Constitution Party’s top candidate makes pitch

For those voters who think the nation faces a huge choice between presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama, Chuck Baldwin would like them to think again. And think of him.

Baldwin is one of the other presidential candidates on the ballots in many states, including Washington and Idaho. Alongside Libertarian Bob Barr, independent Ralph Nader and Green Party nominee Cynthia McKinney, Baldwin is running in both states as the nominee of the Constitution Party, whose platform is pretty much like the name says: If it’s not in the Constitution, the party’s against it. The party would even like to get rid of some things that are in the Constitution, such as the income tax.

Baldwin made a campaign stop Monday evening in Spokane Valley, where he told a crowd of about 250 he’d do away with the income tax and the Internal Revenue Service. Ditto for the U.S. departments of Education, Energy and Transportation. Dump the North American Free Trade Agreement. Call the United Nations and tell them their lease is up in New York and it’s time to move. Abolish the Federal Reserve Board – although that’s probably letting the Fed off too lightly.

“We ought to be tarring and feathering them, and running them out of town,” he told the crowd.

Baldwin would beef up some aspects of government, however, such as the U.S. Border Patrol, to stem illegal immigration. Send the National Guard, the Army and any veterans willing to volunteer, if need be, he said.

Baldwin, a pastor and radio talk show host, was making his first campaign stop in the area, but many of his themes sounded familiar. They were championed by supporters of U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, who took the biggest share of delegates in the Republican precinct caucuses in Spokane County.

Baldwin seemed to be talking straight to those Paul supporters when he suggested he’d appoint their man as his Treasury secretary and insisted there’s not much difference between McCain and Obama.

He directed most of his criticism at McCain and Republicans, who he insisted were not fiscal conservatives based on their record of controlling the White House and Congress from 2000 to 2006.

“They spend money like drunken sailors, and that’s an insult to sailors because at least sailors are spending their own money,” he said.