{news} Hartford Advocate: Greens pushing Nader for Senate

[David Bedell]

http://www.hartfordadvocate.com/blogs/home.cfm?aid=15562

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 • 2:00 PM

Greens pushing Nader for Senate

posted by Gregory B. Hladky

The idea of Connecticut's Ralph Nader running for a U.S. Senate seat in his home state next year seems to be gaining traction, at least with the Connecticut Green Party.

It's not a prospect that is likely to bring smiles to the faces of Democratic incumbent Chris Dodd or his fans, but it might make some Connecticut Republicans go all warm and cuddly.

As one long-time GOP insider commented: "It wouldn't be the first time Ralph helped elect a Republican."

Green Party spokesman Tim McKee isn't at all worried about Nader acting as a spoiler in 2010.

"Right now we're feeling this is a lost seat," McKee said. He said Connecticut polls show that voters in this state "are just sick of Dodd" and that those same surveys show two GOP candidates ahead of the incumbent.

"We are serious about Nader running to win," McKee said, adding he believes Nader can easily raise the $3-5 million he would need for a legitimate U.S. Senate campaign in Connecticut.

McKee said many voters probably thought having Nader as a president was "kind of far out, but they can see him as a U.S. senator."

The possibility of a Nader run for Dodd's seat was first suggested last April in an editorial in Manchester's Journal-Inquirer. The concept resurfaced last week on a couple of Internet news websites and it's set the blogosphere abuzz.

McKee said his group has seen "hundreds of responses urging him to run."

"With Dodd losing in many polls to the Republicans who have announced, we think Nader could be a clear choice to many who have lost faith in Dodd and and his scandals with the banking and financial industries," McKee said.

"Nader is America's Public Citizen Number 1!" said Mike DeRosa, a co-chairman of the state's Green Party. "We just want to know when to start gathering signatures for the petitions."

Some people are still blaming Nader's 2000 presidential run for costing Democrat Al Gore the election. (What most Nader-blamers fail to remember is that Gore lost his home state of Tennessee to George W. Bush in that election. Had Gore won his home state, he would have easily won the election regardless of the votes Nader got.)

Nader, 75, apparently hasn't ruled out the possibility of a run. He's currently on a book tour to promote his book, "Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us."

McKee said Nader, a Winsted native, is scheduled to appear at the West Hartford Library the day after Thanksgiving and Green Party officials plan to be there to urge him to get in the race.

Dodd's poll numbers have been abysmal. He's being challenged within his own party by political newcomer Merrick Alpert, and by several Republicans, including former U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons; former World Wrestling Entertainment exec Linda McMahon; former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Tom Foley; and Peter Schiff, a well-known investor from Fairfield County.

 		 	   		  
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