Peter Camejo, Socialist Activist and Third Party Warrior Memorialized

Peter Camejo Memorial - Ralph Nader's Speech from Polidoc on Vimeo.
Hundreds gathered in Berkeley to celebrate the life of political activist and unabashed Socialist Peter Camejo. Renown for his consistency of purpose in the battle to reform politics as usual, Camejo succumbed to a cancer, but not before he had finished his last book, an autobiography.

And while autobiographies have become a little more common place, Camejo was anything but common. He was a fiercely dedicated advocate for civil rights, a committed friend to many, and a relentlessly hopeful socialist. He fought tirelessly on behalf of third parties and made three gubernatorial runs in California. Ronald Reagan had called him the most dangerous man in politics. Laughable and true.

People attending the memorial where the event was held were alight with laughter as they listened to delightful stories of Camejo's past and his vision for the future. He will be missed and condolences go to his family. Others speaking at the memorial included Camejo's wife Morella, and brother Antonio Camejo; friend and former running mate, Ralph Nader; Cindy Sheehan; Matt Gonzalez; Gayle McLaughlin; Dr. Agha Saeed.

Slice of Green Ontario

Neighbors north of the US have less of a challenge when it comes to alternative parties, while in the US, members of such parties are often cast as unreasonable extremists, if seen at all.

This grassroots media campaign from Ontario, Canada by YouTube user "b1withme", offers a glimpse at just how neighborly and non-extreme a Green Party person can be.

Nader Sweeps Up Peace and Freedom Party Nomination

Ralph Nader handily won California's Peace & Freedom Party's Presidential Candidate nomination in the first round On Saturday, August 2 in Sacramento where about a hundred delegates gathered to listen to the candidates and select from among them.

The candidates vying for the nomination were long time Party for Socialism and Liberation activist Gloria LaRiva who came in second, Socialist Party's Brian Moore, and the Green Party's Presidential Candidate, Cynthia McKinney.

Ballot lines are so valuable to third party and independent candidates that even a smaller party, like Peace and Freedom with its 80,000 registered voters in California have become an attractive ticket over the course of this election cycle. With Nader's win, the P&F party are assured ballot access in Utah as well as California and add the promise of growing the number of registered voters.

While the meeting was not without some contention, many delegates expressed a deep appreciation and delight that four powerful progressive activists presented themselves for consideration and offered motivation and clarity to their platforms.

More on this story later.

David Sirota Envies Californians, and Not for its Sun

Why does author and political analyst David Sirota envy Californians? Well, it's not the good weather. Instead, the author of the new book "The Uprising" cites California citizens' ability to create leading legislation that can force the nation to change as cause for inspiration and passion.

Here's a thirty minute video of his presentation at Cody's Bookstore in Berkeley, California, made on Thursday, June 12, 2008.

David Sirota Envys Californians Opportunity to Lead "The Uprising", 6/12/08 from Polidoc on Vimeo.

Minnesota's Democratic Party Affiliate Adopts IRV

The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Part (DFL) has adopted Instant Runoff Voting (IRV), a method of ranking your first, second and third choices for candidate, rather than using a winner-take-all system.

Whether from increased pressure by third parties or just plain fair play, several state parties have pushed for IRV. Minnesota is the third state Democratic party to adopt IRV. The Utah Republican Party sues IRV for state convention elections. IRV is also a core platform of the the Green Party of the United States and is practiced in municpal elections in various parts of the country. DNC leader Howard Dean has publicly encouraged IRV in his state for over a year and the hope is that encouragement will spread.

The Minnesota DFL joins a broad and rapidly growing coalition of organizations for IRV, including the League of Women Voters, the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, Star Tribune, TakeAction Minnesota, Minnesota Public Interest Research Group, Citizens for Election Integrity and The White House Project.

I support ranked choice voting, including instant-runoff voting, because it is the fairest and most efficient way of holding elections in a diverse society. Ranked-choice voting's fairness -- to the individual voter, to each group of voters, and to the candidates -- surpasses any other voting system. Instant-runoff voting ensures that our elected leaders get elected with support from a clear majority, not just a plurality, and it removes any incentive for strategic misrepresentation so that the voters can vote their true preferences. A ranked-choice system promotes diversity, and fully satisfies the right to an effective vote.

