CO: NPR Profiles Libertarian Party

From Blue Carp:

Megan Verlee, of Colorado Public Radio, has put together a piece on the 2010 elections and the Libertarian Party of Colorado. The piece will air on 90.1 FM , Wednesday, August 4, 2010.

A seven minute version will air at 7:50 a.m., then the half-hour version will air at 10:00 a.m. and again at 7:00 p.m. You can listen online at their website, CPR.org.

She interviewed our candidates involved in state wide primaries for governor (Dan Sallis and Jaimes Brown), U.S. Senate (Mac Stringer and John Finger) and me, the state party chair.

CT: John Mertens Backs Opposition to "Affiliate and Participate," Sec. of State's Major Party Propaganda Campaign and Recruitment Drive

John Mertens, an independent candidate for US Senate in Connecticut, has said he strongly supports the growing opposition to "affiliate and participate," the major party propaganda campaign and recruitment drive launched by Sec. of the State Susan Bysiewicz early last month. Since Daniel Reale, an independent-libertarian candidate for Congress in CT-2, lodged a formal complaint against Bysiewicz's propaganda drive, the Green Party candidate in the same race and the Free and Equal Foundation have come out in support of his efforts. See this post for background and source-links. Contacted for comment via email, Mertens wrote:

As a third-party activist for many years, Chair of the Connecticut for Lieberman Party, and independent candidate for U.S. Senate in Connecticut in 2010, I strongly support Dan Reale's efforts to oppose the Secretary of the State's use of tax payers' dollars to promote partisanship. I've contacted Dan and offered my assistance.

VT: Independent Candidate for Governor Denounces Discriminatory Political System

From Em Payton for Governor:

Now comes Emily Peyton, Pro SE, Independent Gubernatorial Candidate, a resident of Windham County in Vermont ,  in the power vested in my person by the 500 signers of the petition to place me on the ballot, and makes the following complaint  against the named defendants above.
Whereas: It can be safely assumed that these signers desired to hear my views, and I have the duty and the responsibility to at least these 500 people of Vermont to participate in public forums, to openly criticize our methods of governance and offered such solutions as I have long and deliberately pondered and studied, at the expense of my personal productive time.  Further the newspapers that discriminate against me, and the radio stations that do the same and the forums and  debate hosts that (plan to) exclude me, and the television news that suppress any mention of my platform through the assumption that my movement to the Governor’s seat is bound to fail for the lack of funds, or for my choice to serve as an independent and not affiliate with either the Democrats, Republicans, or Progressives, or for my perceived incompetence due to my choice not to participate in campaigns for political office heretofore, or for my gender, or for whatever reason they may have for presupposing failure to win the election as reason to fail to cover my platform completely, is guilty of practicing unfair and illegal suppression, censorship and bias , which in turn causes damage to the people of Vermont by withholding the full complement of information that the People of Vermont absolutely need in order to make a full and informed decision prior to their vote in a few short months in November  2010.

ME: Major Party Candidates Play Games, Independents Call for Substance in Gov Race

From WCSH News:

After a week of partisan squabbles in the race for Governor of Maine, the leading independent candidates in the race say Mainers saw the worst side of politics.  Republican Paul LePage and GOP party Chairman Charlie Webster trades charges with Arden Manning, manager of the Democratic party's statewide campaign efforts - and with democratic candidate Libby Mitchell.  It stems from comments made last weekend by LePage about Mitchell's age, and an accusation that Manning had said LePage was unfit to be Governor because he is French catholic. Manning called that accusation "a lie", and demanded an apology. LePage responded by saying Manning should apologize for calling him a "creationist".

"Mud season's over", says independent Shawn Moody.  And fellow independent Eliot Cutler says it was a "tough week" for Maine voters. "They've seen the partisan blood sport competition and they've seen the trivialization of politics," says Cutler. Both independents say voters are turned off by the partisan bickering, because voters was real answers and real plans for fixing Maine's economy and government.
And both men say they're hearing a lot from Maine people.

