Sen. Mike Gravel Announces Run for President

WASHINGTON, April 17 - Former U.S. Sen. Mike Gravel dramatically challenged America's dishonored and inert political and governmental leadership while announcing today that he is a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States.

The senator said, "Our country needs renewal -- not just of particular policies or of people, but of democracy itself. I believe the remedy for the state of our political alienation is the civic renewal embodied in the 'National Initiative for Democracy.'" Promising to enact the National Initiative, Sen. Gravel said, "The National Initiative will bring all American citizens into the operations of government as lawmakers."

Forcefully pointing out that "Our three branches of government have become like an unstable chair with only three legs," the senator said, "Giving us -- American citizens -- legislative power will put the fourth leg on our chair, giving birth to a new foundation of American governance."

Offering a dramatic program of national rebirth and punctuating each proposal with the clarion call of his campaign "Let the People Decide," Sen. Gravel said he would place before the American people his agenda that includes:

The Fair Tax: Describing the current tax system as one whose "unfairness is only superceded by its incomprehensibility" the senator promised to place before the people "a straightforward national sales tax with proper consideration for the necessities of life through a pre-bate."

Social Security: The senator proposed to place before the people his plan to put real money in the Social Security Trust Fund, investing it properly and identifying the interests of individual beneficiaries so they can leave their surplus funds to their heirs.

Foreign Policy: Pledging to pursue aggressive diplomacy and not war, the senator said, "I will remove our troops from Iraq expeditiously and without contingency, President Bush's mistake is not worth the life or maiming of one more American soldier."

The senator promised to place before the people an amendment to the Constitution, removing the power to declare war from Congress who, in any case, has abdicated their responsibility to the President, and making it the responsibility of the people.

Declaring it his "Unreserved faith and trust in the common sense and wisdom of the American people," the senator echoed his determination to "Let the People Decide."