For Immediate Release:
October 23, 2006
Contact:
Richard Duffee, Green Party candidate for Congress: (203) 588-0161
Diane Farrell, Democratic candidate for Congress: (203) 227-5447
Adam Wood, Farrell for Congress campaign manager: (203) 227-5447
Nancy Burton, Green candidate for CT Attorney General: (203) 938-3952
Richard Duffee Withdraws From 4th District Race; Throws Support To Farrell
Norwalk, CT, October 23, 2006 - The Connecticut Green Party has agreed to endorse Diane Farrell in her race for Congress in the 4th Congressional District and accept the strategic withdrawal of its candidate, Richard Duffee.
Duffee and Farrell made the announcement at a joint press conference at Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk at 2:30 P.M.
"On Saturday, October 21, 2006, the Fairfield County Green Party decided that Republican threats to the future and to our form of government are so serious that it is more important to bring the House of Representatives under the control of the Democrats than to run a Green candidate for Congress in the 4th District," said Duffee.
"Our decision is a vote of confidence in Diane Farrell's seriousness about putting some brakes on Bush's imperial presidency and at least returning us to the rule of law," said Duffee, a former law professor.
By Connecticut law, Duffee alone has the right to take his name off the ballot. He chose in July to allow the Fairfield Greens to make that decision in caucus as the campaign developed.
"I would like to thank the Green Party and Richard Duffee for their decision today," said Farrell. "I would also like to mention the valuable voice brought to the table by Richard Duffee in this year's debates especially on topics such as human rights, the War in Iraq and socio-economic issues affecting our country and I believe that the Green Party should be included in future debates here in Connecticut's 4th district."
"We share a common belief that the Bush administration has led us astray especially as it pertains to the War in Iraq, energy policy, education and environmental issues," Farrell said.
Farrell met with members of the Fairfield County chapter of the Green Party on Saturday and explained her position on issues of concern to the Greens.
Duffee said that the Greens decided to back Farrell because she appeals to a larger audience than the Greens at the present time and she can be most effective in reversing the current war policies on Iraq.
"Our decision to back Diane Farrell is not a decision to become Democrats," Duffee said. "Nearly all of us became Greens because we believed that the Democratic Party does not adequately serve the public interest because it is not sufficiently committed to resist corporate pressure."
"But the Bush Administration is not only negligent and infinitely pliable to corporations. It is also deceitful, flagrantly unconstitutional, criminal, and more impeachable than any previous government. So the choice between Democrats and Republicans is now a choice between the status quo before 2001 and rapidly growing graft, fascism, war, and chaos. If we want any competent government at all, if we want a future, we must side with the Democrats," Duffee said.
Farrell noted that the Democrats and Greens share common goals that include universal literacy, universal pre-kindergarten education, fully funding transportation initiatives such as mass transit that we so desperately need here in Fairfield County, and refocusing the nation on the development and use of clean energy sources.
"Diane will work in Congress to bring about a full review of the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant, which is upwind of hundreds of thousands of Fairfield County residents and a target for terrorists," said Nancy Burton, the Green Party candidate for Attorney General.
"I am pleased to join Eliot Spitzer and others in working to ensure that adequate replacement power is developed and available in the region to allow for an orderly and phased shutdown of this facility," Farrell said.
"I enjoyed sharing a stage with Richard Duffee and the Green Party in the debates and I look forward to working with him and the Fairfield County Green Party in the future," Farrell said.
Duffee said among other reasons given by the Greens for their decision to back Farrell are their conviction that current war policies be reversed, that Shays must be removed because he is a prime promoter of the war in Iraq, war against Iran must be prevented, a Bush impeachment can only occur with a Democratic majority and the Bush environmental legacy and failure to address global warming require a Democratic House to undo.
The Connecticut Green Party continues to present candidates for U.S. Senate, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Comptroller, Attorney General and state legislative races.