Nader not welcome at Democratic convention

[Kadie]

Nader not welcome at Democratic convention

By LANCE GAY, Scripps Howard News Service


Last Updated: July 25, 2004, 05:37:00 PM PDT


BOSTON (SH) - Democrats on Sunday rolled back the welcome mat for longtime party activist Ralph Nader, saying he is not welcome at the Democratic convention because his independent presidential bid threatens to siphon votes away from John Kerry.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe told reporters he is denying Nader's request for credentials to attend the convention. He also said he is upset that Republicans are helping Nader's effort to get on the ballot as a Reform Party presidential nominee.

"He knows he can't be president," McAuliffe said. "His theory is that he is taking Republican votes" from George Bush. "I'm sorry, I don't buy that argument."

snip...
McAuliffe said Nader called him to ask for credentials to attend the FleetCenter ceremonies here, but he refused. I want him in this race helping us," McAuliffe said.

more... http://www.modbee.com/24hour/politics/story/1517496p-9029109c.html

[swag]

1. He can go to the Nader's Traitors Convention.

[IrishBloodEngHeart]

2. More proof Ralph has lost it

Why in the world we we allow him at the convention? So he can encourage people to vote for him instead of Kerry? He's like a psycho ex who won't stay away.

[arewenotdemo]

12. restraining order in order

"Psycho ex" is a very good analogy. Party can't really move across the country to gain 3000 miles separation from it, however.

Seems to me there are only two options. Either have to maintain some minimal contact (thereby monitoring its intentions) or file charges.

[spooky3]

16. Welcome to DU, arewenotdemo! Would we let * attend? Then why would

we admit Nader?

It really is a terrible shame that someone who did so much for this country is now so desperately in need of psychological help and apparently is not seeking it.

[arewenotdemo]

18. Thanx, spooky3.

Yeah, the man's a lost cause. IMO, Nadir runs a close second to Bush/Cheney when it comes to responsibility for this war. He can't wash all the blood off.

[name not needed]

3. He's not a democrat. What should he expect?

[fudge stripe cookays]

6. Oh. My. God.

NNN, I about busted a gut at your new signature!!!

I've been out of the loop for a few days (on vacation, with the laptop along for the ride).

That is f***ing hilarious!!

FSC

[havocmom]

4. GOOD! He can have his Republican patrons buy his supper

and leave us to the business of getting things done.

[BattyDem]

5. Let him go to the Republican Convention instead

After all, they're the ones supporting his campaign!

[zulchzulu]

9. Don't give the GOP any ideas

I'm sure they would take him up on the offer.

[MoonRiver]

21. I sincerely hope Nader attends and speaks at the RNC convention.

That would be the final nail on his political coffin. :evilgrin:

[Downtown Hound]

7. The fact that Nader would even ask...

No, no I can't be surprised. I just have to say once again, "What a freakin' asswipe!"

[zulchzulu]

8. Give Nader a big tin foil hat

If Nader thinks he seriously would get a chance to speak at the convention or act like he's actually "an important" person, he really needs some help mentally.

The only option would be if he can be a circus act where we get to pie him for a couple bucks. I'd buy a couple tickets.

[lastknowngood]

10. He ain't no democrat he's a repug shill

Cheney him to hell.

[Piperay]

11. What gall he has to

even ask for credentials, he must be nutz! :freak: :silly:

[divineorder]

13. Another sign of his cluelessness.

I remember reading last spring where he went to Dean headquarters and asked that Dean make him his running mate. I wonder how long after he left that all of the staffers felt free to laugh out loud at this. Even Dean probably was shaking his head. thinking, "WTF was that all about?".

I wonder what he thought he was going to do with the meetings he had with Kerry and McAuliffe, what he was going to get out of that, too.

And all of his Republican support, he really thinks they support HIM and his policies. NOT

[spooky3]

22. welcome to DU, divineorder! Clueless is right.

[DeaconBlues]

14. Yeh, we should let in him

and invite George W. Bush to speak while we're at it. :crazy:

[jonnyblitz]

15. LOL, is he...ummmm....SHOCKED? n/t

[curse10]

17. Good for McAuliffe for calling Ralph out

Nader needs a fucking reality check, and quick.

