Democratic Big Money Efforts to Block the Nader-Camejo

Howard Dean, John Kerry, The Big Fib
and the Democratic Big Money Efforts to Block the Nader-Camejo Campaign Right to Ballot Access

Washington, DC: The Independent Presidential Campaign of Ralph Nader described Howard Dean’s claim that Democrats are not trying to block the Nader Campaign a "Big Fib."

In a debate between Ralph Nader and Howard Dean today, Dean claimed that he opposed efforts by Democrats to block Nader from getting on the ballot and he was not aware of any such efforts. In reality, Howard Dean has participated in efforts to keep Nader off the ballot. In Oregon, the Nader-Camejo Campaign has held two conventions to get on the ballot. Oregon law requires 1,000 people to sign petitions all at once at a single convention. On the days of both conventions, April 5 and June 26, Howard Dean held press conferences in Oregon by telephone with reporters denouncing the Nader Campaign and urging voters to stay away from the Nader ballot access conventions. Certainly this double timing was not a coincidence.

"How can Mr. Dean tell a national audience he opposes efforts to keep the Nader-Camejo Campaign off the ballot, when in fact he is promoting such efforts in Oregon? Mr. Dean needs to disavow his own actions!" said Nader. "In addition, across the country, with the blessing of the Democratic National Committee, Democrats are promising to line-up law firms to litigate our ballot access on frivolous technicalities. Democrats are harassing our petitioners. This anti-democratic activity by the Democratic Party limiting the voter’s choices to only the two major party candidates, is a repudiation of voters who wish to vote for candidates of their choice and shows the lack of confidence Democrats have in their own candidate."

On the day Senator Kerry chose Senator Edwards as his running mate, Nader asked Kerry about organized efforts to keep him off the ballot. Kerry claimed lack of knowledge of such activity but promised to "look into it" saying some groups he controlled and others he did not. "I cautioned Senator Kerry that he should get control of his troops as they may create a mini-Watergate for him," said Nader. "I want Senator Kerry to tell Democrats immediately to stop trying to undermine democracy by blocking voters from having more choices in the election."

Regarding the support of organizations that oppose the Nader-Camejo agenda, Nader said: "All we have seen is press reports and press releases. There has been no contact with them. We don’t ask people their Party registration or interview them before they donate. Nor do any other parties. We do not take money from commercial interests or political action committees. We accept money only from individuals. Over the years Democrats have taken big money from Republicans and vice versa because these donors hedge their bets."

For example, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, five of Kerry’s top 19 donors have also donated to the Bush Campaign. These include people from major US corporate interests: Citigroup ($157,806 to Kerry, $557,275 to Bush), UBS Americas ($157,450 to Kerry, $431,850 to Bush), Goldman Sachs ($155,250 to Kerry, $350,875 to Bush), Microsoft ($104,663 to Kerry, $184,040 for Bush), Morgan Stanley ($101,954 to Kerry, $557,275 to Bush). Are the Democrats and the media going to ask John Kerry to return the nearly $700,000 he has received from these donors ­ as well as from the many others who are also supporting the Republican campaign?

"Why is it acceptable for the Kerry campaign to share donors with corporate interests (e.g., banking, oil, drug, insurance, securities) and at the same time criticize the Nader-Camejo campaign for receiving support from a handful of individual Republicans? Why is it acceptable for Kerry to court Republican, pro Iraq War, Sen. John McCain as his first-choice running mate, even though they disagree on many issues, but unacceptable for some Republicans to support the Nader-Camejo campaign which, by the way, is trying to get the votes of disaffected Republicans’ who are furious with Bush’s practices? (See Ralph Nader’s letter to conservatives upset with Bush policies and his interview with American Conservative at: http://www.votenader.org/why_ralph/writings.php.) There seems to be a hypocritical double standard here," said Nader. "The Democrats are whining to mask their own shenanigans."