OK, it was bad enough when Republicans were going out and stumping for Ralph Nader. Now it’s been revealed that Nader hired a well known Republican signature gathering group to help get him on the ballot.
Why would Nader go with a group that worked against him (with the NRA and the California Timber Association, etc)? Why wouldn’t Nader reach out to his liberal groups; the ones that he aligns himself with the most?
Could it be that he’s become an amoral, ethically challenged shell of a man? He used to be so much more than that, but there’s no way to explain his behaviour. 2000, maybe, but definately not 2004.
Article archived here. Nader hired conservative firm to help him gather ballot signatures
SAM HANANEL, Associated Press Writer
(08-24) 15:28 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) —
Democrats criticized Ralph Nader on Tuesday for getting help from Republicans to gain access to state ballots in his independent presidential campaign.
Last month, Nader’s campaign paid $75,000 to a well-known conservative political consulting firm that specializes in gathering signatures for ballot petitions.
California-based Arno Political Consultants has helped a long list of Republican clients, including the presidential campaigns of Ronald Reagan, former Sen. Bob Dole and the first President Bush. Its clients also include corporations and groups of the type Nader has battled in the past, including the Tobacco Institute, the National Rifle Association and the California Timber Association.
“Nader isn’t reaching out to progressives to help identify possible Nader voters, he’s reaching out to a company with expertise in finding Republicans and conservatives,” said Democratic National Committee spokesman Jano Cabrera. “Republicans are interested in getting him on the ballot.”
Calls to Arno Political Consulting and the Nader campaign were not immediately returned on Tuesdsay.
Nader’s campaign has worked furiously over the past few months to gather the hundreds of thousands of signatures needed to get the consumer advocate on the ballot in every state. He has paid signature-gathering companies to collect the signatures in some cases.
In some states like Michigan, Oregon and New Hampshire, Republicans who believe Nader will draw votes from Democrat John Kerry have tried to help. Democrats, on the other hand, have mounted dozens of legal challenges to keep Nader off the ballot. Nader has accused Democrats of using “dirty tricks” against him and has called on both parties to leave his campaign alone.