Former Sen. Mike Gravel to Announce Candidacy for President

[MsUSA]

News Advisory:


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. EDT


WHERE: The National Press Club, Zenger Room, 13th Floor, 529 14th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20045


Paid for by Mike Gravel for President 2008

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20060413/pl_usnw/former_sen__mike_gravel_to_announce_candidacy_for_president106_xml

[WhiteTara]

1. who is he? and why would he announce

now? Sounds weird to me. :shrug:

[Mass]

2. Here

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

Mike Gravel
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Maurice Robert Gravel (born May 13, 1930), better known as Mike Gravel, was a Democratic U.S. Senator (1969-1981) from Alaska and is primarily known to history as the person who published a large portion of the Pentagon Papers. At the 1972 Democratic National Convention he raised some eyebrows by nominating himself for the Vice Presidential spot on the party's ticket (typically this is done by someone else). He was defeated in the Democratic primary in 1980, whereupon his Senate career came to an end.

As of 2003, he is leading an effort to get a United States Constitutional amendment to allow voter-initiated federal legislation similar to state ballot initiatives. Sen. Gravel maintains Americans have the ability to legislate responsibly and the Act and Amendment his organization has authored would allow for American citizens to become "law makers".

He was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, and during his first term in the Senate he became the author of a book entitled Citizen Power. In the book he advocated the implementation of numerous social democratic schemes, including a guaranteed annual income (which he termed a "citizen's wage") of $5,000 per person, irrespective of whether the person worked or not.
...

[SaveElmer]

5. Ok...if some of this true...

I take back what I said about him being a good guy!

[crispini]

9. Well I like this bit:

"allow voter-initiated federal legislation similar to state ballot initiatives."

Sounds like he's got some ideas that will contribute to the dialog, at least. :shrug:

[jfxgillis]

7. MY HERO!!!

I love Mike Gravel.

Not only did he actually break the Pentagon Papers (once he read them into the Congressional Record all of Nixon's proto-fascistic attempts to quash publication became moot), but he is the single most humane commentator on the Vietnam Era, left, right, middle, dove, hawk, whatever. He's Da Man.

He did a speech/Q&A on C-span a year or three ago. Check it out if it's still archived. You'll love him too, I promise.

[SaveElmer]

3. I remember him...

Not a bad guy...but jeez he must be gettin up there in age...

I think Frank Murkowski beat him in the 1980 debacle that took out McGovern, Church and Bayh!

[sabbat hunter]

12. he will be

78 by the time 08 rolls around. too old to be considered a serious candidate.

[Greeby]

Wikipedia is your friend

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

Maurice Robert Gravel (born May 13, 1930), better known as Mike Gravel, was a Democratic U.S. Senator (1969-1981) from Alaska and is primarily known to history as the person who published a large portion of the Pentagon Papers. At the 1972 Democratic National Convention he raised some eyebrows by nominating himself for the Vice Presidential spot on the party's ticket (typically this is done by someone else). He was defeated in the Democratic primary in 1980, whereupon his Senate career came to an end.

As of 2003, he is leading an effort to get a United States Constitutional amendment to allow voter-initiated federal legislation similar to state ballot initiatives. Sen. Gravel maintains Americans have the ability to legislate responsibly and the Act and Amendment his organization has authored would allow for American citizens to become "law makers".

He was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, and during his first term in the Senate he became the author of a book entitled Citizen Power. In the book he advocated the implementation of numerous social democratic schemes, including a guaranteed annual income (which he termed a "citizen's wage") of $5,000 per person, irrespective of whether the person worked or not.

According to the David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies, Mike Gravel appeared as a speaker on his National Initiative for Democracy at the June 2003 conference of a Holocaust-deniers' publication, The Barnes Review <1>.-snip-

[brooklynite]

4. Sounds like "Harold Stassen II"

I'm sure he means well and has an admirable civic record, but I'd say he's a little bit past his prime.

[Greeby]

6. Damn, three people post it in less than a minute

:crazy:

[warrens]

8. That should clear the field

Gravel will just suck the oxygen out of the room. Who is he, again?

[crispini]

11. BWAH!

[MADem]

10. Well, I suspect he hasn't a prayer, will be a bit of a distraction, BUT

...that said, the more the merrier. He may come up with one idea or even two that catch the imagination of the nation and will serve as a platform plank. And hell, he's only six years older than McCain!

[OneBlueSky]

13. well, now . . . this could get interesting . . .

if I recall correctly (and it's been a l-o-o-o-ng time), Mike Gravel is something of a populist . . .

we may very well see some very progressive positions from him . . . which will set the bar (and cause severe stomach cramps) for other candidates trying to stake out the "middle" ground . . .

particularly since, on many issues, today's middle is yesterday's far right . . .

interesting, interesting, interesting . . .

[saltpoint]

14. Didn't expect this at all. Well, why not? The more candidates who

are interested, the more sharply each must focus his or her platform and positions.

Better over all for all of us in the long term, not so good for the Rethugs.

Two things popped to mind right away: What would Gravel specifically do about drilling in Alaska, and also, would he accept/is he really running for the vice presidential nomination?

He faces some big-name guns in the 08 primaries, but I welcome him to the mix.