The next GPoMC general membership meeting will be
7pm on Monday, December 10th
at the GAGV on the 5th floor of
The Rochester Auditorium Center,
875 E.Main St at the corner of Prince St.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
GPoMC Meeting 7pm on Monday December 10th
The next GPoMC general membership meeting will be
7pm on Monday, December 10th
at the GAGV on the 5th floor of
The Rochester Auditorium Center,
875 E.Main St at the corner of Prince St.
ACLU on The REAL ID Act - 7pm December 11, Rochester, NY
New York Civil Liberties Union [ACLU] will conduct an
educational forum on the REAL ID Act on Tuesday December 11, 7-8:30 pm at
the First Unitarian Church, 220 South Winton Road, Rochester.
The REAL ID Act has some serious ramifications for constitutional and
privacy issues.
We're finding that many people, even activists, don't have a good handle on
what it is and what it means.
The NYCLU is flying in a field organizer who is well versed in the subject
to help bring us all up to speed.
Watch the video on Real ID.
NYCLU: It’s Time to Reject Real ID Once-and-for-All
November 14, 2007
In response to Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s announcement that he will put on hold his plan to adopt Real ID, the following can be attributed to Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union:
While it is encouraging that Governor Spitzer is holding off, for now, on implementing the Real ID Act in New York, the governor needs to put an end once-and-for-all to his cheerleading of President Bush’s national ID card. The Real ID Act is rotten to its core: It will create a national database on hundreds of millions of Americans, and can be used to track lawful New Yorkers’ everyday activities.
What starts as a swipe of the card to board an airplane or enter a federal building, which the Real ID Act already demands, could easily expand into requirements to scan the card to pick up your child from school or to attend a baseball game. With each swipe of the card, a digital fingerprint will be left behind, though how it will be used is far from clear. Coming from the administration that brought us the Patriot Act and warrantless wiretapping, the possibilities are endless, as is the potential for abuse.
New York does not have to submit to President Bush’s Real ID Act. In fact, the Real ID Act contains so many threats to our privacy, security and pocketbooks that 17 states* have already passed legislation critical of it. Governor Spitzer must join with bipartisan movement of Democratic and Republican governors across the country that has rejected the Real ID Act as a threat to American values.”
* Seven states passed binding legislation to stop Real ID (Georgia, Maine, New Hampshire, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Washington), and 10 additional states registering their dissent (Nevada, Idaho, Colorado, North Dakota, Nebraska, Arkansas, Illinois, Tennessee, Hawaii and Missouri).
Help Build the Green Party Here in Monroe County!
In January, GPoMC will be electing new officers. We are currently looking for residents of Monroe County that are registered to vote in the Green Part to run for the following positions:
Chair
The Chair shall be responsible for filing all required notices with the State and County Board of Elections, except those that have to do with financial matters, or that by law or by party by-laws or rules are required to be filed by some other officer. The Chair shall be the Presiding Officer of the Green Party of Monroe County.
Notetaker
The Notetaker is responsible for taking minutes of membership and steering committee meetings for distribution to the general membership and steering committee.
Treasurer
The Treasurer shall be responsible for the collection of funds for party purposes and for the County Organization. The Treasurer shall see that such funds are properly disbursed, and shall file with the proper offices and with the board of elections all financial reports and statements required by law. In general, the Treasurer shall perform the duties ordinarily performed by the Treasurer of a political party, and such other duties relating to financial matters as the Green Party of Monroe County may require.
Committee Chair
Electoral Committee: this committee will interface with representatives from the national and statewide party to update local party, assist local candidates in managing campaigns and recruit future candidates.
Committee Chair
Issues Committee: this committee is responsible for keeping abreast of local, state and national issues consistent with party key values, party platform and progressive agenda. Key functions would include serving as liason to local organizations who actively pursue progressive issues and providing support to enable members to organize around specific local issues of interest to greens and the community.
Committee Chair
Public Relations/Media: the bulwark of any organization, the public relations committee would recruit new members, advertise the party, develop media strategy and provide general information about party events. The committee would also include greenline and the website.
Committee Chair
Fundraising: to develop and coordinate fundraising activities.
Contact the Green Party of Monroe County if you are interested in holding one of these positions.
Q&A: First Day of Dr. Jared Ball's Presidency?
The Jared Ball for President Campaign is pleased to post answers to questions we have received on various issues since the start of the Jared’s candidacy for the Green Party Presidential Nominee. We have received so many emails/questions from Greens and non-Greens. Please keep the questions coming and Jared will be sure to respond to them all right here.Our featured question of the day is from Brian in Maryland. He asked–What would you do on the first day of your Presidency?
Here is Jared’s reply:
A. My very first action as president would be the immediate pardon of Leonard Peltier, Mumia Abu Jamal, Sundiata Acoli, David Gilbert and all other political prisoners. I would demand they all be released and at least on their way home by lunch time that same day. They would all receive public apologies from the nation and be given stipends covering housing, food, healthcare and education for themselves and immediate descendants for life.
B. I would immediately open investigations into a properly developed “Marshall Plan” for the US which would focus on rebuilding the most needy communities based on new Federal guidelines for minimum levels of housing, healthcare and education for all. This plan would extend the basis of the idea for reparations for African descendants to all communities improperly treated by this society throughout history.
C. I would either immediately repeal NAFTA or begin serious exploratory options into how to go about such an action offering a viable replacement, which would strengthen the needs and interests of labor in the US and the rest of the continent. This would be seen as part of an initiative designed to improve the working conditions of all so as to make unnecessary concerns over immigration “legal” or “not.”
D. I would then repeal the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (and free up licenses for low-power FM and increase funding to a redesigned public broadcasting community).
E. If I could not do it by the stroke of a pen I would seek to immediately raise the requirements and pay of those in education (pre K - 12) to rival professional athletes by capping their salaries (and mostly those of their “owners”) so as to have that industry fund the proper increase in salary for those engaged in our most important of national/international concerns - proper education.
F. Based on that model I would challenge a selected/commissioned committee of activists, scholars and others to determine how we could best use popular entertainment and vanity shopping to fund improved infrastructure across the board assuring as Dr. King once called for a “guaranteed national income” and standard of living for all.
You can find out more about Jared Ball's campaign at www.JaredBall.com and don't forget to check out the new line of merchandise.
International Human Rights Day, in Rochester on Monday, December 11th
Human Rights Day 2006 Program
4:30 PM Everyone is encouraged to join in a vigil with the Crowne Plaza employees who are fighting for the right to join a union, at their rally in front of the hotel. Meet at the Sister Cities Bridge, in back of and between the Crowne Plaza Hotel and the Federal Building
5:30 PM Community Potluck in the dining room of the Downtown United Presbyterian Church, 121 N. Fitzhugh St. (If you are going to the rally, you can bring your food/drink contribution to the church beforehand. Someone will be there to take it to the dining room on 2nd floor.)
6:30 PM Human Rights Day Program
* Reading of the Articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
* A panel from the Interfaith Health Care Coalition, a group focused on working with and for New Yorkers to press for universal health care in New York State
This year our event will address two important rights in the Declaration:
Article 25(1) states that “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services…”
Health Care for All: A Human Right in the US?
