Green Party Watch

As pressure increases on the partisan Commission on Presidential Debates, tonight’s debate between only Barack Obama and Mitt Romney will be aired on Democracy Now with Amy Goodman, who will pause the debate to allow Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party and Rocky Anderson of the Justice Party to have equal time to address the questions.

Democracy Now program begins at 8:30 EST.

Events in Denver tonight:

5:30pm – Occupy the Debates! Join Occupy Denver, Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala as we march on the Commission on Presidential Debates.
WHERE: McWilliams Park
Meet up for the march at 5:30pm at McWilliams Park, at E. Yale Ave and S. Steele St.. Bring your signs and noisemakers!

7:00pm – Democracy Now!’s Live Debate Talkback with Jill Stein, Rocky Anderson and Amy Goodman
WHERE: Central Presbyterian Church, 1660 Sherman St.
The live program will begin at 6:30pm, and Jill Stein will join the show at 7:00pm. Show up to be a part of the studio audience! The program has been moved to a production studio, there will be no live audience.

9:30pm – Occupy the Debates! AFTERRALLY with Jill Stein, Cheri Honkala and musical entertainment
WHERE: Mercury Cafe, 2199 California St.
Ben Manski will host a post-debate rally with live music and rousing speeches from the candidates. There will be a recommended $5-$20-$50 sliding scale donation.

The Sacramento Bee reports on California Green Party gubernatorial candidate Laura Wells:

For most candidates, Election Day consists of attending last-minute rallies, posing for photo ops as they cast their ballot and waiting for the returns to come in. Not Laura Wells. The Green Party nominee for governor will spend the big day in court.

Wells was arrested Oct. 12 on a misdemeanor trespassing charge outside the debate between Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman at San Rafael’s Dominican University. Wells, who was not invited to participate in the debate, says she had a ticket to watch the event live at the time of her arrest, but it was rejected. read more »

RICH WHITNEY, LEALAN JONES, AND THE ILGP FILE SUIT AGAINST WTTW OVER DEBATE EXCLUSION

Carbondale, IL— The Illinois Green Party and candidates Rich Whitney and LeAlan Jones filed suit in federal court late yesterday against public television station WTTW, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Public Broadcasting Service and President and CEO of WTTW Daniel J. Schmidt. Gubernatorial candidate Whitney and Senatorial candidate Jones were both excluded from debates which occurred on WTTW this week. This happened despite the Illinois Green Party being one of only three legally established political parties in the state. Furthermore, Whitney received over 360,000 votes in the 2006 gubernatorial election.

The complaint alleges that WTTW, PBS and the CPB violated their 501(c)(3) status by conducting debates that had the effect of participating in, or intervening in a political campaign “on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.” These debates plainly had the effect of supporting the Democratic and Republican candidates, who alone were provided with a forum to propagate their views, to the exclusion of the two ballot-qualified Green Party candidates. The suit also charges these three corporate defendants with having violated the Federal Communications Act, including its Equal Time provisions pertaining to political candidates, by sponsoring a debate that gave the Democratic and Republican candidates more time than their Green Party challengers.

In a third count, the plaintiffs charge the three corporate defendants with violating the Corporation for Public Broadcasting Act which clearly states that, “The Corporation may not contribute to or otherwise support any political party or candidate for elective public office.” Finally, the complaint alleges that Schmidt violated the First and Fifth Amendment rights of Whitney and Jones by discriminating against them on the basis of their political views.
read more »

Illinois Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney is at 4% in a new Fox News poll, according to Capital Fax Blog:

The poll of 1,000 likely voters taken October 23rd has Bill Brady leading Gov. Pat Quinn 44-39. Independent Scott Lee Cohen has 6 percent and Green Party nominee Rich Whitney has 4 percent.

If Whitney receives at least 5% of the vote, the Illinois Green Party will retain a place on the ballot as an established major party.

In other news, Greens are planning to protest a Chicago debate hosted by public TV station WTTW that excludes Whitney, who earned over 10% of the statewide vote in 2006.

