Press Release New Party on the horizon The former Mayor of Salt Lake City and Executive Director of High Road for Human Rights, Rocky Anderson, calls for the formation of a new political party and a sustained movement committed to the public interest. Two months ago, Anderson “divorced himself” from what he referred to as “the spineless, gutless Democratic Party.”

Responding to an email from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which showed as the subject, “Standing strong,” Anderson wrote: “How dare you send an email with the subject line ‘Standing strong.’ You didn’t do it on Iraq, you didn’t do it on torture, you didn’t do it on signing statements, you haven’t done it on Afghanistan, you haven’t done it on defense spending, you haven’t done it on real health care reform, you haven’t done it on the debt ceiling fiasco.”

Anderson continued: “I think the answer is a new political party that actually will advocate for and promote the interests of the public rather than the narrow interests of the wealthy who bought and paid for not only Congress but the White House… The Constitution has been eviscerated while Democrats have stood by with nary a whimper. It is a gutless, unprincipled party, bought and paid for by the same interests that buy and pay for the Republican Party.”

This country needs a new, powerful party that can win elections, according to Anderson. “There isn’t a real opposition force in Washington, D.C., any more, and we the people have the capacity to change that -- and we must if our republic is going to survive. I consider myself an Independent, but I would be very pleased to work with others to form not just a political party to run another campaign, but to launch a sustained movement for major change in this country.”

Anderson said that people are fed up with the Democratic and Republican parties, Congress, and the Obama administration to the point of being ready to support a new party that rejects the corporatism and militarism of the two “Wall Street lap-dog” major parties. The polls support Anderson’s view that the people of the United States are desirous of a new party, and bold, new leadership.

Patrick Caddell and Douglas Shoen have written: “The United States is in the midst of what we would both call a pre-Revolutionary moment, and there is widespread support for fundamental change in the system. An increasing number of Americans are now searching beyond the two parties for bold and effective leadership.” The Wall Street Journal, August 25, 2011.

Anderson proposes a new party that will commit to:
 · affordable universal health care;
 · an end to the wars;
 · a significant reduction in the military budget and an end to the military-industrial-congressional complex;
 · investigation of illegal conduct, including war crimes, by executive officials during the current and prior administrations;
 · investigation of the events on 9/11 to answer significant questions that have been raised;
 · prosecution for illegal conduct leading to the economic melt-down;
 · disincentives for U.S. companies to send jobs overseas;
 · employee and environmental safeguards in trade agreements;
 · implementation of major domestic jobs and infrastructure programs;
 · an end to the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy;
 · campaign finance reform to end the corrupting influence of money in politics;
 · treat substance abuse within a public health framework rather than as a criminal matter;
 · repeal the PATRIOT Act;
 · compassionate and rational immigration reform;
 · marriage equality;
 · an end to subsidies for oil and gas companies;
 · a ban on a Canada-to-Mexico tar sands pipeline;
 · air quality protection, including stricter ozone limits;
 · aggressive action and leadership on the climate crisis and the environment

Anderson has stated his intention to do what is possible to get on the ballots in all 50 states and to campaign for candidates aggressively in all states. "The Democratic and Republican Parties have acted as if voters have no other real options. The people of this country will demonstrate that we, indeed, have another option - a party that will work in the public interest, rather than for the military contractors, the health insurance companies, and the rapacious financial institutions that have caused such havoc in our nation and the world."