Cindy Sheehan created Camp Casey to honor her son, Casey Sheehan, who died in the Iraq War. Cindy Sheehan wrote the book, “Peace Mom, A Mother’s Journey Through Heartache to Activism”, and has become an important voice in the peace movement. In 2008, Cindy Sheehan ran as an independent for Congress in California against Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. There has been speculation that Cindy Sheehan might start her own third party.
On Sheehan’s web-site, she is asking people to preorder her eBooklet which will be released next week. The write-up hints at the creation of a third party, or the entire rejection of the voting system. Her message says, “Please order a copy of my new eBooklet: Myth America: 10 Greatest Myths of the Robber Class and the Case for Revolution today and let’s begin the Revolution today!”
“Hope”less in the “Two” Party System by Cindy Sheehan
by Cindy Sheehan / Sunday, April 19, 2009
Since November of 2006 when the Democrats regained majorities in both Houses of Congress, I began my gradual awakening to the fact that the “Two”-Party Robber Class political system is a fraud.
Nancy Pelosi ran for her Congressional seat in 2006 (which would for certain turn transform her into the House Speakership if the Dems became the majority) promising “No more blank checks for war.” She broke that promise, but kept her treasonous “impeachment is off the table” promise. What Nancy Pelosi really meant was the opposite: “I will give George Bush EVERY blank check for war that he asks of me! Why wouldn’t I? I am protecting him from accountability—billions of dollars for war is nothing!”
You have to understand, that Nancy Pelosi’s district is PRO-Impeachment and ANTI-war. If she refused to fund the wars and impeach George Bush, she would be following the will of her constituency. However, the “Two”-Party Robber Class political system protects and preserves itself no matter what party the criminal belongs to.
Now, after 89 days of an Obama administration that is also protecting the torturing murderers of BushCo and has broken its marginal promise to bring (some) troops home from Iraq by the end of 2011 and is escalating hostilities in Afghanistan and Pakistan, some so-called progressives are finally seeing the error in supporting Obama during the elections.
I left the Democratic Party in May of 2007 because of the continued war funding and the continued lack of accountability and I was roundly, thoroughly and viciously attacked by the same “progressives” who are beginning to doubt the “hope” that they bought into, or allowed themselves to be co-opted by. Some are even calling for an “independent third party” movement here in the US to challenge the corrupt two parties!
Really? Where were these “progressives” when I was running against the Queen of the Robber Class here in SF as an independent? Their heads were buried in the sand, or they were wearing the Rose Colored Glasses of denial and now we are mired in a situation that cannot be remedied: once the Genie is out of the bottle, she can’t be easily put back in. Do you think the Democrats will hold Obama to account, when they failed to hold Bush to account? I doubt it and we will continue to see the Obama-Summers-Geithner-
Bernanke collapse of the economy and the continued war crimes of the Obama-Clinton-Gates occupations for profit.It’s way past time to stop giving the “Two” Party Robber Class system “a chance.” It’s time to stop the “inside” part of an “inside-outside” strategy. We have virtually nobody on the inside who will speak for us besides a token bone thrown out of those marble cesspools and we have to stand up for our class.
Warren Buffet, a famous Robber Class business man who loves to dabble in the Democratic part of the One-Robber Class party said: “It is a class war, and my class is winning.” They are only winning because we allow them to.
We have been beaten down for so long by the Robber Class we actually believe that we should send our sons and daughters to the Robber Class wars to die and kill other sons and daughters to make the Robber Class wealthier!
We actually believe that we are not entitled to the same health care that the Robbers in Congress receive (110%).
We actually believe that we should work our asses off and go into insurmountable debt to be able to send our children to college.
We actually believe that we are not entitled to our shacks while the Robbers have many mansions (so many, John McCain doesn’t even know how many he owns) that sit empty, except for servants most of the time. Some people don’t even have a roof over their heads and many tent cities are popping up over the country and the obscenity of a horrible homeless problem makes it difficult for me to sleep at night, knowing so many have no homes!
Now are you ready for an independent third party that is pro-worker; pro-peace; pro-the rule of law for everybody, especially the Robber Class; pro-environment; pro-prosperity for all; and above all Pro-Us?
