The Electoral Contract of Steven Searle
Candidate for US President in 2008
Founder of The Best Party Available
Preamble: I, Steven Searle, am the only candidate running for the office of US president in 2008 who is offering a binding contract in exchange for your vote. The following 47 points comprise this contract, which is now presented to you in its final form. This contract has been under construction for the past two years and can be seen, in its draft form, at http://bpa-cinc.gaia.com/blog. I invite you to review all of the postings on this blog for background information and analysis regarding the following points, as well as other essays of interest.
I will not be shy about claiming this to be an historic document, on a par with the Magna Carta and the U.S. Declaration of Independence. I hope my creation will serve as a model for future candidates (for national and local offices) who wish to follow my lead by offering themselves as alternatives to the Democratic and Republican parties which are ruining this country.
ONE: If I violate any of the terms of this contract, I will be removed from office by means of impeachment. I hereby affirm, in advance, that I will not defend myself nor authorize any other party to defend me against any impeachment activity in the House or trial by the Senate. I further agree to a speedy trial - within less than 10 minutes, if deemed necessary by the Senate.
TWO: Within 90 days of my inauguration, all U.S. military forces will be completely withdrawn from Iraq and Afghanistan, regardless of the "situation on the ground." This withdrawal also applies to any covert operatives currently operating in Iran.
THREE: I will urge Congress to retroactively raise to $5,000,000 the payment to next-of-kin (or other designees) of all U.S. soldiers (and members of Private Military Companies) killed in Iraq and Afghanistan - and make that tax free. In addition, I will urge Congress to increase disability benefits to $1,000,000 per lost limb, also retroactively and tax free. All this with an apology to our troops who've sacrificed so much: "We - made - a - mistake - and - we're - sorry."
FOUR: I will veto any bill presented to me by Congress if it has any provision for any type of aid or loan to Israel or Egypt.
FIVE: I will veto every single bill from Congress that comes my way until it passes:
- a Single Payer health care reform package, which will provide medical coverage to all US citizens free of charge - that is, without co-payments, deductibles, or any requirement to pay insurance premiums. This will also establish reasonable medical billing practices and rates.
- a nationwide cap on personal credit card interest rates of 18%.
SIX: I will not choose anyone to be my Vice President who is not a woman. Though I will insist that she present an electoral contract to the American people, I will not insist that it be a duplicate of my contract. In addition, I will allow her total freedom to operate within the capacity of her office as she sees fit, without supervision or censorship.
SEVEN: I will sign a blanket pardon in advance to all women who might be brought up on federal charges prohibiting abortion, insisting their choices should be strictly a matter between them and their doctors. If the various states attempt to pass anti-abortion legislation, I will direct the Justice Department to sue these states for violating the Fourteenth Amendment.
EIGHT: There will be no military draft during my presidency. If Congress enacts a draft, however, I will encourage all draftees to be inducted. Immediately after induction, though, they will be subject to this blanket order: Do not follow any orders from any member of the military except this order from me, your Commander in Chief: "Carry on with your civilian lives as if you had never been drafted."
NINE: If we should ever need a lot of new soldiers very quickly, I still would not violate my campaign promise against the draft. Instead, I would resign from office or encourage instantaneous impeachment by the Senate. That way, I would be keeping my campaign promise ("Read my lips: No draft") but allow for my successor to do what she thinks is right.
TEN: On August 6, 2012, our total nuclear stockpile will be no greater than 1,000 warheads or else I will refuse, after that date, to allow the United States to use its nuclear weapons under any circumstances. I will also disallow the use of predelegated nuclear weapons release authority, thereby absolutely preventing the use of these weapons in any offensive or defensive capacity.
ELEVEN: Under no circumstances, during my presidency, will the United States militarily intervene (including by means of nuclear weapons) on behalf of any foreign nation without a declaration of war by Congress. In addition, all U.S. forces will be withdrawn from all foreign nations, except for the token numbers needed at our embassies. This will include total withdrawal from NATO and will also include advisors we station in foreign nations in support of anti-terrorist suppression and training of local forces. Bottom line: All of these forces are to come home.
TWELVE: As long as I am President, the U.S. will not take any military action against Iran, not even if the U.S. Congress declares war against that country for good reason. I would fully expect the Congress to remove me from office and find a Chief Executive willing to wage that war. [NOTE: This policy will not prevent US forces from defending themselves should they ever be attacked anywhere in the world.]
THIRTEEN: In the event of an Iranian invasion of Iraq: I would make an announcement to the nation acknowledging Iran's incursion, but I would not condemn it. I would continue by saying: "Hopefully, George W. Bush was the last of the Imperial American Presidents. With that in mind, I will not urge this country into war. If Congress wishes to declare war, I will here and now state that this President recognizes that only Congress has that power."
