You can imagine what the GPUS Delegate list serves have been like today – “sizzling”.
But it’s official – Greenfield has announced his candidacy against Hillary.
And wouldn’t you know it: Greenfield’s supporters are defending his move – stating that it is a “brilliant” strategy because he will simply switch back to the Green Party should he not win the Democratic Primary….to “get his name known” – that is, **if** the GPUS has earned the right to have Greenfield back.
I seem to remember the term “flip-flop” in the last presidential election.
If anyone else tried this tactic, they would be severely criticized by Greenfield et al for sure, being subject to labels like “sell out”.
Ken Sain also has a post about this announcement.
Here is the article:
Ulster County man to challenge Hillary Clinton
New Paltz Green Party Leader Steve Greenfield not only changed parties Wednesday morning, he announced his decision to run against Senator Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary for Unites States Senate next year.
He visited the Ulster County Board of Elections in the City of Kingston this morning to officially change his political party from Green to Democratic. He also revealed his decision to primary Clinton during a news conference outside the building.
Greenfield said that changing parties and running for a Senate seat is the only way he can truly make a difference in this country’s political scene.
“I have lived and breathed Green Party since I came to the Mid-Hudson region in 2001, but the party has taken me as far as they could,” said Greenfield. “Running for the Senate as a Democrat will give me a chance to broaden my horizons.”
Greenfield also strongly feels that primaries here aren’t contested enough, and that true democracy cannot take place without this component.
“No one has yet to primary Maurice Hinchey; he just runs alone every two years under the Democratic line,” Greenfield said. “The same goes for many other seats in the Senate and the House. Where are his contestants in the party? No one steps up. Where’s the democracy in that?”
Greenfield left the Green Party due to “administrative issues” within the party.
Deanna Dee-Dee Taylor 
Greenfield’s Statement
A Florida delegate and admirer of Steve Greenfield sent the full text of his statement today to announce his change. I have commented in two parts.
——————————————————————–
The full text of Greenfield’s statement made outside the Ulster County Board of Elections is found below.
——————————————————————–
Thank you for coming out in this awful weather to find out whether there is something newsworthy about a middle-aged father and musician from a small town in upstate New York changing party registration. I think you?ll be glad you made the effort.
For the last four and a half years the public in this part of New York has known me primarily as a Green Party activist and candidate, including well-publicized work for peace, civil liberties, environmental preservation, and election reform. While some have seen me playing saxophone in bars or outdoor fairs, or perhaps stepping off a fire truck, for the most part I¹ve been called ²that Green Party guy² and I¹ve cherished that title. A little over a year ago my work led me to election by the New York State Green Party to serve on the National Committee, along with my friend and colleague from New Paltz, Deputy Mayor Rebecca Rotzler. The time of this election coincided with the onset of the peak of the presidential election season, September 2004.
The state of affairs I discovered upon arrival at my new post was shocking.
There was nothing so much as resembling democracy being practiced in the internal affairs of the national party. Low-population states with little or no party membership held voting advantages over larger states in some cases by as much as 300 to one. The entire decision-making process was controlled by a Steering Committee of 9 people who, although only assigned administrative roles by party bylaws, had somehow appropriated executive powers. Delegations from New York and California held only 16% of the National Committee votes, although they represented over 2/3 of the national Green membership. The bylaws made little sense, contained numerous conflicting clauses, no provisions for due process whatsoever, and wherever clear were regularly ignored. Rising protests over this state of affairs swiftly led the ruling directorship of the Green National Committee to institute draconian rules of censorship and even expulsion against dissident voices struggling to establish the democratic principles written about so eloquently in the party platform. Further aggravating the situation was a severe ethical shortfall in party finance stemming from the diversion of $15,000 dollars raised privately for the Ohio Recount into the Green Party national treasury last February, questions about which the party still refuses to answer to its own delegates, let alone the recount¹s donors. The aimless and clueless central directorship has formally adopted a position that the national party¹s primary role will be to facilitate local elections in its member states rather than take a meaningful role in the national arena. They have chosen as a matter of policy to relegate any presidential nominees and federal candidacies in general to fringe party status, and have removed any mechanisms through which the grassroots party membership of over 300,000 enrollees can challenge this policy. I also found the majority of the delegates and standing committee heads to be inadequately competent to attend to the challenges of their positions. In general I found myself unable to support the policies, practices, and personnel of the entrenched directorship of the national Green party, and powerless to change them. In other words, on all counts precisely the opposite of my wonderful experience with the New Paltz Greens since I first changed my party enrollment from Democrat to Green in 2001.
Continued in next comment….
Re: Greenfield’s Statement
Continued from previous comment….
This is a terribly painful crossroads for me, since, as you are all well aware, the building and promotion of the Green Party has been the central theme of my life in the Mid-Hudson Valley since moving to New Paltz in January of 2001. While the local and state Green Parties here in New York are thriving and operating admirably, the controlling directorship of the national Green Party does not have the principles, the willingness or the competence to fight the current battles for peace, economic and social justice, environmental protection and democracy that are the foundation of the Green agenda. Unfortunately, at this time, the critical decisions of our time affecting these societal needs, even at the local level, are being made in the national arena, and that is where my personal sense of duty requires my energies be directed for the foreseeable future. So on this day, the 12th of October, 2005, I have officially entered a change of enrollment from Green to Democrat with the Ulster County Board of Elections, a time-stamped copy of which I hold in my hand, and announce at this time that I will be entering the Democratic Party Primary for United States Senate against Hillary Clinton.
Thank you very much.
Re: Greenfield’s Statement
Steve Greenfield is the Zell Miller of the Green Party. Good riddance!