Nader Urges Kerry to Pick Edwards for VP

[Bombtrack]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20040623/ap_on_el_pr/nader_kerry
WASHINGTON - Democrat John Kerry (news - web sites) is getting some advice on his choice for vice president from an unlikely source: rival Ralph Nader.

In an open letter sent Wednesday, the independent presidential candidate urged Kerry to choose John Edwards (news - web sites) as his running mate, saying the North Carolina senator and former trial lawyer has been thoroughly vetted and is committed to protecting the right of consumers to sue corporations that harm them.

"(Edwards) has already gone through a primary campaign and has his rhythm and oratory (the two Americas speech) all well-honed," Nader wrote to Kerry. "After a slow start, Sen. Edwards closed fast and has won praise from the media."

<snip>.......

[JI7]

1. Kerry should pick Edwards and say Nader has endorsed that ticket

[Kahuna]

6. Yep! I thought the same thing.

nt

[Mike L]

52. Nader the "union buster"

http://www.leftbusinessobserver.com/Nader.html

"Ralph as boss
Now, Nader talks like a big friend of labor, but his history is a bit more complicated. In the early 1970s, his Raiders' work on transportation regulation treated unionized airline and trucking workers as among the beneficiaries of government-sanctioned monopolies; that work contributed importantly to the movement for deregulation of these industries, with disastrous effects on workers, later in the decade.

Closer to home, Nader was the prime mover in a very ugly tale about a publication he founded, Multinational Monitor. In 1984, he fired then-editor Tim Shorrock (an occasional contributor to LBO), allegedly for running a story on Bechtel's alleged bribery of South Korean officials to get construction contracts without getting Nader's approval. (So much for editorial independence.) But the sacking came after a long history of fights between Nader and Shorrock over near-sweatshop working conditions as well as editorial policy, with Nader, among other things, objecting to Shorrock's attempts to link CIA behavior to the interests of multinationals.

Shorrock was given three months to leave. In response, he and two colleagues organized a campaign to get reinstated, and, as Shorrock told LBO, they

enlisted the support of a number of writers, union activists and subscribers. Nader refused to meet with the group or even acknowledge its existence. Finally, our staff decided to ask for union recognition, and filed papers with Nader and the National Labor Relations Board. Within 24 hours, the locks on our offices had been changed and I was fired - by Nader's closest aides, who had been conveniently "given" the magazine as a free gift by Nader. In the next two weeks, the rest of the staff was laid off (and never rehired). From that point on, the Monitor became a scab publication.

But we kept up the fight, filed unfair labor practice charges with the NLRB and kept pestering Nader and his surrogates with protest letters and petitions. Then Nader retaliated: first, his aides tried to get the Washington, D.C., police to arrest me for stealing files. The case was thrown out of court. So we went public, and took our story to the Washington Post. Shortly thereafter, Nader's aides filed a $1.2 million civil suit against myself, the ex-staffers of the Monitor and one of our supporters from the Institute for Policy Studies, on the charge that we had tried to "destroy their business."

Eventually, a settlement was reached: we dropped the NLRB case, they dropped the suit. But the damage was done. Like the corporations he abhors, Nader won his fight through heavy-handed tactics and intimidation. No union was ever formed at the Monitor, and business went on. "I don't think there is a role for unions in small non-profit 'cause' organizations any more than...within a monastery or within a union," Nader told the Washington Post on June 28, 1984.

The Monitor story is not unique: around the same time, a much bigger union drive was squelched at Public Citizen, the largest of the Nader organizations....

A couple things I would add. First, Nader's campaign against me was incredibly vicious. His top aides spread all kinds of rumors about me in Washington and managed to get me pretty well blacklisted from the public interest crowd (which actually was a good thing). They even tried to convince people I was a communist (!!!) out to subvert Nader's organizations.

Ralph Nader may look like a democrat, smell like a populist, and sound like a socialist - but deep down he's a frightened, petit bourgeois moralizer without a political compass, more concerned with his image than the movement he claims to lead: in short, an opportunist, a liberal hack. And a scab."

Will the Naderites and Greens ever realize who they are really endorsing?

[billybob537]

2. Nader should go pound sand up his ass!

He doesn't want to be part of the solution, He's part of the problem.

3. I'm suspicious of Nader's motivations

So Kerry picks Edwards and then Nader can say -- see this just proves what I say about Democrats.

