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"A collaborative political resource." |
SOCIALIST PARTY IN TURMOIL.
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Party
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| Contributor | Chronicler |
| Last Edited | Chronicler Feb 07, 2004 02:58pm |
| Category | News |
| News Date | Feb 07, 2004 12:00am |
| Description | Last fall, the Socialist Party-USA nominated retired Oregon State Senator Walt Brown as its Presidential nominee for 2004. Brown -- a former Democrat --was the most mainstream of the democratic socialists contenders in last year's nomination fight. More strident Marxists in the party opposed Brown, but were not able to block him. Now, months later, a vocal faction in the party is trying to force Brown from the ticket because of his views on the abortion issue. The SP-USA platform is solidly pro-choice, and without exceptions. Brown, it turns out, personally supports the ban on partial birth abortions. Contentious emails are flying between the party's various leaders and factions. Some demand that Brown quit the ticket. Others support Brown, noting that he is running on the party's platform -- so he is de facto fine with them on the issue. One group of activists in the party are calling for a mail referendum by party members to decide Brown's fate.
"I would quit SP USA today if members were not calling for Brown's resignation, and for a referendum to achieve that if he doesn't voluntarily resign," wrote SP-USA labor activist Tanya Smith.
"I would really be stunned if a handful of people could overturn a convention decision. You say you'd resign if this doesn't happen - but consider that others will resign if it does happen, because they are committed to a democratic process. Time that should be used for getting ballot access is being lost," retorted 2000 SP-USA Presidential nominee and former SP-USA National Chair David McReynolds. |
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