Please order a copy of my new eBooklet: Myth America: 10 Greatest Myths of the Robber Class and the Case for Revolution today and let’s begin the Revolution today!
Any news on Cindy Sheehan’s big announcement?
An Executive Director sounds like someone who makes “wink wink” executive decisions – solitary, decisive decisions with their own authority. That is usually how it is.
And, an Executive Director may be needed when there are a lot of mundane, daily decisions to be made such as sending out mailings, or fixing the computers, or paying the bills.
But, a small, third party, probably has more political decisions to be made than executive decisions. So, decisions should be coordinated and facilitated by one or more leaders who solicit input and call for fair surveys and/or votes.
A “Volunteer Coordinator” of the kind I mean is entirely different. That person is seeing each volunteer as a “resource” and a “client” and doing the service of matching that person up with the correct committee for them to work on.
As I said, I even like the term “Committee Liaison” or “Committee Ombudsperson”. Because the idea is that the structure is committees that the National Committee has empowered to make decisions. And, the states (since GP-US is a federation) have the right to place people on them. We just need someone at national to keep track of who is on and off, who the officers are, and how you apply. So, that they could help people GET ON committees, instead of BLOCK PEOPLE from committees, or try to control committees from the center.
Also, since GP-US is technically a federation of state parties, there is a constant refrain that individuals are not members – only states are members. The people who get the privilege of title or elected office than wield enormous power -because there are so few living breathing folks who belong in that way. That is constantly used by the Steering Committee and staff to posture the way they want – you are not a member, so they can’t help you if they don’t like you, on the other hand, if they like you, they find a small state with no real process to accommodate your request or something.
Having someone who is a “Volunteer Coordinator” or “Committee Ombudsperson” would be a small way to acknowledge that individuals count. That when there is a complaint about discrimination or injustice in applying to a committee, there is a person to complain to, or to get guidance from.
But Kimberly also suggests having a “volunteer coordinator.” What’s the difference?
@ 49 K.W. writes; “-Do not have an “Executive Director” position, it is uninviting to the kind of dissenters, empowered people, and creative thinkers who would want to feel part of a team of equals.”
Holy Crap Kimberly ye wanna put people outa work?!
Actually so true. The Executivce Director is the most unneeded position in third party politics.
Too many people think that turning it over to the so called porfessionals will solve all our problems. It just drives the volunteers away.
Donald Raymond lake
This has been the case with activists all over the country, although it is inded most apparent in California.
The loss of good faith by many activists and the GP silence on it is indeed deafening.
I will disagree with you on Cindy Sheehan though.
That will be for another discussion.
My group spent hours cranking out
You don’t say?
Mr. Lake,
Thanks for jumping in.
We appreciate your note of caution, as always.
Cindy is her own worst enemy. Smiling, grinning, starry eyed, non serious effort. [World’s oldest living eleven year old?]
Green Ferret: how can you assume ‘good faith’ when activists, especially on the west coast. out right lie? My group spent hours cranking out page after page of ‘Abused Veterans’ working group proposals. One for the nationals in 2005 Tucson and one for California 2005 in South Lake Tahoe!
The silence, inspite of earlier proclamations for such a group. 300 contacts in 2005, and only a hand full of those were responses was deafening And half of those were when the party phone had a real life human being right there during the incomming phone call.
[email protected]
[email protected]
So sad, so sad, so self destructive!
[email protected]
Kimberley and All:
Very good points. We could add to that that the National GP could freaking apologize to all of the Nader supporters who have fled after (in their opinion and mine) been deliberately and systematically disenfranchised. That debate is old and since the many good Nader supporters have fled and will probably not be coming back, I do not see anyone who is left (except perhaps the Delegate from Louisiana) would even think to have the moral and political integrity to speak up for them. Same goes for the Elaine Brown people and Elaine Brown herself.
I also add to your points of racism and sexism, the blatant classism that is evident in the National GP. The Diversity Committee would be a perfect place to hash out that issue, if the GP US was serious.
