Nader's Essay on Dean and the DNC

[Terran1212]

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0318-23.htm

Oh How Indiscriminate and Indiscreet Computers Have Become, Dr. Dean!
By Ralph Nader

I just received a letter from Howard Dean, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, describing me as a "Democratic Leader" and "an active and engaged member of our Party in your community." He asks for my "opinions" which "will help shape the future direction of the Democratic Party and make us more effective in building grassroots support for our agenda."


...

The questions covered some important topics. They include one asking whether I support "new tax cuts targeted at working families." But no request for my opinion on removing the massive Bush tax reductions for the wealthy, for their unearned income of capital gains and dividends, and for large corporations now making rocket profits.

Another inquiry asked about raising the minimum wage of $5.15 per hour, but no higher figure was listed. Nor was there a question about labor law reform assisting workers in our concentrated industrial, commercial and retail economy (eg. WalMart) to establish or expand trade unions. The present system is rigged in favor of giant companies.

...

Question seven asks quite properly my opinion about "healthcare for all Americans." Three choices: tax credits for employers, medical savings accounts or "a government-run system where everyone is guaranteed health coverage." Who gave them these last words-the HMO industry? Why didn't the Democratic National Committee simply say "full Medicare for everyone?" Besides, the DNC should have said "a government-funded" system, which is what I believe they and "single-payer" advocates understand those words to mean. Not a takeover of the entire medical and health industry by the government. One would have thought Dr. Dean would have caught this miswording.

[napi21]

1. WHY in the World is Howard writing to this nut?

Hell, I thought he was too old to be much of a problem in the last election. I don't understand why Howard would do this? I rarely disagree with him, and I hope we'll hear his rational.

[radio4progressives]

4. don't you understand what a form letter is?

aren't you on DNC mailing lists?

[napi21]

8. Sorry, I fell for the bait. I didn't realize it was a form letter. n/t

[madfloridian]

2. A survey sent out this week.

I guess I need to point out some stuff about Nader funding, if he is going get nasty again.

oops, meant to reply to napi21

[madfloridian]

3. Getting my post ready about his funding. He needs to leave Dems alone.

.

[radio4progressives]

5. Good Questions...

Why would anyone have issues with the questions raised on these vital matters?

ahh.. i see, no one really cares about the issues, they care more about the messenger... i get it now.

[meganmonkey]

15. Ain't that the truth

:eyes:

Discuss, or attack?

Apparently attacking is much more entertaining.

[1932]

20. I agree. Nader's questions are excellent questions.

[msgadget]

29. They're questions I'd like answered

Edit to add:

A voter is more than a party fan. S/he should be more concerned with POLICY, not the party's latest political position. Third parties on both sides of the spectrum force light on issues strategists would rather leave in the shadows.

[undeterred]

6. Nader is an arrogant little prick

My apologies to whatever party he belongs to, but he is one of the biggest losers ever to run for office.

[w13rd0]

7. Did someone rattle his perch?

THIS is the "burning issue" Nader feels compelled to write about?

Whatever, maybe he can get some more "soccer mom Republicans" to canvas to have him put on ballots again, or take funding from Norquist groups some more...

[blondeatlast]

23. He'll jump at any opportunity to get noticed--

or at least TRY to get noticed.

[Terran1212]

9. So does everyone just not like Nader because he attacks a Dem, PERIOD?

I'm pretty sure Nader has improved the lives of millions in his work.

I don't hate Dr. Dean, but he is no where near the leader Nader has historically been.

[skipos]

10. I dislike him because he claimed Bush = Gore. And as we can alll see now

Nader has never been more wrong about anything in his life.

Alas, it is a free country, he can do and say as he pleases.

[Terran1212]

11. Nader is closer to us politically than Gore

[skipos]

14. The point is not where he stands, but how he helps us.

What he did in 2000 did not help. I am not laying full blame for Bush on Nader, but he did not help our cause. And really my point in the previous post is that he said Bush was the same as Gore, and that is why he gets a lot of hate around here. Everybody, even most of the people who voted for him, knows what a lie that was.

[undeterred]

16. Maybe Nader is closer to you, but he is not closer to "us"

[Toots]

19. He never claimed that and for you to keep repeating the LIE is the same

tactics as the GOP uses. He said there was little difference between the Parties in todays world. And IMO he has been proved quite correct. Every single thing Bush* has asked for Bush* has gotten. Democrats could have blocked some of those things but did not. Why?

[Terran1212]

34. Absolutely -- no need to blame Nader just for standing up to DNC/DLC

[cali]

36. Conflating the DNC and the DLC

is nothing more than a lie. And I find it passing strange that Nader couldn't find anything more compelling to write about than a DNC form letter. Nader's day has come and gone. He's become irrelevant by his own machinations.