* The number of uninsured in our area is increasing daily (over 46 million in the US);
* The cost of care is nearly twice that of other industrialized countries per capita per year;
* Businesses, such as Toyota, are planning to relocate to Canada to avoid employer costs of health insurance
The Interfaith Health Care Coalition, a group focused on working with and for New Yorkers to press for universal health care in New York State, is determined to overturn these statistics.
Workers at the Crowne Plaza Hotel deserve a fair and free process to form a union.
The Recognition of the Inherent Dignity of all members of the human family (Preamble), the Right to Desirable Work and to Join Trade Unions, the Right to Free Movement in and out of the Country, the Right to a Nationality and the Freedom to Change Nationality, Freedom of Opinion and Information, the Right of Peaceful Assembly and Association– all these rights in the UDHR apply to all working people in the U.S., including the employees of the Crowne Plaza Hotel who are in the fight of their lives as they demand the right to form a union. These workers deserve a fair and free process to form a union.
On Monday, December 11th, we will show our agreement with these articles of the UDHR by joining these workers at a rally at the Sister Cities Bridge and then hearing their story at DUPC.
End of Year Message from Canadian Green leader Elizabeth May
Green Party of Canada
Parti Vert du Canada
http://www.greenparty.ca
Dear Green Party friend,
It may be a bit early for an end-of-year message,
but I wanted to write to you now, before you find
yourself caught up in the happy chaos of the
holiday season.
Last month, Canadians once again teetered on the
edge of a snap general election. Once again, we
were pulled back from the brink. It's anyone's
guess how much longer we must remain in this
state of will-they-won't-they political turmoil.
So, we proceed into 2008 with the ever-present
threat of a federal election.
Regardless of when the election is called, the
Green Party of Canada must maintain a national
presence and further develop an election capacity
that builds on our many recent successes:
-- A record, and increasing number of Canadians
now support us, with opinion polls indicating
between 8% and 14% support across the country
-- The Green Party of Ontario garnered a historic
8% of the vote in the recent provincial election,
tripling its 2003 result and coming close to
electing Shane Jolley, who won 33% of the vote in
his riding
-- In the last Prince Edward Island election, we
came in ahead of the NDP
-- More and more prominent Canadians are
supporting the Green Party, including Order of
Canada recipients Margaret Atwood, Graeme Gibson
and Farley Mowat
-- According to independent surveys, over 75% of
Canadians want us in the televised leadership
debates
We have the momentum for an electoral
breakthrough and, for the first time, to win
seats. But to do that we must maintain a strong
presence in your riding and in the media. Voters
must see us and hear from us if we are to have
the credibility we need to elect Green MPs.
We must ensure that there is significant funding
to support our growing list of talented and
committed candidates, to run a strong and
effective national campaign, and to sustain our
presence, our credibility and our distinctive
voice in the coming months.
The NDP have just announced they intend to spend
$18 million in the next election. At the moment,
the Green Party of Canada can only afford to
spend about one-tenth of that. We need to do
better. We need your help. Now.
We will make historic gains in this next
election, but only with your help.
I ask that you give generously to the Green Party
of Canada today to support the shift toward a
stable and sustainable future for you and your
children.
The best time to give is now, as we approach the
end of the tax year. That means that you have a
final opportunity to donate or add to a previous
donation and still get a tax credit for the 2007
tax year.
As you may know, the tax credit for political
contributions is very generous. You get up to 75%
of your gift back, so a donation of $400 only
costs you $100. See the enclosed donation form
for details of the refund you can expect. I urge
you to act today to help us make your voice heard
now and in the coming federal election campaign.
I want to lead a strong campaign! I want to show
Canadians our vision for the country and our plan
to make that vision a reality.
To do that, I need your help. Together, we can
make history. Please give to the Green Party of
Canada today.
Elizabeth May, O.C.
Leader, Green Party of Canada
P.S. Every dollar you give will help the Green
Party maintain a distinct, clear and credible
national voice in Canada.
1. Donate online at:
http://www.greenparty.ca
2. By mail to:
Green Party of Canada
P.O. Box 997
Station B
Ottawa, ON K1P 5R1
3. Call toll-free:
1-866-868-3447
Parti Vert du Canada
http://www.greenparty.ca
Dear Green Party friend,
It may be a bit early for an end-of-year message,
but I wanted to write to you now, before you find
yourself caught up in the happy chaos of the
holiday season.
Last month, Canadians once again teetered on the
edge of a snap general election. Once again, we
were pulled back from the brink. It's anyone's
guess how much longer we must remain in this
state of will-they-won't-they political turmoil.
So, we proceed into 2008 with the ever-present
threat of a federal election.
Regardless of when the election is called, the
Green Party of Canada must maintain a national
presence and further develop an election capacity
that builds on our many recent successes:
-- A record, and increasing number of Canadians
now support us, with opinion polls indicating
between 8% and 14% support across the country
-- The Green Party of Ontario garnered a historic
8% of the vote in the recent provincial election,
tripling its 2003 result and coming close to
electing Shane Jolley, who won 33% of the vote in
his riding
-- In the last Prince Edward Island election, we
came in ahead of the NDP
-- More and more prominent Canadians are
supporting the Green Party, including Order of
Canada recipients Margaret Atwood, Graeme Gibson
and Farley Mowat
-- According to independent surveys, over 75% of
Canadians want us in the televised leadership
debates
We have the momentum for an electoral
breakthrough and, for the first time, to win
seats. But to do that we must maintain a strong
presence in your riding and in the media. Voters
must see us and hear from us if we are to have
the credibility we need to elect Green MPs.
We must ensure that there is significant funding
to support our growing list of talented and
committed candidates, to run a strong and
effective national campaign, and to sustain our
presence, our credibility and our distinctive
voice in the coming months.
The NDP have just announced they intend to spend
$18 million in the next election. At the moment,
the Green Party of Canada can only afford to
spend about one-tenth of that. We need to do
better. We need your help. Now.
We will make historic gains in this next
election, but only with your help.
I ask that you give generously to the Green Party
of Canada today to support the shift toward a
stable and sustainable future for you and your
children.
The best time to give is now, as we approach the
end of the tax year. That means that you have a
final opportunity to donate or add to a previous
donation and still get a tax credit for the 2007
tax year.
As you may know, the tax credit for political
contributions is very generous. You get up to 75%
of your gift back, so a donation of $400 only
costs you $100. See the enclosed donation form
for details of the refund you can expect. I urge
you to act today to help us make your voice heard
now and in the coming federal election campaign.
I want to lead a strong campaign! I want to show
Canadians our vision for the country and our plan
to make that vision a reality.
To do that, I need your help. Together, we can
make history. Please give to the Green Party of
Canada today.
Elizabeth May, O.C.
Leader, Green Party of Canada
P.S. Every dollar you give will help the Green
Party maintain a distinct, clear and credible
national voice in Canada.
