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Greens, at the Party's National Meeting, Affirm Plans to Run a Presidential Candidate in 2004; Establish an Outreach Campaign Among African-Americans. |
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GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES Contacts: Presidential hopefuls introduce themselves at a reception; Greens elect a new national Steering Committee. WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Greens, during their national meeting in Washington, D.C. this past weekend, affirmed the party's intention to run candidates for President and Vice President of the United States in 2004. The party also discussed plans to increase membership, and passed a proposal to expand outreach efforts among African Americans. The meeting took place July 18 to 20 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. "This meeting produced a clear mandate for a strong Green Party presidential ticket in 2004," said Ben Manski, a Wisconsin Green and co-chair of the Green Party of the United States. "This meeting in Washington was a crossroads, and we chose the path of growth and establishing ourselves as the true opposition party." Three presidential hopefuls -- David Cobb, Lorna Salzman, and Carol Miller -- spoke at a reception on Saturday evening, July 19 for Greens seeking the national nomination in 2004. Ralph Nader, Cynthia McKinney, and Paul Glover, all of whom are also considering national campaigns, sent statements that were read during the reception. Greens also adopted an African-American Outreach proposal which authorizes authorizes the party to hire part-time staff for a campaign that includes enlisting the participation of prominent African-American political and religious leaders, cultural figures, scholars, and writers to speak out on matters of importance to both Greens and African-Americans. The outreach campaign will especially target historically black colleges and universities. "The support Ralph Nader gained from some well-known African-American figures, including Randall Robinson, Danny Glover, and Chuck D was vital to Mr. Nader's campaign in 2000 and to the Green Party in general," said George Martin, Wisconsin Green Party co-spokesperson and co-chair of the national party's Black Caucus. "They helped us gain new membership and participation not just among African-Americans but all Americans who respect their leadership." State delegates of the Green Party of the United States also elected new Steering Committee members: Ben Manski (reelected, from Wisconsin), Marnie Glickman (new member, from Oregon), Jo Chamberlain (reelected, from California), and party secretary Greg Gerritt (new member, from Rhode Island). Remaining from the last Steering Committee (terms are two years and elections are staggered) are Badili Jones (Georgia), Anita Rios (Ohio), and treasurer Jake Schneider (Wisconsin). MORE INFORMATION search: elct, spol, prty |