Post by RS Davis on Jul 12, 2004 16:14:32 GMT -5
By JOSH FLORY of the Tribune’s staff
Down on Dubya? Cranky about Kerry? Michael Badnarik hopes you’ll give his campaign a look.
Badnarik is the Libertarian Party’s nominee for president, and he spent part of this week campaigning through Missouri. During a visit to the Tribune yesterday, the candidate emphasized his opposition to an "unconstitutional, unjustified" war in Iraq and to a military draft, as well as his commitment to reducing federal spending.
Badnarik is a native of Indiana who more recently hailed from Austin, Texas, and worked as a computer programmer and consultant. He won the Libertarian Party’s nomination in May.
Badnarik said the war in Iraq was unconstitutional because Congress never declared war and unjustified because the Iraqi people weren’t responsible for the Sep. 11 terrorist attacks.
"Congress should not be … giving the president latitude to decide, you know, whether or not to do the invasion," he said.
The candidate said he believes the United States should go to war "when we are clearly under attack" and shouldn’t have troops in countries around the world. Asked which countries are the top priorities for removing U.S. troops, he cited Germany, Japan and South Korea. "Those countries have a strong enough economy that they should be providing their own national defense," he said. "It’s inappropriate for the American taxpayer to be funding troops in those countries."
Paul Sloca, a spokesman for the state Republican Party, said President George W. Bush has taken decisive action to make the nation and the world safer. "The war in Iraq is part of the war on terror and the president is committed to winning the war on terror," he added.
While a few federal lawmakers have pushed the idea of mandatory military service for all young Americans, the Selective Service System’s Web site says the agency is not planning to conduct a draft. It also notes "both the president and the secretary of defense have stated on more than one occasion that there is no need for a draft for the War on Terrorism or any likely contingency, such as Iraq."
Asked about such denials, Badnarik said, "Typically we can tell that a politician is lying because their lips are moving."
During the 2000 election, the third-party candidate who attracted the most attention was Ralph Nader, who ran under the Green Party’s banner and is credited in some quarters for ensuring Bush’s victory.
Badnarik was dismissive of Nader’s current candidacy, saying he won’t be on the ballot in enough states to have a shot at winning. "Although he is a celebrity and a name that people recognize, he has politically less clout than I do," he added.
Badnarik said he’s hoping to raise $5 million to spend on his campaign. "We plan to have television commercials broadcast during prime time that will make my name familiar to the American voter," he said. "And our next goal is to get invited to the presidential debate so that we can potentially change the political discussion in this country."
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Reach Josh Flory at (573) 815-1719 or jflory@tribmail.com.
Down on Dubya? Cranky about Kerry? Michael Badnarik hopes you’ll give his campaign a look.
Badnarik is the Libertarian Party’s nominee for president, and he spent part of this week campaigning through Missouri. During a visit to the Tribune yesterday, the candidate emphasized his opposition to an "unconstitutional, unjustified" war in Iraq and to a military draft, as well as his commitment to reducing federal spending.
Badnarik is a native of Indiana who more recently hailed from Austin, Texas, and worked as a computer programmer and consultant. He won the Libertarian Party’s nomination in May.
Badnarik said the war in Iraq was unconstitutional because Congress never declared war and unjustified because the Iraqi people weren’t responsible for the Sep. 11 terrorist attacks.
"Congress should not be … giving the president latitude to decide, you know, whether or not to do the invasion," he said.
The candidate said he believes the United States should go to war "when we are clearly under attack" and shouldn’t have troops in countries around the world. Asked which countries are the top priorities for removing U.S. troops, he cited Germany, Japan and South Korea. "Those countries have a strong enough economy that they should be providing their own national defense," he said. "It’s inappropriate for the American taxpayer to be funding troops in those countries."
Paul Sloca, a spokesman for the state Republican Party, said President George W. Bush has taken decisive action to make the nation and the world safer. "The war in Iraq is part of the war on terror and the president is committed to winning the war on terror," he added.
While a few federal lawmakers have pushed the idea of mandatory military service for all young Americans, the Selective Service System’s Web site says the agency is not planning to conduct a draft. It also notes "both the president and the secretary of defense have stated on more than one occasion that there is no need for a draft for the War on Terrorism or any likely contingency, such as Iraq."
Asked about such denials, Badnarik said, "Typically we can tell that a politician is lying because their lips are moving."
During the 2000 election, the third-party candidate who attracted the most attention was Ralph Nader, who ran under the Green Party’s banner and is credited in some quarters for ensuring Bush’s victory.
Badnarik was dismissive of Nader’s current candidacy, saying he won’t be on the ballot in enough states to have a shot at winning. "Although he is a celebrity and a name that people recognize, he has politically less clout than I do," he added.
Badnarik said he’s hoping to raise $5 million to spend on his campaign. "We plan to have television commercials broadcast during prime time that will make my name familiar to the American voter," he said. "And our next goal is to get invited to the presidential debate so that we can potentially change the political discussion in this country."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reach Josh Flory at (573) 815-1719 or jflory@tribmail.com.
