Nader, you need to look in the mirror. Pure is as pure accepts funding.

[madfloridian]

I posted this a long time ago. I posted it on a day when all the folks like Nader and supporters were demanding such purity. Yet they don't demand it of him and his funding.

He is more supportive of the Republican Party if he is going after Howard Dean and DNC right now, as a recent post here indicates. I have suspected this for a while...just check out the funding. More to come.

While I agree with a lot of the ideas Nader espouses, he really does not have a structure or organization to offer us. I was alarmed that he took money from right wing groups in 04, especially the two mentioned below. You want purity from our Democrats, Ralph? Look in the mirror.

Group run by Democrats says "right-wing Republicans" and "extremists" aid Nader to help Bush. Characterizations aside, they've got a point.
http://www.factcheck.org/article216.html

Citizens for a Sound Economy is a nonprofit, tax-exempt group co-chaired by Dick Armey, the former Republican Majority Leader in the House, and C. Boyden Gray, former White House counsel to George H.W. Bush, the current President’s father. It describes itself as devoted to “free markets and limited government“ and claims thousands of local activists. It pushes to make Bush’s tax cuts permanent, cut federal spending, create private Social Security accounts, enact school vouchers and enact a “flat tax” in place of the current system of higher rates for higher incomes.

Another Oregon group, the Oregon Family Council, also said it made calls for Nader. Mike White, the group's director, told the Associated Press :

White: We aren't bashful about doing it. We are a conservative, pro-family organization, and Bush is our guy on virtually every issue.

That supports the ad's claim that Nader got help from "Republicans that are anti-choice." The Family Council describes itself as an "information service for Oregon Christians" and says its "Christian Voter's Guide" for 2002 helped thousands of Christians make "informed votes" that "produced more Pro-life/ Pro-family legislators than there have been in over 30 years!"

Conservatives for Nader, and proud of it. Here is a phone script used by this very conservative business group that does NOT have the best interest of the people in mind.

http://www.cse.org/newsroom/press_template.php?press_id=863

Washington, D.C. - Oregon CSE members are working to get Ralph Nader on the November ballot! While this sounds completely backwards-- Ralph Nader opposes nearly every issue CSE fights for-- but there's sound logic behind Oregon CSE's actions. CSE does not advocate the election or defeat of political candidates, but Oregon CSE members feel that having Nader on the ballot helps illuminate the strong similarities between the uber-liberal Nader and John Kerry. That's why they've been making calls to their friends to sign a petition to get Nader on the ballot by attending a townhall on June 26th, using a phone script that reads:

"Hi, my name is Russ Walker, director of Citizens for a Sound Economy here in Oregon, and I wanted to tell you about an opportunity we have to drive a wedge through the Liberal Left’s base of support.

In this year’s presidential race, Ralph Nader could peel away a lot of Kerry support in Oregon, but he has to be on the ballot first. He will make it if at least 1,000 people show up this Saturday at Benson High school at 4:00 pm and sign the petition to certify his candidacy.

Liberals are trying to unite in Oregon and keep Nader off the ballot to help their chances of electing John Kerry. We could divide this base of support by showing up at Grant High school on Saturday.

Poor Ralph Nader: He just wants to make the ballot here in Oregon. Let’s give him what he wants and just watch what happens in November!"

And from Common Dreams this article about how the Republicans got him on the ballot, being quite open of their reasons.

Published on Tuesday, July 20, 2004 by CommonDreams.org
Nader's "Grassroots" Campaign...Courtesy of GOP
http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0720-15.htm

Just a few gems from this article:

Nader campaign spokesman Kevin Zeese initially took a principled stand, telling Associated Press last week that the campaign would not accept the GOP's help: "We won't take any signatures from them." But within hours he flip-flopped, AP reported, saying the campaign might accept the Republican signaturesIn Oregon, another swing state where Nader could tip the election to Bush, he only needed to attract 1,000 registered voters to a nominating convention to get on the ballot. Four years ago, 10,000 activists rallied for Nader in Portland. But in April, he couldn't rally even 1,000 supporters.

Once again, the Right rode to the rescue. When Nader made a second attempt at a convention on June 26, Oregon's Republicans enlisted the anti-choice, anti-gay Oregon Family Council and the corporatist Citizens for a Sound Economy to recruit rightwingers to attend and sign Nader's petition. The CSE's phone script asking Republicans to put Nader on the ballot explained the need to "pull some very crucial votes from John Kerry." Nader's Oregon coordinator said he saw nothing wrong with rightwing help: "It's a free country. People do things in their own interest."

