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News :: Miscellaneous |
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Green Party Names Names: Reps. Clement, Dicks, Smith, Green, Lind and Kleczka |
Current rating: 0 |
by Green Party USA
(No verified email address) |
20 Nov 2001
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Greens promise that Fast Track support will be a top campaign issue |
WASHINGTON - November 19 - As Congress heads for a one-week recess, Green Party officials issued a blunt warning to six congressional incumbents today, promising that Green Party challengers will run aggressive campaigns against them based upon their support for Fast Track legislation currently before Congress.
"Green Party congressional candidates will fight to defend American sovereignty against anti-democratic trade pacts, and we will campaign to hold congressional incumbents accountable for their betrayal of working people and the environment," said Ben Manski, Co-Chair of the Green Party of the United States.
The Green Party released a list of six targeted Democratic and Republican members of Congress against whom they intend to run serious challenges:
REPRESENTATIVE BOB CLEMENT (D-TN, 5) - Rep. Clement faces a growing challenge from mathematics professor Dr. Jonathan D. Farley, of Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Dr. Farley, an advocate of reparations for slavery and segregation, is a rising star who has been featured recently in Essence Magazine, the hip-hop magazine The Source, and Ebony as a "Leader of the Future."
"My opponent is a favorite of the corporate lobby, and they are counting on him to deliver on Fast Track. But, thanks to pressure from the Greens, he may oppose it," said Dr. Farley. "If he doesn't, come next November, Congressman 'Inclement' may just get down-sized."
REPRESENTATIVE NORM DICKS (D-WA, 3); REPRESENTATIVE ADAM SMITH (D-WA, 9) - Prominent Greens in Washington state, frustrated with the unresponsiveness of Representative Dicks and Smith both to respectful appeals and to picketing by Greens and labor activists regarding their respective trade stances, have made a public appeal for candidates to challenge them. Rep. Dicks is considered a leaning "yes" vote on Fast Track and Rep. Smith is considered to be on the fence; both are considered vulnerable in their reelection bids.
Washington Greens have reason to expect success: Last year, Green Party candidate Joe Szwaja won 20% of the vote in his challenge of Rep. Jim McDermott, and political observers have noted McDermott's recent leadership in questioning the bombing of Afghanistan and fighting the passage of Fast Track.
"Our message to Representatives Dicks and Smith is crystal clear: You won't be able to take the progressive vote for granted, we're going to speak for the interests of workers, consumers, and nature, and we will define the issues in this campaign," said Szwaja, the most successful Green Party candidate for federal office thus far in the United States.
REPRESENTATIVE GERALD KLECZKA (D-WI, 4) - Greater Milwaukee Green Party member Brian Merrill Vasquez Verdin has announced an anti-war pro-democracy campaign for the Green Party nomination for Congress. Verdin is a member of the International Association of Machinists union (IAM) with deep roots in the labor movement and Milwaukee's Latino community. Verdin expects to face incumbent Rep. Kleczka after redistricting next year.
"I want to join Barbara Lee. I want to be one more congressperson who will stand with Barbara Lee and say 'Hell No!' to war, Fast Track, and corporate profiteering," said Verdin.
REPRESENTATIVE MARK GREEN (R-WI, 8) - Rep. Green can soon expect to face a serious Green Party challenger in northeast Wisconsin, as his likely opponent will announce her candidacy within weeks. The Wisconsin Green Party has committed to the 8th District race. Green is currently considered to be a fence-sitter on Fast Track.
REPRESENTATIVE RON KIND (D-WI, 3) - Rep. Kind has angered western Wisconsin dairy farmers and steelworkers with his past voting record on trade issues, and is considered vulnerable in this independent-minded district that gave the Nader/LaDuke ticket its best percentages in 2000. Kind is considered to be leaning in favor of a 'yes' vote on Fast Track even though thousands of workers in his district have lost their jobs at La Crosse Boot, Heileman Brewery, Rayovac, Lands End, and other factories due to trade-related job exports. The Wisconsin Green Party is actively recruiting candidates in the 3rd District and is committed to the race.
The above races are against congressional incumbents considered key to the upcoming Fast Track vote. Greens also have declared their candidacies for Congress in Arkansas (2nd), California (41st), and Nevada (1st), and are gearing up to run serious campaigns in hundreds of other congressional and statewide races next year. Over 275 Greens vied for federal, state, and local office in 2001, and at least 52 of these won election.
H.R. 3005 would grant Fast Track trade negotiation powers to the President and represents a substantial transfer of Congress' constitutionally-mandated authority over trade to the executive branch. Greens join with the AFL-CIO, the Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth, Public Citizen, and hundreds of other unions, civil rights, environmental, student, farm, and democracy groups in strongly opposing the bill.
Greens generally oppose the establishment of trade agreements which undermine democracy and erode environmental, labor, and civil rights protections. Greens specifically oppose the granting of Presidential Fast Track authority because of the perception that the Presidency is insensitive to citizen concerns about trade policy.
MORE INFORMATION
The Green Party of the United States
http://gp-us.org
10/18/01 - Previous Green Party Release on Fast Track
http://www.gp-us.org/press/pr_10_18_01.html
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See also:
http://www.gpus.org
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