FL: Independent Crist Pulls Out Ahead of the Pack in Senate Race Polls

From the Ledger:

Assuming Meek wins his primary and is in the race, Crist leads Rubio with 41 percent of the vote to Rubio's 30 percent, with 12 percent going to Meek, according to the poll of 590 likely voters surveyed from July 24 to July 28. The poll has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

Assuming Greene wins the Democratic primary, however, changes things. In that case, Crist gets 37 percent to Rubio's 29 percent, and Greene gets 16 percent, poll results show. That leaves Crist and Rubio in a statistical tie when the survey's margin of sampling error is taken into consideration.

OR: Low Turnout for Independent Party Primary

From the Statesman Journal:

The results are in from Oregon’s first online primary election: Fewer than 2,300 of the 57,000 members of the Independent Party voted. That’s turnout of 4 percent, far less than the two major parties get in their primaries. Independent Party leaders said Friday that’s also far more people than usually participate in conventions for other minor parties. 

The Independent Party has grown explosively since it was formed in 2007. Skeptics contend that’s a result of a quirk in the state’s registration law and most members mistakenly registered as Independents when they meant to be in no party at all.

The party conducted its primary election beginning July 8. Passcodes were mailed to party members, and the results were tallied by a San Diego company, Everyone Counts, whose representatives decrypted and processed the results in about an hour Friday at a downtown Portland law office.

Party leaders called it a success. “We put it out to the members, and the members spoke,” said Dan Meek, who along with Linda Williams is among the founders. Williams said the primary cost $17,000, including money she lent it.

RI: Chafee Continues to Tweak Independent Campaign Strategy

From the News Tribune:

Among Chafee's hurdles is defining himself in voters' minds without a party to help. During the baseball game, he was asked by a group of women why he switched from Republican to independent.  "It wasn't my party anymore," he said, then ticked off a list of his views, from his support of gay rights and environmental protections to concern about budget deficits.

But his message didn't get through to potential voters.  "He said he's independent," Angela Nunes, a 32-year-old school teacher, said later. "He didn't articulate why."

Brown University political scientist Wendy Schiller said political parties provide clear signals to voters about candidates' policies and provide candidates an organization that sells their messages.

"In order to overcome the lack of a party organization that does all these things, an independent candidate has to be doubly inspirational and crystallize his or her message around one or two issue areas that have strong resonance with the voters," she said. "Chafee has done none of this."

When asked what message he's sending to voters, Chafee says it's experience and honesty. His biggest policy proposal has been to levy a 1 percent sales tax on currently exempt items as a way to help close budget deficits without pushing up property taxes.

While he says his plan shows he's got the courage to take unpopular stands, it's a tough message in a state where unemployment was among the worst in the country in June, at 12 percent.

Chafee has a solid bloc of what he calls "Chafee loyalists" and hopes to bring on board interest groups such as Hispanics, environmentalists and gay rights advocates. He points out the state's Republican Party has been ailing for years and in his past campaigns he felt as though he were mostly on his own.

This year, he said, is no different.

AR: Times Record Profiles Drown and Gray, Independent and Green Party Candidates for US Senate

From the Times Record:

The political divide between Democratic U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln and her Republican challenger, U.S. Rep. John Boozman, is nothing compared to the gulf between the independent and Green Party candidates in the race, but the outsider candidates are united in at least one thing: their disillusionment with the two major parties.


Trevor Drown, a Russellville businessman and military veteran, announced as an independent candidate for Lincoln's senate seat last year. John Gray, a retired engineer and mayor of Greenland, was nominated July 24 as the Green Party of Arkansas' Senate nominee. The two were interviewed separately Friday for this report.

MI: Socialist Party Nominate Candidates, Make Ballot Access Push

From the Socialist Webzine:

LANSING - The Socialist Party of Michigan (SPMI), MI state party affiliate of the Socialist Party USA, filed the State-prescribed candidate nomination and acceptance certificates for seven party candidates for federal and state office on Monday, following its official selection of such candidates at its 2010 state nominating convention held in Ann Arbor last Saturday.

Though decades have passed since the last time the Michigan Secretary of State’s office formally recognized the Socialist Party’s qualification to nominate candidates for any partisan elections in the state , the Party formally filed its nomination certificates with the Secretary of State's Bureau of Elections office this year in order to concord with a lawsuit the Party filed in the state’s 30th Circuit Court (Ingham County) last Wednesday against Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land, in her official capacity; challenging the constitutionality of the present Michigan statute governing political party ballot access (M.C.L. § 168.685) and seeking a court order requiring the Secretary of State’s office to once again provide a properly labeled party column on the Michigan ballot listing the Socialist Party’s nominees. The case, Socialist Party of Michigan, et al. v. Land (#10-867-CZ) is currently pending an August hearing before the court’s chief judge, Hon. William E. Collette.

