Former U.S. Rep. McKinney enters presidential race as Green

Former Georgia congresswoman Cynthia McKinney is running for president as a member of the Green Party, which she says shares her views on ending the Iraq war, protecting the environment and other issues.


McKinney, who served five terms in Congress before losing her seat to a fellow Democrat last year, declared her candidacy in a video posted late Sunday on the Web site of a group that had been drafting her to run.


"The Democrats are no different than their Republican counterparts, eat out of the hands of corrupt lobbyists and feed at the same corporate trough. I am proud to say that the Green Party is my new political home," McKinney said in the taped announcement.


McKinney's names will appear on ballots in California, Illinois, Arkansas and several other states holding presidential primaries on Feb. 5, according to www.runcynthiarun.org.


The site does not contain further information about her campaign schedule, and an e-mail sent to the site's operators did not receive a response.


McKinney, who moved to Northern California this year and registered to vote as a Green, is one of seven presidential candidates running under the Green Party banner, according to the party.


Among them are Ralph Nader, the consumer advocate who was the party's nominee in 1996 and 2000, hip-hop scholar Jared Ball, Kent Mesplay, former president of the environmental organization Turtle Island Institute and Elaine Brown, a former leader of the Black Panther Party.


The Green Party of the United States is scheduled to hold its nominating convention in July in Chicago.


"The Republicans have deceived us, the Democrats have failed us. But we cannot deceive ourselves and we must not fail in our struggle for peace because the world still looks to America for leadership," McKinney said in her taped message. "Now, we must be those leaders." [sfg]