On the list are:

Jared Ball (DC)
Rosa Clemente (NY)
Tom Clements (SC)
Howie Hawkins (NY)
Jesse Johnson (WV)
Cynthia McKinney (GA)
Jill Stein (MA)
kat swift (TX)
Laura Wells (CA)
Rich Whitney (IL)

There is also a space to vote for “Another Green Party candidate not listed here”.

The editorial mentions several of the most prominent members and candidate of the Green Party.

Lastly we’d have to talk about Dr. Jared Ball out of Maryland who is best known for his political mix tapes “Freemix radio” ran for Green Party nomination for president in in ’08 and long time activist Rosa Clemente who made history by securing the vice presidential nomination for the Green Party. She and former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney had their name on the ballots in all 50 states and garnered impressive numbers even though their historic bid was overshadowed by Barack Obama’s run for the White House which definitely brought out and politicized many in the Hip-Hop generation.

McKinney and Clemente did not have their name on all 50 state ballots in their 2008 Presidential run. She was on 32 ballots and was a write-in in 18 others.

From a Green Party of the United States press release:

Greens: Make peace, political self-determination, and economic self-sufficiency part of the US aid for post-earthquake Haiti

GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
http://www.gp.org

For Immediate Release:
Sunday, January 17, 2010

Green Party leaders assert that aid to Haiti must not be delivered under the barrel of a US machine gun; Greens thank Obama for granting long overdue Temporary Protected Status to Haitians in the US

Green Party Black Caucus contacts: http://www.gp.org/committees/black

WASHINGTON, DC — Green Party leaders expressed sympathy and solidarity with the people of Haiti in the wake of Tuesday’s catastrophic earthquake, and urged President Obama to make peace, political self-determination, and economic self-sufficiency part of US relief efforts for Haiti.

Party leaders also demanded that US forces not obstruct relief efforts, after a Doctors Without Borders cargo plane carrying medicine and other badly needed supplies was blocked from landing on Saturday (http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org//press/release.cfm?id=4165&cat=press-release / http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7017546193). Haiti air-space has been under US control since January 15.

Greens have joined the millions of other Americans who are sending contributions to Haiti, with an emphasis on charitable groups that are most effective in getting aid to Haiti and have a solid record of human rights advocacy and grassroots community development work in Haiti.

Former Green presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney visited Haiti in May and June, 2008, and spoke at the SOPUDEP School in Pétion-Ville, a suburb of Port-au-Prince (http://www.sopudep.org). The school provides free tuition to hundreds of poor children. Greens have learned that the school is still standing and will serve as a relief center, but there is still little news on students and staff (http://www.orilliapacket.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2264272).

“We hope President Obama sees this sad occasion as a chance to initiate a new era of relations with Haiti, one based on cooperation, respect, and non-intervention. It should begin with a massive and green rebuilding effort that promotes Haiti’s political self-determination and economic self-sufficiency. If President Obama’s post-earthquake aid plan for Haiti puts an end to a century of exploitation for cheap labor, brutal human rights abuses by US-backed regimes, colonial corruption and graft, and political bullying by the US, he’ll be remembered for having helped the Haitian people emerge from two disasters — the earthquake itself and Haiti’s status as the poorest nation in the western hemisphere,” said Rosa Clemente, 2008 Green nominee for Vice President of the United States (http://www.rosaclemente.com).

“The decision on Friday, January 15, to grant Temporary Protected Status to Haitians residing in the US before January 12 was long overdue. We’re glad the Obama Administration announced that deportations of undocumented Haitians in the US will cease and that Haitians will be allowed access to employment opportunities so they can support their families,” said Betty Davis, co-chair of the Green Party Black Caucus.

Until the announcement on Friday, the Obama Administration had maintained the US policy of denying Haitians Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which is available to people from federally designated countries suffering armed conflicts and natural disasters.

Green Party leaders have been alarmed about reports that US troops, including an entire Marine Expeditionary Force, FEMA, and an aircraft carrier, have been ordered to Haiti to “help restore order.”

“The relief effort must not turn into a military invasion of Haiti,” said Romi Elnagar, a member of the Green Party’s International Committee. “The deployment of SOUTHCOM and NORTHCOM puts Haiti in danger of joining Iraq and Afghanistan as a country occupied by US troops, with similar miseries visited on the Haitian people. It’ll be an opportunity to provide more desperately poor sweatshop workers for companies like Disney and land for biofuels for American consumption. Greens and other Americans who care about the Haitian people demand a different future — one based on peace, freedom, fair wages for Haitian workers and an economy that meets the needs of Haitians first, as well as safety from the mounting effects of global warming.”

The Green Party of the United States issued a statement of support for Haitian democracy in 2005 (http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2005_02_07.html). Greens strongly criticized the US’s role in former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide’s kidnapping and expulsion in 2004 and called for an independent investigation (http://www.gp.org/press/pr_03_02_04.html). See also the interview with Randall Robinson, founder and former president of TransAfrica and author of “An Unbroken Agony: Haiti, from Revolution to the Kidnapping of a President,” on Democracy Now! (January 15, 2010, http://www.democracynow.org/2010/1/15/bush_was_responsible_for_destroying_haitian).

“Hip-Hop State of Mind” will be broadcast in the NYC metro area (including parts of Connecticut, New Jersey and Long Island) on Saturdays at noon. There is also listening on-line and some archives through the WBAI web-site.

