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Category: News and Politics
Nader announces presidential exploratory committee
<http://www.naderexplore08.org>
by Kai Schwandes
Wednesday, 30 January 2008
Ralph Nader has formed a presidential exploratory
committee, and said in an interview Wednesday that
he will launch another presidential bid if he's
convinced he can raise enough money to appear on
the vast majority of state ballots this fall.
Nader, who ran as an independent candidate in each of
the past three presidential elections, told
ABCNews.com that he will run in 2008 if he is
convinced over the next month that he would be able
to raise $10 million over the course of the campaign
attract enough lawyers willing to work free of charge
to get his name on state ballots.
Nader said he filed papers with the Federal
Election Commission and launched a Web Site
(<http://www.naderexplore08.org> ) after Dennis
Kucinich,
a liberal Ohio congressman, announced his decision
to withdraw from the presidential race last week.
He was set to announce that he had formed an
exploratory committee Wednesday, even before former
Sen. John Edwards made it known that he'd be ending
his candidacy. But with Edwards who has made economic
populism and ending poverty cornerstones of his
campaign leaving the Democratic field, Nader said,
he feels his candidacy is more urgent than ever.
"When Kucinich threw in the towel, now you have
Edwards gone who's going to carry the torch of
democratic populism against the relentless domination
of powerful corporations of our government?" Nader
said. "You can't just brush these issues to the side
because the candidates are ignoring them."
He has harsh words for the leading Democratic
candidates, Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack
Obama, chastising them for failing to advance
aggressive plans to tax corporations more fairly,
and to fight for a vastly higher minimum wage.
Obama, he said, is a particular disappointment, since
his background suggests that he knows the importance
of progressive issues yet hasn't fought for them in
the Senate.
"His record in the Senate is pretty mediocre," Nader
said. "His most distinctive characteristic is the
extent to which he censors himself. He hasn't
performed as a really progressive first-term
senator would."
His "self-censorship, " Nader said, "is a reflection
of character."
He's no kinder to the Republican frontrunner, Sen.
John McCain. "Senator McCain is the candidate of
perpetual war," he said.
Nader also rejects the "spoiler" label many Democrats
have applied to him since 2000, when his candidacy
was blamed in some circles for helping defeat
Democratic candidate Al Gore.
"That is the sign of political bigotry," he said.
"Why aren't the major candidates spoilers? They
represent parties that spoil our electoral system and
our government."
------------ ----------------------------------------
CNN Coverage
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/01/30/nader
<http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/01/30/nader>
-takes-steps- towards-another-white-house-bid/
Ralph Nader, the longtime consumer advocate who was
blamed by many Democrats for Al Gore's loss in the
2000 presidential election, launched an exploratory
committee Wednesday for another White House bid, and
told CNN he is likely to get in the race if he can
put the resources in place. Nader attracted close to
100,000 votes in Florida in 2000 - a state Al Gore
ultimately lost to George Bush by approximately 100
votes. He brushes aside suggestions his candidacy
this year may ultimately spoil the election for the
Democratic Party.
"Political bigotry will be the label on anybody who
uses the word 'spoiler,' he said. "Because 'spoiler'
means minor candidates are second class citizens.
Either we have an equal right to run for election, or
we are spoilers for each other trying to get each
other's votes."
<http://www.naderexplore08.org>
2:11 AM
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