FOURTEEN: If Iran announced to the world that it was going to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and declare its intention to build an atomic bomb, I would acknowledge its right to do so. I would attempt to visit that country and plead with their leaders not to pursue that course, but I would acknowledge its right to do so.
FIFTEEN: I will invite Rabbi Lerner and supporters of his Global Marshall Plan to meet with me to discuss the principles of this Plan and how to implement it.
SIXTEEN: I will aggressively seek to completely replace our Constitution by means of establishing a Constitutional Convention, which will (hopefully) consider implementing a system I've created: Cross-Sectional Representation (CSR), which is briefly introduced in the next paragraph.
16a: Cross-Sectional Representation: The 435 Congressional Districts now in existence share a fatal flaw: they are distinct physical locations. Each district should be replaced with a new unit: the Cross-Section. Every eligible voter in the country should be randomly assigned to one of 435 numerically-equal Cross-Sections. A Congressman would still be elected, but his constituency would consist of voters who, as members of a Cross-Section, are literally scattered all over the country. This way, we avoid having Congressmen trying to please local constituencies at the expense of our broader, national interests. My proposal includes: Abolishing the U.S. Senate, thereby making the House our sole national legislative body, members of which will serve six-year terms.
SEVENTEEN: I will veto any bill presented to me by Congress which has any provision for tax increase or for increased government borrowing.
EIGHTEEN: I will use the Bully Pulpit to force radical changes in our federal tax laws. There are people serving time in federal prison for various tax-related offenses. Maybe releasing enough of these people from prison might make Congress nervous. Maybe if I granted a blanket pardon to everyone who refuses to pay taxes, that might actually terrify Congress into long overdue reform.
NINETEEN: My Supreme Court Nominations: Upon my election, I will ask all members of the Supreme Court to submit their resignations, signifying my "no confidence" in the Court. I will not nominate any person to the Court who will not sign the following contract:
- I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court for a period of five years, after which I will resign from that office. Failure to resign, I here and now freely stipulate, will constitute a violation of the "good behavior' rule mandated by Article III, section 1 of the Constitution. Such a violation would and should subject me to a well-deserved impeachment and removal from office.
TWENTY: I will lead efforts to overhaul our legal system. Massive, systemic reform is long overdue, and we can't leave it to lawyers (and to Congressmen who are themselves lawyers - which is most of them). Only We-the-People can do this. And I'm appealing for your support to help me replace our system with one based on justice and fair play.
TWENTY-ONE: Within 90 days of my inauguration, I will order all US personnel out of all facilities located at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. This will allow Cuba to reoccupy that land, as is its sovereign right.
TWENTY-TWO: Within 90 days of my inauguration, I will free all prisoners held in Guantanamo under two conditions (one optional, the other mandatory):
- The optional condition: I will ask that each prisoner swear an oath of non-violence against the United States. However, since I don't believe in coercing an oath, I would still free those refusing to swear such an oath.
- The mandatory condition: I will insist on meeting each prisoner in order to grasp his hand for at least 30 seconds.
TWENTY-THREE: I will not exercise the "right" of the President to grant/withhold diplomatic recognition to/from any country with two exceptions, which I'll invoke immediately upon becoming President. After these two exceptions, I will consult with the Senate, seeking advice and consent on such issues. The two exceptions are:
- Granting diplomatic recognition to Cuba.
- Withdrawing diplomatic recognition from Kosovo.
TWENTY-FOUR: I will seek to lift the US embargo against Cuba, since those sanctions are a violation of international law.
TWENTY-FIVE: I will grant a pardon to anyone convicted of violating federal rules against trading with Cuba, spending money in Cuba, or traveling to Cuba.
TWENTY-SIX: Transparency will be a major focus of my administration. Definition: Transparency: Opening the books; increasing scrutiny of public and corporate transactions; vastly reducing the number of government documents marked classified; enabling and rewarding whistleblowers; creating a level playing field between employees and employers, enabling employees (and not just their unions) to gain equal and inexpensive stature in courts of law; revising the Freedom of Information Act, giving it more teeth.
TWENTY-SEVEN: I will undertake the most massive declassification of state secrets in US history.
TWENTY-EIGHT: I will insist on the creation of a Truly Independent 9/11 Commission, and will veto all bills presented to me by Congress unless Congress fully mandates and fully funds this investigative body with a one billion dollar budget. I propose that David Ray Griffin be named as head of this Commission. If Congress fails to establish and fund this entity, I will donate my entire presidential salary - all four years' worth - to establish this group and will solicit private citizens' donations toward this goal.
TWENTY-NINE: As the next President of the United States, I will have a special mission for my Attorney General: "Investigate and prosecute corrupt politicians with every possible resource at your disposal."