1. Donate online at:
http://www.greenparty.ca
2. By mail to:
Green Party of Canada
P.O. Box 997
Station B
Ottawa, ON K1P 5R1
3. Call toll-free:
1-866-868-3447
McClellan revelations demand immediate impeachment, say Greens
GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
http://www.gp.org
For Immediate Release:
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Contacts:
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, mclarty@greens.org
Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, starlene@gp.org
Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald must probe new evidence in Plame case; Democrats and Republicans who refuse to hold Bush and Cheney accountable are complicit in White House crimes
WASHINGTON, DC -- Green Party leaders called impeachment an urgent necessity after former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan's revelation that President Bush and Vice President Cheney were involved in the conspiracy to expose the identity of CIA undercover operative Valerie Plame.
"Evidence of high crimes and misdemeanors from the White House are staring us in the face. What will it take for the Democratic Party to move on impeachment? By refusing to impeach, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer [D-Md.], Rep. Nancy Pelosi [D-Calif.], Sen. Harry Reid [D-Nev.], and other Democratic leaders are aiding and abetting crimes committed by President Bush and Vice President Cheney," said Peter Thottam, Green Party member, attorney, and Executive Director of the Los Angeles National Impeachment Center.
Greens called it absolutely imperative that US Department of Justice Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald investigate Mr. McClellan's assertions about the role of Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney in an illegal attempt to discredit Ambassador Joseph Wilson after Mr. Wilson revealed that the President's 2003 State of the Union claim about an Iraqi nuclear weapons material deal was based on a known forgery.
The Green Party of the United States called for impeachment in July 2003 after President Bush ordered the invasion of Iraq, which Greens called an act of military aggression outlawed under the US Constitutional and international law, and lied to the American people about the reasons for the invasion.
Since 2003, White House crimes have continued to mount: detention without trial, surveillance of US citizens without warrant, approval for torture, "signing statements" purportedly allowing the President to disregard laws passed by Congress, violation of international laws and treaties signed by the US, inaction and racist response to environmental emergencies (Hurricanes Katrina and Rita), endangering public health by tampering with scientific research on global warming.
Greens supported former Rep. Cynthia McKinney's (D-Ga.) impeachment motion in December 2006 <http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2006_12_11.shtml> and have praised Rep. Dennis Kucinich's (D-Ohio) recent introduction of an impeachment resolution, which was tabled by House Democratic leaders.
In recent months, several Green Party activists have protested and committed acts of civil disobedience to persuade Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) and other Congress members to impeach the President and Vice President.
"If we had some Greens in Congress right now, we'd already be seeing impeachment and possible criminal prosecution. Greens would not only lead on impeachment, their very presence would drive top Democrats and perhaps some Republican to support it. It's time to replace two-party collusion with multi-party competition," said David J. Kalbfleisch, Green Party candidate for the U.S. House in Illinois (10th District) <http://www.electdave.org>.
MORE INFORMATION
Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
Fax 202-319-7193
Green Party News Center
http://www.gp.org/newscenter.shtml
Green Party Speakers Bureau
http://www.gp.org/speakers
Green candidate database for 2007 and other campaign information:
http://www.gp.org/elections.shtml
"Democrats, retreating on troop withdrawal, impeachment, don't deserve votes in 2008"
Green Party press release, July 26, 2007
http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2007_07_26.shtml
~ END ~
search: lwcj, spol
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Help Lift the Ban on Alison Bodine
CASE UPDATE #23 - ALISON BODINE DEFENSE COMMITTEE
http://alisonbodine.blogspot.com | defendalisonbodine@hotmail.com
778.891.1470 | 778.882.5223 | 604.339.7103
Saturday November 17, 2007
*URGENT ACTION NEEDED* LIFT THE BAN! STOP THE REMOVAL OF ALISON BODINE
FROM CANADA!
The fight in defense of targeted anti-war and social justice activist
Alison Bodine has reached a critical point on the eve of her scheduled
November 17th exclusion from Canada. It has been over 2 months since
Alison was harassed as a political activist after border agents found
antiwar materials in her car. The political targeting then continued,
when she was arrested by Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) as she
attempted to exit Canada on September 13th. Currently Alison Bodine is
Co-chair, executive committee member and spokesperson of Mobilization
Against War and Occupation (MAWO) in Vancouver, BC. Her hearing on the
false and unjust charge of "misrepresentation" took place on October
11th. The decision was released on October 31st ordering her to leave
Canada by November 17th and imposes a 2 year ban from Canada.
Since the October 31st decision the Alison Bodine defense Committee
(ABDC) has pursued all possible legal avenues to have her stay in
Canada extended, while continuing to increase support in a political
campaign in defense of democratic and human rights. The government of
Canada has denied the applications for Alison to be able to remain in
Canada as we fight for a Federal Court review of her case to lift the
2 year ban against her entering Canada. It is now clear that they are
attempting to shut down the case and sweep Alison out of the country
because they think that it will halt the campaign for human and
democratic rights that has gained so much support and momentum over
the last two months. They want to shut up and shut down Alison as an
activist as an example to others taking part in opposition to war and
occupation, and organizing for peace and social justice.
This fight is not over. We have one more legal possibility for Alison
to be able to stay in Canada past November 17th and we urgently need
your support. There are less than 24 hours before the exclusion order
against Alison is enforced in which the Minister of Citizenship &
Immigration Diane Finley can intervene and stop this unjust removal
and 2 year banning. This will only happen with petitions, letters and
the continued support of MP's and MLA's, adding to those already
received from individuals and organizations including the Hospital
Employees Union and NDP MP Libby Davies and others.
Friday November 16th brought positive gains for the defense campaign.
At the opening night of the BC New Democratic Party (NDP) convention
being held in Vancouver this weekend, Alison was asked to speak from
the stage about her urgent case. Hundreds of NDP delegates from across
BC listened as she explained this case of political targeting,
harassment and unjust banning from Canada. When Alison finished her
speech, the room erupted in applause and a standing ovation. More than
100 people then signed support letters including two more MPs, Penny
Priddy and Nathan Cullen.
If Minster Finley does not intervene before midnight on November 17th,
then Alison will have to cross back into the United States, and a new
stage of the battle will open. The ABDC will launch a massive campaign
starting November 18th demanding "LIFT THE 2 YEAR BAN!" collecting
5,000 - 10,000 or tens of thousands of petition signatures – to expand
the support for Alison's case broader and wider than ever before! The
ABDC will fight until the Federal Court or Minister Finley reverses
this injustice.
Achieving the demand of "LIFT THE 2 YEAR BAN" will effectively negate
the original charges against Alison and will ultimately mean a victory
against the political frame-up that began more than two months ago.
With the ban is lifted, Alison will finally have her full rights to
travel between the US and Canada restored.
It doesn't matter what side of the 49th parallel Alison is on, this
fight for civil liberties will continue until to achieve victory.
Reversing the exclusion order and the 2 year ban will be a step
forward in the struggle to stop the government of Canada from
executing their agenda of silence and intimidation against anti-war
and social justice activists. Over the next days, weeks and months the
Alison Bodine Defense Committee vows to keep fighting in defense of
the civil liberties for all people especially those who are fighting
for justice, humanity and a better world.
