Nader Urges Kerry to Pick John Edwards as Vice President

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

love him or hate him, here's ralph's new one:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 23, 2004


Nader Urges Kerry to Pick John Edwards as Vice President
He is vetted and prepared and will defend the right of Americans to sue
corporations that injure them.

John Kerry
John Kerry for President, Inc.
901 15th Street, NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20005

Dear Senator Kerry:

I want to urge you to select Senator John Edwards as your vice
presidential candidate. He has already gone through a primary campaign
and has his rhythm and oratory (the two Americas speech) all well honed.
After a slow start, Senator Edwards closed fast and has won praise from
the media. As you know, Presidential candidates reach a tiny fraction of
voters directly. The vast majority of voters can only be reached by the
mass media.

There is another reason for choosing Senator Edwards. One of the pillars
(the other two being civil rights and civil liberties) of our democracy
– the civil justice system – is under severe attack by the corporate
supremacists who wish to deny wrongfully injured or defrauded people
from having their full day in court or even a partial day in court.
Senator Edwards can stand up for the millions of Americans who suffer
these harms and costs every year.

Sincerely,


Ralph Nader

Some facts on malpractice and the need for a civil justice system that
allows right of consumers to sue.

According to the Harvard School of Public Health Physicians, 80,000
Americans die every year from medical negligence or worse just in
hospitals alone. Hundreds of thousands are significantly injured. By
comparison with the insurance premiums paid, one of the Harvard
physicians estimated the cost of medical malpractice casualties to be
over $60 billion a year. Only ten percent of medical malpractice victims
even file a claim.

For more information visit Citizen.org and Centerjd.org (the web sites
include data countering the allegation that doctors are abandoning their
practice) and other relevant topics regarding medical malpractice and
tort litigation.

[Wright Patman]

1. Dear Ralph:

If I select Edwards, will you just shut up and go away? Didn't think so.

Regards,

John Kerry

[hlthe2b]

2. Wow... His ego truly does know NO bounds!

He refuses to drop out, but thinks he should have a say in who Kerry picks as VP candidaate? Someone needs to get Nader on the proverbial psychiatric couch, me thinks....

[Justice]

3. This Letter Is Very Odd

Nader says choose Edwards because

(a)he won praise from the media

and

(b) he can stand for people as a malpractice lawyer.

Now I think John Edwards has alot to offer. I think Nader is selling Edwards short. In fact, the one area where republicans go after Edwards is on the lawyer/malpractice stuff. Why does Nader think it necessary to highlight only that one substantive ability?

And why does it matter that a person wins praise from the media? Shouldn't the person win praise from the people?

I believe Edwards would be a fine VP. I just feel like Nader is setting up the republicans' wish here -- rather than speaking with any independence.

[jerryvov]

10. Nader suggests Edwards for VP...

The thing John Edwards does best is speak to people in a way that resonates with them about issues that they feel are being ignored. I think it might be a good mix, Kerry & Edwards. The Republicans are going to go after Kerry's choice no matter who hepicks and I think Edwards' campaign message resonated with a lot of people who normally tune out politicians.

He seems to have the gift that allows him to talk about complex issues in a way everyone can understand and his Two Americas theme is very powerful message. I agree with Nader on this although I am still upset with him as I believe that his run for president in 2000 put Dubya in the White House...

[Hubert Flottz]

12. When the GOPers go after who Kerry picks we should toast .....

Dick Cheney far and wide! Highlight ever evil deed Cheney has done and hound the bastard till his lying tongue hangs out! I would love to see Edwards and Cheney go at it in front of the cameras! Cheney might even have the BIG ONE on TV!

[newyawker99]

13. Hi jerryvov!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[LuminousX]

4. If Nader truly cared

he would have made a deal with Kerry that if Kerry picked Edwards, then Nader would end his spoiler bid for the Presidency.

[Killarney]

5. Here's what I don't understand

OK, Nader supporters say Kerry isn't liberal enough.

Yet, Nader's endorsing Edwards who is much less liberal than Kerry. Edwards voted for the IWR and Patriot Act, just like Kerry (which Nader holds against Kerry, but not Edwards... weird). And as for the rest of Edwards' votes, he's more moderate than Kerry is.

This just doesn't make sense to me.

The only theory I have in my head that makes sense of this is that Nader knows that Kerry is most-likely going to pick Edwards, so he puts a press release out like this. Then, when Kerry picks Edwards, Nader can puff out his chest and pretend that it was because he suggested it.

[Kahuna]

6. Well isn't that special...

:puke: Mind your own beeswax, Ralphie.

[Tactical Progressive]

7. Oh, well then that decides it.

When a greenie electoral jeanius lets us in on the big picture, we can stop trying to figure it out.

[HFishbine]

8. Link?

On edit: found it.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=5496846

[Catch22Dem]

11. Link Here

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=584&e=3&u=/nm/20040623/pl_nm/campaign_kerry_nader_dc

[Hubert Flottz]

9. Nazi Nader needs to be checked out!

I think he has been into the Koolaid too!