[Mb-civic] NYTimes Article: Republican Help Pushes Nader Close to Spot on Michigan Ballot

[Ian]

Are we surprised?

Peace.

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Republican Help Pushes Nader Close to Spot on Michigan Ballot
July 19, 2004
By MATTHEW L. WALD

WASHINGTON, July 18 - With the apparent assistance of the state Republican
Party, Ralph Nader appears likely to secure a spot on the Michigan
presidential ballot. But Democrats are calling for him to withdraw and are
threatening to file a complaint against the Republicans, charging that they
contributed illegally to the Nader campaign.

Mr. Nader had gathered 5,400 signatures on petitions in Michigan but stopped
collecting them over a month ago, deciding instead to go after the
nomination of the Reform Party. After he stopped the petition effort,
though, a split within the Reform Party made it uncertain that he would get
the nomination.

But last Thursday, the deadline for submitting signatures, more than 50,000
signatures were submitted on behalf of Mr. Nader. The state requires 30,000
signatures.  It appears that it was the Republican Party that stepped in to
help Mr. Nader. It is widely believed that if Mr. Nader is on the ballot in
Michigan and other states, he would draw more votes from John Kerry, the
likely Democratic nominee, than from President Bush.

An article from The Detroit News posted on the state Republican Party's Web
site quotes the party's executive director as saying, "We are absolutely
interested in having Ralph Nader on the ballot," and adds that the executive
director, Greg McNeilly, was personally circulating petitions for Mr. Nader.

Mr. McNeilly told fellow Republicans in a recent e-mail message that the
Democrats were trying to keep Mr. Nader off the ballot, and that "your help
is needed in the next five days to ensure that Michigan voters are not
disenfranchised."

Mark Brewer, the executive chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party, has
asserted that the Republicans' petition-gathering was a contribution and
that "there is no way they could have gathered over 40,000 signatures and
spent less than $5,000," which is the legal limit.

Kevin Zeese, a spokesman for Mr. Nader, said that the Republican work on
behalf of Mr. Nader was not coordinated with Mr. Nader's campaign and thus
was not subject to campaign contribution limits.