Conflict Resolution: I remember Delegate John Murphy from Pennsylvania tried to have his issues done in by the GP Mediators. At the end of the process, they were still at loggerheads. Delegate Murphy asked for Arbitration. The Mediation Committee said “we do not have any authority to do that.” Mediation without arbitration is meaningless, as any trade union or other activist would know. So the sores festered instead of being resolved. Delegate Murphy had serious, legitimate issues that were never addressed. Murphy made the point that the real division in the GP was those who want to work in Fission WITH the Democrats and those of us who want Fussion FROM the Dems.
I know I was fooled into by the David Cobb campaign into thinking it was a real campaign. Horrifyingly, the same thing happened with the Cynthia McKinney campaign. It became very evident to me that both campaigns were a. not serious about building real campaigns and b. only set up as ways to block and attack Ralph Naders campaigns.
This has been the most horrifying thing for myself and others. If the GP was to be honest, they would just have the position of NOTA for president. Then anyone who was interested in running small, local campaigns could work honestly with the GP. I and others were fooled twice by them and will not be fooled again.
Kimberly, all of this is moot, quite frankly because if we are honest, we already know that this will not happen.
What the national GP are doing is cheering on our leaving. Stating that the cancer has been cut out.
While Green Ferret and others will try and say that this is about egos, that is absolute and utter horse-shit..
This whole episode is and has been political from the start. Those in charge of the GP have subverted democratic process, caused “bickering egos” to cause tension, sabotaged national campaigns etc etc for one central POLITICAL reason.
To ensure that the GP does not run National campaigns, only small local campaigns. Like City Council and Soil and Water Commissioner.
So, those of us who are serious about providing an ELECTORAL way to stand against the war machine and an immoral Foreign Policy have come to the conclusion that working outside of the GP is the way to go.
If the National GP was to be honest about ONLY really running small races well then no problem.
It is the fact that they PRETEND to want to run presidential campaigns, thereby blocking those who are serious about this issue and by fooling others into joining them and wasting their valuable time and energy.
That is why were are working so hard inn Minnesota to build a SERIOUS alternative to the pro-war, corporate corrupted two party system.
@49 – To go to federal prison on drug charges does NOT mean a career drug dealer. Please do not perpetuate myths and stereotypes that the government wants us to in order to continue their drug war. To get federal time on drug charges simply means that the state chose not to prosecute, and the federal prosecutors picked up the case instead. This happened to a friend of mine. It happens regularly to medical marijuana patients and dispensaries in California. You may dislike the individual involved, and that’s fine, but please don’t make factually inaccurate statements that support the federal war on drugs!
If Milnes can’t get on the NJ ballot I’ll write in his name for the general election.
Well now you’re making sense. Not to say that I necessarily agree with all of your ideas, but I can at least see where you’re coming from.
I think it’s important to assume good faith on the part of other party members, unless you have a well-grounded reason to believe otherwise; like the person who quit for the Dems. I accept that others can disagree with me and still have the same goals at heart.
Take Cindy Sheehan for example. I think she can most effectively achieve her goals by joining and building the CA Green Party. But if she thinks otherwise, I don’t think it’s because she’s pro-war or she’s trying to smash the Greens. She might just have a different strategy in mind.
Green Ferret –
My constructive comments are every post I put here on IPR advertising and glorifying the good parts of the Green Party, and all the work I do on onthewilderside. (Including, sometimes, biting my tongue in my very own household so as not to discourage my husband.)
As for giving constructive criticism – the problem is, it was not taken when I was inside the party. And, now, I don’t have the same time to give to this project, and am not in the know enough to give the criticism.
But, here is some long-standing stuff:
-Do not have an “Executive Director” position, it is uninviting to the kind of dissenters, empowered people, and creative thinkers who would want to feel part of a team of equals.
-Create a “Committee Ombudsman” and/or “Volunteer Coordinator” position (either paid, or unpaid, but with a lot of power) to help people in the states find their way onto committees.
-Apply the same logic and justice the Greens ask in external elections to their internal elections. So:
*stop with the game of having a “male Co-Chair and female Co-Chair” slot. It is simply a way to make two different races, instead of one proportional rerpresentation race. (And if you don’t get it, study fair elections rules.)
*when you hold elections, make sure that the leadership is fair and does not put people on and off committees in the days leading up to the election.
*when you hold in-person elections, do not allow some candidates and not others access to the staff computer and copy room to make candidate fliers. play fair.
-Get the Dispute Resolution Committee to meet their stated goal of having a list of unbiased mediators, instead of acting like the Big Brother club where a Co-Chair calls you on the phone and pleads and/or wheels and deals with you in some secret manner to resolve and bury conflict.
-Make sure that the folks voting as “The Black Caucus” on the voting page have support from what is an actual caucus. (Or, hand over the ropes to the Black Caucus Coordinating Committee, which has more members and is more fair.)
-Acknowledge that as the national party, by definition, the GP-US should focus on national races. And, for the GP-US to affect, discourage, or prioritize local races is partially to interfere with grassroots, on-the-ground decision making.
-vote YES on Prop 386, to make the International Committee run in a fair and transparent manner. (And, while you are at it, make sure that the Steering Committee is fair in setting the threshold for that proposal.)
Please note that some of the last good souls in the party are looking for signs and omens about staying or leaving the party. I think if the clique from the Int’l committee could get whipped in to shape with this proposal, and some good Steering Committee members (meaning independent and fair) could be elected this summer, some people might see hope. Otherwise, I think there will be more mass defections.
Also, fix that Green Pages committee, and figure out how to get a functioning, print paper like every socialist faction is able to do.
Take down stories from the Green Pages site and/or gp.org site that do not match green values. Such as the odd op-ed piece glorifying the war in Somalia and stories or statements which are oddly extremist on the pro-Israel and/or pro-Palestinian side (depending on which faction gets a coup.)
And a P.S. When you find out that someone was wrong, or had an agenda – like when a high profile person quits loudly for the Dems, or is sent to jail on drug charges – then do a small amount of truth and reconciliation, like apologizing to the good people that person attacked.
Of some of the people that thwarted and attacked me the most: 1 from national quit the Green Party and lambasted them in the press, and was also shortly thereafter sent to federal prison for something, I think drugs. 2. a different person in NY who was a long term detractor of mine went to federal prison on drugs (which to get federal prison probably means a career drug dealer) 3. a woman years ago who kept squeezing me out and joining forces against me quit for the Democrats. it seems clear she was thwarting all of us for years, while coddling up to a handful of the leaders to keep her power. 4. a person in NY who told me on a list-serve that I should quit the party, wound up being someone who had been embezzling funds from the party. (no jail or anything, he was related to the clique.)
But, I should be nice and quiet and not bring any of this up. Even though I never got any apology or acknowledgment that I was right. Just more and more criticism…
Hi. I’m not an NC rep, just a Green who is a little tired of every thread about the Green Party being hijacked by people with vendettas against GPUS.
Tired of unwarranted attacks on John Eder and Pat Lamarche, two folks who have done a lot to build the Green Party into a fighting force in Maine.
So you have ideas about how the Greens should do things? Great. Let’s hear ’em. Constructive comments, not destructive. Bury the hatchet and look to the future.
Michael…
Not sure if it came from an NC rep, but a pro GP-US administration person just answered in another thread…
He basically said…the Republicrats are so bad. So, we should all stop picking on the poor, old national Green Party.
😉
#43
let’s do it! 🙂
So where are the Greens, responding to these very serious allegations made by former National Green Party Delegates?
Mighty fricking quiet from them, isn’t it folks?
Tried to warn you folks that what you were doing would kill the GP.
But perhaps that was your intention. Well we learned from the past eight years too.
From the Greens For Nader website.
I can testify to the veracity of most of these allegations. Others have been verified by friends that I trust. But look, no Greenie Meanie responses.
Dang
Can’t find the website now. I will have to talk to my friend, National Greens For Nader rep and post it later.
I know i read it in 2008 and agreed with 100% of it’s points.
it was a catalogue of what things the GP was willing to do in an attempt to keep Nader from being the GP’s endorsed candidate.
For the record, I had been a rabid Cynthia McKinney fan and was horrified to watch the GP sabotage her campaign, right after they made sure that Nader did not get the endorsement.
This will then turn into the Fringe Alliance strategy. Milnes is the left/greenish candidate, Joseph is the libertarian, and I am the theocrat/socialist. Everyone is covered. The Democrats and Republicans will realize the error of trying to oppose it separately, and will adopt the Mainstream alliance strategy, running as a ticket together.
