Green Party Fighting Republicrats

The Green Party gubernatorial candidate sees no difference between Republican and Democrats, reported The Associated Press.

"It's such a colossal waste of time and money," said Green candidate Malachy McCourt, actor, activist, author, and broadcast personality. "Why didn't they just do it together?" He called them all "republicrats" for what he sees as their tepid and similar, focus-group tested views.

State Senate Majority Leader begged to differ.

"What's all this nonsense about Republicans and Democrats not being any different?" said Republican Joseph Bruno, the state Senate majority leader who has heard this refrain before. "There is a huge difference." One example, he said, is the size of government. Republicans call for smaller government while Democrats want to provide services to everybody in need, which can require more state workers.

McCourt shared with The Associated Press the following platform for his statewide race:

-- Demilitarize the National Guard in New York, make it unavailable for overseas combat and use the manpower and equipment to recycle junked vehicles.

-- Pay teachers $50,000 more a year to attract the best people, instead of spending $50,000 a year to jail a student because schools failed him.

-- Provide free public transportation, paid for by corporations.

-- Make public college tuition free, which would create a more educated state and bring in more jobs and money to cover the cost.

-- End the death penalty -- "We should be in the business of life and liberty."

-- End nuclear energy programs.

-- Make a misdemeanor of smoking near children and boost the cost of cigarettes so they become unaffordable.

The Albany Times Union reported on McCourt being chosen as the Green Party candidate late last month.

The Green Party lost its ballot line in 2002 after gubernatorial candidate Stanley Aronowitz failed to win the minimum 50,000 votes needed to maintain the party's official status. The party won a partial victory in court when a federal judge ruled that boards of elections must continue to allow people to enroll in minor parties.

But the party will have to collect 15,000 valid signatures for each candidate to get them on the ballot -- even before they try to get McCourt 50,000 votes in November.

NYC Indy Media -- "Free Media For Free People" -- reported that the Green Party chose Howie Hawkins to run for U.S. Senate.

Longtime peace activist Howie Hawkins easily won the Green Party nomination Saturday afternoon to face Hillary Clinton in the race for Senate. Hawkins will challenge Clinton over the war in Iraq. The Greens support bringing the troops home immediately and believe that President Bush should be impeached for lying to the country about the reasons for the illegal invasion. "We have to stop going to war for oil," stated Hawkins.

Other key Green issues in the 2006 election include abolition of the death penalty, same-sex marriage, reproductive freedom, living wage jobs, immigration rights, mass transit and agriculture sustainability. The Greens support the shutdown of nuclear power plants, starting with Indian Point.