Contact:
Kyle Taylor Lucas
(360) 480-1011
kyle@garymurrell2008.com or
www.garymurrell2008.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 8, 2008

Gary Murrell—6th District Green Party Candidate for Congress to Speak in Shelton

(Hoquiam, WA) Dr. Gary Murrell, college professor and Green Party candidate who is challenging Norm Dicks, will speak and engage in a community dialog about his candidacy and issues with voters in the 6th District on Saturday, August 16, 2008, from 2:00—4:00 p.m. at the Shelton Timberland Library (William G. Reed Public Library), 7th and Alder, Shelton, WA 98584.

A long-term Hoquiam resident, Dr. Murrell has taught history and political science at Grays Harbor College for the past 15 years. He earned his Ph.D. in U.S. history from the University of Oregon, and he is a member of the American Federation of Teachers - Washington, which endorsed him. He is a committed civil libertarian who has served on the state boards of both the Oregon and WA ACLU.

“This election isn’t about me or about Norm Dicks,” Murrell said. “It’s about you, about us, about what kind of country we want to live in, about what kind of people we are. We need to restore our constitutional republic.”

A Vietnam Era veteran, Dr. Murrell says he has opposed the Iraq war and occupation since attacking Iraq was first seriously contemplated in Congress in the summer of 2002. Murrell criticizes Congressman Dicks for giving “President Bush a blank check to conduct a preventive war on Iraq, which is a war crime according treaties signed by the United States.” He went on to say, “when I am elected, I will work for an immediate withdrawal of all American forces from Iraq.”

Other key platform issues of Murrell’s campaign are affordable education, campaign reform, Constitutional restoration, civil liberties, transitioning from a war economy to a green economy; and single-payer, not-for-profit healthcare.

“I have been active in the Democratic Party for years;” said Murrell. “I have voted for Democrats all of my life, and served in county party leadership roles. However, in November 2006, we voted for Democrats to end the disastrous war in Iraq. They didn't. Instead, the Democrats voted to escalate the war.” He added that in a career characterized by unwavering support for the military-industrial complex, culminating in his catastrophic vote issuing a blank check for George Bush to make war on Iraq, “Dicks never met a weapon's system he did not like, an arms maker he could not fund, nor a war he could not support.”

Beyond his calamitous lack of good judgment” that has resulted in the deaths of more than 4,120 Americans, more than one million innocent Iraqis, and a $3 trillion war, Murrell points to other parts of Dicks' record as reason to retire him from Congress. “Beginning with secret appropriations to arm Osama bin Laden in the 1980s, continuing with his votes for the Patriot Act I and II, the Military Commissions Act which stripped Habeas Corpus from the Constitution, to his continued funding for the occupation of Iraq, and his votes on the Homegrown Terrorism Act, and the FISA Amendment giving immunity to the telecommunications industry, Norm Dicks has betrayed our trust” said Murrell.

Acknowledging Dicks’ hefty campaign war chest, Murrell asks "Remember the $17 million 'boat to nowhere' that Dicks put into the budget for the Navy—the boat the Navy did not ask for nor want? That series of earmarks earned Dicks more than $17,000 in campaign contributions. We need to break that pipeline, that system of legalized bribery that funnels money from military contractors who get government contracts right into the campaign war-chests of sitting members of Congress. Those gigantic war-chests give any challengers great pause. What we really need are publicly financed elections. We can't continue as a democracy with the broken system we now have."

When asked about his chances of winning in the new Washington State primary system, Murrell said; “With the top-two system now it’s much easier for third parties to get on the ballot. Disaffected Democrats, Republicans and independents who feel that their interests are not being met by the dominant parties can look to a viable alternative.” Murrell hopes the pubic will turn out for this community dialog to learn more about his candidacy, but also to allow him to hear from voters. For further information, visit his website at www.garymurrell2008.com.

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