Stweart Alexander Proposes Universal Basic Income

From Philly IMC:

Stewart Alexander says “The struggles for working people are global; we need global solutions. In the 21st Century, it has become necessary to reorganize the entire world banking system.” To meet the growing needs of working people, Alexander is proposing the creation of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) to help eliminate poverty and to meet the basic needs of working people and the long term needs for seniors.

Alexander: Under Obama, the U.S. recession has gone from bad to worse

Stewart Alexander 2012

Socialist Party USA

http://socialistparty-usa.org/

PA-15: Jake Towne on War, Civil Liberties and Freedom of Speech

From the Jake Towne campaign for Congress in PA-15:

Concerning the recent media circus concerning the controversial band that was removed from this concert, I thought it best to say a few words not just about the freedom of expression protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, but also how best we should use these freedoms while moving forward as a campaign.

First of all, the Constitution is often misunderstood. It’s purpose is NOT to run everyone’s life, but rather the exact opposite – to PROTECT the people from the government. Our founders recognized that governments are capable of horrific tyrannies. If we look through history, the examples are all too frequent. While it is easy to forget the horrors of war while it is not in front of your face – especially on beautiful days like today – the last century of humankind has been extremely bloody.

Almost all of the killing has been done by governments and political groups. During the past 100 years, an estimated 170 million have died at the hands of governments, and of these perhaps up to 70% were civilians.

In my travels abroad, I’ve walked through Nazi concentration camps, the Killing Fields in Cambodia, the site of the Nanjing Massacre in China and places all over Asia where the Japanese committed WW2 atrocities, and these experiences has affected me deeply.

I used to often wondered why these state-sponsored killings occur until I came to the realization that tyranny ends only when we as individuals cease to support our own serfdom.

The politicians whisper “Give us all your liberties, and we will keep you safe.” The truth is that without the liberty and rule of law guaranteed under the Constitution, there is no safety – from the government.

Read the whole thing.

SC: Green Party Senate Candidate Slams Demint on Net Neutrality

A press release sent to TPID by Tom Clements, the Green Party candidate for US Senate in South Carolina:

Senator Jim DeMint and six other Republican senators just introduced legislation that would dramatically limit the Federal Communications Commission's ability to regulate broadband providers.  Tom Clements, Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate in South Carolina,  believes DeMint is attacking the freedom of average Internet users who take their "virtual independence" seriously and who deserve unregulated access to the Internet.

“His position concerning ‘net neutraility’ clearly reveals that DeMint come downs on the side of big business over individual freedoms,” said Clements.  “He hypocritically claims to stand with the people while at the same time leading the charge against net neutrality.  Jim DeMint is a reliable mouthpiece for big business and the cable lobbyists and is not on the side of working people in South Carolina.  He claims that the government is trying to take over the Internet when actually AT&T and Comcast are trying to take over control of the Internet and he’s helping them.” 

DeMint’s Freedom for Consumer Choice Act, or FCC Act, would curb and narrow the FCC's power over broadband providers and come to resemble the antitrust enforcement power of the Department of Justice. One section lets the FCC define "unfair methods of competition" and levy "requirements" on the industry, but only if marketplace competition is “inadequate.”

If passed, DeMint’s “Big Media Bill” would impose a whole new framework on the FCC so that they can't impose any new rules unless they find that a market failure led to ongoing consumer harm, and not just in the net neutrality context, but in any rule making.

Clements affirmed: “As it is in the best interest of South Carolinians, I support net neutrality and believe that regulations must exist to protect the average Internet users.  Protection means preventing broadband providers from restricting content or prioritizing one type of traffic over another.  I also believe that DeMint’s bill duplicates the jurisdiction and purpose of the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission, which share antitrust authority.’”

