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Dems force Greens off ballot in PA, will the IDP do the same?
In a fearless defense of the status quo and special interest domination of politics, the PA democratic machine forced progressive candidates from the Green Party to withdraw their names from the fall elections. Why? Because "Democrats have complained of foul play because GOP donors helped bankroll Romanelli's petition drive, an appeal by Santorum produced volunteers for the effort and members of Santorum's campaign staff even helped gather signatures. "
Of course, in accordance with election laws (which are drafted by the republicans and democrats in state legislatures across the country) this is not illegal.
Because Greens are running on issues that resonate broadly with liberals and democrats, and the fact that we are not controlled by the special interest money machine that bankrolls the two corporate controlled parties - Greens are attacked from a legalistic route.
"GOP donors helped bankroll..." Interesting, the election laws (again, written by democrats and republicans) do not specify that you can only give money to the party you belong to. Hmmmmm......I wonder how many democrats gave money to Reagan considering his landslide victories in 1980 and 1984, and how many democrats have money to the GW campaigns in 2000 and 2004? The hypocrisy of the democratic party operatives in PA is complete, yet totally predictable. The fact is, no campaign dollar, and no campaign vote is pre-ordained to go to any party or campaign- it has to be given by individuals for their own reasons.
This is one of the many reasons I keep a lawyers phone number with the Iowa ACLU on speed-dial.
The Green Party has been growing steadily for the past 20 years in the face of rising opposition from the corporate controlled parties? Why? Because we speak directly to the people about issues they care about, and we are not bankrolled (and therefore controlled) by special interest donors and PAC's. In the struggle for social justice:
First, they ignore you
Then, they laugh at you
They, they fight you
And then, you win.
********
Green Party candidates for governor, lieutenant
gov., to withdraw
MARTHA RAFFAELE
Associated Press, August 11, 2006
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/ccti
HARRISBURG, Pa. - Green Party gubernatorial
candidate Marakay Rogers and her running mate are
withdrawing their nominating papers for the Nov.
7 election because they cannot afford to defend
themselves against a legal challenge by
Democrats, Rogers said Friday.
Rogers, a York attorney, said she and lieutenant
governor candidate Christina Valente are asking
to have their names removed from nominating
papers they submitted jointly with U.S. Senate
Green candidate Carl Romanelli. Their lawyer, Sam
Stretton, said he filed their request by mail
Friday with Commonwealth Court.
The Democrats on Tuesday asked a court to remove
all three candidates from the fall ballot,
alleging that more than 69,000 of the signatures
they collected included fake names, names of
unregistered voters and illegible signatures. A
court review of the signatures is expected to
begin Monday.
Rogers, however, said she is not ending her
candidacy. She hopes that a federal appeals court
will rule favorably in a lawsuit filed by minor
parties seeking to overturn the state's signature
requirement for their candidates.
"As candidates, we have not conceded anything,"
Rogers said.
Minor-party and independent candidates for
statewide office had to collect an
extraordinarily high number of signatures -
67,070 - to qualify this year for the November
ballot.
Romanelli could hurt Democratic State Treasurer
Bob Casey's efforts to unseat Republican Sen.
Rick Santorum in one of the nation's most hotly
contested U.S. Senate races.
Democrats have complained of foul play because
GOP donors helped bankroll Romanelli's petition
drive, an appeal by Santorum produced volunteers
for the effort and members of Santorum's campaign
staff even helped gather signatures.
Romanelli, a railroad industry consultant from
Wilkes-Barre and a former family-court support
officer, said Friday he would fight for all three
of the Green Party's statewide candidates to
remain on the ballot. He said he would use money
collected from ongoing fundraising to defray
legal costs.
"I have confidence in our (signature) submission
... and I still submit we will prevail,"
Romanelli said.
Democratic Party Chairman T.J. Rooney issued a
statement Friday urging Romanelli to withdraw
from the ballot.
"To continue with this charade is a colossal
waste of time for the court and does nothing to
inspire confidence in voters," Rooney said.
