By Jon Dougherty
© 2002 WorldNetDaily.com

A group of former Reform Party affiliates have created a new political party they say is committed to the "restoration" of "clean government" and the revitalization of American culture.

Called the America First Party, which is headquartered in Boulder, Colo., representatives from eight states met April 15 to adopt a platform "hours" after ending affiliations with the Reform Party.

According to a resolution passed by attendees, the new party's purpose "shall be the restoration of life, faith, freedom, responsibility and the Constitution. …"

Dan Charles and John Pittman Hey were elected to interim party leadership positions equivalent to those they held previously in the Reform Party, said a statement released by party officials.

"In a spirit of cooperation and unity of purpose, recognizing the need to protect the Constitution and American interests, we adopted a mission statement focused on promoting candidates with a commitment to core principles that put America and all Americans first," Charles – the party's interim chairman – said.

Charles, who is also the party's interim treasurer, will hold his positions until the party's "founding convention" in August.

Reform Party officials did not return repeated calls seeking comment.

America First officials, meanwhile, appeared upbeat about the new party's future prospects.

"We reaffirmed our commitment to clean government, to the whole Bill of Rights, to revitalizing our nation's cultural and moral fabric and opposing the culture of death, to preserving our sovereignty and our economic independence, and to restore the Constitution to its rightful place – as the blueprint for limited government and maximized freedom," said party spokeswoman Romelle Winters.

Representatives from Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Mississippi, New Hampshire and Tennessee attended the April 15 gathering, which was followed five days later by the party's first national committee meeting, via conference call, the statement said.

Related stories:

Reform Party sheds 'extremist' leadership