Takoma and Silver Spring Voice By Leticia Linn August 2006 Photo: Julie Wiatt 
Paul Sarbanes' seat in the U.S. Senate has been coveted since the day he announced his retirement in 2005. Now Kevin Zeese, a 50-year-old Takoma Park resident, has decided that his time has come. After decades behind the political scenes, Zeese has decided to become a candidate for the United States Senate.
His decision has well-received, but not by the Democrat or Republican party - and that's just what he wanted.
Zeese is convinced that it is time to "challenge the two-party system [and] take back the government from special interests." He is committed to generating an independent movement even if he does not win the election.
There are three political parties behind him in his quest. Officially Zeese will be on the ballot as a Green Party candidate, but he has also been named the candidate for the Populist Party and the Libertarian Party - the first candidate in Maryland history to represent three parties.
Despite such clear support, Zeese knows that the race will be tough. One obstacle is a new state law that prevents a candidate from appearing on a ballot for more than the one party in which he or she is registered.
Then there are the issues. Zeese has taken strongly progressive stands in order to appeal to liberal voters. He wants an end to the war and occupation in Iraq; he is in favor of an impeachment inquiries for President Bush and Vice President Cheney; he favors modification of the electoral college system, including a clearer paper trail; and he wants to safeguard civil liberties in the post-September 11 world. He believes that the "failed" war on drugs should end and a different approach should be developed to protect youth and improve community health and safety, including government-sponsored health care.
Zeese also has a proposal for tax reform. In June, he released a model that includes a one percent tax on the first $100,000 in purchases of stocks, bonds, derivatives, and currency. By his estimates, such a tax would represent an additional $700 billion in revenue. [Correction -- The tax plan is the first $100,000 of income has no federal income tax and the revenue is replaced by a 1/10th of one percent tax on the purchase of stocks, bonds, currency and derivatives. This results in $700 Billion more received by the U.S. Treasury.]
Zeese's candidacy - and skepticism of the traditional two-party system - is the result of 30 years engaged in political activism and advocacy work. Zeese arrived in Washington in 1977 to study at law at George Washington University. He was already active in politics; in high school, he worked with the Republican Party in New York, doing what young people used to do: posting signs and distributing literature about candidates. Once in the capital, he got more involved supporting the Democratic Party, until the first term of President Clinton. At that point, Zeese rethought affiliating with either party.
"I see both parties as pretty much controlled by the multinational corporations - big business interests - and not representing the people's interests," he said. "So I couldn't support them anymore."
In 1996, Zeese registered as an independent. He wasn't quite ready to take the next step, though, of next throwing his own hat into the political ring.
"I did not see myself as a candidate. I saw myself as an advocate. But I got so frustrated with the political system not being responsive that I felt I had to participate in the process of elections," he said.
In 2002, Zeese began his affiliation with the Green Party. He campaigned for Takoma Park resident Linda Schade, the Green candidate for Maryland's House of Delegates, then worked for another Green candidate for governor of California. In 2004, he was the press secretary for presidential candidate Ralph Nader.
He said he learned from the Nader campaign that when it comes to elections, both parties act in the same underhanded way. He likes to back up this argument with a quote from Senator John McCain, who has said that campaign finance "is nothing less than an elaborate influence-peddling scheme in which both parties conspire to stay in office by selling the country to the highest bidder."
That sentiment, Zeese said, is his ultimate reason for shunning the two-party system.
"What I learned over the years is that you can be right about the issues; you can have the facts on your side and the common sense on your side; you can even have the majority of the public opinion on your side, and the people in power will ignore you, because they are not representing the people any longer," he said.
Before he can fully challenge the Democratic and Republican candidates, Zeese must solve the problem of his multiple-party candidacy. He is not sure, however, if he will try to challenge Maryland's new law.
"I don't want to spend much money and time in court" on the issue, he said, given the relatively small gain of potential votes from the Libertarian and Populist parties. But he would not say no if a lawyer volunteered to take the case.
Zeese knows that he has little chance of raising the big campaign dollars that Democratic and Republican candidates raise. He also is aware that receiving media attention for his candidacy will be difficult. But he feels at ease with one task: actual campaigning.
"Breaking through to the media is a big thing," he said. "[but] meeting voters is much more fun."
Zeese likes the challenge of having to answer all the questions that arise in forums with voters.
"I like going into a room not knowing who is there, and ask what they want to hear about," he said.
While nights are dedicated to meeting these voters, his days are equally busy. Mornings are spent answering emails from voters, writing articles for the Internet, and publicizing the campaign. During the day, he goes to work at Democracy Rising US, an organization that works to end the Iraq war and occupation. And political issues are always being discussed with his family and friends. Zeese was a founding member and director of TrueVoteMD, an organization to end paperless electronic voting; he is president of Common Sense for Drug Policy; and is active in several other progressive organizations. His experiences have shown him that his voice is representative of many others who seek true reform.
"There is a mood in this country for an alternative," he said.
He used to hear a lot that citizens will waste their vote by voting for him because he cannot win. He has his answer prepared now. Zeese believes that people apply the theory of voting for the lesser evil, and that is destroying democracy.
"The only wasted vote is a vote for something that you don't believe in," he said. "You can't get what you want by voting for what you don't want." |
