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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Green
Party officials extended a blunt warning to three additional
congressional incumbents today, promising that Green Party challengers
will run aggressive campaigns against them and six other incumbents
based upon support for Fast Track legislation currently before
Congress.
"Our message to these incumbents is clear: You vote for Fast Track
on Thursday, you'll lose votes to us next November," said Nathalie
Paravicini, Secretary of the Green Party of the United States.
The Green Party released a new list of nine targeted Democratic and
Republican members of Congress against whom they intend to run serious
challenges:
REPRESENTATIVE TODD PLATTS (R-PA, 19) - Coming from a strong progressive
tradition, Ben Price of Carlisle, PA has taken on Platts, a Republican
incumbent who his critics in the labor movement accuse of betraying the
interests of working people with his support of Fast Track. Ben Price is
the current President of the Pennsylvania Consumer Action Network (PCAN),
a powerful statewide coalition fighting for universal health care,
electoral reform, the environment and other issues.
"My campaign is about justice, jobs, and peace, all issues the old
parties seem to have forgotten," declared Price, who is seeking the
nomination of local Green Party locals, "Having just elected 13 new
Greens in Pennsylvania this November, the Greens plan to win by vividly
showing voters that we are the party working on things people care about
in their everyday lives."
REPRESENTATIVE BARON HILL (D-IN, 9) - Social psychologist Jeff Melton
has declared his candidacy for the Green Party nomination in south
central Indiana, where he intends to take on incumbent "New
Democrat" Rep. Baron Hill. The 9th District is home to the Indiana
University-Bloomington, a politically active and progressive campus
community that provided heavy support to the 2000 Nader/LaDuke ticket;
it is also home to thousands of electrical, steel, and other industrial
workers who have suffered years of lay-offs due to job export and
corporate downsizing by Thomson Electronics (RCA), General Electric,
Otis Elevator, and other major corporations.
"The American labor movement may be wedded to the Democratic Party,
but it's an abusive relationship. So-called 'free trade' agreements
supported by Democrats like Baron Hill have been a black eye for
American workers, costing thousands of previously well-paid union
workers here in the 9th District their livelihoods. Hill solicits
campaign contributions from labor unions by pretending to be a friend of
working people, but so far he's mainly been a friend to sweatshops and
corporate polluters, not workers," said Green candidate Jeff
Melton.
REPRESENTATIVE VIC SNYDER (D-AR, 2) - Following their recent first-time
congressional race in a 3rd District special election in which Green
candidate Sarah Marsh captured 1.8% of the vote, Arkansas Greens are now
considering taking on Democrat Vic Snyder in the 2002 elections.
"It appears to us that Snyder is soft on Fast Track, and that puts
him at odds not only with the Green Party but also with most of his
working class constituents. So, with the right combination of a
candidate, organization and Snyder's vulnerability on Fast Track issues,
I am sure that Greens in Little Rock will take long hard look at taking
him on. Of course, if he's willing to "mend his ways"
regarding Fast Track and other core issues, they might decide to focus
their energies elsewhere," said Ed Tarvin, Campaign Organizer of
the just-completed Sarah Marsh campaign.
REPRESENTATIVE BOB CLEMENT (D-TN, 5) - Rep. Clement faces a growing
challenge from mathematics professor Dr. Jonathan D. Farley, of
Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Dr. Farley, an advocate of
reparations for slavery and segregation, is a rising star who has been
featured recently in Essence Magazine, the hip-hop magazine The Source,
and Ebony as a "Leader of the Future."
"My opponent is a favorite of the corporate lobby, and they are
counting on him to deliver on Fast Track. But, thanks to pressure from
the Greens, he may oppose it," said Dr. Farley. "If he
doesn't, come next November, Congressman 'Inclement' may just get
down-sized."
REPRESENTATIVE NORM DICKS (D-WA, 3); REPRESENTATIVE ADAM SMITH (D-WA, 9)
- Prominent Greens in Washington state, frustrated with the
unresponsiveness of Representative Dicks and Smith both to respectful
appeals and to picketing by Greens and labor activists regarding their
respective trade stances, have made a public appeal for candidates to
challenge them. Rep. Dicks is considered a firm "yes" vote on
Fast Track and Rep. Smith is considered to be on the fence; Greens
consider both to be vulnerable in their reelection bids.
