{news} Green Party senatorial candidate Hawkins Calls for Lawsuit to Win Green Ballot Line

[Justine McCabe]

>> Hawkins for US Senate
>> <http://www.hawkinsforsenate.org/>www.HawkinsForSenate.org
>>
>> News Release
>>
>> For immediate release: Tuesday, November 7, 2006
>> For more information:
>> Howie Hawkins, (315) 425-1019, (315) 481-7710
>>
>> Hawkins Says Anti-War Stance Propels Him to Highest Vote for Green Party
>> Candidate for US Senate in New York To Date
>>
>> Calls for Lawsuit to Win Green Party a Ballot Line
>>
>> Laments Lack of Discussion of Real Issues in Senate Race
>>
>> Howie Hawkins, the Green Party candidate for US Senate, said today that 
>> his
>> anti-war "troops home now" position helped propel him to the highest vote
>> total for a Green Party candidate for US Senator since the Greens began
>> fielding candidates for the position in 1998.
>>
>> The initial canvass of votes reported Tuesday night had Hawkins at over
>> 50,000 votes, despite the lowest statewide voter turnout in modern 
>> history.
>> The previous Green votes for US Senate were 14,785 for Joel Kovel in 
>> 1998,
>> 40,991 for Mark Dunau in 2000, and 36,942 for David McReynolds in 2004.
>>
>> The Green candidate for Attorney General, Rachel Treichler, received well
>> over 50,000, while the Green candidate for Comptroller, Julia Willebrand,
>> received well over 100,000 votes. However, the top of the Green ticket,
>> Malachy McCourt for Governor and Alison Duncan for Lieutenant Governor, 
>> were
>> reported be the low 40,000s. It takes 50,000 votes for a party's
>> gubernatorial ticket to establishes a party's right to a ballot line for 
>> the
>> next four years, according to the New York Election Law.
>>
>> Hawkins said that Tuesday nights Greens around the state were already
>> talking about filing a lawsuit to win a ballot line based on the fact 
>> that
>> three of its statewide candidates passed the 50,000 vote threshold. A
>> lawsuit by the Green Party of Alaska won that party a ballot line in 
>> similar
>> circumstances earlier this year. Four years ago, the Green Party of New 
>> York
>> won a lawsuit that established the right of members of non-ballot 
>> qualified
>> parties that qualified gubernatorial candidates by petition to enroll in
>> those parties for the next four years with boards of elections.
>>
>> "The Democratic victories on Tuesday were a vote of no confidence in the
>> Bush administration and opposition to the war in Iraq, not a vote for the
>> Democratic alternative, because they didn't present one. Americans want
>> change in Albany and in Washington. It is time for the victors to pay
>> attention to the American people and bring our troops home. Too often
>> politicians and parties turn a deaf ear to the voters once Election Day 
>> is
>> over. We need Clinton, the Democrats, and other victors in this election 
>> to
>> remember that the voters want good, secure jobs and quality health care 
>> for
>> all Americans, not more tax cuts and corporate welfare for their rich
>> contributors," stated Hawkins in conceding the race for US Senator to
>> Hillary Clinton.
>>
>> Hawkins lamented that "the Greens did offer an alternative program but
>> received only token media coverage. The majority of New Yorkers agree 
>> with
>> Greens on most issues, from opposing the war in Iraq, supporting
>> single-payer health insurance for all, and supporting massive public
>> investment in renewable energy instead of wars for oil. But these life 
>> and
>> death issues were ignored during this campaign. Instead, the media buzz 
>> in
>> my race for the US Senate seat was about whether or not Spencer said 
>> Clinton
>> had plastic surgery and about her looming presidential run," observed
>> Hawkins.
>>
>> "Corporations, especially in the oil, military, finance, and insurance
>> industries, are continuing to centralize their power in America. 
>> Elections
>> are now primarily about whether candidates can pony up enough money to 
>> get
>> into the game, either by selling their souls to corporate contributors or
>> because of their own wealth. The media is concentrating into fewer and 
>> fewer
>> corporate giants, who cover elections as horse races and beauty contests 
>> and
>> neglect serious candidates from upstart parties who raise real issues and
>> policy alternatives," noted Hawkins.
>>
>> "Many voters told me they were disgusted with all the negative 
>> advertising,"
>> Hawkins said. "We saw little more than celebrity endorsements and
>> mudslinging from the major party candidates. A significant part of the
>> problem is that the Democrats and Republicans largely agree about 
>> corporate
>> power, economic inequality, regressive taxes, aggressive militarism, and
>> diminished civil liberties. They don't have real issues to debate. They
>> won't take positions that might alienate their corporate funders."
>>
>> "Voters across America said today that they wanted change. But real 
>> change
>> is not on the Democratic agenda. Even Bush has adopted Clinton's 'change
>> course in Iraq' slogan. Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard 
>> Dean
>> calls for a 'new strategy in Iraq.' The operative words are 'in Iraq.'
>> Likely House leader Nancy Pelosi has assured voters that impeachment is 
>> off
>> the table. Just as Clinton did in 1993, health care reform will primarily
>> end up channeling more money and power to the insurance companies. It's 
>> all
>> about money and power, not about building peace, protecting the 
>> environment,
>> and meeting the needs of middle class, working class, and poor people,"
>> added Hawkins.