Nader campaign spokesman Kevin Zeese initially took a principled stand, telling Associated Press last week that the campaign would not accept the GOP's help: "We won't take any signatures from them." But within hours he flip-flopped, AP reported, saying the campaign might accept the Republican signatures if state officials did not certify Nader as the nominee of the Reform Party in Michigan, which is split into two factions. Yesterday, team Nader made it official: They'll accept the "independent" ballot line provided by the Republican signatures in case they fail to get the Reform Party nomination: "We have to get on the ballot somehow," said Zeese.

Nader has complained -- correctly in at least one state -- of covert Democratic efforts to keep him off ballots. But in Michigan, he has no such excuse. In that key battleground state, after Nader volunteers had collected only 5,000 of the 30,000 signatures necessary to get on the ballot, Michigan's Republican Party came to the rescue with 43,000 Nader signatures.

And this article is by Jeff Cohen of FAIR and the Kucinich campaign, and he deplored these tactics. Here is one more thing he had to say.

"Camejo flip-flopped, telling the same reporter: "It is conceivable that pro-Bush, pro-Republicans believe we have a right to be on the ballot. We will not establish lie detector tests for people who give us money."

Camejo's new line was in keeping with Nader's laissez-faire attitude on accepting GOP cash: "Republicans are human beings too," he argued in a recent radio debate."

MORE:
Nader's own consumer group cautioned against CSE.

Then in 2004 Nader took campaign assistance from them. Nader is a very bright man. He knew what he was doing.

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Citizens_for_a_Sound_Economy

And an interesting quote:

"CSE has been criticised by the Nader-founded group, the Government Accountability Project (GAP), as lacking independence. In 2000 GAP spokesperson Gary Ruskin told the Washington Post, "It's part of a rent-a-mouthpiece phenomenon. ... There are mercenary groups that function as surrogates when industry feels it's not advantageous for it to speak directly."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A46598-2000Jan28

[Terran1212]

1. Compare Nader to DNC or DLC

[bahrbearian]

6. As far as I can see . there isn't much difference between ...

The DLC and the RNC,,,, Nader might be right.

[madfloridian]

7. BUT. Nader is attacking Dean at the DNC...not the DLC.

That is why I am angry.

[mdmc]

8. God bless Ralph Nader and God bless Howard Dean

Until the drug war and the death penalty are abolished, until health care and education are rights, we all require criticism.

[madfloridian]

10. No one is perfect....but we don't need him right now.

No one is perfect, none of our Democrats, no one. However, Nader has stooped to taking money like that, then he needs to stop making fun of Democrats who are working to change the country.

We do a good enough job of attacking ourselves. Why doesn't he attack Bush and cronies? They are the evil folks, not Dean. He is stooping to tactics of humiliation in that letter at Common Dreams. That is not worthy of the man he used to be. He used to be a great consumer advocate, and we followed his advice and loved to hear him speak.

[mdmc]

16. I don't agree,,, Nader gets some folks that you and I cant get

But God Bless Dean.

[bahrbearian]

11. Well ,Dean has been a Little Quite Latey,,,, No ?

I do love Dean though!

[madfloridian]

12. He is doing his job.

I do know he is doing his job. Nader is not the man he used to be, taking money like that. He needs to pick on the Republicans, you think?

What is "latey"....is it sort of bad, real bad? What?

And it is not a matter of loving anyone at all. It is a matter of getting the party organized. Dean is doing what he said.

Hubby and I loved Nader once.

[madfloridian]

13. If you meant quiet, not really.

He was on TV 3 times last week, last night on C-Span. He was speaking about the platform, speaking of Bush's failings.

[bahrbearian]

14. I'm sorry , didn't see this..

Nader has complained -- correctly in at least one state -- of covert Democratic efforts to keep him off ballots. But in Michigan, he has no such excuse. In that key battleground state, after Nader volunteers had collected only 5,000 of the 30,000 signatures necessary to get on the ballot, Michigan's Republican Party came to the rescue with 43,000 Nader signatures. ,,,
I do still hold his " Belief's"

[mzmolly]

19. The DNC/DLC don't get money from groups that support Bush.

Indeed do compare.

