The Office of Former President & Senator Polnut - Deregistration

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT-ELECT

Seattle, Washington

President-elect Polnut has nominated former Senator and Vice President Kalwejt to be the next Attorney General of Atlasia.

The President-elect has said "this role is very important, and I look forward to seeing what Kal does with the role, he has deep experience in Atlasia which should bring positive changes to the Justice Department. This department needs to be vigilant and active again."

In relation to the Cabinet in general "I have nominated people who I feel have qualities the roles need. This will not be a case of lots of personal agendas working under one umbrella, the Polnut Cabinet will be about working together to deliver the Administration's goals".

The President-elect has no intention of changing the arrangements for the Moderator General position.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Important things to consider, I will look into it.

THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT-ELECT

Seattle, Washington

Inauguration activities

The President-elect has arrived in Nyman in preparation for the Inauguration tomorrow.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

My fellow Atlasians,

I am honoured to have just taken the oath of office. The privilege you have given and the trust you have placed in me is something I hold deeply to my heart.

I want to thank President Tmth, Vice President Dallas and the Cabinet for their service and for their assistance during this very brief transition.

This country is dealing with a number of very difficult challenges, an economy that is weaker than it should be, a lack of engagement with the wider world, a disengaged population and a Government that works better for you.

I have outlined a range of measures to help renew our economy. We will cut wasteful spending, we will make sure that subsides do not end up boosting profits but we will also do so while protecting our economy from a double-dip recession. Some difficult decisions need to be made, but once we have endured the difficult night, a new dawn will await us.

I want to speak to the wider world now, Atlasia has been on odd player on the world stage, but I say this to you all now. Atlasia is ready to take its place among the community of nations. We will be a messenger of good will and an advocate for our values. We are dealing with deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq, this administration will lay the groundwork to see our exit from those conflicts.

Many on my side of politics have a great unease when it comes to the advocacy of certain political values. But imposition and advocacy are clear different things. I will never waver in defending those who want to guarantee what all Atlasians believe are our most precious rights, most important of all, the right of self-determination. But we cannot impose the values of liberal democracy on anyone without consequences.

Many forget the often bloody and fraught evolution that our Democracies undertook to get where we are today. Many look on the Arab Spring with cautious optimism, but often that optimism is conditional. We cannot deny those who want democracy the same processes that ours have had.

But now, the role of Atlasia I believe is to support and advocate, not to impose through military might, but I assure our friends and allies that if called upon in the defense of those values, Atlasia will be there.

I have established the Presidential Game Reform Panel. The purpose of this Panel is to explore, in a holistic fashion, almost all systems of Atlasian government and governance to see where changes can be made to help make this country work better. I also will create a specific domestic policy committee which will be Chaired by the Vice President, is it just one way in which I want to expand the role of the Vice Presidency in a truly meaningful way.

So ladies and gentlemen, the work we have to do together is great, but equally we are granted, through that work, great opportunities. This is not something that can be guided by one person, in order to renew our country, every single man and woman in this country has a role to play.

I believe we are ready for that challenge.

Thank you and may Dave bless Atlasia.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Consider it re-taken

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

The official White House thread can be found here...

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=137599.0

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

President Polnut's First Address to the Nation

My fellow Atlasians,

I have chosen to make my first address to you as President to discuss an issue which weighs heavily on this country and on me, as Commander-in-Chief, our military presence in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya.

My personal views on the Iraq conflict are well documented. I never supported the deployment to a conflict that I believed we had no legal justification to engage in. Saddam Hussein was a blood-thirsty dictator, on that there is no confusion. However, my view is that once our young men and women are deployed in harms way, we must do all we can to ensure their safety, as well as their exit from the conflict as soon as conditions allow.

Therefore, after consultations with Military advisors, the External Affairs Department and our allies, including the Iraqi Government, Atlasia will bring home 50% of our current military deployment by February 2012, with more than half of those troops home by Christmas. In relation to the remaining forces, their status will be determined later in the year, once we have undertaken further responsible analyses of the situation on the ground.

