First Democrat to Formally Announce Bid for the Presidency.

[Clarkie1]

No, not Clark...he's too busy supporting candidates for 06' right now.

Don't know anything about this guy, but do know it's going to be one crowded field this time around....

"Former Senator Mike Gravel is to be the first Democrat to formally announce his candidacy for president, RAW STORY has learned.
A release issued by the Alaskan former lawmaker claims he intends to announce his bid for the Democratic nomination at a press conference on April 17. Gravel represented the State of Alaska from 1969-1980 in the United States Senate."

Other lawmakers have intimated that they will, or like will, also seek the nomination, but next Monday will mark the first formal announcement.

Relevant portions of the release follow:

News Advisory:
WHO: Mike Gravel for President 2008
WHAT: Press Conference where former United States Senator Mike Gravel (D-Alaska, 1969-1980) will announce his Candidacy for the Democratic Nomination for President of the United States.
WHEN: Monday, April 17, 10 a.m.
WHERE: The National Press Club, Zenger Room, 13th Floor, 529 14th Street,
NW, Washington, D.C. 20045, 202-662-7500, 202-662-7512 - Fax
Paid for by Mike Gravel for President
http://www.rawstory.com/

[Canuckistanian]

1. President Gravel.... hmmmmm

Doesn't have that ring to it, like ROOSEVELT or KENNEDY or CLINTON.

[Clarkie1]

2. No, it doesn't!

LOL

[Canuckistanian]

4. But, hey, if it works...

Anything is better than another Bush....
:scared:

[wyldwolf]

16. Anyone have a bio?

[Renew Deal]

3. Maybe this will scare Hillary and the others off?

I doubt it.

[Botany]

5. Gravel Rocks!

[Clarkie1]

7. ROFLMAO. n/t

[roguevalley]

15. Gruh-vell

[lvx35]

6. Look forward to hearing him out.

I know who I like, but I try to keep an open mind during the primaries...:)

[Clarkie1]

9. Yes, the more the merrier.

Maybe he has some good ideas.

[madeline_con]

8. Maurice Robert Gravel

...is primarily known to history as the person who published a large portion of the Pentagon Papers.

During his first term in the Senate he authored a book entitled Citizen Power. In the book he advocated the implementation of numerous social democratic ideas, including a guaranteed annual income (which he termed a "citizen's wage") of $5,000 per person, irrespective of whether the person worked.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Gravel

[nebula]

10. He seems far too liberal for most US voters

No chance for someone like him unfortunately.

[MADem]

11. Biden has INFORMALLY announced

I don't think he has a real shot, but what the heck: the more, the merrier.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8278461/

If he performs well, it's like auditioning for a cabinet post...!

[Clarkie1]

12. It's going to be an unprecedentedly crowded field, I think.

Here's why:

Neither party will have an incumbent (president or vice-president) running. This means that neither party will feel as much need to rally around any particular candidate early in order to defeat the incumbent. It's going to be a wild ride in 08', I think.

[MADem]

14. There could be a possibility of a GOP "incumbent" of sorts

And that's if Deadeye Dick resigns and is replaced by "Huggy Bear" McCain. I've been thinking that is about to happen for the LONGEST time. Why? All that hugging, all that sucking up, not only to Monkeyboy but his religious right base by McCain. Deadeye Dick, quick like a bunny, buying a mansion on the eastern shore of MD, Lynne racing to frigging POTTERY BARN to furnish it, in a hurry (what, no decorator? No snazzy fabrics, commodes, and whatnot? SURELY they could afford to doll the joint up!!!) and then, all these rumors floating about how the Monkey is pissed at, and barely speaking to, that fat, grunting, shotgun toting jerk.

When tighty-righty mags are putting forth that scenario as a possibility (however remote, so they say right now--later, if it happens, they'll remind everyone how clever they were!), ya gotta wonder what's being said inside the walls of 1600 Penn:

So Bush has to overcome these two characterological features that have cemented as conventional wisdom--that he's fundamentally incompetent and that he governs for the benefit of a handful of Republican special interests. With these two problems in mind, here's my own (admittedly fantastic) plan for a Bush recovery:

Fire Cheney. I believe historians will trace all of Bush's problems back to July 25, 2000, the day he picked Dick Cheney as his running mate. The Cheney rollout was met by a slew of negative stories about Halliburton, heart attacks, and his Neanderthal voting record in the House (against sanctions for apartheid South Africa, for example). Ever since, Cheney has been at the center of most Bush screw-ups: the energy task force investigation, the policy battle over torture, White House stonewalling of numerous congressional investigations, the Iraq war, the intelligence failures, and many more. (Also, Cheney shot someone in the face.) Now Cheney is a recurring star in the court filings of Patrick Fitzgerald. ...Cheney is the cancer at the center of the Bush White House. Bush has less than three years left in office. Most political forces--Republicans jockeying for president, the coming GOP losses in the midterms, the normal decline in a lame duck's authority--are working against him. Americans are psychologically moving beyond Bush. The only reason to give him another chance is if he indicates he's learned some lessons and is willing to make dramatic changes. Firing Cheney would do both.

Bring in McCain. It would do two things. First, it would show that Bush is serious about reaching out to independents and others disaffected and alienated by his presidency. It's not realistic for any president to bring in a member of the opposite party as his vice president, but despite his recent political moves, McCain is the one Republican for the job that would signal Bush cares about governing from the middle.

Second, McCain would give Americans a reason to pay attention to the White House again. Would he overshadow Bush at times? Sure. But that's better than the current situation in which people are tired of Bush and appalled by his vice president. ...

http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=w060410&s=lizza04106

This is one of those WEB ONLY (i.e. we don't friken DARE to put it in our print magazine!!) articles, but I find it to be a bit of a harbinger!!!!

Will Deadeye clutch his pearls and claim that his ticker is tricky? Will he be frogmarched off? Either way, I think he won't make it to the end of this term--and I think McCain has made a deal with the devil...the only thing stopping the Monkey is JEALOUSY. He doesn't want McCain getting more attention than he gets. Also, he may be holding off to see if the Senate comes down to a single GOP majority vote in the November contests...in which case, McCain will have to stay put.

[liberalpragmatist]

13. He's not going to be recognized as a legitimate contender

I'm not even talking about Kucinich/Sharpton territory. I'm talking about LaRouche territory; I doubt he'll even be featured in the debates.

The guy was apparently seen as somewhat eccentric even back in the day; more recently, he spoke at a conference being held by the Holocaust-denying association (http://www.adelaideinstitute.org/2003TBRConference/tbr2.htm).