- DFL Chair Brian Melendez

Slated Greens Removed from Ballot in Illinois

Four Green Party Congressional candidates in Illinois slated after the Primary were booted off November's ballot. Objections had been made by Democrats who are adjusting to the increased number of candidates competing in Illinois now that the party has ballot access.

read more at Pantagraph.

For more on a related ballot access issue read this article on the Illinois State Attorney Green Party Candidate Faces Derailment .

New IRV Video Explanation from FairVote

As a San Franciscan, I take great pride in being born in the small city of two leading spokespeople for IRV, Steven Hill and running mate to Ralph Nader, Matt Gonzalez.

Many municipalities have begun to employ IRV (Instant Runoff Voting) both for its democratic value, but also for its cost savings.

Here's a current list of where IRV is being used or considered:

IRV is used on the municipal, state, and national level in governments around the world, as well as by non-governmental organizations and corporations.

U.S. governments currently using IRV:

* Arkansas (overseas voters)
* Burlington, VT
* Cambridge, MA (Proportional voting method of choice voting)
* Cary, North Carolina
* Hendersonville, North Carolina
* Louisiana (overseas and military voters)
* North Carolina (certain judicial vacancies)
* San Francisco, CA
* Springfield, IL (overseas and military voters)
* South Carolina (overseas voters)
* Takoma Park, MD

Upcoming implementations in the United States:

* Aspen, CO
* Berkeley, CA
* Ferndale, MI
* Minneapolis, MN
* North Carolina (city and county pilot programs)
* Oakland, CA
* Pierce County, WA

Approved As Advisory or Option Measure in the United States:

* Davis, CA (Proportional voting method of choice voting)
* Santa Clara County, CA
* San Leandro, CA
* Vancouver, WA
* Sarasota, FL

*Ann Arbor (MI), New York (NY), and Yonkers (NY) have used IRV in the past.

Howard Dean Comments Positively on IRV

Fair Vote Presents this quick clip of Howard Dean commenting on Instant Runoff Voting

Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) is a ranked ballot method of voting that results in a winner chosen by a majority of the voters. The voters rank the candidates in order
of preference. Each voter has one vote which counts for the highest preferred
candidate that can use it.

Democracy Now Interviews David Sirota on Populist Revolt

David Sirota, political journalist and nationally syndicated columnist, is interviewed here with Democracy NOW.

In his second book, "The Uprising"Sirota describes his experiences over the course of a year in which he traveled around the country to explore populist movements nationally and the implications of these widepsread actions.

Sirota is traveling on a national book tour and may be coming to your hood soon.

"Unprecedented" Shift in Democratic Party Fund Raising

Howard Dean, retained by Democratic nominee Barack Obama as the DNC head, has layed some "Byaah" magic over Democrats with a "quick" note to announce a dramatic shift in campaign fundraising policy.

"The Democratic Party has to be the Party of ordinary Americans, not Washington lobbyists and special interests. So, as of this morning, if you're a federal lobbyist, or if you control political action committee donations, we won't be accepting your contribution," wrote Dean.

He goes on to declare that this is an "unprecendented move for a politcal party to make." And kudos to Dean, Obama and the DNC for addressing this issue so soon after the primary; however, to be fair, both Ralph Nader and the Green Party have preceeded the Democrats in closing this trap door to corporate influence.

A clean money election is a reason to scream. Though dated, this piece of video reminds us of the populist strength Dean has carried in the past. Let me hear it loud and clear Howard:

Gotta Love Them Texas Cowboys

Those Texas legislators, most of whom are Republicans, know how to wrangle in the straying herd - just cut 'em off at the knees. Ballot Access Laws in Texas require that petitioners collect signatures within a 10 week period.

