Green and Mainstream
The Politico (where I have a column today assessing Barack Obama's crossover appeal and Hillary's lack thereof) reports that the Greens are getting ready to leapfrog the Libertarian Party and become the third party with a senatorial campaign committee.
The Federal Election Commission is scheduled to consider the Green Senatorial Campaign Committee's request Thursday. If approved, the GSCC can raise money for senatorial candidates like its Republican and Democratic counterparts. The new committee would also have to adhere to the same campaign finance rules.
And it's part of a ploy to -- surprise! -- punish the Democrats.
The GSCC won't disclose its 2008 game plan yet, but it plans to target those senators who are not firmly against the war. Once the FEC recognition is in, the committee will ask all senators to vote against additional funding of the U.S. occupation of Iraq.
"When Democrats in Congress vote for war, their actions have consequences," GSCC co-chairman Anita Wessling said in a statement. "One of those consequences is that the Green Party will oppose them at the ballot box. If the Democrats vote for more funding, or even promises of more funds, they are supporting the occupation's continuance, not opposing it."
Ralph Nader is threatening another presidential run and the Republicans are still hurting from the LP-abetted loss in Montana, so Democrats might sweat this. They need to hold 12 seats in states from Montana to Massachusetts and pick up Republican seats in states like Minnesota and New Hampshire to have a good year. So… maybe they shouldn't whiff on the Iraq war?
