Throughout the course of the campaign, our focus has been on expanding and deepening the Green movement and the Green Party itself. Moving forward, one of the most important things we can do is to get our candidates elected in local and state elections. For this reason, Jill Stein for President is organizing campaign schools in several regions of the United States.

They were the largest climate protests in U.S. history, with over 50,000 marching in Washington D.C. and tens of thousands more taking part in protests across the country. Yesterday, Jill Stein joined a large Green Party contingent from across the country, sending a clear message at the protests that ending climate change requires political change and systems change.

To drive that message home, Jill Stein has launched the Climate Voter Power Pledge, a pledge to not to vote for any candidate who supports a climate-killing "All of the Above" approach to energy production. Got that, White House?

The following remarks were made by Jill Stein on February 12, 2013, before a national video audience in response to the official State of the Union address.

It’s an honor to be here to talk about the real state of our nation. President Obama just finished his speech before Congress. As usual, it was full of inspired, high flying rhetoric, and rosy promises for the future. But it’s important to separate the reality from the stage show. We need a real discussion of where we are, so we can set our priorities right and secure the future for our imperiled families, communities, country and planet.

So I will say what you likely already know – that the state of the union is troubled and in critical ways getting worse. But it is eminently fixable.

We are facing unprecedented crisis - an economy in relentless decline for the vast majority and a climate accelerating towards catastrophe. In addition we face expanding endless wars, and an assault on our civil liberties.

But solutions are ready at hand that can bring a just and sustainable prosperity, rescue the climate and make wars for oil obsolete. And these solutions already enjoy majority public support. A movement for democracy and justice is rising up across the country and world that’s moving these solutions forward – for people, peace and the planet. And the Green Party is here to give that movement the political voice it deserves, and must have in order to be effective.

The Green Party of the United States will hold a special online broadcast of President Obama's 2013 State of the Union address TONIGHT, Tuesday, February 12th. They will host a live chat during the address. Immediately following President Obama's remarks, Dr. Jill Stein will deliver a Green response, describing the state of the union from a Green perspective.

The broadcast, which begins at 9pm ET/6pm PT, will be aired on the Green Party's Livestream channel.

Viewers will be able to view the address in real time and participate in a simultaneous chat about the address with Green Party members from around the country. 

When Cheri and I ran for office last year, one of our main goals was to build the Green Party and to inspire new leaders to run for office as Greens. Great news! We are succeeding.

With at least eight candidates for office, Greens can gain a significant hold in Wisconsin’s capital city in elections these next two months. Two Greens are running for the Madison school board, at least six are competing for seats on the Madison city council, and the ranks of these endorsed Green Party candidates may soon be joined by several others.

What does this mean for Greens across the United States? Victories in Madison’s elections will show others what can be done. Your support right now can help make Madison an inspiration for Greens everywhere.

BREAKING -- Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala were found not guilty by a Philadelphia judge earlier today on charges stemming from their participation in a housing rights protest at Fannie Mae’s regional offices. The two women were the Green Party's 2012 presidential and vice presidential nominees.

On August 1st of last year, Stein and Honkala, along with 50 other protesters, attempted to escort foreclosed families into Fannie Mae to demand policies that, according to Honkala, would, "keep families in their homes." The two women were arrested during the protest, along with three others, and spent nearly 24 hours in jail. Today, Stein said that:

"Justice prevailed in the Philadelphia courtroom. After a three hour hearing in a room full of supporters threatened with the theft of their homes, a small victory was won. Now we need to build on that victory, and keep a million families facing foreclosure this year in their homes. And we need to bring the real disrupters into the courtroom: the bankers who created this predatory mortgage scandal in the first place, and who have profited enormously at the tragic losses they continue to cause for millions of families."

The 100,000+ circulation New York City Indypendent newspaper has chosen 2012 Vice Presidential nominee Cheri Honkala and campaign manager Ben Manski to serve as members of an alternative "Shadow Cabinet" for the coming session. Honkala will serve as HUD Secretary, and Manski as director the FEC. Write the editors of the Indypendent:

"As one presidential term ends and another begins, we want to take this opportunity to reject the pomp of inauguration and reignite the radical imagination. Instead of settling for empty suits and ugly compromisers, we’ve tossed Obama’s cabinet out of White House and reached out to thinkers and doers, those least likely to be nominated but most deserving of being heard and best qualified to make change, and nominated them to our own Shadow Cabinet."

We have reproduced the changes that Honkala and Manski propose, below. Enjoy!