Published in The Michigan Citizen

The Democratic Partyís apparent entitlement to certain voting blocksí support has led to the Green Party being depicted as a ëspoilerí in the last two presidential elections. But Clemente insists the view that Nader cost Democrats the election in 2000 is a narrow one with roots in the movement to marginalize third party efforts.

ìWhoever says that doesnít know their history. Nader didnít give Bush the election in 2000, the Supreme Court gave Bush the election in 2000. It was the same in 2004óKerry, the Democratic presidential candidate conked out by not getting 150,000 African American votes in Ohio in 04. People want to rewrite history so they can feel good about the last eight years with George Bush and they forget that it was the Supreme Court that selected George Bush.î

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Published in the Times-Standard

I am Dr. Carol Wolman and I’m running for Congress in Northern California’s District 1. As a licensed psychiatrist and professional heath care provider, I’d like to explain why I think the incumbent Representative Mike Thompson is not representing our interests and not pushing for a single payer universal health care system.

Fewer American have access to health care each year. While the quality of health care deteriorates the cost of medical care continues to increase substantially. As of the end of 2007, 42 percent of adults (75 million) were either uninsured or seriously underinsured, an increase from 35 percent just four years earlier. While we spend far more for health care than any other industrialized nation, much of this is wasted on administrative costs, or flows as profits into the pockets of the insurance companies that control our medical services. In Canada and Western Europe, where universal single payer health care is the norm, medical costs amounts to between only 9 to 10 percent of GDP, while we spend more than 16 percent.

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Published on Vibe Launch

Talk about the platform. What do you think the Green Party has over the other parties?

This is the only party that even has social justice as its core principle. When we say ending the war, we mean all the wars. We need to get all the military out of every country, we need to begin to deal with issues of what peace can look like, how do you sustain that. Obviously, the green party is at the forefront of pushing the environment as a core value, that was innovative then. There should be an end to imprisoning young people, an immediate stop to the death penalty, a livable wage, not a minimum wage. Impeachment for George Bush and them is critical. I think if we don’t hold them accountable as a people, then anybody can do the same shit that they did.

Words are words, but we can make the words into deeds. If people would even open up the platform, they would see that neither the Democrats and Republicans would even talk about young people having rights and that we should be signing some of these international treaties, like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The hardest part is to literally get people to open it up and want to be exposed.

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“I think our country is in the toilet and I’m willing to go in there and pull it out,” Fournier said. “Cleaning up Congress is a dirty job … and somebody has to do it.”

Fournier, 62, said that volunteers have collected more than 3,000 signatures in the 1st District that “make it all but certain” that he’ll be on the November ballot against U.S. Rep. John Larson, an East Hartford Democrat, and Republican challenger Joe Visconti, of West Hartford.

Thanks to Green Party Watch for the information.

California Green Linda Piera-Avila participated in a forum with 12 other candidates in her race:

Santa Monica Daily Press article

Council candidates focus on tree issues

BY MELODY HANATANI, Daily Press Staff Writer

For once there was a candidates forum that had nothing to do with development, traffic or even the homeless.

“I would’ve listened to the people who came to speak at council meetings requesting modification of the streetscape (plan) to
preserve the trees,” Linda M. Piera-¡vila said.

Read the rest here

Published from In These Times

August 11, 2008† – By Mark Berlin

Farheen Hakeem knew she was doing something right when local Democrats came calling.

In 2006, on the heels of a failed run as a Green Party candidate for mayor of Minneapolis, Hakeem ran for commissioner of Minnesotaís Hennepin County board. Although she lost to long-time Democratic-machine candidate Peter McLaughlin, she earned 33 percent of the vote.

Democrats took notice. Hakeem received e-mails and phone calls from local Democratic Party activists who were impressed with her skills as a grassroots campaigner. And when Minnesota state Rep. Neva Walker announced she would not be seeking re-election this year, local Democrats urged Hakeem to run for the seat as one of them.

Hakeem declined, deciding instead to enter the race as a Green.

Your Black World Speaks Exclusively To Green Party Presidential Nominee, Cynthia†McKinney

Interview with Green Party Presidential Nominee, Cynthia McKinney, by Tolu Olorunda.

For many, the name ìCynthia McKinneyî is synonymous with loaded-descriptions such as ìprogressive,î ìactivist,î ìrelentless,î ìfighter,î ìfrank,î and ìcourageous.îCynthia McKinney has been described by political-prisoner and internationally-renowned journalist, Mumia Abu Jamal, as ìbold,î ìoutspoken,î and a ìwoman of substance.î Earlier this year, Black Agenda Report Executive Editor, Glen Ford, remarked on how Cynthia McKinney is – as perceived by him – ìthe only vehicle through which progressives canÖ begin the process of rebuilding a mass, Black-led movement for real social change.î

http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/article_5106.shtml

McKinney & Clemente: Black, Brown, Green and True

by BAR executive editor Glen Ford, Black Agenda Report

Quotes from the article:

“A vote for the Green Party is a vote for the movement that will turn this country right-side up again.”

“The overarching necessity for Black America – and therefore, for the entire nation – is the rebirth of a Black-led mass movement for peace and fundamental social change.”

“The overarching necessity for Black America – and therefore, for the entire nation – is the rebirth of a Black-led mass movement for peace and fundamental social change.”

“The racket is about war crimes, torture, crimes against the peace; the racket is about crimes against the Constitution, crimes against the American people, and crimes against the global community.”

“National Black politics has effectively disintegrated, stripped of all issues other than Obama’s own fortunes.”

“Those who delivered us into this mess cannot be trusted to get us out of it.”