THIRTY: I will abdicate my "right" to have US Attorneys serve "at the pleasure of the President" - with no such attorney to be dismissed without cause. Should I attempt a dismissal for cause, a right could be invoked to contest dismissal before a voluntary board consisting of eleven randomly-chosen legal professionals from the top eleven law schools in the United States. This board need not necessarily convene in person or hear such cases face-to-face.
THIRTY-ONE: If Osama bin Laden were to be sentenced to death in a U.S. federal court during my presidency, I would commute his sentence to life imprisonment.
THIRTY-TWO: I will not only issue a formal apology for the US invasion and occupation of Iraq, but I will personally go to Iraq and apologize to randomly-chosen Iraqi citizens.
THIRTY-THREE: I will end the ban against gays serving openly in the military by means of this Executive Order: "It is hereby declared to be the policy of the President that there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services."
THIRTY-FOUR: I will not make any recess appointments. Also, I will ask for lists of recommendations to ambassadorships from the ten leading universities in the U.S. with programs in international studies. I will submit names to the Senate from those lists.
THIRTY-FIVE: When Congress sends bills for my signature, I will simply sign them (if I support them) without making any signing statements.
THIRTY-SIX: By Executive Order, I will (in effect) repeal the unconstitutional Logan Act, which is an affront to our basic rights as American citizens to participate in the marketplace of ideas. This repeal will be effected by my Executive Order authorizing every U.S. citizen to share their ideas and interact with anyone they please, as long as they make it clear they are acting as private citizens and not in the role of U.S. diplomats/negotiators.
THIRTY-SEVEN: One of my first official acts as U.S. President will be to order a copy of a classified report detailing US spying in German churches in the 20-year period following World War II.
THIRTY-EIGHT: All of our troops will be periodically and anonymously polled to obtain their views in the midst of (as well as prior to) any future military engagements we might venture into. These results will be made public.
THIRTY-NINE: I will veto any bill presented to me by Congress allowing microchips to be implanted into the bodies of American citizens - "voluntarily" or otherwise. If Congress musters the two-thirds majority needed to override this veto, I will fight this law in court. If that effort fails, I will resign from office.
FORTY: I will immediately release federal prisoner Jonathan Jay Pollard. He has been serving a life sentence since 1987 for the crime of spying on the United States on behalf of Israel.
FORTY-ONE: I will award to Mordechai Vanunu the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our nation's highest civilian award. I will also attempt to arrange for Mr. Vanunu's release from Israel and for the granting of asylum in a country of his choice.
FORTY-TWO: One of my first acts as President will be to grant clemency to Michael Santos, who has been incarcerated since 1987; in addition, voiding the fine which was imposed on him. [Reference: www.michaelsantos.net]
FORTY-THREE: I hereby declare that any Congress consisting of Democrats and Republicans is unrepresentative of the people, and therefore urge voters to replace their Congressmen with independents.
FORTY-FOUR: My inauguration will not be held in Washington, D.C. It will instead be held in the exact geographic center of the lower-48 states (or as close to that center as possible), which is near Lebanon, Kansas. Since Alaska and Hawaii are excluded in this determination of "exact geographic center," my first two State of the Union addresses will be on their soil.
FORTY-FIVE: I will make it a point not to make any of my State of the Union addresses before the assembled Congress itself. In good conscience, I could only speak directly either to We-the-People or to their genuine representatives.
FORTY-SIX: I will not run for re-election. Violation of this pledge is an impeachable offense for which I may be removed from office during my first (and only) term.
FORTY-SEVEN: Since my name is not on the ballot, you will have to write in my name in order to vote for me. Since I have not been able to recruit a running mate, it is not necessary that you also write-in a vote for vice president.
Steven Searle for U.S. President in 2008
The Best Party Available
"I wish to thank the good people who sponsor the Gaia community for allowing me the privilege of posting on their site for these last two years. I therefore dedicate my Electoral Contract to you and to the legions of Gaians you encourage" - Steve.
Contact me: bpa_cinc@yahoo.com
Contributions to my campaign: I am no longer soliciting, nor will I accept, any monetary contributions to my campaign. This does not mean, however, that I'm giving up.
Open Invitation: I hereby waive all copyright protection for any material I've posted on Zaadz/Gaia with these exceptions: I reserve the right to disseminate this material, claim authorship credit for it and any compensation I can negotiate. However, if anyone wishes to use these essays, they are free to do so. I do not require that advance permission be obtained, that I be paid any royalties, or that I receive author's credit or even be notified of intent to use. I truly want anyone "out there" to feel free to use these essays, in original or modified form, for whatever purposes they deem worthy.
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politics
November 2009 
Cinc
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