[GPCA Updates] GP ADVISORY Green Convention to address impeachment, other issues on which Dems, Repubs fail voters

Tue Jun 24 20:30:40 PDT 2008

GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
http://www.gp.org

For Immediate Release:
Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Greens at Chicago Convention will discuss impeachment, telecom
immunity, and other issues on which Democrats and Republicans have
violated the public trust

• Obama's troop withdrawal plan would continue the Iraq War "under the
radar," say Greens

• Listen to the Green presidential candidates' debate, held June 21 on
Miller Politics Radio: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/millerpolitics
http://www.millerpolitics.com

• Updated convention information and schedule:
http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=68
Media credentialing page for the convention: http://www.gp.org/forms/media
General information on the convention: http://www.greenparty2008.org
Green Presidential Candidates http://www.gp.org/committees/pcsc/index.shtml

WASHINGTON, DC -- Green Party leaders, preparing for the 2008 Green
National Convention in Chicago (July 10-13), say that the convention
will be a public forum for discussion of impeachment and other major
issues on which Democrats and Republicans have failed in their
responsibility to voters.

"We're going to talk about a lot of things at the Green National
Convention that the Democrats and Republicans don't want the public to
talk about," said Cliff Thornton, co-chair of the Green Party, and
co-founder of Efficacy, Inc. (http://www.efficacy-online.org), which
promotes major reforms in drug policy, and a featured speaker at the
convention.

"We won't hear a peep about impeachment, war crimes, the telecom
amnesty outrage, the failure of the war on drugs, mass incarceration
of young black and Latino men, the urgent need for single-payer health
care, and other important topics during the Democratic and Republican
conventions," said Mr. Thornton.

Greens have accused Democrats of enabling the Republicans and the Bush
agenda, and have even legalized some of the crimes committed by the
White House.  Democratic leaders and committee members who were
briefed about intelligence on Iraq before President Bush ordered the
invasion, on torture, and other issues gave the White House a pass,
said Green leaders.

"Mr. Obama's positions ensure that much of the debate between him and
John McCain will be minimal.  The retreat by Mr. Obama, Nancy Pelosi,
Harry Reid, and their fellow Democrats shows how urgent it is for the
Green Party to place its presidential and congressional ticket on
every state ballot," said Steve Alesch, Green Party nominee for
Congress in Illinois (District 13) (http://www.votesteve.org).

• IMPEACHMENT: Despite massive evidence of high crimes and
misdemeanors by President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and other White
House officials, Democratic leaders have rejected motions for
impeachment.  Green Party presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney,
when she was a Georgia Democrat in December, 2006, was the first to
introduce an impeachment motion in the US House.

All four Green presidential candidates -- Jesse Johnson, Kent Mesplay,
and Kat Swift, as well as Ms. McKinney -- have supported impeachment,
calling it necessary for reestablishing the rule of law.
http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=47

"By rejecting impeachment, Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and their
fellow Democrats have given future presidents a license to abuse their
power, deceive the American people, and commit further crimes while in
office," said Carol Wolman, California Green candidate for Congress
(District 1) and co-chair of Impeach Bush-Cheney
(http://newbroomcoalition.org).

• TELECOM IMMUNITY: Democrats, including Mr. Obama, have joined
Republicans in voting not to hold telecommunications companies legally
responsible for their role in the Bush Administration's warrantless
eavesdropping on US citizens.  The corporations under the protection
of the 'FISA amnesty' bill have given both parties' candidates huge
campaign donations.  Green leaders warn that the bill will encourage
future administrations to violate the US Constitution with help from
the telecom industry.
http://www.greenchange.org/article.php?id=2818

• ENDING THE IRAQ WAR: While claiming opposition to the Iraq War and
the continuing occupation, Barack Obama would leave a 'lighter,
smaller, more nimble residual force' in the war zone and would
maintain preventive detention policies by the US, the presence of
private contractors and advisors, and US troops in surrounding
countries.

The Green Party has called for immediate withdrawal of all US troops
and military contractors from Iraq, a cutoff of funding for the war,
and redirection of money from the bloated military budget to human
needs.
http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=37

"The Obama 'troop withdrawal' plan is a ploy to continue the war under
the radar," said Jody Grage, treasurer of the Green Party.  "Democrats
in Congress have squandered their leadership since 2006, betrayed
their promise to bring US troops home, and voted for continued war
funding."

• CAMPAIGN FINANCING: Mr. Obama's rejection of public financing for
his campaign signals that he will not promote campaign financing
reform or take action to reduce the corrupting influence of corporate
money on elections.  The Green Party, which accepts no corporate
money, supports far-reaching reforms, including 'clean money' options,
full public financing, and free time for candidates on the public
airwaves.

Other major issues:

• Neither Barack Obama or John McCain will challenge the war on drugs
and its destructive effect on African American, Latino, and poor
communities throughout the US.  Greens have called the war on drugs a
war on youth and people of color, resulting in mass incarceration of
US citizens (which reached a record high in 2006), and have noted the
influence of the private prison industry, which makes its profits by
filling up cells.
http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2007_07_25.shtml
http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2007_05_16.shtml

• Greens have noted that Mr. Obama and the Democratic leadership have
joined Republicans and President Bush in threatening a US military
assault on Iran, maintaining unconditional support for Israel's
strategic objectives in the region, and refusing to press Israel to
observe UN directives and human rights guarantees.
http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=67
http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=66
http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=61

• Mr. Obama and John McCain both support nuclear power.  The Green
Party opposes nuclear power as a replacement for fossil fuels, citing
severe risks to security and public health and the problem of massive
and extremely toxic waste disposal.  Mr. Obama also favors ethanol as
a source of energy, despite its damaging effect on food production and
prices.
http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=58
http://www.greenchange.org/article.php?id=2819

• Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain both oppose single-payer national health
care (which the Green Party strongly supports) and would leave control
over health care in the hands of HMO and insurance company middlemen
that demand huge profits.  Mr. Obama has also retreated from his
criticism of NAFTA and other free trade pacts that have proven
damaging to the environment, local economies, and labor rights.
http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=64
http://www.greenchange.org/article.php?id=2820

MORE INFORMATION

Green Party of the United States http://www.gp.org
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
Fax 202-319-7193
• 2008 Green National Convention: Live Green, Vote Green
http://www.greenparty2008.org
• Media credentialing http://www.gp.org/forms/media
• Video of Green presidential candidates
http://www.gp.org/2008-elections/presidential-videos.php
• Links to Green Presidential Candidates' web sites
http://www.gp.org/committees/pcsc/index.shtml
• Green candidate database for 2008 and other campaign information:
http://www.gp.org/elections.shtml
• Green Party News Center http://www.gp.org/newscenter.shtml
• Green Party Speakers Bureau http://www.gp.org/speakers
• Green Party ballot access page http://www.gp.org/2008-elections

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