The signature requirement for those minor-party
candidates represents 2 percent of the ballots
cast for the top vote-getter in the last
statewide election. This year's threshold was
based on a record 3.4 million votes Casey
received when he was elected to his first term as
state treasurer in 2004.
Of course, in accordance with election laws (which are drafted by the republicans and democrats in state legislatures across the country) this is not illegal.
Because Greens are running on issues that resonate broadly with liberals and democrats, and the fact that we are not controlled by the special interest money machine that bankrolls the two corporate controlled parties - Greens are attacked from a legalistic route.
"GOP donors helped bankroll..." Interesting, the election laws (again, written by democrats and republicans) do not specify that you can only give money to the party you belong to. Hmmmmm......I wonder how many democrats gave money to Reagan considering his landslide victories in 1980 and 1984, and how many democrats have money to the GW campaigns in 2000 and 2004? The hypocrisy of the democratic party operatives in PA is complete, yet totally predictable. The fact is, no campaign dollar, and no campaign vote is pre-ordained to go to any party or campaign- it has to be given by individuals for their own reasons.
This is one of the many reasons I keep a lawyers phone number with the Iowa ACLU on speed-dial.
The Green Party has been growing steadily for the past 20 years in the face of rising opposition from the corporate controlled parties? Why? Because we speak directly to the people about issues they care about, and we are not bankrolled (and therefore controlled) by special interest donors and PAC's. In the struggle for social justice:
First, they ignore you
Then, they laugh at you
They, they fight you
And then, you win.
********
Green Party candidates for governor, lieutenant
gov., to withdraw
MARTHA RAFFAELE
Associated Press, August 11, 2006
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/ccti
HARRISBURG, Pa. - Green Party gubernatorial
candidate Marakay Rogers and her running mate are
withdrawing their nominating papers for the Nov.
7 election because they cannot afford to defend
themselves against a legal challenge by
Democrats, Rogers said Friday.
Rogers, a York attorney, said she and lieutenant
governor candidate Christina Valente are asking
to have their names removed from nominating
papers they submitted jointly with U.S. Senate
Green candidate Carl Romanelli. Their lawyer, Sam
Stretton, said he filed their request by mail
Friday with Commonwealth Court.
The Democrats on Tuesday asked a court to remove
all three candidates from the fall ballot,
alleging that more than 69,000 of the signatures
they collected included fake names, names of
unregistered voters and illegible signatures. A
court review of the signatures is expected to
begin Monday.
Rogers, however, said she is not ending her
candidacy. She hopes that a federal appeals court
will rule favorably in a lawsuit filed by minor
parties seeking to overturn the state's signature
requirement for their candidates.
"As candidates, we have not conceded anything,"
Rogers said.
Minor-party and independent candidates for
statewide office had to collect an
extraordinarily high number of signatures -
67,070 - to qualify this year for the November
ballot.
Romanelli could hurt Democratic State Treasurer
Bob Casey's efforts to unseat Republican Sen.
Rick Santorum in one of the nation's most hotly
contested U.S. Senate races.
Democrats have complained of foul play because
GOP donors helped bankroll Romanelli's petition
drive, an appeal by Santorum produced volunteers
for the effort and members of Santorum's campaign
staff even helped gather signatures.
Romanelli, a railroad industry consultant from
Wilkes-Barre and a former family-court support
officer, said Friday he would fight for all three
of the Green Party's statewide candidates to
remain on the ballot. He said he would use money
collected from ongoing fundraising to defray
legal costs.
"I have confidence in our (signature) submission
... and I still submit we will prevail,"
Romanelli said.
Democratic Party Chairman T.J. Rooney issued a
statement Friday urging Romanelli to withdraw
from the ballot.
"To continue with this charade is a colossal
waste of time for the court and does nothing to
inspire confidence in voters," Rooney said.
The signature requirement for those minor-party
candidates represents 2 percent of the ballots
cast for the top vote-getter in the last
statewide election. This year's threshold was
based on a record 3.4 million votes Casey
received when he was elected to his first term as
state treasurer in 2004.