Now to find people for the Virginia election!
I currently live in California, but was born in New Jersey. Are there any other offices up this year? Maybe attorney general or secretary of state?
Sure. I’ll be Milnes’ vp. I lived in NC for mnany years :p
Jim, it has been many years since I’ve sent ant money to LPHQ, unless the money is earmarked for ballot access. Even there, they seem to muck it up!
And I think I was member # 89 in the first incarnation of the BTP. I think I have rejoined since, but I don’t pay much attention to the incompetence over there, either.
For that matter, I don’t have much to do with the LPO. I’ve always believed that politics was all local, and I can be just as incompetent locally as on a state or national stage!
🙂
PEACE
Steven R Linnabary @5
It has been some time since I saw anything from LP headquarters that reflected the views of the rank and file members, or even the platform of the LP. So long ago, it was actually eleven years ago that I bothered to renew my membership in the LP.
Some of us broke away in 2006 and joined Tom Knapp’s Boston Tea Party. You might check it out some time. Libertarians do need a national party that represents their views. Evidently, the LP is not that party.
Is Deborah a NJ resident presently?
BTW anyone know the minimum age for Gov/Lt Gov, and will they put LJ on the ballot anyway if he’s not old enough?
What about Donald Raymond Lake? Can’t he at least be campaign manager? I saw on your website he put together a very nice brochure or something.
Absolutely!
http://pauliecannoli.wordpress.com/2009/04/20/lpwv-gets-cryptic-letter-from-d-lake/
Lake is so in.
CT, what can you do on this, bro?
Paulie, I’ll pay you to get Bob/Deborah on the ballot!
🙂
How is your reconciliation coming, Bob?
PEACE
What about Donald Raymond Lake? Can’t he at least be campaign manager? I saw on your website he put together a very nice brochure or something.
That’s it folks…NJ can be the testing ground for the progressive alliance: the Milnes-LJ ticket. Granted, LJ is not female or southern; but he might have to take some for the team.
Anyone want to pay me to go put him on the ballot? LOL
Milnes already lives in NJ
I endorse the Robert Milnes/Cindy Sheehan fusion ticket and will vote for it in the 2012 presidential election.
However, I think first Milnes and Sheehan should relocate to New Jersey and run on a fusion ticket as Governor/Lieut. Governor in the upcoming election.
Oh–and Mike Gravel and Dan Hamburg–also great additions.
“Noam Chomsky”
I knew I was missing one.
Also activists Winona LaDuke and Doris “Granny D” Haddock would be great additions to the party.
On top of combining the suture of the Green Party, the Peace and Freedom Party and Vermont Progressive Party, I would suggest to leftists/ progressives wishing organizing a new third party to enlist prominent intellectuals like Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn and Cornel West. Also former leftist congressmen/women, like Cynthia McKinney, Dan Hamburg and John Anderson, and senators, like Mike Gravel, who have all been involved in third parties should be urged to join.
They should use the celebrity power of famous progressives to draw in members. These celebrities have endorsed third party candidates in the past: Roseanne Barr- actress; Professor Griff- Member of hip-hop group Public Enemy; M1- Member of hip-hop group Dead Prez; Sean Penn- actor; Val Kilmer- actress; Nellie McKay- musician; Ike Reilly- musician; Tom Morello- musician of Rage Against the Machine; Jello Biafra- musician of the Dead Kennedys; Michael Moore- film maker; Phil Donahue- TV personality; Tim Robbins- comedian and actor; Willie Nelson- country musician; Bill Murray- comedian and actor and Susan Sarandon- actress.
Get your celebrity power out progressives!
