Memorial Day Message from the Modern Whig Party

From the Modern Whig Party:

The Modern Whig Party pauses this Memorial Day weekend to recognize the sacrifice of our nation's fallen, as well as the prime place in American society that our veterans and active/reserve service members hold.

The Modern Whig movement was revived by veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. Those veterans quickly built a growing national movement that was recognized as a viable and mainstream political phenomenon. Its moderate stance and common sense, rational approach quickly inspired a diverse array of Americans of all political stripes.

Since 2010 began, the party began building its infrastructure in order to scratch its way back into the mainstream conscience. However, countless members have clamored in recent months for the current wave of Modern Whig leaders to be more action oriented and "lead from the front." Not surprisingly, these demands came largely from veterans -- many of whom participated in the numerous 2008/2009 Whig gatherings that quietly took place overseas in places such as Iraq.

These concerns have been heard loud and clear. Various active duty, reserve component personnel, and veterans are joining with non-military individuals to once again grab the reins of this historic movement.

The country needs a non-fringe movement that values common sense, rationality as opposed to partisan bickering and ideology. The Modern Whig Party will continue to build and inspire.

US Pirate Party Youtube Message

From the US Pirate Party.  Visit the forums mentioned in the video.

NY: Communist Party Convention Wraps Up in NYC

From People's World, the CPUSA's news journal:

NEW YORK - Just blocks north of Wall Street here, the site of the biggest crime spree in history, Communist Party Chairman Sam Webb said executives who planned, aided and abetted the theft of wealth and sent the economy into a tailspin deserve to "be in prison." Webb opened the 29th Convention of the Communist Party USA, May 21.

Anger at corporations and "bosses," who constantly take, take, take from workers, communities and taxpayers leaving financial crises, joblessness, foreclosures and environmental disasters in their wake, was apparent at this gathering of a few hundred delegates and guests. Anger was also directed at the use of racism and immigrant-bashing to further their pro-Wall Street agenda. But there wasn't just anger in the keynote and delegate speeches. There was also optimism, compassion and readiness to organize a fightback on jobs and in the mid-term elections.

CA: Arif Challenges Alexander for Peace and Freedom Nomination

From a candidate profile at Bakersfield.com:

Mohammad Arif can't catch a break. Seven years ago, his quest for the governorship was derailed by an action-movie hero and 133 other characters on that colorful, circusy ballot, all supposedly trying to replace about-to-be-recalled Gov. Gray Davis. Now Arif, a Bakersfield entrepreneur, is up against two billionaires and a former governor -- as well as 19 others. At least his odds are improving . . .

Arif (find him at calgov2010.com) isn't the only Central Valley political candidate aiming higher than prudence might recommend. I won't name names, but you'll find over-their-head folks in races all across the valley. Some might even win, "because this is America." For now, Arif need only outpoll his rivals for the P&F nomination: Stewart A. Alexander, who was the Socialist Party USA's 2008 vice-presidential nominee, and Carlos Alvarez, a 23-year-old grocery worker and antiwar activist. Here's hoping he advances to the next level and writes another chapter in his uniquely American story.

HuffPo Historian: Obama is Not a Socialist, Obama is a Socialist

From Van Gosse at the Huffington Post:

Fox News relentlessly sounds this chorus, and some Americans agree, rallying with posters featuring hammer-and-sickle drawings and pictures of Stalin next to our elected leader. For the rest of the world, this sounds pretty silly: they know what socialism looks like, and we have nothing like it . . . [but on the other hand] . . .

From this perspective, President Obama may indeed have socialist tendencies, if we consider guaranteed employment, free health care, free education at all levels and strong government participation in the economy as steps in that direction. Given the disorder, rapacity and corruption of what passes for capitalism in this country, many Americans who have never considered themselves "on the left" may end up thinking "bring it on."

WI: An Examination of the SPUSA's "Statement of Principles"

From an opinion/comment piece at the Socialist Party of Wisconsin website:

There are two ideas, linked together, regarding the SPUSA Statement of Principles that we must examine more closely. The first is the idea that we subscribe to the Principles. The second is that the Principles states we are a revolutionary party.

CT: Courant Profiles Green Party Slate

From the Hartford Courant:

The Connecticut Green Party is running four candidates for statewide seats and seats in the General Assembly. They include a youth counselor, a retired guidance counselor and a dual contender for state comptroller and the state Senate's 33^rd District.

"I think the overarching theme is they're average citizens," said Tim McKee, party spokesman and member of its national committee. "I think they're going to try to talk about important issues: the economy, certainly social justice issues and clean government."

Colombia: Green Party Candidate for President Proceeds to Run-Off Election

From the Latin American Herald Tribune:

Juan Manuel Santos, the governing party’s candidate for the Colombian presidency, couldn't manage to eke out a 50%-plus-1 majority of the votes in Sunday's election, despite getting more than twice as many votes (46.57%) as his Green Party rival, Antanas Mockus (21.55%) and now the pair will face off in a runoff.

Greens Protest Obama Administration's "Privatization of Public Services and Resources"

A press release from the Green Party:

WASHINGTON, DC -- The Obama Administration's current plans to roll back Social Security and mortgage off all public housing amount to privatization schemes to dismantle public services, said Green Party candidates and leaders.

"President Obama is trying to accomplish what Republicans have long dreamed about -- privatizing public services and resources," said Rick Staggenborg, MD, Oregon Pacific Green Party candidate for the US Senate (http://staggenborgforussenate.org). (Dr. Staggenborg is founder of Soldiers For Peace International and a member of the Alliance For Democracy National Council.)

President Obama's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform is expected to recommend cutting Social Security for future retirees, and the president himself has said "everything has to be on the table." The commission is stacked with conservatives hostile to Social Security.

As William Greider noted in The Nation, "The Republican co-chair, former Senator Alan Simpson, is especially nasty; he likes to get laughs by ridiculing wheezy old folks. Democratic co-chair Erskine Bowles and staff director Bruce Reed secretly negotiated a partial privatization of Social Security with Newt Gingrich back when they served in the Clinton White House..." (May 21, 2010, http://www.thenation.com/article/whacking-old-folks).

Greens dispute the Wall Street propaganda that Social Security's cost has expanded the deficit and thus requires cuts. In fact, Social Security's huge surplus of $2.5 trillion will grow to $4.3 trillion by 2023 and can cover all benefits until 2040. Any shortfalls can easily be reversed through a modest raise in the cap on Social Security contributions from the wealthy.

"Cutting Social Security will force more people to invest in the volatile Wall Street casino, which would create billions more in profits for financial firms but wipe out the savings of millions of Americans," said Alfred Molison, Texas Green candidate for Houston City Council (http://votealfred.com). "Fiscal conservatives on Capitol Hill and financial industry lobbyists have long sought to kill Social Security, a program that has saved millions from destitution. They know that Social Security has been both solvent and popular, so they're using concerns about the deficit, rants about big government, and legitimate fears about the recent economic meltdown to persuade the public to accept dangerous Social Security reforms."

ME: Questions over Electronic Copies of Petitions May Keep Independent off Ballot

From MPBN:

Come November, it appears there will be at least five candidates for governor on the ballot in Maine. In addition to the two major party candidates that will be chosen in the June 8th primary, three independent candidates have already turned in their qualifying signatures to the Secretary of State's Office. There are seven others who could potentially qualify by June 1. But at least one independent hopeful is embroiled in a dispute with election officials after attempting to submit electronic copies of his petitions to town clerks for verification . . .

But for one independent candidate, the lengthy process of gathering petitions and having them validated by local clerks may run aground. Alex Hammer of Bangor may end up a few hundred votes short if he loses a dispute with Dunlap's office.

"I'm not a lawyer, but it's clear that the Secretary of State's arguments do not add up," Hammer says. He says he has already submitted approximately 3,800 signatures to the Secretary of State that have been approved by local town clerks and election officials.

He has an additional 2,100 signatures that have been submitted to town clerks, although not in the form of original hard copies. Instead, Hammer submitted high-resolution scanned copies, which Dunlap says is not acceptable under current law.

