Chlorophyll

The decision for a Green congressional candidate to back out of his race in Connecticut's 4th District was made by the state party, according to a news release on the Green candidate's Web site.

Here is the AP story on the endorsement.

The Connecticut Green Party has agreed to endorse Diane Farrell in her race for Congress in the 4th Congressional District and accept the strategic withdrawal of its candidate, Richard Duffee.

Duffee and Farrell made the announcement at a joint press conference at Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk at 2:30 P.M.

"On Saturday, October 21, 2006, the Fairfield County Green Party decided that Republican threats to the future and to our form of government are so serious that it is more important to bring the House of Representatives under the control of the Democrats than to run a Green candidate for Congress in the 4th District," said Duffee.

"Our decision is a vote of confidence in Diane Farrell's seriousness about putting some brakes on Bush's imperial presidency and at least returning us to the rule of law," said Duffee, a former law professor.

By Connecticut law, Duffee alone has the right to take his name off the ballot. He chose in July to allow the Fairfield Greens to make that decision in caucus as the campaign developed.

Just a guess, but I suspect this decision will get a lot of attention on the national level.

How do you criticize Vermont and Utah for not running the Green presidential candidate in 2004 and let this go? However, if this party is really about decentralization then how can the national party interfere in a decision by a state party?

The best thing that can happen to Greens is the Democrats retake both houses. When they are out of power, people forget how bad they are. The Greens grow fastest when there are conservative Democrats in power.

But I'm not so certain we should be helping put them in power.

The Greens did get something for quitting the race, according to the AP story:

Aside from the war in Iraq, Sieh said the Green Party likes Farrell's position on the environment, including her support for biodiesel fuel and mass transit. In return for Greens' support, Farrell has agreed to post Green Party issues on her campaign Web site and to support the party's participation in future debates.