Presidential Election 2008: Mike Gravel

As you know i don't think were giving enough attention to some of the so called "lesser" candidates for the presidency. I also think to many of the popular candidates are completely side stepping the war that has been raging in our homeland for years. Everyone is covering the war in Iraq, the energy crisis, and the environment and economic problems, apparently not realizing that many of these problems could be solved by ending the war on drugs and making hemp legal. Because of this, i am using my space here as a spotlight for candidates who plan to solve this problem, which brings me to Mike Gravel.

Mike Gravel was in the army for three years and ended up being a US senator. He is responsible for releasing the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times exposing the lies the Nixon/Johnson administrations used to mislead us to go into Vietnam. So obviously he is against the war in Iraq. He demands an immediate and orderly withdrawal of troops followed by an aggressive diplomacy. He also firmly opposes a military confrontation with Iran and advocates a diplomatic solution to the current situation.

Gravel believes that we spend way to much money on the "war on drugs", and that marijuana should without question be decriminalized. He also believes in the abolishing of mandatory prison sentences for drug use and would encourage substance abuse programs instead. Obviously this would save a lot of money, not only from the billions we spend on the war on drugs, but also from the cost of keeping these non violent "drug" users behind bars.

Mike also believes in a National initiative for Democracy by empowering Americans through the National Ballot Initiate, giving Americans the ability to vote directly on issues that affect our daily lives. As in voter-driven ballot initiatives at the federal level. This provides a check on politicians who don't want to change the status-quo.

He also advocates a National Health Care Voucher plan that would give every American health care. By using a voucher paid for by the government, Americans would be free to choose their own doctor. Gravel states that Medicine and medical technology in the United States is the finest in the world, so its a shame that it is also one of the leading causing of bankruptcies. He also wants to put real money, rather than borrowed money, in the Social Security trust fund, and invest it properly and identify the interests of the individual beneficiaries so they can leave their surplus funds to their heirs. you can read more about Mike Gravel at www.gravel2008.us