Nader rips Kerry as "Gutless, Spineless, Clueless and Hapless"

[Drbio]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader accused his Democratic rival Sen. John Kerry on Tuesday of being responsible for a campaign to try and keep him off the Nov. 2 ballot.

Seen by many Democrats as the "spoiler" in the 2000 election that elected Republican George W. Bush as president, Nader's campaign said it was fighting 21 legal cases in 17 states in a bid to get the consumer advocate on the ballot.

Nader pointed the finger at Kerry and Democratic Party Chairman Terry McAuliffe for being behind what his campaign says is a program of harassment, intimidation and phony lawsuits that are costing tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees.

"The ballot access has drained our time and our resources," Nader told a news conference. "I have to hold Sen. John Kerry and Terry McAuliffe directly responsible."

The Kerry campaign did not immediately return phone calls asking for a response.

Nader's campaign played a tape they said was testimony by the head of the Democratic Party in Maine who is heard saying that the Democratic National Committee is paying for her time and expenses related to trying to keep Nader off the ballot.

The Nader campaign said that kind of coordination appeared to be illegal and should be investigated by the Federal Elections Commission.

His campaign said Nader was on the ballot in 29 states.

Nader called the Democrats "gutless, spineless, clueless and hapless" and said their gamble that people would vote for anyone but Bush was misguided and would make them lose the election.

Democrats around the United States have been challenging Nader's presence on the ballot, fearing he will again boost Bush's re-election chances by drawing votes that would otherwise go to Kerry.

Polls indicate the 2004 election may be as close as the one in 2000 when the Supreme Court ruled on the Florida recount to hand Bush victory over Democrat Al Gore.

Last week, Florida's Supreme Court ordered Nader could be allowed to compete in the state and a judge also ordered that he be included on the ballot in Colorado.

Judges in New Mexico and Arkansas have denied Nader access to the Nov. 2 ballot, but he did win a spot on the ballot in Maryland.,

[dude1394]

Couldn't agree more..

Nader called the Democrats "gutless, spineless, clueless and hapless" and said their gamble that people would vote for anyone but Bush was misguided and would make them lose the election.

Might add dishonest, cheating, lying, blame america firsters.

[LRB]

Just saw Kerry on the evening news campaigning in Florida saying that he'd "insure that this time every vote will count." What a crock of Sh!t. Kerry flat out lied. He's actively working to limit the rights of voters. Kerry couldn't be more disingenuousif he tried.

[MavKikiNYC]

I wonder if McAuliffe weren't so close to Clinton if he wouldn't already have been investigated for fraud and racketerring by now. But that Clinton amulet will only last for so long.

The Democrats really need to clean house at the top ranks of their party leadership. They are far more corrupt than anything going on with Republicans.

[kg_veteran]

Originally posted by: LRB
Just saw Kerry on the evening news campaigning in Florida saying that he'd "insure that this time every vote will count." What a crock of Sh!t. Kerry flat out lied. He's actively working to limit the rights of voters. Kerry couldn't be more disingenuousif he tried.

He wants every vote to count, he just wants to control who people have a choice of voting for.

[Drbio]

*bump*

Still no response from the liberals....go figure. [img]i/expressions/anim_roller.gif[/img]

[LRB]

Originally posted by: Drbio
*bump*

Still no response from the liberals....go figure. [img]i/expressions/anim_roller.gif[/img]

They're either just agree that what the DNC and the Kerry campaign are doing against Nader is wrong or they're just too busy filing petitions to get Nader off the ballots around the country.

[Mavdog]

I don't see what the DNC is doing as any different than the RNC is doing. The DNC is seeking for the rule of law on candidates be enforced to aid their chance of success, the RNC is giving aid to someone that is 180 degrees from their agenda to aid their chance of success.

BTW Nader called the Democrats, not just Kerry, "gutless..." etc.

[LRB]

Originally posted by: Mavdog
I don't see what the DNC is doing as any different than the RNC is doing. The DNC is seeking for the rule of law on candidates be enforced to aid their chance of success, the RNC is giving aid to someone that is 180 degrees from their agenda to aid their chance of success.

BTW Nader called the Democrats, not just Kerry, "gutless..." etc.

The reason that you can't see any difference is because of your blind partisanship. While I'll agree that I don't think that it's the right nor ethical think for the RNC to get involved with helping the Nader get the signatures to get on the ballot, it is hardly taking away choices from the voters. If the DNC wants to help say Pat Robertson to get on the ballot to take away from Bush's base then that would be equivalent. However when talking about ethical violations, I don't see how any reasonable person could put working to limit the choice of voters in the same category as helping someone get on the ballot who you don't plan on voting for.

BTW last time I checked Kerry was the democrats candidate for President.

