{news} RE: Duffee to drop out?

[David Bedell]

For better or for worse, the word is out.  Of course, when the Advocate 
reports a "closed meeting for the party's leadership" it really means an 
open meeting for all Green Party members and supporters.  Party members in 
the 4th District will be allowed to vote.

RSVP or cast a vote on Evite:
http://www.evite.com/pages/invite/viewInvite.jsp?event=NSABLCIXDCVNPTYXVWDI

David Bedell


----Original Message Follows----
Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2006 06:46:42 -0700 (PDT)
From: Green Party-CT <greenpartyct@ yahoo.com>
Subject: {news} Durfee to drop out?
To: ElectionsCTGP <CTGP-elections@ yahoogroups.com>,
	ctgp-news@ ml.greens.org,	newhavengreens@ yahoogroups.com


http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/local/scn-sa-green3oct20,0,3776992.story?coll=stam-news-local-headlines

   Green Party may drop candidate, switch support to Farrell

By Mark Ginocchio
Staff Writer

October 20, 2006

To avoid being a spoiler for Democrat Diane Farrell's congressional bid, 
state Green Party officials plan to meet this weekend to discuss dropping 
their candidate in the 4th District race and supporting the former Westport 
first selectwoman.

When the party nominated Stamford resident Richard Duffee in July, many 
party members said they should run a candidate only if it didn't hurt 
Farrell's chances of ousting U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Bridgeport, said 
David Bedell, secretary for the Green Party's Fairfield County chapter.

Tomorrow's closed meeting for the party's leadership came at the suggestion 
of Farrell's camp and the Green Party, Bedell said.

A Green Party flier for its members suggested Farrell could make 
"concessions in exchange for our withdrawal," though Bedell would not 
discuss specific expectations.

"We discussed this happening a number of times, and now we're looking at it 
again," Bedell said.

The party's members will vote on dropping Duffee, and the results should be 
made public next week, Bedell added.

Since the Green Party does not have minor-party status for the 4th District 
office -- meaning it has not gained 1 percent of the vote in past elections 
-- it cannot cross-endorse another candidate. The party could replace Duffee 
with another candidate up until Oct. 30.

"If he were to withdraw, the party can nominate another candidate, but not 
another existing candidate on the ballot," state elections officer Arthur 
Champagne said.

Shays' camp criticized Farrell and the Green Party, calling the closed-door 
meeting "questionable."

"At this late stage in the game, the meeting should be open to the public," 
said Michael Sohn, Shays' campaign manger. "What concessions is she going to 
make? After all the debates, what is going to change?"

The candidates finished their last of 11 debates yesterday at the Norwalk 
Inn & Conference Center.

Farrell's campaign manager Adam Wood dismissed the attack, calling the 
meeting one of many the Democrat is using "to persuade people to vote for 
change."

Wood said he wouldn't define the "concessions" expected by the Greens in 
their flier because "I wouldn't want the Greens to speak for me. I wouldn't 
want the Republicans to speak for me. I wouldn't want the Libertarians to 
speak for me. So I won't speak for them."

Duffee, who has appeared in the fewest debates among the candidates since 
the campaign started, said he has always understood the party could 
eventually drop him, and he wouldn't be disappointed if it happened.

"I never had the notion that it was possible for the Green Party to win this 
election," Duffee said. "I know people say you run to win, but it would be 
irresponsible for me to think that. My purpose was to get information into 
the campaign and to get into political discussions. I wanted to make some of 
these ideas more accessible."

The 4th Congressional District election has been considered by most 
political analysts to be a toss-up. A Reuters/Zogby poll released this month 
put Farrell ahead of Shays 46 percent to 41 percent with 13 percent still 
undecided; a poll by the University of Connecticut and The Advocate and 
Greenwich Time taken during the same period showed Shays up 44 percent to 40 
percent with 16 percent undecided.

-- Assistant City Editor Jonathan Lucas contributed to this story.   
Copyright © 2006, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.

_________________________________________________________________
Find a local pizza place, music store, museum and more…then map the best 
route!  http://local.live.com?FORM=MGA001