SEND A LETTER DEMANDING:
"Lift the 2 year Ban and Stop the Removal of Alison Bodine from Canada"
>>> Address your letter to:
The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
Email: finley.d@parl.gc.ca
Fax:(613) 996-9749
Email a copy to: defendalisonbodine@hotmail.com
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
FOR MORE UPDATES VISIT:
http://alisonbodine.blogspot.com
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
http://alisonbodine.blogspot.com | defendalisonbodine@hotmail.com
778.891.1470 | 778.882.5223 | 604.339.7103
Saturday November 17, 2007
*URGENT ACTION NEEDED* LIFT THE BAN! STOP THE REMOVAL OF ALISON BODINE
FROM CANADA!
The fight in defense of targeted anti-war and social justice activist
Alison Bodine has reached a critical point on the eve of her scheduled
November 17th exclusion from Canada. It has been over 2 months since
Alison was harassed as a political activist after border agents found
antiwar materials in her car. The political targeting then continued,
when she was arrested by Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) as she
attempted to exit Canada on September 13th. Currently Alison Bodine is
Co-chair, executive committee member and spokesperson of Mobilization
Against War and Occupation (MAWO) in Vancouver, BC. Her hearing on the
false and unjust charge of "misrepresentation" took place on October
11th. The decision was released on October 31st ordering her to leave
Canada by November 17th and imposes a 2 year ban from Canada.
Since the October 31st decision the Alison Bodine defense Committee
(ABDC) has pursued all possible legal avenues to have her stay in
Canada extended, while continuing to increase support in a political
campaign in defense of democratic and human rights. The government of
Canada has denied the applications for Alison to be able to remain in
Canada as we fight for a Federal Court review of her case to lift the
2 year ban against her entering Canada. It is now clear that they are
attempting to shut down the case and sweep Alison out of the country
because they think that it will halt the campaign for human and
democratic rights that has gained so much support and momentum over
the last two months. They want to shut up and shut down Alison as an
activist as an example to others taking part in opposition to war and
occupation, and organizing for peace and social justice.
This fight is not over. We have one more legal possibility for Alison
to be able to stay in Canada past November 17th and we urgently need
your support. There are less than 24 hours before the exclusion order
against Alison is enforced in which the Minister of Citizenship &
Immigration Diane Finley can intervene and stop this unjust removal
and 2 year banning. This will only happen with petitions, letters and
the continued support of MP's and MLA's, adding to those already
received from individuals and organizations including the Hospital
Employees Union and NDP MP Libby Davies and others.
Friday November 16th brought positive gains for the defense campaign.
At the opening night of the BC New Democratic Party (NDP) convention
being held in Vancouver this weekend, Alison was asked to speak from
the stage about her urgent case. Hundreds of NDP delegates from across
BC listened as she explained this case of political targeting,
harassment and unjust banning from Canada. When Alison finished her
speech, the room erupted in applause and a standing ovation. More than
100 people then signed support letters including two more MPs, Penny
Priddy and Nathan Cullen.
If Minster Finley does not intervene before midnight on November 17th,
then Alison will have to cross back into the United States, and a new
stage of the battle will open. The ABDC will launch a massive campaign
starting November 18th demanding "LIFT THE 2 YEAR BAN!" collecting
5,000 - 10,000 or tens of thousands of petition signatures – to expand
the support for Alison's case broader and wider than ever before! The
ABDC will fight until the Federal Court or Minister Finley reverses
this injustice.
Achieving the demand of "LIFT THE 2 YEAR BAN" will effectively negate
the original charges against Alison and will ultimately mean a victory
against the political frame-up that began more than two months ago.
With the ban is lifted, Alison will finally have her full rights to
travel between the US and Canada restored.
It doesn't matter what side of the 49th parallel Alison is on, this
fight for civil liberties will continue until to achieve victory.
Reversing the exclusion order and the 2 year ban will be a step
forward in the struggle to stop the government of Canada from
executing their agenda of silence and intimidation against anti-war
and social justice activists. Over the next days, weeks and months the
Alison Bodine Defense Committee vows to keep fighting in defense of
the civil liberties for all people especially those who are fighting
for justice, humanity and a better world.
SEND A LETTER DEMANDING:
"Lift the 2 year Ban and Stop the Removal of Alison Bodine from Canada"
>>> Address your letter to:
The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
Email: finley.d@parl.gc.ca
Fax:(613) 996-9749
Email a copy to: defendalisonbodine@hotmail.com
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
FOR MORE UPDATES VISIT:
http://alisonbodine.blogspot.com
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Thursday, November 15, 2007
SKCM Curry for Vice-President
Ms. Sedinam Kinamo Christin Moyowasifza-Curry (aka SKCM Curry)
SKCM Curry is a Green Party activist from South Central Los Angeles, CA where she was born and still hold resident! Her political education started pre birth given her families strong involvement in ensuring justice and peace prevail in their village (Pueblo Dio Rio Housing Projects).
She was trained on techniques of “Popular Education". Popular educators facilitate groups, assisting them to identify their strengths and abilities to change their social conditions. One of the leading exponents of education for social change in recent years has been the Brazilian educator, Paulo Freire.
Popular education begins on a local level, with logical debate focusing on the problems, or deficiencies of society. This discussion searches for answers to conflict between individuals and within their everyday lives. Popular education is most often initiated from outside a community by:
* Identifying the problems, expectations and expressed needs of a community;
* Identifying areas of change relevant to the groups' needs;
* considering the community's history, its local power base and economic distribution;
* Understanding why there are those who are disadvantaged, or oppressed.
She was the strategist for the People People's National Convention (PNC) the third largest political party in Ghana, West Africa Address: Kokomlemle, near Sadisco, Accra., Tel: 233 21 226528 / 2000 and 2004 PNC Presidential Candidate: Dr. Edward Mahama .SKCM Curry work laid the ground work for PNC to gain three elected members of parliament. It was the first time in the history of the nation a third party won 3 seats; a real political feat took place!
She currently a candidate for Green Party Vice Presidential nomination in 2008. Her “open” campaign is based on the GPUS 10 key values and four pillars. After 5 years (2002-2007) of involvement in the Green Party United State (local, state, national) she thinks that we Greens must combine our energy on all levels to create winning strategies that synergistically promote a national Green vision supported by measurable policies, programs and laws appealing to the varied local, state and national interests of all Americans.
Her objective in joining the Green Party was and is about building a permanent third political party here in the United States of America. She see’s, the way forward must be for we Greens to emphasize direct action tactics and traditional electoral politics to women, people of color, independents and progressives in a clear and measurable manner. Her campaign is focused on over the next 10 months on ensuring every registered green is an effective “ambassador of change” we seek in and for our nation.
We Green’s are individual key link in the “change network”. As a female of African descent, a direct product of a nation which came thru the civil rights movement, the people who laid their bodies on the line in that movement are a significant part of my inspiration. She has lived in; Ghana, West Africa, Paris, France, Mexico as well had the joy of living in New Orleans 9th ward for 9 months…She know Seattle, Washington well because of her father has resident their for several decades.
Friday, November 09, 2007
GPoMC meeting 7pm on Monday, November 12th
The next GPoMC general membership meeting will be 7pm on Monday,
October 8th at the GAGV on the 5th floor of the Rochester Auditorium
Center, 875 E.Main St -corner Prince St.
