2008 Woodie Awards
Meet the 2008 Presidential candidates: A quick look at the potential leaders of America
Mike Gravel (Democrat - Alaska)
Evan Duffy
Issue date: 10/18/07 Section: World Views
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Mike Gravel was born on May 30, 1930 in Springfield, Massachusetts. Though he has a significant amount of political experience under his belt, we all have to start somewhere, and Gravel once held a job as a New York City cab driver.
Gravel graduated from Columbia University and served in the United States Army Counter Intelligence Corps from 1951 to 1955. He was elected President for the The Democracy Foundation (an organization that develops and undertakes educational programs to inform citizens about the democratic process and principles) and the Direct Democracy Philadelphia II (an organized effort to establish a sophisticated form of direct democracy in the United States).
From 1963 to 1966, Gravel served in the Alaska House of Representatives, where he served as Speaker of the House in the 1965-66. Gravel was elected into the United States Senate in 1969, where he would serve for the next twelve years.
BORDER CONTROL: Gravel believes the immigration debate is hypocritical because Latinos are being used as "fodder" in the Iraq war. He insists that fellow Democratic candidates are not truthful in their pledges to deal with immigration reform within their first year as President.
That being said, Gravel supports protecting our borders; however, he advocates a guest worker program and supports naturalization procedures that fairly bring existing illegal immigrants into legal status. He opposes the widespread deportation of illegal immigrants found residing in the United States for economic and social reasons.
Gravel describes the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as "a disaster for the working class of both the United States and Mexico," which "has led to a wave of immigrant workers looking for work in the US job market." He is in favor of major structural changes to NAFTA and reforming unfair trade policies.
IRAQ: Gravel advocates the immediate withdrawal of all US troops form Iraq. His current plan, though highly unlikely, would have all US soldiers back on American soil by December 2007. He believes that the United States is "Number One only in weaponry, consumer spending, government and personal debt, in the number of people we have in prison, and in delusion."
Gravel graduated from Columbia University and served in the United States Army Counter Intelligence Corps from 1951 to 1955. He was elected President for the The Democracy Foundation (an organization that develops and undertakes educational programs to inform citizens about the democratic process and principles) and the Direct Democracy Philadelphia II (an organized effort to establish a sophisticated form of direct democracy in the United States).
From 1963 to 1966, Gravel served in the Alaska House of Representatives, where he served as Speaker of the House in the 1965-66. Gravel was elected into the United States Senate in 1969, where he would serve for the next twelve years.
BORDER CONTROL: Gravel believes the immigration debate is hypocritical because Latinos are being used as "fodder" in the Iraq war. He insists that fellow Democratic candidates are not truthful in their pledges to deal with immigration reform within their first year as President.
That being said, Gravel supports protecting our borders; however, he advocates a guest worker program and supports naturalization procedures that fairly bring existing illegal immigrants into legal status. He opposes the widespread deportation of illegal immigrants found residing in the United States for economic and social reasons.
Gravel describes the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as "a disaster for the working class of both the United States and Mexico," which "has led to a wave of immigrant workers looking for work in the US job market." He is in favor of major structural changes to NAFTA and reforming unfair trade policies.
IRAQ: Gravel advocates the immediate withdrawal of all US troops form Iraq. His current plan, though highly unlikely, would have all US soldiers back on American soil by December 2007. He believes that the United States is "Number One only in weaponry, consumer spending, government and personal debt, in the number of people we have in prison, and in delusion."
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