Changes

==Political positions==  

==Political positions==  

Gravel supports socialist health care and creating a national sales tax. He is strongly against the [[War in Iraq]] and supports indemnity withdrawing all troops from Iraq. After Senate Majority Leader [[Harry Reid]] said that the Iraq War was "lost", he responded by saying, "this war was lost the day that George Bush invaded Iraq on a fraudulent basis." Senator Gravel advocates for the legalization of all drugs<ref>http://granitestaters.com/candidates/mike_gravel.html</ref>, and believes that drug abuse should be treated as a medical problem only. On his Presidential campaign website, he said that he 'fully supports the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution'.  

Gravel supports socialist health care and creating a national sales tax. He is strongly against the [[War in Iraq]] and supports indemnity withdrawing all troops from Iraq. After Senate Majority Leader [[Harry Reid]] said that the Iraq War was "lost", he responded by saying, "this war was lost the day that George Bush invaded Iraq on a fraudulent basis." Senator Gravel advocates for the legalization of all drugs,<ref>http://granitestaters.com/candidates/mike_gravel.html</ref> and believes that drug abuse should be treated as a medical problem only. On his Presidential campaign website, he said that he 'fully supports the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution'.  

During the 2007 [[YouTube]] [[Democratic]] debate, Gravel stated that "the Democratic Party used to stand for the ordinary working man. But the Clintons and the DLC sold out the Democratic Party to Wall Street". <ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ9BDVLuFTU</ref>

During the 2007 [[YouTube]] [[Democratic]] debate, Gravel stated that "the Democratic Party used to stand for the ordinary working man. But the Clintons and the DLC sold out the Democratic Party to Wall Street".<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ9BDVLuFTU</ref>

In March of 2008, Gravel left the Democratic Party and joined the [[Libertarian Party]], saying, "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."<ref>[http://www.lp.org/media/article_573.shtml Former U.S. Senator Mike Gravel joins Libertarian Party ranks]</ref>

In March 2008, Gravel left the Democratic Party and joined the [[Libertarian Party]], saying, "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."<ref>[http://www.lp.org/media/article_573.shtml Former U.S. Senator Mike Gravel joins Libertarian Party ranks]</ref>

==Barnes Review controversy==  

==Barnes Review controversy==  

On April 16, 2006, Gravel announced his presidential campaign at the National Press Club. He has become known, chiefly among Democrats and independent voters, for his statements of radical commitment to issues ranging from nuclear disarmament, citizen-initiated lawmaking, gay marriage recognition, and the lifting of discrimination against [[gay]]s in the military - to the reorganization of the tax and social security systems in the United States and the immediate cessation of US military involvement in Iraq. In a February 25, 2007 Washington Post/ABC News nationwide poll of voters who lean Democratic, found that Gravel had 0% support for the Democratic presidential nomination. During his primary campaign Gravel has been one of the most critical candidates of his own party, in a nationally syndicated Democrat debate, Gravel stated that the Democrat candidates "scare him."<ref>http://badgerherald.com/oped/2007/05/02/more_stale_rhetoric_.php</ref>

On April 16, 2006, Gravel announced his presidential campaign at the National Press Club. He has become known, chiefly among Democrats and independent voters, for his statements of radical commitment to issues ranging from nuclear disarmament, citizen-initiated lawmaking, gay marriage recognition, and the lifting of discrimination against [[gay]]s in the military - to the reorganization of the tax and social security systems in the United States and the immediate cessation of US military involvement in Iraq. In a February 25, 2007 Washington Post/ABC News nationwide poll of voters who lean Democratic, found that Gravel had 0% support for the Democratic presidential nomination. During his primary campaign Gravel has been one of the most critical candidates of his own party, in a nationally syndicated Democrat debate, Gravel stated that the Democrat candidates "scare him."<ref>http://badgerherald.com/oped/2007/05/02/more_stale_rhetoric_.php</ref>

Gravel received a "Pants on Fire" award from [[PolitiFact]] for this false statement during an August 2007 debate. {{cquote| In 1972, we had a 179,000 human beings in jail in this country. Today, it's 2.3-million, and 70 percent of them are black, African-American.}} The actual percentage of [[African-American]]s is 40%, not 70%. <ref> http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/25/ He's off, way off on who's in prison</ref>

Gravel received a "Pants on Fire" award from [[PolitiFact]] for this false statement during an August 2007 debate. {{cquote| In 1972, we had a 179,000 human beings in jail in this country. Today, it's 2.3-million, and 70 percent of them are black, African-American.}} The actual percentage of [[African-American]]s is 40%, not 70%.<ref>http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/25/ He's off, way off on who's in prison</ref>

He has received no delegates so far in the primaries and has endorsed [[Jesse Johnson]] for the nomination of the [[Green Party]]. <ref> http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/03/12/democratic-candidate-gravel-endorses-green-party-presidential-hopeful/ </ref>  He also left the Democratic race to try to become a candidate for the [[Libertarian Party]] nomination. <ref> http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/03/26/gravel-joins-libertarian-party-presidential-prospects-unknown/ </ref>  

He has received no delegates so far in the primaries and has endorsed [[Jesse Johnson]] for the nomination of the [[Green Party]].<ref>http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/03/12/democratic-candidate-gravel-endorses-green-party-presidential-hopeful/</ref>  He also left the Democratic race to try to become a candidate for the [[Libertarian Party]] nomination.<ref>http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/03/26/gravel-joins-libertarian-party-presidential-prospects-unknown/</ref>  

==Criticism==

==Criticism==

Mike Gravel may no longer be a [[Democrat]], but he still retains a Democrats need to silence others that he disagrees with. Gravel was caught on tape telling a [[Washington, D.C.]] crowd that they should harass Gordon Kromberg, an assistant U.S. [[attorney]], who helped bring criminal contempt charges against Sami Al-Arian. Al-Arian pleaded guilty in 2006 to providing goods and services to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. <ref>[http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/08/05/former-presidential-candidate-urges-crowd-to-stalk-federal-prosecutor/ Former Presidential Candidate Urges Crowd to Stalk Federal Prosecutor] Fox News, August 5, 2008</ref> Gravel urges using despicable tactics such as stalking, smears and public protests. "Find out where he lives, find out where his kids go to [[school]], find out where his office is, picket him all the time.”  

Mike Gravel may no longer be a [[Democrat]], but he still retains a Democrats need to silence others that he disagrees with. Gravel was caught on tape telling a [[Washington, D.C.]] crowd that they should harass Gordon Kromberg, an assistant U.S. [[attorney]], who helped bring criminal contempt charges against Sami Al-Arian. Al-Arian pleaded guilty in 2006 to providing goods and services to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.<ref>[http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/08/05/former-presidential-candidate-urges-crowd-to-stalk-federal-prosecutor/ Former Presidential Candidate Urges Crowd to Stalk Federal Prosecutor] Fox News, August 5, 2008</ref> Gravel urges using despicable tactics such as stalking, smears and public protests. "Find out where he lives, find out where his kids go to [[school]], find out where his office is, picket him all the time.”