[Peace-discuss] We agree with Ron Paul: McKinney, Baldwin, Nader

[E. Wayne Johnson]

"As far as I can tell, there was no such press conference..."  - Robert (Bob) Naiman



Robert Naiman wrote:
> I wasn't questioning that there was a joint press conference. I was
> questioning the assertion that Nader had signed onto to this statement
> of principles, which was the original claim (and also seems to be
> claimed here in a weaker form.) Can anyone provide evidence that he
> did so?
>
> On Wed, Sep 10, 2008 at 1:47 PM, C. G. Estabrook <galliher at uiuc.edu> wrote:
>   
>> [It is surprising that Ralph agreed to participate, but he clearly did.  See
>> his website: <http://www.votenader.org/blog/2008/09/10/
>> ralph-nader-ron-paul-press-conference-this-morning/>. As the following
>> account says, "It's a coup for Paul, who has settled into a role as the
>> patron saint of political outcasts. He introduced the candidates as
>> representatives of the real American majority. 'Most people are voting for
>> the lesser of two evils!' Ralph Nader took the sentiment further, arguing
>> that lousy media coverage and trivia 'like the newest one, Lipstickgate!'
>> was preventing the average voter from learning how he agreed with these four
>> candidates. As weird as the event got, this was really something: Ralph
>> Nader, old-time contributer to the Freeman, signing on to a libertarian
>> candidate's principles." --CGE]
>>
>>
>>        What About Bob?
>>
>> David Weigel | September 10, 2008, 11:50am
>> http://www.reason.com/blog/show/128716.html
>>
>> Ron Paul's press conference with the top third party candidates just wrapped
>> up, but it was missing one of the scheduled speakers: Libertarian Bob Barr.
>> Barr pulled out of the conference this morning, but the LP's Austin Petersen
>> hadn't been told. He showed up with campaign literature and was kicked out
>> of the hallway by Paul spokesman Jesse Benton. "He was extremely angry,"
>> Petersen said. "I feel like the fall guy."
>>
>> [UPDATE: A video of the press conference is here:
>> http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Ron_Paul_offers_support_to_thirdparty_0910.html]
>>
>> I'll find out shortly why Barr decided to bail on the press conference. He
>> wasn't going to get an endorsement apart from Paul's blanket,
>> quasi-endorsement of all four candidates. According to Ralph Nader (who
>> joined the Green Party's Cynthia McKinney and the Constitution Party's Chuck
>> Baldwin on the dais), Barr's campaign manager Russ Verney affirmed that Barr
>> agreed with the premise behind the press conference, that all the candidates
>> had agreed to four principles.
>>
>>    Foreign Policy: The Iraq War must end as quickly as possible with removal
>> of all our soldiers from the region. We must initiate the return of our
>> soldiers from around the world, including Korea, Japan, Europe and the
>> entire Middle East. We must cease the war propaganda, threats of a blockade
>> and plans for attacks on Iran, nor should we re-ignite the cold war with
>> Russia over Georgia. We must be willing to talk to all countries and offer
>> friendship and trade and travel to all who are willing. We must take off the
>> table the threat of a nuclear first strike against all nations.
>>
>>    Privacy: We must protect the privacy and civil liberties of all persons
>> under US jurisdiction. We must repeal or radically change the Patriot Act,
>> the Military Commissions Act, and the FISA legislation. We must reject the
>> notion and practice of torture, eliminations of habeas corpus, secret
>> tribunals, and secret prisons. We must deny immunity for corporations that
>> spy willingly on the people for the benefit of the government. We must
>> reject the unitary presidency, the illegal use of signing statements and
>> excessive use of executive orders.
>>
>>    The National Debt: We believe that there should be no increase in the
>> national debt. The burden of debt placed on the next generation is unjust
>> and already threatening our economy and the value of our dollar. We must pay
>> our bills as we go along and not unfairly place this burden on a future
>> generation.
>>
>>    The Federal Reserve: We seek a thorough investigation, evaluation and
>> audit of the Federal Reserve System and its cozy relationships with the
>> banking, corporate, and other The arbitrary power to create money and credit
>> out of thin air behind closed doors for the benefit of commercial interests
>> must be ended. There should be no taxpayer bailouts of corporations and no
>> corporate subsidies. Corporations should be aggressively prosecuted for
>> their crimes and frauds. financial institutions.
>>
>> Barr agrees with all of that. It's a coup for Paul, who has settled into a
>> role as the patron saint of political outcasts. He introduced the candidates
>> as representatives of the real American majority. "Most people are voting
>> for the lesser of two evils!" Ralph Nader took the sentiment further,
>> arguing that lousy media coverage and trivia "like the newest one,
>> Lipstickgate!" was preventing the average voter from learning how he agreed
>> with these four candidates. As weird as the event got, this was really
>> something: Ralph Nader, old-time contributer to the Freeman, signing on to a
>> libertarian candidate's principles. Cynthia McKinney and Chuck Baldwin
>> agreeing on the bulk of a political platform.
>>