The hitch is, petition signers must not have voted in the primary and the 10-week period is after the primary. Green Party Presidential candidate and Texan Kat Swift said that it is impossible to accumulate the necessary signatures this year. Record breaking turnout for the primary made finding qualified signers a mission of finding the proverbial needle in a haystack. However, she did seem to find a good deal the day she went to her neighborhood fiesta dressed as her childhood hero Wonder Woman.

Ralph Nader has complained that those rules are keeping him (and others) off the ballot, but Texas Representative Leo Berman thinks it's just fine.

Just to show how things work in the Texas legislature, take a look at this house session vote. Good for a laugh.




For more info:

Dallas News: "Nader Says Texas Law Keeping Him Off Ballot"

Ballot Access News does a great job of reviewing some of the gerrymandering that goes on down there in the Lone Star State.

Call to Action by Green Mayor David Doonan

(video courtesy of Mike Emperor)

Press screen image to start play of this call to action by Green Party member and newly elected Mayor of Greenwich, NY

A nice article on Doonan was posted on the Wilderside:
Green Mayor Brings Open Government to Greenwich, NY

Gore Vidal Speaks Frankly to BBC About the US 2008 Election

IL State Attorney Green Candidate Faces Derailing

Will a technicality hold up one of the strongest Green Party candidacies of this election? This is the first big year since the Illinois Green Party received statewide ballot access. Eager to make the most of it, the Green Party has recruited many candidates and have incited a new spat of ballot access rules. This article is the middle story.

read more | digg story

Nader's Lawsuit Against DNC Bares New Teeth

Additional Civil Rights Suit Filed in Early April

We all like to win. It feels good and in the case of politics, it can feel so deeply right; on the other hand, losing can hurl one into a catatonic depression. Is an election worth winning at any cost? As citizens, we would rather not have to worry about this question; but, certain conditions over the last eight years have forced us to, whether it is because of missing ballots, disenfranchised voters, faulty touch screens, questionable backend voting software, or in the case of this story, obstructive lawsuits.

Many forces gathered to select George W. Bush as President in 2000; the nonchalant attitude about taking Florida even before the first vote count was in should be enough cause for serious scrutiny of all subsequent elections. This article does not address the less than virtuous strategies that Republican champions and their foot soldiers use throughout the course of a campaign or election. That will endure its own article.

Instead, it is about the right of an individual to run for office and the power held by the two-party system to stop that potential candidate.

In 2001, when power broker Terry McAuliffe took the reigns as Chairman of the DNC, the party had hit bottom, he told Washington Post reporter Thomas Edsall. “This party was demoralized in 2001." said McAullife. "People were madder than heck at the party. 'Why did we allow this to happen?' and 'Why didn't we fight harder?' . . . We went through a very tough time in 2002 after the midterm election."

He said “It was one of the darkest times in our party."

McAuliffe, or the Dem's "Comeback Kid", was returning to a high-ranking position in the center of the Democratic Party after a period of scandal over financial deals with political consequences. As the biggest fundraiser in the party, he intended to fully reclaim his power broker position with the Clintons at hand. He would devise a strategy to take back the White House and fiscally position the Democratic Party for the next 25 years. Desperate times call for desperate measures. DNC leaders committed to secure a win of the White House for the Democrats and specifically John Kerry. This effort included targeting several campaigns, including Al Gore's, as well as the other thorn in McAuliffe's side, Ralph Nader.

At the time, Nader was continuing to rankle the feathers of the Democratic Party by referring to the Democrats and the Republicans as “Tweedle-Dee” and “Tweedle-Dumb”, a sharp critique that stung the former more than the latter. Democrats resented Nader’s homogenization of the two-major parties; they recognized enormous differences between its policies and platform and that of the Republicans.

However, from Nader’s perspective, the Democrats nursed on corporate funds for its campaigns and had become too cautious and unimaginative to form a critical campaign against Bush. Nader had assured the Democratic candidate John Kerry that he would resist running if Kerry would take up at least three of his core issues. However, as the 2004 campaign continued, Kerry pursued a pro-war platform that failed to carry any of Nader's issues to the table or people. Nader felt compelled to run.

