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

Wed Sep 10 14:54:06 CDT 2008

You posted a statement, claiming that Nader had released it. I asked
you for the reference. I followed the link that you provided, which
gave no indication of a press conference releasing a joint statement.
I also followed the link on that site, which also gave no indication
of a press conference releasing a joint statement.

I'm still curious if anyone can provide evidence that Nader signed
this statement.

On Wed, Sep 10, 2008 at 2:42 PM, E. Wayne Johnson <ewj at pigs.ag> wrote:
> "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.
> _______________________________________________
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>
>
>
>
>
>

-- 
Robert Naiman
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org
naiman at justforeignpolicy.org

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