Nader: McAuliffe offered me money to pull out of key states

[masuki bance]

Ralph Nader, political stalwart of what he believes to be the real American Left, is not one to shy away from controversial statements.

But this one's a little bigger than most.

Terry McAuliffe -- currently running for Virginia Governor, but formerly Hillary Clinton's campaign manager and chairman of the Democratic National Committee -- offered an unspecified amount of money to fuel Nader's campaign, if you believe Theresa Amato, author of the recently-published book Grand Illusion: The Myth of Choice in a Two-Party Tyranny.

In the volume, she and Nader allege that McAuliffe personally called and offered a sum of money to enhance the Nader campaign in 31 states if he would pull out of 19 key Democratic battlegrounds.

The Washington Post noted:

McAuliffe isn't denying the charge. His spokeswoman Elisabeth Smith said in a statement McAuliffe "was concerned that Ralph Nader would cost John Kerry the election as he did Al Gore in 2000 and give us another four years of George W. Bush."

"It looks like Ralph Nader misses seeing his name in the press,'' Smith said. "Terry's focused on talking with Virginians about jobs, not feeding Ralph Nader's ego."

The accusations are outlined in a new book, Grand Illusion, The Myth of Voter Choice in a Two-Party Tyranny, by Theresa Amato, Nader's national campaign manager in 2000 and 2004, who writes about the barriers to third-party candidates.

In a press release, the authors continue:

In Grand Illusion, Amato, the national manager of Nader’s lightning-rod 2000 and 2004 presidential campaigns, recounts how, after Nader rebuffed Chairman McAuliffe’s offer, the DNC and its state party affiliates embarked on an effort, unprecedented in U.S. history, to force Nader out of the 2004 presidential election. Amato says McAuliffe repeated over and over during a conversation: “Stay out of 19 states.”

McAuliffe’s 2004 attempt to confine Nader to 31 states, revealed an exclusionary and censorious Terry McAuliffe that is hard to reconcile with gubernatorial candidate McAuliffe’s professed support for ballot access and democratic participation as a candidate in Virginia’s 2009 Democratic gubernatorial primary.

So, McAuliffe's people aren't denying it.

I want to know: Was this a calculated, strategic-yet-fair political decision or an outright obfuscation of American democracy?

http://rawstory.com/blog/2009/05/nader-mcauliffe-offered-me-money-to-pull-out-of-key-states/

[AllentownJake]

1. So?

Ralph Nader is going to get 1-2% of the vote. Its assumed that is coming from people who would vote for the democrat.

Ralph Nader has/had no chance of winning the Presidency.

If Nader actually spent time in off President election years trying to build a third party instead of being a disruptor every 4 years I'd respect him.

Fuck Nader.

[ima_sinnic]

3. no, if the Democratic party started aligning itself with the people instead of the corpos,

nobody would bother voting for Nader.
If Nader is taking votes "assumed to be coming from people who would vote for the democrat," the problem would seem to be with the Democrats, not with Nader. Fuck Nader indeed. Fuck the Democrats for their continued allegiance to corporate interests and profits instead of to the interests of We The People. Case in point: "we" have a majority in Congress--but do "we"?

[polmaven]

10. And if the Democratic Party

moved in the direction of Ralph Nader's policies, no one would bather voting for them either, and KKKarl Rove's prediction of a permanent Republican majority would come true.

The country just is not as far to the left as many here would like.

[Umbral]

15. Maybe so, but the Dems sure do whine about losing voters they don't want to represent, go figure. nt

[TheWraith]

25. The Nader voters would vote third party no matter what the Dems did.

They're the people who are purity trolls on DU, having a temper tantrum if not everything goes the way they want.

[jazzjunkysue]

41. I think that is a largely true statement. That's why Ralph never really goes away entirely.

Sorta like nail fungus.

[cali]

2. Ralphie took plenty of repuke money, the hypocritical little wanker.

and now he's whining about this? Fuck him.

http://outside.away.com/magazine/200008/200008camp_nader1.html

[Better Believe It]

46. President Obama got a lot more funding from Republicans than Ralph Nader

Obama's campaign committee got millions in Republican financial contributions and tens of millions of dollars from corporate tycoons, banksters and Wall Street operatives.

Ralph Nader didn't get 1% of the Republican and corporate funding that President Obama received. And the biggest names in corporate American paid the expenses of the Democratic and Republican party conventions in addition to organizing expensive so-called "hospitality suites" and "events" at both conventions.