Washington Greens have reason to expect success: Last year, Green Party
candidate Joe Szwaja won 20% of the vote in his challenge of Rep. Jim
McDermott, and political observers have noted McDermott's recent
leadership in questioning the bombing of Afghanistan and fighting the
passage of Fast Track.
"Our message to Representatives Dicks and Smith is crystal clear:
You won't be able to take the progressive vote for granted, we're going
to speak for the interests of workers, consumers, and nature, and we
will define the issues in this campaign," said Szwaja, the most
successful Green Party candidate for federal office thus far in the
United States.
REPRESENTATIVE GERALD KLECZKA (D-WI, 4) - Greater Milwaukee Green Party
member Brian Merrill Vasquez Verdin has announced an anti-war
pro-democracy campaign for the Green Party nomination for Congress.
Verdin is a member of the International Association of Machinists union
(IAM) with deep roots in the labor movement and Milwaukee's Latino
community. Verdin expects to face incumbent Rep. Kleczka after
redistricting next year. Although Kleczka has said he may vote against
Fast Track legislation, Milwaukee Greens say he's failed to lead on the
issue and will be held electorally accountable for the outcome of the
vote.
"I want to join Barbara Lee. I want to be one more congressperson
who will stand with Barbara Lee and say 'Hell No!' to war, Fast Track,
and corporate profiteering," said Verdin.
REPRESENTATIVE MARK GREEN (R-WI, 8) - Rep. Green can soon expect to face
a serious Green Party challenger in northeast Wisconsin, as his likely
opponent will announce her candidacy within two weeks. The Wisconsin
Green Party has committed to this race in the 8th District, a region
that is home to many Green Party locals. Rep. Green is currently
considered to be a fence-sitter on Fast Track.
REPRESENTATIVE RON KIND (D-WI, 3) - Rep. Kind has significantly angered
western Wisconsin dairy farmers and steelworkers with his past voting
record on trade issues, and is considered vulnerable in this
independent-minded district that gave the Nader/LaDuke ticket some of
its best percentages in 2000. Kind is considered to be leaning in favor
of a 'yes' vote on Fast Track even though thousands of workers in his
district have lost their jobs at La Crosse Boot, Heileman Brewery,
Rayovac, Lands End, and other factories due to trade-related job
exports. The Wisconsin Green Party is actively recruiting candidates in
the 3rd District and is committed to the race.
The above races are against congressional incumbents considered key to
the upcoming Fast Track vote. Greens also have declared their
candidacies for Congress in California (41st) and Nevada (1st), and are
gearing up to run serious campaigns in hundreds of other congressional
and statewide races next year. Over 277 Greens vied for federal, state,
and local office in 2001, and at least 55 of these won election.
"Green Party congressional candidates will fight to defend American
sovereignty against anti-democratic trade pacts, and we will campaign to
hold congressional incumbents accountable for their betrayal of working
people and the environment," said Ben Manski, Co-Chair of the Green
Party of the United States.
H.R. 3005 would grant Fast Track trade negotiation powers to the
President and represents a substantial transfer of Congress'
constitutionally-mandated authority over trade to the executive branch.
Greens join with the AFL-CIO, the Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth,
Public Citizen, and hundreds of other unions, civil rights,
environmental, student, farm, and democracy groups in strongly opposing
the bill. Greens generally oppose the establishment of trade agreements
which undermine democracy and erode environmental, labor, and civil
rights protections. Greens specifically oppose the granting of
Presidential Fast Track authority because of the perception that the
Presidency is insensitive to citizen concerns about trade policy.
Recent Green Party Releases on Fast Track:
http://www.gp-us.org/press/pr_10_18_01.html
http://www.gp-us.org/press/pr_11_19_01.html
Contacts:
Nancy Allen, Media Coordinator, 207-326-4576, nallen@acadia.net
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, scottmclarty@yahoo.com
Ben Manski, Co-Chair, 608 239 6915, manski@greens.org
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