contact: New Haven Alderman John Halle, 203-785-9258.
The Green Party of Connecticut is calling on all those opposed to the war in Iraq, to corporate scandal as a way of life, to third world levels of income and wealth inequality, to the insane drug war, to the death penalty and to the three decade long capitulation of the Democratic party to its right wing to picket Joseph Lieberman's announcement of his candidacy for president at 10 AM on Monday, January 13, at Stamford High School, 55 Strawberry Hill Ave. Stamford, CT. (See below for directions.)
Since his election to the Senate, arch hawk Lieberman has been a strident and uncompromising voice for unnecessary weapons programs and unchecked militarism. A strong defender of the expansion of West Bank settlements and an apologist for Israeli human rights violations, Lieberman was calling an invasion of Iraq long before President Bush and has been a cheerleader for intervention ever since. His enthusiastic support for Plan Colombia and an unrestricted global "war on terrorism" will commit U.S. troops and hundreds of billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars to senseless military operations for generations to come.
Lieberman's domestic policies have been no less odious. As reported in former SEC chairman Arthur Levitt's new book, Lieberman's neutering of the Financial Accounting Standards Board was the single legislative act most directly responsible for the recent wave of corporate scandals. A recipient of large contributions from the financial services industry, he predictably failed to use his position as chairman of the Governmental Affairs Committee to investigate the burgeoning Arthur Anderson/Enron scandals. Lieberman has also been a strong voice for corporations in their effort to export production to lowest wage countries, driving wages down at home. Despite receiving sizable contribution from labor unions, his votes for the NAFTA and GATT have served the interests of corporations against working families. Lieberman's coziness with major players in finance and the energy industry probably resulted in his failure to intercede with federal regulators to prevent the construction of the cross sound cable, an assault on the Long Island sound ecosystem, located just a few miles away from Lieberman's home in New Haven.
On constitutional rights issues, Lieberman has been a perpetual disaster.
As a board member of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, Lieberman joined with Lynne Cheney and other far-right ideologues in circulating a black list of 40 university professors whose remarks questioning aspects of U.S. foreign policy "give aid and comfort to (our) adversaries." He is a strong supporter of the Patriot Act and even endorsed the administration's ludicrous "TIPS" program which attempted to turn postal workers, gas and cable company employees and others with access to private homes into government informants.
Lieberman's voice has become increasingly familiar among the chorus led by the religious right calling for the breakdown of barriers between church and state. His notorious remark that the constitution "guarantees freedom of religion, not freedom from religion" has outraged even moderates within the religious community who recognize the strain of aggressive intolerance barely concealed behind Lieberman's deceptively mild rhetoric.
Joseph Lieberman is a disgrace to the people of Connecticut who he claims to serve, a disgrace to the constitution, a disgrace to the Senate, a menace to human rights and human decency.
Elected officials, activists and celebrities from around the state and region will be on hand to show that while Lieberman's massive corporate campaign contributions and endless series of capitulations to the right wing can bring "credibility" in the eyes of the media and the establishment, they cannot overcome the opposition of people of conscience.
A list of endorsers is being assembled and will be circulated over the weekend.
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Directions to Stamford High School.
Take the ELM STREET off 95 exit- exit number 8.
Turn RIGHT onto ELM ST.
ELM ST becomes GROVE ST.
GROVE ST becomes STRAWBERRY HILL AVE.
Public transporation:
From Metro North Station in Stamford. Take Metro North Bus 33 at 8:37, 9:07 or 9:50
Or call 203-906-6142 to arrange van pick up from Metro North station.
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