cannabisnews.com: Greens' Choice for President: Nader Greens' Choice for President: Nader Posted by FoM on June 26, 2000 at 15:08:19 PT By Berny Morson, DRM News Staff Writer Source: Rocky Mountain News Consumer advocate says 'plight of labor' should be in forefront in the 2000 campaign.Consumer advocate Ralph Nader told cheering fans Sunday that his presidential campaign will restore the balance of power between working people and "the pinhead corporation executives up there at the top." Nader made his comments in a two-hour acceptance speech at a Denver hotel before more than 1,000 members and sympathizers of the Green Party who nominated him for president.The speech touched on nearly every Green Party cause, including calls to empower labor unions, save rain forests and stop spending on expensive new military weapons.But Nader emphasized that the widening gap must be closed between the rich and the poor. "The plight of labor must become a front-burner issue in this campaign," Nader said.He derided claims by Vice President Al Gore, the Democratic presidential candidate, that Americans have prospered during the past eight years."He's using the yardstick of his corporate paymasters," Nader said.Nader also got loud applause with a call to legalize marijuana and an attack on the war on drugs."Given the tens of billions of dollars of taxpayer money that have been spent on the failed war on drugs year after year, we're entitled to ask their perpetrators, 'What is your standard of failure?"' he said. The nomination comes at a time when Democrats and Republicans are increasingly fearful that third parties will drain votes from their candidates.But that's exactly what Green Party members vowed to do during two days of discussions and speeches at the Renaissance Hotel near the former Stapleton Airport, culminating in the Nader nomination.Former Illinois Congressman John Anderson, who won 7 percent of the vote in his 1980 presidential bid as a third-party candidate, said the public is ready for a new political force."Millions of our fellow citizens have lost respect for the system — they don't vote anymore," Anderson said.Jim Hightower, a journalist and the former Texas agriculture commissioner, told delegates that the party can appeal to voters who cast ballots for Ross Perot, John McCain and Jesse Ventura.The speakers who preceded Nader on Sunday also repeatedly attacked corporate wealth and called for legalizing marijuana and other drugs.Joel Kovel, the party's 1998 U.S. Senate candidate in New York, voiced support for the Nicaraguan Sandinistas and the "people of Cuba." He referred to capitalism as a "monster."Jello Biafra, a member of the rock band the Dead Kennedys, said the American economic system is worse than capitalism. "We have feudalism now," he said.Biafra also drew cheers when he referred to the war on drugs as "ethnic cleansing, American style," a reference to the large number of minorities serving sentences for drugs.Biafra received 10 votes to be the party's presidential nominee. Also getting 10 votes was Stephen Gaskin of Tennessee, who calls for decriminalizing marijuana. Nader received 295 votes.In a press conference before the nomination, Nader demanded that he be included in debates between Gore and Texas Gov. George W. Bush, the Republican nominee for president.Nader said he can win in November if he has the exposure of the debates.Party leaders said earlier they hoped the convention would spotlight attempts to build an organization by running candidates in local elections.San Miguel County Commissioner Art Goodtimes is seeking re-election this year as a Green. He won in 1996 as a Democrat. He said the Democrats lost a lot of respect because of President Clinton's ethical lapses.He said dissatisfied voters might give the presidency to Nader."We've been surprised before," he said.Contact Berny Morson at (303) 892-5072, or: morsonb RockyMountainNews.com Published: June 26, 2000 © Copyright, Denver Publishing Co.The Green Partyhttp://www.greenparties.org/Lawmakers Part Ways in State's War on Pot http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread5682.shtmlGreen Party Convention on C-SPAN: C-SPAN coverage from June 25th, 2000 from Denver Events Included: A speech by Tony Mazzocchi, Labor Party spokespersonPresidential candidates request nominationVote of the State party delegationsAcceptance speechesWatch the Events Online: http://www.c-span.org/campaign2000/greenparty.aspTODAY The 26th Nader on CSPAN 930PM ET. Drug War, Hemp, etchttp://cannabinoid.com/wwwboard/politics/messages/27/27214.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #7 posted by eco on July 31, 2000 at 19:28:36 PT LINKS! Greens on the drug war. *Greens and the Drug War. Worldwide. LINKS. Green Party candidates, positions, platforms, etc.. Concerning the Drug War, cannabis, marijuana, etc.. Ralph Nader info, links.http://www.angelfire.com/rnb/y/greens.htm*Greens. Drug War Platforms. And Usenet messages by a webpage compiler of Green platform links. Links, process, history. Sources for Green Party platform positions on drug war, cannabis, prisons, etc... http://www.angelfire.com/rnb/y/platforms.htm [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by FoM on June 27, 2000 at 07:49:54 PT Link! Hi Everyone!Here's the link to Vote.com!Vote.comhttp://vote.com/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by freedom fighter on June 27, 2000 at 05:41:35 PT vote.com Mikeeee I went there and checked. 71% want the debate.I agree with you, these yo-yos ought to have a debate with nader and others. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by kaptinemo on June 27, 2000 at 05:02:20 PT: I hope he's got good security around him Because telling the truth to the people of this country has a tendency to get the truth-teller martyred. Just look at Peter McWilliams.I am very glad that Nader has finally thrown his hat in the ring; in nearly every other industrialized country, particularly in Europe, when the Greens ascend to some level of power, the idiotic drug laws of their respective countries have been overhauled to something approximating sanity. Germany, Italy, and Spain are prime examples of what a Green presence can do - in parliamnetary systems, mind you. But in our 'winner-take-all system', the going will be much slower; the Duopoly tries to absorb and neutralize it's opponents, and when it can't do that, it seeks to destroy them. Which is why in the US, with our pig-headed legislators so used to bellying-up to the DrugWarrior propaganda trough, chowing down on their bilge and then reflexively defecating the money the DrugWarriors need to maintain this farce, it's not likely that a change will come for some time. But a sizable Green turnout will provide notice to the Duopoly that they better start addressing Green issues. This is going to be an interesting election, folks; stay tuned. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by CongressmanSuet on June 26, 2000 at 19:56:36 PT: "Pin head executives"... You gotta love this guy! [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Puritan on June 26, 2000 at 18:32:43 PT What are the parties afraid of? The truth! The loudest applause Nader received during his acceptance speech was when he addressed the WOSD. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by MikeEEEEE on June 26, 2000 at 18:03:54 PT Nader See vote.com, there's a vote about how guys like Nader can't be at the debate with George Tush and Al Snore.I think the Demorats and Reyuckcians should give these other parties a chance to speak, what are they afraid of? [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: