Sundwall for Congress - Special Election 2009

Draft Redlich for Governor

2009-12-22T20:03:54Z

I'd love to see Jim Ostrowski step forward and try like he did in 1994. A stalwart of the movement and no stranger to politics, Jim could splatter a serious piece of humble pie into the faces of the nut job lackeys of the donkeys and elephants. His broad range of knowledge, professional capacity as a lawyer and tireless pursuit of all thing libertarian could ignite theupstate freedom movement. Who knows how many in the big apple itself ?

Unfortunately, I don't see Jim doing this. I spent a long drive with Jim last March down to Poughkeepsie (and back) and I think it's safe to say he won't try it again. Without getting too personal into his life or means, it's sufficient to say that his focus on family and profession at this point in his life is more important than a quixotic run at the head guy job in New York. I spoke with Jim this weekend and he's not interested in running for office.

However, I am urging Warren Redlich to pick up his shield, mount his high horse and charge those windmills. Warren has all the credentials and qualifications that I've listed previously and he also holds public office as a town board member in Guilderland, NY. He's run for Congress twice in a hopelessly Democratic district like Albany. He's helped me multiple times during my campaigns on a pro bono basis. He's smart, funny and media savvy. While Warren does have ties to the Republican party as such, he's by no means a favorite son. If anything he's a bit of a pariah. He likes and understands freedom too much.

]]> Like me, his hesitation would emanate from devotion to family. But I think his wife might be okay with it, if he didn't have to traipse around for anything but key media spots. Warren could count me in as an immediate and constant participant in the chase. I've listened to Warren take on local liberal icons like Alan Chartock and refute him on Universal Health Care with simple quips like 'why not universal food'. He wouldn't hesitate, like Ron Paul, to decry the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan against his Democratic opponent in 2006 who voted for the occupations. Warren's Stop Wasting Money theme is something that could resonate with disgruntled Conservatives and liberty minded voters. If Warren were not to get the vaunted 50K needed for party status, it wouldn't be his fault. Instead one need only point to the constant reclamation process in play for the emotionally charged voters who cyclically show that a charismatic leader is all that is required to alleviate our woes.

Andrew Cuomo won't have as easy time of it convincing New York voters that a crusading Attorney General can simply crack the whip in Albany and make things happen. That model failed wonderfully with the fall of Spitzer. Odds are Republican wimps like Pataki and Giuliani will go after the low lying fruit that is Senator Gillibrand. Stuck with an uninspiring and unwinnable guy like Lazio, independent voters might be persuaded to step out of their historical shells and try something different. I started recruiting Warren last year for the AG nomination thinking he'd make an excellent contrast to Cuomo in that arena with a similar rationale to run. Given the fact that Cuomo's most likely to announce his purpose after the holidays, I'm urging Warren to consider it as the top tog on the ticket. Let him know you support him. He's all over the Internet, I guarantee you'll find him and he'll most likely respond personally.

This cycle is a wonderful opportunity for libertarian candidates to come forward and spread their wings this Spring. I urge all the lovers of Liberty to come out and try again. While I'll be on the sidelines watching, the headgear will be on, relaying plays and possibilities to the participants.

Draft Redlich for Governor !

Libertarians: US Out of Afghanistan

2009-05-12T20:11:16Z

Another release from the Center for Libertarian Press Information.

Two in one day . . . whew !

Libertarians: Stress Test the Fed !

2009-05-12T18:40:49Z

The latest from the CLiPr crew.

Please visit the link and look for more media releases from concerned Libertarians.

A New Project . . .

2009-05-06T18:12:47Z

Check out this new endeavor . . .

The website is here.

Political Correctness

2009-04-29T19:30:35Z

The Cost of Freedom

2009-04-16T01:53:55Z

Hello Faithful Supporters,

First...a big THANK YOU to each of you from the campaign!

As you all have seen, heard & read, Eric's candidacy was cut short by a cabal of GOP backed lawyers interested in limiting the voices heard in Washington. Because of their actions, he has had to endure legal threats & incurred a lot of debt by personally bailing out the campaign to make sure the vendors we worked with were all made whole; it's the honorable way to do business.

As a third party candidate, he hasn't been able to rely on campaign "soft money" from big corporate party sponsors. This has been a grass roots, self funded exercise in the expansion of old-school democracy.

Eric also hasn't had the luxury of raising your taxes to fund his campaign. He has put himself in significant personal debt.

If your personal situation allows you to do so, please help us defray the costs of this exercise in the expansion of freedom.

Please go to: http://www.Sundwall4Congress.org and click on the PayPal link.

With sincere thanks!!

John.

Fusion Voting in New York

2009-04-14T18:29:11Z

I posted a response to this Observer article. It's worth mentioning here to.

This is one of the reasons the LP has so much trouble in NY. Next year we'll be faced with the prospect of producing a candidate for governor who represents either a compromise of party values in order to get the magic number to qualify as a 'party' (50K - even then it's a crap shoot . . . most voters invest in their heart strings and pocket books before long term strategic electoral value) or we'll run one of our faithful, who will be buried in obscurity, no money or name recognition.

The ballot qualified parties (WFP, Conservative & Independence) will gladly squander their opportunity to produce an independent candidate who speaks to their party's 'ideas/interests'. This in order to gain a little influence for some of the key party members, usually in the form of some patronage for delivering the votes.

]]> The one glimmer of hope is that two Senate seats will be available, this might provide an interesting case for the Greens and Libertarians to cross endorse with each other. Not only would that allow for an opportunity to challenge some of the fusion assumptions (ie small fuses with big), but it would also allow each party to maintain their identity in each candidate without compromise core issues (ie Greens - Universal health care, Libertarians - not Universal health care, etc).

Sincerely,

Eric Sundwall
Chair, LPNY

Dear Supporters . . .

2009-04-07T13:02:19Z

This is a message from Eric's dad John, who is the campaign's Treasurer. It will be mailed out this week to all the wonderful contributors who made this campaign possible. - JJN

Thank you for your help these last two months pursuing a campaign that took the libertarian message in New York to new heights. Thanks to your help our message was spread via a live televised debate on public television on March 18th throughout the whole 20th district. Eric was interviewed numerous times by four different commercial television outlets, had at least a dozen radio appearances and countless print articles in newspapers and on the Internet. He also sat for two editorial reviews for the Times Union in the Capital District and Post Star in Glens Falls. Both of these are unprecedented in LPNY campaign history. In the short time of two months, a campaign was run that will have other campaigns looking to it as a model for years to come.

Unfortunately the campaign came to an ignominious end in Poughkeepsie NY on March 25th as Eric made a decision to protect his family and party when faced with the prospect of taking the witness stand to face baseless accusations of fraud. Had Eric assented to the thug tactics of the political machine, the campaign would have been buried in technicalities and intimidation that would not have allowed him to campaign, let alone fight to over turn a decision by the Board of Elections that same day. We believe we could have won our case with the BoE had the court in Poughkeepsie declared the case moot based on that decision. The fix was in from the start. The judge was specifically selected by the top GOP election law lawyer. Given the time and money available to fight it, both Eric and his lawyer Jim Ostrowski elected to concede in order to fight another day.

]]> I can't tell you how proud I am of Eric as his father, business partner and campaign Treasurer. His courage and resolve to fight the status quo and duopoly was astounding in this effort. His personal sacrifice from work, family and his own contributions from his personal resources was truly humbling. To date he's contributed close to three thousand dollars in resources to the campaign and loaned additional amount of four thousand dollars when the chips were down.

Eric needs your help again. In order to close the committee and retire the debt we need another five thousand dollars. We understand that times are tough and that everybody needs every penny to make ends meet. Both you and Eric have given a lot in this effort. While we could not marshal the vast resources of the Republicans and Democrats who spent millions on attack ads that insulted the viewer and voter alike, we did run a classy campaign that garnished the respect of people throughout the whole country.

By sending another donation to satisfy the debt of the campaign you are displaying some of the grace and composure that Eric showed during the last days of an extremely stressful situation. It also shows the rest of the world that libertarians are united in the face of tyranny, oppression and dirty political tricks.

I'm committed to keeping this committee open until that debt is satisfied. In the middle of January when most people chose to sit by and do nothing as our country further indebted future generations, Eric stood up and tried. He organized an effort that collected close to seven thousand signatures in 12 days, earned unprecedented media and showed people in NY what a good libertarian candidate is capable of doing. While voters were denied an opportunity to cast their votes for Eric, their hearts were with him. Please help what will be remembered as one of the best campaigns in LPNY history. Send a check to:

Elect Eric Sundwall
PO Box 503
Niverville, NY 12130

Or go online to: http://sundwall4congress.org/donate.html

Sincerely,

John R. Sundwall Jr.
Treasurer - Elect Eric Sundwall

Anecdotal Musings: Why I Didn't Vote

2009-04-05T03:22:10Z

Despite what I knew would become the catcalls of betrayal to the third party cause and libertarian principles, I posted an endorsement of Scott Murphy to push back a bit against the horribly rigged system (and the opponent claiming innocence) that brought us down. It is interesting to note that the effort to spread that particular message went no further than our own website, but was picked up by many newspapers, radio stations and TV, even the Village Voice. Who says they're not paying attention to us ?

Of course anyone bound to inextricable principle or calling would not vote for one of the corporatist party candidates that have bankrupted the nation and engaged us in two occupations in Asia. The message was never intended for them. Instead it was a final shot across the bow of the camp that sunk us. Some call it spite, I'm not sure that I have the mental or emotional reserves to bother with such sentimental and shallow accusations. Those incensed enough to write us in or unconcerned about bothering in the event that we weren't an option, did what they felt they should. I've been writing in 'no confidence' for almost my entire adult voting life and know where those votes end up, no where. This last Tuesday I just didn't feel like getting the sympathetic poll watcher looks as I pretended to take part in the charade we consider our democracy. I didn't vote.

The delicious irony from all this is a tie vote total, two candidates in court and an absentee ballot out there that matters with our name on it. I couldn't have asked for a better ending.

]]> Our neighbor forgot he'd be away this week for work and didn't get an absentee ballot. Crazy little Jack who lives above the Pub said he wouldn't vote if I wasn't on the ballot. At least two couples consisting of three Republicans wrote us in after being incensed at the mauling. Only one Sundwall voted as she explained to her visiting grand daughter why Uncle Eric wasn't on the ballot and how to write someone in. A women working at the McDonald's drive-thru asked if I was the one running, claiming she didn't like either candidate. An ex-school teacher reminded us to vote even after expressing disgust with all politicians . . .

I couldn't urge people to vote on election day as a guest on a local radio show. Instead I quickly outlined the reason not to legitimize the process. The TV reporter who claimed I wasn't a factor two weeks ago and came to interview me because I was, seemed surprised when I said I didn't vote. The one who actually gave me time and credit also seemed shocked with such a revelation.

Whatever happens in the end, it's clear that our red and blue rulers suck. Whether it's the warfare or the welfare state that each side equally blames or embraces, there is no liberty or freedom in the equation. When reporters grasp at alternatives to stimulus and bailouts they don't have an adequate historical or intellectual skill set to offset the spoon fed babble that politicians garble at them. Thoughtful and alternative dialogue is almost impossible in the electoral arena. Unfortunately, even the real egghead outlets are not enough. One thing is certain, I've had enough of trying . . .

the 'Sundwall' factor

2009-04-03T15:19:37Z

Capital News 9 interviewed Eric last night.

WNYT - April 1, 2009

2009-04-02T12:33:24Z

Amazing Ending to a Long Strange Trip

2009-03-27T17:52:53Z

Campaign Statement

2009-03-27T13:16:25Z

The decision of the Board of Election to remove my name from the ballot proves once again that the political system in New York is rigged by professionals to make sure that average citizens are excluded from the process. While the two major parties could choose their candidates in a smoke-filled room, they made us go out and attempt the impossible: obtain 3500 valid signatures in just 12 days. We came very close but ultimately, the technicalities they built into the law to disenfranchise the people proved too strong to overcome.