Michael, Michael, Michael, I agree with you and Trent, but please exclude our old friend/enemy, the fascist/stalinist criminal Ralph Nader, O THAT PERFIDIOUS TOOL OF SATAN, O THAT PIG OF SODOM AND GAMORRAH, amen. The only strategy is to make this coalition without him (and include the socialists, too! Maybe Brian Moore would join) and run against safe Democrats in their districts, like Sheehan did in her brilliant strategy against Nancy Pelosi. Republicans are worse than Democrats on the key military and economic issues, and the sooner far-left progressives realize that, the better. I would prefer that Sheehan endorse the Catholic Trotskyist fringe alliance strategy, or, lacking that, Robert Milnes’s progressive alliance strategy, and bring the new left-wing coalition into that, but first it is most important to focus on taking places like San Francisco from the Democrats, moving the Democrats more left, rather than trying to hand elections to Republicans. Move the Republicans and Democrats left, and initiate the Catholic Trotskyist new world order, combining Ron Paul foreign policy, Republican abortion policy, socialist economics and Democrat other issues, and initiate one-world government, gnostic communist electronic democracy, amen.
Yea, odd considering im a South-coast Old Right-Libertarian =P
Michael, Trent, Kim, so many West Coast ‘progressives’ agree with you…………..
Citizens For A Better Veterans Home
@5 – So? The rank and file is what’s relevant to a movement, not some national office which hires people who don’t even self-identify as ideologically libertarian.
@6 – I’d say she’d fit in on a lot of issues and not as well on others. The fact of the matter is that she could probably do some reading and study our philosophies, and end up understanding why the libertarian ideology is right. Most of us have gone through such a personal evolution. Or not. Either way, I’m a big-tent libertarian and don’t demand ideological purity from everyone. 😉
@12 – Have fun with that recruiting drive, Bob.
@21 – What’s wrong with the GP having a national ED? It’s a pretty standard job. The right way to deal with paid staff however is to keep them non-political. Don’t involve them in politics of activism. Use them for roles like coordinating outreach events,
All political parties have conflict. The nature of the beast. The Green Party is still the best place to build the positive alternative with candidates on the ballot.
Not just sitting around talking..
It is not about being leftist or not.
It is about being competent, and about potentially being a “thwarter” who pretends to like third parties, but is truly a mole for the Democrats. I am not saying either of those is either of those. But, the thought has crossed my mind about some of it…
Also, Michael C, please note that Brent McMillan’s reward for doing what he did to Elaine Brown was a promotion. I don’t know if he gets more money. But, now he is the “Executive Director” of GP-US.
The fact of the matter of a progressive political party having an “Executive Director”, and the fact of who got the job, was a lot of the reason I left the party.
Thanks,
Kimberly Wilder
Both LaMarche and Eder were mentioned only because they’re “Big names”–I’v no dog in the “which leftist is leftist enough” fight–i just think they should try to form a broad leftist coalition.
I say that she should either join the Green Party or the Peace and Freedom Party, both parties would be glad to have her.
Kimberley
You mean paid Political director of the national GP, paid $60,000/year, who tried to smear Elaine Brown, former GP mayor candidate of New Brunswick, CA? Friend of Greg Gerrett editor of GP newspaper (now defunct) and GP presidential Support Committee Chair who contacted Cynthia McKinney and Ralph Nader, telling them that the GP did not want them to run?
Just to start the discussion.
Hey Kimberley, how are ya?
If we start this discussion about GP-US, could someone do the research and find out exactly what Brent McMillan’s current title is?
The Steering Committee was trying to make him the “Executive Director” and he signed stuff like that for a bit. But, now I think I saw something on the gp.org web-site that says “Political Director”, and that is how he is listed at Wikipedia.
I think it would be hysterical if one of the reasons I left was fixed – but no one wants to say, for fear I might come back!
😉
Kimberly
Eeek!
Pat LaMarche is not needed for this luminous list of potential third party leaders.
She is more Rush Limbaugh than Ralph Nader. All talk and smiles. No substance.
Please, please. How are people to take these lists and possible coalitions seriously, when some of the people in them are ridiculous?
Also, I believe that John Eder really crossed the line to safe states and Dem kind of strategy. I am not sure how useful he would be in a third party coalition. Though, I have not studied the situation carefully.
I do think John Eder is a nice and interesting person. And, having been a third party elected official in a state legislature is certainly valuable. (Probably more valuable than having been the VP on a ticket that not only lost, but failed to meet the party goals…)
This seems liker the picture perfect thread to start the discussion on why some of us have drawn that political conclusion.
Go ahead and start it if you wish. Lay out your case. I can’t guarantee anyone will respond, although chances are that someone will.