Private appeals from McAuliffe failed to dissuade Nader from running and a pre-planned attack on the Nader campaign ensued. His petitioners were harrassed by private investigators and intimidating letters were sent to discourage Nader volunteers, claiming that they would be held on felony charges if their signatures were proven false. After turning in the ballot petitions, the DNC, through operatives, besieged the Nader campaign with a suite of 24 lawsuits in 18 states and 5 FEC complaints, initiated within a 12 week period.

While many of the cases and all the FEC complaints were dismissed, the unfounded suits did succeed in bankrupting and exhausting the resources of the campaign and forced Nader and running mate, Peter Camejo off five state ballots. Assisted by the corporate media, the continuing tar and feathering of Nader as “spoiler” has done immense harm to his public reputation , though Nader himself seems to bare the dent in his armour well.

Pennsylvania is home to the most egregious lawsuit, where, aside from getting kicked off the ballot, the court, without legal precedent, charged a heavy personal legal fee of $82,000 for administration costs of counting signatures to Nader and Camejo. No court has ever allowed the legal fees of the plaintiff to be passed along to a candidate before; it set a dangerous precedent for third party candidates who are generally campaigning on little to no dollars. Additionally, the Pennsylvania legislature has increased the number of signatures required for a third party or Independent candidate up from 27,000 to 67,000 while the Democrats and Republicans are still only required to collect 2000. As each signature costs about a dollar to collect by an independent contractor, this puts the third party and independent candidates at a significant disadvantage.

The fundamental unfairness of such extreme differences in ballot access should shock us, yet it gets little media attention. Even in Naomi Wolf’s recent book “10 Steps Towards Fascism”, ballot access does not emerge as a step towards shutting down our democracy because it happens so invisibly, before dissenting voices can enter the electoral system for public consideration.

Petitions to appear on the ballot have been attacked before, but nothing like what happened to Nader in 2004, according to Richard Winger, editor of Ballot Access News. Winger, a political scientist, has been closely observing ballot access issues for over 40 years.

“The Democratic Party tried to keep various minor party and independent presidential candidates off at least a few ballots in 1936, 1948, 1976, 1980...but in 4 cases, the targeted candidate never ran for president again.,” Winger said. “Nader's treatment in 2004 was uniquely bad.”

Nader has spent the better part of the last two years recruiting a pro-bono lawyer staff in preparation for his 2008 run. His bold parry? A surprise countersuit against the DNC, the Kerry/Edwards campaign and Kerry personally, in which Nader claims that leaders within the DNC used malicious and frivolous law suits to obstruct his 2004 campaign.

Hall remembers hearing about the DNC led ballot access lawsuits as they began. He felt shocked that a major party used legal maneuvers to attack an individual candidate. He said that the media failed to cover the details of the story. "It’s been a disappointment to me. I work for Ralph Nader. I obviously have a perspective. But look, the facts are out there, if you can’t report that, then there’s a problem." He continued, "It’s really remarkable that every major newspaper covered the story but almost none of them broached the subject."

The point of the counter suit is not so much about extracting money from the DNC leaders, though Nader would put rewards toward fighting for a reasonable nationalized federal ballot access law for third parties and independent candidates. Nader would also return to Peter Camejo, his 2004 running mate the $20,000 portion of the legal fees levied against the campaign. The point of this lawsuit is to bring this issue of ballot access up at a time when his Presidential run provides some spotlight in the mainstream media and helps shield the 2008 campaign from refreshed attacks and there is still time for the Democrats to implement electoral solutions to the "spoiler" effect, like Instant Runoff Voting, an electoral system that allows the voter to rank their votes and thereby reduce the effects of the winner-take-all, less of two-evils system currently in place.

This case is currently being considered by a judge in the Washington DC District Court. “But there's no telling how long that will take,” said Hall. “The status is, we filed the complaint, the defendants filed motions to dismiss (mainly arguing that we failed to state a claim upon which relief can be granted), we have opposed those motions, and now the judge has to rule.”

“It’s too late, and too little,” said McAuliffe’s lawyer, John H. Young, who asked the judge to dismiss the case on the grounds that, as the election was over, the case was moot. He argued that the case had gone beyond the statute of limitations and should be dismissed.

