David Bedell is sending the following press release out. We expect the
nominating convention to take from 2 to 4. From 4 to 5 we will have an
organizing meeting. The Green rules state that if you have attended
two Green fuctions, you are entitled to vote.
Whether you are entitled to vote or not, we would appreciate your
attendance and input and we will need your assistance if you want an
impeachment candidacy in the 4th district. The majority of the debates
have entry requirements set by the League of Women Voters. The LWV
will not allow a candidate to debate without a showing of at least
$5000 in contributions from more than 50 contributors, and at least 50
volunteers averaging at least 10 hours of volunteer time--which will
be needed to get the necessary signatures. We'll need more money,
work, and cooperation than we had last time or we will not be able to
articulate our positions in public.
We'll probably have some visiting speakers on impeachment, among them
John Nirenberg and Harold Burbank--and if necessary will start the
speeches at 1:15.
Richard
And here's the NEWS:
For immediate release
Date: December 10, 2007
GREEN PARTY CONSIDERS RUN FOR CONGRESS
Richard Duffee to Seek Nomination
Contact: David Bedell, (203)581-3193, dbedell@greens.org
Richard Duffee, (203)588-0161, richard.duffee@gmail.com
NORWALK, CT—On Sunday, December 16, the Connecticut Green Party will
hold a nominating meeting to select a candidate for Congress from the
4th District. Richard Duffee of Stamford, a retired lawyer and
impeachment activist, has announced his intention to seek the
nomination. The meeting will take place at the Norwalk Public Library
beginning at 2:00 PM on Sunday.
The meeting is open to the public. All Green Party members residing
in the 4th District are encouraged to attend and vote on the
nomination, while other interested voters are welcome to attend as
observers.
When asked his reasons for running, Duffee cited the need to reverse
the current Iraq war policies, to prevent war against Iran, and to
counter the Bush administration's environmental legacy and failure to
address global warming or public safety threats such as the nearby
Indian Point nuclear power station.
Congress Has Failed to Impeach
Above all, however, Duffee decided to run because Congress has not
used its power of impeachment to end what he describes as the criminal
activities of George Bush and Dick Cheney. "I believe the current
Congress has not taken seriously the oath of office to defend the
Constitution. We are in a constitutional crisis that cannot end until
we repudiate empire and imperial presidencies and return to our
Republic.
"We need a government based on trust, openness, honesty, and
disinterested public action. It is clear that Bush and Cheney regard
us not as citizens, but as subjects, using all the techniques of
ruling an empire—secrecy, deceit, betrayal, fraud, mystification, and
violence. These are inherently incompatible with the moral
prerequisites for maintaining a Republic based on the rule of law."
Duffee has started a campaign blog at http://richardduffee.blogspot.com.
He ran in 2006 for the same seat, but withdrew two weeks before
Election Day, citing an agreement with the local Greens to endorse
Democrat Diane Farrell because they felt she had a better chance of
defeating Republican Christopher Shays in a close race.
The same scenario will not be considered in the next election,
according to David Bedell, Secretary of the Fairfield County chapter
of the Green Party. "Richard has offered to run, and we will entertain
other nominations from the floor, including None of the Above. But
whatever we decide, if we put a candidate on the ballot in 2008, we
expect it to be binding this time, not conditional as in 2006."
Bedell explained that minor parties such as the Green Party have to
petition their way onto the ballot, and if they do not run a candidate
in any given year, then they lose their ballot line for that office.
For the Congressional seat, the Green Party will have to collect at
least 2100 signatures of voters in the 4th District.
