Mass. physician wins nod from Green Party
The Green Party’s nominee for president is blasting Mitt Romney and President Obama, saying they have become too dependent on donations from corporations in order to acquire office at the expense of the nation’s citizens.
Jill Stein, 62, an internist from Lexington, Mass., ran against Romney for Massachusetts governor a decade ago. The Green Party chose her as its presidential nominee over the weekend.
“We need real public servants who listen to the people — not to the corporate lobbyists that funnel campaign checks into the big war chests,” Stein told applauding supporters at a Holiday Inn in Baltimore. “That’s what brought me to the Green Party, the only national party that is not bought and paid for by corporate money.”
Stein acknowledges that her candidacy is a super long shot. Still, she notes that a growing number of people are expressing frustration with the two major political parties, and she cites the Occupy Wall Street movement as an example of that.
Stein won 193.5 delegates, compared with 72 for comedian Roseanne Barr, who did not attend.
Stein said she hopes the party will qualify for the ballot in at least 40 states, but the total is now 21. Stein also notes that the Green Party has qualified for federal matching funds for the first time in its 11-year history. — Associated Press