THOMPSON COULD PULL OFF SURPRISE

I was sorry to see The Capital Times did not cover the Libertarian Party of
Wisconsin's convention that was held at the Alliant Center in Madison on
April 13.

Cap Times readers would have been interested in Republican New Mexico Gov.
Gary Johnson's well-spoken and sensible call for the legalization of
marijuana and adoption of harm reduction strategies in dealing with other
drug use. Another high point was Ed Thompson's impassioned support for
allowing sick and dying Wisconsinites to use marijuana as medicine and
lauding the work of his Buffalo County campaign director, Jacki Rickert, a
well-known medical marijuana activist.

And it was interesting to hear both the Republican Johnson and the Democrat
John "Sly" Sylvester endorse Thompson.

At this point, Thompson seems like the only candidate with the courage to
take on the tough issues and address the budget meltdown and caucus
scandals that the two-party system has inflicted on this state.

With grass-roots support growing among voters from college students to the
elderly, this could be the year of a "November surprise," not unlike when
Jesse Ventura scored his upset in Minnesota. Thompson represents a real
alternative to the partisan train wreck that has paralyzed state government
and left ordinary Wisconsinites with little respect or confidence in the
people they trusted to lead them.

Gary Storck, Madison