Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate declared 'Peace Candidate' by CongressforPeace.com
Tom Bailey, Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate, was endorsed by
Illinois-based
CongressforPeace.com, a non-partisan activist group that recognizes
candidates and government officials who support a peaceful U.S. foreign
policy.
According to their website, CongressForPeace.com makes an effort to
contact all possible candidates in a congressional election, in order to
determine which candidates have the best record for supporting
non-aggressive, peaceful solutions to international conflicts. Their goal
is to "create a new majority in Congress as a powerful force for peace,
equal to the presidency."
"This is the first election cycle for the CongressforPeace.com
project," said W.C. Scheurer, a CongressForPeace.com spokesman. "We really
are a great bridge organization, since we have not only Democrats and
Republicans, but also Libertarians, Greens and others."
The group used opposition to the invasion of Iraq as the benchmark for
their 2004 endorsements.
That was fine by Bailey, who has actively opposed the preemptive
invasion of Iraq and welcomed the group's endorsement. "These people took
the time to research the past actions of the candidates they endorsed. It
is nice to be recognized as a long time opponent of global
interventionism," he said.
Bailey believes in a Libertarian military policy that would include the
absolute abolishment of the military draft and the reassignment of U.S.
troops stationed in Japan, Germany, South Korea and dozens of other
countries to homeland security operations here in the United States.
"We should bring the troops home where they can help rebuild our
infrastructure and where they will be in a position to protect our
borders," Bailey said.
The Libertarian party traditionally supports open immigration, but this
position has come under fire recently because of security issues and the
"war on terrorism." Bailey remained steadfast in his support of the
Libertarian tradition.
"I know many people are concerned at the idea of open borders," he
said. "But there's a difference between open borders and open
immigration."
Bailey says his candidacy stands in stark contrast to the platforms
offered by his Democrat and Republican opponents, who both advocate
stronger involvement in international agreements and treaty-based
organizations. Bailey says decisions on issues like defense and trade
policy should be based on the Founding Fathers' vision.
"U.S. foreign policy should be as the Founders first envisioned it," he
said, "free trade with all, entangling alliances with none."
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