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Green Party presidential hopeful visits SIUC

By Codell Rodriguez, The Southern

Saturday, December 8, 2007 11:20 PM CST

CARBONDALE - Green Party presidential hopeful Cynthia McKinney had a busy day in Carbondale, making a speech at the SIUC Student Center, visiting a weekly peace vigil at Carbondale Town Square and attending a fundraiser at Hopewell Baptist Church.

Former Illinois gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney introduced the six-term Georgia congresswoman and offered his endorsement.

"Cynthia McKinney is the best candidate to represent the Green Party in 2008," Whitney said.

McKinney spoke to press and supporters in the SIUC Student Center Auditorium on issues including the state of the U.S. government, why she left the Democratic Party, illegal immigration and war.

McKinney said one of the biggest reasons she defected to the Green Party was frustration with the Democrats. An example she gave included the previous two presidential elections, when accusations of voter fraud were made.

"When most fellow Democrats stood down in the stolen elections, Cynthia McKinney was one of the few who stood up," Whitney said.

McKinney said she also found that she and fellow Democrats just weren't seeing eye-to-eye on issues.

"My values are not represented by the party I used to be a part of," McKinney said.

Thanks to the Green Party's success in getting on the ballot in the 2005 Illinois gubernatorial election, the party was guaranteed a ballot spot. McKinney is on the Illinois primary ballot with Jared Ball of Washington, D.C., Howie Hawkins of New York and Kent Mesplay of California.

McKinney answered questions from the crowd on issues including illegal immigration. She said she disagreed with the term "illegal immigration" and that the issue is a result of American economic, military and foreign policy.

"Illegal immigration shouldn't be a labor policy, just as war shouldn't be an energy policy," McKinney said.

She also addressed criticisms the Green Party takes votes away from the Democrats and advances Republican victories. She said Democrats are the real spoilers by not standing up to the Republicans.

"This notion of spoilers needs to be turned on its head," McKinney said.

Whitney said he was pleased to see McKinney in the Green Party because she is a perfect fit.

"She may not have known it until recently, but she belonged in the Green Party all along," Whitney said.

codell.rodriguez@thesouthern.com / 351-5804