on other hand, nader's folks are pretty disingenuous re. reps who were
apparently working to help him get on ballot,
You might want to verify your source.
Here's what Nader has to say about it...
Ralph Nader
Responds to Terry McAuliffe
False Statements
on Republican Support
Tells Him to Stop Democratic Dirty Tricks
Tells Him to Stop Democratic Dirty Tricks
Challenges
Kerry-Edwards to Debate
August 6, 2004
Terry McAuliffe, Chairman
Democratic National Committee
430 S. Capitol St. SE
Washington DC 20003
Dear Mr. McAuliffe:
I am writing in response to your letter of August 6, 2004 which contains numerous falsehoods. If you had not approved the actions of these Democratic officials I would assume that your dirty tricksters are misleading you. But since you have approved of this tasteless adventure, it is more likely that you are intentionally spreading false information and need to be saved from further recklessness by veracity. The falsehoods include:
- You asserted that: Signatures "for the most part are being gathered by Republicans." This is absolute fiction. We have many volunteers and signature gatherers working across the country gathering signatures on behalf of Nader-Camejo. Republican support, as I am sure you are aware is greatly exaggerated (as in Nevada where claims of Republican support are laughably false) and, in any event, contrary to our approach (as in Michigan where we do not need any signatures thanks to the Reform Party endorsement).
- State parties are merely checking to "make sure we play by the rules." You are able to invoke opposition using the rigged statutes that your Party and the Republicans enacted together in many states, but the actions of your underlings have gone further than that, e.g. spoiling ballot access conventions in Oregon, using taxpayer funded employees in Illinois to check signatures and more.
- Waiting for me to disavow "any financial or organizational help from Republicans or Republican groups." I have always said we reject organizational help from any major Party. As for individual contributions, I'll bet our major donations from individual Democrats far exceed major donations from individual Republicans in part because they want your Party to be pulled toward more progressive programs and away from its corporate grip and its corporate and corporate executive contributors. Look at your recent Convention's corporate hospitality suites and the at least $40 million in corporate contributions to your Party's coronation, for example. Besides, don't you want us to garner Republican votes?
- Aligning "with the kind of right-wing, Pat Buchanan conservatives" such as the Reform Party. Sadly, today's Reform Party is more progressive than the Democratic Party on many issues. They want an immediate withdrawal from Iraq not a continued quagmire occupation; they sincerely want statehood for Washington, DC; they want to withdraw from trade agreements that undermine our sovereignty and weaken environmental, labor and consumer protections; they want to truly protect the environment and support organic farming; they oppose the constitutionally abusive Patriot Act; they want election reforms that will create a more robust democracy including open debates and voting on weekends so America's workforce can vote more easily; they want a crackdown on corporate crime and an end to corporate welfare, and they demand reduction of the huge deficit that is a tax on our children.
However, your false claims about inappropriate Republican support should not cloud the actions of your Party, its lobbyists, law firms and underlings. As you can see from the enclosed article in The Los Angeles Times, we are very concerned about this nationwide effort to prevent voters from having a real choice. When I announced my candidacy, John Kerry said he would take my voters by taking my issues. Do you lack confidence in Senator Kerry? If you were confident in him, you would not be harassing, litigating and dirty tricking us from being on the ballot. You would not be trying to deny voters from making their own choices.
August 6, 2004
Terry McAuliffe, Chairman
Democratic National Committee
430 S. Capitol St. SE
Washington DC 20003
Dear Mr. McAuliffe:
I am writing in response to your letter of August 6, 2004 which contains numerous falsehoods. If you had not approved the actions of these Democratic officials I would assume that your dirty tricksters are misleading you. But since you have approved of this tasteless adventure, it is more likely that you are intentionally spreading false information and need to be saved from further recklessness by veracity. The falsehoods include:
- You asserted that: Signatures "for the most part are being gathered by Republicans." This is absolute fiction. We have many volunteers and signature gatherers working across the country gathering signatures on behalf of Nader-Camejo. Republican support, as I am sure you are aware is greatly exaggerated (as in Nevada where claims of Republican support are laughably false) and, in any event, contrary to our approach (as in Michigan where we do not need any signatures thanks to the Reform Party endorsement).
- State parties are merely checking to "make sure we play by the rules." You are able to invoke opposition using the rigged statutes that your Party and the Republicans enacted together in many states, but the actions of your underlings have gone further than that, e.g. spoiling ballot access conventions in Oregon, using taxpayer funded employees in Illinois to check signatures and more.
- Waiting for me to disavow "any financial or organizational help from Republicans or Republican groups." I have always said we reject organizational help from any major Party. As for individual contributions, I'll bet our major donations from individual Democrats far exceed major donations from individual Republicans in part because they want your Party to be pulled toward more progressive programs and away from its corporate grip and its corporate and corporate executive contributors. Look at your recent Convention's corporate hospitality suites and the at least $40 million in corporate contributions to your Party's coronation, for example. Besides, don't you want us to garner Republican votes?
- Aligning "with the kind of right-wing, Pat Buchanan conservatives" such as the Reform Party. Sadly, today's Reform Party is more progressive than the Democratic Party on many issues. They want an immediate withdrawal from Iraq not a continued quagmire occupation; they sincerely want statehood for Washington, DC; they want to withdraw from trade agreements that undermine our sovereignty and weaken environmental, labor and consumer protections; they want to truly protect the environment and support organic farming; they oppose the constitutionally abusive Patriot Act; they want election reforms that will create a more robust democracy including open debates and voting on weekends so America's workforce can vote more easily; they want a crackdown on corporate crime and an end to corporate welfare, and they demand reduction of the huge deficit that is a tax on our children.
However, your false claims about inappropriate Republican support should not cloud the actions of your Party, its lobbyists, law firms and underlings. As you can see from the enclosed article in The Los Angeles Times, we are very concerned about this nationwide effort to prevent voters from having a real choice. When I announced my candidacy, John Kerry said he would take my voters by taking my issues. Do you lack confidence in Senator Kerry? If you were confident in him, you would not be harassing, litigating and dirty tricking us from being on the ballot. You would not be trying to deny voters from making their own choices.
Your letter fails to disavow these actions. Do you support these dirty tricks?
Your Party has received millions of dollars from known wealthy Republicans hedging their bets - a tradition that wealthy Democrats also follow for Republican Presidential candidates. Please send me the names of those Republicans and the amount of their contributions. Moreover, kindly admit as soon as possible that your letter contained false statements and do not repeat them.
I expect that you will have enough confidence in the debating capabilities of Senator John Kerry and Senator John Edwards to have the two party created and controlled Commission on Presidential Debates* open its doors to me and my vice presidential nominee, Peter Miguel Camejo. Polls indicated Californians believed Camejo did the best during the California gubernatorial recall debate last year.
Sincerely,
Ralph Nader
cc: Senator John Kerry
Senator John Edwards