So don't try and pitch that snake oil about Nader being the Republican funded candidate in 2008. Do you also think that Nader's running mate for Vice-President, Peter Camejo, was also a right-wing Republican funded candidate? I didn't like the swift-boating of John Kerry and didn't appreciate the swift-boating character assassination campaign against Ralph Nader.

If you enjoy doing that type of propaganda, join the swift-boaters, but don't spread that crapola here.

[avaistheone1]

50. Thanks. That point is often ignored around these parts.

[tabasco]

56. Big difference between individuals supporting a candidtate from another party

and a party organization supporting a candidate as a spoiler.

You must think everyone is stupid enough to not see the difference.

Or maybe you are ignorant of the difference.

Either way, you're at fault.

[Blue-Jay]

66. Thanks for making that point

It's a HUGE difference. Lots of Republicans voted for Obama, too, but the party didn't back him.

[wyldwolf]

4. "an outright obfuscation of American democracy" -LOL

No, "Raw"story, it's called political maneuvering. Too bad someone didn't try something to neuter Nader in 2000.

[depakid]

11. "Too bad someone didn't try something to neuter Nader in 2000."

But they did- and it backfired.

[NoPasaran]

5. As it happened, the republicans out-bid McAuliffe

Probably would have been a better investment to have had Ralphie tossed into an active volcano.

[glitch]

38. BINGO

except for the active volcano part.

[L. Coyote]

71. Nader gave us Bush//Cheney, but stealing Florida wasn't his crime.

He could have done history a huge favor throwing himself in the volcano in 1999.

[stevenleser]

59. Yes, the Naderites here say Nader isnt a Whore, I say he is a high priced one.

Democrats in 2000 and 2004 just couldnt afford the fee. Republicans were able to swing it.

[liberal N proud]

6. If this is true, why would Nader of all assholes wait until now to divulge this info?

It makes no sense to release this information now, Nader is about making an issue out of things.

[lynne]

8. He released it now to derail McAuliffe's VA gubernatorial campaign -

- which hasn't been doing so well to begin with. The Washington Post ran this story today, too.

[bertman]

32. GOOD!! McAuliffe's nothing but a DLC lackey. We don't need another corporatist governor

anywhere.

[pnwmom]

7. SO???? The Rethugs PAID him money to run in the swing states. n/t

[sofa king]

68. So... maybe we can get him to bow out of the VA primary.

I promise I'll vote for him after I vote against him, but I'd rather not.

[Kolesar]

9. Democratic Underground offers to buy Ralph Nader a Corvair

Whaddya' think?

[L. Coyote]

73. Ding, Ding!! Honk, Honk!!

[hughee99]

12. I'm going with outright obfuscation of American democracy, am I the only one?

Say all you want about the repukes funding his campaign, they weren't trying to deprive anyone of an opportunity to vote for him or hear what he had to say. I hope Terry loses in the primary to someone who doesn't have a history of this sort of horse shit, otherwise they'll be digging through the finances of the DNC under his leadership, and no good will come of it.

[Sebastian Doyle]

36. Actually a lot of good would come of that

Anything that exposes these goddamn party destroying DLC pieces of shit for the criminals they are would be well worth it.

[hughee99]

40. The only problem with finding stuff out so long after it happened

is that while those in charge at the time F'd it up, those in charge now have to clean up the mess. The DNC has enough to deal with without having to handle the fuckups of the previous administration publicly.

[blm]

13. McAuliffe wouldn't spend the money SECURING those battleground states he collapsed in the years

BEFORE the election. He KNEW Nader wouldn't take money to pull out, but, he gets to claim he TRIED to help. Total bullshit....as McAuliffe's only interest was in keeping 2008 open for the long-planned Hillary run.

[scheming daemons]

14. He apparently didn't offer that asshole enough. What's your price, Ralphie?

[Better Believe It]

47. What's Senator Reid's corporate price? How many Senators have been bought and paid for by ....

Wall Street and corporate interests?

They haven't been able to buy Nader.

He's not for sale for any price.

Wall Streets political whores are cheap but that apparently doesn't both you at all.

[WeDidIt]

16. DOOGA DOOGA DOOGA!

:evilgrin:

[dkf]

17. Do I care?

Nader said Gore was the same as Bush. What a clueless ASSHOLE.

[messiah]

18. Democrats are funny

some of you want a more peaceful world but you put so much hatred back into the world that you automatically contradict yourselves.
Republicans and Democrats and leftists are all the same trying to change the world with "learned" passion, anger and hatred.