Yesterday I returned from a conference of leaders involved in the Afghanistan conflict in Istanbul. What is clear is that death of Osama Bin-Laden created room for a reappraisal of the need for current troop numbers in Afghanistan. I supported our deployment in response to the 9/11 attacks as the Taliban Government of Afghanistan had aided and sheltered those who had engaged in that atrocity.  However, the strategy after the Iraq War started went significantly off-track. We need to be realistic about the situation in Afghanistan, the possibility of a peaceful settlement is certainly there. But the situation remains incredibly delicate, and the consequences of a return of Taliban rule especially for women and minorities cannot be underestimated. On the other side of that, we must examine whether or not, after nearly a decade of fighting, how much more we can achieve through direct conflict.

Atlasia will commence drawing down its forces in Afghanistan at the end of the current fighting season. We will have more than a quarter of our combat forces home by February 2012 – with plans in train to have almost half home by June 2012.

The other conflict is that currently underway is Libya, at my Inauguration I supported those engaged in the Arab Spring. But what I said then, remains now as I warn against expectations that the progress in these countries, most that have never known genuine Democracy, will be smooth or swift. Our democracies have had centuries to make mistakes and learn lessons, while we must guard against abuses, we cannot be their minders. We are liaising with the rebel Libyan administration in Benghazi and will work to support them in their goal of liberating Libya from 40 years of oppressive rule.  Our military involvement in Libya will remain, but not as an offensive force, but one there to defend civilians and civilian infrastructure in Benghazi. We will also be expanding our aid to the rebel forces, and also assisting them through logistical and intelligence support.

If we want the Arab Spring to work, we must make sure that we are there to encourage them to create their own destinies, the changes must be genuine and in order to maintain its credibility we must not fight their wars for them.  

However, as Commander-in-Chief I will always listen to the advice of my Military and foreign policy advisors.

Thank you and good night.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

The Dallas Convention Centre
Dallas, Texas


Ladies and Gentlemen, I want to thank you for the invitation to be here with you today, also for allowing me to accept this invitation so late in your organisation for this forum. As you can understand being a new President, I have a lot of people who want to meet with me, and who I want to meet with. My schedule over the last few weeks has been hectic to say the least.

I want to speak to this gathering of Atlasia’s small business people about an issue that I know is of great concern for you and, indeed, for all Atlasians, our economy and how we can make it stronger and more vital. Our deficit is slowly receding, but we until we can direct funds to pay down our debt, the bill we owe will continue to grow, which means we must act now.

During the campaign I made clear that in order to address the Government’s debt and deficit issues, we need a two-pronged effort. We need to reduce our expenditure in the first instance. So far, I sent instructions out to our Government departments to find economies, but not economies that lead to more people looking for work. My administration is looking at all Federal Government subsidy programs. Subsidies are not handouts they have a purpose, and if they don’t serve that purpose they will be ended immediately.

On Monday night I announced the plan for our military to leave Iraq and Afghanistan over the next couple of years, and to re-focus the mission in Libya to a civilian defense force. These measures, while being based on military advice are also enabling future budgets to not have to deal with great economic weight of those deployments.

The second factor in my economic recovery plan is a serious re-examination of our taxation system. The first thing I want to announce here today is that I will be working to reduce the corporate tax rate on those businesses with annual incomes of less than $500,000. It is our small businesses who have suffered most during these difficult times, and we need to encourage you to get hiring, and put your businesses on the sound financial footing, the bedrock of our employment sector deserves. To put it simply, we need more small business jobs and I believe this is the way we can do it.

We will not increase corporate tax rates at the higher end, but we will cut the loopholes to ensure that the big end of town pays the full amount that they should, because in the end, businesses are part of the community too and should pay their fair share of tax.

Alongside that, we will re-organise personal income tax rates and brackets – there will be a detailed announcement shortly, but we will reduce the income tax rate for those who earn less than $35,000 per year – there will be small increases to higher-brackets, these are difficult times and they call for difficult actions. However, we will also expand the brackets to allow people to earn much more, before they need to pay a higher level of tax.