I'm not saying that Kerry picking Edwards would prove Nader's point, I'm saying that Nader might well say it though.

If Nader really wants to have an impact on the Democratic party this go round, he should be in the Democratic party.

Between elections, I'm fine with Nader influencing from the outside, but at this point, I'm not. I was also fine with Nader influencing from the outside in '96 and 2000, but not this time around.

[spooky3]

4. It's just bad form for a candidate to advise a competitor

as to whom s/he should select as a running mate. Ralph, if you want to have a voice within the Dem. party, get out of the race as a competitor candidate and work to raise funds for Kerry.

And anyway, that's OUR job! :-)

And I agree with Nader's reasoning, even if I am completely opposed to his articulating it as a rival pres. candidate!

[JI7]

5. i think Kerry told Nader who he was likely to pick from

and from what we know it says gephardt or edwards have been vetted so if that's true kerry might have told nader he might pick gephardt or edwards and maybe someone else. so nader tells kerry to pick them so if/when kerry does it makes nader seem more powerful than he is. and from recent news it seems edwards is more likely to be picked so nader comes out and says to pick edwards so if he is nader will be seen as having more power. even though the choices were ones kerry made before nader said anything.

but if kerry picks edwards it would be chance for them to say whenever nader is brought up that nader has endorsed the kerry/edwards ticket.

[BootinUp]

11. No way did Kerry tell Nader

anything that wasn't in the press already. Your theory is interesting, but I don't think Kerry trusts Nader as far as he can throw him. So bottom-line, Nader is pulling it out of his ass.

[JI7]

12. yeah, nothing secret

i mean he might have confirmed some things we already know. such as edwards and gephardt were being vetted and he is considering them. these are things which are in public. so nader might see that and assume kerry is likely to pick them so he endorses them. notice his endorsement of gephardt and edwards came around the time when news was reporting the gephardt and edwards vetting things. and now with edwards getting a lot of attention and seeming likely to be picked,nader jumps in and says kerry should pick him. so if kerry does pick him then nader can try to make it as if he had something to do with it when in reality kerry was considering far before nader said something.

[x_y_no]

7. Seems like a good reason not to pick Edwards.

n/t

[surfermaw]

36. You have the same thoughts I have a bout the shoving of Clark

[Dinger]

8. Yup, He Sure IS Being Shoved Up Our A$$es, Isn't He?

Than Nader endorses him? No shit he endorses Edwards, he's in bed with the repukes after all. Cripes, will somebody give me some GOOD news!

Yeah, Nader endorses Edwards.. . that's just perfect.

[Mobius]

28. I wasnt quite as nice in my reply Ding,

scroll down! LOLOLOL!

[wjsander]

9. Well, scratch Edwards name off the list

Guess that solidifies Gephardt as Kerry's running mate. Thanks, Ralph, for doing everything you can to ensure Bush 4 more years.

[IronLionZion]

10. I urge Nader to go jump in a lake

[West Coast Democrat]

13. Umm...this is like * urging Kerry whom to choose as running mate

Isn't it?

[sangh0]

14. Not exactly

At least Bush* has some experience winning an election (as Governor of Tx, not ElectionTheft2000)

[KittyWampus]

34. Zing

:D

[Still_Loves_John]

15. Thats bizarre

Edwards is no more liberal than Kerry, and if Kerry apparently isn't good enough for Ralph it's strange that Edwards would be. I think he just picked the most likely name so it looks like he has influence when Kerry chooses Edwards.

[ECH1969]

17. You need to understand

Nader doesn't want Kerry to pick someone who will take votes away from him. Nader doesn't fear that Edwards will take votes from him.

[Still_Loves_John]

18. You need to understand

that Dean would lose more undecideds than he would gain in disaffected Deaniacs.

[ECH1969]

19. According to what poll?

From what I have seem the polls from both Zogby and Fox show that is not at all true.

[Still_Loves_John]

20. Correct me if I'm wrong

but Kerry/Dean is polling even with Kerry/Gehpardt.

And its not just about polls now. They would be able to rip Dean apart just by showing that scream speech a couple times. I'm not saying it's fair, but the VP pick is supposed to be safe, and Dean is too controversial.

[ECH1969]

22. According to the Zogby polling

Kerry/Dean and Kerry/Geppy are tied nationally, but Kerry/Dean has a big lead over Kerry/Geppy in the battle ground states. And, Dean is ahead both nationally and in battle ground states in the Fox poll.


