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Today on his website former U.S. Senator Mike Gravel of Alaska announced that he is leaving the Democratic Party for the Libertarian Party. Gravel, who was the best thing about those early Democratic primary debates said, “Today, I am announcing my plan to join the Libertarian Party, because the Democratic Party no longer represents my vision for our great country. I wanted my supporters to get this news first, because you have been the ones who have kept my campaign alive since I first declared my candidacy on April 17, 2006.”

He explained his reason for leaving the Democratic Party. “The fact is, the Democratic Party today is no longer the party of FDR. It is a party that continues to sustain war, the military-industrial complex and imperialism — all of which I find anathema to my views. By and large, I have been repeatedly marginalized in both national debates and in media exposure by the Democratic leadership, which works in tandem with the corporate interests that control what we read and hear in the media.”

In today’s terms, Gravel really is more of a Libertarian than a Democrat. Gravel is a supporter of the flat tax, a single payer universal health care system, an opponent of not only the Iraq war, but the entire Bush Middle Eastern Policy. Gravel supports same sex marriage and is against free trade.

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A good way of explaining Gravel is that he is the liberal equivalent of Ron Paul. Just as Paul is upset that Republicans have shunned their conservative roots, Gravel thinks the Democratic Party are a bunch of cowards who have banished the term liberal from their lips. Mike Gravel is interesting person who is fun to write about. Here is wishing him the best with his new party.

Gravel’s Message:

http://www.gravel2008.us/content/personal-message-mike