Man in the middle

Nader pulls Green faithful to Dearborn

ALEX WOLK/Daily

Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader speaks yesterday during a rally at the University of Michigan at Dearborn.

By Yael Kohen

Daily Staff Reporter

DEARBORN - Green Party candidate Ralph Nader attacked the Democratic Party yesterday, stating that they are no different from Republicans.

"These two major parties, the Republicans and the Democrats, are becoming more and more and more alike because they're funded by the same industries," Nader said. "The Democratic Party has lost and abandoned its historical identity as a party for the working families."

Nader said he supports public financing of all campaigns and opposes corporate contributions to political candidates. The consumer activist said he has not accepted any funds from corporations to serve as an example of his firm belief against corporate-financed elections.

Nader emphasized his belief that major party presidential candidates Al Gore and George W. Bush are both guilty of allowing big business to commit crimes against society.

Nader cited statistics stating that in comparison to the 15,500 homicides throughout the country last year, 56,000 died from work place hazards including machinery accidents, cancer to due working in unsafe environments, pollution, respiratory illnesses and defective products such as Firestone tires. "It isn't even a contest between street crime and corporate crime," Nader said.

With the presidential election so close, analysts predict that Nader may take enough votes from Gore to throw the election in Bush's favor.

Some Democrats are afraid that "a vote for Nader is a vote for Bush," but Nader advocates chanted "a vote for Nader is a vote for Nader," asserting that they will not vote for who they believe is the "lesser of two evils."

"You can't spoil a political system that is spoiled to the core," Nader said in a press conference before the rally.

Nader expressed his opposition to the World Trade Organization and North American Free Trade Agreement and pointed what he said was yet another similarity between Bush and Gore. Nader said these organizations harm American labor by moving their factories to developing nations, in effect pushing down wages. Not only are Americans disadvantaged but human rights violations are being committed in these foreign nations, Nader said.

Nader described himself as a champion of unionized labor despite the fact that many labor unions have endorsed Gore. He called for the repeal of the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947, which put limitations on collective bargaining on the side of labor.

"Every union could vote for Al Gore and you won't slow me down one bit," said Nader, who supports a living wage. He said one out of three Americans make less than $10 per hour, leaving 47 million without a living wage and 46 million without health care.

"If this happens in a booming economy, I wonder what's going to happen when the economy goes into recession," Nader said.

Nader also emphasized the need for consumer protection from big corporations and the people's right to privacy against genetic profiling, financial and health information.

The Green Party candidate said he supports environmental protections, reforming the criminal justice system and collecting payments from radio and television companies for use of public air waves. He also proposed to collect funds for the use of public lands.

Nader also spoke about the situation in the Middle East. He said he believes Iraqi sanctions should be lifted and that the United States should not take sides in the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis.

"If the U.S. is to be an honest broker, it cannot take sides in the conflict," Nader said.

Addressing talk that the next chief executive could nominate between two and four Supreme Court justices, Nader said a Bush presidency does not mean the court will become more conservative than under Gore. He said the Democrats approved the nominations of Justice Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, who are considered to be some of the most conservative currently serving on the Supreme Court.