Posted on 04/30/2006 7:22:13 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher
Jim Gilchrist, the founder of the Minuteman Project, is considering a run for president in 2008 with the Constitution Party.
Gilchrist has just returned from Florida where he met with the Constitution Party's national committee.
Party Chairman James Clymer told WorldNetDaily the party was excited about the possibility of Gilchrist as its marquis candidate.
"Yes, indeed we are interested," Clymer told WND. "Gilchrist spoke to us last weekend in Tampa and our people asked Jim then if he would be the candidate. We think it would be wonderful if Jim Gilchrist would seriously consider being our presidential candidate."
Gilchrist told WND the only candidate he would support as the Republican Party presidential nominee in 2008 was Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo.
"If John McCain enters the race for president," Gilchrist said. "I will definitely run. John McCain should have forfeited his right to run for President on the Republican Party the moment he put his name on immigration legislation with Sen. Ted Kennedy."
Gilchrist and the Constitution Party both agree on the need to secure our southern border with Mexico. Commenting on the street demonstrations planned on May 1, Gilchrist said they are nothing more than "a declaration that we are no longer a nation governed by the rule of law, but that we are being ruled by mob rule."
Asked whether he felt President Bush's "guest worker" program or the administration's "pathway to citizenship" were reasonable compromises, Gilchrist reacted sharply: "The Republican Party is going to pay a huge price for pandering to what they think is going to be an illegal-alien vote and for their reckless disregard for the rule of law. The Republican Party has sold out our sovereignty."
Gilchrist told WND that he thought his third party candidacy could be viable, noting "the country is ready for a third party candidate, just like the country was ready for Ross Perot in 1996."
Gilchrist was harshly critical of Bush's leadership on the immigration issue.
"The president should resign," Gilchrist asserted. "The Congress should begin impeachment proceedings if President Bush will not resign. President Bush has shown he is incompetent to handle his job. It amounts to dereliction of duty that President Bush has left our border with Mexico wide open while supposedly he is fighting a war on terror."
Asked if he thought the recent arrests by the Department of Homeland Security cracking down on companies who hire illegal aliens was affective, Gilchrist dismissed the administration's efforts.
"It's nothing more than a show," Gilchrist argued. "DHS just served up another 'photo op.'"
"The political fix is on," Gilchrist warned. "The president thinks he has a compromise that the Republican leadership and the Democratic leadership can ram through Congress, but it's going to end up being jammed down the throats of the 300 million people the president is supposed to be preserving, protecting, and defending."
Gilchrist dismissed President Bush's attempt to get "comprehensive immigration reform" passed by Congress before the August recess. "Any law the Bush administration supports," Gilchrist predicted, "will be just like all the other immigration laws – a sellout. The administration plans to forget about the enforcement parts as soon as President Bush can shake hands with Ted Kennedy, right after he signs the law into effect. It's all a wink-wink game the Republicans have started playing with the Democrats. Both parties are really just the same, neither party wants to secure or border with Mexico."
How about "guest workers"?
"The 'guest worker' program, or whatever the PR guys at the White House decide to call it," Gilchrist answered, "will be nothing more than an amnesty. We're going to wave the magic wand and 30 million illegal aliens will somehow become citizens, despite the fact that they march under the Mexican flag and make up their own national anthem in Spanish. Pretty soon there will be 50 million illegal aliens here. Who knows? As far as George Bush and Sen. Ted Kennedy are concerned, the more the merrier."
The Constitution Party supported Gilchrist in 2005, when he ran as an independent for Congress after Randy Cunningham, R-Calif., resigned. At that time, Clymer put out a strong statement supporting Gilchrist's candidacy. According to Dec. 15 party press release:
Jim Clymer, Chairman of the Constitution Party, believes that a major change is in order. Both the House and the Senate have been thoroughly corrupted by influence-peddling for decades, Clymer said. But the solution is not to run the Democrats to power or to elect a more ethical Republican majority. The solution is to jettison the two major parties altogether and to start afresh with principle-based leadership.
In 1992, Howard Philips left the Republican Party to found the U.S. Taxpayers Party and ran as the party's presidential candidate. In 1995, the party became the fifth political party to be recognized by the Federal Election Commission as a national political party. In 1999, the party changed its name to the Constitution Party.
During the Nixon administration, Philips headed two federal agencies, serving last as the Director of the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity.
In 2005, Gilchrist ran for the House seat of California Republican Chris Cox when Cox resigned to become chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Committee. Gilchrist received 25.5 percent of the vote in the general election, losing to Republican John Campbell.