BY ROSA CLEMENTE

Over the Labor Day weekend, Van Jones, a member of the hip-hop generation and special advisor for green jobs at the White House Council for Environmental Quality, tendered his resignation, and it was accepted by the Obama administration. I will be the first to say that I never found Van Jones to be a radical, a Black Nationalist or a communist as Fox News suggested.

Although I appreciate his book The Green Collar Economy, I never believed that a green economy would save working people. I felt that the book gave solutions on how to save the current capitalist system. And fundamentally that presents a problem, as many in this country are suffering because of capitalism and its failures.

No matter my political differences with Jones, I will never discount his work, energy, community organizing skills and progressive tendencies, which have reconnected urban youth with Mother Earth and have inspired many in my generation to create space in the predominately white liberal “green” movement.

And as the former Green Party vice-presidential candidate who campaigned against the Obama administration, I am not surprised that Jones turned out to be a high-profile casualty of an administration that started at the center and continues to move to the right.

But what has surprised me is that people are not calling out the Obama administration for its role in the matter. Do not be fooled. There is no doubt that the Obama administration knew about Jones’ so-called “radical” past. I am not willing to believe that they never did a Google search on Jones or looked at his past comments, speeches or actions.

By accepting Jones’ resignation, the Obama administration essentially gave a victory to the very racist Glenn Beck and the most vile “news” station in modern time. By accepting Jones’ resignation, they have put a target on all of us who would be deemed “activists” or “radicals.” Accepting Jones’ resignation is a slap in the face to all of us.

So for those who voted for Obama, when will you let him know that you will not accept Van Jones as a casualty of an administration capitulating to the right?

And for those who are still not convinced, Dead Prez said it best:

“Everywhere we go, everyday on TV, they be talking about who you gonna vote for,
Got a Black man running but I wonder if he get in, who he gonna open up the door for
I don’t want to discourage my folks I believe in hope I just want us to want more
Politics is a game, how they keep us contained, there’s gotta be more that we can hope for

democrats and republicans just two sides of the same coin, either way it’s still white power, it’s the same system just changed form,
You wanna vote, please do, cast your ballot, let your voice be heard
But what I do wanna say is after the election you’ll see, mark my word
It’s Politricks time again.”

Where do we go from here?

First, I caution people, do not make Jones into a martyr. I am urging people to go back to the grassroots, go back to the local community to organize and support progressives and third-party candidates in local elections.

Next, we need to support our progressive media. Malkia Cyril, the Executive Director of The Center for Media Justice says, “We need to create an echo chamber of progressive media to counter the echo created by the right.”

And finally, we need to learn from this experience. The Van Jones takedown has revealed our own frustrations and inability to build and sustain a powerful multi-faceted, multi-racial movement.

I hope that people take one lesson that I learned from Van Jones’ book: Stop fighting against something and start fighting for something.

Maybe our fighting for something began Labor Day Weekend. If that is the case, we should all thank Van Jones for leaving the manicured green lawns of the White House.

Rosa Alicia Clemente is a community organizer, hip-hop activist, journalist and the Green Party 2008 Vice-Presidential candidate. Rosa resides with her husband and daughter in the South Bronx and is currently on her speaking tour, “It’s Bigger than Black and White,” and is writing her first book, When a Puerto Rican Woman Ran for Vice-President and Nobody Knew Her Name. She can be reached at clementerosa@gmail.com

Rosa Clemente will speak on Sunday May 17, at 6pm at the Salem United Methodist Church located at 211 West 129th Street in Harlem, debating the question, “Has Mayor Bloomberg Been Good for Black People, Yes or No?”.

Clemente is a Hip Hop personality and strong advocate for more youth inclusion in political activity.

For more information on the debate, call 718-322-8454.

The Obama Administration has taken the first step to mending 50 years of antagonism with Cuba by relaxing some of the gift and travel restrictions with the socialist nation…

Although key provisions from the long-standing trade embargo were modified, non-Cuban Americans are still restricted from traveling, and gifts to high-ranking officials of the Cuban government are still forbidden…

A long-time critic of Castro’s regime and the deification of Che Guevara in popular culture, Cuban rapper Pitbull is hopeful that President Obama’s diplomatic relations will eventually move Cuba into democracy…

Former 2008 Green Party VP candidate Rosa Clemente was less optimistic of Obama’s latest move.

The celebrated African-American, Latino, and Hip-Hop activist interprets the eased restrictions as nothing more than pandering to Miami’s conservative Cuban base.

“It’s nothing new. The embargo stays. If you aren’t Cuban or of Cuban descent, you can’t travel,” Clemente explained to AllHipHop.com. “Only people from Cuba or of Cuban descent can go. Also, if your relative works for or is a member of the Communist Party, you are not allowed to send or receive money. It’s really for him [Obama] to shore up the vote of the right wing Cuban Lobby in Miami. It’s nothing new, it’s not progressive. If it really doesn’t involve the embargo, or if Cuba cannot be at The Summit of Americas taking place next week, what’s the point? It’s a lot of overkill media wise.”…

In this video, posted to YouTube by Craig Seeman, Rosa Clemente indicates that she may seek elected office in New York. Thanks to Lou Novak for the link.

