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Nader: Dems Offered Me Money in '04 to Skip Key States

McAuliffe doesn't deny the charge

By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff

Posted May 28, 2009 8:09 PM CDT

(Newser) – Ralph Nader says Democrats were so worried about him in 2004 that DNC chief Terry McAuliffe offered to give his campaign money if he steered clear of 19 battleground states, reports the Washington Post. "When you get a call like that, first of all it's inappropriate,'' Nader said. "The other thing is if you don't immediately say no, it's like taffy, you get stuck with it."

McAuliffe, now running for governor of Virginia, didn't exactly deny the charge. A spokesman said he was worried that Nader "would cost John Kerry the election as he did Al Gore in 2000" and added that Nader "misses seeing his name in the press." Nader's campaign manager called it "undemocratic"—"the head of the Democratic party was telling Ralph where he could or could not run."

Terry McAuliffe speaks in Charleston, W.Va.
Terry McAuliffe speaks in Charleston, W.Va.   (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)
Ralph Nader, in a file photo from October.
Ralph Nader, in a file photo from October.   (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Ralph Nader speaks to the media following an appearance on ABC's This Week show last June.
Ralph Nader speaks to the media following an appearance on ABC's "This Week" show last June.   (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 11 comments
oldgoat
May 29, 2009 9:17 AM CDT
First off I would wonder why he waited to make this claim 5 years after the fact and 2nd I'd say so what. The guy has never been anything more than fly in the ointment. Thankfully he never had a real chance at becoming President. I wouldn't be too surprised if it doesn't happen more often with both parties. Neither party would want a weak candidate running and spoiling the voting for those that are among the front runners. Cheaper to pay them off than spend money running against their claims.
kokuaguy
May 29, 2009 8:17 AM CDT
And there's nothing wrong with helping Nader build his third party in the red states if he agrees not to be a spoiler where his campaign could damage. Without the idiotic electoral college system this wouldn't matter, would it?
riffran
May 29, 2009 6:40 AM CDT
they must have offered him a job at ACORN

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