[question everything]

2. Excellent, thank you

As I have posted here several times, yes, the 2000 was Gore to lose, but Nader helped. In Florida and, I think, in Iowa and other places, Nader got more than the difference between Bush and Gore.

Even without Mrs. Harris, Gore might have barely squeezed by in Florida and I don't know how 2004 would have ended. Because of the census and the migration from traditional blue states to red ones, if Kerry would have won all the states that Gore did, he would have lost.

And the next census, or, if the Supreme Court will say that a state can change the districts in mid decade, we will have to really really come with a new approach if not in 2008, certainly in 2012.

[Crazy Guggenheim]

3. K&R!

:popcorn:

[madfloridian]

5. Have a soda with your popcorn.

And enjoy.

[bahrbearian]

15. So what is the purpose of the OP,,???

To have Pop Corn and Soda...Thanks
:wtf:

[madfloridian]

17. Someone posted his attack on Dean here tonight ...

It was from Common Dreams. It is in this forum GD. I used to love Nader, appreciate his consumer warnings. However he is influencing many here who want 3rd party. Thus I present facts when he attacks our Democrats. It you can't find the post, I will. I posted this for that reason as I said in the OP.

Nothing wrong with 3rd party, but those who want it should not attack Democrats to get it. They can form it without doing that.

[madfloridian]

4. Oops, forgot this Salon article...very powerful.

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2004/07/14/naderphonecall/

July 14, 2004 | "Last Friday, Ralph Nader's campaign spokesman Kevin Zeese e-mailed Salon, saying that Nader wanted to speak with Salon editor David Talbot "about recent articles that have appeared in Salon concerning him and his candidacy." The following is a transcript of the ensuing three-way phone conversation among Nader, Zeese and Talbot. It ranged over Rupert Murdoch (whose company published Nader's new book), Democratic "dirty tricks" against the independent candidate's presidential bid, and Nader's acceptance of conservative money and support.

Nader opened the conversation by charging that Salon had not solicited a response from him when preparing two recent critical pieces about him -- "The Dark Side of Ralph Nader," by Lisa Chamberlain, and "Strange Alliance," by Eric Boehlert. For the record, Chamberlain made repeated phone calls to Nader's campaign office and Zeese's cellphone seeking a comment from Nader or his spokesman but received no replies. And Boehlert spoke to Zeese on the phone, quoting him in his piece.

Nader: Why didn't your reporters call for a response?

Talbot: They did. "

This article has a lot of internal links to back articles. If Nader wants to go after the Democrats again, I for one will fight back.

Democrats are most certainly not perfect, but they are capable of being changed. And we have some good people working on them.

[mdmc]

9. we have good people working on them all right

including ralphie

[madfloridian]

18. More from FL and WI. Why does he only attack Dean and the DNC?

Why not the DLC think tank and the Third Way and PPI. It seems it is Howard Dean he wants to embarrass and let the rest off without even a hand spank.

Wisconsin and Florida, too?

The ad's claims that Republicans are working for Nader in Wisconsin and Florida also have substance. Citizens for a Sound Economy is planning to urge Wisconsin Republicans to sign petitions when Nader's signature drive begins next month, the New York Times reported July 1. "We'll definitely be spreading the word that we'd like to see Nader on the ballot," the Times quoted Cameron Sholty, CSE's Wisconsin state director. "We'll do phone trees and friends-of-friends, and those Nader events will be a great way to drive our membership to get out to sign petitions for Nader."

And in Florida, the Republican party posted a news release on its website supporting Nader's attempt to get onto the ballot and chastising Democrats for saying their lawyers would ensure that Nader's bid for ballot access adheres strictly to state law.

Under the headline "Let Ralph Run!" it quoted GOP state Chairman Carole Jean Jordan saying the Democratic maneuver is "beyond the bounds of hypocrisy."

"The Democrats are quick to use the issue of voter disenfranchisement to their benefit and yet have no problem unleashing their legal sharks on Ralph Nader," the Republican party chief said.

From the first link in the OP.



Asked for comment on the new radio ad, Nader Spokesman Kevin Zeese called it,"Lots of nonsense" and said, "We've never had any dealings or contact with these groups. . . We've seen no evidence that they have been organizing or doing anything on behalf of us." Nader himself has welcomed Republican support. The Hartford Courant quoted him July 4: "If they want to help us speak freely inside the electoral arena, that's fine.