And, no the media is not going to replay the Iowa speech hundreds of times. That is simply false. ABC, NBC, CNN, have all issued apologies to the Dean campaign for overplaying the speech. Hell, even Fox has offered the Dean campaign somewhat of an apology by saying they did overplay it, but that it acutally helped keep Dean in the race longer.
So, no the media won't play up the speech again, because they would look like liars for doing the same thing they already apologised for.

And, the public is long inured by the whole thing and couldn't care less as the polls currently show. It will not become an issue again unless scared dems that fear people are still bothered by it decide to continue to make it an issue.

[Still_Loves_John]

23. The media isnt some monolith

If you think it won't be played on talk radio, crossfire, hardball, etc. you've got another thing coming.

But the speech in itself isn't what I meant. It's more the general perception that Dean is the "angry guy." I'm not saying that there is a good basis for that characterization, but you shouldn't pick a VP that you have to defend. The VP should be someone as uncontroversial as possible, and Dean is not.

[surfermaw]

38. I would take The Dr. if my candidate dosen't witn

Cut and dried Edwards

[Mike L]

53. What scream speech? Oh, you mean this one?

http://www.aginsights.com/dean.htm

[ECH1969]

16. Ralph just wants two things

To not have a VP for Kerry that would further take away votes from him like Dean.

To be able to say that his endorsement was what made Kerry pick Edwards even though Nader already knows Edwards is the most likely pick of the party right now.

[deminflorida]

21. Another wonderful Endorsement...

We should all be proud...first the right-wing media and now....
Ralph Nader.

This is just what we need to relay to moderate-swing voters in the country, that the Greens are calling the shots in the Democratic Party.

Then again if it can be played for an additional 4% nationally then give it to Edwards and bring them onboard...Just have Clark standing back stage holding up foreign policy que-cards during the Edwards/Cheney debate...


:eyes:

[Scoopie]

33. Hahahahahaha!

Good one.

[Skwmom]

24. Nader is really *ell bent on destroying the Democratic party.

I've always had my doubts but not anymore. He is definitely a man on a mission.

[filterfish]

29. Wait a minute, those are real people supporting Nader...

and Nader's critique of Coke and Pepsi (Gop & Dems) ain't that bad. Edwards is soooo safe. Kerry should try and pull those voters in by picking a firebrand...ahem

[Skwmom]

31. Safe?

Yeah he is a safe bet for the Republicans.

[MaryBear]

41. Is he bent on destruction, or

on change? Nader is a bit too "pure" in his thinking for me; I see life as more fluid with drifts of fog here and there, than he does. Still, he and Camejo just keep on keeping on, one foot in front of the other walking toward their image of a better life for humankind. (Pardon my mixed metaphors -- I like to do that, being a foggy bear.)

[Skwmom]

48. I think you're right that he wants change.

And I believe that he thinks only by annihilating the Democratic party and starting from scratch will that occur.

[Mobius]

25. "has won praise from the media" is a huge fucking red flag to start...

Also:
YA KNOW... If the media wants Edwards, something is wrong. Also, who the FUCK is NADER to be giving any advice to Kerry? Is this his pathetic attempt at extortion? (ie. if you pick Edwards I'll drop out...) The last polls I saw on pollingreport.com reported that with out Nader in the race Kerry would lead by five more points and Bush would only get one more point. This means that Kerry is getting more voted taken from him by a margin of 5 to 1 ! If Nader is so God-Damned concerned about the country, and knuckling under to corporate interests, why doesn't he stop campaining for Bush (the biggest corporate whore that ever lived?
:mad::nuke::argh::puke::wtf::grr::thumbsdown:

[janx]

26. If Nader ever told me to do anything, I'd do the opposite

right away.

So maybe Kerry should announce Gep as VP as soon as possible!

[Mobius]

27. Gep my ass

Clark all the way. Im sure Kerry is trying to throw off people, and RARELY does the press fav get the VP nod. However Id go Geppy over constipated boy, any day of the week.