[ClarkUSA]

19. Suppressing votes is okay when Terry McAuliffe does it.

[masuki bance]

29. apparently. nt

[mod mom]

72. McAuliffe should be prosecuted-this is buying votes (or is it ok w some here if it benefits a D?)

I hope this is investigated and if found to be true-prosecutions follow!

[TahitiNut]

20. Let's always follow a Day of Outrage with a Two-Minute Hate!! (Gotta love DU.)

:eyes:

[leftstreet]

34. You forgot the photo

:hi:

[LiberalFighter]

21. Two questions: Why didn't Nader reveal this during the 2004 campaign?

Didn't associates of Bush make it possible for Nader to be on the ballot?

[RollWithIt]

22. Too bad he ended up taking more money from the Republicans, got I despise this guy

FU Ralph.

[Better Believe It]

48. You despise President Obama just because he took money from Republicans? I don't.

I actually like the guy even if I disagree with him on single payer and some other important issues.

[madfloridian]

23. Whoa there! Let's talk about Nader's own funding.

Let's talk about how he and his chairman Kevin Zeese accepted right wing funding.

Look in the mirror

Group run by Democrats says "right-wing Republicans" and "extremists" aid Nader to help Bush. Characterizations aside, they've got a point.
http://www.factcheck.org/article216.html

Citizens for a Sound Economy is a nonprofit, tax-exempt group co-chaired by Dick Armey, the former Republican Majority Leader in the House, and C. Boyden Gray, former White House counsel to George H.W. Bush, the current President’s father. It describes itself as devoted to “free markets and limited government“ and claims thousands of local activists. It pushes to make Bush’s tax cuts permanent, cut federal spending, create private Social Security accounts, enact school vouchers and enact a “flat tax” in place of the current system of higher rates for higher incomes.

Another Oregon group, the Oregon Family Council, also said it made calls for Nader. Mike White, the group's director, told the Associated Press :

White: We aren't bashful about doing it. We are a conservative, pro-family organization, and Bush is our guy on virtually every issue.

That supports the ad's claim that Nader got help from "Republicans that are anti-choice." The Family Council describes itself as an "information service for Oregon Christians" and says its "Christian Voter's Guide" for 2002 helped thousands of Christians make "informed votes" that "produced more Pro-life/ Pro-family legislators than there have been in over 30 years!"

More:

Nader campaign spokesman Kevin Zeese initially took a principled stand, telling Associated Press last week that the campaign would not accept the GOP's help: "We won't take any signatures from them." But within hours he flip-flopped, AP reported, saying the campaign might accept the Republican signatures. In Oregon, another swing state where Nader could tip the election to Bush, he only needed to attract 1,000 registered voters to a nominating convention to get on the ballot. Four years ago, 10,000 activists rallied for Nader in Portland. But in April, he couldn't rally even 1,000 supporters.

Here is the transcript from a phone call by the CSE as to why they were supporting Nader:

"Hi, my name is Russ Walker, director of Citizens for a Sound Economy here in Oregon, and I wanted to tell you about an opportunity we have to drive a wedge through the Liberal Left’s base of support.

In this year’s presidential race, Ralph Nader could peel away a lot of Kerry support in Oregon, but he has to be on the ballot first. He will make it if at least 1,000 people show up this Saturday at Benson High school at 4:00 pm and sign the petition to certify his candidacy.

Liberals are trying to unite in Oregon and keep Nader off the ballot to help their chances of electing John Kerry. We could divide this base of support by showing up at Grant High school on Saturday.

Poor Ralph Nader: He just wants to make the ballot here in Oregon. Let’s give him what he wants and just watch what happens in November!"

[madfloridian]

24. Nader accepted help from AZ right wing groups.

Nader's corporate ties.

In his rapid-fire delivery, the onetime Democratic presidential front-runner rattled off all the ways he saw Nader as a hypocrite: Nearly half the signatures Nader gathered in a failed attempt to get on the Arizona ballot were from Republicans. A significant amount of his campaign kitty comes from Bush-Cheney donors. And, said Dean, "you accepted the support of a right-wing, fanatic Republican group that is antigay in order to help you get on the ballot in Oregon" -- a reference to the Oregon Family Council, which produces a "Christian Voter Guide" and campaigns against gay marriage.

