Campaign Notebook
Nader may not qualify for debates

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"Given the political climate this year and the hostility toward him, it's not clear that he will meet our criteria," said George Farah, a board member of the Citizens' Debate Commission, which is organizing the alternative presidential debates Nader has repeatedly praised.

To participate in the alternative debates, the Citizens Debate Commission requires a presidential candidate be on enough state ballots to conceivably win an electoral majority in November: 269 electoral votes.

The candidates who head the Libertarian, Green and Constitution parties are all expected to be on enough state-party ballots to meet that requirement.

But as an independent, Nader has had to petition to get on almost every state one at a time. It is an effort that has consumed Nader's campaign resources and has been almost constantly challenged by Democrats.

"Ballot access in the United States is an embarrassment. And we would have no trouble in meeting in all 50 states if the Democratic Party wasn't playing dirty tricks," said Nader campaign spokesman Kevin Zeese.

Democratic Party officials have denied any coordinated attack on Nader's ballot petitioning.

Zeese said the campaign is confident it will overcome the obstacles.

Nader has long been out of the running for gaining access to the major debates scheduled for late September and October. He would need to be polling at 15 percent to be considered for a place at their podium. Nader is polling between 2 percent and 6 percent nationally.

Top GOP congressman calls Iraq war mistake

LINCOLN, Neb. — A top Republican congressman has broken from his party in the final days of his House career, saying he believes the U.S. military assault on Iraq was unjustified and the situation there has deteriorated into "a dangerous, costly mess."
 
"I've reached the conclusion, retrospectively, now that the inadequate intelligence and faulty conclusions are being revealed, that all things being considered, it was a mistake to launch that military action," Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb., wrote in a letter to constituents.

Bereuter is a senior member of the House International Relations Committee and vice chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. He is stepping down after 13 terms to become president of the Asia Foundation, effective Sept. 1.

In 2002, Bereuter spoke in support of a House resolution authorizing the president to go to war.