OntheWilderSide

With the recent departures of former Sen. John Edwards and Rep. Dennis Kucinich and other candidates, the Illinois Green Party called on progressives and populists abandoned by the Democratic and Republican Parties to consider voting Green in Tuesday’s elections, the first statewide Green Party primary in Illinois history.

“Illinois voters who have been supporting Kucinich and Edwards will likely find the Green presidential candidates appealing,” said Phil Huckelberry, national Green Party Co-Chair. “All of our presidential candidates staunchly oppose the occupation of Iraq and would bring our troops home now. Green candidates also support single-payer universal healthcare, a living wage, and other efforts to alleviate poverty.

To supporters of the Republican Rep. Ron Paul, the Green Party is the last best hope of bringing about a swift end to the disastrous Iraq occupation and restoring the civil liberties that have been eroded in the past several years through policies like the Patriot Act, warrantless wiretapping of U.S. citizens and torture of so-called enemy combatants — just to name a few.

“Our refusal to accept contributions from corporations and opposition to their consolidation of political power speaks to our genuine concern for the people in America and across the world,” said said Charlie Howe, a local McKinney campaign organizer and candidate for state representative (115th district).  http://www.gogreen115.org/

Green Party presidential candidates on the Illinois ballot are:

• KENT MESPLAY – Air Quality Inspector at the Air Pollution Control District, San Diego, and also a Substitute Teacher; registered Green since 1995 in California, a delegate to the Green National Committee since 2004, and served as the President of Turtle Island Institute. www.mesplay.org
• HOWIE HAWKINS (RALPH NADER) – Co-Founder of the US Green Party, a Green activist and past U.S. Senate candidate from Syracuse, New York, and a Co-Chair of the Draft Nader Committee has consented to serve as a “placeholder” candidate until Ralph Nader, longtime consumer rights activist and Green presidential nominee in 2000, who has recently announced his presidential exploratory committee. If Nader does declare for the Green nomination, Hawkins will pledge his delegates to support Nader at the convention. www.ExploreNader08.org
• CYNTHIA MCKINNEY – First African-American Congresswoman from Georgia, she served in Congress from 1993-2003 and 2005-2007. She has been an advocate for Hurricane Katrina victims and voters disenfranchised in the 2000 and 2004 elections. www.runcynthiarun.org
• JARED BALL – Assistant Professor of Communications Studies at Morgan State University, an independent journalist, radio host with Pacifica Radio Washington, DC, the Editor-at-Large of Words, Beats and Life Global Journal of Hip-Hop Culture, and a Desert Shield/Desert Storm Navy veteran. Jared Ball has recently withdrawn his candidacy and has endorsed Cynthia McKinney. www.jaredball.com

Primary voters may also see the names of Green candidates for Congress, state representative, county offices, even precinct committeeperson offices in record numbers — a direct result of lower ballot access requirements earned in the the 2006 election, when Rich Whitney received 10% of the popular vote to “establish” the party.

“The message voters sent in 2006 was very clear: It’s time to change the two-party system,” said Howe. “Asking for a Green Party ballot on Feb. 5 is the best way to begin.”

Filed under: 9-11, activism, Anti-War, cynthia mckinney, election, elections, grassroots democracy, Green Party Websites, Healthcare, Our Favorite Radio Stations, Peace, Political Websites, presidential race, Press Release, progressive politics, Ralph Nader, social & economic justice, third party, US Politics Tagged: | Illinois, living wage, poverty, primary, Ralph Nader, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Rep. Ron Paul, Sen. John Edwards, single-payer universal healthcare, third parties, unreasonable man