On the phone with Ralph Nader

[UGABrother]

From Salon.com
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July 14, 2004 | Last Friday, Ralph Nader's campaign spokesman Kevin Zeese e-mailed Salon, saying that Nader wanted to speak with Salon editor David Talbot "about recent articles that have appeared in Salon concerning him and his candidacy." The following is a transcript of the ensuing three-way phone conversation among Nader, Zeese and Talbot. It ranged over Rupert Murdoch (whose company published Nader's new book), Democratic "dirty tricks" against the independent candidate's presidential bid, and Nader's acceptance of conservative money and support.

Nader opened the conversation by charging that Salon had not solicited a response from him when preparing two recent critical pieces about him -- "The Dark Side of Ralph Nader," by Lisa Chamberlain, and "Strange Alliance," by Eric Boehlert. For the record, Chamberlain made repeated phone calls to Nader's campaign office and Zeese's cellphone seeking a comment from Nader or his spokesman but received no replies. And Boehlert spoke to Zeese on the phone, quoting him in his piece.

Nader: Why didn't your reporters call for a response?

Talbot: They did.

Nader: Since was writing about the campaign, wouldn't you have the decency to call our campaign office?

Talbot: It's always Salon's procedure, whenever we do a critical article on anyone -- whether it's the Bush administration or you or anyone -- to give them a chance to respond. That's always our policy.

Nader: Look, I've been in journalism too, and when I was doing a critical piece on someone, I would call.

Talbot: Look, Ralph, I'm just not buying your premise that our reporter didn't try to reach you. Someone in your organization is not giving you the right information...

Nader: Wait, wait, wait! No, I'm telling you, if you make a call and you don't get through, and you're not working under deadline because you're working on the damned thing for three or four weeks, you write a letter. You write a letter! That's what I do. You write a letter!

Talbot: Our track record with you is that you've ducked every request we've made for an interview. We've called your office, we've gone through your friends, old Nader Raiders, people you trust and like. We've tried a number of ways to speak with you. And you've repeatedly avoided us. So what we decided when we contacted you again recently -- and again tried unsuccessfully to get you on the phone -- was that we were getting the same old runaround. You obviously weren't going to talk with us.
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Here's the link. I'm not sure if it's available to nonsubscribers or not.. You should subscribe anyway if you don't already--Salon is the BEST online news source.

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2004/07/14/naderphonecall/index.html

[Scairp]

1. You're not following the rules for LBN

I don't think this is LBN, but at any rate, the subject line MUST read exactly as the headline of the article does, and you need to include an excerpt from the article itself. Posting it this way is sure to get it either moved or locked.

[Ruffhowse]

2. God, Nader is such a PRICK!!!

Any chance of any respect I had for Nader has been erased by reading that interview. Nader keeps talking about his candidacy representing some kind of "party". I've got news for you Ralphie, you're a party of ONE, and people are tired of your compulsive need to stay relevant and in the public eye. I will NEVER support another Ralph Nader sponsored initiative ever ever ever again.

[WindRavenX]

3. wow

Just wow.
This guy is right up there on my asshole list...

[dobak]

4. Nader is old news....

I live in a district that was one of Nader's biggest supporters in 2000.

I work at a bookstore in the same neighborhood and can say with confidence that Nader's new book is a bomb at my store (look for it in 6 months on the bargain racks).

He was such an important and powerful person from the sidelines and then he got an ego. Instead of going down in history as an important voice for the voiceless he will be remembered for his egotism and possibly tipping 2 elections to Bush.

[dolstein]

5. Wow, Nader is such an ASS

NT