Rosa Clemente, 2008 Green candidate for Vice President, announces ‘Path of Most Resistance’ speaking tour

WASHINGTON, DC — Rosa Clemente, the Green Party’s 2008 candidate for Vice President of the United States, has announced a national speaking tour with a focus on Hip Hop conferences, symposiums, town hall meetings, and many other public events, as well as Black History Month, Women’s History Month, and Latino Heritage Month.

Know Thy Self Productions LLC is organizing the tour, which is titled ‘The Path of Most Resistance Tour 2009.’ Ms. Clemente can be reached at clementerosa@gmail.com and at 347-489-9738.

“The tour will be a chance to continue speaking about the important themes we raised in the McKinney-Clemente campaign,” said Ms. Clemente. “While while many in this country, particularly the Hip-Hop generation, have high hopes for the Obama Administration, now is not the time to be silent. The first few months are critical — we must make our voices heard, if we want to see a real change in the direction of the United States.”

Rosa Alicia Clemente is a community organizer, radio journalist (WBAI 99.5 FM in New York City), Hip-Hop activist, and the first Latina in US history to run for Vice President. She was the running mate of former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney.

Ms. Clemente was recently commissioned by the Green Institute (http://www.greeninstitute.net) to write four articles describing her experiences on the 2008 campaign trail. Her first piece, “Why President Elect Barack Obama is not the first Hip Hop President,” has already been posted on the site (http://www.greeninstitute.net/clemente_obama). She has been featured on Pacifica, BET, Air America, CNN, MSNBC, Al-jazeera, and other networks. Before the vice-presidential campaign, Ms. Clemente participated in several other speaking tours, including the Hip Hop for President Tour with Rebel Diaz, Speak Truth to Power Tour, ACLU College Freedom Tour, and Dare to Struggle, Dare to Win.

Ms. Clemente has delivered workshops, lectures, and commentary for over fifteen years. In 1995, she developed Know Thy Self Productions, a people of color speakers’ bureau. Seeing a need for young people of color to be heard and taken seriously, she began presenting workshops and lectures at universities, high schools, community centers, and prisons. She has presented at over 400 colleges, conferences, town halls, rallies, and international conferences. Know Thy Self Productions includes an expanded college speakers bureau which has produced four major Hip-Hop activism tours and consults on issues of media justice, voter engagement amongst youth, and youth development.

Born and raised in the South Bronx and Elmsford, New York, Rosa Alicia Clemente is a graduate of the University of Albany and Cornell University. Ms. Clemente’s academic work has covered national liberation struggles in the US, with a specific focus on the Young Lords Party, the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army, Afro-Latino identity and politics, media justice, and African-American and Latino relations.

While a student at the University of Albany (SUNY), she was the first Puerto Rican woman to serve as president of the Albany State University Black Alliance (ASUBA). She was appointed Director of Multicultural Affairs for the Student Association during her senior year. At Cornell Ms. Clemente was a founding member of La Voz Boriken, a social political organization dedicated to supporting Puerto Rican political prisoners and Puerto Rican independence movements. In 2001, she was a youth representative at the United Nations World Conference against Xenophobia, Racism and Related Intolerance in South Africa and in 2002 was named by Red Eye Magazine as one of the top 50 Hip-Hop Activists to look out for.

In 2003, Ms. Clemente co-founded and coordinated the first ever National Hip Hop Political Convention (NHHPC), which drew over 3000 activists who created and implemented a national political agenda for the Hip-Hop generation. In 2005 she co-founded the R.E.A.C.Hip-Hop Coalition, a Hip-Hop generation-based media justice organization. After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita ravaged the Gulf Coast, Rosa Clemente traveled as an independent journalist to the devastated areas; her on-the-ground reports were distributed all over the world.

Dear Colleagues, Supporters and Media Allies:

A sincere thank you for all your support during mine and Cynthia McKinney’s historic campaign this past year. I am booking now for Black History month, Women’s History month, Latino heritage month, Hip Hop Conferences, Symposiums, and Town Hall meetings.

Sincerely,

Rosa A. Clemente

http://myspace.com/rosaclemente

KNOW THY SELF PRODUCTIONS LLC, presents THE PATH OF MOST RESISTANCE TOUR 2009
EDUCATING, MOBILIZING AND ORAGANIZING THE NEW MAJORITY

Rosa Alicia Clemente is a community organizer, radio journalist(WBAI 99.5 Fm, NYC), Hip-Hop activist and the first ever Latino/Latina in United States history to run for Vice-President (GREEN PARTY) along with former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. Born and raised in the South Bronx and Elmsford, NY she is a graduate of the University of Albany and Cornell University. Rosa’s academic work has been dedicated to researching national liberation struggles inside the United States, with a specific focus on The Young Lords Party, The Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army, Afro-Latino identity and politics, Media Justice, and African-American and Latino/a Relations.

A much sought after political commentator and independent reporter, Rosa has been delivering workshops, lectures and commentary for over fifteen years. In 1995, she developed Know Thy Self Productions, a people of color speaker’s bureau. Seeing a need for young people of color to be heard and taken seriously, she began presenting workshops and lectures at universities, high schools, community centers and prisons. She has presented at over 400 colleges, conferences, town halls, rallies and International conferences. Know Thy Self Productions now includes an expanded college speakers bureau which has produced four major Hip-Hop activism tours and consults on issues of media justice, voter engagement amongst youth, and youth development.

