Greens Nominate Consumer Advocate Nader In L.A.

LOS ANGELES (AllPolitics, Aug. 20) -- In its first-ever presidential nominating convention, the Green Party wrapped up a five-day national conference by nominating consumer advocate Ralph Nader as its presidential candidate.

At a news conference, Nader, 62, said he did not think his bid would drive President Bill Clinton out of the White House or Republican Bob Dole into office, but said he offers voters another alternative to the two-party system.

Nader plans to select a running mate this week, before leaving for San Francisco for the party's first campaign stop.

At the Greens gathering, which drew about 350 people, party activists waved green-and-white U.S. flags. The party hopes to crack down on what it calls "political and corporate greed" in American politics.

"The purpose of this campaign is to build a progresssive political force in the future that will never again tolerate the two parties of tweedle-dum and tweedle-dee, and Republican and Democratic assertions that millions of Americans have nowhere to go, other than to stay home," Nader said.

So far, Nader is on the ballot in 12 states. Party activists hope to get him on the ballot in at least 25 more states by November. Green Party chairman Mike Feinstein told CNN Nader could cause problems for Clinton or Dole in California and New York if Nader and Reform Party nominee Ross Perot get a combined 20 percent of the vote. Nader's goal is to capture 10 percent in the two states.

Nader accused the Democratic and Republican parties of offering no specific platform for economic growth. He said using pension funds and downsizing the military to pay for massive public works programs would create millions of high-wage jobs. He also accused the private sector of permanently eliminating millions of jobs by downsizing, restructuring and paying little in taxes to promote economic growth.

"We have booming corporate profits and they are paying a tiny amount of taxes," Nader said. "Only about 7 to 8 per cent of the entire federal government comes from corporate taxes."

Nader said the Reform Party, which formally nominated Perot on Sunday, offered some practical alternatives for voters, like campaign finance reform and term limits, but the Green Party will refuse donations and will campaign on a platform to get rid of corporate influence in Washington.

"The purpose is to break up the two-party duopoly because on big issues like foreign policy, military spending and the Federal Reserve (Bank), Democrats and Republicans are too much alike," he said.

Nader has been a leading consumer activist for 30 years. His work helped establish national legislation to improve auto safety, environmental protection and consumer safety.

Nader said Clinton has moved so far right on the issues that he referred to him as "George Ronald Clinton."

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