Flashback 2000: Republican Group funds Nader ads

[Sharm]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/aponline/20001027/aponline115918_000.htm

The ads by the Republican Leadership Council will begin airing Monday in Wisconsin, Oregon and Washington, all states that are part of Gore's base and where Nader is polling well. The group plans to spend more than $100,000 at first and hopes to raise more over the weekend.

..........

The ads feature clips of Nader from a National Press Club speech on Tuesday, where he laid into both Bush and Gore, though the ad only includes his criticism of Gore.

"Al Gore is suffering from election year delusion if he thinks his record on the environment is anything to be proud of," Nader says. An announcer interjects: "What's Al Gore's real record?" Nader says: "Eight years of principles betrayed and promises broken."

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Nader, running a low-budget campaign, is not airing any television commercials of his own and it's possible that the RLC will end up spending more on pro-Nader media that Nader himself.

A spokeswoman for the Green Party nominee said that his campaign had no control over what other organizations do with Nader's speeches.

"The tactics of the other two parties are not our concern," said spokeswoman Laura Jones.

Asked if the campaign welcomed the outside help, she added: "Not really because they (the ads) are misleading in that they don't indicate that we are campaigning against Al Gore and George W. Bush."

.........

Mark Miller, the group's executive director, said the ads are partly a response to commercials being run by the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, which argue that a vote for Nader is a vote for Bush.

"Ralph Nader doesn't believe that," Miller said. "Ralph Nader and his supporters are not backing down because they believe Al Gore has had numerous broken promises."

Miller added that some of Nader's supporters have bragged that Nader has never had help from "soft money," the unrestricted donations used by parties and interest groups.

"We'll put an end to that," Miller said.

[pa28]

1. Nice catch

Nader dismissed the possibility of being a spoiler in '00 with just the same language he's using today. Sickening.