In Seattle stop, Nader bashes both parties as warmongers, corporate pawns

By David Postman
Seattle Times chief political reporter

	LAURIE MATANICH / AP Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader speaks yesterday at Town Hall in Seattle, saying both Democrats and Republicans are beholden to corporate interests.
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He told supporters that neither party is worthy of their votes and instead they should show self-respect and vote their conscience, which he hopes means a vote for his independent presidential campaign.

In his first Northwest appearance since joining the presidential campaign, Nader put aside much of the complicated strategy he has touted in recent days to return to the bipartisan bashing that defined his 2000 campaign.

Personal attacks were reserved for President Bush, whom he called a "chicken-hawk ignoramus," "this cowardly president" and a "messianic militarist." But Nader said both of America's major parties play equal roles in turning over control of life here to the corporations.

He attacked government surveillance and lax environmental laws. He said schools should teach civics so students learn how to hold press conferences and build political coalitions. He said tuition should be free at public universities and two-year colleges.

Nader said the nation should be self-reliant so, in the example Nader gave, Massachusetts could grow all the tomatoes it needs without imports from Mexico.

Even voice mail was condemned as a symbol of the corporate domination of America.

"Now, imagine an America without the Bush corporation," Nader said. "Imagine a White House who sees corporations as our servants, not our masters."

Nader is a well-known consumer activist making his third run for president. Four years ago he ran on the Green Party ticket and is blamed today by Democrats for taking enough votes from Vice President Al Gore to allow Bush to win a narrow victory.

This year Nader is running as an independent. He disputes the spoiler label and last week issued an open letter to liberal Democrats explaining how his candidacy could help Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president.

In Washington, D.C., yesterday, Kerry told reporters he will make direct appeals to people who support Nader. He said the two agree on many issues, including campaign-finance reform, corporate responsibility and trade issues.
 
"I respect him," Kerry said. "I'm not going to attack him in any way. I'm just going to try to talk to his people and point out that we've got to beat George Bush, and it is important to have people come together in the effort to do that. And I hope that by the end of this race, I can make it unnecessary for people to feel they need to vote for somebody else."

Nader spoke yesterday at Town Hall.

In fall 2000 he packed the hall for a raucous pre-election rally in front of some 1,000 people.

Yesterday there were about half as many, and the event fell far short of the fevered pitch of four years ago. It felt more university lecture than campaign barn-burner.

Outside the hall, minidebates broke out between Nader fans and Kerry supporters.

Wayne Grytting, 55, and Paul Rogat Loeb, 51, said they decided to show up to protest Nader's candidacy and try to convince Nader backers they could be ensuring Bush's re-election. They are both committed liberals and supporters of third parties.

Loeb and a woman supporting Nader soon faced off.

"We have to use this time to discuss the issues," said the woman, who wouldn't give her name. She said Nader should be allowed to campaign and debate.

"I don't disagree," Loeb told her. But he said too much is at stake if Kerry loses to Bush.

Inside, Nader tried to bolster supporters.

"What can we do about this?" he asked the crowd after outlining the nation of ills he sees.

"What are we, just passive creatures? Just people who sit and watch TV, and wring our hands and say, 'Oh, we can't do anything about this' and we go to the nice bistros here in Seattle, sit around with people who are like-minded, while we rationalize our own futility while we're told by war-mongering Democrats to lay off because they're not as bad as war-mongering Republicans?"

He said voters have all the information they need to choose a candidate.

"It comes down to our self-respect," he said.

"We have to show up and vote in an informed way," Nader said. "We have to vote our conscience; otherwise, we'd be voting our surrender to the corporate political interests."

After his appearance in Seattle, Nader flew to Portland for an evening appearance at a downtown theater. Event organizers hoped to attract 1,000 voters and make Oregon the first state in the nation to have Nader on its ballot in the 2004 election.

But in Oregon — like elsewhere in the nation — many who admire the man and his politics are alarmed by a maverick candidacy that might help re-elect Bush. Yesterday morning in Portland, the League of Conservation Voters organized a press conference to plea for unity around Kerry.

"One of the things that we learned from the past election was that every vote counts," said Matt Blevins of the league.

Nader short in Oregon

Nader's stumbled at an impromptu convention in Portland designed to collect the 1,000 voter signatures necessary to qualify for Oregon's November presidential ballot.

Only 741 people came to the Roseland Theater to sign the petitions — 259 fewer than the minimum needed to qualify for the ballot.

Greg Kafoury, head of Nader's Oregon campaign, said the candidate would not abandon his quest to qualify for the ballot. Kafoury said Nader would now try another — collecting 15,000 signatures over a three-month period

Seattle Times staff reporters Alex Fryer and Hal Bernton and The Associated Press contributed to this report. David Postman: 360-943-9882 or dpostman@seattletimes.com

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