(This is heady wine. Many of us will disagree with a thing or two Moyer has to say, but most of us will, I am sure, agree with much of it. THIS BEARS READING. I do not promote diaries lightly. But this one should be read and discussed on this site, and elsewhere. – promoted by Ed Garcia)
Note: An audio MP3 file of this letter is on the web at:
http://stevemoyer.us/audio/bernie.mp3
June 21, 2006
Dear Bernie Sanders,
I am an independent candidate for the open U.S. Senate seat in Vermont. As a fellow candidate I want to encourage you
to get “out of the box” of traditional politics and consider some new ideas.
My campaign is focused on two objectives: the demise of the Republican party
and the promotion of virtue in politics.
My slogan is:
(on the jump. -ed)
“Never vote Republican because Republicans have lost their virtue.”
They have divided the nation, created unnecessary war and spent this nation into virtual bankruptcy for their own political gain.
I call for the impeachment of George Bush and Richard Cheney, investigations into the multitude of crimes they have
committed against our nation and an end to the fraudulent “war on terror” which has created endless war.
I advocate that we should “teach virtue” at every level of society and insist on it in our politicians.
Our politics is nasty precisely because it is based on competition instead of cooperation, on dominance
instead of consensus and on prejudice rather than principle. We need a new political system.
Rather than thinking of me as an opponent, I invite you to think of me as someone who
wishes to cooperate with you in creating a better society based on economic and social justice.
The path to justice is paved with the truth. If we wish to further the
cause of social and economic justice then we must seek the truth, speak the truth
and support the truth. We must unify around the truth.
In this light I present you with the following ten questions:
1. Why have you steadfastly refused to call for impeachment hearings?
2. Why have you refused to insist on re-opening the 9-11 investigation in
light of overwhelming evidence that the official story is a fraud?3. Why have you refused to demand investigations into how the Republicans have stolen
two elections and corrupted our democracy?4. Why do you vote with the Democrats, accept the endorsement of prominent Democrats
but refuse to run as a Democrat?5. Instant-runoff voting permits voters to rank candidates in order of preference.
It allows more candidates to get involved, decreases negative campaigning, and saves money.
Do you support instant-runoff elections for all elected positions?6. Do you support my Vermont Democracy Network initiative which utilizes the Internet
to improve our collective ability to identify good ideas, form coalitions and embrace good leadership?7. We have a category-5 economic hurricane coming, indicated by higher interest rates,
higher consumer costs, and a falling dollar. Will you address the root causes of
this economic crisis and tell us how we can free ourselves from dependence on money?8. Will you acknowledge that our democracy is strengthened when we have more candidates
to choose from because the people get to consider a wider range of issues and perspectives?9. Will you join me in condemning the Republican party as an evil organization dedicated to
serving the interests of the rich and the super-rich while exploiting the passions
and prejudices of poor fools?10. Secrecy is anathema to a healthy democracy. I believe that members of secret societies
are untrustworthy with public power. Do you endorse my proposed “Open Government” Constitutional Amendment:
The Open Government Amendment
“Any citizen who has accepted membership in any social, political or religious organization which requires a
secret oath, a secret rite of initiation, or secrecy of its structure or membership shall be ineligible to hold an
elected or appointed position.”
I ran against Senator Jeffords in 2000 as an independent. During the campaign I publicly called
for him to “leave the Republican party and become an independent” which he did the following year
as an “act of conscience.”
Republicans currently have all the investigative power of Congress and they steadfastly refuse
to honestly investigate any of a multitude of crimes committed by Bush Republicans. The Republicans
have stolen our democracy and I want it back.
I want the Republican party to go away … forever. We the People can
“make it so” by revealing their crimes against the Constitution, law and human virtue.
Please join me in asking Americans to “never vote Republican.” It’s one way we can end this horrible
two-party system which has produced a nightmare government.
Some Vermonters have told me that I remind them of you when you started out. It seems to me
that “Bernie the Revolutionary” has changed after 16 years of experience with Washington power
and privilege. You seem to be “playing politics” in the usual way now. Remember who you were, Bernie.
You were the hope of the revolution, of economic justice and true social progress. Let’s put our focus back on
the primary task of creating a new political system.
If you win this election then you will be the most progressive member
of the U.S. Senate. I understand one of your heroes is Senator Paul Wellstone
who was the most progressive member of the Senate until his death in a plane
crash in 2002. Barbara Streisand and many others have asserted that this crash
was “no accident.” I am concerned for your well being, Bernie. When I call Republicans “evil” it
is more than just political rhetoric.
Senator Wellstone was replaced by Norm Coleman, a reactionary Republican, because the
Democrats of Minnesota were unprepared for his untimely death two weeks before the election.
You may need a strategy to protect your life. I suggest you enlist me a “second choice” candidate
standing behind you, Just like Dick Cheney is more reactionary than George Bush, I am more radical
than you. I volunteer to be your “scary second choice.” This is a strategy the Republicans
will understand. If you accept this plan, tell the Vermont media to start covering my campaign.
Why not? Have you considered what would happen if you won the election but were unable to
serve? The current contingency plan would have Rich Tarrant appointed by the Governor.
Do you really want Rich Tarrant to be your second choice? This is what could happen
as a result of closing the election to the top two candidates.
I want us to work together to create a better democracy, one which is
free of personality politics and petty prejudices and is based instead on
virtuous principles and consensual processes.
Will you join me in creating a better political system utilizing the Internet to discern
consensus on good ideas and good leadership? Will you contribute $50,000 towards the
development of the Vermont Democracy Network? That’s only one percent of the $5 million
you will likely spend on your campaign. But it’s enough to create a robust Internet voting
system which will serve us for years to come.
We need a better political system which produces consensual leadership. The Vermont Democracy Network
is a modest beginning. I envision that anyone could become a leader, lobbyist or legislator without money or power.
It would depend on the quality of their ideas and judgment. Who has good judgment? These are the people who deserve our
attention rather than those who have buckets of money.
Let’s use the Internet to empower the people to govern ourselves. It’s all us!
Please help open up this election to more candidates and ideas. Join me in making
the American political experience one which
is rich with purpose, principle and process.
Courage is a virtue. I give you courage to do the right thing..
Be well — in mind, body and spirit!
Steve Moyer
Independent Candidate for U.S. Senate
RR 1 Box 60, Warren VT 05674
802-882-1949 202-370-6653
References:
Vermont Democracy Network
2004 United States presidential election controversy and irregularities/summary
The “Plane Crash” of Senator Wellstone
http://www.oilempire.us/wellstone.html
Loose Change – Documentary on 9-11
http://www.loosechange911.com/
http://tinyurl.com/74gyb ( Watch it now on Google Video )
Was the 2004 Election Stolen? ( Rolling Stone )
Bernie Sanders’ Independent Revolution
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20060321_bernie_sanders_interview/
Republican Corruption Throughout History
http://liberalslikechrist.org/about/gopcorruption.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/_runoff_voting
Instant-Runoff Voting
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant_runoff_voting