Presidential Candidate Mike Gravel
The Most Unusual Democratic Candidate in the First Debate
Closer look at the former Democratic Senator from Alaska and commentary on Gravel's First U.S. Presidential debate performance.
On April 26, MSNBC presented the first televised debate among Democratic Presidential candidates at South Carolina's State University in Orangeburg, S.C.. The contenders included frontrunners Obama, Biden, Clinton, Richardson, Dodd, Edwards, and Kucinich. However, there was one unusual candidate who stood out as the evening's most amusing underdog, Mike Gravel, former Democratic Senator from Alaska.
Mike Gravel was born in Springfield, Massachusettes to French Canadian parents and attended Catholic schools as a child. He is a former Army Intelligence officer who went on to earn a B.S. in Economics at Columbia University. He later served in the House of Representatives from 1963-1966, and as speaker during that last year. Gravel was quite active in the U.S. Senate (Dem. Alaska) from 1969-1981. He served primarily on energy, water and environmental committees and was instrumental in 1973 for enacting the Alaskan Oil Pipeline. He did however discourage exploratory nuclear tests along Alaska's earthquake-prone faultlines.
He feels very strongly about the right of Americans to exercise free speech and founded an organization promoting "Direct Democracy" and a "National Initiative" which hopes to pass a Constitutional amendment making all citizens governmental lawmakers and overseers. Gravel also believes in a single tax-payer, national, not-for-profit U.S. healthcare system and removal of the Federal income tax for a more egalitarian national sales tax system.
During his prior tenure in Congress he helped to cut funding for the Vietnam War and actually filibustered passionately for five months in order to get then President Nixon to suspend the draft (which was done two years later). He released the Pentagon Papers to the national press which incited the government to take legal action against him. Beacon Press, a small publishing company backed by the Universalist/Unitarian Church (Gravel is Unitarian) helped him publish the Pentagon Papers in the form of a book, which brought them all before the Supreme Court. (www.gravel2008.com)
His television persona during the April 26th televised debates which aired at 7PM EST on MSNBC, will be rebroadcast and clips of the highlights can be found at MSNBC's website. When asked about ending the war in Iraq, he suggested that Congress pass a law, not just a resolution to end it. Boldly facing the other candidates on the panel, he suggested that they put pressure on the other lawmakers in Congress and make them accountable by asking for closure votes regarding the resolution to end the war at the end of each day. He told moderator Brian Williams:
"First off, understand that this war was lost the day that George Bush invaded Iraq on a fraudulent basis."
Brooke Brower, "Hardball " producer, says that "Gravel is not only getting laughs, but prompting some in the audience to talk among themselves." (MSNBC.com 4/26/07) Gravel also brought on the first nervous audience coughs in the room from the moment he opened his mouth to reply to a question. Unlike some of the others on stage, he thought twice before answering moderator Brian Williams' question as to whether any of the candidates owned a gun.
Joe Scarborough, commentator for MSNBC.com was less kind in his comments about Gravel stating "Gravel wins the James Stockdale Memorial Award for the most confused debate performance." (MSNBC.com 4/26/07). For those who do not remember, James Stockdale was the highly decorated P.O.W. who ran as a "placeholder" Vice Presidential running-mate for Independent Ross Perot during the 1992 Presidential elections. At that time, Stockdale was taken off guard when asked to appear at a televised debate in Atlanta and forgot to turn on his hearing aid during the Debate moderator's questioning. Later, NBC's "Saturday Night Live" lampooned Stockdale in a humorous skit played by Phil Hartman as an elderly, foolish statesman. (www.MSNBC.com)
Mike Gravel (pronounced Gra-VEL) has a Mark Twain quality about him. He is a little rough around the edges, like John McCain, but his remarkably funny, candid and independent comments plus his forceful language certainly entertained the audience at the Presidential debate. Hillary Clinton appears to be the most alarmed as she looks his way.
"Hardball's" Chris Matthews played straight-man to Gravel's "Best of Show" Q&A humor following the debate. When Matthews asked, "Senator, where have you been the last 35 years?" Gravel replied, "Hiding under a rock, because I was so disgusted with the way that Congress works." It is no secret that Gravel entered the race in part to bring national attention to his personal agendas. Hopefully, we will be seeing more from this seasoned former Senator from Alaska who appears to be afraid of nothing and no one.
