The Lefty's Pledge

(Think you're not a lefty? Think again)

Tired of being jerked around by do-nothing Democrats? Sick of hearing that you've got to vote for the lesser evil, no matter how evil it is? There's only one way out: put 'em on notice that you won't go for the scam any more. Sign the pledge!

I, the undersigned, being of sound mind and fed up to here with the Democratic Party, hereby vow not to vote for a Democrat, for Congress or for President, in 2006 or 2008, unless he or she will promise to adhere to these principles:

I. Out of Iraq immediately

Withdrawal of US troops from Iraq must begin right away, and no further military appropriations will be voted until it does begin. Withdrawal must be completed within six months.

II. Roll back the police state

Candidates must commit themselves to reversing the assaults on civil liberties contained in Clinton's antiterrorism acts and the Bush Patriot Act.

III. Universal single-payer medical coverage

What Hillary should have done, and didn't.

IV. Full employment -- for real

Fiscal and monetary policy must be made with a view to increasing employment and raising the wage, not with a view to protecting or increasing corporate profit. In particular, no candidate who ever uses such phrases as "balance the federal budget," "defend the dollar" or "inflation is priority number one" will ever receive my vote.

V. No more job exportation

Any candidate who expects to receive my vote will have to renounce any "free trade" agreement, past or future, that undermines either the wage level or job opportunities of American workers. He or she will have to swear undying enmity to the overvalued "foreign investment dollar," by any means up to and including revision of the Federal Reserve Act.
(Background on this topic)

VI. Profits are not sacred

Candidates will have to acknowledge explicitly that protecting jobs and workers' incomes may entail diminished corporate profits, and declare their willingness to accept that outcome without losing any sleep.

VII. The environment

Criminy, where do we start? Well, here's a stake in the ground: no candidate who says that gasoline prices are too high will ever get my vote.

* * *

If there is no Democrat who meets these requirements, I promise that instead of choosing the "lesser evil" I will:
-- write somebody in; or
-- vote for a third-party candidate,"electable" or not, who does stand for what I believe in; or
-- just stay the hell home and keep out of mischief.

Signed,

First name:

Last name:

Zip code or congressional district:

Email (optional):


Stop Me Before I Vote Again home page