{news} GP RELEASE Greens challenge warhawk Dems trying to grab antiwar votes

[Justine McCabe]

GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
http://www.gp.org

For Immediate Release:
Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Contacts:
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, mclarty at greens.org
Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, starlene at greens.org


Greens tackle Democratic Party hypocrisy: pro-war Democrats campaigning for 
antiwar votes

. According to polls, most Americans agree with Green candidates' call for 
U.S. troop withdrawal; voters urged to vote Green and send an Election Day 
message to Congress and the White House: end the war


WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Green Party candidates and leaders called on voters to 
reject Democrats who supported President Bush's invasion and occupation of 
Iraq but now advertise themselves as the opposition to Republicans on the 
Iraq war.

"We want voters to beware of warhawk Democrats who are trying to position 
themselves as the alternative to warhawk Republicans," said Chris Lugo, 
Tennessee Green candidate for the U.S. Senate <http://www.chris4senate.com>, 
who is running against Democratic Congressman Harold Ford, Jr., who has 
consistently voted for the war.  Mr. Ford said a year ago that he wanted to 
win the war in Iraq by sending 500,000 more U.S. troops, which spurred Mr. 
Lugo to run as a peace candidate.

"Mainstream Democrats joined Republicans in Congress when they jumped on the 
Iraq war bandwagon and voted in favor of transferring war powers to the 
White House, for bigger military budgets to fight the war, and against 
bringing U.S. troops home.  The only party that represents the views of most 
Americans on the war is the Green Party, which calls for immediate 
withdrawal from Iraq," Mr. Lugo added.

. Green congressional candidate Byron De Lear's race 
<http://www.delearforcongress.org> against 12-term incumbent Rep. Howard 
Berman (D) in California's 28th District has emerged as a lively topic on 
the popular political blog Daily Kos.  In a poll conducted by the 
pro-Democratic Kos, Mr. De Lear is ahead of Mr. Berman by 11 points, and the 
normally partisan Kos is now breaking ranks with a Democratic incumbent 
because of Mr. Berman consistent votes in favor of the Iraq war.  As Code 
Pink member and Progressive Democrat Linda Milazzo posted, "Howard Berman 
might as well be Republican.  He's a war hawk who has helped empower George 
Bush....  I support Byron DeLear.  As should anyone who sees the destruction 
of our Democracy!"

. Jeff Kravitz, Congress in California's 5th District 
<http://www.kravitzforcongress.org>, is challenging his Democratic 
competition in radio and TV ads: "Rep. Doris Matsui is no better than a 
Republican warhawk when it comes to the war in Iraq..." leads the radio 
spot.  "Incumbent Doris Matsui has blood on her hands..." states the TV 
spot, referring to Ms. Matsui's votes to fund the war, although she claims 
she opposes the war.

. Maryland Green candidate Kevin Zeese <http://www.kevinzeese.com> is 
challenging Rep. Ben Cardin (D) and Lt. Gov. Michael Steele (R) for the U.S. 
Senate seat.  Mr. Steele initially supported the war, but now says the U.S. 
should bring the troops home as soon as possible.  Rep. Cardin has voted 
against every amendment calling for an exit strategy, in favor of 'stay the 
course' resolutions and for $320 billion in funding for the U.S. occupation. 
  On NBC News' Meet the Press, Rep. Cardin claimed that his goal was to 
remove the troops in 2007 -- but said that this goal was not a timetable and 
depended on the circumstances.  Mr. Zeese heads the anti-war group 
DemocracyRising.US <http://democracyrising.us> and was co-founder of 
VotersForPeace.US <http://www.votersforpeace.us>.  In addition to favor a 
rapid and responsible withdrawal of U.S. troops and corporations from Iraq, 
he favors taking the bombing of Iran off the table, a position neither of 
his opponents will take.

. Michigan Green candidate David Sole <http://www.stopthewarslate.org> notes 
that Debbie Stabenow, incumbent Democrat for Senate, has echoed the 
Bush-Rumsfield line and voted for every appropriation for the war and for 
the right to torture detainees.  Mr. Sole, the only antiwar voice in the 
Michigan race for U.S. Senate, has faced refusal by most of Michigan media 
to cover his campaign, although he recently received an endorsement from the 
Michigan Citizen, Detroit's largest and most progressive African American 
weekly newspaper.

. In New York, Green candidate Howie Hawkins 
<http://www.hawkinsforsenate.org> is challenging Hillary Clinton for her 
U.S. Senate seat.  Even though Ms. Clinton has called for 80,000 more U.S. 
troops to be sent to Iraq to maintain the occupation, she has drawn 
endorsements from groups like the Working Families Party and MoveOn.org, 
which claim to oppose the war.  63% of New Yorkers oppose the war.

. Green congressional candidate Mike Miles <milesforcongress.com> is facing 
incumbent Democrat David Obey in Wisconsin's 7th District.  "The problem 
with Dave is that while he is sincerely against the war he keeps paying for 
it.  I was also disappointed to see that over the years he has accepted over 
$150,000 from AIPAC.  It just shows how money has contaminated the whole 
political process," said Mr. Miles.

"The 2006 election has more than ever exposed the Democratic Party's lack of 
backbone and revealed the need for a real opposition party," said Liz 
Arnone, co-chair of the Green Party of the United States.  "A vote for a 
warhawk candidate, whether Democrat or Republican, is a vote for more war, 
more U.S troop deaths, and more dead Iraqi civilians.  The disconnect 
between campaign rhetoric and the reality of voting records is a deadly 
disservice to American voters."

Greens also noted that leading Democrats have claimed to defend working 
people from corporations while raking in huge corporate contributions 
("Democrats Get Late Donations From Business," New York Times, October 28 
<http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/28/us/politics/28hedge.html>) and have 
preached health care reform while rejecting national health insurance (which 
Greens support).

"The Green Party's message is this: if you want an end to the war, stop 
throwing away your vote on candidates who don't agree with you.  Vote 
Green," said Steve Kramer, national Green Party co-chair.


MORE INFORMATION

Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org
1700 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 404
Washington, DC 20009.
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
Fax 202-319-7193

Green campaign listings, news, photos, and web sites 
http://www.gp.org/2006elections
Database of 2006 Green candidates http://www.greens.org/elections
Video clips of Green candidates http://www.gp.org/2006elections/media.shtml
Green Party News Center http://www.gp.org/newscenter.shtml


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