The Green Lantern Announces His Candidacy for Mayor of DC!

On July 5th, 2009, Kyle Rayner, aka The Green Lantern, began his campaign for DC mayor. For those of you unaware of his merits, Mr. Rayner began his career as a graphic artist before being approached by the Guardian Ganthet. He was given a power ring to replace the former Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, following Jordan's possession by Parallax and his subsequent destruction of of Coast City. He has since used his powers with the ring to defend justice, has worked with the Justice League of America towards a safer world, developed close bonds with the former Lanterns, the Flash, and the Titans, and has even served as a God, Ion.

From his press release, the Green Lantern states:

I deeply understand the challenges facing the District. By combining my superhero willpower and my passion for local politics and justice, I am committed to illuminating our nation’s capitol.

Regarding issues, the Green Lantern supports the creation and promotion of greener jobs, including investment in training programs for the impoverished and weatherization of old buildings. In addition, he supports LGBT rights, maintains a firm stance on crime and is committed to public safety, as demonstrated by his work for the Justice League and beyond. Finally, he is an ardent supporter of education reform, including additional funds towards K-12 education and establishing rewards and incentive programs for teachers, not only to encourage better student outcomes, but to persuade talented educators to take up jobs in needy areas.

The Green Lantern has been endorsed by Justice League teammate, The Flash, who stated:

The Green Lantern and I fought against crime and for justice together so I have a first-hand understanding of his commitment to public service. My endorsement comes not as a friend, but as someone who cares about our community. I know that the Green Lantern will fight for our environment, our working class families, the LGBTQIA community, our children's education, the safety of our city, and the equal representation of all Americans.

In addition, he has garnered the support from notable political bloggers Matt Yglesias and Ezra Klein.

I, ShadowBanker, have declared my endorsement of The Green Lantern as well, however Mark has since expressed some reservations. As such, we have decided to compose a series of two posts--a point/counterpoint on The Green Lantern as mayor of DC. These posts will be up within the next few days and before the election on Friday, July 10th.

To be fair, there are still many issues that the Green Lantern has not openly expressed an opinion about. How will the Green Lantern promote health care reform to increase coverage and lower costs? Does he support Obama's plan to expand the role of government in providing health services? What are his views on a coverage mandate for insurance? What about the recruitment and retention of physicians? How does the Green Lantern plan on attracting providers to needy hospitals and clinics in DC, especially in the face of a more public system?

What about more specifics on the economy? Are there any more specifics about how to minimize unemployment? In what sectors does he plan on investing money for jobs?

For now, we would love to hear from the readers. Do you support the Green Lantern for mayor? Why or why not? Are there any policy recommendations you suggest for him?