American Idol Does DC
Fourth Political Party Enters Connecticut Congressional Race
by Peristroika Shalom
API – Providence
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
The petitions look the same, and earnest-faced petitioners
look sincere, standing outside Providence retail stores in
sweltry New England summer heat, but Connecticut’s newest
political party, the American Beneficence League (ABL),
is anything but ordinary.
As the 2006 mid-term Congressional election season heats up,
Connecticut for Leiberman (CFL) and ABL are running neck and
neck for the runner-up position on this November’s ticket,
something few guru’s and pol troll’s could have predicted.
Mark Thomas, ABL’s Executive Fafnir, hardly looks the part,
dressed in coveralls and workshirt, his hands still greasy
from his day-job as an imported auto mechanic. He explains,
“The American Beneficence League was originally called the
Anything But Leiberman party, but then we realized that was
confusing to voters and an illegal unpaid endorsement. So,
we reached out to a wider voter group with the new handle.”
The ABL and their maverick political organizing techniques
have already garnered over 50,000 signatures in just a few
days, making them the upstart political party of New England.
How do they do it? Every petitition signator receives an
invitation to the ABL’s Summer Congress, where a runoff
speaking talent show, similar to American Idol, will kick
off the week before Labor Day and extend through the holiday,
aiming to select ABL’s candidate on the November ballot.
“Everyone gets a shot at being the ABL candidate,” Thomas
grins. “Everyone who signed the petition, anyway. The idea
was to borrow the American Idol concept and grassroots up
a new Populism, bringing non-pol’s to the polls, and pushing
the Old Guard Politburo elites, like ‘Old Fighting Joe’,
off into the never-never land of political obsolescence.
Thomas isn’t saying how the Summer Congress candidate will
gain the necessary media attention to attract votes from
the majority of Connecticut’s populace, but he threw some
clues: Flash mobs, You Tube, MySpace and Google Trends.
“Read the story of the Red Paper Clip”, he confided in me.
“America was founded on the belief that anyone, in any
walk of life, who worked hard, could become US President,”
Thomas shouts now, juggling three cell phone calls from
inquiring news reporters. “American Beneficence League is
the American Dream. We’re taking Old School to the woodshed!”
With Iraq on auto-pilot, and Iran on lock-and-load, and the
American people just one presidential edict from martial law,
this reporter thinks, American Beneficence League … WOW!

Posted by: peristroika shalom | Jul 12 2006 3:56 utc | 1