Leaning toward the protest vote again

[Antigen]

This just landed on a PA libertarian list. Yeah, I know they're not going to win the election. But I do think they can make a difference if we give them even a 5% mandate to work w/.

No doubt, you've heard about Badnarik and Cobb being arrested outside the St. Louis debate Friday evening.  I noticed scant coverage of this by Saturday morning on the PG and Trib (Pittsburgh's two major daily newspapers). Their own site searches found nothing.

This was clearly a letter to the editor opportunity.  If they don't even know about it, then a letter, by definition, adds something.  (It's also an opportunity to call a  radio talk show.)

I submitted one LTE to the Trib on Saturday and another to the PG on Sunday (after I read a whiny editorial in the PG's early Sunday edition).  I have no idea if they will even call me to verify my intention for print consideration, but at least someone at their (partisan or clueless, you pick) editorial departments will know about it.

Below are both letters as submitted.  I think being a  little harsh is justified.  
Mark

PS - I urge you to write to your local papers, especially if they ignored this story.  How often are two presidential candidates arrested for WANTING to talk about issues? Forgive me, but this beats complaining about voter surveys  by a mile.
PPS -- And I kept each one under 150 words.

==========================================
Submitted to Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 2004-October-09
 Dear Editor:

Outside the presidential debate in St. Louis, third-party presidential candidates Michael Badnarik (Libertarian) and David Cobb (Green) crossed a police line.  They were arrested while "commander-in-chief" George Bush and "war-hero" John Kerry hid behind the skirt of Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD).

Badnarik, on the ballot in 48 states, carried an Arizona judge's order to the CPD.  It requires them to explain why Arizona-balloted third-party candidates should be excluded from the publicly-funded Arizona debate.  Earlier that day, the CPD's Washington and Arizona offices refused receipt of this order.

Bush and Kerry hide behind the CPD.  The CPD hides behind backroom doors and government police lines.  No wonder it takes a military-like operation to protect two weak, unprincipled, big-government politicians when they co-star in a scripted, taxpayer-funded infomercial.

If Bush and Kerry can't represent themselves in front of third-party candidates, then how can either represent us?
Mark Crowley
Plum

==========================================
Submitted to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2004-October-10

Dear Editor:

Instead of scolding non-voters about election apathy ("How could someone not vote?",  Catherine Specter, 10/10/2004), the PG should consider another target for its self- righteous, smug advice.

Outside the St. Louis debate, third-party presidential candidates Michael Badnarik (Libertarian) and David Cobb (Green) crossed a police line and were arrested.

Badnarik, on the ballot in 48 states, tried to serve the Commission on Presidential Debates with an Arizona judge's order requiring an explanation why they should exclude Arizona-balloted third-party candidates from the publicly-funded Arizona debate.  Just hours earlier the CPD's Arizona and Washington offices rejected the same order.

When not one, but two presidential candidates are arrested for promoting free speech, that alone should be prominent, above-the-fold news for any principled media organization that truly cares about the First Amendment.

Here's a little advice for the PG.  If you want to identify causes of voter apathy, buy a mirror.

Mark Crowley
Plum

==========================================







____________________________________________________________
LPPa Discussion mailing list - http://mail.lppa.org/mailman/listinfo/d ... n_lppa.org

Life is like a bird, at any given moment it is droping a load. It is only a matter of time before one eventually find you.

http://fornits.com/about_us.htm' target='_new'>SysAdmin