We will be discussing:
The future organizational structure of GPoMC
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Cynthia McKinney to seek federal macthing funds
Cynthia McKinney has plans to qualify for federal matching funds for her bid for the Green Party's presidential nominations. This is from her website www.runcynthiarun.orgHelp Cynthia Qualify for Matching Campaign Funds
Submitted by admin on Tue, 11/06/2007 - 04:22.
Money is the Mother's Milk of Politics. Money is necessary to buy the yard signs and handbills, pay the airfare necessary for Cynthia's travels, meets the payroll necessary to staff her campaign and makes it possible for Cynthia to get her Green message out to the voters of this nation.
Thanks to the public backlash to the past abuses of our system of privately financed elections, Congress in the wake of the Watergate scandal adopted a system of partial public financing. Under this system, public tax dollars are available to match the first $250 of each individual contribution that an eligible Presidential candidate receives during the primary campaign.
With your help, Cynthia McKinney can qualify as a candidate eligible for these Federal matching campaign funds. To do so, she must certify that she has met the "threshold requirement" for eligibility by raising at least $5,000 in each of at least 20 states. While any contribution up to $2,300 per donor is welcome in support of this campaign, only the first $250 of each individual contribution counts toward that total.
Consequently, the Power to the People Campaign has set a goal of raising $100,000 in qualifying contributions as our first step in launching this campaign to elect Cynthia McKinney the 44th President of the United States. With your help we can achieve that end. Please use our donor form to make as generous a donation as you can. Then send all of your friends, coworkers and neighbors to this site asking that they match or exceed your donation.
Help us expeditiously put this first campaign milestone behind us, so we can get on with the business of getting Cynthia on fifty-one ballots and reaching out to the voters of this nation who are ready for a Green alternative to the wars being waged both at home and abroad by the War Parties and their candidates. Our communities deserve no less.
Some important Green wins in local elections, according to early Election Day returns
GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATEShttp://www.gp.org
For Immediate Release:
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Contacts:
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, mclarty@greens.org
Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, starlene@gp.org
Brent McMillan, National Political Director, 202-319-7191, brent@gp.org
Illinois Greens succeed in meeting early filing deadline for 2008 elections
Green candidate database for 2007 and other campaign information:
http://www.gp.org/elections.shtml
WASHINGTON, DC -- Green Party leaders are congratulating several candidates who were elected to local office on Election Day, November 6, according to early returns.
137 Greens ran for public office in the 2007 off-year elections, with 89 of them competing on November 6.
Green leaders also congratulated Illinois Greens
According to Phil Huckelberry, chair of the Illinois Green Party's government and elections committee, the party has set a goal of having 100 to 110 state and local candidates on ballots in 2008. For more information on Illinois Green races, contact Mr. Huckelberry at 309-268-9974 or
GREEN VICTORIES on November 6 (according to early returns; more to be reported later):
CALIFORNIA http://www.cagreens.org
Larry Bragman and Lew Tremain were re-elected to the Fairfax City Council. Mr. Bragman finished first with 1,322 votes or 40.74%, and Mr. Tremain finished second with 969 votes or 29.66 %. Three candidates competed for two seats. http://www.co.marin.ca.us/depts/rv/main/CurrentElection/Results.htm
CONNECTICUT http://www.ctgreens.org
Alan Brison scored an upset victory in his race for Ward 10 Alderman in New Haven. Mr. Brison beat his competition by 100 votes in the East Rock and Cedar Hill neighborhoods.
http://ctgreens.org/candidates/brison2007
Jean deSmet was elected First Selectman of the town of Windham. (At 9:30 pm on Tuesday, Ms. deSmet was 120 votes ahead of the Democrat and far ahead of the Republican.) Ms. deSmet is also co-chair of the Green Party of Connecticut. http://www.VoteJean.com
MAINE http://www.mainegreens.org
John Anton won his race for Portland City Council. Mr. Anton finished first among four candidates for two at-large seats, drawing 6,320 votes or 29.04%.
http://www.johnanton.us/
MASSACHUSETTS http://www.massgreens.org
Chuck Turner easily won reelection to Boston City Council (District 7) with 81% of the vote.
Luc Schuster won reelection to the Cambridge School Committee, finishing fourth out of nine candidates for six seats. Mr. Schuster received 1,658 first place votes.
http://www.voteluc.org/
NEW YORK http://www.gpnys.org
David Lussier, running in a partisan race for County Legislature (District 7) in Albany, has a five vote lead with all machine votes in on Election Night. 90 affidavit and absentee ballots remain to be counted on November 14. Mr. Lussier's 531 votes places him ahead of Democrat Brian Scavo (526 votes). Mr. Lussier campaigned vigorously among absentee ballot voters, and Greens are optimistic that his victory will be confirmed.
http://www.lussierforleg.com
VIRGINIA http://www.vagreenparty.org
Chris Simmons won his race for Soil and Water Conservation Board in Loudon County. He finished second out of four candidates for three seats with 18,093 votes or 25.38%.
MORE INFORMATION
Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
Fax 202-319-7193
Green Party News Center
http://www.gp.org/newscenter.shtm
Green Party Speakers Bureau
http://www.gp.org/speakers
2007 national Green Party meeting in Reading,
Pa.: video footage, blog and media coverage
http://www.gp.org/meeting2007/
"2007 Green candidates to watch on Election Day, November 6"
Green Party press release, November 1, 2007
http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2007_11_01.shtml
~ END ~
search: lwcj, spol
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Dave Lussier Leads by 5 votes
Dave Lussier - Albany(NY) County Legislature
http://lussierforleg.com
5 vote lead 1057 votes cast
90 absentee ballots (to be opened on Nov 14)
Jean de Smet wins in CT
photo by stephenallcroft.comCynthia McKinney with Jean de Smet
Connecticut Green Party member and co-chair Jean de Smet won the election for First Selectman (Mayor) of the Town of Windham, Connecticut. At 9:30pm with all voting districts reporting and absentee ballots counted, Jean was 120 votes ahead of the Democratic candidate and very far ahead of the Republican.
Monday, November 05, 2007
General Election Tuesday, November 6th
Polls open 6am-9pm
Click here to check your polling site as some have changed this year. Then click on "Online Voter Information" on the right hand side.
Action Alert: Impeach Cheney
Tell your Representative to support
H.Res. 333 to Impeach Cheney
Bush and Cheney have continuously lied to and manipulated the American people with illegal surveillance, mass detentions without judicial review, torture and signing statements that carve out exceptions to legislation. On November 5th, Rep. Dennis Kucinich has introduced a resolution to impeach Cheney stating:
"The momentum is building for impeachment," Kucinich said. "Millions of citizens across the nation are demanding Congress rein in the Vice President's abuse of power.
"Despite this groundswell of opposition to the unconstitutional conduct of office, Vice President Cheney continues to violate the U.S. Constitution by insisting the power of the executive branch is supreme.
"Congress must hold the Vice President accountable. The American people need to let Members of Congress know how they feel about this. The Vice President continues to use his office to advocate for a continued
occupation of Iraq and prod our nation into a belligerent stance against Iran. If the Vice President is successful, his actions will ensure decades of disastrous consequences."