Nader’s lawyer, Hall said the statute of limitations should not apply because the defendants conspired beyond the 2004 election to conceal their role in keeping Nader off the ballot. It was not until after the elections, Hall said, that Nader learned about the loose relationship between the Democratic Party and lawyers working with the Ballot Project Inc., an organization directed by Raikin that was formed to keep Nader off state ballots in 2004.

Young said that in the heated atmosphere of the general election it was ridiculous to think that the efforts to neutralize Nader were concealed; the frivolous lawsuits were merely a tactical means to a practical end.

Winger said, “The fact that Peter Camejo did pay over $20,000 to the people who challenged the Nader-Camejo petition in 2004 keeps the Democrats from saying Nader and people associated with his 2004 campaign haven't suffered any concrete harm. I think it will go to trial.”

On April 5, 2008, Hall filed a federal civil rights claims supported by newly discovered evidence that employees of the state of Pennsylvania participated in the DNC leadership effort to keep Nader-Camejo off the ballot in that state. “If so,” said Hall, “that would be illegal, and it would also considerably support the "state action" element of our civil rights claims.” Hall expects there will be a new round of motions to dismiss based on that complaint.

“Nader has upped his tactics. The DNC will do the same,” speculated Cat Woods, a Nader supporter and former Green Party Co-Chair of the National Candidates and Campaign Committee.

Nader seems to be prepared to meet them in this upcoming election, warning the DNC leaders, "Don't try to get into the briar patch of frivolous lawsuits to try to get us to lay off (running), because you're going to get thorns. It's going to backfire."

Should the Democrats try to obstruct Nader's ballot access this time, more trained eyes are watching. And running mate, Matt Gonzalez, who is a civil rights attorney, will be at hand to fight alongside the aged but tireless knight. Gonzalaz oversaw the implementation of Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) in San Francisco, which has received favorable response from voters. While not in itself perfect, IRV does take away the manipulative power of a winner-take-all system. Though IRV and other ranked voting systems are in place in municipalities and even other countries, Democratic and Republican legislators currently in power in the U.S. are reluctant to approve measures which might increase competition for themselves.

###

(There are currently 10 pending ballot access lawsuits across the nation, with a few more in the works, according to Winger. Some of these lawsuits represent coalitions between presumed odd bedfellows like Libertarians and Greens, who nonetheless share a value for the Constitution, decentralization, and getting out of Iraq; others are led by individual candidates. )


References:
Pennsylvania Ballot Access Coalition
McAuliffe is Dem’s Comeback Kid
CNN - Wolf Blitzer interview with Ralph Nader, 11/2/07
Phillyblog.com DNC and Nader
Nader vs. DNC
Civil Lawsuit
ACLU Takes On Montana Ballot Access Bill
Lawyers ask federal judge to approve Nader lawsuit against former DNC chairman
MSNBC - 2004
John Murphy Account
Democracy Now Interview of Nader lawyer, Carl Mayer

Independents Fighting On - Call for Candidates

by Guest Writer Joseph Oddo

The beginning of March 2008 has begun with mixed results for independents. First Ralph Nader continues our fight for ballot access and is getting a little less abuse from the mainstream media than usual. Then Mayor Bloomberg announced that he was not seeking the White House. That was a setback to those who support sought a self-financed, credible and capable individual to perhaps fuse the splintered minor parties.

Bloomberg issued an accurate statement that “an independent approach really can produce progress on the most critical issues, including the economy, education, the environment, energy, infrastructure and crime.” We interpret this a call for candidates to get on the ballot as the most influential election-altering strategy to impact the national dialogue. But news changes quickly and certain deadlines have passed showing several congressional races (including all the Arkansas congress members) will once again go unchallenged by the big two parties. This is indicative of the established parties lack of commitment to being opposition parties. And it could be a good sign for third parties and independents if we can field candidates and have one-on-one challenges. Though often times the incumbent refuses to debate the non-established party candidate even if they are on the ballot.

