Email   |  

Former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel has abandoned his bid to be the Democratic presidential candidate and now hopes to be the nominee of the Libertarian Party.

In an announcement released late Tuesday, Gravel said he is joining the Libertarian ranks because it “is a party that combines a commitment to freedom and peace that can’t be found in the two major parties that control the government and politics of America.

“My libertarian views, as well as my strong stance against war, the military industrial complex and American imperialism, seem not to be tolerated by Democratic Party elites who are out of touch with the average American; elites that reject the empowerment of American citizens I offered to the Democratic Party at the beginning of this presidential campaign with the National Initiative for Democracy,” he said in a statement.

In an e-mail to supporters,  Gravel, 77, wrote, “I look forward to advancing my presidential candidacy within the Libertarian Party, which is considerably closer to my values, my foreign policy views and my domestic views.”

Libertarian Party National Media Coordinator Andrew Davis said he didn’t know whether Gravel plans to run for his party’s presidential nomination, but he is qualified to be a candidate if he is constitutionally able to run, is a member of the Libertarian Party ranks and is willing to accept the nomination.

Davis noted that Texas Rep. Ron Paul is a lifetime member of the Libertarian Party but is running as a Republican presidential candidate. Paul was the Libertarian Party presidential candidate in 1988.

Davis said 15 candidates are on the slate for the Libertarian Party nomination, which will be determined at the May 22-26 national convention in Denver, Colo. He said Gravel isn’t “a perfect libertarian” but he supports essentials of the party — opposing a military draft, empowering the American voter and standing against “the war of American imperialism.”

Last month, Gravel endorsed Green Party presidential nominee Jesse Johnson. National Multimedia Director Sklyer McKinley said at the time that Gravel didn’t see any reason “why not” to offer his backing since “voting party line is not smart” and he agrees with Johnson’s message as well as the Green Party’s approach of “direct democracy, mobilizing at a grassroots level, working with people one-on-one and enabling citizen democracy.”

“He’s a current Democratic presidential candidate who is now a member of the Libertarian Party who has endorsed a member of the Green Party,” Davis said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Email   |  

Though still in the race, somewhere, for the Democratic presidential nomination, former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel has endorsed Green Party presidential nominee Jesse Johnson.

The D.C. Statehood Green Party issued a release on Wednesday announcing the endorsement, which came after a meeting between the two candidates on Friday.

“I’m supporting Jesse because he began his political career with the determination that the environmental plundering must stop,” Gravel said, noting the West Virginia resident’s crusade against mountain top coal mining is one that the Democratic Party has ignored.

“We must have a voice in the political realm speaking earnestly and intelligently about all of our environmental needs. Johnson and the Green Party have that environmental credibility that we Democrats have lost,” Gravel said.

Asked why Gravel took the step of endorsing a candidate in another party while still a Democratic Party candidate, Gravel campaign national multimedia director Sklyer McKinley told FOXNews.com that it presents no conflict since the two parties are still in the primary stages of the 2008 election cycle.

“The senator is still pursuing the Democratic nomination for president. He did endorse Jesse Johnson and the Greens but we’re not running against Jesse Johnson and the Green Party,” McKinley said.

McKinley said Gravel didn’t see any reason “why not” to offer his backing since “voting party line is not smart” and he agrees with Johnson’s message as well as the Green Party’s approach of “direct democracy, mobilizing at a grassroots level, working with people one-on-one and enabling citizen democracy.”

He added he didn’t know why Gravel picked Johnson over former Democratic congresswoman and Green Party candidate Cynthia McKinney.

“That was his decision,” McKinley said.

Johnson, former chairman of the West Virginia Mountain Party and two-time candidate for statewide office, said that Gravel’s cross party support “was just the kind of non-traditional, selfless act that we have come to know Senator Mike Gravel to make. I am not surprised that a true patriot and advocate of the citizen as leader of our country would take such an unprecedented and bold stand. And I am honored and humbled that he has elected my campaign and the Green Party as his allies in this very important race to save our environment from the actions of humans.”

The Green Party national convention is in Chicago from July 10-13.

Email   |  

Watch special You Decide 2008 Super Tuesday coverage, live all day and night, brought to you from FOX News’ election headquarters at Unitel Studios in New York City.

All times are Eastern:

Email   |  

NEW YORK — ABC News is eliminating Republican presidential candidate Duncan Hunter and Democrats Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel from its prime-time presidential debates Saturday night because they did not meet benchmarks for their support.

The Republican debate three days before the New Hampshire primary will include Iowa caucus winner Mike Huckabee, John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, Mitt Romney and Ron Paul. It starts at 7 p.m. EDT.

Shortly after that 90-minute forum, Democrats Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Bill Richardson will take the stage at St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H.

ABC anchor Charles Gibson will moderate both debates.

The network set up benchmarks to narrow the field. Candidates had to meet at least one of three criteria: place first through fourth in Iowa, poll 5 percent or higher in one of the last four major New Hampshire surveys, or poll 5 percent or higher in one of the last four major national surveys.

ABC said the rules were quite inclusive, and that none of the candidates objected ahead of time. Its decision was made easier by Democrats Joe Biden and Chris Dodd dropping out of the race Thursday night.

“In previous debates where the stage was more crowded you had to make sure all of the candidates got equal time,” said David Chalian, ABC News political director. “Here you will have more time to go in depth on the issues.”