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Let's meddle in US politics

The United States of America has more than a century and a half of experience in meddling in the sovereignty of foreign nations, and with that in mind I'm going to make some endorsements in Tuesday's US congressional and gubernatorial elections.

My short answer is to vote Democrat in both houses and remove Republican control of congress. That way, the gang at White House Halliburton will have to work harder at bypassing the US Constitution for their own corporate ends.

An even shorter answer: In the state Governors races, vote for candidates from the Green Party of the United States.

Here's some Green gubernatorial candidates that have caught my eye. Please note that (with some rare exceptions) placing an election site on Mr Murdoch's Myspace is good enough reason for me for automatic disendorsement...

Arkansas: Jim Lendall seeking the job once held by Bill Clinton. Lendall is a lapsed Democrat. Anyone with a beard as long as Jim's is worthy of consideration.

California: Governor Conan Barbarian seems set to suffocate his Democrat opponent by pitching himself as America's most bolshevik Republican. Don't be fooled. Peter Miguel Camejo is your man. He ran for President in 1976, he ran for vice-president in 2004 on the Ralph Nader ticket, he once ran for student council but got suspended from college for "using an unauthorised microphone". In the 2003 recall election, when half the population of California ran for Governor, Camejo came fourth, he finished in fourth place with 2.8% of the vote. One of the best-known Greens in the US.

Connecticut: Cliff Thornton seems a good bloke, but his running-mate for Lieutenant Governor, Jean M De Smet, was Windham, Conn.'s Romantic Willamantic Cupid for 2003 and has a long and distinguished career as an electrician.

Illinois: Rich Whitney is pictured on his campaign home page sitting on a park bench having a conversation with a statue of Abraham Lincoln. Which almost, but not quite, excuses him for having a page on Mister Murdoch's Myspace.

Iowa: Wendy Barth. A mathematician and member of that most noble of professions, 3D animation software engineer.

Maine: Pat La Marche. More Americans voted for Dick Strangelove for VP in 2004. A lot more. She deserves better.

Maryland: Ed Boyd. He's gonna bring the troops home. Well, the Maryland National Guard anyway.

Massachussets: Grace Ross is on an all-lesbian ticket with Lt-Gov candidate Martina Robinson, and is probably the only gubernatorial candidate in New England to publish a campaign statement translated into Kreole.

Michigan: Republican contender Dick de Vos has reportedly spent more than $10 million on his campaign for governor, most of it, by the looks of it, on his website. Greens candidate Douglas Campbell spent $zero on website design because, like me, he uses Drupal. (Word of advice, Doug's campaign manager - change your shortcut icon.)

Minnesota: Sorry Ken Pentel, not only do you have a Myspace page, but it looks absolutely bloody awful. Jesse Ventura, where are you when we need you? On the other hand, Papa John Kolstad is your man for Attorney-General.

New York: Malachy McCourt, brother of Frank and an accomplished author in his own right, is your man.

Ohio: Bob Fitrakis.

Oregon: Joe Keating.

Tennessee: Howard Switzer. Not just a Green, but a Christian Green. And I love his campaign slogan:

H4 x [your energy] = grassroots power

Texas: Draconian electoral laws have kept Texas Greens off the ballot papers this year. Not even a write-in candidate for Governor. Frankly, I think Texas deserves Kinky Friedman...