Wikinews interviews U.S. Constitution Party presidential candidate Max Riekse
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Wikinews held an exclusive interview with Max Riekse, one of the candidates for the Constitution Party nomination for the 2008 United States presidential election.
Riekse is a retired decorated United States Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army who served in both the Vietnam War and the Iraq War. He is also a former public school teacher and Assistant Professor of Military Science at Western Michigan University. He has a B.A. in Political Science and International Relations from the University of South Florida as well as two M.A.s, one in Political Science and International Relations, the other in Eductaion and History. Both are from Western Michigan University.
We asked him if he thinks he has a good shot at winning the Constitution Party nomination and ultimately the presidency. He replied, "I will give it my best shot because I think I can do better then all previous Constitution Party presidential candidates....As to being in the White House in 2009, realistically, its a long shot; but so was Abe Lincoln in the new Republican Party."
When asked about America's public school system he said, "Local school boards and the people they are responsible to are the best judge of what is needed; this with state oversight, will help boost public school quality & education."
Riekse is running for president because he has been "very tired of our Republican and Democratic choices for president for many years. With a population of some 300 million people to draw from, I would think we could do much, much better then we have been doing in regards to having a choice for president."
Interview
((Wikinews
)) : Why do you want to run for president?
- Lt. Colonel Riekse: Why am I running for President: the ultimate & definitive answer is on my web site; the short answer is that I have been very tired of our Republican and Democratic choices for president for many years. With a population of some 300 million people to draw from, I would think we could do much, much better then we have been doing in regards to having a choice for president. The best presidents we have had were George Washington, truly a great man; a great leader, and a great president. He lead the way. I'm a member of the Society of the Cincinnati which was formed by former officers who served under him.
- Thomas Jefferson was good, but Teddy Theodore Roosevelt was also a great President who really cared about the average person even though he was born to wealth and privilege. You need to learn what he did with his life prior to becoming President to truly understand and appreciate him. Lastly, I would like to say that JFK could have been another great president if he had lived. When you get past his womanizing, he was concerned with taking on the new world order; the Federal Reserve which is not Federal, but a private self-serving banking establishment with over half of its members based in Europe whose interest are not that of the American people and the United States of America, but rather increasing their own wealth, power and influence.
- We need to end the lock on this countries domestic and foreign policy that the military industrial complex, the international banks, multi-national corporations, big oil, and even Israel has on our country to the detriment of the people of America. I am not anti-military, but I am totally against endless wars for the wealthy elite, going back to the Spanish American War. We can have $1.00 a gallon gas; I can do it. This is America. When all is said and done, I think that I will be a reasonable and informed choice for the millions of American voters who will not like to vote for either the Democrat or Republican in November. I'm qualified and ready to serve.
((WN )) : If elected, how would you handle America's public school system?
- Lt. Colonel Riekse: I retired out of the Michigan Public School system with over 23 years of service; K-12; I can help bring our public schools to a higher level of achievement. First, eliminate all illegal aliens from the system. We have no duty or obligation to feed or educate them. None what so ever. They have help destroy most of our inner city public school systems. They have stressed out our public schools and local school can not deal with them. They do pay the taxes needed to support our schools and don't greatly appreciate the free education they get; also, we need to reduce by around 90% the amount of Federal education money we collect and then send back to the states for education. The huge amount of Federal paperwork is also stressing out our public schools and we need to end it.
- Local school boards and the people they are responsible to are the best judge of what is needed; this with state oversight, will help boost public school quality & education. I support public school education, along with schools of choice and home schooling. The Federal government has done little to increase the quality of education. For the most part, it has been a waste of money.
((WN )) : How would you handle abortion?
- Lt. Colonel Riekse: Push this issue back to the states. I remember when the states controlled the issue of abortion, there was very little of it; When the Federal government got involved, millions of the unborn died. As President, I would not spend or authorized one red cent for abortion. This is a state issue; period. There will always be some states that will allow it to some degree, but that is up to the people of that state to decide, not the federal government or Fed. Courts.
((WN )) : Do you think you have a good shot at winning the Constitution Party nomination? If so, do you think that you could be in the White House this time next year?
- Lt. Colonel Riekse: I will give it my best shot because I think I can do better then all previous Constitution Party presidential candidates. I urge those that believe in my candidacy and understand what I have said and believe to contact their state party chairman's and go to the convention in April in KS city and lend their hand in supporting me there.
- As to being in the White House in 2009, realistically, it's a long shot; but so was Abe Lincoln in the new Republican Party; and this year, we have a Democrat and a Republican who will keep our troops in Iraq for another four years. This is very true for the Republican and I don't care what the Democrat who will be, both will also keep our troops in Iraq for another four years; along with starting another war with Iran. Enough. Lets end this madness. Its time to take back America; send them a message; and change the way we vote and think; for a better America. To take a line from Ron Paul, who I admire, and give hope to America, Mad Max for President.
((WN )) : There are thousands reading this right now. What could you say to convince them to give you their vote?
- Lt. Colonel Riekse: I urge them to go to my web site and read it. If they agree with me even 80%, i.e. on what I have put on my web site, they will want to consider voting and supporting me. No one will agree with me 100%; that would be strange if they did. But I think my political philosophy and stands on issues make me stand far apart from the Democrat & Republican that will be nominated; and also, our party, the Constitution Party is the one closest to the average American and their way of thinking. By going by the Constitution, we will have a stronger American; a stronger economy for all Americans; and people will live better with a sound health care, pension system and social security system that will take a lot of stress off peoples daily lives. I know and believe in my heart that I and we, working together, can do it.
- The price of gas and diesel fuel is going up for our cars and trucks. Mexican truckers, as per the new world order types, are right now taking over the jobs of American truckers. The price of food is going up; the price of oil and natural gas to heat our homes and factories is going up with no end in sight. Our national supply of food stocks has been depleted and is at the lowest level in 50 years. If you like to eat, thank an American family farmer. And know this, NO ONE overseas is going to send us food if we run out of food. We need to take care of ourselves. We now have very little food in our national reserve to tide us over in years of bad crops, etc. We have lost millions of good paying jobs to unfair, free trade; the tax on our social security and hard earned pensions continues. The price of health care keeps going up; the stock market has gone down, along with it the income of millions of people who depend on that income for their retirement. The dollar has went down against the Euro; now what part of that do you not understand? Neither of the two leading Democrats or the leading Republican will give us real change, but more of the same, just more talk, talk and eye wash. Cheap talk don't pay the bills or help families keep up with the price of gas, food, health care,rising taxes, etc. We need real, substantive change to turn around & un-stress America and all Americans.
- What I say I will do, I will do my best to do. Again, to use a line from Ron Paul, I am the Hope for America; Ron Paul is done & back to running for Congress. My ancestors on my mothers side came to this land in 1638 and on my fathers side, in the 1880's. We have had people here in uniform for over 300 years. I'm an American first, as my ancestors have been for generations. I will do the right thing once I'm in the White House in 2008/12. I'm in this race to help God save America.
- Are 'you' ready to vote for another Dem or Pub in November 2008 for yet more of the same? My answer is NO!
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