“Tri-Partisan” Group to Explore Third Party Option in Illinois

From the PR Newswire, via Poli-Tea:

CHICAGO, March 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Yesterday was an historic day in Washington for a different reason than the passage of a healthcare bill that essentially goes into effect some four years from now.  All over national television, throughout the day and into the night, the leadership of the Democrats and Republicans proved that the two party system in America is fatally flawed, hopelessly deadlocked and terminally dysfunctional.

These were the elements Thane Ritchie, founder of Ritchie Capital Management, discussed this morning with his small cadre of political advisors.

“Ordinary, practical Americans deserve another option, a different path to address ‘real solutions to the real issues’ they face at their kitchen tables each night,” Ritchie noted, “So tomorrow I am announcing the formation of an Ad Hoc Committee to explore the possibility of establishing a new political party here in Illinois and ultimately nationally.”

Chairing the Committee will be Ritchie business colleague Stephen J. Denari of Chicago, President of the Third Millennium Group and himself a former candidate in Illinois for the US Congress as a Democrat, Republican and for Ross Perot’s Reform Party.

“As perhaps the only TRI-partisan candidate in Illinois history, Thane felt I was uniquely qualified for this task,” noted Denari, “and as businessmen, Thane and I have set a 30 day period for the Committee to explore this option.  As serendipity would have it, tomorrow, March 23rd, is the first day to launch petitions in Illinois for a new political party in the state.”

Ritchie and Denari will hold a press conference at the Good Earth Greenhouse & Cafe in Elmhurst, Illinois at 2pm (CDT) to introduce the officers and announce the additional members of the Committee.  The officers include:

Senator Dean M. Barkley, founder of the Independence Party of Minnesota	Co-Chairman
Mayor Carl E. Officer, former four term mayor of East St. Louis, Illinois	Vice-Chairman
Thomas C. Cronin, Republican Committeeman of River Forest, Illinois	General Counsel
Susie Y. Chon, Executive Director of “The Kinghorn Foundation”	Treasurer
James A. Bosco, Chicago based counsel of “Citizens Against Unjust Statutes”	CIO

The Committee is charged with developing a Report on the feasibility of a new political party, on the top five issues facing the average citizens of Illinois and the US, as well as proposed practical solutions acceptable to the American People. If it is determined that a New Party should be established, the Committee will also be providing recommendations for a slate of candidates for the 2010 elections.

Additional members of the Committee will be announced at the press conference March 23rd. The Committee’s Report and candidate recommendations if appropriate will be announced in Chicago at 2pm (CDT) on Thursday, April 22nd at Ditka’s Restaurant in the Hall of Fame Room.