*The following was released in the Summer of 2012. 

 

Christian Democratic Party endorses Joe in last campaign… 

 

During Campaign 2012, I was “officially endorsed” by the Christian Democratic Party – USA. “Christian Democracy” is a political concept that initially emerged in Europe and revolves around many principles of Catholic Social Teaching. But the party is not exclusive to Catholics, and in fact incorporates views from a number of other Christian denominations. The bottom line for the party is: “…advancing justice, fairness and dignity for all.”

 

The party is in line with conservatism in its pro-life and traditional values platform. It is in line with liberalism by emphasizing social justice for the poor, solid environmental stewardship, support for social welfare and the regulation of market forces.

 

In other words, it’s pretty much what the Bible talks about across the board.

 

Christian democracy as a political movement was born at the end of the 19th century, largely as a result of the Pope Leo XIII encyclical Rorum Novarum (Rights and Duties of Capital and Labor).

 

Note: The Christian Democratic Party has recently changed its name to the “American Solidarity Party.” The name is based on the Polish Solidarity Movement of last century, which stood up to Communism.

 

The following is a press release the party sent out right after their endorsement last campaign:

 

*Christian Democratic Party- USA endorses Joe Schriner for President

 

Roanoke, VA –independent presidential candidate “Average” Joe Schriner was proudly endorsed by the Christian Democrats (CDP-USA).

 

Joe Schriner and his family have traversed the USA the last four election cycles, logging 125,000 miles. They have been featured in more than 1,000 newspapers and hundreds of radio, and regional TV network news programs. The Schriner family has taken the pulse of the nation by working alongside those fighting on the front lines of the social and economic issues facing “Main St.” America.

 

Promoting a platform of social justice concerns, environmental stewardship, distributism, and support of the growing Consistent Life Ethic movement, Schriner seeks a “Common Sense America”. Joe is a former small-town journalist, addictions counselor, and when not out campaigning now is a house painter. (He is colloquially referred to as “Joe the Painter.”)

 

Schriner and his wife Liz describe themselves as “concerned Midwestern parents” who are raising their children in a culture that increasingly disrespects faith, life, and lacks national policy to address energy, infrastructure, and climate issues. They also point to an ever increasing U.S. income disparity where the middle class is now endangered, if not close to extinction.

 

At a time when the major parties’ policies are the “metaphorical equivalent of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic” according to Joe, the Schriner campaign is a real-life Mr. Smith Goes to Washington story- a real “Average Joe” who actually lives on a Main St. (Bluffton, OH) standing up against the powerful interests of corporate money, Super PACs, and negative ads.

 

Join us and show support Joe and the whole Schriner family as they continue to fight for a better America for all.

The Christian Democrats are a new political party in the tradition of similar successful parties in Europe and Latin America such as Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union. The CDP-USA will emphasize support and preservation of life, family, good jobs, and an effective safety net for all.

 

The following is a synopsis of American Solidarity Party principles:

 

Social justice: Government must be the advocate for the poor and/or disadvantaged and must address injustices and inequities on society by supplementing – not replacing private initiatives.

 

Consistent Life Ethic: Respect for life and the dignity of all persons on all issues means: opposition to abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, capital punishment and cloning; supporting efforts for peaceful and diplomatic international solutions whenever possible, and holding to “Just War” principles when such efforts fail.

 

Environmental conservation: We are called to be wise stewards of Creation; pursuing and implementing renewable energy sources and environmental conservation.

 

Raising consciousness of the Christian world view: We don’t seek to be a proselytizing party, but in a broken and increasingly callous, secularized world we offer a positive vision bringing communities together.

 

Universal healthcare; An affluent society like ours has the means to provide decent health care and wellness to all its members.

 

Volunteerism / Social capital: We call for more participation, civic engagement, and neighborliness at home and abroad in our communities.

 

Distributism: We seek to cultivate, extend and preserve an economic system in which ownership is spread to as many members of society as possible, as opposed to residing with the state (Big Government) or to a few large corporations (“big business”).

 

Fair labor practices: We want to preserve the gains the organized labor movement earned to create the middle class (i.e. better pay, acceptable hours, and benefits like pensions and medical coverage), to enact family-friendly workplace policies, and to work towards democratic workplace solutions rather than adversarial labaor vs. management conflicts.

 

Building infrastructure: Rebuild our roads, bridges and transportation links; increase public mass transit options and technologies.

 

***We in the American Solidarity Party see the need for a third party that is conservative on social issues, but progressive on economic issues. If you are as fed up as we are on compromising your moral and ethical views for political candidates that are “the lesser of two evils,” we wome your support.