While a student at University Albany(SUNY), she was the first Puerto Rican women president of the Albany State University Black Alliance (ASUBA) and was appointed Director of Multicultural Affairs for the Student Association her senior year. At Cornell she was a founding member of La Voz Boriken, a social political organization dedicated to supporting Puerto Rican political prisoners and independence political movements of Puerto Rico.

In 2001 she was a youth representative at the United Nations World Conference against Xenophobia, Racism and Related Intolerance in South Africa and in 2002 was named by Red Eye Magazine as one of the top 50 Hip-Hop Activists to look out for. In 2003 Rosa helped co-found and coordinate the first ever National Hip Hop Political Convention(NHHPC) that drew over 3000 activists who came together to create and implement a national political agenda for the Hip-Hop generation. In 2005 she co-founded the R.E.A.C.Hip-Hop Coalition, a Hip-Hop generation based media justice organization; and as an independent journalist, 10 days after Hurricane Katrina and Rita ravaged parts of the south, Rosa traveled to the devastated areas and her on the ground reports were distributed all over the world.

On July 6th 2008, in Chicago, Ill, Rosa Clemente and former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, were nominated by the Green Party of the USA, as Vice-Presidential and Presidential candidates respectively. Rosa and Cynthia made up the first women of color ticket in American history.

ROSA CAN CUSTOMIZE FIT ANY TOPIC TO AN ORGANIZATIONS NEEDS, GREAT FOR BLACK HISTORY, WOMEN’S, HISPANIC, ASIAN-PACIFIC, NATIVE AMERICAN, LGBT, HIP HOP, CELEBRATIONS MONTHS

Ain’t I Hip-Hop Too?: Challenging Homophobia, Misogyny and Sexism
Black and Brown Communities: The New American Majority
Its Bigger than Hip-Hop: Moving Forward in a New Political Era
Ladies First: Developing Sustainable Feminist Leadership
Speaking Truth to Power: Media Justice in Communities of Color
The History of the Young Lords Party: (former Young Lords are available for this workshop/lecture)

The Puerto Rican Struggle for Justice and Sovereignty
The Sleeping Giant is Awake: Latinos and the New Human Rights Movement
Who is Black? Afro-Latino Identity and Politics for the 21st Century
Young People, Politics and Real Change

MEDIA APPEARANCES

Democracy Now! with Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez, The Truth With Jeff Johnson(BET), On the Real with Chuck D(Air America), The Bev Smith Show, Hard Knock Radio, Breakdown FM with Davey D, Pacifica Radio, The Warren Ballentine Show, Make it Plain with Mark Thompson, Jazz and Justice with Dr. Jared Ball, CNN, C-SPAN, MSNBC, TELESUR, AL JAZZERA,GRIT TV with LAURA FLANDERS, FREE SPEECH TV,

Ave. Magazine, Clamor Magazine, UTNE, In These Times, The Progressive, The Nation, New York Times, Urban Latino, Essence, Latina, The Source, Vibe, New York Times, The Village Voice, The Final Call, The Indypendent

Huffington Post, Alternet, SOHH, Wiretap, All Hip Hop.com, Daveyd.com, Black Agenda Report, Newsone.com,

PREVIOUS AWARD WINNING TOURS
The Hip Hop for President Tour, with Rebel Diaz(2006-2008)
The Speak Truth to Power Tour, a collaborative tour of award winning activists including dead prez, Lumumba Bandele, Jennifer “J Love” Calderon and Kahlil Almustafa, (2004-2006)
The ACLU College Freedom Tour ,with dead prez, DJ Kuttin Kandi, Mystic and comedian Dave Chapelle(2003-2004)
Dare to Struggle, Dare to Win,with M1 of dead prez and Fred Hampton Jr.(2001-2003)

Public Videos related to Rosa’s Campaign and Historic Acceptance Speech Visit her Website http://www.rosaclemente.com

Please Contact Rosa Clemente For More Information, Booking, Interviews +
clementerosa@gmail.com

Become Rosa’s Friend!

http://myspace.com/rosaclemente

Posted to IPR by Paulie

by Rosa A. Clemente

“Each generation out of relative obscurity, must discover its mission, fulfill it, or betray it.” Frantz Fanon

It has been 45 days since the Hip Hop generation helped usher in the first Black male President of the United States of America. Since that historic night, many within Hip Hop culture, like writer Greg Kot of the Boston Globe, entrepreneur Russell Simmons, artists Common, Jay-Z and P. Diddy, have declared President-Elect Obama the first Hip Hop president. In my humble opinion they are wrong, dead wrong. It does not matter how many Hip Hop pundits, non-profit organizations, and recognizable figures within the culture declare it. Much like an MC or B-Girl battle, I’m ready to challenge that declaration.

As a long time community organizer and Hip Hop activist and journalist, I have always followed a rule: never allow someone to become your priority while you become his or her option. For President Elect Barack Obama and the entire Democrat Party leadership in this country, the Hip Hop generation has never been a priority, we have always been an option and that option is used mostly to get out the vote during elections. Efforts like Vote or Die, Generation Vote, Rock the Vote, Respect my Vote, do not empower a generation – they are catchy slogans emblazoned on pretty white tees that offer empty rhetoric. At the end of the day, those G.O.T.V. efforts become guaranteed votes for the Democratic Party and often fail to educate their followers about candidates that run outside of the two-party system.

