By Brian Carnell

Thursday, July 22, 2004

In a recent debate with Howard Dean, Ralph Nader insisted that he is not bothered by Republican aid for his run for the presidency and that he will not return donations from traditional GOP donors.

In a July 9 debate at the National Press Club, Dean complained of the donations from traditionally Republican donors saying,

[Nader] doesn't' want his legacy to be eight years of George W. Bush in this country, but that is exactly what these Republican contributions are buying.

Nader fired back that John Kerry's campaign had also received donations from individuals who have also donated to GOP campaigns and asked if Dean would insist that Kerry return those donations.

A couple days before the debate with Dean, Nader showed up on Democracy Now to tell Amy Goodman that Kerry is just another puppet of Israel and lash out at some liberal-left critics. Goodman asked Nader about a recent Kerry position paper on the wall Israel is building through the West Bank,

Amy Goodman: Ralph Nader, the "Boston Globe" is reporting senator John Kerry has released a new policy paper on Israel, in which he fully supports Israel's construction of the 425-mile wall through the West Bank. Last year, senator Kerry said that the wall was a barrier to peace. But in the new policy paper, Kerry writes, "The security fence is a legitimate act of self-defense. The tight of the paper is, "strengthening Israel security and bolstering the special u.s.-Israel relationship." in one part of the paper, Kerry concludes that Israel's cause must be America's cause. Your response.

Ralph Nader: That's an example of a puppet. A puppet politician who does not think in the best interests of the American people and the Israeli and Palestinian people. The majority of the people in Israel and the majority of Americans of Jewish faith in this country support an independent Palestinian state, as a solution -- peaceful solution to that long-drawn-out conflict. It's really interesting. John Kerry on the wall is now not even up to the Israeli supreme court, which has issued a decision quite critical of the way that the wall is being built to take existing Palestinian land, separate peasants from their farms or children from their schools. So, he ought to read the latest decision by the Israeli supreme court.

Meanwhile, Michael Moore gave one of his typically frank and truthful interviews to Playboy magazine, and when asked about Nader's campaign replied,

I know. I tried to talk him out of it. I don't know what to say. He apparently has promised that he will not run in the swing states and will not attack Kerry, but he said that last time about the swing states and Gore.

Moore should know -- he spent time campaigning with Nader in the swing state of Michigan during the 2000 campaign.

Sources:

Nader calls Kerry a "puppet" for Israel. Interview, Democracy Now, July 7, 2004.

Nader defends GOP cash. Carla Marinucci, San Francisco Chronicle, July 10, 2004.

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