Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer

Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer is an American academic. He sought the endorsement of Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party as a candidate for U.S. Senate in 2008 but was defeated by Al Franken [ [http://ww3.startribune.com/bigquestionblog/?p=1062 The Big Question » Blog Archive » It’s Franken in One ] ] .

Background

Jack was born as the youngest of four brothers to parents Wayne and Audrey Nelson in 1951. He was born and raised in Minnesota. He went to high school in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, and then went to St. Olaf College in Northfield. After graduating with a B.A. in political science, he attained his Masters of Divinity from the Union Theological Seminary in New York. He has written several books on war, hunger issues, theology, and foreign policy. For the past 15 years, he has been a professor at the University of St. Thomas (Minnesota), in St. Paul, Minnesota. [cite web | url=http://www.jackforsenate.org/aboutjack.htm | title=Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer for U.S. Senate] He is married to his wife of 25 years, Sara. They have three daughters: Hannah (20), Audrey (17) and Naomi (15).

2006 U.S. House election

Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer announced his intention to challenge incumbent Democrat Martin Sabo for the Minnesota's 5th congressional district U.S House of Representatives seat in early 2006. Following the announcement of Sabo that he was retiring [cite web | url=http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/03/17/saboretires/ | title= Rep. Martin Sabo to retire from Congress | author=Minnesota Public Radio] , several other democrats announced their intentions to run for the House seat. At the district convention in May, Keith Ellison won the endorsement after Nelson-Pallmeyer withdrew from the endorsement process and threw his support to Ellison, who went on to win the general election.

2008 U.S. Senate election

On October 10, 2007, Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer announced his candidacy for the U.S Senate, for the seat held by Republican, Norm Coleman. [cite web | url=http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/senate/11760986.html | title=St. Thomas professor joins DFL Senate race | author=Bob Von Sternberg] He ran against Al Franken for the DFL Party nomination. Nelson-Pallmeyer established the Iraq war, education, universal single-payer health care, and global warming as some of his key issues. After a long fight for the party's nomination, culminating at the 2008 State DFL convention in Rochester, MN, Nelson-Pallmeyer lost the nomination to Al Franken.

Issues

Climate change

Nelson-Pallmeyer believes that global warming is anthropogenic (caused by humans), as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) claims, and has proposed a plan in which 80% of greenhouse gas emissions are cut in the United States by 2030. He argues that we need a renewable energy economy, which would bring jobs to the United States. [cite web | url=http://jackforsenate.org/environment.htm | title=We need to seriously address global warming | author=Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer]

War in Iraq

Nelson-Pallmeyer has been a strong critic of the war in Iraq since before the invasion occurred. The war in Iraq is, according to Nelson-Pallmeyer, a war about fear and oil. He calls for the U.S. to announce its commitment to end the war, and begin pulling out troops immediately with all U.S. troops removed in a time frame of six months. The money that has been devoted to fighting in Iraq should, in Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer's view, be used for social issues in the United States and to help reconstruct Iraq and provide assistance for our troops when they return to the U.S. [cite web | url=http://jackforsenate.org/foreign-policy.htm | title=Foreign Policy | author=Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer] .

Health care

Nelson-Pallmeyer advocates a national, single-payer health care system [cite web | url=http://www.startribune.com/opinion/editorials/11898316.html | title=Begging to Differ on Health Care | author=Associated Press] . This would provide universal coverage for all Americans. It would reform the U.S. health care system [cite web | url=http://jackforsenate.org/health-care.htm | title=Health Care | author=Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer] .

Education

All three of Jack’s daughters have attended or are currently attending public schools for their K-12 education. Nelson-Pallmeyer supports increased funding for public elementary, secondary, post-secondary and pre-kindergarten education. He opposes No Child Left Behind, a policy implemented by George W. Bush. [cite web | url=http://jackforsenate.org/education.htm | title=Education | author=Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer]

Immigration reform

Nelson-Pallmeyer supports the repeal of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). Jack supports the Dream Act and the right to organize for all workers, regardless of citizenship status. [cite web | url=http://jackforsenate.org/immigration.htm | title=Immigration | author=Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer]

LGBT issues

Nelson-Pallmeyer supports full and equal rights for members of the LGBT community, with no exceptions. [cite web | url=http://jackforsenate.org/GLBT_Issues.htm | title=GLBT issues | author=Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer]

Abortion

Nelson-Pallmeyer believes that the issue of abortion should be left up to individuals and not the state. According to him, abortions should be able to be performed safely and legally in the United States. [cite web | url=http://jackforsenate.org/Choice.htm | title=Choice | author=Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer]

References

Bibliography: Books by Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer

* "Hunger for Justice: the Politics of Food and Faith". Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1980.
* "The Politics of Compassion". Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1986.
* "War Against the Poor: Low-Intensity Conflict and Christian Faith". Maryknoll: Orbis Books,1989.
* "Brave New World Order: Must We Pledge Allegiance?" Maryknoll: Orbis Books 1992.
* "Families Valued: Parenting and Politics for the Good of All Children". New York: Friendship Press, 1996.
* "School of the Assassins". Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1997.
* "Harvest of Cain". District of Columbia: EPICA, 2001
* "Jesus Against Christianity: Reclaiming the Missing Jesus". Harrisburg: Trinity Press International, 2001.
* "School of the Assassins: Guns, Greed and Globalization (2nd Edition)". Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 2001.
* "Is Religion Killing Us? Violence in the Bible and the Quran". Harrisburg: Trinity Press International, 2003.
* "Worship in the Spirit of Jesus: Theology, Liturgy and Songs without Violence". (2005) with Bret Hesla. Cleveland: Pilgrim Press/United Church Press, 2005.
* "Saving Christianity from Empire". New York: Continuum International, 2005.

External links

* [http://www.jackforsenate.org www.jackforsenate.org] (Official Campaign Website)