A third-party candidate could represent a viable challenge to the Democrats in 2008.
A recent Rasmussen poll indicated disillusionment over President Bush's immigration policy could lead to a tie, with 31 percent of voters going for the Democratic Party presidential candidate, 31 percent going for a third party independent arguing to build a wall on the border, and 21 percent for the Republican candidate.
Gilchrist, a Marine veteran with 13-months combat experience in Vietnam, presents himself in an unassuming fashion.
"I'm just an average Joe citizen," Gilchrist told WND. "What we've proved is that an average Joe citizen can come out of nowhere and not only create the Minuteman Project, but can also run for president. I want to bring common sense and rule of law back into our national dialogue."
I don't see Republicans raising taxes.
Maybe not, but they sure do seem to like spending money, our money, like there's no tomorrow.
I take it you went to publik school... The CP's position is not, nor will it ever be "surrender"...
Let's try this again..
"The Constitution Party is unalterably opposed to the criminal acts of terrorists, and their organizations, as well as the governments which condone them. Individuals responsible for acts of terrorism must be punished for their crimes, including the infliction of capital punishment where appropriate. In responding to terrorism, however, the United States must avoid acts of retaliation abroad which destroy innocent human lives, creating enmity toward the United States and its people; and
In accord with the views of our Founding Fathers, we must disengage this nation from the international entanglements which generate foreign hatred of the United States, and are used as the excuse for terrorist attacks on America and its people. The 'war on terrorism" is not a proper excuse for perpetual U.S. occupation of foreign lands, military assaults on countries which have not injured us, or perpetual commitment of taxpayer dollars to finance foreign governments.
Another reality is that this is the first time thousands of ILLEGAL immigrants have chosen to try to hog tie the American government. They have been outrageous with their signs, burning our flag and raising the Mexican flag ABOVE an upside down American flag and their DEMANDS. They threaten to take what they consider part of Mexico back.
Americans both Republican and Democrat are angry and fed up with both parties with their unwillingness to protect our borders and our citizens. They are being shown daily the cost to taxpayers to support these lawbreakers. Politicians have shown us they think we are all morons and will keep coming back for more. They will NEVER change unless we force them to. A strong third party might surprize a lot of corrupt, spineless politicians.
Now Mom, you and I both know you are smart enought not to think that this would stand without a little facts to counter it.. The reason that all third parties have a hard time getting on any state's ballot, is that each state's election laws are written by members of both major parties, who have NO desire to see a third party win come election time..
Sadly, it just might put another Clintoon into the White House, too...
"You fight terrorism with terrorism, period. Our ground action won't cut it. A massive air attack with casualties unlimited to 'terrorists' will. Screw enmity, pour it on so thick that only an insane terrorist would decline to negotiate a peace with you. And then, kick him in the nudds for good measure."
No, this just shows that you are still thinking the Cold War manner. We are not fighting a set country, where you can defind the war by location. We are fighting a thought process. We need to do less boasting from the White House about boogy men, and more day to day ops, by our guys and gals over there.
For it will be their hard work, from taking out the "bad guys", to rebuilting Iraq, and most importantly.. handing it back to those who live there, as quickly as we can. That will win the WOT.
For every day we are there, we give those who hate us, a manner to say.. "Look, those evil Americans are never going to leave".. and there are those who will believe and join them in arms agianst us..
"I will not throw away a vote on worthless promises."
You mean like when Bush ask for my vote by telling me he was Pro-Life and wanted to run a conservative government aka.. smaller/cheaper one??? Cause outside the WOT, which we all know can't be cheap and be won, he has not done either...
ping
People aren't elected by those in Washington. They are elected by the people across the country.
It is past time that those within the Beltway realize they are NOT the House of Lords electing a Prime Minister without regard to the wishes of the people.
well wasnt he to run for congress or something first this year.
Lets take baby steps.....
Yep.
LOL.
Welcome the new Chairman of the Judiciary committee.
You aren't really as witless as you sound?
That would depend on whether you are into symbolism or substance.
THANK YOU for the history lesson.
At this point, I'm looking for a candidate who will actually take an oath to honor and defend the Constitution and mean it. So far, the Reps and Dems aren't showing me anything worth voting for.
I have tried that myself to my dismay. I believe the old boys club is too infected with "new world order" ideas to be of any use to conservatives anymore. I will be voting Constitution Party.
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