From Illinois Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney:

WTTW – a taxpayer supported PBS station – is sponsoring a gubernatorial debate on Thursday, October 28, on its program Chicago Tonight program. Like other sponsors, it has only invited the Democratic and Republican candidates. Unlike the others, though, WTTW is using our tax dollars to promote the two candidates who have already spent millions of dollars attacking each other on television!

WTTW may change its mind if it hears from enough people, especially viewers and supporters. If you haven’t called WTTW yet, NOW is the time! Call 773-583-5000. You can also email them at chicagotonight@wttw.com. Tell WTTW that it needs to DO THE RIGHT THING and invite Rich Whitney to its Chicago Tonight debate. read more »

Illinois Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney was barred from participating in a League of Women Voters debate in Chicago Wednesday night, despite the fact that Whitney earned over 10% of the statewide vote in 2006, establishing the Green Party as a major party in Illinois. Whitney and a crowd of supporters protested the exclusion outside the debate venue. The previous night, Green Party US Senate candidate LeAlan Jones had also been excluded from the League of Women Voters’ debate. Watch Rich Whitney’s speech in this video from the protest:

Medill Reports published a video report from the protest.

In related news, Whitney will air ads on MSNBC and Comedy Central asking that he be included in debates:

Non-partisan electoral and ballot access reform organization Free and Equal will hold debates for the Illinois gubernatorial and US Senate races tonight with all ballot-qualified candidates invited. Illinois Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney and US Senate candidate LeAlan Jones will participate.

Both Whitney and Jones were excluded from a League of Women Voters debate Wednesday night in Chicago.

From Free and Equal:

U.S. Senate and Illinois gubernatorial candidates will debate on issues ranging from the economy to environmental concerns to the War on Drugs, in back-to-back debates today, Thursday, October 21, 2010, at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. The debates will take place in the Carl Sandburg Auditorium in Holmes Student Center, with U.S. Senate candidates debating first from 6 – 7:30 p.m., followed by the gubernatorial debate from 8 – 9:30 p.m. read more »

Illinois Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney is asking supporters to join him in protesting a Chicago gubernatorial debate on Wednesday 20 October. The Illinois League of Women Voters has refused to allow Whitney to participate, despite the fact that he drew over 10% of the statewide vote in 2006, establishing the Green Party as a major party in Illinois. Details for the demonstration can be found on the facebook event “Protest ABC 7-League of Women Voters Governor’s Debate”.

In other news from the Whitney campaign, the candidate will appear on MSNBC earlier that day:

Rich Whitney to Appear on MSNBC

Carbondale, IL— Rich Whitney, Green party candidate for governor, will appear on MSNBC this Wednesday, October 20^th. Mr. Whitney will be interviewed by host Tamron Hall on the show NewsNation live at 1:15 PM central. The candidate will discuss his campaign and the “Whiteygate” ballot scandal.

Wednesday, October 20

Who: Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney

What: Appearance on MSNBC’s NewsNation

When:  1:15 PM central

Where: MSNBC read more »

Even after Illinois Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney got over 10% of the vote in 2006 and established the Green Party as a major party under Illinois law, the Illinois League of Women Voters is refusing to let Whitney debate the Republican and Democratic candidates in Chicago on Wednesday, October 20th. In the editorial viewpoint of Green Party Watch, actions like this make a mockery of democracy in America.

The Illinois Green Party is asking supporters to turn out in force to protest the debate exclusion. Whitney’s campaign has created a facebook event “Protest ABC 7-League of Women Voters Governor’s Debate” where you can view the details and share with your friends.

Gwen Blossom of Wilmette wrote a letter to the Chicago Tribune that nicely captures the injustice of this situation: read more »

From Illinois Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney:

Just days after Rich Whitney’s name was found to be misspelled on voting machine throughout Chicago, the Green Party candidate for governor is now finding himself locked out of three Chicago debates, including one going on tonight at Elmhurst College, 8 p.m..

Tonight’s debate, along with the League of Women Voters on Oct 20 and WTTW Channel 11 on Oct 28 debates, are set to include only Brady and Quinn, leaving out the only other established party candidate, Rich Whitney, despite heavy lobbying from Green Party representatives and supporters.

