Doug Mann LPN, LNC

The Green Party should unendorse Jay Pond












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The Green Party should unendorse Jay Pond
















by Doug Mann 
 
At the next meeting of the 5th congressional district Green Party, we should consider withdrawing the Party's endorsement of Jay Pond.

In the September issue of Uptown Neighborhood News...
http://carag.org/news/unn.htm

Direct link to the Sept issue:
http://carag.org/assets/documents/UNN/SepUNNlowres.pdf

I read statements regarding the US occupation of Iraq by Keith Ellison, Jay Pond, and Michael Cavlan. Of the three, only Keith Ellison called for the immediate, unilateral withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. Pond advocates "a responsible withdrawal." Cavlan says "the only real solution to the war in Iraq is to get our troops...out of Iraq..." Just about everyone, including US president George Bush say they are for getting out of Iraq.

Jay Pond has already been criticized on the Green Party listserv for endorsing "responsible" exit strategies from Iraq on his website, while paying lip service to an Out Now! position. And as I reported in a message to the 5th district Green Party listserv on September 8, Pond's position on the war was indistinguishable from those of all other candidates at the September 7 forum for US House candidates, with the exception of Keith Ellison. Pond, like most of the other candidates repeatedly stated that US troops should be withdrawn from Iraq "as soon as possible." Ellison took a very clear stand in favor of an immediate, unilateral withdrawal of US troops from Iraq.

Pond and Cavlan should arguing for the immediate, unilateral withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. That is part of the platform upon which both sought the Green Party endorsement. On this issue they should be like Keith Ellison, i.e., explicitly call for the immediate, unilateral withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, and offer some arguments to support that stance. If Pond and Cavlan can't bring themselves to do that, they will not get my vote, and I will oppose their endorsement for public office in the future.
 
I will very likely vote for Ellison this fall, if he remains strong as an advocate for immediate, unilateral withdrawal of US troops from Iraq up for the duration of the campaign season.

In the caucuses last March I introduced a resolution stating that Green Party candidates who do not advocate the immediate, unilateral withdrawal of US troops from Iraq should not get the Green Party endorsement, and in the case of endorsed candidates, especially endorsed candidates for federal office who fail to advocate that position, the Green Party should withdraw its endorsement. As I recall, that resolution had majority support at my caucus meeting.
















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