ME: Sunday Telegram Publishes Background Piece on Independent Eliot Cutler

The Maine Sunday Telegram has published a detailed background piece on independent candidate for governor of Maine, Eliot Cutler:

Some of the Harvard Lampoon students chose other career paths. "I decided instead to go work for Ed Muskie," said Eliot Cutler. "I won't pretend it wasn't a difficult choice. It was in part the right thing to do, in part a different challenge, in part, it was growing up." He worked for the Maine senator, and for President Jimmy Carter, then went into environmental and land-use law for the next 25 years, working on issues around the globe.

Today, he's an independent candidate for governor. As an unenrolled candidate, he has no primary. The June 8 Republican and Democratic primaries will narrow the field of party candidates from 11 to two. And because Cutler has gathered enough signatures, he'll be on the Nov. 2 general election ballot with them, along with other unenrolled candidates who have qualified.

CA: A Short Prop 14 News and Views Roundup

• Firedoglake: Top Two is not a "blanket primary"
• Fox and Hounds: Third parties "barely participate" in political process
• True/Slant: Top two as carnival-election system?
• Huffington Post: Top two reasons to oppose top two

UT: Electronic Signatures are Signatures

From an editorial in the Salt Lake Tribune:

It is fitting that the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah has taken the side of Farley Anderson. He's an independent candidate for governor from Paradise whom the state has kept off the ballot because it will not recognize the electronic signatures he gathered on his filing petition. Anderson will argue before the state Supreme Court next week that this was unconstitutional.

It is a basic civil right for any citizen to run for public office who meets the legal qualifications. As a matter of principle, it is ludicrous for the state to disqualify electronic signatures on candidate filings when Utah allows a person to form a corporation, file income taxes and register to vote, among other things, online.

FL: Independent Crist's "Centrist Strategy Working" Say Observers

From the Herald Tribune:

earlier in his administration, when Crist's voter approval ratings were near 70 percent, the governor was never fully embraced by the strongest Republican voters. His high approval ratings were based on his ability to attract Republicans as well as a sizable share of Democrats and independents, said Peter Brown, who helps run Quinnipiac University's polling institute.

"He was not as popular among Republicans as Jeb Bush," Brown said. "But he was much more popular among Democrats and independents than someone like Bush was."

But as a politician who began his career with the moniker "Chain Gang Charlie" because of his tough on crime stances, Crist has made "a rather remarkable transformation" to find himself in the position of seeking support from largely Democratic-leaning unions, Brown said.

FL: Tea Party Candidates Under Attack from a Republican Establishment Itself Plagued by Financial Scandal

Last week, Click Orlando WKMG Local 6 filed a lengthy report on the state Republican establishment's response to the Florida Tea Party's candidate for Congress in CD-8:

Republicans in Central Florida are worried that even a weak showing from the third party Florida Tea Party candidate in the 8th Congressional District could split the conservative vote enough to help re-elect liberal, outspoken Democrat Alan Grayson.

Naturally, if Republicans are so concerned about "splitting the vote," they can pressure their candidate to withdraw from the race for the good of the district, the state and the people of the United States. No word yet on whether they will put the greater good above the principle of the lesser evil.

Tax policy features prominently in the platform of the Florida Tea Party. The article goes on to detail the tax problems of individuals within the party's leadership, a point one TPID reader has emphasized on more than one occasion. From the article:

As for the Florida Tea Party -- which complains that Americans are compelled to pay taxes “at the end of a barrel of a gun” -- party chairman O’Neal and communications director Egoroff have tax issues of their own, according to official records on file with the Orange County comptroller’s office.

O’Neal has had IRS liens filed against him totaling $155,826 for what the IRS claims are unpaid taxes, interest and penalties . . . As for Egoroff . . . the IRS in March filed a lien claiming he owed $49,576 in unpaid taxes, interest and penalties covering three years, from 2004 to 2006.

In a significant omission, the report fails to mention ongoing IRS and federal criminal investigations into the financial practices of the Florida Republican Party. From the St. Petersburg Times, earlier this month:

The Republican Party of Florida gave American Express cards to party staffers and certain elite legislative leaders to spend donors' money with little oversight. The practice ended in 2009, but release of statements detailing extravagant and freewheeling spending has led to ongoing IRS and federal criminal investigations.

MA: Cahill Accuses Democratic Governor of "Playing Politics with Terrorism"

From the Boston Herald:

Independent Timothy Cahill yesterday accused Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick of “playing politics with terrorism” and “pandering” to Muslims. In a statement, the state treasurer and 2010 gubernatorial candidate noted Patrick met with more than 1,000 Muslim leaders last weekend and indicated support for a variety of their initiatives, such as having police meet with them to expand cultural awareness and urging employers to let Muslims leave work early for Friday prayers.

Follow the link for the text of Cahill's statement.  Muslim community activists have condemned Cahill's remarks.  From NECN:

Bilal Kaleem, Islamic Society of Boston: "His remarks were anti-democratic, anti-American, divisive and wounding. "  And those remarks were by Tim Cahill, Mass. State Treasurer and Independent candidate for Governor.  An interfaith gathering at Boston's Islamic Cultural Center and mosque Friday condemned him  -- and his words.

FL: Tea Party Candidate for Congress to Host Booth at Local Festival

A press release from the Florida Tea Party, sent via email:

The TEA Party and the Peg Dunmire for United States Congress (TEA-Orlando) will be hosting a booth at the Zellwood Sweet Corn Festival in Apopka, Florida.  The booth will be manned by dozens of TEA Party volunteers and candidate Peg Dunmire will be there to meet and greet the voters.

Dunmire, 62, the first TEA Party nominee in Florida is the only candidate currently facing first term incumbent Congressman Alan Grayson in the November election.  The Republican primary – a hotly contested battle among seven contenders – will not select a nominee until August 24, 2010, a mere 10 weeks before the November election.

Dunmire has already gained significant traction in the battle against Grayson and together with the TEA Party, has raised more than most candidates that are running in the GOP primary.

KY: Libertarian Party Emphasizes that Rand Paul is not a Libertarian

A press release from the Libertarian Party of Kentucky, via Independent Political Report:

Ky. – The Libertarian Party of Kentucky strongly condemns the hurtful comments of Republican senate candidate Rand Paul. Rand Paul belongs to the Republican Party of Kentucky, an association which he makes of his own free will. Dr. Paul’s sole libertarian credentials come from Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, former adversary Republican Secretary of State Trey Grayson, and many in the mainstream media. In an effort to clear our good name, we make this public statement.
Rand Paul is not a libertarian. There are clear differences between the Libertarian Party, including the philosophy upon which is it based, and the philosophy and campaign rhetoric of Rand Paul. While the Libertarian Party shares some stances traditionally associated with the Republican Party, the LP also shares common ground on positions traditionally associated with the Democratic Party, and not always for the same reasons. We are an alternative to the two party system, not constrained by the model that defines both major parties.
Libertarians want a complete repeal of the PATRIOT Act, closure of Guantanamo Bay, and an end to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Rand Paul has stated that he wants to continue military detentions at Guantanamo Bay, a retroactive official declaration of war by Congress, and has denied that he seeks to overturn the PATRIOT Act.
In further contrast, libertarians want to provide a mechanism by which non-traditional couples can receive equal protection under the law. Rand Paul has voiced his support of the discriminatory “one man, one woman” definition of marriage and his opposition to any other civil contract option.
In 2009, social conservatives in Kentucky outlawed adoption by anyone not living in a traditional, legally-recognized marriage – a concept so extreme that even family counselor and conservative talk-show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger has opposed it. The Libertarian Party stood in strong opposition to this legislation. Rand Paul has acknowledged that he agrees with his party in this, squarely placing himself at odds with the Libertarian Party of Kentucky and libertarians nationwide, who have a strong record of fighting these inequities.
The Libertarian Party of Kentucky has primarily avoided being involved in the race for US Senate to date, other than to defend our party and the philosophy upon which it is built, and we intend to continue avoiding involvement. Rand Paul’s statements regarding all forms of discrimination are not consistent with, nor do they reflect the views of, the Libertarian Party of Kentucky. Rand Paul does not speak for us or for our party. We condemn all bigotry based on any and all factors.
The Libertarian Party of Kentucky is the official state affiliate for the Libertarian Party, America’s third largest political party. Founded in 1971, the Libertarian Party prides itself on a history of fighting for oppressed members of society and the rights of all citizens. More information is available on our website, www.LPKY.org.