BTW
There were no cornflakes pissed on in the making of this post. The non bruising of fragile egos can not be promised though.
LOLOL
Here is to Free Speech, Grassroots Democracy, Social Justice and Ecological Wisdom.
Practiced and not just spoken.
I think Cindy Sheehan found out that she could make more money as a fringe activist than she ever could at her old day job (whatever the hell that was)
All this comes from the fact that the progressive movement is split. Between what has evolved into the GP & LP. Split both sides become ineffective. Their support invariably deteriorates into GP>dems; LP>reps. The original progressive party>teddy Roosevelt failed to recruit enough dems/leftist progressives. Neo progressives are mostly leftists, alienating libertarians. The solution is NOT Milsted’s “new upper left party” or a Cindy Sheehan new progressive party. The solution is The Progressive Libertarian Alliance strategy-inclusive progressive vote coordination. GP>27%; LP 13%(Cato Institute). Cindy I look forward to recruiting you in this strategy.
Oh–and the Progressive Danes in Wisconsin and Anthony Pollina.
Trent,
I agree with the above.
She wont join the Green Party — it is a dwindling vehicle with a doubtable future. I’ll reiterate, she ought to call Ralph Nader, Matt Gonzalez, Howard Zinn, Rich Whitney, Pat LaMarche, Richard Carroll, John Eder, the Progressive Party of Vermont, Peace and Freedom Party of California, the California Green Party, the Wisconsin Green Party, all of the major or past office holders. A REAL leftist coalition third party could be built if only these people put aside their egos.
BTW
Cindy Sheehan ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!
I have watched events where she would start talking about G Bush, people would clap and cheer. then she would talk about the Dems complicity. Some would cheer while others started muttering. Shortly after this, some would attack and smear her. Calling Cindy Sheehan an attention whore, seeking media attention only.
The very same kind of people who cheered her when she sat at Camp Casey, finally giving the peace movement some media attention. But changed 180 degrees in attacking her when she spoke out against the Dems. It is all about one’s relationship with the other wing of the war machine. the Democratic party.
Cindy Sheehan exposed them, just as surely as she exposed the Rethugs, the war, Democrats etc etc.
CINDY SHEEHAN ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!
Well Well Well
Cindy Sheehan is starting a discussion on starting a new political party /movement. Just like we are in Minnesota and elsewhere it must be noted.
But she should join the Green Party sob some here.
Perhaps Cindy Sheehan talked to Ralph Nader, Matt Gonzalez and some of the unending streams of people who have left the GP. Those of us who have drawn the conclusion that the GP is not serious about building an alternative to the pro-war, corporate corrupted system.
This seems liker the picture perfect thread to start the discussion on why some of us have drawn that political conclusion.
So here is the criteria. There is an INDEPENDENT moderator here. Not one who will ban one side for “angry language” (cursing in censorship Green speak) simply because there are opposed to the GP “leadership” while letting those who support said “leadership” spew forth with vicious, mean spirited, toxic, curse laden diatribe (like former GP VP candidate Pat La Marche)
An INDEPENDENT, non censored discussion on WHY SO MANY OF US HAVE LEFT.
Are you up for it kiddies?
She favors government-sponsored health care and I could have sworn I once heard her defend progressive taxation? Why exactly would she fit with the LP? You may as well say she could join the Constitution Party.
mdh: Obviously the rank & file of the LP are *really* opposed to the war(s).
But when was the last time you saw a news release from National to that effect?
PEACE
I used to think it was repulsive when she went down and buddied up to Hugo Chavez. But for some reason I was not so annoyed with President Obama recently.
Still, there is something about Ms. Sheehan that makes me not want to support her at all. I don’t know what it is, but maybe it is because I personally lump her with the new Green Party focus on Israel (even though I realize she is not a Green in name). From another post, I do think the Independent Green Party of Virginia capture the traditional Green values better, but living in DC I can say they do come across as somewhat crackpot, whether deserved or not.
“Give me $10 for a PDF that describes how sh*tty things are!”
Meh.
Why not just join up with an existing party like the GP or the LP, both of which are *really* opposed to the occupations/wars of aggression?
Cindy should join the Green Party. I can’t really discern any major differences that would justify the formation of a new party.