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

Wed Sep 10 19:46:45 CDT 2008

Nader was on the CNN program "Situation Room" this afternoon (in a joint 
interview with Ron Paul) and described all four points, without disagreement.

His critique "After Greenspan: Bringing Democracy to the Federal Reserve" 
<http://www.counterpunch.org/nader02112006.html> appeared On CounterPunch in 
February of 2006.  --CGE

Robert Naiman wrote:
> 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.
>> _______________________________________________
>> Peace-discuss mailing list
>> Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net
>> http://lists.chambana.net/cgi-bin/listinfo/peace-discuss
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
> 
> 
> 