[Mavdog]

The reason that you can't see any difference is because of your blind partisanship. While I'll agree that I don't think that it's the right nor ethical think for the RNC to get involved with helping the Nader get the signatures to get on the ballot, it is hardly taking away choices from the voters. If the DNC wants to help say Pat Robertson to get on the ballot to take away from Bush's base then that would be equivalent. However when talking about ethical violations, I don't see how any reasonable person could put working to limit the choice of voters in the same category as helping someone get on the ballot who you don't plan on voting for.

That's very amusing, I "can't see any difference...because of [my] blind partisanship" while you see a great deal of difference because of your "blind partisanship"! that's funny...

There is nothing unethical in the DNC seeking the enforcement of the law on candidate's being placed on a ballot. The law was in place prior to this election cycle so there was no changing of the rules focused on Nader. The other candidates followed the law to be placed on the ballot, Nader should follow the same rules.

How can efforts towards enforcing the law on ballot access be seen as unethical?

BTW last time I checked Kerry was the democrats candidate for President.

uh, yeah, did you not understand "BTW Nader called the Democrats, <u>not just Kerry</u>, "gutless..." etc."?

[dude1394]

Since it's so easy for nader supporters to write his name in then we should take kerry's name off and see how he does. silliness.

[dude1394]

The DNC and Kerry is doing the same thing to ralph nader that they did to all of the miliary voters in florida in 2000. They are challenging every vote, trying to use coercian and legal maneuvers to keep peoples vote from being cast. Same thing.

[Mavdog]

Originally posted by: dude1394
The DNC and Kerry is doing the same thing to ralph nader that they did to all of the miliary voters in florida in 2000. They are challenging every vote, trying to use coercian and legal maneuvers to keep peoples vote from being cast. Same thing.

uh huh, and going to court to stop the recounts in FL was not "coertion and legal maneuvers to keep peoples vote from being cast"....you have a very short and selective memory.

[Max Power]

There were very few Republicans who wouldn't have supported a general recount of Florida. Gore pushing for only selective counties to be recounted was the reason for the court's intervention.

[dude1394]

Nope going to court in florida to stop the "selective" recounts that gore was doing to try and steal the election is completely different from trying to get soldiers (WHO ARE SERVING ON THE FRONT LINES GETTING STINKING SHOT AT) votes thrown out.

[Mavdog]

Originally posted by: dude1394
Nope going to court in florida to stop the "selective" recounts that gore was doing to try and steal the election is completely different from trying to get soldiers (WHO ARE SERVING ON THE FRONT LINES GETTING STINKING SHOT AT) votes thrown out.

Everybody's vote is equal. nobody's vote is worth more than anyone else's.

like I said, selective memory.

[dude1394]

Open eyes now, look carefully dude.

1. Stopping a partisan recount in selective counties is NOT the same as
2. Throwing out someones ballot.

Good grief.

[Mavdog]

those voters whose ballots were not counted was the same as "throwing out someone's ballot"...theirs.

you're still looking thru partisan, selective eyes.

[dude1394]

Sorry voters who either didn't punch the chads out, voted twice or were "randomly" rejected by a counting machine is NOWHERE near the same as having your military ballot challenged by a slimey democrat lawyer.

You are not looking at all.

[Mavdog]

so you see that those whose chad didn't fall or the machine kicked out vote is not worth the same as the rest?

pathetic.

everybody's vote should be counted, every vote is worth the same as any other's.

[Max Power]

Originally posted by: Mavdog
so you see that those whose chad didn't fall or the machine kicked out vote is not worth the same as the rest?

pathetic.

everybody's vote should be counted, every vote is worth the same as any other's.

Again a general recount would have solved that problem. In fact it would have solved problems in other counties where the vote was miscounted. Why selectively correct the problem?

[Mavdog]

Originally posted by: Max Power

Again a general recount would have solved that problem. In fact it would have solved problems in other counties where the vote was miscounted. Why selectively correct the problem?

A general recount was the basis for the SCOTUS decision favoring Bush. in their majority opinion, they determined that there was not consistent standards from county to county on the recounts, violating the equal protection clause (if my memory is correct).

[dude1394]

Wow...Let's try this on for size..

1. The mean old gop takes african american ballots and throws them in the trash.
2. Folks who did not complete their ballot correctly or the machine spit them out RANDOMLY. You know RANDOMLY. + and -..

So which one is the democrats in this picture. 1!! You tell me that it's the same, okay. Well I don't think so, one is throwing out a legally cast ballot, the second is a random act of counting them.

[Drbio]

sheesh

[Drbio]

^
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Continues to sache and sidestep like a true kerry loving bitch

[Drbio]

*giggle*

[Mavdog]

altruism? antithetical to politics.

how is the DNC "cowardly and hypocritical" in utilizing legal means to keep nader off the ballot but the RNC is not when they are supporting a candidate they abhor?