It seems that Nader has given up any semblence whatsoever of 'helping to defeat Bush'. Not only is he distributing a
"Spoiler" Deck of Cards. He has now tells the
Hartfield Courant that he plans to focus on the swing states. Although Nader is on fewer states than 2000, he is still on almost all the states where he either cost Gore the vote or came very close (like FL, WI, OR, NH, and IA)
It was bad enough that he was taking money and help from Republicans, but now he is vowing revenge on the Democrats. He has completely gone over to the Dark Side
Nader Says He'll Take On Democrats In Swing States
September 10, 2004
By JANICE D'ARCY, Courant Staff Writer
WASHINGTON -- In what could become a worst-case scenario for Democrats, Ralph Nader announced plans to launch a spirited new phase to his independent candidacy in swing states Thursday. At the same time, he is suggesting that part of its purpose would be to retaliate against Democrats who had fought his candidacy.
Nader will begin his fall campaign by traveling through Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin in the next week. He plans to rally voters by blasting the war in Iraq and corrupt corporations, and also by criticizing Democrats for their efforts to keep him off ballots in the most competitive states.
...more below the fold
Nader made it clear at a breakfast gathering with journalists here that he is angered by Democratic efforts to stall his candidacy and he will focus attention on what he deems harassment. "We're exposing all the pus and the bile," Nader said of the Democratic efforts. "We're flushing the system out."
Nader's swing-state agenda announcement came just as the Democrats working against him intensified their efforts by sending a group of about 30 lawyers with a budget expected to reach about $100,000 to Florida where they are challenging Nader's right to appear on the presidential ballot there. Late Thursday, a judge agreed with them, issuing an order that will keep Nader off the ballot, for now.
Florida is not just a symbol of what many Democrats believe was Nader's "spoiling" of the 2000 election - when he received more votes than the difference between the then-Gov. George Bush and then-Vice President Al Gore. It is a battleground state again this time.
According to polls collected by anti-Nader groups, there are about a dozen states where he could attract more votes than the difference between the major party candidates in November.
Robert Brandon, a public interest lawyer and former Nader colleague who founded United Progressives for Victory, said his group is recruiting former Nader supporters to speak out against his 2004 presidential run in Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Washington and Wisconsin.
Another group, The Ballot Project, is challenging Nader's ballot proposal in Florida and other states. It has ongoing litigation in Arizona, Michigan, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania and elsewhere.
Liz Holtzman, the former New York congresswoman who is a founder of the Ballot Project, rejected Nader's claims. She said the challenges have been successful because their lawyers have found that Nader workers have not always followed the rules.
Ballot challenges consumed Nader's resources this summer and forced Nader to repeatedly downgrade his goal to run as a national alternative to the two major candidates. According to Ballot Access News, Nader currently is on 23 ballot lines and has the potential to appear on 44 at most.
Though his ballot status remains unclear in roughly half of the states, Nader and his aides said they would now shift their attention to the business of campaigning.
An even more direct retaliation for the Democratic efforts is coming from Nader verbally. He has expanded his usual campaign touchstones to include a critique specifically attacking the Democrats' ballot challenges.
On Thursday morning, Naderspent much of his hourlong talk explaining the ballot challenges and criticizing the Democrats behind it.