In general third party watchers still see a great opportunity for a surging independent movement in 2008. As Lou Dobbs wrote, it will take “nothing less than an independent voter rebellion” to wrest control of the two establishment parties from their corporate underwriters. But with the challenge of gathering petition signatures to make the ballot, deadlines are nearing and time is running short.

With someone like Bloomberg heading a third party ticket, we envisioned fusing the various third parties to promote election reform measures that would have compelled various third parties to consider setting aside their ideological differences in the short term for a lasting fair electoral process. Without him groups like IndependentAmerica.org will continue to encourage citizens to run for congress and local office in 2008 and prepare for the 2009 races.

Local grassroots activity is essential so that independent voters do not waste their vote on one of the two establishment parties. There is a wide range of issues that only independents would commit to solving as discussed in a new version of his 1972 book Citizen Power by former Senator Mike Gravel. Chief among them is election security and reform. But the key for Gravel as he pitched on his recent bid for the Democratic presidential nomination is a New Initiative for Democracy. In his words, “The only possibility of government reform is through empowerment of the people. People empowered will demand a balance of power between the citizen and their elected officials. Unfortunately the people haven’t come to realize that their empowerment must take the form of lawmaking – the central power of government.”

Instead of keeping their power, citizens give it up at the ballot box. Ceding power to the big two parties has generated more corruptible electronic voting machines with no verifiable backup system eight years after the election failure in Florida. Add that to the onerous procedures for independents and third parties to get on the ballot, and we are left with gerrymandered districts that yield 50% of all elections unchallenged. We the people need to fill this void and run for elective office not allowing anyone – regardless of whether you agree with him or her politically – to run unopposed. Here is where a rational public campaign-financing plan would attract concerned citizens into participating. It would cost much less to publicly finance campaigns than it currently costs our treasury when the winners reward campaign donors with no-bid government contracts.

Other election reform measures needed now include creating fair ballot access, universal/election day registration, and instant runoff voting all intended to increase voter turnout. Next we should insist on fair media coverage over the public airwaves and debate participation for all who make the ballot. Extended to third party presidential candidates who mathematically qualify on enough state ballots to get elected, the number in the debates would never have exceeded four candidates.

Advocates of election reform were pinning our hopes on Mayor Bloomberg to change the dynamic of politics-as-usual. Anyone who thinks that the recent surge of interest in one of the two established parties will push our issues, insert fairness in the debate process and correct our rigged electoral system will soon be disappointed. Remember one of the two already continued their politics of exclusion keeping Senator Gravel out of the debates just as they will keep Nader out again this fall. So while Mayor Bloomberg’s decision not to run has delayed our efforts, we shall fight on.


Joseph Oddo was founding director of the Committee to Draft Michael Bloomberg.

Joseph was raised in Pittsburgh and has alternated between managing retail sales organizations and political campaigns since he organized the Pittsburgh group of Anderson for President in 1980. Currently he operates a freelance writing and sales consulting business in Washington DC. He has been a candidate for Congress as an Independent twice. He is promoting the National Election Reform Platform as the Executive Director of Independent America Political Committee. Oddo advocates for alternative energy, replacing the federal tax code, preserving civil liberties, and expanding citizen participation in electoral politics. Oddo earned a Public Policy degree from Penn State Harrisburg in 1984.

www.WriteConsult.com

States try to pull plug on 'robo-calls'

States try to disconnect computer-generated political calls that are flooding the nation's households at election time. More than 5 million automated "robo-calls" have been made to potential voters in early primary states. The number of robo-calls could run into the hundreds of millions this election year as the political parties battle...

read more | digg story

Iowa Green Party Registration Rights Gained

Iowa Green Party (http://greens.org/iowa/)
October 30th, 2007

Contacts:
Wendy Barth, IAGP Co-Chair (iagp-cochair@usa.net)
Daryl Northrop, IAGP Co-Chair (dnorthrop@polkcogreens.org)

The Iowa Green Party has announced that Iowa voters soon will have an opportunity to register in the Iowa Green Party, along with the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. Secretary of State Michael A. Mauro recently certified the Iowa Green Party to be included on Iowa Voter Registration forms.