Now, I know that some on the other side politics believe that the panacea for economic problems is to cut government spending, while at the same time, cutting taxes. My plan cuts spending and my plan cuts taxes. But I believe that the tax cuts I am proposing, which are offset throughout the taxation system, are strategic and right for our economic conditions.

At a time when we still have $12trillion in national debt, we cannot afford broad-scale tax cuts – we need to be smart and I believe focusing corporate tax cuts at small business is the smart thing to do and personal tax cuts at low-income workers is the fair thing to do.

With difficult times, come difficult choices, we do not have the luxury to do what we want to do, based on political or ideological allegiance – as President, I have a responsibility to every single man, woman and child in this country. Therefore I must advocate for what we have to do to. We either have to make some difficult choices now which will result in largely temporary pain for greater payoff down the track – or we face a future which will be very different from now. 

We need a strong small business sector and I believe these measures will help bring this about, but it cannot work without your help.

Thank you all and my best wishes for a successful forum. 

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Mr. President, are you aware that if current trends hold, within ten ["budget updates," I'm going to guess Marokai means months] the budget will be balanced?

It's not just about balancing the budget as it stands - there's 12 trillion in debt, which is my chief concern.

We need to get the deficit down slightly faster, so we can direct more towards paying down the debt.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Question From the Atlasian Sentinel:

Are there any other areas of government your administration is looking to cut, such as transportation, social security, and perhaps spending cuts within government administration?

I sent out instructions to government departments to find economies, to a large extent, each department will determine their own cuts - but I did make clear that they could not impact on front-line service-delivery or lead to mass lay-offs which will lead to greater pressure on unemployment services.

I have suggested public-service pay-freezes, consolidation of staff in central locations, the sale of unused buildings, the cancellation of leases on unused buildings, a freeze on recruitment. The SoIA will report back to me on specific cut proposals so until they're presented to me I can't make any specific announcements.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

The Sheraton Hotel and Towers
Chicago, Illinois

The President's remarks to the ASPCA fundraising dinner

Ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you so much for the invitation to speak with you all today at this very important event.

The ASPCA has a proud history of advocating for the humane treatment of all creatures great and small,  bringing light and hope into the lives of animals who want nothing more than to be loved and cared for, and the opportunity to return that unconditional love that we have experienced from our pets, and I hope this will continue for many many years to come.

I have a long been an advocate for greater protections for those animals with whom we share this planet. I had planned some issues later in this term, but the current Bill to guard against canine abuses has sparked me to start a broader dialogue.

I believe the issues around animal abuse are too important to allow our political discussions to be distracted by sensationalism.

I do support the intent behind the Bill to stop the availability of dog meat – we must make it so commercially and economically unattractive that it becomes more of a non-issue than it already is.

However, I want to address my firm views on animal cruelty and the law.

Like all of you here, I have heard horrific stories of people abusing helpless animals. People kicking kittens onto railway tracks, chopping the nose, leg and ear off a puppy, setting a cat on fire… as far as I’m concerned abuse of the helpless is to me one of the lowest acts you perform and if there’s a hell, there is a special place reserved for all who commit such foul and disgusting crimes.

However, very often, the legal response to these crimes is ‘well, it was just a cat or dog, or horse’. People who are charged and found guilty of crimes of animal abuse end up with mere slaps on the wrist. But what does that say about us as a community, that we don’t consider the willful torture of an animal to be a serious enough crime to warrant serious punishment?

Now  a lot of people who consider these issues to be unimportant, think of them to be issues of people who throw red paint, who live on tofu, and worry more about plants and animals while humans suffer. This is not true, I believe people have room for compassion for both people who are need of help and to prevent cruelty and abuse against animals.

I personally believe that this extends to all animals including those we use for food and other goods. Those animals may not have a full-life, and I’m sure many here would rather that we didn’t use animals for anything, but if they are to have that end, it should be done with the utmost respect for that animal.

I believe these issues require a lot of work from all of us who believe that animals are not tools placed on this planet to use as we please, but creatures who feel as much as we do, and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, even if it is to end their lives.

You have my best wishes for a successful conference, and in me you will always have an ally.