Libertarian Party Registration up 11% Since 2008

From the Small Gov Times:

According to data from the 29 states (including Washington D.C.) that offer party-based registrations, new Libertarian Party members are far outpacing new registrations for the Republicans and Democrats, indicating the continued discontent between Washington and the American people, and “politics as usual” between the big two political monopolies.

Since October of 2008, Libertarian Party registrations increased 11% while Republican, Democrat and other political parties all lost registered voters. The Democratic Party lost a total of 1.2 million registered voters, while the Republican Party lost 1.1 million.

NE: Libertarian Party Challenges Petitioning Laws

From the Omaha World Herald:

The Libertarian Party of Nebraska is asking a federal judge to block part of the state’s petition law.  The party filed a motion Thursday for an injunction to allow out-of-state residents to collect petition signatures.  The party also asked to intervene in a federal lawsuit challenging the state’s petition laws. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in December, claims that parts of Nebraska law place an unconstitutional burden on citizens.

Libertarian Party National Convention Kicks off in St. Louis

Check out the LP Convention Website.  Independent Political Report will be publishing regular reports from the conference all weekend.  From a report at the Examiner:

Libertarians from across the country are descending upon St. Louis this weekend for the 2010 Libertarian Naitonal Convention. Unlike the Republicans and Democrats, Libertarians have a convention every two years. The convention this weekend is taking place in the Renaissance Grand Hotel in downtown St. Louis.

The Coffee Party and Political Independence: "Independents and Moderates Beware"

The following letter was sent to in to Poli-Tea and TPID by Solomon Kleinsmith, reflecting on his experiences with the Coffee Party USA organization.  Published in full with minor edits:

For some people, the development of the new Coffee Party USA organization seemed like a godsend in response to the more extreme elements in the Tea Party movement. At first I thought that this could be the grassroots movement I'd been waiting for - one that actually included moderates independents, and actively worked across ideological divides to look for common ground, rather than partisan gain. In short, I was wrong.

UT: the Independent Case for Open Primaries

From a letter to the editor of the Davis County Clipper by Randy Miller, President of the Utah League of Independent Voters:

In response to the letter titled “Independents need to re-register by 22nd” (Clipper May 20). While I appreciate the author’s concern, independents only need to change their voter registration in order to vote in the publicly funded yet closed Republican primary. Independents can vote in the primary election for nonpartisan races such as school board positions without changing their voter registration. Contested Democratic races that go to a primary contest are open to all Democratic and unaffiliated voter registrants.

The statement that “Independents need to re-register” would be better stated “Republicans need to open their primaries.” Jon Huntsman has repeatedly called for this and I would use the term ‘their primaries’ loosely. Public money pays for the administration of primary elections, so they are technically not an asset of any political party.

They are assets of the people of Utah. I support political parties’ right to the freedom of association and the right to enact and carry out their own bylaws.

However, and I think most independents would agree, I do not support taxpayer dollars being used for the internal affairs of the political parties. So long as taxpayer dollars are used to administer primary elections, there should be a nonpartisan option where all ballot qualified candidates appear on one ballot. Independents for example, should not be precluded from advancing a brand X candidate in a legislative race, a brand Y candidate in a County office race, and a brand Z candidate for Governor when public dollars are being used to fund the primary election.

I encourage independents to vote in the nonpartisan portions of this upcoming primary election without changing their voter registration and to call on legislators to enact equitable accommodations and election reforms.

Randy Miller,
President
Utah League of independent Voters

CA: Former WA Green Party Chair Urges Support for Prop 14

Third party activists and organizations in California have come out strongly against the Proposition 14 "top two" ballot initiative. Thus I was surprised to see the following commentary from Maryrose Asher, Chair of the Washington State Progressive Electoral Coalition, and former chair of the state's Green Party:

As the former Chair of the Green Party of Washington State, I wholeheartedly endorse Proposition 14 in California. It is unfortunate, and misguided, that third parties should find themselves aligned with the Republican and Democratic Parties in trying to dissuade California voters from supporting the Prop 14, Open Primary initiative.

As the Green Party chair, I have had experience working on campaigns in the state of Washington prior to the adoption of the "Top Two Primary." At that time, independents and third party supporters could only participate in the primary elections at the pleasure of the Democratic or Republican parties. For example, only if we signed a "loyalty oath" could we participate in Party caucuses and conventions to influence which candidate might become the nominee. We could participate only if we were willing to work within one of the two major parties . . .

The time has come to stop viewing political parties as we do our favorite sports teams. It is not enough to have a spot on the general election ballot to wave the party's banner . . .

UT: Media Blackout of Constitution Party Convention

From a letter to the editor of Standard:

On May 8 when the Republican and Democratic parties were having their state conventions, the Constitution Party was also holding its state convention in Salt Lake, but there was no mention of the Constitution Party Convention in the news media. When one of the candidates who had filed for office contacted the local Salt Lake paper to put an article in, he was told that they do not cover third parties. When asked how to get an article in he was told to do something news worthy. Well, that meeting was indeed news worthy.


There was not the rhetoric and noise of the other parties' conventions, but the candidates spoke stating their views, their ideas of correcting the problems of our country staying within the bounds of the Constitution. The candidates are knowledgeable, honest, and willing to do their part for their country. You will be hearing about them and from them as the election gets closer. I urge you to listen to them. Some of you say they won't have a chance. They would if they got the same opportunity as the others. The media pretty much blocks them out, but we will be working with and for them and get their views out to you as we can.

It is our opinion that the two dominant parties can't be fixed. They are mostly run by the Establishment and candidates do what they are told for the party. Scott Bradley, Constitution Party candidate for Senate, knows the Constitution and has taught it for years. Kirk Pearson, candidate for the House of Representatives, has long been involved in local politics and was working in another party, but he could see that nothing was changing and those elected to office didn't carry through with their promises. We also have a man from Morgan County who will be running for State Representative, Clyde Buetler from Mountain Green. He is a true conservative and would work hard for the betterment of our state.

We encourage you to listen to these men and spread the word. You will be hearing more from them soon.
Betty and Gordon Olsen
Morgan

CT: Lieberman Hints He Might Support Third Party Candidate in US Senate Race

The first and last lines from an article in Politico, speculating whether US Senator Joe Lieberman (I) would support the Democrat or Republican candidate in his home state's US Senate race this year:

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said Thursday he's open to supporting Republican Linda McMahon over Democrat Richard Blumenthal in the Connecticut Senate race, a move that would once again infuriate Democrats in his home state and in Washington . . .

Lieberman also noted he could support a third party candidate in the Senate race as well.

Politics1 lists four third party candidates in the race. Among them is John Mertens, who is running on Lieberman's independent ballot line:

John Mertens (CFL) - College Professor, Mechanical Engineer & Progressive Activist
Harold Burbank (Green) - Attorney, Peace Activist & '08 Congressional Nominee
Ralph Nader (Green) - Consumer Advocate, Attorney & Frequenty Presidential Candidate
Warren Mosler (Independent Party) - Financial Executive & Economist

Green Party Candidate Surges in Colombian Presidential Election

From the Guardian:

He was the unlikeliest of presidential hopefuls, a former maths lecturer who once mooned his students to get their attention and wore a superhero-style cape to teach civic values. And a few weeks ago, Antanas Mockus seemed destined to be a brief footnote in Colombian electoral history, with opinion polls giving the Green party candidate 1% of the vote in elections to replace two-term president Alvaro Uribe.

But ahead of Sunday's first round Mockus has surged into contention in a turnaround that has electrified the campaign. A latest Gallup poll gives him 35% against 37% for Juan Manuel Santos, Uribe's defence minister, who began as favourite thanks to his role as the strategist behind Uribe's tough but popular security crackdown against Farc guerrillas.