[Dinger]

30. Damn Mobius, You Sure Don't Screw Around, Do you?

Loved your posts on this thread! Thanks. I am sick and tired of hearing how Edwards is the one, puke, puke. Also, thanks for making me laugh; all this crap shoving Edwards up everybody's ass is really getting to me, and I really hope Kerry doesn't cast Clark aside. My God, he is a national treasure. his resume looks made up! But he's the REAL DEAL! (hint hint)

[Mobius]

32. No I dont screw around!

look at my poll. See who the people REALLY WANT. I better not say constipated boy too many more times, or ill get banned. O8)

[wjsander]

37. Wow, if the people REALLY wanted him...

How come he only got 59 delegates? Isn't that about 1/9th what Edwards got? Maybe more people DO want Clark, they just don't get out to the voting booths that much. ;)

[Adelante]

46. How many delegates did Edwards have?

At the time Clark dropped out? If you have any interest in projecting a meaningful comparison, that is.

[wjsander]

47. okay

170 :)

[KittyWampus]

35. SonofaMillworker, If This Isn't A Flashing Neon WARNING Sign

don't know what is.

[Josh]

39. If Nader is "anti-war" HOW can he suggest Edwards? What is Nader doing?

For a guy who claims to be the only 'anti war' candidate in the campaign, he sure doesn't seem to be believing in those views. He's previously told Kerry to pick Gephardt or Edwards, both whom voted for the war (Gephardt if you remember stood in the Rose Garden with Bush to champion the IWR) and now he's narrowed it down to Edwards, who said during the campaign that despite what he knows now, he still would have invaded Iraq.

THE MAN HAS NO PRINCIPLES. Nader is all about Nader.

[Darkamber]

44. Fighting the Corps is more important to Nader...

The point that he brought out in the article is that Edwards is dedicated to preserving the courts and consumers rights. Something that Nader is big on.

I don't put much weight in what he has to say one way or another, but I think for him the Corp. battle is the one of more importance to him.

[deminflorida]

40. "Why not give them a scare"...

That's what I heard Ralph say on NPR today about supporting him and waking up the Democratic Party.

Well Ralph, here's a little info...your twitching eye always scares my five year old daughter when your on T.V. and your endorsement of Edwards today is now scaring the hell out of me.

MISSON ACCOMPLISHED FRUITCAKE.

:scared:

[NNadir]

42. Now that we've heard from the Repuke Nader, who does Bush pick?

Fuck that Republican shill Nader.

I heard the fuck on the NPR propaganda channel this afternoon.

I heard him engaging in perfect Repuke doublespeak. Everything he said reminded me of his fellow Repuke Bush. It was rather like when Bushco calls unrestricted logging, "Healthy forests," unrestricted coal burning "Clear skies initiative."

Nader is a fucking CNN corporate whore who is beneath contempt. He did not mention the Repukes ONCE today except to express his admiration for Richard Nixon. The fuck criticized the Democrats more than Dick Cheney. And the whores at NPR kept genuflecting in the cheap liar's direction.

Fuck Nader. As far as I'm concerned the senile piece of shit can't die fast enough.

[Upfront]

43. What Could Nader Know?

I don't think Nader wants kerry to win and he is pushing Edwards. Several rethugs want Edwards, why? I don't think it will be Edwards as something dosen't seem right. Could there be something in Edwards background that hasn't came out? Just wondering?

[bklyncowgirl]

45. What's going on here?

Take your pick folks.

1. Is Nader really trying to give Kerry friendly advice, one liberal candidate to another and he's actually serious about Edwards being the best choice?

2. Is Nader trying to sabatoge Edward's chances thus keeping an attractive candidate from being nominated.

3. Is Nader really trying to boost Edwards in order to hurt Kerry? Does he know something negative about Edwards that we don't?

This all beats the hell out of me. One thing's for sure. If Nader really wants to help Kerry he can just drop the hell out!

[Comicstripper]

49. I think

...that Nader is telling Kerry, in his own way, what ticket he would support. I think Nader wants to beat Bush, and I'm expecting Ralph to throw his support to Kerry come mid- October. That may be nutty, but it's what I think. So poo-poo on all of you.

[genius]

50. So if Kerry picks Edwards, will Nader drop out?

[spooky3]

51. someone should have asked him that great question!

[Hippo_Tron]

54. Picking the VP on Nader's advice is the same as picking him on *'s advice

They are both Kerry's opponents in the race and his opponents are about the last people he should be listening to for advice like this. If Nader said that he would drop out and endorse the Kerry/Edwards ticket that would be a different story. But since that doesn't seem to be the case, then this is useless.

[Mike L]

55. Ya'll wanna do somethin about Nader

instead of just bitchin'? Contribute here:

http://www.thenaderfactor.com/