[GPCA Updates] GP RELEASE Greens: McKinney deserves her place in Sept. 18 pres. debate in New Orleans

Mon Aug 25 20:18:18 PDT 2008

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

For Immediate Release:
Monday, August 25, 2008

Greens: Cynthia McKinney deserves to participate in the Sept. 18
presidential debate in New Orleans

• Green Party leaders cite McKinney's advocacy of the rights of Katrina
survivors and criticism of government response to the disaster, saying she
will speak for displaced and excluded people of New Orleans if invited to
the debate

• Greens seek an end to presidential debates limited by arbitrary criteria
to the two corporate party candidates; pollsters' omission of McKinney
amounts to manipulation of the presidential race and censorship of the
McKinney-Clemente campaign

• Cynthia McKinney's speech in Denver, August 24:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzoiIQSanx4

WASHINGTON, DC -- Green Party leaders called for the organizers of the
September 18 presidential debate in New Orleans to admit other candidates
along with the Democratic and Republican nominees, including Green nominee
Cynthia McKinney.

The debate sponsors, Google and You Tube
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p6Iwu4xMaY), require a 15% showing in three
national polls to determine which candidates may participate in the debate.

"Cynthia McKinney deserves a place in the New Orleans debate.  Any
presidential candidate who has qualified for enough ballot lines to achieve
the necessary electoral votes to win to be elected -- regardless of poll
numbers -- has earned a place in the debates.  The 15% threshold is being
used to exclude all candidates outside of the corporate party nominees, John
McCain and Barack Obama," said Cliff Thornton, co-chair of the Green Party
of the United States.

"Ms. McKinney is more than just the candidate of a viable and growing party.
  She has played a special role in the movement to help survivors of the 2005
hurricane disaster in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region.  No other
presidential candidate can talk about the needs of those who've been
displaced or otherwise affected by Katrina the way Ms. McKinney can.  Their
concerns will be missing from the debate if Cynthia McKinney isn't invited,"
added Mr. Thornton.

Cynthia McKinney will appear on enough state ballots for an Electoral
College victory, should she win in all these states.  For the same reason,
Greens also support the inclusion of independent candidate Ralph Nader,
Libertarian Party nominee Bob Barr, and Constitution Party nominee Chuck
Baldwin in the New Orleans debate.

Green Party leaders said that, since pollsters are generally omitting Ms.
McKinney in their research, the poll numbers are showing dishonest and
manipulated results, with the McKinney-Clemente campaign effectively
censored from major media coverage of the race.

"Voters deserve to know about all the names they'll see on the ballot on
Election Day, and to know which candidate best represents one's interests
and ideals.  It's time to end debates limited to candidates approved by
sponsoring corporations and pollsters," said Green Party co-chair Sanda
Everette.

Greens are appealing to New Orleans area community organizations as well as
women's, student, and human rights groups to join the demand for Cynthia
McKinney's inclusion in the New Orleans debate.

Greens note that Ms. McKinney, a member of the US House (Dem-Ga.) at the
time of the hurricane, has been intimately involved in the post-Katrina
survivors' issues, and that she:

• Joined the Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for
and Response to Hurricane Katrina, despite the Democratic Party leadership's
call for Democratic members to boycott the committee.
http://katrina.house.gov/index.htm

• Led a congressional delegation to the site of the devastation, arranged
for survivors to testify before the Commission, and inserted a 75-page
supplement in the Final Report of the Katrina Commission exposing many
problems not otherwise addressed.

• Introduced the first legislation concerning the clean-up toxicity in the
region and restoring the homes of displaced residents.
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_cong_bills&docid=f:h4197ih.txt

• Tracked hundreds of bills and worked closely with other members of
Congress on drafting combined legislation that addressed many survivor issues.

• Led a march across the bridge to Gretna, Louisiana, with people displaced
by Katrina who had been refused passage during the hurricane; introduced a
bill to deny funding to the Gretna police department because of its role in
turning away thousands of hurricane survivors, mostly African Americans, at
the Crescent City Connection bridge.  Ms. McKinney was the only member of
Congress to join the November 7, 2005 march.
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_cong_bills&docid=f:h4209ih.txt.pdf
http://www.saveourwetlands.org/blockbridge.html

• Continues to works actively with the Reconstruction Party, a local
political party in New Orleans, and in support of displaced residents' right
of return and other survivor issues.
http://www.cwsworkshop.org/katrinareader/node/525

MORE INFORMATION

Green Party of the United States http://www.gp.org
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
Fax 202-319-7193
• 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

Cynthia McKinney/Rosa Clemente 'Power to the People' Campaign for the White
House http://www.runcynthiarun.org

Cynthia McKinney on video
http://www.youtube.com/user/RunCynthiaRun
http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=RunCynthiaRun
• Speech in Denver, August 24: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzoiIQSanx4
• Music video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx1NPlQjkqo

"An Opportunity to Open Presidential Debates"
By John Nichols, The Nation, July 6, 2008
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters/334812
http://www.greenchange.org/article.php?id=2910

2008 Green National Convention, July 10-13 in Chicago, Illinois
http://www.greenparty2008.org

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