IL: Rich Whitney, Green Candidate for Governor, Grab's Media's Attention with Unique Campaign Strategy

From WJDB:

The Green Party candidate for governor is using the state's public transit systems to push a green agenda.  Rich Whitney is in the midst of a nearly 700-mile tour of the state, which he is traveling exclusively by rail and bicycle. He hopes the journey will draw attention to the need to upgrade the state's public transit infrastructure, and lessen Illinoisan's dependence on cars.

Whitney says he believes fewer people driving cars will benefit the state in a number of ways. Fewer injuries due to accidents, healthier people and less emissions top that list. He also says upgraded rail systems in cities across the state will mean more jobs. Whitney is also pushing a progressive income tax structure for the state. He says that would help balance the budget and take the burden of the middle and lower class. This is Whitney's second run at the governor's office. He ran as a third party candidate in 2006, gathering more than 300-thousand votes.

MA: Green Candidate for Governor Polling at 8%

From Green Party Watch:

Massachusetts Green-Rainbow Party gubernatorial candidate Jill Stein sent the following email to supporters in response to the news that her campaign climbed to 8% in recent polls against 3 better-known and better-funded opponents

NY: Green Candidate for Governor Criticizes Democrat Patterson for Robbing Environmental Fund to Pay off Wall Street

From Green party Watch:

From Howie Hawkins for New York Governor: Howie Hawkins, the Green Party candidate for Governor, said today he opposed Governor Paterson’s proposal to raid more than $100 million from the Environmental Protection Fund under the guise of raising $6 million to keep state parks and historic sites open.

“When the state is rebating $16 billion annually to Wall Street speculators from the Stock Transfer Tax, it certainly doesn’t need to raid an already depleted fund for environmental capital projects in order to keep state parks open. It’s time to stop using the EPF as the Governor’s personal piggy bank. Paterson is deceptively and cynically using the upcoming the Memorial Day weekend, when parks are working people’s vacation resorts, to rob the environment to pay off Wall Street,” noted Hawkins, a former Marine.

Poli-Tea Web Video: Declare Your Independence

Cross-posted from Poli-Tea:

I have just uploaded my first Poli-Tea video to Youtube: "Declare your Independence." Last month, the California Independent Voter Network put out a call for video declarations of independence, which got me thinking, and, well, you can see the first results for yourself below. The video is a minute long and represents some fairly simple experimentation with slides and sound samples, but it's pretty surprising what you can do with a laptop and a little bit of time. As always, comments, suggestions and criticism are welcome below. Feel free to embed or otherwise disseminate the video, if you please, and consider putting one together yourself.

UT: Do Ballot Access Petititon Signatures Gathered Online Count as Signatures?

From the Salt Lake Tribune:

The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah will represent aspiring candidate Farley Anderson as he takes his electronic-signature battle to the state Supreme Court on June 2.In March, Lieutenant Governor Greg Bell rejected Anderson as an independent candidate for governor because a small portion of his required 1,000 signatures were gathered online.

Anderson initially planned to represent himself, but Attorney Brent Manning of Salt Lake City-based Manning Curtis Bradshaw & Bednar LLC will now argue his case before Utah's high court on behalf of the ACLU. "I took this case with the ACLU to support and affirm the proposition in this state that access to the ballot should be fair and equal to all -- not just the powerful who are affiliated with political parties," Manning said during a Monday news conference at the ACLU's Salt Lake City office.

FL: Talking Head to Sue Charlie Crist

From the Guardian:

David Byrne is suing the governor of Florida, accusing the state leader of using a Talking Heads song without permission. The 1985 single Road to Nowhere was allegedly part of Charlie Crist's senatorial campaign, used on a website and in YouTube ads. Byrne is seeking $1m (£700,000) in damages.

VA: Independent Candidate to Challenge Republican Rep. Cantor, Interview in the Examiner

From Richard Sincere at the Examiner:

Floyd Bayne of Midlothian is an independent candidate for Congress, challenging House Minority Whip Eric Cantor in the Seventh Congressional District, which stretches from Richmond in the south to Page and Rappahannock counties in the north. Rick Waugh, a social worker from Louisa County, will be the Democratic Party’s candidate in that district.

Bayne spoke to the Charlottesville Libertarian Examiner after a meeting of Virginia political activists in Richmond on May 11.  Asked what his top issues will be during the general election campaign, Bayne exclaimed, “Wow. There are so many.” Then he ticked off three: “Constitution. Personal liberty. Fiscal responsibility.”

IN: Libertarians Running "Record" Number of Candidates, Seeking More to Challenge Entrenched Incumbents

From the LPIN:

The Libertarian Party of Indiana has just updated their 2010 Candidates site. http://lpin.org/candidates/
The party has a record 68 candidates! The Libertarian Party of Indiana has never had this many candidates at this point during election season.

Look at the list. If you see that there is no Libertarian running in your area, we need YOU to run or put your name on the ballot. If you are concerned about your Country and State, now isn’t the time for shrinking violets!

We can’t encourage people to vote libertarian if we don’t have someone on the ballot.It’s not possible if our most committed activists don’t put their name on the ballot!

We have until June 20th to appoint Libertarians to a ballot vacancy. We are especially looking for committed libertarians to run for State Legislative offices. There are currently 38 legislators running unopposed in 2010.

MD: Greens Organizing from the Bottom Up

From the Maryland Gazette:

Seeking to capitalize on an anti-incumbent mood and the general appeal of environmental policies, the Green Party nominated its first candidate for county executive this week. On Tuesday, the party unanimously nominated Mike Shay, a south county environmental activist, for Anne Arundel's top political post. His application will be forwarded to the Maryland Green Party and included in the nominations made to the State Board of Elections by Aug. 2. Shay, 59, said his candidacy is an effort to give voters "real choices" and make sure there is a dialogue on creating sustainable communities and protecting the environment. In 2006, he ran as a Democrat for delegate in District 33B, losing to Del. Bob Costa, R-Deale.

IL: Green Candidate for Governor, Rich Whitney, Calls for Green Capitol Bill as He Bikes Across State

From WIFR:

And while most of the legislature will get there by car or plane, gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney is rolling across the state via bike. Whitney is the Green Party candidate. He stopped at the Stockholm Inn this morning to call for a Green Capitol Bill. The Carbondale native says by modernizing the state's infrastructure, hundreds of jobs would be created. He says he's fiscally conservative, just like the Republicans that represent a good portion of the area. But unlike some of them, he supports a proposed state income tax hike. He says he'd like a forensic audit on each line item to better identify wasteful spending.

FL: Independent Crist Seeks Support of AFL-CIO

From the Huffington Post:

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Gov. Charlie Crist, who shed the "R" next to his name and replaced it with an "I" – asked for the labor union AFL-CIO's endorsement for Senate on Friday. Crist, an independent candidate, made an unusual appearance before the union's leaders. The union traditionally supports Democratic candidates and Crist, a lifelong Republican until this month, had never sought its help.

MA: Independent Candidate for Congress Urges Opposition to War Supplemental

Via After Downing Street:

TN: Tea Party Group Hosts Forum for Independent and Republican Gubernatorial Hopefuls

From Volunteer TV:

Tea party participants in Gatlinburg got a close up look at seven candidates for our state’s highest office.  They aren't Republicans, Democrats or Independents. They're just concerned. “We've come at it, 'The government's getting too big, are you going to protect us as a Tennessee state resident?’” said Leah Moore of Greeneville.

Tea partiers listened closely as gubernatorial hopefuls debated on stage Sunday. It's the issues that these voters say will earn their vote -- like jobs.  “We can grow our state's economy based on the strengths of limited governments. No state income tax Right to work status. Pro-free enterprise,” said Republican candidate Congressman Zach Wamp, who currently represents Tennessee’s 3rd District.

“Our only choice is to shrink the size of the state government,” said Republican candidate Bill Haslam, mayor of Knoxville.  The four Republicans and three Independents discussed the Constitution.

Rand Paul Attacked for Association with Constitution Party

Progressive and liberal commentators have now begun to attack Rand Paul for his past association with the Constitution Party.  From the Progressive Fix:

I don’t know how long it’s going to take before the past views and associations of new Republican superstar Rand Paul all come to light, but he’s currently on track to serve as the living link between all sorts of older forms of radical conservatism and the contemporary Tea Party movement. Indeed, it appears that his Lester Maddox-ish instincts about the supremacy of private property rights could be the least of his problems. Now it transpires that just last year he was guest speaker at an event held by the Constitution Party.

From the Huffington Post:

 Amidst the hullaballoo over Republican Rand Paul's upset victory in the Kentucky GOP primary for US Senate, one of the few journalists to raise the issue of Paul's somewhat uncomfortable proximity to Christian Reconstructionism has been Alternet's Adele Stan, who observes that Rand Paul's father Ron Paul is personal friends with one of the bigger names in the Christian Reconstructionist movement, Howard Phillips, founder of the US Taxpayers Party -- now re-branded as The Constitution Party. But there's much more direct evidence tying Ran Paul to the Constitution Party.

WA: Constitution Party Wraps Up State Convention

From the Yakima Herald:

Constitution Party leaders said they were pleased with the turnout at the party's annual state convention Saturday in Moxee. "I was very excited about it," said state party chairman Bob Peck, who lives in Spokane Valley. "I was excited to meet a lot of new supporters." The daylong meeting, where party members voted on a series of resolutions to formalize their positions on various issues, attracted about 30 people.

Bryan Puertas: Why I'm an Independent

Greetings. My name is Bryan Puertas. I’m an activist and organizer with the New York City Independence Party.

I read and enjoyed the piece by Randy Miller on why he became an independent, and thought I would take a shot at doing something similar. It’s important that independents tell their own stories. Certainly there are already plenty of stories being told about us. You may have heard some of them. Undecideds. Spoilers. Soft Democrats. Soft Republicans. Flip floppers. None of them get it right. Yet if we don’t speak up and tell our own stories, we hear theirs so often that we may even start to believe them. I respectfully submit some new labels. The New Majority. The Deciding Voters. The Nonpartisans. The Youth Vote. Stories are how we share our values and culture, how we have a group conversation as a community. I talk to you every day on the phones, and there are more of you out there than you know. I challenge all of you reading this to not let other people tell you what your independence means, to share your own story here. I’ll go first.

Growing up in Queens and Long Island, I did a lot of reading. There was much I didn’t like about my life and about the world, and stories provided the escapism I needed to stay sane. Science Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure, I devoured everything I could get my hands on. The medium that made the biggest impression on me though, was comic books. Here was something exciting! Characters with incredible power taking matters into their own hands to fight injustice and corruption. This was something to aspire to. While I may have been drawn to the colorful costumes and epic battles, it was the ideas of Might in the service of Right, Great Power coming with Great Responsibility, the never ending battle, that transformed my young brain as much or more than any church sermon or boy scout lesson I sat through.

By the time I hit High School, several things happened to pull me back into the larger world. I joined JROTC, which taught discipline and how to work in a group. The second thing was that in September of my senior year two planes struck the World Trade Center. This was something out of a comic book, happening in real living color. While there might have been no one with a flashy costume to stop it, I did learn later of the extraordinary relief efforts that took place at St. Paul’s chapel adjacent to the site. If you have never been, I highly recommend visiting. It made an impression on me to see how something so good could come out of such heartbreak. I resolved to find some way to serve my country, planning to join the military. As an afterthought, I registered to vote, joining the Independence Party. Politics in my mind was a dirty business. The Democrats and Republicans fought for money, power, and influence, not truth, justice, and the American way. I didn’t think much about it though. I was just one man. I had no power, and so no responsibility.

A year and a half later, things were not looking good. I had lost an ROTC scholarship for medical reasons, had to leave school due to the cost, was depressed, and was slowly atrophying away at minimum wage. How was I going to serve my country now? Out of the blue, (or not, if you believe in providence) I received a call from the Independence Party for a survey on Politics. They patiently listened to my jaded answers, and asked at the end if I’d like to get involved. I said, “Sure. I need a job. Do you have jobs?”.

So began an eye opening time for me. I learned that while my basic assumptions about politics had been correct, reality went so much deeper than that. I learned that the Democrats and Republicans are a political duopoly, an electoral cosa nostra that has inserted itself between the people and the government. They have changed the rules to keep themselves in power, making competition from outsiders all but impossible. They force good people who want a seat at the table to be brokered through them, to pay them tribute and promise them favors. Truly these are villains fit for the Legion of Doom.

While there are villains certainly, there are also those who oppose them, those who take matters into their own hands to fight injustice and corruption. They may not be faster than a locomotive or leap tall buildings, but they have what history has shown to be the greatest power of all. The power to organize people. There is a movement building across the country to reform the rules the parties have written to keep themselves perpetually in power, to break up the duopoly the two “families” have on the political process. And it’s the organizers who are leading it, on the phones, the street corners, the blogosphere. The power of conversation, the power to organize people to work together for their common good, to dream the same dream, that is the greatest superpower, and I’ll take that any day over heat vision.

So that’s my story. While I still read Superman and Spiderman, I read Henry David Thoreau, Martin Luther King Jr., and Jackie Salit now too. I think they’d get along well together. Why am I an independent? Because I’m a comic book geek, and I know who the good guys are.

Bryan Puertas is an activist with IndependentVoting.org and an executive committee member of the Queens Independence Party of New York. He currently heads up the citywide college campus drive for nonpartisan elections in NYC, which has collected over 2000 signatures from young people in favor of nonpartisan municipal elections in NYC. You can reach him at bowerman84@yahoo.com

For more news for independent voters, see The Hankster

CA: Green and Libertarian Parties Release Ads Against Proposition 14

The Libertarian Party and Green Party have released ads against California's Proposition 14, the "top two" primary act.  Via Independent Political Report, from the Libertarians:



And from the Greens:

Swedish Pirate Party Keeps Pirate Bay Online

From a press release at Earth Times:

A Swedish political party that campaigns against restrictions for internet users said Tuesday it will provide internet access for the Pirate Bay file-sharing website."We got tired of Hollywood's cat-and-mouse game with the Pirate Bay and decided to offer the bandwith," said Rick Falvinge, leader of the Swedish Pirate Party.The offer covers the website and its search engine, but not the so-called tracker function that allowed peer-to-peer networking where files were exchanged.The files are not on the Pirate Bay website and are kept elsewhere, the Swedish Pirate Party said.The party's move came after the Pirate Bay's previous internet service provider, Cyberbunker of Germany, was Monday ordered to cut off the website's access to the internet.  Pirate Bay has been at the centre of a controversy about file sharing and has angered music and film companies.In April 2009, a Stockholm district court sentenced four men to year-long jail terms for operating the site. It also ordered them to pay damages, saying that the site allowed illegal file sharing. The four have appealed the ruling."The Pirate Bay is a search site, and as such it is not responsible for the search results," Falkvinge argued.His party clinched a seat in the Swedish European Parliament last year and is planning to run in parliamentary elections in September.

CO: Denver Libertarians Begin Monthly "Open House" Meet-Ups

From the Examiner:

This Thursday, May 20th, the Denver Libertarian Open House schedule kicks off at the Downtown Tavern on the corner of 20th and Market, doors open at 6PM. Just head to the rooftop patio, listed as one of the 10 best rooftop bars in the country by Playboy magazine. Proving that no one Parties like the Libertarians. If you can't make this one, don't worry, the Libertarians in Denver have chosen to make it happen every third Thursday of the month. Join the Meetup.com group to learn more . . .

the point of the Open House is to simply create an environment where it is OK to just hang out with a true cornucopia of libertarian-minded individuals and discuss how to effect REAL solutions to the damage that the continued "warfare/welfare state" has done to our Constitutional Republic. And to simply be able to discuss these real issues without continued and mis/un-informed Statist interjections or judgments.

TX: Trooper Assaults Libertarian Candidate for Exercising Rights at Protest

From the Examiner:

Amie Parsons, a former teacher and current Texas Libertarian Party State Board of Education candidate from Dallas was assaulted by a Texas State Trooper in Austin today.  "He grabbed my arm and shoved me," Parsons said. "We were holding signs near the State Board of Education meeting room because they would not allow me inside."

Green Change Profiles "8 Young Greens" to Keep an Eye On

From Green Change:

Introducing 8 Young Greens to Watch: 8 young candidates who are running hard to bring our values into the halls of power. With your help, 2010 can be a breakthrough year for the Green movement from Maine to California. At Green Change we're committed to connecting you with candidates who share your Green values. And we're passionate about inspiring young people to get active in the Green movement to transform politics in America.

Read about these 8 young Greens to watch, then spread the word!

LeAlan Jones gained international acclaim at age 13 for his work on the documentary "Ghetto Life 101", a portrayal of life on Chicago's south side. LeAlan is running for US Senate to work for single-payer health care, quality universal education, an end to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, public campaign financing, green jobs and transportation, and much more.

Hugh Giordano is an award-winning union organizer in Philadelphia with a Master's degree in Legal and Ethical Studies. Hugh is running for Pennsylvania State House to work for green jobs, quality education, single-payer health care, workers' rights and more.

Cynthia Santiago of Los Angeles is a law student and an activist for environmental justice for low-income communities. Cynthia is running for California State Assembly to work for environmental justice, youth violence prevention, sustainable development and investing in education instead of incarceration.

Dan Craigie of Minneapolis served four years as a Navy technician before working his way to a Master's degree in public policy. Dan is running for Minnesota State House to work for renewable energy, single-payer health care, environmental protection, equal rights and more.

Anna Trevorrow was elected in 2009 to serve on the City Charter Commission in Portland, Maine, where she advocated instant runoff voting and other reforms. Anna is running for Maine State House to work for progressive tax reforms, living wage, single-payer health care, greater transportation choice and more.

Alberto Bocanegra is a Chicago community organizer who has been active in efforts for immigration reform and affordable housing. Alberto is running for Alderman to fight Chicago's notorious corruption and ensure equal rights for underprivileged communities.

Erin Cianchette is a music teacher, peace and environmental activist, and graduate student in public policy and non-profit management from Cumberland, Maine. Erin is running for Maine State House to work for renewable energy, green job creation, single-payer health care, equal rights for all, and more.

Jeremy Karpen of Chicago is an anti-violence counselor and therapist for troubled youth. Jeremy is running for Illinois State House to work for single-payer health care, mass transit, affordable housing, quality public education, and political reforms to clean up Illinois' notoriously corrupt politics.

You can help these young Greens build momentum by giving them a contribution and sharing this page with your friends and family.

Peace,
Marnie Glickman
Executive director, Green Change

Dalai Lama Would Join Green Party if He Knew It Existed

From Green Party Watch:

An article at Belief.net describing the Dalai Lama’s press conference at the start of his recent visit to New York reports that the Tibetan spiritual leader is still interested in joining the Green Party:

He was quite energized about ecology; he said humanity seemed to be growing up. And he noted, “Oh, you don’t have a Green Party here [actually, the USA does], but if you did, maybe I would join the Green Party!”

The Dalai Lama previously expressed support for Greens at a University of Michigan lecture in 2008, when he said “If you have a Green Party, I want to join.”

Socialist Party: BP Oil Spill is a Crime not a Disaster

From Socialist Webzine:

Language matters, especially at times of crisis. The explosion on BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig that released hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico has been called a “disaster” by many. It isn’t a disaster. It is a crime. Early estimates are that the spill will cost more than $14 billion to clean, will devastate local fisheries for generations and will result in untold damage to all parts of the ecology in the Gulf region. Corporations are the criminals here - British Petroleum (BP) and, a company that is no stranger to corporate crime, Halliburton.

WA: International Socialist Conference Held in Seattle

From the Socialist Party UK:

More than 140 people came to discuss socialist ideas for changing the world at the socialism conference, organised by the CWI-affiliated organisation Socialist Alternative and held at Seattle University, which marked a big step forward for socialists in Washington State.

The discussion "Where is the change Obama promised? - resisting war and cuts in jobs and education" featured prominent anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan, who set up a camp outside George Bush's Texas ranch in 2005 to ask him why her son Casey was sent to die in Iraq.

Cindy explained how she had concluded that capitalism is the root cause of wars and the economic crisis we face.  The discussion dealt with the role of the two-headed "war party", as Cindy termed the big-business Democratic and Republican parties that dominate the US political system.

Cindy spoke about how Democratic Party leaders promised her that if she helped get them elected, they would end the war. However, after they took control of Congress in the 2006 elections, they failed to follow through on their promises. In 2008 Cindy decided to run an independent, anti-war campaign for Congress against Democratic Party House leader Nancy Pelosi, coming in second place and winning an impressive 17% of the vote.

The discussion also featured Richard Curtis, an independent left-wing Washington candidate for the US Senate, as well as Philip Locker, a national organiser for Socialist Alternative. Philip explained how the working class anger has led to many opinion polls showing a growth in support for socialist ideas.

AR: Trevor Drown, Independent Candidate for US Senate to Speak at Memorial Day Demonstration

From a Drown campaign press release, via email:

Trevor Drown will be speaking  at Rolling Thunder(R), Inc.'s 23rd Annual Memorial Day Demonstration, May 28-30, 2010, in Washington, DC.

There are more than 90,000 Americans still listed as Missing in Action. Some of these are POWs believed to still be alive.  There are still many remains of Americans which have not been accounted for or have not been returned to American control. Of these, 19 Vietnam Veterans from the State of Arkansas are still listed as MIA. The number is even higher from World War II, including Trevor's great uncle.

From Trevor: "It is an honor to be able to address the American Patriots who will be attending this event. The concept of "Leave No Man Behind" is interwoven into the fabric of our American Military and heritage. What message do we send to future Americans if we have a forgotten generation?"

From the press announcement for the event:

Gen. Richard B. Myers, USAF (Ret.) will be the keynote speaker on May 30 during Rolling Thunder's 23rd annual Memorial Day weekend demonstration May 28-30, 2010,  in support of POW/MIA and veterans' issues. Gen. Myers was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 2001 until his retirement in September 2005. 

As chairman, Gen. Myers was the United States military's highest ranking uniformed officer and in this capacity, he served as the principal military advisor to the President, Secretary of Defense, and National Security Council during the earliest stages of the War on Terror. Gen. Myers has participated in the Rolling Thunder Memorial Day events for several years, usually riding his motorcycle at the head of the motorcade that travels from the Pentagon to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool each year for the Sunday program.
Other speakers for the Sunday program include: 

•Rolling Thunder Executive Director Sgt. Artie Muller 

•Former Green Beret, Operation Enduring Freedom veteran and U.S. Senate candidate from Arkansas Trevor Drown 

•Veterans' activist and long-time Rolling Thunder supporter Nikki Mendocino
•Dolores Alfond, national chairperson, National Alliance of Families of POWs/MIAs
•Johnie E. Webb, deputy to the  commander for public relations and legislative affairs, •Joint Prisoners of War, Missing in Action Accounting Command  (JPAC)

GA: Undecided Leads Georgia GOP Primary by Wide Margin

From Bludgeon and Skewer:

Perennial favorite, Undecided, clobbered his competition in the latest Insider Advantage/WSB TV-3 poll released yesterday. This unsung, unfunded and non existent candidate picked up 8% from his April poll position which pegged him at 31% to a dominating 39% in this latest survey.

Undecided's surge to the lead over actual republicans John Oxendine, Nathan "Stinky" Deal and Karen Handel was attributed to the increased TV news presence of candidates causing concern and confusion among likely republican primary voters. The more they see of the choices they have, the less they like it.

CT: Democratic Candidate for US Senate Switches to Independent Party

From the PR Newswire:

GUILFORD, Conn., May 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Warren Mosler, Democratic Candidate for the U.S. Senate from Connecticut, will not be seeking the Democratic nomination on Friday, May 21, 2010. Instead, Mosler will be seeking the nomination for U.S. Senator with the Independent Party.

