What I’m about to say is not a decision I arrived at lightly. This is a significant departure from my previous statements. I will anger a few associates with this announcement. I will be branded a turncoat. I will be sleeping with the enemy. I will be choosing the lesser of two evils.

Nevertheless, I am prepared to make a limited, one-time compromise in principle on two fronts:

  1. In 2006, I pledge to vote for the candidate, regardless of party affiliation, that pledges to introduce, immediately upon taking office, and vote for an impeachment inquiry of President Bush and to vote for at least two articles of impeachment:
    • Misleading the American people, the media, the international community and Congress with faulty intelligence in an attempt to garner support for an unjustified war, that has led to the death of over 2000 American soldiers.
    • Exceeding the power afforded his office by the Constitution, specifically by authorizing illegal spying on American citizens without a search warrant issued by a court of law.
    The only office I can vote for that has this power is North Carolina Congressional District 13, currently occupied by Democrat Brad Miller.

    In fact, Mr. Miller, by holding office, cannot get my vote with a mere pledge. Mr. Miller will need to act, not talk. Yes, all of Mr. Millers past sins and current party affiliation will be forgiven by me, and he will get my vote on November 7, 2006 — if he introduces the impeachment inquiry before Election Day.

  2. In 2006, I will donate $100 each to up to five serious candidates (preferably Libertarian, but any party will do) for any office in the U.S. House Of Representatives that, as a central point of thier campaign, pledges to introduce and vote for an impeachment inquiry of President Bush, and to vote for at least the two above articles of impeachment.
This is a difficult decision for me. I have been a libertarian as far back as I can remember, probably back to my early teens in the 80s. I never became a libertarian. This is what I’ve been all along.

Since I’ve been voting, I have uniformly voted Libertarian in all possible cases. I have never voted against a Libertarian candidate in any vote I have ever cast. In cases where there were no Libertarian candidates, I always voted against the incumbent. I’ve never voted for an incumbent, regardless of party. In the past few elections, I’ve given up entirely on voting for a Democrat or a Republican, convinced that it really doesn’t matter which party holds a particular office. A few times I’ve turned in a mostly empty ballot, where I only vote against some bonds or referendums.

I’m a partisan, and I’m certain the leaders of the both the Democratic and Republican parties are corrupt to the core, and have kept their positions of power only by subverting the democratic process.

In North Carolina, the Democrats and Republicans have effectively blocked any other political party, including the Libertarian Party, from running any candidates for public office across the state, so I couldn’t vote for a Libertarian even if I wanted to.

My inclination in this case would be to not vote at all, since I won’t be able to vote for someone who I think reprensents my interests. In fact, having a Democrat or a Republican in office would largely be working against my interests. However, I am prepared to make the seemingly contradictory move of supporting one of these candidates even while they work against my interests – if they at least pledge to work towards the impeachment of President Bush.

That is the compromise I am willing to make. That is how strongly I think a continued Bush administration will damage this country with its continued and blatant abuse of power.