In addition, I faced baseless allegations of wrongdoing and threats of criminal prosecution in a lawsuit brought by Tedisco supporters. While I wanted to file a lawsuit in Albany County to overturn the Board's decision, we got stuck down in Dutchess County where the machine felt they would have a friendly bench. While the court there should have dismissed that lawsuit as moot, the judge instead was prepared to keep us down there litigating silly issues concerning the Libertarian Party emblem and whether witnessing signatures from outside the district constitutes fraud. There was no end in sight and we might have been down there for days facing the inevitable loss with no time to appeal and no time to campaign either. The Tedisco supporters who brought the case sought and received an order requiring me to be present in Court, thereby preventing me from campaigning.

I was also concerned that continued litigation would jeopardize the ballots of military personnel and disabled voters who use special machines that need to be programmed several days before the election.

Faced with the prospect of spending much of the rest of campaign on the witness stand being harassed by the machine's hired gun, I chose not to play that game. Since I could not file suit in the county of my choosing, I decided to end my candidacy and not subject myself and my family to any further abuse, threats or harassment from the political machine.

Thus, the Stalinist New York Election Law forced us to spend the first half of the campaign getting signatures and the second half fighting a lost cause in court.

The voters will be deprived of any choice but the two parties that have destroyed the nation's economy in recent years and have us bogged down in two land wars in Asia.

Mr. Tedisco denies any involvement with the concerted effort by his supporters to knock me off the ballot. I don't believe him. The ruthless effort by his supporters to knock me off the ballot without a word of protest by him proves his unfitness for any office let alone Congress in these critical times.

I will be voting for Scott Murphy on Tuesday. While we disagree on some important issues, I find him to be a man of honor, a good family man and successful businessman. Unlike Tedisco, he actually lives in the District. And, unlike Mr. Tedisco, I view Scott's business success as a virtue, not a vice.

I urge my supporters and all those who believe in open and free elections to show their disgust at the tactics of the Republican political machine to win at all costs. Please join me in voting for Scott Murphy on Tuesday.

I want to thank all those who worked tirelessly on my behalf and who donated their precious funds to help this effort. And I wish to thank the media for all their courtesies during this Sysiphean struggle.

We live to fight another day.

Eric Sundwall

GOP Officeholder Endorses Libertarian Candidate Sundwall

2009-03-25T13:50:00Z

ELECT ERIC SUNDWALL
PO BOX 503
NIVERVILLE, NY 12130 www.sundwall4congress.org
Contact: Richard Cooper, Campaign Mgr lpnymedia@hotmail.com

Albany, NY 3/25/09 Albany attorney Warren Redlich endorsed Libertarian special election congressional candidate Eric Sundwall, although he is a Republican officeholder (Town of Guilderland board) and was a GOP congressional candidate in the adjoining 21st congressional district. The special election to replace Kirsten Gillibrand will be held March 31st. Campaign manager Richard Cooper announced the endorsement. Cooper notes that Redlich lives outside the district won't be able to vote for Sundwall but GOP candidate Tedisco lives outside the district also and can't vote for himself.

Redlich explained his endorsement of Eric Sundwall "I think Jim Tedisco is a great guy, but I'm endorsing Eric because of our close agreement on policy issues. With bailouts running amok, the people are figuring out that government is causing our problems instead of helping. No one understands that better than Eric Sundwall."

Tedisco supporters launched attacks on Eric Sundwall's petitions to qualify for the ballot. Redlich represented Sundwall at a hearing at the State Board of Elections on Monday

Message to Supporters

2009-03-25T03:41:15Z

Hi all. Jim Ostrowski got in from Buffalo about an hour ago and we're off to Poughkeepsie in the morning. We appreciate all the support coming in and continue to fight.

I do consider myself somewhat a political prisoner at the moment because of my requirement to be in court tomorrow. We can't update the contributions at the moment, but thank you to all digging deep right now. Every penny and minute counts.

Anybody watch the bickerfest on WNYT tonight ? Sorry I missed it . . . lol