Full article at http://www.greeninstitute.net/clemente_obama

A 2008 vice presidential candidate came to CCSU to share her views on the historic elec- tion and what it means to African-Americans. She was the other woman who was running for Vice President of the United States, but many may not have heard of Rosa Clemente.

The title of her talk was “Running for All Our Lives: Rosa Clemente’s Vice Presidential Campaign as a Black, Puerto Rican, Hip Hop Activist” and it was standing room only in Founders Hall. Last Monday Clemente came to talk in Founders Hall about her experiences running with Green Party candidate, former Democrat Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney and expressed her mixed emotions about the first African-American president-elect Barack Obama.

Her pride of the historic first was also tem- pered with a charge to the students.

“Now is the time for the work to begin! We need to hold him accountable for issues he cam- paigned on,” she said. “Students can’t think that they can just sit back and rest.”

One by one, Clemente listed differences between the Greens and the Democrats in charge now. She advocated for a Canadian-style single-payer health care system instead of pro- big business system that doesn’t cover everyone. She pushed for a living wage that would remove people from welfare and get them back to work, instead of Obama’s slight increase in the mini- mum wage.

In 2008 campaign, she worked to bring more Latinos, working class people and women in the political movements of the United States. In 2003, Clemente helped form and coordinate the first ever National Hip-Hop Political Convention, drawing 3,000 activists to gener- ate a national political agenda for the hip-hop generation. But Clemente worries that hip-hop is becoming too male-dominated and may be- come a male-only art form in the future.

As an undergrad at the University of Albany and a graduate student at Cornell, Clemente was highly involved in both on cam- pus and off campus politics. In 2001, she was a youth representative at the United Nations World Conference against Xenophobia, Racism and Related Intolerance. She urged the students to get directly involved with local politics and issues.

She related how the Greens had over one million votes for their candidates and was the first party to have two women at the top of the ticket. After the talk, many students expressed an interested in forming a Campus Greens club to work on issues that Clemente had spoke of and said that she inspired them to get more in- volved with “ Green” politics.

Tim McKee is a returning CCSU student and National Committee representative for the Green Party. He can be reached at mckeetil@ccsu. edu.

The City Club of Cleveland debate, moderated by Dan Moulthrop of Cleveland’s PBS radio and television stations, will be streamed live by ideastream (http://www.wviz.org/).

CSPAN will tape the debate for later showing, and it will also be live on public access cable in Cleveland.

IPR’s previous coverage of this event is here and here.

We will also be liveblogging it (watch for a future post).

On October 30, Ralph Nader, Bob Barr, and Chuck Baldwin will debate each other at the Cleveland (Ohio) City Club, between 4:30 pm and 5:30 pm. The City Club is at 850 Euclid Ave, on the 2nd floor. According to Free and Equal’s Christina Tobin, all three participants have confirmed they will be there. Cynthia McKinney, Barack Obama, and John McCain are also invited.

McCain and Obama are extremely unlikely to accept, if nothing else because of their exclusive contract with the Commission on Presidential Debates. No word yet from the McKinney campaign. Also, no word from Rosa Clemente, the Green VP candidate, on the VP debate on Sunday, November 2 in Las Vegas, with Libertarian Wayne Root, the Constitution Party’s Darrell Castle, and Nader running mate Matt Gonzalez.

Green Party becomes the first party to endorse the Standing For Voters pledge to defend election integrity

• Green national candidates McKinney and Clemente sign on, along with other Green candidates; Greens cite their leadership role in the 2004 Ohio and New Mexico recounts after evidence of vote theft

• Greens condemn GOP efforts to disqualify legitimate voters in the 2008 election

WASHINGTON, DC — The Green Party of the United States has become the first political party to endorse the Election Integrity Pledge promoted by Standing For Voters (http://www.StandingForVoters.org), an internet-based group inviting candidates to pledge their commitment to fair elections.

Along with the Green Party, several Green Party candidates have pledged ‘no early concessions’ and actions challenging election outcomes if necessary: presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney and vice presidential candidate Rosa Clemente; US Congressional candidates Carol Brouillet (Calif.-14), Rebecca Dewitt (Ariz.-4), Harold Burbank (Conn.-5), and Mike Beilstein (Or.-4); and five candidates for state and local offices: Dan Kairis of Illinois, Richard Boyle of California, Rick Lass of New Mexico, Allan Hancock of Minnesota, and Charles A. Pillsbury of Connecticut.

“Led by David Cobb, our 2004 presidential candidate, Greens organized the response to the 2004 vote theft. John Kerry and most of his fellow Democrats did nothing after reports and evidence of GOP election manipulation and obstruction of African American and young voters surfaced. Meanwhile, Greens filed for the recounts in Ohio and New Mexico and raised most of the money for legal expenses. It’s our special obligation and privilege to be the first party to sign on to the Standing For Voters pledge,” said Holly Hart, secretary of the Green Party of the United States.

For more on Green leadership in the Ohio and New Mexico recounts, visit IWantMyVote.com (http://www.iwantmyvote.com).

In signing the pledge, Greens sharply condemned recent tactics that have been used to obstruct and discourage voters, especially African Americans in certain states, from voting. Such tactics include letters to voters falsely claiming that they’ve been declared ineligible to vote, foreclosure lists denying right to vote because a voter’s address is “no longer valid,” and vicious attacks on voter registration efforts.

