentary on Wire Tap Mag  NOTE: Author of the quoted text is Alejandro Ribo, who seems to be the European (Spanish) version of techPresident, which "was started by Andrew Rasiej and Micah L. Sifry as a crosspartisan group blog covering how the 2008 presidential candidates were using the web, and vice versa, how content generated by voters affected the campaign." Rasiej and Sifry host a yearly conference called Personal Democracy Forum centering around issues of communications technology, open internet policy, and government "transparency" that draws 1000 techies from across the country.Independent Mayor Mike Bloomberg was their keynote last year

WA: Constitution Party Active at Winter Sovereignty Fest

Washington's New Tribune reports on the state's "Winter Sovereignty Fest" held in Olympia yesterday, and quotes a number of Constitution Party activists who were in attendance:

About 300 people gathered on the Capitol steps Thursday for a "Winter Sovereignty Fest," and participants called for legislators to pass laws reasserting Washington's right to sovereignty . . . Karen Murray of Quincy, spokeswoman for the Constitution Party of Washington, said she traveled to Olympia for the rally because she believes the federal government has usurped powers not granted in the Constitution.  "Slowly over the years people have become aware of how much has been taken away from them," Murray said. "I'd like people to read the Constitution. They can see there exactly what the federal government is able to do. We gave them those powers and nothing else." . . .  Murray said the Constitution Party plans to run candidates in 2010 elections in hopes of breaking two-party rule. "We are stronger on the east side, but we have growing groups on the west side," she said.

FL: Green Party Challenges Planned Reactors

On the Wilder Side reports on efforts of the Florida Green Party in opposition to two new nuclear reactors in Levy County:

Three Nuclear Regulatory Commissioners have upheld the July 2009 ruling by a panel of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB) that is hearing a challenge to two new Progress Energy Florida (PEF) nuclear reactors in Levy County, Florida. Three organizations, the Ecology Party of Florida, Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS) and the Green Party of Florida are representing the interests of members living within a 50 mile radius of the proposed new nuclear site, located in the Florida Nature Coast less than 10 miles from the existing PEF Crystal River Nuclear Power Station. The Levy County reactors are projected to cost $17 billion.
The landmark ruling, handed down on Thursday, January 7 in response to an appeal by PEF, affirms that the ASLB will hear very broad concerns raised by the Intervening groups, including impacts of a new nuclear plant on ground and surface waters, endangered species, and environmental and safety issues of generating so-called “low-level” radioactive waste that currently has no off-site disposal option.