Nader Runs Again

Sunday, Ralph Nader announced that he would take another run at the White House, in this years presidential race.

He criticized the top contenders as too close to big business and dismissed the possibility that his third-party candidacy could tip the election to Republicans.

The longtime consumer advocate is still loathed by many Democrats who accuse him of costing Al Gore the 2000 election. -AP

Nader reasoned that most people are tired of the Democratic and Republican parties. Neither party has done what the public wants with the Iraq war and the shaky economy.

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

Democratic candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton quickly sought to portray Nader's announcement as having little impact.

"Obviously, it's not helpful to whomever our Democratic nominee is. But it's a free country," said Clinton.

Nader took swings at both the Democrats and Repblicans.

He described McCain as a candidate for "perpetual war" and said he welcomed the support of Republican conservatives "who don't like the war in Iraq, who don't like taxpayer dollars wasted, and who don't like the Patriot Act and who treasure their rights of privacy."

He will run as an independent, just as he did in 2000 and 2004. Those last two bids drew Democratic voters and helped ensure Republican wins. It is unclear if this election will be as close, and whether Nader will have the same effect this year.