Once again, the Nader Monster rears its ugly head.

Its literally ugly head….

And what a shame! From the Associated Press:

WASHINGTON - Ralph Nader said Sunday he will run for president as a third-party candidate, criticizing the top White House contenders as too close to big busines and pledging to repeat a bid that will ‘shift the power from the few to the many.’

Nader, 73, said most people are disenchanted with the Democratic and Republican parties due to a prolonged Iraq war and a shaky economy. The consumer advocate also blamed tax and other corporate-friendly policies under the Bush administration that he said have left many lower- and middle-class people in debt.

‘You take that framework of people feeling locked out, shut out, marginalized and disrespected,’ he said. ‘You go from Iraq, to Palestine to Israel, from Enron to Wall Street, from Katrina to the bumbling of the Bush administration, to the complicity of the Democrats in not stopping him on the war, stopping him on the tax cuts.’

‘In that context, I have decided to run for president,’ Nader told NBC’s ‘Meet the Press.’

Ah! And it looks like he’s running for the Green Party nomination again. I wonder what the Democratic candidates think about this deal? According to the AP article:

[Hillary] Clinton called Nader’s announcement a ‘passing fancy’ and said she hoped his candidacy wouldn’t hurt the Democratic nominee.

‘Obviously, it’s not helpful to whomever our Democratic nominee is. But it’s a free country,’ she told reporters as she flew to Rhode Island for campaign events.

Barack Obama’s response?

In many ways he is a heroic figure and I don’t mean to diminish him. But I do think there is a sense now that if somebody is not hewing to the Ralph Nader agenda, then you must be lacking in some way.

Heroic? Okay, Barack.

I, frankly, am delighted to hear the news. And so are other Republicans—including former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee:

Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, speaking shortly before Nader’s announcement, said Nader’s past runs have shown that he usually pulls votes from the Democrat. ‘So naturally, Republicans would welcome his entry into the race,’ the former Arkansas governor said on CNN.

Nader doesn’t appreciate the “spoilier” label, apparently. The AP article ends on this note: 

Nader vociferously disputes the spoiler claim, saying only Democrats are to blame for losing the race to George W. Bush. He said Sunday there could be no chance of him tipping the election to Republicans because the electorate will not vote for a ‘pro-war John McCain.’

‘If the Democrats can’t landslide the Republicans this year, they ought to just wrap up, close down, emerge in a different form,’ Nader said. [Emphasis added.]

What you said Ralph. I’m with you on that one.

And by the way, Ralph. I think you’re going to be surprised at how many people are going to vote for a “pro-war John McCain” this year.

Besides, John McCain is younger than you are. As hard as that may be to believe.

Technorati Tags: Ralph Nader, run for president, third-party candidate, White House contenders, big busines, disenchanted, Democratic, Republican, parties, Iraq war, shaky economy, consumer advocate, tax, corporate-friendly, policies, Bush administration, marginalized, Palestine, Israel, Enron, Wall Street, tax cuts, Meet the Press, Green Party, nomination, passing fancy, candidacy, Democratic nominee, heroic figure, agenda, Arkansas governor, Mike Huckabee, announcement, CNN, spoiler, George W. Bush, John McCain

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