Did
Maria Cantwell's Campaign
Try To Buy Off Aaron Dixon?
By Joshua Frank
26 September, 2006
Countercurrents.org
Aaron
Dixon isn't accustomed to selling out his ideals for career or political
gains. Despite decades of community activism, as a former Black Panther
and now a Green Party candidate for US Senate, Dixon's legacy has yet
to be tainted by concessions or compromise.
Back in the late 1960s and
early 1970s Dixon was on the front lines of the civil rights movement
in Seattle. He started the Free Breakfast for School Children program,
opened up a free medical clinic, as well as a free legal clinic, and
worked to improve civil liberties for black students within the Seattle
school system. In 2002, Dixon founded Central House, a not-for-profit
organization that works to provide housing for young homeless adults,
where he is still acting director.
Aside from managing his nonprofit,
Dixon is running a statewide antiwar campaign against Democratic incumbent
Maria Cantwell in Washington State. Unlike Cantwell, Dixon is calling
for an immediate unconditional withdrawal of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Needless to say, there are a few folks who are unhappy with Dixon's
campaign to oust Sen. Cantwell. And listening to Dixon tell it, they've
done their best to persuade him to disband his campaign.
Allegedly it all started
with a phone call from Mark Wilson, the former antiwar challenger to
Maria Cantwell, who dropped out of the Democratic Primary halfway through
the campaign to take a lofty post within the Cantwell camp. After agreeing
to take the position, Wilson told a reporter that the amount of money
he would be making was "confidential", but several people
familiar with the campaign say similar positions pay upwards of $8,000
a month. Apparently even antiwar positions have a price tag attached.
Unless you are Aaron Dixon,
that is.
As Dixon tells it, "Mark
[Wilson] called and basically told me that a lot of people have a lot
of money within the Cantwell campaign, and he said that they could put
on a fundraiser for Central House that would 'blow my mind'. He called
a week later and basically told me the same thing. I didn't bite, ending
this war is too important."
When asked if exiting the race would have been contingent on there being
a fundraiser for his organization, Dixon answered, "It wasn't said
directly, but it was certainly implied."
Dixon also said that Mark
Wilson was not the only Cantwell staffer to call his campaign headquarters
with the hope of convincing him to drop out, but Dixon declined to elaborate.
The Cantwell campaign declined to comment on Dixon's allegations.
Perhaps that's just how Maria
and the Democrats play ball. They attempt to buy out their opposition
and support them financially if they forfeit. How's that for embracing
the democratic process? Fortunately for the antiwar movement there are
candidates like Aaron Dixon who refuse to surrender.
Like Dixon said, ending this
war is just too important.
Joshua Frank, author of Left Out! How Liberals Helped
Reelect George W. Bush, edits http://www.BrickBurner.org