In announcing the Secretary of State's decision, Wendy Barth, Co-Chair of the Iowa Green Party and former candidate for Iowa Governor, commented, "This is going to lead to great things for our state. Because there are more than two sides to most issues, having more positions represented can only improve our legislative process."

Beginning Jan. 1, 2008 the State of Iowa will begin to recognize "non-party political organizations" on the state voter registration forms, which can identify registration in the Iowa Green Party, Libertarian Party, or other political parties. The Iowa Green Party successfully completed a petition drive containing at least 850 signatures. Those signatures were required to be from at least five counties and filed with the Iowa Secretary of State's office by October 31, 2007.

Daryl Northrop, Co-Chair of the Iowa Green Party and former candidate for US Senate added, "This is very good news for Iowa voters. It gives people who share our values and our political views the opportunity to register in the Iowa Green Party. Political campaigns and activists routinely use voter registration records to organize and conduct effective campaigns. The opportunity for Iowa voters to register their party affiliation is critical because Iowans tend to equate party membership with voter registration."

The ACLU of Iowa had filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Iowa Green Party and the Libertarian Party of Iowa in September 2005. The lawsuit alleged that the State of Iowa unfairly barred voters from registering in parties other than the Democratic Party and Republican Party. Under existing state law Greens and Libertarians had no way to determine from voter registration records voters who actively supported their candidates. Iowa had required that a political party must receive at least 2 percent of the vote in the previous election before voters could claim affiliation with it on their registration forms.

MORE INFORMATION

Iowa Green Party
Holly Hart, Secretary
P. O. Box 2448
Iowa City, Iowa 52244
319-337-7341
iowa@greens.org

White Supremacist Steals Cover Under Green Party Ballot Line; Greens Officially Reject Him

"Bring me your tired, your poor... " but your hateful? NOT! The Green Party suffers from a few things, but you wouldn't expect inclusivity to be one of them. Nonetheless, its recent win of ballot access in Illinois has attracted the wily ways of one alleged White Supremacist who not only turned in petitions to put himself on the Green Party ballot, but also protested all the Green and Democratic Presidential primary candidates, as well as some state and local offices. But this is not Richard Mayers first attempt to attain office.

On Nov. 14, Kurt Erickson, statehouse bureau chief for the Bloomington Pantagraph, wrote a story which insinuated, through omission, that the Green Party was rejecting one of its own. I wrote a letter to Erickson in response to the article's misleading statements and asked him to consider discussing some of the missing components in his description of the case:

"I have been following the story " Green Party tries to rid itself of Chicago-area congressional candidate" and wonder if you could consider some of the following material in your future stories.

The Headline of your piece, for which I know you are not necessarily responsible, did not indicate the importance of the Green Party action to remove this candidate, considered to be a Neo-Nazi." It may be useful for your readers to understand that Richard B. Mayers maintains a philosophy completely contrary to the Green Party platform.

Perhaps the Green Party has an essential right to protect itself from a person who will misuse its hard-fought ballot access and will completely misrepresent the party's platform. And there's a rich story of the embattled underdog who has to fight the flies in order to save the honeypot of ballot access."

Erickson responded: "Thanks. I am tracking the situation. I appreciate your input… Kurt."

Erickson will have a chance to clarify the story presumably after Dec. 6th, when the case is to have been decided by the state election board. Until he has another chance to address the topic, a smaller paper in the area, The Riverside Brookfield Landmark, has posted a much more detailed story into the life of a man who is stealing Green.

Am I posting a challenge? Perhaps. To all: if you don't like what you see, take some action.

digg story

Bill to Outlaw "Voter Caging" Introduced in U.S. Senate

At BradBlog, Brad has written an excellent piece about "Voter Caging".

Thirteen Democratic Senators have introduced a bill that would outlaw "voter caging," the practice of sending mail marked "Do Not Forward" to a targeted list of voters in hopes of using the returned mailings as a basis to challenge the right of the voters to vote. The tactic was used by Republican operatives in both the 2000 and 2004 election.

read more