New Broom Coalition

>> PRESS RELEASE
>>
>> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>> 9-22-08
>> Contact: Harold Burbank, 860-693-2687
>>
>> League of Women Voters Board Bars Green Party's Burbank From Debating
>> Murphy and Cappiello
>>
>> CANTON, CT. Written invitations by New Britain and Litchfield,
>> Connecticut chapters of the Connecticut League of Women Voters to
>> Connecticut Green Party US House 5th District candidate Attorney Harold
>> H. Burbank, II, Canton, to debate Democrat Congressman Chris Murphy and
>> Republican David Cappiello were voided today by email letter to Burbank
>> from the
> League board's Hamden office, stating that his candidacy did not meet
> board
>> criteria for budgets, voter outreach, and position papers. Burbank
>> received invitation letters from the New Britain and Litchfield League
>> chapters last summer to debate Democrat incumbent Chris Murphy and
>> Republican challenger David Cappiello on October 11, 2008 at New
>> Britain's
Central Connecticut State University, and October 22, 2008 at the
Litchfield Community Center.
> Burbank will be on the November US House ballot. He solicited 7000 5th
> District voters, and submitted over 4800 5th District voters' ballot
> access petition signatures to the Office of Connecticut Secretary of
> State, to achieve well over 2179 validated signatures required.
>>
>> "I spent the better part of two months at grocery stores throughout the
>> 5th District asking about 7000 voters for their signatures and answering
>> their many questions about my campaign, current events, and public
>> policy. I do not think Chris Murphy or David Cappiello can make that
>> claim of 5th District person to person voter time and money investment,
>> peer review, and voter outreach. The League's board is simply wrong, and
>> deeply disrespectful of these voters, who with great pains told me
>> exactly what they want from their congressman during these 7000 personal
>> interviews. Who is this League board to overrule these voters who voted
>> to put me on the ballot? They would not support the board's decision to
>> exclude me from the debates. More than half of my signatures came from
>> women voters. I now think the board does not really care about the public
>> interest."
>>
>> Burbank gave good marks to the New Britain and Litchfield chapter
>> organizers and thanked them for contacting him.
>>
>> "I do not think the local chapters wanted this to happen. They are for
>> real democracy and real debate. They sent me letters and emails and
>> called me stating that they could not foresee that the board would reject
>> me. The only way small parties can meet all of the criteria the board
>> stated is to raise tens of thousands of dollars to pay for high priced
>> campaigns.
Of course wasting money, gas and paper on campaigns when people and the
environment would benefit from wiser uses of these scarce resources is
against
Green Party policy. It appears that the League board does not care
about these
key policy matters as much as its specious internal rules, which
Greens feel is simply bad
>> politics," Burbank said.
>>
>> Burbank's supporters will protest the League's exclusion, and want him to
>> hold citizen forums at the very same times and places as the debates so
>> the public and press can compare candidate views on debate days.
>>
>> "One of my Litchfield supporters today scheduled the room adjacent to the
>> debate room for October 22. We will hold a press conference there at
>> 6:30 PM before that debate starts at 7 PM. The public is welcome to
>> attend the press conference and visit me and supporters there during the
>> debate to ask me questions and get pamphlets. I am considering holding
>> similar public forums on October 11 at CCSU and at other debate venues to
>> protest my unreasonable exclusion," Burbank said.
>>
>> Burbank called Ralph Nader, a strong campaign supporter, today to explain
>> the League's views and request Nader's comments. Nader has suffered
>> similar debate exclusion treatment during his runs for President,
>> including in 2008. Burbank won the Nader-Camejo campaign's 2004 Maine
>> lawsuit to put Nader on the Maine 2004 ballot. The men have been friends
>> and allies since.
>>
>> "Ralph will be campaigning in the Connecticut on October 4, 2008. One
>> of his big issues is presidential debate access. I am sure that he will
>> speak out on the League's decision to exclude me and other small parties
>> from Connecticut debates, " Burbank said.