>> But it did get weird. There was no censorship of the candidates. Cynthia
>> McKinney had time to tell press to watch the film American Blackout and
>> learn how the 2000 and 2004 elections were stolen. Chuck Baldwin repeated
>> his line that when he's elected "the New World Order comes crashing down!"
>>
>> A few more details:
>>
>> - Paul said that the McCain campaign contacted him on Tuesday about
>> endorsing the GOP candidate. He turned them down, again.
>>
>> - Paul lambasted the Commission on Presidential Debates for excluding third
>> parties and recalled the way that his was excluded from Dukakis-Bush debates
>> 20 years ago. (Those wounds never heal. Who hasn't wondered what he would
>> have done if Kitty Dukakis was raped and murdered?) Paul's stance: If you're
>> on enough ballots to theoretically win 270 electoral votes, you should
>> debate.
>>
>> - Paul, on whether his endorsements would hurt McCain or Obama: "I don't
>> want to hurt anybody! I want to save the country!"
>>
>>
>> Robert Naiman wrote:
>>     
>>> As far as I can tell, there was no such press conference and no such
>>> joint statement.
>>>
>>> Somebody posted a statement on a Ron Paul website claiming that these
>>> were areas of agreement, not claiming that there was a joint statement
>>> of agreement.
>>>
>>> That Ralph Nader would have signed off on this statement is highly
>>> implausible.
>>>
>>> In particular, as far as I know, Ralph Nader does not advocate getting
>>> rid of the Federal Reserve function of regulating the money supply.
>>> Nor does he advocate "pay as you go" budget rules, which, in practice,
>>> are quite reactionary in their impact.
>>>
>>> This is the sentence that tipped me off:
>>>
>>> "The arbitrary power to create money and credit out of thin air behind
>>> closed doors for the benefit of commercial interests must be ended."
>>>
>>> That sentence was written by a Ron Paul supporter - someone who wants
>>> to abolish the Federal Reserve, the US central bank.  I will wager a
>>> thousand dollars against a dime that Ralph Nader never signed off on
>>> it.
>>>
>>> On Wed, Sep 10, 2008 at 10:41 AM, E. Wayne Johnson <ewj at pigs.ag> wrote:
>>>       
>>>> This morning at a press conference, Cynthia McKinney (Green Party), Chuck
>>>> Baldwin (Constitution Party), and Ralph Nader (independent) released a
>>>> a statement that they agree with Congressman Ron Paul on 4 key points.
>>>>  Interestingly Bob (patriot act) Barr did not participate.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> *
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> We Agree
>>>>
>>>> The Republican/Democrat duopoly has, for far too long, ignored the most
>>>> important issues facing our nation.  However, alternate candidates Chuck
>>>> Baldwin, Cynthia McKinney, and Ralph Nader agree with Ron Paul on four
>>>> key
>>>> principles central to the health of our nation. These principles should
>>>> be
>>>> key in the considerations of every voter this November and in every
>>>> election.
>>>>
>>>> We Agree
>>>>
>>>> Foreign Policy:
>>>> The Iraq War must end as quickly as possible with removal of all our
>>>> soldiers from the region. We must initiate the return of our soldiers
>>>> from
>>>> around the world, including Korea, Japan, Europe and the entire Middle
>>>> East.
>>>> We must cease the war propaganda, threats of a blockade and plans for
>>>> attacks on Iran, nor should we re-ignite the cold war with Russia over
>>>> Georgia. We must be willing to talk to all countries and offer friendship
>>>> and trade and travel to all who are willing. We must take off the table
>>>> the
>>>> threat of a nuclear first strike against all nations.
>>>>
>>>> Privacy:
>>>> We must protect the privacy and civil liberties of all persons under US
>>>> jurisdiction. We must repeal or radically change the Patriot Act, the
>>>> Military Commissions Act, and the FISA legislation. We must reject the
>>>> notion and practice of torture, eliminations of habeas corpus, secret
>>>> tribunals, and secret prisons. We must deny immunity for corporations
>>>> that
>>>> spy willingly on the people for the benefit of the government. We must
>>>> reject the unitary presidency, the illegal use of signing statements and
>>>> excessive use of executive orders.
>>>>
>>>> The National Debt:
>>>> We believe that there should be no increase in the national debt. The
>>>> burden
>>>> of debt placed on the next generation is unjust and already threatening
>>>> our
>>>> economy and the value of our dollar. We must pay our bills as we go along
>>>> and not unfairly place this burden on a future generation.
>>>>
>>>> The Federal Reserve:
>>>> We seek a thorough investigation, evaluation and audit of the Federal
>>>> Reserve System and its cozy relationships with the banking, corporate,
>>>> and
>>>> other financial institutions. The arbitrary power to create money and
>>>> credit
>>>> out of thin air behind closed doors for the benefit of commercial
>>>> interests
>>>> must be ended. There should be no taxpayer bailouts of corporations and
>>>> no
>>>> corporate subsidies. Corporations should be aggressively prosecuted for
>>>> their crimes and frauds.
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Peace-discuss mailing list
>>>> Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net
>>>> http://lists.chambana.net/cgi-bin/listinfo/peace-discuss
>>>>
>>>>         
>>>
>>>       
>
>
>
>   
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