Ark. DemGaz: Blatant collusion! Top Arkansas Repubs signed Nader petition!

[DeepModem Mom]

Is this the most blatant case of Republican/Nader collusion we have seen reported? Top Republicans in Arkansas ("officeholders...candidates...paid staff") signed Nader's petition.


Publication:Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Date: 20 August 2004 ; Section:Arkansas; Page:13

Ballot bid for Nader has GOP signatures

BY SETH BLOMELEY ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

State House Republican leader Michael Lamoureux said Thursday that he didn’t pretend to support Ralph Nader when he asked about 50 friends and relatives to sign a petition to get Nader’s name on the presidential ballot in Arkansas.

"My goal is to help President Bush win the election, and this is a small part I can play to help him win Arkansas," Lamoureux of Russellville said. "Having Ralph Nader on the ballot will improve President Bush’s chances of winning Arkansas."

Lamoureux said he’s hoping Nader’s presence will siphon votes from Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry.

The state Democratic Party said Lamoureux isn’t the only Republican who is helping Nader.

According to research that state Democrats released Thursday, 24 Republican activists signed a petition to place Nader’s name on the ballot for president in Arkansas.

Republicans who signed the petition for the widely known consumer and environmental activist include former state Sen. Doyle Webb of Benton, who is chief of staff to Lt. Gov. Win Rockefeller. Rockefeller is the state GOP chairman.

The Democrats also found five signatures of people they said are paid staff members of the state Republican Party.

"The fact that so many Republicans, ranging from officeholders and candidates to paid staff, signed these petitions shows the desperation of the state Republican Party," state Democratic Party Chairman Ron Oliver said in a statement. "They know that Arkansas is a battleground state, and their transparent efforts to help Ralph Nader show how worried they are about Bush’s prospects in the election."...

***

Nader qualified for the Arkansas ballot last week after his supporters turned in 1,593 signatures on a petition to place his name on the ballot. He needed 1,000 verified signatures from registered Arkansas voters....

http://epaper.ardemgaz.com/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib:ArticleToMail&Type=text/html&Path=ArDemocrat/2004/08/20&ID=Ar01304


(NOTE: Arkansas DUers: Would someone send this story to the national press, so it gets attention? Please send to [e-mail], [e-mail], and/or [e-mail]. Other DUers: Please send this story to any other news source, or blog you think would be interested. Thanks!)

[RobertSeattle]

1. Sounds like a Top 10 Idiots Nominee

These same Hyprocrites would be raging with fury if Dem's did the same thing.

[DeepModem Mom]

4. Very good suggestion! nt

[yellowcanine]

2. I will laugh my ass off if Nader takes more votes from Bush than Kerry in

Arkansas.

[NewHampshireDem]

3. Proof they know they are losing and are desparate ...

They can't run on *'s record, so they've got to hope for a spoiler? Pathetic.