Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Mike Gravel for President



I know what you're saying. Who? Mike Gravel is a former Senator from Alaska (1969-1981). We've never had a President from Alaska. From his bio:

In 1971, he waged a successful one-man filibuster for five months that
forced the Nixon administration to cut a deal, effectively ending
the draft in the United States. He is most prominently known for his release of the Pentagon Papers, the secret official study that revealed the lies and manipulations of successive U.S. administrations that misled the country into the Vietnam War.


I caught his act on CSPAN at the Democratic Winter meeting and liked what I heard. More background:

During his first term in the Senate, Gravel authored a book titled Citizen Power. In it, he advocated the implementation of numerous populist ideas, including a guaranteed annual income (dubbed the "Citizen's Wage"), public financing of elections, a progressive tax with no deductions or exemptions, steps against the military-industrial complex (which he calls the "Warfare State"), a national law to do away with voter registration and other barriers to voting, abolition of the death penalty, universal health care, school vouchers, a drastic reduction in government secrecy, and an end to what he viewed as an imperialistic foreign policy.

I'm not ready to commit to any candidate for President yet but I always have a softspot for the underdog. Mrs. G is backing Dennis Kucinich again and LeftIndependent likes him too.

A transcript of his speech to the DNC is on his website. h/t to A Big Fat Slob.

2 comments:

A Big Fat Slob said...

I listened to his speech on c-span and was stunned by how right he was on so much, and how the DNC attendees seemed so indifferent to him. I hope he is able to stay in the race through most of the primary season -- his would be a productive voice in the debate.

Anonymous said...

i like school choice, But the end of voter registration, how will that not lead to vote early vote often, How can you stop people from voting in two diiferent areas. I could vote absentee in SEPA, but since i am living in NEPA i could show up and vote their.
Voter registation is a pain in the ass, but it is better than alternatives, suppose i just have to use my liscense, what if i want to vote in NEPA, but my liscense says SEPA, becuase i have not renewed it yet. i eman the only thiing slower than Luzeren county voter services(Montgomery county Voter services is Efficent) is the DMV