“The drastic efforts to disqualify legitimate voters suggests that we’ll see a repeat of Republican conspiracies to steal the national election. Will Democrats fight this time, or will they roll over again and leave it to the Green Party?” asked Sanda Everette, co-chair of the Green Party.

The documentary ‘American Blackout’ covers Cynthia McKinney’s role in the struggle for election integrity (http://www.americanblackout.com). A recent essay by Ms. McKinney also addresses the breakdown in fair elections.

The Green Party advocates various systematic reforms to ensure fair, accurate, and truly democratic elections, including public financing of elections, free time on public airwaves for all candidates, repeal of ballot access laws restricting alternative-party and independent candidates, paper verification and open-source software for computer voting systems, instant runoff voting, and proportional representation.

According to the Standing For Voters pledge, signers promise to challenge election results “if the combination of election conditions, incident reports, and announced election results calls into question the reliability of the official vote count.” Should another candidate be declared the winner in a race, signers vow to “wait until all valid votes are counted and all serious challenges resolved before conceding defeat.”

“We’d like to see all of the nation’s political parties endorse Standing For Voters, as the Green Party has done nationally,” said Emily Levy, Standing For Voters Project Coordinator. “As participants in what’s commonly known as ‘our democratic process,’ all parties should commit to fair elections. We welcome endorsements from local, state, and national party organizations, as well as other groups that care about democracy.”

-Green Party Watch reports that Cynthia McKinney and Rosa Clemente are campaigning in Texas

Cynthia McKinney is campaigning in Seattle today, but will be heading to Texas later this week. Cynthia McKinney and running mate Rosa Clemente will be meeting up in Texas to tour areas ravaged by Hurricane Ike, and speak to people about their Power to the People campaign for President.

Cynthia McKinney, former Congresswoman who lead the investigation into the federal government response to Hurricane Katrina, will be in Galveston for a Press Conference on Thursday, October 30th. A follow-up Press Release will give specifics.

Beginning 10 days after Hurricane Katrina ravaged parts of the south, Rosa Clemente provided on the ground reporting as an independent journalist to independent radio stations and mainstream media outlets all over the world. Friday, October 31st she will travel to Galveston.

On October 30th and 31st, voters in Texas will hear what these women have to say about current issues impacting our local communities and those that continue to be put on the back burner during every election season – class struggle, the prison industrial complex, media justice, gentrification, a just immigration policy, police brutality, war crimes and impeachment proceedings being levied on those responsible in high office, and addressing the Palestinian perspective in the Middle East.

Rounding out their Tejas Tour, Rosa Clemente speaks in San Anto Oct 30th at Ruta Maya Cafe and at HallowGreen in Houston, Oct 31 at the Houston Institute for Culture. Cynthia McKinney will be speaking at the S.H.A.P.E. Center in Houston, October 30th, be interviewed Oct. 31st on on KHVN-AM Radio (97.0) from 12-1PM, and participate in a free, public Candidate Forum in Plano, Oct 31, at the MAS Youth Center.

MORE INFORMATION

Location of Events:

S.H.A.P.E. Center at 3815 Live Oak, Houston, 77004 at 7 pm.
Houston Institute for Culture at 708B Telephone Rd., Houston, next
door to Bohemio’s, 7pm
MAS Youth Center, 740 F Ave, Plano, 75074, 8-10pm
Ruta Maya Riverwalk Cafe, 107 E. Martin St., San Antonio 78205

—-
For further details:

In Dallas/Ft.Worth area:
Thomas Muhammad, 214-460-7672

In San Antonio:
kat swift, 210-471-1791

In Houston/Galveston:
Don Cook, 713-705-5594

Green Party of Texas, http://www.txgreens.org

Recovery efforts in Galveston: Operation H.E.A.R.T. (Helping Everyone Achieve Recovery Together) at San Jacinto Elementary. They are accepting donations of all kinds of things, especially school supplies, backpacks, clothing, etc. All money and items go directly to Galveston students and their families. The center is open M-F from 9-4.

-Listen to Rosa Clemente on Green Party Watch radio with Gregg Jocoy (from yesterday) here.

-GPW reports on an article about the full slate of Green Congressional candidates in Connecticut in the Hartford Courant.

-Ballot Access News reports

On October 21, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court refused to re-open the question of whether the 2006 Green Party U.S. Senate candidate must pay approximately $80,000 in costs to the people who challenged the party’s statewide petition. The vote was 5-1, with one Justice not voting. Only Justice Saylor would have re-opened the matter. Therefore, the party’s candidate for U.S. Senate, along with his attorney, are still liable for the payment, even though it is uncontradicted that the challenge to the party’s statewide petition was a criminal enterprise. On November 5, two Pennsylvania state employees who worked on the challenge to the party’s 2006 petition are expected to plead guilty. Challenges in Pennsylvania to petitions are brought by private individuals, not by any arm of the government. Yet, in fact, the challenges were brought by people using state employees, state computers, and state payroll hours.

On the somewhat similar matter involving Ralph Nader’s 2004 petition, that matter had not been in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court; it had been in the Commonwealth Court. It is still pending.

Green Party Watch also has articles on Pam Andrade running for Cook County Circuit Court Clerk office, Prairie Greens running a slate of candidates in Champaign County, Illinois, an interview with West Virginia gubernatorial candidate Jesse Johnson in OpEdNews, and an interview with Cynthia McKinney in the Salt Lake
City Weekly.

-Ballot Access news reports that the Arkansas News Bureau predicts the Greens will win a seat in the legislature.

Interested readers can make additional suggestions at Green Party Watch (or here), and IPR readers who support other parties may want to come up with a list like this for their parties as well.

Doing some brainstorming with Green Change, this list came up (in no particular order):

* McKinney/Clemente and Nader/Gonzalez
* Jesse Johnson, Governor of West Virginia
* Rebekah Kennedy, U.S. Senate Arkansas
* Chris Lugo, U.S. Senate Tennessee
* Keith Ware, U.S. Senate Shadow D.C.
* Gordon Clark, U.S. House, Maryland
* Tristin Mock, U.S. House, Oregon
* Jason Wallace, U.S. House, Illinois
* Omar Lopez, U.S. House, Illinois
* Kevin O’Connor – State Rep – Illinois, District 41
* Richard Carroll – State Rep – Arkansas, District 39
* Farheen Hakeem – State Rep – Minnesota, District 61B
* Mark Sanchez – Board of Supervisors – San Francisco, CA
* Linda Piera-Avila – City Council – Santa Monica, CA
* Rick Lass – Public Regulation Commission – New Mexico, PRC District 3
* Daniel Jenkins – State House – Maine, District 119
* Anna Trevorrow – School Committee – Portland, ME
* Cara Jennings – Commissioner – Lake Worth District 2, FL
* John Reeder – County Board – Arlington, VA
* Tina Smith – City Council – Portland, ME

Now we need to add some Green Party Watch races as well! What races are Green Party Watch contributors and readers interested in? Come on – Fan Favorites? Because we want to cover them here! Off the top of my head I would add:

* Bryan Smith – York County Council, Dist.1 – South Carolina (Go Bryan!)
* Wendy Barth – U.S. House, Iowa (Go Wendy!)
* John Wages, Jr. – U.S. House, Mississippi (Go John!)
* State Slates – Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Oregon – are all running slates in almost every Congressional race. If I were a state party co-chair of one of these states I’d be making friendly wagers that my state can beat your state!
* Others? Titus North? Howie Hawkins? Bob Kinsey? Steve Larrick? Carol Brouillet? Alan Auguston? Scott Summers? Steve Alesch? Chris Henry?

Who’s on your list to watch?

The Green Party’s 2008 national nominees are Cynthia McKinney and running mate Rosa Clemente. Ms. McKinney was interviewed on BreakTheMatrix.com on Sunday evening, October 19
(http://www.breakthematrix.com/node/28047) and on Democracy Now!, October 16, following the final presidential debate, from which she was excluded (http://www.democracynow.org/2008/10/16/breaking_the_sound_barrier_third).

At least 245 Green candidates will be on ballots on Election Day, November 4. At least 293 Greens have run for public office throughout2008, including the November 4 election. More Green candidates are listed at:
http://www.gp.org/2008-elections/candidate-news.php

The Green Party’s press release goes on to spotlight

• Jesse Johnson, Mountain Party candidate for governor of West Virginia, who has participated in three debates and has attracted attention for his promotion of a ban on mountaintop removal mining by West Virginia’s powerful coal industry and his leadership on other state issues. Mr. Johnson was endorsed by the Sierra Club on October 3.

“Because of mountaintop removal and the power of the coal companies, West Virginia has become ground zero for global climate change in the US,” said Jesse Johnson. “The Interior Department is now relaxing rules on mountaintop mining, which will bring untold devastation to the natural environment and a massive threat to public health, through contamination of water and other resources. I’m the only candidate addressing this crisis, because the Democrat and Republican are too
closely allied with the coal companies that are plundering West Virginia.”

Video clip of Jesse Johnson speaking at a West Virginia Youth Commission forum: http://vimeo.com/2013238

• Rebekah Kennedy, Green candidate for the US Senate in Arkansas, is competing against Democratic incumbent Mark Pryor, with no Republican in the race. Despite numerous invitations, Sen. Pryor has avoided facing Ms. Kennedy in a candidates’ debate.

• Gordon Clark, Maryland candidate for the US House (District 8, Rep. Chris Van Hollen’s seat), is receiving significant attention for his grassroots campaign against a powerful Democrat. (Mr. Van Hollen, though only in Congress five years, is Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.) Gordon raised more campaign funds (all individual) during the second quarter than any other candidate nominated for Congress by an alternative party in the US.

Mr. Clark came out on top in a candidates’ forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters on October 2 and is now receiving coverage in the mainstream press.

Gordon Clark noted that “Chris Van Hollen went from being a liberal Democrat to a corporate Democrat, and he no longer represents his constituents on an array of issues. Maryland’s 8th is one of the most progressive districts in the country, and voters here are looking for a political leader who has a vision for tackling the energy crisis, the faltering economy and the climate crisis of global warming, as well as the willingness to end the war in Iraq and the judgment to stop an expanding war in Afghanistan and Pakistan. It’s becoming clear to many that Mr. Van Hollen, with his numerous close ties to campaign contributors, cannot meet that need — and that our campaign does.”

Video of Oct. 2 candidates’ forum.

More video clips of Gordon Clark.

