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

[E. Wayne Johnson]

"Members of the Federal Reserve who rushed to their dictionaries for a 
definition of "transparency"
must have felt an artic chill when the words "readily understandable, 
obvious, without guile" popped up"

ar_c_tic...

but I had to go to the online dictionary to look up "guffaw" after I 
read this.

***

In other news, Barack Obama has compared the selection of Sarai Palin to
"putting lipstick on a pig".  Rumour is that the National Swine Improvement
Federation (www.nsif.com <http://www.nsif.com>) will be demanding an 
apology.




C. G. Estabrook wrote:
> 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
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/archive/peace-discuss/attachments/20080910/0bb91434/attachment-0001.html