Today it is time for you to take action and tell the Bush administration we will no longer allow their abuse of power to go unnoticed. Please write to your congressperson today and ask them to support HR 333. You can click here to go to an automated letter asking Representatives to support H.Res. 333.
Also, you can sign the Green Party impeachment petition at the following link: http://www.gp.org/action/index.shtml . Or, you can send an automated sample letter (or you can modify it in your own words) to be found at the same link.
Please help the Green Party in its efforts to convince Congress to impeach the Bush Administration.
Donate to the Green Party of the United States
Become a sustainer to the Green Party of the United States and the Green Party of New York
Sunday, November 04, 2007
McKinney to Announce Presidential Decision in November
Cynthia McKinney has joined the Green Party and left us an audio message on her potential candidacy for President of the United States.
Listen here
If you are interested in having Cynthia McKinney run for the Green Party nomination please write her a note at:
http://www.allthingscynthiamckinney.com/TalkBack2008
My understanding is she reads everything posted here.
Listen here
If you are interested in having Cynthia McKinney run for the Green Party nomination please write her a note at:
http://www.allthingscynthiamckinney.com/TalkBack2008
My understanding is she reads everything posted here.
Friday, November 02, 2007
Nader on CNN Friday, November 2, 4-5pm
Ralph Nader is scheduled to be interviewed by Wolf Blitzer on CNN's "Situation
Room" between 4 and 5 pm on Friday, November 2 about Nader's lawsuit against
the Democrats filed this week.
Democracy Now, Wednesday, October 31st, 2007
*Ralph Nader Files Lawsuit Accusing Democratic Party of Conspiring to
Block Presidential Run
*http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/10/31/145208
The lawsuit accuses the Democratic Party of "groundless and abusive
litigation" to bankrupt Ralph Nader's campaign and force him off the
ballot in 18 states. We speak with Nader attorney Carl Mayer. [includes
rush transcript] Consumer advocate and three-time presidential candidate
Ralph Nader sued the Democratic Party on Tuesday for conspiring to
prevent him from running for president in 2004. The lawsuit was filed on
behalf of Nader, his vice presidential running mate Peter Miguel Camejo
and a group of voters from several states. It names as co-defendants the
Kerry-Edwards campaign, the Service Employees International Union,
private law firms, and organizations like the Ballot Project and America
Coming Together that were created to promote voter turnout on behalf of
the Democratic ticket. According to the lawsuit the defendants used
"groundless and abusive litigation" to bankrupt Ralph Nader's campaign
and force him off the ballot in 18 states.
We are joined in the firehouse studio here in New York by public
interest attorney Carl Mayer, whom the New York Times has described as
"a populist crusader and maverick lawyer." We tried reaching the
Democratic National Committee and some of the other defendants to invite
them to the show but received no response.
Carl Mayer was part of the legal team that filed the lawsuit in
Washington, D.C. Tuesday.
RUSH TRANSCRIPT
AMY GOODMAN: Consumer advocate and three-time presidential candidate
Ralph Nader sued the Democratic Party Tuesday for conspiring to prevent
him from running for president in 2004. The lawsuit was filed on behalf
of Nader, his vice presidential running mate Peter Camejo and a group of
voters from several states. It names as co-defendants the Kerry-Edwards
campaign, the Service Employees International Union, private law firms,
organizations like the Ballot Project and America Coming Together that
were created to promote voter turnout on behalf of the Democratic
ticket. According to the lawsuit, the defendants used "groundless and
abusive litigation" to bankrupt Ralph Nader's campaign and force him off
the ballot in eighteen states.
We're joined now here in New York by public interest attorney Carl
Mayer, whom the New York Times has described as "a populist crusader and
maverick lawyer." We tried reaching the Democratic National Committee
and some of the other defendants to invite them to the show but received
no response. Carl Mayer was part of the legal team that filed the
lawsuit in D.C. Welcome to Democracy Now!, Carl.
CARL MAYER: Thank you, Amy. Thank you for having me on.
AMY GOODMAN: Why are you suing?
CARL MAYER: To defend democracy. That's the title of the show -- excuse
me, is Democracy Now! And this was the most massive anti-democratic
campaign to eliminate a third-party candidate from the ballot in --
probably in recent American history. It is -- not content with having
all these laws and statutes on the book that make it difficult for
third-party and independent candidates to run, the Democratic Party and
their allies in over fifty-three law firms, with over ninety lawyers,
were engaged in filing litigation in eighteen states. They were to
remove Ralph Nader from the ballot. It was an organized, abusive
litigation process.
The core of the lawsuit is that these lawyers, led by Toby Moffett and
Elizabeth Holtzman, and something called the Ballot Project, which was a
527 organization, systematically went around the country and filed
lawsuit after lawsuit, twenty-four in all, plus five FEC complaints, to
try to completely remove the Nader campaign from the ballot and to, in
effect, bankrupt the campaign, which they succeeded in doing. Not
content with that, one of the defendants, Reed Smith, which is a large
corporate law firm in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, they are now going after
Ralph Nader's personal bank account to make him pay some of the cost of
this litigation.
And, understand, despite being outspent by the Democratic Party and its
affiliated lawyers, the vast majority of these lawsuits were won by the
Nader campaign, which was a largely volunteer effort. And these lawsuits
were won across the country, despite this organized effort of
intimidation and harassment. It's basically abusive process and
malicious prosecution. Those are common law torts. And it was very clear
from the beginning that the Democratic Party was using the legal system
for an improper purpose. In fact, Toby Moffett, who's a former
congressman from Connecticut, said directly to The Guardian of London in
an interview in December of 2004, this wasn't about the law. "I'd be
less than honest if I said" this was not about the law; this was about
getting Ralph Nader off the ballot. And that's what this effort was
about. And it's a shameful anti-democratic process by a party that
claims to be a democratic party.
And on top of that, the Democratic Party, or its allies, filed five FEC
complaints against the campaign, alleging improper --
AMY GOODMAN: Federal Election Commission.
CARL MAYER: The Federal Election Commission -- alleging improper
funding, improper finances, etc. They were all dismissed by the FEC.
Now, let me tell you how bad it got. There was an organized effort of
harassment of petitioners who went around trying to collect signatures
for the Nader campaign in Ohio, in Oregon and in Pennsylvania. In Ohio,
for example, lawyers were hired to call up petitioners and tell them
that if they didn't verify the signatures on the petition, they would be
guilty of a felony. They were called at home by -- and they were, in
many cases, visited by private investigators and told -- this is voter
intimidation of the worst order.
In the state of Oregon, for example, there was a nominating convention,
and you need a thousand signatures at the convention. We have emails
from Democratic Party operatives stating, we want our people to go to
this convention and then refuse to sign the petition at the convention
so Nader will not get enough signatures at the convention to get on the
ballot. And they accomplished their goal in Oregon. After the
convention, there's an alternative way of getting on the ballot, which
is to collect signatures, and the Nader campaign went about doing that,
and during the course of that there was further harassment and
intimidation of petitioners by law firms, private investigators, calling
up and threatening petitioners that they would be called before a court
if they did not certify all the petitions.
AMY GOODMAN: How did the Service Employees International Union fit into
this? Why are they being sued?
CARL MAYER: Well, the SEIU very clearly, in emails and on their website,
the SEIU had a project, which was called ACT, or Americans Coming
Together. There were several 527 groups; these are independent
expenditure groups. And the SEIU was involved in them. The SEIU was
involved in trying to keep Nader off the ballot by using its members,
for example in Oregon, to go into the convention, but in other states --
in other states, to try to actually void petitions by signing in the
wrong place. The complaint -- and this is all documented. It's a
seventy-three-page complaint, over 250 paragraphs, chapter and verse,
about how, for example, the SEIU came up with the strategy of getting
its members to go and write signatures in the wrong place on a petition,
on Nader's petitions, which would then invalidate the entire petition.
So this was a coordinated anti-democratic activity, which in my view has
little precedent in American history, and any third-party candidate of
whatever stripe -- leftwing, rightwing, populist, conservative -- they
should be outraged by what occurred in this case.
And we think we have a tremendous case before the D.C. Superior Court
and other legal actions we will take, because this conspiracy was so --
they were so adamant and vociferous about it, and the paper trail is
very clear. And we're not even into discovery. We can't wait to take the
depositions of the party activists, Toby Moffett, Terry McAuliffe,
Elizabeth Holtzman, etc., who were at the center of this. In fact, the
center of this effort was something called the Ballot Project, which was
started by Robert Brandon, who's one of the defendants, and he's a
consultant to the Democratic Party. And he held a meeting at the
Democratic Convention in 2004 with Moffett, Holtzman and a group of
other high-ranking Democrats, and they said, our purpose is to keep
Nader off the ballot. And they went, and they proceeded to do it,
spending millions of dollars.
AMY GOODMAN: What impact will all this have on Ralph Nader now? He has
said that if Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee, he will run for
president. It looks like she is the frontrunner right now.
CARL MAYER: Well, in terms of 2008, I can't speak to 2008. And in
politics, things can change quite quickly. I mean, it's entirely
possible that the actual progressive base of the Democratic Party will
seek a nominee that reflects their views, which is that America should
end this war in Iraq. It hasn't been the history of the Democratic
Party, but it's way too early to talk about that.
But what this lawsuit will do, and the importance of it is, is to set a
precedent so that the two-party monopoly system that shuts out minor
parties in a way that other Western democracies never do, that this will
set a precedent to prevent this type of intimidation and harassment.
That's the goal of the lawsuit. It doesn't matter whether it's Ralph
Nader or Michael Bloomberg or any other third-party candidate. The point
is, we need as much competition in the political arena as we have in
other areas of American life. And it's time to stop rigging the game.
And what's unbelievable is that the laws on the books already pose a
tremendously high hurdle for third-party candidates. Tens of thousands
of signatures, it takes, to get on the ballot in states like Texas and
the Carolinas. And there's no other country where it's so difficult to
get on the ballot. And those laws are passed by the Democrat and
Republican Party to preserve their monopoly. So, "democracy now" --
"democracy now" is not even close. We are not close to a state of democracy.
And recall also that in the history of the country, third parties were
very important. In the nineteenth century, it was much easier to get on
the ballot. The smaller third parties championed first important issues
like ending slavery, women's right to vote, Social Security; those were
all first advocated by third parties. And if you exclude third parties
from the ballot and from the debate, our democracy withers and
atrophies. And it is not at all consistent with the vital democratic
traditions of our country.
These third parties were around since the beginning of the Republic. The
first third party was really the -- well, in some respects, was the
Anti-Federalist Party, but there was also something called the
Anti-Freemason Party, which was started in 1800. From the beginning of
the Republic, there were important third parties, which raised important
issues. And we're now snuffing that out. And unless we fight for this,
this country will continue to have essentially a monopolistic position
on every issue, from healthcare to the Iraq war to any of the important
issues that so many people in this country care about.
AMY GOODMAN: Carl Mayer, we have to leave it there, but we will
certainly continue to follow this lawsuit. Carl Mayer is one of the lead
attorneys on this lawsuit against the Democratic Party and others who
they say conspired to keep former presidential candidate Ralph Nader off
of the ballot.
<\span>
Room" between 4 and 5 pm on Friday, November 2 about Nader's lawsuit against
the Democrats filed this week.
Democracy Now, Wednesday, October 31st, 2007
*Ralph Nader Files Lawsuit Accusing Democratic Party of Conspiring to
Block Presidential Run
*http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/10/31/145208
The lawsuit accuses the Democratic Party of "groundless and abusive
litigation" to bankrupt Ralph Nader's campaign and force him off the
ballot in 18 states. We speak with Nader attorney Carl Mayer. [includes
rush transcript] Consumer advocate and three-time presidential candidate
Ralph Nader sued the Democratic Party on Tuesday for conspiring to
prevent him from running for president in 2004. The lawsuit was filed on
behalf of Nader, his vice presidential running mate Peter Miguel Camejo
and a group of voters from several states. It names as co-defendants the
Kerry-Edwards campaign, the Service Employees International Union,
private law firms, and organizations like the Ballot Project and America
Coming Together that were created to promote voter turnout on behalf of
the Democratic ticket. According to the lawsuit the defendants used
"groundless and abusive litigation" to bankrupt Ralph Nader's campaign
and force him off the ballot in 18 states.
We are joined in the firehouse studio here in New York by public
interest attorney Carl Mayer, whom the New York Times has described as
"a populist crusader and maverick lawyer." We tried reaching the
Democratic National Committee and some of the other defendants to invite
them to the show but received no response.
Carl Mayer was part of the legal team that filed the lawsuit in
Washington, D.C. Tuesday.
RUSH TRANSCRIPT
AMY GOODMAN: Consumer advocate and three-time presidential candidate
Ralph Nader sued the Democratic Party Tuesday for conspiring to prevent
him from running for president in 2004. The lawsuit was filed on behalf
of Nader, his vice presidential running mate Peter Camejo and a group of
voters from several states. It names as co-defendants the Kerry-Edwards
campaign, the Service Employees International Union, private law firms,
organizations like the Ballot Project and America Coming Together that
were created to promote voter turnout on behalf of the Democratic
ticket. According to the lawsuit, the defendants used "groundless and
abusive litigation" to bankrupt Ralph Nader's campaign and force him off
the ballot in eighteen states.
We're joined now here in New York by public interest attorney Carl
Mayer, whom the New York Times has described as "a populist crusader and
maverick lawyer." We tried reaching the Democratic National Committee
and some of the other defendants to invite them to the show but received
no response. Carl Mayer was part of the legal team that filed the
lawsuit in D.C. Welcome to Democracy Now!, Carl.
CARL MAYER: Thank you, Amy. Thank you for having me on.
AMY GOODMAN: Why are you suing?
