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Forum: Urge for Apology Elicits Response

Tuesday April 08, 2003

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Carol Denney calls for an apology from the Green Party. It is not the Green Party who spoiled the election or are prosecuting this war. The Democrats won, but Bush was installed as President anyway. Remember? 

More appropriate would be a call for an apology from the Democrats who rolled over and played dead when called upon to defend the election of their candidate, and since his selection have supported and approved every reactionary policy put to them. They surrendered their power to declare war; they helped Bush and his gang overturn the Bill of Rights by endorsing the Patriot Act and the Homeland Security Department, and they are out-Bushing Bush by advocating even more billions in the U.S. budget for war than the Republicans have asked for. 

Blame the Greens for this? I don’t think so. 

Robbin Henderson 

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Editors, Daily Planet: 

Carol Denney’s April 3 letter assailing  

the Green Party for purportedly enabling George W. Bush to win the 2000 presidential election is not only misdirected but promotes a cynical and calculated national Democratic Party falsehood. 

According to national voter exit polls, at least a million registered Democratic Party members nationwide voted for George W. Bush during the November 2000 election. I repeat: a million Democratic voters. 

Also, in an unprecedented political humiliation, Democratic candidate Al Gore failed to win his own home state of Tennessee during the 2000 election because tens of thousands of Gore’s fellow Tennessee Democrats voted for Bush (even Democrat George McGovern won his home state of North Dakota — while losing 49 states — against Richard Nixon during the Republican Party’s 1972 presidential election victory landslide). 

And, in the November 2002 Congressional elections, approximately seven percent of registered Democrats voted for Republican candidates, enabling Republicans to gain control of the Senate. 

With all due respect to Ms. Denney, the Democratic Party, unfortunately, has only itself to blame for the “nightmare” Ms. Denney complains about. 

Chris Kavanagh 

• 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The author claims the Green Party should apologize for “the role they played in the election, which brought about our current nightmare.” 

I suppose there should never be any third parties, because Democrats are an excellent alternative to Republicans, and we know we are well taken care of with these two choices. 

If the Democrats can’t refute an anti-environment, anti-union, pro-megacapitalist party, then everyone who voted for them threw their vote away. Had they all voted Green, we’d have Ralph Nader for President, and maybe a start on the desperately needed reconstruction of our Democracy rather than war after war for fun and profit. 

Doesn’t the real responsibility lie with the people who voted for the Republicans, or should I say, for the guy they could see being drinking buddies with? 

Lest we forget, the election was handed to the Poseur by a corrupt Supreme Court with an illegitimate fifth vote (Sandra Day O’Connor should have recused herself after stating she wouldn’t want to retire if a Democrat were in office). Gore did, in fact, win Florida; all the Greens did was make it close. 

Don’t blame the Greens for the right wing takeover of our government — they’re the only realistic choice for change. I’ll vote for Ralph until he wins. 

Eric Dynamic 

• 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I have read Ms. Denney’s letters over the years with respect. She is her own woman. She has unique perspective and is scathing on hypocrisy wherever she finds it. For this I appreciate her. 

I would like to say, however, that given what I know about the outcome of the election of 2000, I would still not vote for that eunuch Al Gore or his party. Diane Feinstein voted for this war. Most of the Democrats vying for the chance to replace George Bush are for this war. I won’t vote for any of them — no matter what. 

Furthermore, I will actively work against them and any Democratic Party candidates who don’t represent my values, and will actively work for, send money to and speak out for any candidate who does. 

If any candidate wants my vote, money and time, he can have it if he will only work for the following: liberty and justice for all, not just the rich people and corporations of this country. 

Nothing is perfect, but the Green Party and Ralph Nader were my best choice at the time. Ms. Denney will most assuredly stick to her principles and so will I. When candidates work for the truly revolutionary ideas embedded in the Bill of Rights I will respond. Unfortunately we are being led by those who want to win, regardless. 

Harry Wiener