"I made a good faith effort to run as a Democrat, with my core economic values of lower taxes for people working for a living, real private sector jobs for all Americans willing and able to work, preserving Social Security, honest government, and a financial structure free of bailouts," said Mosler.  "While my national agenda to fix the economy was very well received by Democratic Town Committee meetings, meetings with Democratic State Representatives and Democratic Party leaders, the basis for the selection of the Democratic nominee was dominated by other considerations."   

FL: Iraq War Veteran to Run for State House as Independent

From the Ledger:

A veteran of two tours in Iraq, Joshua Davis, has opened a campaign for Florida House District 65. Davis, 30 and a 1998 graduate of Haines City High School, will run as an independent candidate, challenging incumbent Republican Rep. John Wood of Winter Haven. No Democrat is running in the race.

NC: Independent to Challenge Discriminatory Ballot Access Regime in Court

From the Charlotte Observer:

The Matthews contractor wants to make it easier for unaffiliated candidates like himself to get on the ballot. In 2008, Brody had to gather almost 2,300 signatures to be listed as an unaffiliated candidate in House District 103. He did, and won nearly 31 percent of the vote against incumbent Republican Rep. Jim Gulley. This year he wanted to run again, but he balked at the petition requirement. "Why is it I have to spend the money and time again to get 2,300 signatures when ... I got 9,600 votes?" he says. "It doesn't make any sense."

Democratic-Republican Party Government Policy Continues to Erode Rights and Liberties

From the Constitution Party Discussion Forum:

New target of rights erosions: U.S. citizens
by Glenn Greenwald

Policing for Profit - The Abuse of Civil Asset Forfeiture

Has Los Angeles County, CA become a Soviet-style Gulag?
FORMER ATTORNEY RICHARD I. FINE
HAS BEEN IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT FOR 14 MONTHS WITHOUT CHARGES
by Sharon Rondeau

GA: Constitution Party Recommends Support for Libertarian Candidate

From Bludgeon and Skewer:

ATLANTA, GA – Delegates to the state convention for The Constitution Party of Georgia unanimously passed a motion recommending that its members and supporters strongly consider supporting Libertarian David Chastain for the Office of Secretary of State in the 2010 Georgia elections.


Party chairman Ricardo Davis explained the reason for the recommendation: “David is the only candidate in the race who has worked for verifiable voting in Georgia, for removal of petitioning requirements that keep third party candidates off the ballot and for preserving Constitutional rights of the people during elections investigations. These are all issues of great concern to our party members. His efforts to date have also been on a volunteer basis at no cost to Georgia taxpayers.” . . . 

PA: Constitution Party Appeals to Constitutional Republicans

From the Constitution Party of Allegheny County:

Now that the primary is over it is time to come home. I personally invite Peg Luksik, Sam Rohrer, Daryl Metcalf and Steve Johnson, just to name a few, to come to the Constitution Party. We welcome all your hard working supporters as well and would like to work with all of you to restore our rights as a free commonwealth. You all put up a good fight, but now join with us and buld a party that understands the values that you hold dear. Let keep our sovreignty as a commonwealth and protect the rights and freedoms of the people of Pennsylvania, because that is the ONLY role of a good government.

CA: Tom Tancredo Endorses Chelene Nightingale, AIP and Constitution Party Candidate for Governor

From Constitution Party News:

The Nightingale for Governor Campaign was very pleased to receive the news Friday afternoon that former Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo has endorsed the Constitution Party endorsed candidate for the American Independent Party nomination for Governor of California, Chelene Nightingale. This endorsement comes on the heels of the recent endorsement made by famed political writer and filmaker, G. Edward Griffin, a man who very rarely makes political endorsements.

Extensive Study of Third Party Candidates for Office over Last Decade Published by Follow the Money

From the Executive Summary of the study at the National Institute on Money in State Politics, via Poli-Tea:

Voters in the 2010 elections can again expect to see few third-party candidates who seek to provide alternatives to politics as usual. Those few candidates face long odds. Of the 6,181 third-party candidates registered in the last nine years, only 2 percent won their races. Moreover, the traditional advantages of money and incumbency don't confer success onto third-party candidates to the same extent as they do mainstream party candidates.

In the last nine years, only 2 percent of third party candidates won their race

• Third-party candidates financed their own campaigns more often, and lost more often, compared to self-financiers in the mainstream parties.
• Candidates identifying themselves as Independent and Progressive Party candidates were most successful; candidates from the Libertarian and the Green parties were among the least.
• Third-party candidates fared best in Vermont: 34 candidates out of 236 won seats, or 14 percent. Kentucky saw the fewest third-party candidates: only 15 filed for office during the study period 2000-2009. In California, 392 third-party candidates sought office—none won.

One might dispute the statement that there are "few third party candidates." Poli-Tea's list of third party and independent candidates is not nearly complete, at it logs hundreds of candidates for governor, US House and Senate. The Libertarian Party alone is itself running hundreds of candidates this election season.

MA: Green Candidate for Governor Launches Campaign

From the Boston Globe:

They wore green armbands, some with white polka dots, and ate cake with green frosting, intermittently chanting “Jill, Jill, Jill.’’ As they opened Green-Rainbow Party gubernatorial candidate Jill Stein’s campaign headquarters in Fields Corner yesterday, supporters were urged to look to an unlikely source of inspiration: Republican Scott Brown.

NY: Republican Candidates Take Heat for Ties to Green Party

From Newsday:

Steve Levy’s twice having run on the left-ish, since-submerged Green Party line for state Assembly in 2000 and 2002, as described here earlier today, didn’t surprise state Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long, who backs Levy's GOP rival, Rick Lazio.

Also from Newsday:

For major-party candidates, ties to alternative parties can bring advantages or burdens. Businessman Randy Altschuler seeks the GOP nomination against 1st Congressional District Rep. Tim Bishop (D-Southampton). He's endorsed by Suffolk's Conservatives. But he's also drawn fire from rivals for having once registered about a decade ago with the leftish Green Party.

CA: Prop 14 a Big Business Power Grab, Says Green Candidate for US Senate

From Indybay:

ANAHEIM, Calif — Duane Roberts, Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate, says Prop 14 is a “power grab” by big business interests that will disenfranchise millions of Californians by limiting their choices at the polls. Roberts urges voters to reject this “unprecedented attack on democratic rights”:

“Prop 14 is power grab by a handful of California’s biggest business interests who seek to weaken the influence that millions of trade unionists, seniors, homeowners, environmentalists, and small businesspeople have in the candidate selection process under the closed primary system.

“They’re frustrated that Democratic and Republican Party politicians don’t always march in complete lockstep with key aspects of their agenda and believe this is because they are too beholden to the working and middle class constituencies that play a role in helping them win party primaries.

“The reason why big business interests are pushing for the open primary scheme is because it will dilute the strength these constituencies wield under the current system and give them much greater power in using their wealth to pick and choose the kinds of candidates they want elected.

Democrat vs. Republican: No Matter who Wins the People Lose

From a letter to the editor of the Wyoming Trib:

After decades of switching back and forth between a proclaimed “big government” party and a proclaimed “small government” party, where are we? Corporate bailouts by both parties, Patriot Act destruction of rights, constant government growth, and federally run health care. The end result is we all lose our liberties and our freedom. What is the result of the two-party system? A power struggle. Both parties claim to represent the people and, through the power struggle, both do the citizens more harm than good. As in all power struggles, we the citizens, are the losers.

NY: Examiner Takes a Look at Green Party's Slate of Candidates

From Billy Wharton at the Examiner:

“People are pretty fed up.” This was the rallying cry of Howie Hawkins, the recently nominated Green Party candidate for Governor, during the party’s New York State nominating convention Saturday in Albany, NY. Hawkins is just one part of a slate of candidates fielded by the Greens as they prepare to challenge the two-party dominance in the state. Each member of the slate spoke about working to achieve the same end goal - gaining 50,000 votes for governor and achieving ballot status.