For more information contact the Clements for US Senate Campaign at 803.834.3084, cell 803.240.7268      

Notes:  Clements for Senate website - http://clementsforsenate.com/

When Third Parties and Independents Lose, the Establishment Wins

From the Washington Post Fix blog:

Has the anti-establishment movement of 2010 already gone bust? Despite the voters' utter distaste for parties and the political establishment, there have been only a handful of serious primary challenges to sitting Members of Congress and even fewer viable third-party candidates have emerged in the run-up to the fall election. The reason? Money.

Looking at Duverger's Law with Fresh Eyes

From an extensive discussion of Duverger's law at the Constitution Party discussion forum:

Duverger’s Law is often cited by conservative groups as a justification for not endorsing third-party and independent candidates who have successfully passed their strict vetting process. It is the basis of the argument that third party and independent candidates split the conservative vote and allow liberals to win, therefore there should only be two parties so forces with similar philosophies can combine to defeat the “enemy”. This misunderstanding of the sociological phenomena inherent in various electoral systems, as observed by French sociologist Maurice Duverger, has led to the deterioration of the original Constitutional Republic. Understanding this process and understanding the characteristics of the original electoral system of the United States can help us restore a government where the people, not parties, have the final say in governing themselves.

Tancredo Signficantly Raises Constitution Party's Profile

From NPR:

Former Rep. Tom Tancredo, a Colorado Republican, is in the process of leaving the GOP to run for governor as a candidate of the American Constitution Party . . .  The question here:  What exactly is the American Constitution Party?  Denver Post's Jessica Fender sums up its platform.  It seeks to . . .

Otter Limits Interviews Clark Duffe, Libertarian Candidate in OK-5

From the Otter Limits blog:

Clark Duffe is the Libertarian Party candidate for Oklahoma's 5th Congressional District. He will be running against Independent Dave White, Democratic candidate Billy Coyle and whoever wins the August 24 Republican runoff between Kevin Calvey and James Lankford.  I had a chance to do an interview with Clark and below is the transcript of that interview:

1. Why are you a Libertarian as opposed to being a Republican?

[Duffe:] Republicans only go halfway towards freedom . . .

I suppose that implies Republicans are halfway against freedom.  

Otter Limits: Spotlight on The Centrist Party

From the Otter Limits:

America is 70% Centrist. So why are we letting 15% from the left and 15% from the right control our nation?"  According to their website, The Centrist Party:

"Centrism is about achieving common sense solutions that fit the current needs; support the public trust, serve the common good; and consideration of short and long term needs."

The Centrist Party was formed in 2006 but it has never been recognized as an official party in any of the states.

NY: Constitution Party Begins Organizing Effort in the Empire State

From Constitution Party News:

A strong state party organization in New York has been lacking for much of the 18 year existence of the national Constitution Party. That is now changing dramatically! Over the past year and half, our New York Constitution Party meetup, yahoo, and facebook membership has grown to nearly 600 members! We are working hard, and making significant progress in building an effective and competitive Constitution Party political organization in the state of New York. Now, it appears that we are on the verge of taking another big step, a step that would have positive implications for the Constitution Party nationwide.

All over the country, Constitution Party candidates are running for office in unprecedented numbers, and NOW there is an excellent chance that this could be the first year that the Constitution Party places a candidate on the ballot for a federal office in New York!

Newt Gingrich Sucks Up to Tea Party, Pretends Republican Party Is Not an Enemy of Constitutional Government

From NewsMax:

In an exclusive Newsmax.TV interview, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says America's tea partyers are trying to take the country in the right direction.

“I like the tea party movement, "he said. "[They]  are serious people studying the Constitution, trying to find a way to get back to balanced, limited government with balanced budgets and much less power in Washington."

CO: Tancredo to Take on Democrat-Republican Terrorist Hijackers of our Democratic Republic in Third Party Run for Gov

From the Huffington Post:

After a week of trash-talking and shouting matches, former congressman Tom Tancredo surprised many on Thursday with the low-key nature of his announcement that he was officially running for Governor of Colorado on the American Constitution Party ticket.

It didn't take long, however, for the notoriously outspoken Tancredo to show his true colors. Thusday evening, Tancredo took to his Twitter account to say "I officially announced my candidacy for Governor of Colorado today. Let's Roll!"

The term "let's roll" has become associated with United Flight 93, the hijacked plane that crashed on 9/11 after passengers battled terrorists for control of the plane.