Green People Are Real HipMcKinney/Clemente '08

Bombastic Republicans and complicit Democrats beware, Cynthia McKinney is infusing new life into the Green Party with her historic candidacy. Rosa Clemente is her Vice Presidential pick. Clemente is a community organizer, activist and journalist. The Greens have vowed to break the hold that the two party system has on the American political system. Their next step is trying to get ballot access in at least 40 states, a daunting process filled with major hurdles to the unembedded, unlobbied, unfetted and unwelcome. Rosa Clemente indicated that the Greens will be recruiting "disaffected" voters at the DNC and at the RNC conventions.

The two parties are engaged in the campaign battles. However, many are no longer engaged because the "hope" has faded and the "change" is "politics as usual". Barack Obama in a major reversal of previous statements, backed the FISA bill authorizing domestic spying and granting the Telecom companies immunity from lawsuits. Senator Obama has alienated many who hoped that his candidacy was based on integrity and accountability. The sense of betrayal is met with the cynical thought -- didn't you know he was a politician? The popular definition of a politician is not flattering. For most a politician is a congenital liar that you can never trust. However, people will hold their noses and vote for the Democratic candidate.

This reversal brings into question the Democrat's pledge to end the unjust war in Iraq. The war in fact has been prolonged and enabled by the Democrats who have continued to fund the war. My fear is that the now familiar talking point of "the situation on the ground" being parroted in the mainstream media these days is an ominous indication of preparatory step towards another political maneuver "to the center" by the Democrat.

Speaking on Democracy Now!, Cynthia McKinney is critical of US foreign policy.

"We need a different foreign policy. We need a foreign policy that is grounded in the respect for human rights. That respects self-determination. That respects democracy and the will of the people. That is the foundation for a peaceful forward deployment of US assets and resources around the world in such a way that we are actually helping people; lifting people up. We do not have to deliver bombs and missiles, and military technology and nuclear technology to countries in order to make them submit to US will in fear. We can make friends with peace."

The Greens say "Power to the People", but that will be delayed. On stand-by while a new American beauty contestant glides down the aisle. It remains to be seen if it will be cleared for take off. In the November elections, will a vote cast be counted? As Cynthia McKinney points out, there are major problems at the ballot box; votes are not assured because there is no ballot integrity.

When questioned about taking votes from the Democratic candidate, McKinney points out that "in a situation where we don't have election integrity, I don't think it is possible for anybody to talk about 1 or 2 percentage points difference, when we've got the electronic voting machines, we've got the central tabulation manipulation, we've got problems with people even being able to cast their votes... the Republicans have done a pretty fine job of stealing two presidential elections. And I would cast my eyes at them and the voter id laws, and the voter caging, the electronic voting machines, and the administration of elections -- where people can actually get inside the voting boot, cast one million votes and their votes not be counted. That's where I would be looking. Don't look at the Green Party and suspect that the Green Party is doing anything other then exercising its obligation to provide the voters choice."