CARL MAYER: To defend democracy. That's the title of the show -- excuse
me, is Democracy Now! And this was the most massive anti-democratic
campaign to eliminate a third-party candidate from the ballot in --
probably in recent American history. It is -- not content with having
all these laws and statutes on the book that make it difficult for
third-party and independent candidates to run, the Democratic Party and
their allies in over fifty-three law firms, with over ninety lawyers,
were engaged in filing litigation in eighteen states. They were to
remove Ralph Nader from the ballot. It was an organized, abusive
litigation process.
The core of the lawsuit is that these lawyers, led by Toby Moffett and
Elizabeth Holtzman, and something called the Ballot Project, which was a
527 organization, systematically went around the country and filed
lawsuit after lawsuit, twenty-four in all, plus five FEC complaints, to
try to completely remove the Nader campaign from the ballot and to, in
effect, bankrupt the campaign, which they succeeded in doing. Not
content with that, one of the defendants, Reed Smith, which is a large
corporate law firm in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, they are now going after
Ralph Nader's personal bank account to make him pay some of the cost of
this litigation.
And, understand, despite being outspent by the Democratic Party and its
affiliated lawyers, the vast majority of these lawsuits were won by the
Nader campaign, which was a largely volunteer effort. And these lawsuits
were won across the country, despite this organized effort of
intimidation and harassment. It's basically abusive process and
malicious prosecution. Those are common law torts. And it was very clear
from the beginning that the Democratic Party was using the legal system
for an improper purpose. In fact, Toby Moffett, who's a former
congressman from Connecticut, said directly to The Guardian of London in
an interview in December of 2004, this wasn't about the law. "I'd be
less than honest if I said" this was not about the law; this was about
getting Ralph Nader off the ballot. And that's what this effort was
about. And it's a shameful anti-democratic process by a party that
claims to be a democratic party.
And on top of that, the Democratic Party, or its allies, filed five FEC
complaints against the campaign, alleging improper --
AMY GOODMAN: Federal Election Commission.
CARL MAYER: The Federal Election Commission -- alleging improper
funding, improper finances, etc. They were all dismissed by the FEC.
Now, let me tell you how bad it got. There was an organized effort of
harassment of petitioners who went around trying to collect signatures
for the Nader campaign in Ohio, in Oregon and in Pennsylvania. In Ohio,
for example, lawyers were hired to call up petitioners and tell them
that if they didn't verify the signatures on the petition, they would be
guilty of a felony. They were called at home by -- and they were, in
many cases, visited by private investigators and told -- this is voter
intimidation of the worst order.
In the state of Oregon, for example, there was a nominating convention,
and you need a thousand signatures at the convention. We have emails
from Democratic Party operatives stating, we want our people to go to
this convention and then refuse to sign the petition at the convention
so Nader will not get enough signatures at the convention to get on the
ballot. And they accomplished their goal in Oregon. After the
convention, there's an alternative way of getting on the ballot, which
is to collect signatures, and the Nader campaign went about doing that,
and during the course of that there was further harassment and
intimidation of petitioners by law firms, private investigators, calling
up and threatening petitioners that they would be called before a court
if they did not certify all the petitions.
AMY GOODMAN: How did the Service Employees International Union fit into
this? Why are they being sued?
CARL MAYER: Well, the SEIU very clearly, in emails and on their website,
the SEIU had a project, which was called ACT, or Americans Coming
Together. There were several 527 groups; these are independent
expenditure groups. And the SEIU was involved in them. The SEIU was
involved in trying to keep Nader off the ballot by using its members,
for example in Oregon, to go into the convention, but in other states --
in other states, to try to actually void petitions by signing in the
wrong place. The complaint -- and this is all documented. It's a
seventy-three-page complaint, over 250 paragraphs, chapter and verse,
about how, for example, the SEIU came up with the strategy of getting
its members to go and write signatures in the wrong place on a petition,
on Nader's petitions, which would then invalidate the entire petition.
So this was a coordinated anti-democratic activity, which in my view has
little precedent in American history, and any third-party candidate of
whatever stripe -- leftwing, rightwing, populist, conservative -- they
should be outraged by what occurred in this case.
And we think we have a tremendous case before the D.C. Superior Court
and other legal actions we will take, because this conspiracy was so --
they were so adamant and vociferous about it, and the paper trail is
very clear. And we're not even into discovery. We can't wait to take the
depositions of the party activists, Toby Moffett, Terry McAuliffe,
Elizabeth Holtzman, etc., who were at the center of this. In fact, the
center of this effort was something called the Ballot Project, which was
started by Robert Brandon, who's one of the defendants, and he's a
consultant to the Democratic Party. And he held a meeting at the
Democratic Convention in 2004 with Moffett, Holtzman and a group of
other high-ranking Democrats, and they said, our purpose is to keep
Nader off the ballot. And they went, and they proceeded to do it,
spending millions of dollars.
AMY GOODMAN: What impact will all this have on Ralph Nader now? He has
said that if Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee, he will run for
president. It looks like she is the frontrunner right now.
CARL MAYER: Well, in terms of 2008, I can't speak to 2008. And in
politics, things can change quite quickly. I mean, it's entirely
possible that the actual progressive base of the Democratic Party will
seek a nominee that reflects their views, which is that America should
end this war in Iraq. It hasn't been the history of the Democratic
Party, but it's way too early to talk about that.
But what this lawsuit will do, and the importance of it is, is to set a
precedent so that the two-party monopoly system that shuts out minor
parties in a way that other Western democracies never do, that this will
set a precedent to prevent this type of intimidation and harassment.
That's the goal of the lawsuit. It doesn't matter whether it's Ralph
Nader or Michael Bloomberg or any other third-party candidate. The point
is, we need as much competition in the political arena as we have in
other areas of American life. And it's time to stop rigging the game.
And what's unbelievable is that the laws on the books already pose a
tremendously high hurdle for third-party candidates. Tens of thousands
of signatures, it takes, to get on the ballot in states like Texas and
the Carolinas. And there's no other country where it's so difficult to
get on the ballot. And those laws are passed by the Democrat and
Republican Party to preserve their monopoly. So, "democracy now" --
"democracy now" is not even close. We are not close to a state of democracy.
And recall also that in the history of the country, third parties were
very important. In the nineteenth century, it was much easier to get on
the ballot. The smaller third parties championed first important issues
like ending slavery, women's right to vote, Social Security; those were
all first advocated by third parties. And if you exclude third parties
from the ballot and from the debate, our democracy withers and
atrophies. And it is not at all consistent with the vital democratic
traditions of our country.
These third parties were around since the beginning of the Republic. The
first third party was really the -- well, in some respects, was the
Anti-Federalist Party, but there was also something called the
Anti-Freemason Party, which was started in 1800. From the beginning of
the Republic, there were important third parties, which raised important
issues. And we're now snuffing that out. And unless we fight for this,
this country will continue to have essentially a monopolistic position
on every issue, from healthcare to the Iraq war to any of the important
issues that so many people in this country care about.
AMY GOODMAN: Carl Mayer, we have to leave it there, but we will
certainly continue to follow this lawsuit. Carl Mayer is one of the lead
attorneys on this lawsuit against the Democratic Party and others who
they say conspired to keep former presidential candidate Ralph Nader off
of the ballot.
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Thursday, November 01, 2007
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