{news} Some of the many local media Nader for senate stories

[Tim McKee]

Nader noncommittal to Conn. Senate run
By SUSAN HAIGH, AP Political Writer Susan Haigh, Ap Political Writer
58 mins ago

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Consumer activist and Connecticut native Ralph
Nadersaid Friday he is "absorbing" the reaction he's receiving about a
possible
bid for the U.S. Senate, saying he wants to first gauge the level of
grassroots support before making a decision.

Many people have called on Nader to jump into the hotly contested race to
challenge Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd, who has been struggling in recent
polls. Nader said he's getting increasingly more requests from Connecticut
Green Party members, independents and supporters of Ned Lamont, the upstart
Democrat who challenged Sen. Joe Lieberman in the 2006 election.

"I'm just absorbing a lot of the feedback before I make a decision," said
Nader, who appeared at the Noah Webster Library in West Hartford, where he
was signing his new book, "Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us!"

More than 100 people turned out to hear Nader talk about his book, including
some Green Party members who held signs that read, "Run Ralph Run!" The
state's Green Party has been stepping up efforts to encourage Nader to get
into the race, saying this marks one of the best opportunities for the
Greens to win a U.S. Senate seat.

Some Democrats accused Nader of being a spoiler in the 2000 presidential
election when he ran as the Green Party's candidate and got 2.7 percent of
the vote. Republican George W. Bush won the electoral vote that year,
defeating the Democrat, former Vice President Al Gore.

This time around, supporters look to 75-year-old Nader as the person who can
reform government and hold the banking industry accountable. Dodd has come
under criticism for his role in the national financial crisis as chairman of
the Senate Banking Committee. A recent Quinnipiac University Poll showed 54
percent of voters disapprove of the job that he's been doing in Washington.

Nader said he wants to determine whether voters are truly dissatisfied with
Dodd and whether there are enough willing to work throughout Connecticut's
169 towns "for a new breed of political representation in Washington."

"It really depends on what kind of momentum there is and how many people are
willing to roll up their sleeves because I'm very accustomed to people
saying 'run Ralph run' and then they drift away, predisposed and preoccupied
with their daily life," he told reporters. "It has to be bottom up."

Nader said Dodd is "very personable" and shouldn't be written off. He also
warned against speculation that Connecticut's senior senator might be urged
by national Democrats not to run for re-election. But he said Dodd "has been
very concessionary to the banks and the brokerage houses for years."

Dodd's campaign and the state Democrats have declined to comment on a
possible Nader candidacy.

When Vic Lancia of Portland made it to the front of the line Friday so Nader
could sign his book, he told his hero that he would be willing to help out
with a Senate campaign.

"I'm retired, Ralph. I've got good legs to go to work for you," Lancia told
Nader, who just nodded and smiled. "Give me something to do next year
Ralph."

Tim McKee, a spokesman for the Connecticut Green Party, said the party is
committed to proving to Nader there will be support, both volunteers and
financial contributors. He said he's pleased to see that people not
associated with the party already have begun Internet pages on social
networking sites, such as Facebook, urging Nader to run.

"We're getting responses all across the nation. It's on all the blogs and
stuff," McKee said. "They want him to run to win. That's the most important
thing. This is not symbolic or anything like that. It's a run to win kind of
effort."
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http://www.ctnewsjunkie.com/election_2010/nader_calls_decision_to_run_fo.php

Nader call decision "premature

"http://www.wfsb.com/video/21741877/index.html

-- 
*************************************************
Tim McKee -National Committee of the Green Party for the state of
Connecticut, New Britain,CT
(860)778-1304 Cell- best way to reach me
(860) 505-8454 (H)



-- 
*************************************************
Tim McKee -National Committee of the Green Party for the state of
Connecticut, New Britain,CT
(860)778-1304 Cell- best way to reach me
(860) 505-8454 (H)
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