Thank you all.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

President Polnut's Address to the Nation

My fellow Atlasians,

There comes a time in every president’s first term when they must make the decision whether or not they will seek the endorsement of the people to continue their work.

As the October election draws closer I have spent considerable time asking myself many questions.

Recently, I have felt that my ability to bring about important policies has been ineffective.

I came in to this office in July to bring about pragmatic progressive change in Atlasia.

So far I have created the Presidential Game Reform Panel, the final report of which will contain concrete plans that will inform the reform agenda in this country for years to come; I have fulfilled my Inauguration promise to have a plan in place to get our troops out of Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan and doing so to make sure that we leave in the right way.

Very soon a Bill will put before the Senate to reduce the tax burden on small businesses to increase their confidence and get them hiring again. Through diligence, determination and some difficult choices we are getting our economy back on the path to prosperity.
I believe in practical and pragmatic solutions to problems.

I know that I have disappointed some on the left, because I did not do what they felt I should do, or in the way I did it. I have worked very hard to do what I felt was the right thing to do, sometimes that upsets people, I’m sorry for disappointing some, but I do not apologise for doing the right thing for the country.

I still have plans for the rest of this term, such as sterner punishments for those who abuse animals, a student-loan forgiveness scheme, among other policies.

However, due to pressures both internal and external, I have determined that I will not seek and will not accept the nomination of my party, nor any other, to serve another term as your president.

This decision has been taken carefully, while I believe I would win in October, the right of the Atlasian people to have an active and effective president outweighs the pride or ego of one person.

To my supporters from across the political spectrum, that support has meant so much to me, the faith you placed in me in record proportions has not been discounted in my decision.

I want to thank Vice President Bacon King and all current and former members of my Cabinet for their service and dedication to their country.

The Atlasian progressive movement must continue, we must hold true to our ideals, but equally we cannot be governed by them in the face of effective compromise. We cannot allow stubborn self-righteousness to taint this movement. We must be inclusive, we must be prepared to work with those with whom we disagree and we must remember that when we work with progressive ideals in mind, we are doing so because we believe in them and what they can do for all. 

When I leave office at the end of my term, I intend this to be the last elected office I will hold in Atlasia.

While this is a sad time in many ways, it has been a great honour to serve as your president, but this is a great opportunity for people who really want to make a difference to the lives of the Atlasian people to stand up.

Thank you and may Dave bless.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

As I said, I regret your decision but perfectly understand it. I'd hope you'd change your mind, but that probably won't happen. Good luck in whatever will be your activity in Atlasia now.

A voter.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

The President's Speech at the World Trade Center Memorial

11 September 2011


My fellow Atlasians,

10 years ago on a beautiful September morning, the security we had had always felt through all the Wars our nation had fought through, was suddenly gone in a horrific instant.

Young men, women and children who were innocently doing what we all do, were brutally targeted. Children lost parents, husbands and wives now without each other, friends gone. The unity of resolve to support those lost and to ensure that such things never happen again, was something that should never vanish.

Every year since the attacks that morning, my predecessors have spoken about our resolve and how we will beat those who sought to do so much damage to us.

But to a large extent, I believe everything on that matter that can be said, has been. We saw in the bombing of the St Louis Arch and the External Affairs Building that the threat that terror poses has not gone away.

However, I think now that a decade has passed, and we have fought in this cause all over the world, we need to ask some fundamental questions about how we can beat terrorism, not just the terrorists.

The view of many who believe that terrorism can be beaten like any other combative enemy is to me, the view from the cheap seats. It is, despite our loss of young life and the expense of money, the easy way out. The simplistic view that a is bad, b is good and b must defeat a.

We need to face some difficult truths that terrorism is a cancer in our world, and much of what we have done since 9/11 has been to treat the symptoms, not the cause. Perhaps, because asking those causal questions makes us uncomfortable… suggesting the role of Western policy to radicalise people in the Arab and wider-Muslim world was considered tantamount to blaming those killed for their deaths. It is not. Like any illness, you need to understand why and how it came about before you can begin to truly excise it. Understanding a justification in someone else’s mind, does not mean that you have to accept it.