• Malik Rahim, Louisiana Green candidate for the US House (District 2), is co-founder of the Common Ground Collective, an organization that provides short-term relief to victims of hurricane disasters in the Gulf Coast region. Mr. Rahim is a former Black Panther and ran for New Orleans City Council in 2002 as a Green Party candidate.

The election for the 2nd District US House seat will take place on December 6 instead of November 4 because of election delays caused by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

• Ross Mirkarimi was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors (District 5) in 2004 and is running for reelection. Mr. Mirkarimi has sponsored about 40 pieces of legislation addressing crime, making streets safer for pedestrians, improving efficiency of city departments, and the environment. He led efforts to promote medical marijuana clubs in San Francisco.

In March 2007, he introduced legislation prohibiting large supermarkets and drugstores from providing customers with non-biodegradable plastic bags, making San Francisco the first city to regulate such bags. In June 2008, Mr. Mirkarimi sponsored a one-year pilot plan for solar rebate program that provides $1.5 million to nonprofit organizations and lower income residents for installing solar voltaic power on rooftops. He faces two opponents in the current election.

MORE INFORMATION

Green Party of the United States

202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
Fax 202-319-7193

• Green candidate database for 2008 and other campaign information

• Green Party News Center

• Green Party Speakers Bureau

• Green Party ballot access page

Cynthia McKinney/Rosa Clemente ‘Power to the People’ Campaign for the White House

Two National Public Radio interviews with Cynthia McKinney this week:

• Wednesday, Oct. 22
Ms. McKinney will be interviewed by Neal Conan on NPR’s Talk of the Nation, 1-3 pm ET. We’re told the segment with Ms. McKinney will begin about 2:40 pm ET. This will be a call-in show.

• Saturday, Oct. 25
Ms. McKinney will be interviewed on NPR’s Weekend Edition, hosted by Scott Simon. The show begins 8 am ET, and we’ve learned that her interview will take place about 8:10 am ET.

Recent interviews with Cynthia McKinney archived online:

• Cynthia McKinney’s Sunday, Oct. 19 interview is archived online and can be viewed at BreakTheMatrix.com (http://www.breakthematrix.com/node/28047).

This interview was originally intended to be an online forum featuring several alternative party candidates, but the other candidates who were invited missed the event because of confusion caused when a different forum was scheduled to take place at the same time at Columbia University, which was subsequently canceled. Ms. McKinney had earlier confirmed her participation in the BreakTheMatrix.com broadcast, and followed through on her promise.

The organizers of the canceled forum at Columbia have announced another forum, to take place in Washington, DC, on Thursday, Oct. 23. Despite the organizers’ claims of confirmation by the candidates, Ms. McKinney has not been consulted on her participation in the Thursday forum or on ground rules or other parameters of the event. We’re urging members of the media to regard announcements about the Oct. 23 forum with some caution.

• Cynthia McKinney was also interviewed on Thursday, Oct. 16, on Democracy Now! following the final McCain-Obama debate, from which she and other alternative party candidates were excluded
(http://www.democracynow.org/2008/10/16/breaking_the_sound_barrier_third).

Scott McLarty
Green Party Media Committee
202-518-5624
202-904-7614 (cell)
mclarty@greens.org

Green Party of the United States http://www.gp.org

Cynthia McKinney/Rosa Clemente ‘Power to the People’ Campaign for the
White House
http://votetruth08.com

http://www.runcynthiarun.org

“Where’s Kenny Rogers When You Need Him? The Big Boys Got Their Bailout, But the Elected Leadership and the Voters Meet at the Election Day Showdown”
By Cynthia McKinney, OpEdNews.com, Oct. 7, 2008
http://www.opednews.com/articles/-Where-s-Kenny-Rogers-When-by-Cynthia-McKinney-081007-748.html

Cynthia McKinney on video
http://www.youtube.com/user/RunCynthiaRun

http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=RunCynthiaRun

• Music video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx1NPlQjkqo

Rosa Clemente on video
• Interview:
Current TV/Rock the Vote

According to Green Party Watch

Cynthia McKinney and Rosa Clemente will be campaigning non-stop between now and the election…and after.

According to the campaign, Cynthia McKinney will be stopping in four states. Rosa Clemente will be in four states as well.

Check the campaign website for later details, but tentatively Cynthia McKinney’s schedule looks like:

* October 22-25 – Los Angeles, but also including NPR’s Talk of the Nation today from 1-3 EST, and Saturday’s Weekend Edition Oct 25 at 8 a.m. EST.
* October 26-27 – Seattle, WA – see this for details
* October 28-30 – Illinois (no details yet)
* October 31-Nov. 1 – Texas (with Rosa Clemente, Galveston and San Antonio were mentioned)
* Nov. 2-4 – Los Angeles

Rosa Clemente’s schedule:

* This week – North Carolina, interviews
* Oct. 29 – Bucknell University, Pennsylvania
* Oct. 31-Nov. 1 – Texas (with Cynthia McKinney)
* Nov. 3-6 – New York City (tentative)

Following the election, the candidates may be challenging election fraud if necessary. Voting irregularities are already being reported.

Green Party Watch also has some new McKinney campaign commercials produced by members of a Political Science class at Mercer University.

Clemente has been speaking across the nation on behalf of the Green Party and the McKinney/Clemente ticket. A Hip Hop journalist and activist, Clemente has brought a focus on new constituencies and fresh ideas to the Green Party.