[Terran1212]

37. Dr. Dean is a good man but not progressive

Look at his policies and where he stands.

[cali]

39. Hilarious, your assumption

that I don't know where Howard stands. I'm a Vermonter. I know precisely who he is. I've never had any illusions that he's a progressive. He's a stubbornly independent guy; socially liberal and fiscally conservative. I voted for him 5 times. I have close friends who worked for him.

In any case, your response to my post to you had nothing to do with what I wrote.

[skipos]

35. So you think Gore would have gone to Iraq, been on vacation during Katrina

appointed Roberts and Alito? Wow, I'm going to have to go ahead disagree with you on that.

Nader called Gore and Bush, "look-alike candidates," "tweedledum and tweedledee" etc which to me, is a claim that Gore and Bush are the same. You are free to interpret that as you like.

Nader got 85% fewer votes from 2000 to 2004. Looks to me like Nader voters finally realized just how bad Bush was.

[mzmolly]

43. Actually he said far more than that. He said that Gore and Bush would

be essentially the same on foreign policy and the environment. He compared the two MEN not just the two parties.

And, can you tell me what Democrats could have "blocked" being they are in the minority? Why didn't the Independents in office "block" - "things?"

[dsc]

17. Tell that to gay Americans

Sorry Nader has done some good things but on civil rights to name one huge issue, he has done squat. Conversly Dean has done a huge amount of good.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

12. Oh It's Just Cute Little Nader Being Silly Nilly Again. So Silly That

Nader wader is.

[Call me Deacon Blues]

13. Nader has no credibility with me. None.

It might as well be the wind blowing for all the attention I will pay to his ramblings.

[Lusted4]

18. Nader has been absolutely correct on every issue period.

To bad we have always had to settle for less.

[mzmolly]

25. The benefit if hindsite is a funny thing.

Makes it easy to be "right" however - Ralph Nader has been wrong on every issue period. Don't you recall the big campaign mantra that Gore = Bush?

BTW, your Gore avatar doesn't mesh with your Nader lovin' - what gives?

[blondeatlast]

27. Good catch...

:rofl:

[name not needed]

38. And yet, you still have Gore in your avatar.

But I guess you had to settle for less.

[BiggJawn]

21. So, Ralf, How much did you donate to the DNC?

Because I get the SAME Emails, which I believe are sent to everyone who's tossed Dr. Dean $20 or so.

"2 flavours of the same corporate party" my ass.

I can only hope Ralf has a stroke or or gets incapacitated some other way before he fucks-up the '08 election....

[Minnesota Libra]

22. Where is all that neocon campaign money when a person needs it. nt

[dorkulon]

31. Marcus Garvey took $$ from the KKK. So what? (nt)

[Minnesota Libra]

33. Taking money from neocons and lambasting Dems and saying........

......"dems deserve to loose", yup I'm going to run right out and vote for that.:eyes: :sarcasm:

[mzmolly]

24. Does anyone know what Bush's thoughts are on Dean/the DNC?

Since we are posting the toughts of Democratic political opponents, I though it would be nice to see a variety of opinions.

[WinkyDink]

26. Ralph Who?

[Sgent]

28. Anything

Anything that Nader did which might have been good has been negated by one whopper of a lie.

Bush = Gore

[Geek_Girl]

30. I'm not a Nader supporter

But I actually agree with him on this. What ever happened to the term "Universal Health Care"?

And labor issues are issues that the vast majority of Americans will support. Even the most adamant conservative fundies that I know of belong to Unions. Democrats have got to start becoming the Working Man's party. Otherwise I don't think the party has much of a chance.

[PassingFair]

32. Don't tell me that everyone here doesn't feel the same way...

about the ridiculous questionaires!

I get 'em from Hillary.
I get 'em from the DNC.
I EVEN get 'em from the RNC! (Don't know how THAT happened!)

They are all the same stupid questions:

Do you support American families?
Do you support children?
Do you support clean air?

They don't really get to the meat. No
politician REALLY wants to go THERE...

[Puregonzo1188]

40. I don't know why people even post things by Nader

Because no matter how valid his points are, they are just ignored because of some sort of you're either with us or against mentality. Whether you love or hate Nader, he does make valid points. Dicuss them, not your devoted hatred to him.

[cali]

41. So discuss them.

You didn't exactly do that in your post after faulting others for not doing so.

[madfloridian]

42. He once made valid points. I used to greatly respect his advocacy...

for consumers. I used to trust him to stand up for people over the big guys....but here is he now. He is going after the man in the party trying to change it for the little guy...and ignoring the the DLC and the PPI and the Third Way and their kind of empire....progressive internationalism.