Koch Impersonator Seeking Green Party Endorsement
February 25, 2011 in Congressional Campaigns, State Party News
The New Yorker yesterday reported that Ian Murphy, the guy that impersonated billionaire David Koch in an embarrassing phone call with Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, wants to run for Chris Lee’s vacant Congressional seat in New York:
Murphy, editor-in-chief of the Buffalo Beast, the alt-weekly turned national monthly turned Web ’zine, had been considering a run for Congress even before he called Walker, pretending to be David Koch, and became a viral sensation. “I was in the process of figuring out how I could possibly get thirty-five hundred signatures or entice some loser party like the Green Party to endorse me—not that I think they’re losers, their politics are great, but I think they’re going to lose,” he told me on the phone Thursday. Both “seemed completely undoable.”
But as one Internet-driven scandal cleared the seat, another has earned Murphy the Green Party’s attention. Eric Jones, co-chair of the New York Green Party, told me that he would be meeting Murphy Wednesday evening to discuss politics. When asked if they would talk about Murphy running for Lee’s seat, Jones replied, “I’m kind of shocked he brought that up with you.”
We look forward to seeing how this plays out.
It should be noted that the “Koch Whore” prank may have bigger consequences than anticipated, as statements made by Walker on the call have some questioning whether there may have been legal violations on top of the ethical ones.
Story is also covered by Grist, and is up at Independent Political Report.
Michael Cavlan said on February 26, 2011
Oh Look
My God
What a rouges gallery. Not even a mention or sense of regret or shame for their work
in destroying the Green Party.
Oh well. Carry on.
Building. Organizing an opposition to the corporate corruppt, pro-war two party
system. Like we really mean it.
Michael Cavlan RN
Minnesota
I thought that people might not know the origin of the Green Party Rising documents and who supports them. So here is the opening letter from the Green Party Rising website.
Thanks,
Fred Vitale
——————
At the ANM last June in Detroit, Karen Young and John Rensenbrink had a conversation and mutually discovered their grave concerns for the future of the party. When they got home — and with preliminary ideas about needed changes — they began with exploratory calls to leaders around the country.
The calls turned into conference calls and our number increased. We agreed on a name for our project, Green Party Rising. We wanted diversity in our group, we wanted to keep it small enough, and we wanted, as much as possible, that no more than one of us would be from any given state party. Eventually, fifteen members from fourteen different state parties signed on. Our names and states are appended at the end of this post.
There was a face-to-face meeting in Brooklyn on January 8 in which eight of us participated. We shared the results of that meeting with the whole group and got feedback. We came up with a three-part document: 1) Where we want our Green Party to be on our 30th anniversary in 2014; 2) Structural changes in the National Committee and the Steering Committee; and 3) Non-Structural Ideas for Greater Growth. Comments are welcome!
We want to share the three part document with the National Committee and with the state parties. We urge state parties to voice their general support for the document; or if they want changes/additions as a condition for that support, please to let us know. We urge our own respective state parties, and others as well, to join in sponsoring a proposal to the National Committee for the structural changes, as stated in #2, that we are recommending for the NC and the SC.
We realize that other groups and individuals have good ideas in mind for improving the Green Party of the United States. We hope to work side-by-side with any and all so that 2011 will be the year the Green Party of the United States sets forth with renewed vigor and confidence.
Our names in alphabetical order:
Jared Ball, Washington, D.C.
Dee Berry, Missouri
David Cobb, California
George Friday, North Carolina
Greg Gerritt, Rhode Island
Farheen Hakeem, Minnesota
Holly Hart, Iowa
Hillary Kane, Pennsylvania
George Martin, Wisconsin and New Mexico
Scott McLarty, Washington, D.C.
Jason Nabewaniec, New York
John Rensenbrink, Maine
Anita Rios, Ohio
Cliff Thornton, Connecticut
Karen Young, New York
Michael Cavlan said on February 27, 2011
Got some great Green Party news from Ireland. Perhaps GP Watch could do a story on it.
Comhantas Glas (the Irish Green Party) just lost all six of it’s seats in the Irish Dail. Which is similar to the US Congress. Their partners Fianna Fail fell from 120 seats to just 20.
This is due to Fianna Fail and their junior partners in government, the Irish Greens involvement in a massive bailout to the Bankers in Ireland.
There is always a pricetag for betrayal.
Jaysus.
VAGreen said on February 28, 2011
Cavlan can’t build his own party, so he comes here to hijack threads in an attempt to drag the Greens down. It’s just sad.
Ross said on March 1, 2011
Another Green Party event in Philadelphia:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=63257650672
Eddie said on March 1, 2011
The Green Party watch should do a post that we should register people Green for St. Patricks Day! Set up a booth locally in your town!