Ralph Nader Sues Democratic Party

[BoogyMan]

This will get interesting.


Source: Link (http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8SJPDKG1&show_article=1)

WASHINGTON (AP) - Consumer advocate and 2004 independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader sued the Democratic Party on Tuesday, contending officials conspired to keep him from taking votes away from nominee John Kerry.

Nader's lawsuit, filed in District of Columbia Superior Court, also named as co-defendants Kerry's campaign, the Service Employees International Union and several so-called 527 organizations such as America Coming Together, which were created to promote voter turnout on behalf of the Democratic ticket.

The lawsuit also alleges that the Democratic National Committee conspired to force Nader off the ballot in several states.

"The Democratic Party is going after anyone who presents a credible challenge to their monopoly over their perceived voters," Nader said in a statement. "This lawsuit was filed to help advance a free and open electoral process for all candidates and voters. Candidate rights and voter rights nourish each other for more voices, choices, and a more open and competitive democracy."

Among other things, the lawsuit alleges that the DNC tried to bankrupt Nader's campaign by suing to keep him off the ballot in 18 states. It also suggests the DNC sent Kerry supporters to crash a Nader petition drive in Portland, Ore., in June 2004, preventing him from collecting enough signatures to get on the ballot.

The lawsuit seeks "compensatory damages, punitive damages and injunctive relief to enjoin the defendants from ongoing and future violations of the law." It was not clear how much money Nader is seeking; his attorney, Bruce Afran, did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment.

A DNC spokesman also did not immediately return a telephone call for comment.

[Alonzo]

At this point you might as well just make him an honorary republican. Those are the only people he helps anymore.

[PatrickHenry]

Nader was and is helping America see that the political system has been taken over.

It is now fully owned by its corporate sponsors.

And there is little freedom or democracy left.

These illegitimate dirty tricks are fine in your book, alonzo?

[Alonzo]

I'd rather these "dirty tricks" than a repeat of the 2000 election.

Nader has made himself a pariah, even the green party wouldn't nominate him in 04. He's not helping anybody see anything at this point except that he increases the chances of a republican victory.

Also, and maybe I'm just not up on election laws, but what is described seems more like bullying, not law breaking.

[preservanation]

I think that Nader has as much right to free speech as Hillary or Edwards.
Don't you?

[PatrickHenry]

OK, alonzo. I'll mark you down in favor of political dirty tricks...

[Alonzo]

I think that Nader has as much right to free speech as Hillary or Edwards.
Don't you?


And he does speak, way too much for my tastes, but he does speak. Sending your supporters to other peoples drives isn't illegal.

OK, alonzo. I'll mark you down in favor of political dirty tricks...

They wanted him off the ballot, probably true. I fail to see anything illegal mentioned there. Heavy handed maybe, but nothing seemed way over the top.

[Scorpion]

I liked Nader's attitude and work back when he was a consumer watchdog. Now he's become little more then a political spoiler.

[Labrocca]

At this point you might as well just make him an honorary republican. Those are the only people he helps anymore.


People have an incorrect perception that if they are Democrats they are in the right. It's the perception of many Democrats that their party stands for democracy, civil rights, free speech and incorruptability. In reality...they are just as bad as any republican. No better...no worse.

Maybe if more people saw how corrupt the Democrats are they might just realize the system needs a fixing. Voting Democrat isn't going to fix anything besides changing a few colors on a map (red/blue thing).

Nader isn't a republican or a neocon. Yet it's the party he politically agrees with most, the democrats, that are constantly attacking him. Why is that?

You believe Nader is helping the Republicans? That's just a side effect of him trying to exert his own rights. Imagine that...a guy trying to have his rights held back by democrats and in-turn...helping the Republicans. That only goes to show how far off the path the Democrats really are.

[Alonzo]

You believe Nader is helping the Republicans? That's just a side effect of him trying to exert his own rights. Imagine that...a guy trying to have his rights held back by democrats and in-turn...helping the Republicans. That only goes to show how far off the path the Democrats really are.

When you run a campaign you have no chance of winning, when your supporters are even telling you to stop campaigning so hard, and your campaign results in the party that is closest to your beliefs being defeated, you're not doing anything beneficial.

People have an incorrect perception that if they are Democrats they are in the right. It's the perception of many Democrats that their party stands for democracy, civil rights, free speech and incorruptability. In reality...they are just as bad as any republican. No better...no worse.

They have corruption, but they do stand for civil rights and free speech for the most part. They're decades ahead of most republicans on modern civil rights issues.

Yet it's the party he politically agrees with most, the democrats, that are constantly attacking him. Why is that?

Because he causes them to lose. What do you call someone who constantly takes actions that harm his own causes?

A true believer, a fool, probably both fit here.

Maybe if more people saw how corrupt the Democrats are they might just realize the system needs a fixing. Voting Democrat isn't going to fix anything besides changing a few colors on a map (red/blue thing).

And how many elections is it worth forfeiting to do that? And if a similar party doesn't emerge on the right to offset the loss to the democrats then, as a liberal, your screwed.

[underdawg]

At this point you might as well just make him an honorary republican. Those are the only people he helps anymore.


People have an incorrect perception that if they are Democrats they are in the right. It's the perception of many Democrats that their party stands for democracy, civil rights, free speech and incorruptability. In reality...they are just as bad as any republican. No better...no worse.

Maybe if more people saw how corrupt the Democrats are they might just realize the system needs a fixing. Voting Democrat isn't going to fix anything besides changing a few colors on a map (red/blue thing).

Nader isn't a republican or a neocon. Yet it's the party he politically agrees with most, the democrats, that are constantly attacking him. Why is that?

You believe Nader is helping the Republicans? That's just a side effect of him trying to exert his own rights. Imagine that...a guy trying to have his rights held back by democrats and in-turn...helping the Republicans. That only goes to show how far off the path the Democrats really are.



I am in total agreement with you on this one Labrocca. The problem is not Nader but the broken system. I think the electoral college the way it is set up now and how one party can take a whole state is the problem. I think people should be able to vote for who best represents their interests.

I will not vote for Nader though because he does split the ticket. I wish that Nader would focus on trying to fix the real problem and work to try to reform or abolish the electoral college.