Many leaders have trumpeted that we have made it harder to terrorists to function, that is a fact. The work done to disturb communications, money and intelligence has inhibited groups like Al Qaeda from acting in the way they have in the past. But that defeats the terrorists as people, like any other ideology, you cannot defeat it with bombs, guns or drone strikes. You defeat a toxic ideology with better ideas.

For the history of terror as a tactic, from medieval germ warfare, the Assassins during the Crusades, to the PLA, Black September and the IRA in our recent past, there are some common threads. Terror was used as a tactic with a cause, however repugnant. The wave of Jihadism we’ve seen is now clearly without a motive, except simply to disrupt our lives and cause chaos and fear. The other common thread is the terror in our modern time has never achieved the aim of that terrorism. The PLA did not become the PLO, nor did members of the IRA become members of the Northern Ireland Assembly through terror. Terrorism did not win then and it will not win now.

We can defeat terrorism, and do it in the memory of this innocent people who lost their lives 10 years ago, but also those who died in Bali, Madrid, Riyadh, Marrakesh and London… the battle against these fanatics is global and the cause must be global.

All of those who believe that all men, women and children deserve to live in peace with each other, without concern for race, religion or any other artifice of separation need to realize that the solution to terrorism is our universal humanity. Whatever we are or appear to be is merely a casing that contains what we truly are, human beings.

By uniting together and saying ‘no’ and by showing those most vulnerable to the lies of those evil people, are indeed that, then can we  move to truly defeating terrorism. And the best part is that we can do this without more bloodshed. There people who must pay for what they have done, and as president, commander-in-chief and proud Atlasian, I will not rest until they have. However, we must stop the lies and persecution. We have to stop looking at each other as ‘the other’ and be filled with fear and mistrust.

It is said, that September 11, 2001 was the day we lost our innocence. In simple sense, that is accurate. But every day since, opportunities have been lost to work together to defeat the foul ideology or terrorism, which threatens every country, city, community, family and individual that lives with respect and tolerance for our brothers and sisters and works together towards the common goals of human family.

This is a much harder and bigger task than many want to face, but I believe that those who were lost deserve such a living memorial.

Thank you all, may those who have died rest in eternal peace, and may those who remain be comforted in that thought.  

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

The President's Speech to the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce

29 September 2011


Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you for inviting me here to speak with you this evening.

Given that I have only a short time left as president, I want to make sure that you all know that one thing you haven’t got, is a lame-duck president.

I intend to keep working every single day until I see my successor take the oath of office.

In that spirit, I am announcing one of the most ambitious reforms our economy has ever seen.

If there has been one complaint I have held for a long time about our national finances it is the tiered system of income taxation.

With each region being able to impose its own income tax, it creates disparities and false economies based on the ideological bent or whim of the regions.

Therefore I am today announcing that it will be the policy of my administration to see the abolition of regional income taxation.

Now, regional governments will still need to be funded to do their work, I am not interested in further centralisation of power in Nyman. Regional governments have important roles to play and they need to be able to do their work with maximum benefits for their communities.

This is also not an issue of the abolition of taxation, so the right can stop jumping for joy and the left can stand down from the ledge; this is just a simplifying of a system which I do not think works well. I will convene a meeting of all regional governors within the next week to discuss alternatives.

There are, however, certain conditions that I will apply to alternatives.
•   The Federal Government will not increase its income tax share from either individuals or business
•   The administration of any future finance system will fit within existing bureaucracies
•   There needs to be a uniformity across the regions to ensure a fairer system than currently exists

I cannot and would not seek to impose this on Atlasia, this is an important reform that will require wide-support. I will work with the regional Governors and the Federal Senators to get this done. I know this might not be done within my term, but this is a reform that I believe needs to happen it will simplify our national finances and will lessen the burden of income taxation on many who can least afford it.

This is a golden opportunity for this country to unite and reform our national economy. Yes, we are regions that have separate interests but we are also one nation, with interconnected economies and therefore, an interconnected future.

