According to this story (at the very bottom), Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he has never contributed to Americans Elect, although he praises Americans Elect and says that the more choices for voters, the better.
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If Buddy Roemer gets the Americans Elect nomination, and if Gary Johnson gets the Libertarian nomination, and if Virgil Goode gets the Constitution Party nomination, 2012 will be the first presidential election in U.S. history in which five parties each had a presidential nominee, each of whom was also a declared candidate, and each of whom had served either in Congress or as a Governor.
Of course, this presumes that the 2012 Republican nominee will be a person who has served either as a Governor or in Congress.
Another historical note, assuming the candidates named above become nominees, will be that the Libertarian Party will be the second non-major party in U.S. history to have run as many as three presidential nominees, each of whom had once been a Governor or a member of Congress. The three, for the Libertarian Party besides Gary Johnson, are Ron Paul and Bob Barr. The only other minor party that has had at least three former members of Congress, or former Governors, as nominees, is the American Independent Party, which had George Wallace, John Schmitz, Lester Maddox, and John Rarick.
On February 22, the Washington State Senate Government Operations Committee passed HB 1860, which provides for elections for party officers at the primary.
On February 23, Buddy Roemer will formally drop out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination, and will emphasize that he is still seeking the Americans Elect nomination. He will also seek the Reform Party nomination. See this story.
The only state in which the Reform Party is ballot-qualified, but in which Americans Elect is not yet ballot-qualified, is Louisiana. Thanks to Bill Van Allen for the link.
On February 21, Calvin Zastrow filed a federal complaint against a Montana law, section 13-35-218(2) of the election code, that says, “No person who is a minister, preacher, priest, or other church officer or who is an officer of any corporation or organization, religious or otherwise, may, other than by public speech or print, urge, persuade, or command any voter to vote or refrain from voting for or against any candidate, political party ticket, or ballot issue submitted to the people because of his religious duty or the interest of any corporation, church or other organization.”
Also, the lawsuit attacks section 13-13-113, which says that every polling place must include a poster that quotes section 13-35-218(2).
Finally, the lawsuit also mentions that Zastrow was recently arrested for circulating a petition on a public sidewalk, and asks for an injunction permitting him to resume petitioning. He was petitioning for an initiative at the time. The sidewalk is in front of the Montana Pavilion at MetraPark in Billings. The case is Zastrow v Bullock, 12-18, filed in Billings. Zastrow is a past national field director for the Constitution Party. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the link.