WI: Libertarian Republicans Bemoan Hijacking of Tea Party Movement by Palin and GOP Establishment

From the WI Republican Liberty Caucus:

the Tea Party seems to be transforming from a libertarian gathering to promote less intrusive government and celebrate our freedoms to a neo-con group promoting War in Iran, criticizing immigrants and diversity, and persecuting those with different religious views . . . Increased foreign interventionism, bigger military budgets, and sending our troops to more countries abroad is the exact opposite of what the original Tea Parties were all about — so libertarians, paleo-cons, and traditional Goldwater conservatives should be rightful skeptics of the strategists who have put into motion the hijacking of the Tea Parties.

FL: Congressional Republican Faces Only Independent Challengers

From Sunshine State News:

Three challengers have emerged to take on Congressman Jeff Miller, a Republican who was first elected in 2001. Miller represents the Panhandle's 1st Congressional District, which reaches from the Alabama border to Washington County. The district includes Pensacola and Fort Walton Beach . . . Without a Democratic opponent, Miller is heavy favorite, although he faces two independents and an old foe now running as a write-in candidate.

VT: Independent Candidate Calls Ballot Access Regime "Election Calvinball"

From Todd for VT House:

As I tweeted the other day, the Legislature very bravely changed this year's election rules very late in the game, so the Secretary of State has moved up filing deadlines for Independent candidates from September to June.  I had planned to have all my signatures collected by the original early date of June 7th, but was counting on the extra cushion just in case things got dicey with Sam--indeed, my first week of planned work on the ground was stymied by his teething, roseola and first header off the couch!

Regardless of my individual situation, this election year change of election year rules is not only patently unfair, undemocratic and a cynical ploy to lock out candidates outside the major parties from where I sit, it could also be illegal . . .

IL: Democratic Leader Allegedly Threatened Independent Candidate

From the Chicago Sun Times:

Independent candidate for governor Scott Lee Cohen would not name names Friday, but he said "a very high up" member of the state's Democratic Party threatened him in his earlier run for lieutenant governor. "It was: 'If you don't drop out today, then all your tax records better be in impeccable order because someone's going to jail," Cohen told WLS-AM's Bill Cameron on a taping of "Connected to Chicago."

VT: Charges Dropped Against Independent Gubernatorial Candidate Who Disrupted Debate

Back in April, independent candidate for governor of Vermont, Dennis Steele, was arrested for disrupting a debate from which he was excluded.  Those charges have been dropped, but his appearance in court led to a significant amount of local press.  From the Rutland Herald:

He couldn't get a word in edgewise at the gubernatorial candidates forum where he was arrested for disorderly conduct in April.  At his scheduled arraignment in Vermont District Court early Thursday afternoon, everyone suddenly wanted to hear what Independent candidate for governor Dennis Steele had to say.

Steele, a fifth-generation Kirby native and U.S. Army veteran, entered the Main Street courthouse expecting to plead innocent to charges stemming from his alleged disruption of a union-organized debate at the Old Labor Hall. But Washington County State's Attorney Tom Kelly had opted to not to file the charge.  "It was a good arrest," Kelly said, "but we've got a lot to deal with here and I didn't think it merited the court's time."

NC: SEANC and SEIU Put Up $1 Million in Third Party Organizing Effort

From the Charlotte Observer:

The conservative-leaning tea party movement is not the only backlash to emerge from the national health care debate. The debate also created a reaction from the left.

The debate spawned a union-backed, $1million effort to create a third political party in North Carolina. The immediate goal is to punish three Democratic congressmen who voted against the new health care law - Heath Shuler of Bryson City, Mike McIntyre of Lumberton and, especially, Kissell.

The organizers say they hope to create a long-term party apparatus that will compete with the Democratic and Republican parties in the state.

MN: Constitution Party Nominates 10 Candidates for Endorsement

From the CP Discussion Forum, a press release:

Minnesota, May 11, 2010

WHAT: Delegates from across Minnesota assembled at the Brookdale Public Library in Brooklyn Center on Saturday, May 8, 2010 to hear from candidates seeking office for various levels of government and voting for or against their endorsement. After deliberations on resolutions for revisions to the CPMN platform, the delegates listened intently as candidates articulated why and how they could bring responsibility to government and produce a blueprint to peacefully and lawfully bring about compliance with the Constitution … the very Freedom document that all elected officials have sworn an oath to uphold.

Endorsed for the MN Supreme Court - Tim Tingelstad, Greg Wersal, Dan Griffin
7th Congressional District - Gene Waldorf from Grey Eagle
8th Congressional District - Richard (George) Burton from Brainerd
MN Senate 12 - Stephen Park from Nisswa
MN Senate 17 - Paul Bergley from Isanti
MN Senate 50 - Rae Hart Anderson from St. Paul
MN House 40A - Bruce Johnson from Burnsville
MN House 49B - Harley Swarm from Coon Rapids

VA: Virgil Goode on Joining the Constitution Party

From the Richmond Times Dispatch:

Virgil H. Goode Jr., a Republican from Rocky Mount who represented the 5th District in Congress for six terms, has joined the conservative Constitution Party -- but he says that doesn't mean he's quitting the GOP."I don't think they're mutually exclusive," Goode said.

PA: Constitution Party Advocate Calls for Opposition to Airport Body Scanners

From the Constitution Party of Allegheny County:

Full body scanners are coming to our airport. There have been many reports of the amount of radiation they emit and that they are harmful to the human body. I would ask everyone to research for themselves on the amount of radiation emitted from the scanners. Please do not just look at the official response, but all of those from doctors as well. Let us not allow govt. to infect our bodies in the name of security.

IL: Daily Kos Colludes in Corporate Media Blackout of Green Party

From Windy Citizen:

In the category of 'Expected, but still Very Upsetting' is the Daily Kos poll for Illinois Governor. They include Scott Lee Cohen (who is not yet on the ballot--but would like to be) and do not include established Green party candidate, Rich Whitney (who is definitely on the ballot). http://www.dailykos.com/statepoll/2010/5/5/IL/489

Meanwhile, at IPR, Ross Levin relays results from polls that include candidates who are viable alternatives to the corporatist stooges of the Democratic and Republican Parties:

A new poll from We Ask America puts Green Party US Senate candidate in Illinois LeAlan Jones’ support at 5.32 percent, while gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney (who received over 10 percent of the vote in 2006) at 4.81 percent.  In a similar poll just for the Senate race in March, 3.59 percent of respondants supported Jones (it’s also worth noting that there is a poll from mid-March in various swing districts in Illinois that includes Green candidates).

AZ: Independents Crowding Out Democrats and Republicans in State House Race

From the Tucson Citizen:

The State Senate race in midtown LD 28 is heating up but now has more Independents running than Democrats or Republicans. I’ve reported on this race briefly before (click here), but here’s the latest surprise.  Former state rep. Ted Downing has changed his party affiliation on the Secretary of State’s website from Democrat to Independent . . . Meanwhile, Dave Ewoldt has filed in that same office as an Independent as well. Dave was the campaign manager for Green candidate Dave Croteau for Mayor in 2007 and has been active in the Green Party.

CT: Green Party Running Slate of Citizen Candidates

From the Hartford Courant:

The Connecticut Green Party's slate of candidates includes a teacher, an investment adviser and a retired state Department of Environmental Protection employee. "Millionaires and celebrities get all the attention," said Tim McKee, a spokesman for Connecticut Greens and a member of the party's national committee. "We want to get more average people running for office, but it's becoming harder and harder. ... It's a millionaires' club." This year, the Green Party has candidates for attorney general, secretary of the state, treasurer and comptroller. It has no candidate for governor at this point.

NY: Green Candidate for Governor Calls for "Government for the People"

From Green Party Watch:

The Legislative Gazette has a piece reporting on Howie Hawkins, the likely nominee of the New York Green Party for governor. Green nominees for governor and other statewide offices will be decided Saturday 15 May at the party’s nominating convention in Albany. From the article:

If Hawkins is able to garner 50,000 votes during the gubernatorial vote, the party will be able to have an official ballot line, which is a goal of the campaign. Hawkins’ campaign slogan, “Tax Wall Street, Not Main Street,” echoes the sentiments of the party, which shuns corporate funding and aims for a more grassroots support base.