Finally, I want to thank you for your support during my presidency. It can be a very lonely job, but knowing that the people you serve have your back makes it so much easier. The warmth of the Atlasian people is something I will certainly miss, but I made the decision to not stay on because you deserve an active and available president.

Thank you all.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

President Polnut has issued this statement on the current issues in Atlasia.

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=137599.msg3040441#msg3040441

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

The President's Remarks to the Human Rights Campaign Dinner
Walter E. Washington Convention Centre, Nyman

2 October 2011

Thank you very much ladies and gentlemen,

I am honoured to be here speaking with you tonight.

While this is a night to celebrate the work and achievements of those within the LGBTI community, and supporters outside of it, I wanted to speak to you about the larger issue of bullying.

Most of us in this room, myself included, were bullied at school. My experience was at the time was not exactly fun, but it was nothing compared to what many fellow students were dealing with on a daily basis.

While, at times, I did not want to go to school, the experience of so many young people who are afraid to go to school is something that we can no longer put down to just ‘part of growing up’.

I hear many people say ‘ well, bullying taught me character’. Frankly, I don’t buy that for a second. I’ve never met anyone who could tell me that being bullied was a good thing for them.

I commend the great work of the Trevor Project and the ‘It Gets Better’ campaign. Young queer kids should enjoy the same rights and experiences that all children enjoy, discovering your talents, exploring who you are and where you fit in the world… taking your partner to the prom…

But when I hear about teenagers ending their lives before it’s even started, because people’s thoughtless and heartless jibes have made them feel that their life has so little meaning, it utterly breaks my heart.

During my teenage years I had three friends who committed suicide, 2 within as many weeks, and one of them was being bullied for ‘acting gay’. He was an intelligent, thoughtful and sensitive person with so much love and compassion to give to the world, gay or straight, who cares – I often think what he would be doing now.
*pauses*

But because resources weren’t there, he couldn’t stand the bullying, up to and including physical assaults, this wonderful person chose to leave this world long before he should have.

Consider that the suicide rate for LGBTI kids is almost 3 times has high as non-queer teenagers. To say that there is nothing special about these cases and to treat them exactly the same as normal playground rough and tumble is a dereliction of the most basic duties of care.

Every child, gay, straight, athletic, bookish, white, black, thin, overweight deserves the right to fulfill their potential, without the feeling that that potential has no right to be fulfilled.

Bullying regardless of its basis has only one purpose to boost the egos of some  at the expense of the self-worth of others.

In that end, I am proposing the following.
The Atlasian Anti-Bullying Bill, this will provide funding to the regions to institute education programs, educator training and support services.

However, we expect the regions to contribute their fair share, in fact the Federal government will match regional funding dollar for dollar.

This is a national problem and it requires and true national solution.

While this is not a magic solution to the issue of bullying, and we must be realistic, we have to let parents, teachers and students know that there are consequences to bullying.

Every child deserves to grow up in safety and security, with opportunities to be the best person they can be. In that society, we all win.

Thank you all.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

The Office of Former President Polnut

President Polnut has formally taken over an office suite in '111 Huntington Avenue' in Boston.

From this office the President intends to work towards greater social inclusion, social justice and cleaner and sustainable environment for the future.

He will be on a private vacation until early January 2012. Once he returns to Boston, he will make a statement on his political future.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

The Office of Former President Polnut

Boston

President Polnut will be making a statement on his political future tomorrow at 7pm EST.

No details on content will be released before the statement is made.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

The Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Boston

Former President Polnut walks into the medium sized conference room, and stands behind the simple wooden lectern at the front.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Last November, when I returned home after completing a very overwhelming tour from Nyman. I told all of you that I would keep you all informed of what decisions I have made in relation to my political future.

I said at the time, that I did not see myself involved beyond the most important of all, a voter.

I have spent the last six-weeks abroad, and spent a great-deal of that time reflecting on what I have achieved, what I haven't and whether or not, that calls for further involvement from me.

In my term as President, I worked with the Senate to end our involvement in overseas theatres of war with our heads held high, reduced the tax burden on low-income people and small businesses, at a time when it was most needed. I also introduced a national anti-bullying program, as well as a program to streamline our military presence.

