The Gospel of Jesus Greatest Story Ever Told

Also Running: Ed Schwarz Not your parent's Yippie! By Dan Rivoli, City Hall News, NY NY In 1967, activist Abbie Hoffman formed the Youth International Party. The members were called Yippies. In 2008, Ed Schwarz stumbled upon this now defunct relic of the radical '60s and is using the name and logo to run for president. Donning the party label, Schwarz admits, is purely superficial. He has little interest in advancing the anti-authoritarian fights of Hoffman, the Yippies or anything from the '60s. He was not involved in any of those movements-after all, on Dec. 31, 1969, he was still just nine years old. "I came across an abandoned party that was useful for me to take," he said. To Schwarz, the Youth International Party was a husk that he is using to advance his presidential ambitions. Schwarz campaigns around Manhattan's Lower East Side with a motley gang of supporters. They throw events called "happynings" and put up small, hand-written flyers promoting his website, www.copsbeatmeup.com He is running a write-in campaign because he cannot raise the money to get ballot access or enough signatures. That goal was the only reason he decided to run under the Youth International Party in the first place. If being president does not work out for him, he has a fallback plan: being the King of Israel. Speaking via payphone, he explained the rationale for his right to inherit the kingdom of Israel: "They hold up the Bible as their mandate for Jewish rule on the Holy Land, correct? Well, that mandate makes me the ultimate high supreme court over what goes down over there." Schwarz memorized the Biblical references he considers proof of this mandate-Nehemiah 7: 5, and 61-34, for one-and has a scanned copy of his birth certificate from Beth Israel Hospital, which is adorned with a gold Star of David with Hebrew letters. The power that comes with being the King of Israel is integral to his candidacy and platform. On ending the fighting over territory between Jews and Palestinians: "There would be no more discussion about Israel. I own it." On closing the federal deficit: "I can sell off all synagogues. I can take money from Jews I deem not worthy of it. I'm practically giving Americans money." On the Jews in America? "I'm going after those who are criminals who happen to be Jewish," Schwarz said. "There are other criminals who aren't Jewish, but I'm not their king.