"This is not going to help the progressive cause in America," Dean continued. "The thing that upsets me so much about this is, you have the right to ... get in bed with whoever you want to, but don't call the Democratic Party full of corporate interests. They have their problems, we all have ours, none of us are pure. And this campaign of yours is far from pure."

[Jennicut]

26. If the idiot hadn't let Rethugs fund him and said Bush and Gore were the same

MAYBE maybe I would care.
I don't like bribes in politics in general but Ralph...just go away. Please.

[rvablue]

27. McAuliffe is no angel. Nader is an irrelevant man-boy constantly seeking attention.

Maybe he'll squeeze another 15 minutes out of this.

[AspenRose]

28. This helps Brian Moran.

[spooky3]

45. it could, but

it could have no effect at all. I don't think most VA voters care about this at all. It's not illegal. And for some people, it raises their opinion of McAuliffe. At least there's one step he took to try to avoid in 2004 what happened in 2000.

[azmouse]

30. Go away, Nader. Just go far away.

[Political Tiger]

31. Well, if it's printed in a book and posted on RawStory

it must be true then..........
:sarcasm:

[Honeycombe8]

33. Mcauliffe should've known that wouldn't work. And it's too bad Nader didn't take

the money and run. If he had, he'd have a career now and a possible political future.

[quiller4]

35. I just wish Ds had kept Nader off the ballot in 2000. If McAuliffe

did what Nader alleges-and that is a big if in my book--then I'd encourage my family members in Virginia to support Terry.

McAuliffe's attempt to confine Nader to 31 states is strategic-yet-fair politics. I just wish McAuliffe and others had decided to confine him to even fewer states.

[davidpdx]

37. As much as I don't like McAuliffe, I wouldn't trust Nader as far as I could throw him

It's too bad Nader's ego is bigger then his head.

[The Backlash Cometh]

39. Hmm...maybe this is why Nadar keeps running?

Sounds like a lucrative gig.

[jazzjunkysue]

42. I considered offering Nader a blow job in '04 to stay home.

I was that worried, and obviously, I was right to worry.

[Better Believe It]

49. Why not? I'm sure you've offered everyone else one. Have any accepted?

:)

[jazzjunkysue]

52. OK. It's called political humor. If nader doesn't inspire humor, who does?

Nader's a total fool. He's only a problem: He has zero positive effect on political discourse. He's a total joke.

[Better Believe It]

54. Sarah Palin. You missed the 2008 election?

Millions of serious people pay attention to Ralph Nader including many on DU.

[omega minimo]

43. Grand Illusion, South Dakota?

Ah, the NaderHaters in full voice!!!! No matter what the story, always a big FUCK YOU for a voice that matters. :applause:

[Captain Hilts]

44. Smart move by McAuliffe. nt

[avaistheone1]

51. Ralph Nader is unbought and unsold.

[wyldwolf]

53. unless it's GOP money

[Better Believe It]

55. Which Kerry and Obama gladly accepted.

[wyldwolf]

62. not to get on ballots and compete against Democrats. See the difference?

[avaistheone1]

69. Nader never channeled Ronald Reagan as Obama has done. See the difference?

[wyldwolf]

70. still pales in comparison to accepting GOP money for the purpose of defeating a Democrat

[stevenleser]

58. Yes, unfortunate reality that! ;-) and that is why Nader's run in 2008 failed particularly poorly

For the first time in a while, the GOP didnt have enough money to fund their own elections AND someone elses.

[Better Believe It]

60. Republicans didn't have any problem giving millions to Obama's campaign so what's your point?

If you check the campaign finance reports you'll also see that while corporate American gave millions to both the Democratic and Republican party presidential candidates in the 2000, 2004 and 2008 elections and funded their political conventions, they didn't gave any money to Ralph Nader.

Why do you think that is or is that too tough of a question to answer?

[wyldwolf]

64. did they give money to Kerry's campaign to derail Kerry's campaign?

That's why they gave to Nader's campaign - to derail Kerry's campaign. Get the point?

[stevenleser]

63. Can someone sum up for me what "ignored" said?

Thanks

[wyldwolf]

65. he compared Republican voters donating to Kerry's campaign with GOP operatives...

... financing Nader's campaign and funding ballot petition drives. No difference to him.

[stevenleser]

67. Thanks. Wow, just wow. n/t

[S_E_Fudd]

57. Too bad it didn't work..!

eom

[Nipper1959]

61. They are both whores

they both had huge roles in bringing us GWB 00 and 04. Assholes both.