I was elected with a record mandate, and over time increased your confidence in me. I will never, ever forget the faith the Atlasian people placed in me.

I always worked for you, not the left or the right, but for you.

However, tonight, I am announcing my formal retirement from electoral politics.

What we achieved in my term as president, does not require me to lead. The capacity to bring about pragmatic and positive change lies with you, you really don't need me. We need to demand more of our leaders, because, if we don't, and they disappoint us, we have only ourselves to blame. Because as I know all too well, I served at your pleasure, as a public servant.

I will put myself forward to serve in a way that will enable my experience to be put to better use, but it will not be in the elected political sphere.

I will take whatever questions there may be, but um... that's it.

Thanks everyone ...

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I would consider any appointment carefully.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

The Office of Former President Polnut

Boston

President Polnut will be launching programs of the Polnut Foundation over the next week.

Thursday 19 January - New York City, NY
Friday 20 January - Philadelphia, PA
Saturday 21 January - Hartford, CT
Monday 23 January - Manchester, NH
Tuesday 24 January - Boston, MA

He looks forward to meeting as many people as he can during these stops.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

The Office of Former President Polnut

Boston

Former President Polnut released the following statement late last night.

I wanted to address requests that I reconsider my retirement, and that I consider running for any of a number of positions, primarily based in the Northeast.

I want to run down each option.

I said that I would not consider returning to the Northeast Assembly, I stand by that.

I will not consider running for Governor, as I did endorse Napoleon, and I do not go back on my endorsements.

The final office I considered running for was the Senate. Now, as there was already a progressive candidate in Snowstalker, I discussed this matter with a number of people across the Northeast, including Governor Snowstalker. I made it clear, that I was not interested in splitting the progressive vote, and there was only a couple of circumstances where I would consider that run.

The Governor stressed to me his desire to seek a seat in the Atlasian Senate, and with that, I can formally announce that I will not be seeking elected office in the near future. I will however, consider other options over the coming months, should they be made available.

Jack Polnut
Hartford, CT - 21 January 2012.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Not to keep nagging you about elected office, but since Tender Branson's resigned, would you accept an interim appointment to fill out rest of his Senate term? Hypothetically speaking, of course.

It's something I would consider

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I can confirm I will be running in the special Senate election.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Boston Common Rotunda

*Former President Polnut walks from his campaign bus through thick crowds to the Rotunda*

I want to thank all of you for being here on this cold evening, and I promise not to keep you here long.

I can tell you, when I arrived here last November after an amazing trip from Nyman, I had no intention of being here again.

After some time I realised that I still have something to offer. I'm ready to return to the service of my country and its people. In the Atlasian Senate I believe I bring my experience as a Governor, a regional representative, the Speaker of that Assembly and finally as President to the fore.

I have spent years working for a genuine progressive movement in this country, but this is more than about one ideology.

To put it simply, I am ready, willing and able to work with all, to bring a real change to this country. With the dissolution of the major parties, hopefully, approaching, this is an opportunity that needs to be taken by the horns. This requires people of experience and who are willing to put the hard-yards in.

I was elected President with a record mandate across the political spectrum, and left office with increasing approvals that I hope showed that I was prepared to work with anyone to get things done. Very often this rubbed people in my own party up the wrong way, but I believe that sometimes your own conscience should be your guide.

I worked with the Senate during my time to pass a comprehensive income and corporate tax reform, the plan to get our troops home from Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan with honour, to put in place a program to assist young people dealing with bullying as well as investment into renewable energy.

This is a time for pragmatism and a time for experience, I want to thank you all so much for your support in this process. I also welcome my opponent Clarence to this race, he's a great Atlasian who I believe has a lot to offer. Hopefully, you determine that I'm the right person to serve in the Senate.

I will also make this pledge... If I am elected to serve the remainder of this term, I will seek a full-term in my own right.

I pledge myself to the Atlasian people, to serve all as I did as President.

So I want to thank you all again, I take nothing for granted, I need your help to get this done.

I will be making a very brief tour across the country this weekend.

I look forward to speaking with many of you and answering any questions you might have.

Thank you all!!