[mzmolly]

19. I'll say it again. "Gosh, I though he was arriving with Bush?"

;)

I'm so broken up about this. I am certain this will give him more bitterness and further excuse to continue his destrucitive dishonest campaign though.

[ProfessorPlum]

20. "Lance Gay"? What an amazing name

Oh, and also of course Nadar is not welcome at the Dem convention. Neither is any other competing candidate. Like Bush, for example.

[derby378]

23. Finally, a use for the "Free Speech Cage"

We could put Nader in there!

[derby378]

24. Randi Rhodes vs. Ralph Nader - March 31 (Part 1)

If anyone wants to see more, let me know and I'll try to transcribe it for you. Thanks!

-----

<Audioclip from JIMMY CARTER>

RANDI RHODES: Okay, uhm, that's a heavy-duty statement, Ralph Nader, and that came from the former President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, who relied upon you, uh, for advice. So what do you make of that?

RALPH NADER: Well, I just, uh, respond with his motto in 1976, when he ran for President; his motto throughout the country, and the title of his book, was "Why Not The Best?" Why not the best policies?

RHODES: <Laughs> Oh, we like ourselves, do we?

NADER: Why not the best policies? Why not the, why not the best way to, uh, to involve the American people? Why not give more voices choices in our Presidential election instead of having them locked up by the two parties who, uh, increasingly are dialing for the same corporate dollars?

RHODES: But we have the Green Party and your candidacy, and now they don't want you, so you're an independent. They don't think you’re the best.

NADER: No, the Green Party just hasn't made the decision until June as to whether they want a candidate and under what conditions, and that's too late for the ballot access deadline.

RHODES: And...

NADER: One out of every three Americans call themselves independent, and they've never really had an independent candidate for a long time.

RHODES: And, you know what? Er, another day, another time, I'm, you know, fine, good, let's do it. Let's put the best ideas on the table, whether they be Green, Reform, Independent. I don't...this time, we can't afford it, and you know it, so I'm thinking, now, just hear me out – as a very open-minded liberal, I'm thinking - maybe, Ralph does have this huge ego, and he lives in Connecticut, and lives small, and he’s really not into the, uh, you know, whole thing except for the power part of life - or, maybe Ralph wants to be a kingmaker. Do you know what I mean? Maybe you're going to make a deal with the Democrats and turn over any voters you might have out there to the Democrats in exchange for, I don't know, Trade Commissioner or something that you're interested in.

NADER: Well, you, you should know me better than that. There's no deal. Uhm, when you run for President, you run in all 50 states, you...

RHODES: But you said yesterday on CROSSFIRE that you were going to talk to Kerry.

NADER: Of course! Talking, talking to him, how to defeat George W. Bush. Do you really think the Democrats know how to defeat the Republicans? They've been losing for 10 years to, uh, the worst part of the Republican Party, losing the...

RHODES: Well, we've...

NADER: ...House and the Senate...

RHODES: ...we've, we've won for two elections, and then we lost the last one because the fix was in, and you know it was a dirty election...

NADER: Right...

RHODES: I know how it was in Florida.

NADER: You're right there. The Democrats won...

RHODES: So what do you mean "10 years?"

NADER: ...the election in 2000, but, but they weren't – they blundered, they didn’t know how to keep what they won. Now the Democrats are very similar on military policy, foreign policy, Federal Reserve policy, Food and Drug policy...

RHODES: No, they’re not...

NADER: ...agriculture, sure!

RHODES: The Democrats' policy, you know, and when the Republicans talk about "regime change," it was…

NADER: Yeah...

RHODES: ...the Clinton administration's policy, but it was regime change from within, it was never military action on our part on Iraq. That was not the policy. Policy was to get those people to forgive us for slaughtering them when the Republican President Bush (the First) told them "Rise up, and we'll get you back," and then they saw American helicopters that we sold to Saddam come and slaughter them; those are the people in the mass graves, and everybody knows it, or they need to know. But, but, we can’t afford you this year, Ralph.

[genius]

25. He an opposition candidate. They are also not allowing Bush to speak