The Others

I think that was the title of some obscure James Dean movie. In this case, it's a reference to all the other presidential candidates. I'm feeling guilty for dedicating so much attention to Clinton and Obama, I've decided to provide you, my faithful reader with my uneducated insight into some of the other people vying for the White House. I write about these candidates in no particular order and with little research, but in the spirit of fairness in the media. Ha ha ha. Can a blog with 3 readers be considered part of the media?



Mike Gravel - Mike is a Democratic former member of Congress from Alaska, serving in both the House and the Senate on and off from 1963 to 1981. He is 77. He is responsible, according to his website, for the release of the Pentagon Papers. His stand on some issues is as follows. He would like an immediate end to US involvement in Iraq and would bring troops home in 60 days. He would eliminate income taxes and the IRS and institute a Fair Tax which is basically a national sales tax. He would offer universal health care in the form of vouchers based on the projected needs of the people. I don't know about you, but I feel taxes climbing sharply and health care getting really bad before any universal coverage could have all the kinks ironed out.



Mike Huckabee - This Mike is the Republican former Governor of Arkansas. Huckabee is known for his health initiatives and his personal weight loss of 110 lbs. As for the campaign issues, here is how he stands. The first issue he lists on his website is related to Second Amendment Rights, or the right to bear arms. This is because his stands are listed in alphabetical order, but since it would take the average person a few seconds to figure this out, I was a little alarmed. He supports music and arts in education and refers to them as "Weapons of Mass Destruction." He believes in preventative care instead of spending money to treat chronic diseases. He believes that Iraq is a war against terror and doesn't support a withdrawal.

Dennis Kucinich - Kucinich is a Democratic member of Congress from Ohio. he supports publicly financed, national health insurance and has drafted a bill with Michigan Congressman Conyers to introduce this to the House. (It has the support of only 78 House members.) He wants to create a Department of Peace to coincide with the Department of Defense. And he would repeal the Patriot Act. The whole Department of Peace thing leaves me without words. It sounds so Orwellian and a little creepy.

That's all for now, but there are others that I will profile in coming weeks. I will offer no opinion of who I like best in this bunch, but I encourage everyone to look beyond the flashy leading contenders to some of the other people on the ballot. They are highly qualified, passionate and committed to serving this country and they deserve to be given full consideration.

Off to the gym. Enjoy your day!