The debate exclusions come after a very successful debate among the three established party candidates in Southern Illinois — including Whitney — in Carbondale, far outside the Chicago political monopoly.

“Whitney won hands down,” wrote David Ormsby in a piece for examiner.com.

“Whitney… seemed to be [the] only one of the three to seize the gravity of the state budget mess,” wrote Chuck Sudo for chicagoist.com.

Similar comments were expressed by Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn after a five-way gubernatorial forum discussion held before the paper’s editorial board .

“Rich Whitney was the best spoken, had the best command of the facts and, in my opinion, had the most sensible ideas for moving Illinois forward,” wrote Zorn on October 1.

“Clearly Rich Whitney belongs in these debates, but debate organizers continue to stonewall us. This is clearly the result of pressure by the Democrats,” said Phil Huckelberry, Chair of the Illinois Green Party. read more »

California Green Party gubernatorial candidate Laura Wells made the news last week when she was arrested for trying to attend a debate between Democrat Jerry Brown and Republican Meg Whitman. Two new videos show what happened that day and illuminate Wells’ perspective on the debates. Polidoc Productions has released a youtube video showing the open debates demonstration and Laura Wells’ arrest. Wells’ campaign has released a video in which she responds to the questions that only Brown and Whitman were allowed to answer that day. Watch here:

Ca Gov Debate from jason sussberg on Vimeo.

Illinois Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney debated Democratic incumbent Pat Quinn and Republican Bill Brady last night at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. While Quinn and Brady bickered and spoke in vague generalities, Whitney stood out as the only candidate with a plan to fix the budget and ensure that all Illinoisans have access to quality jobs, education and health care. Over the course of the debate, Whitney made strong cases for single-payer health care, progressive taxation, a green capital bill, tuition-free higher education, a state bank, and more.

Watch the debate online at WSIU or listen at WBEZ.

Although Rich Whitney earned over 10% of the vote in 2006, establishing the Green Party as a major party in Illinois, sponsors of two upcoming debates are trying to keep him out. The recently redesigned Illinois Green Party website has a page telling Whitney supporters how they can join the grassroots campaign to get Whitney in the debates. On facebook, the campaign has started a rapidly-growing page “Do the Right Thing: Put Rich Whitney in the Debates”. You can easily write a letter to the editor supporting Whitney’s inclusion in the debates at Green Change.

Whitney is also asking supporters to watch and share a video message calling on the debates to include his voice. His campaign needs donations to put the video on TV – please donate what you can so that one of the Green Party’s most outstanding candidates can reach millions of undecided voters. Whitney needs 5% of the vote to keep the Illinois Green Party, which is running dozens of strong candidates this year, on the ballot. You can watch the video “A Message to Illinois Voters from Rich Whitney” here:

Green Party candidates across the US win some debates, battle exclusion from others

• In Illinois race for the US Senate, Green candidate LeAlan Jones wins a debate from which he was excluded: SC Green Tom Clements challenges Sen. Jim DeMint’s refusal to debate; Calif. Green Laura Wells arrested for entering the gubernatorial debate site

• Video downloads and campaign news:
Green candidates in debates http://www.gp.org/candidates/debates.php
Greens on the campaign trail http://www.gp.org/elections/campaign-trail/index.php
Labor endorsements for Greens http://www.gp.org/candidates/labor-endorsements.php
More candidate videos: http://www.gp.org/candidates/videos.php

WASHINGTON, DC — Green Party candidates across the US are shining in some debates — and protesting their exclusion from other debates. read more »

California Green Party gubernatorial candidate Laura Wells appeared on the national radio/tv show Democracy Now on October 14th:

While Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman debated Tuesday night at Dominican University in San Rafael, the Green Party candidate for governor was being arrested outside the hall. Police charged Laura Wells with trespassing after she tried to get into the debate that she was not allowed to participate in. In 2002, when Wells ran for state comptroller, she received more than 400,000 votes. Part of her platform this year is the establishment of a state-run bank.

Well, Laura Wells joins us here in San Francisco. Laura, welcome to Democracy Now! So, what happened?

Watch the video on Democracy Now.