Breaking News - Nader Update
Jeff Alworth
He's on. He's off. He's on again. He's ... off for good.
Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader will not be on the Oregon ballot after all. The Oregon Supreme Court ruled today that Secretary of State Bill Bradbury had the authority to exclude Nader from the ballot.The ruling came with enough lead time for elections officials that only some overseas voters in the military will see Ralph Nader's name on Oregon's ballot.
Thanks to cc for alerting us.
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6:11 p.m.
Sep 22, '04
Here's the Secretary of State's news release about the decision, with the url for a copy of the decision.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 22, 2004
Contact: Anne Martens 503-986-1502
Supreme Court Rules for Fraud Prevention
SALEM * Secretary of State Bill Bradbury is pleased to announce that the Supreme Court has upheld the authority of the Secretary of State to use reasonable rules to prevent fraud in the petition process.
The Court's ruling means that independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader and vice-presidential candidate Sandra Kucera will not appear on the ballot for the November 2nd General Election. "This appeal was never about Nader. Our concern has always been our ability to prevent fraud," said Bradbury. "The Court's ruling bolsters our critical safeguards against fraud, and the timing of the decision will allow ballots to be printed accurately and in time for mailing."
In considering the numbering and signature rules that govern petition sheets, the Court found that, "the review procedures were not, as the trial court's comments appear to suggest, yet another layer of unannounced legal barriers. They were, instead, the methodology by which the Secretary of State enforced existing legal standards."
Ballots will be printed for approximately 1.9 million registered voters beginning today, and ballots will be mailed beginning October 15.
<h1># #</h1>The Supreme Court's opinion is available online at http://www.publications.ojd.state.or.us/S51756.pdf
Sep 22, '04
Anyone have a link to the briefs filed on behalf of Nader and SoS?
I'd like to read the arguments.
Sep 22, '04
Chuck your link didnt work ???
Sep 22, '04
To Anne Martens, who is a liar, and a tax thief.
You've had run of a few years. Oregon's initiative process is, practically speaking, the oldest in the country. We'll survive your crap.
People like you (and by that I mean, folk who haven't ever worked for a living) know only what the boss says...know only how to be on the dole.
So, the boss told you to lie. You, and your boss, belong in prison, for voter fraud. Hey, bitch, tell me, where's the fraud on the petitions? Tell me, prove it up. Come after me babe, show your stuff...Come on, I'm waiting. I'm a citizen of Oregon. Translate that to the rest of your goons. Come and get me NOW!
11:02 p.m.
Sep 22, '04
Who pissed in your Cheerios, dude? Jeezus. It's OK to be mad if you really need to be, but... calm down. lol. It's that kind of attitude that makes it hard to sympathize w/ the Nader campaign and their signature gatherers. I'm just sayin'. More flies with honey than vinegar.
And as for "what fraud," you can see for yourself:
http://www.blueoregon.com/2004/08/nader_ballot_fr_2.html
11:07 p.m.
Sep 22, '04
For the record, I've always found Anne Martens to be a decent, smart, honest, and good person. She's also a regular contributor here at BlueOregon, and her views are publicly held.
On the other hand, John P Slevin, who is NOT a "citizen of Oregon," is actually a resident of Colorado (at least until he arrived here from Philadelphia, where he organized homeless people to collect Nader signatures, didn't pay them, and a riot ensued.)
As for the fraud, it's obvious to the naked eye on the petitions sheets scanned right here.
Sep 23, '04
Kari, you consistently lying bastatard. Tell me I anin't a citizen? Fuck you...I'm voting, here...Fuck you.Tell me something about Philadelphia, you lying prick...Tell me ANYTHING! Didn't see you there. Tell me Anne ever had a REAL job...yeah, I mean ANYTHING other than working for GUVMINT. Tell me. Then, let's go back to men talk.
Sep 23, '04
Another fine example of the fine people who for Nader. Good work, John.
Sep 23, '04
John P - You're a very emotional person. How's that working for you?
8:14 a.m.
Sep 23, '04
John, sweetie, you just gave me the best laugh I've had in ages. Just for the record, there's no "John P. Slevin" registered to vote in Oregon, so it seems that you're out of your jurisdiction, and out of your league. Cheers!
8:29 a.m.
Sep 23, '04
It's not really a blog until an unhinged troll bombs in with a bucketful of profane personal attacks. Thanks, Slevin, you're our house Nader Troll!
Sep 23, '04
Nothing like a good old fashioned "Fuck You" to settle the debate.
Sep 23, '04
Someone on BlueOregon should collect all the crazy ramblings of Slevin and publish a coffee table book. :)
Sep 23, '04
Kari, you consistently lying bastatard. Tell me I anin't a citizen? Fuck you...I'm voting, here...Fuck you.Tell me something about Philadelphia, you lying prick...Tell me ANYTHING! Didn't see you there. Tell me Anne ever had a REAL job...yeah, I mean ANYTHING other than working for GUVMINT. Tell me. Then, let's go back to men talk.
Is it just me or are all these Naderites singlehandedly turning themselves into the Lyndon LaRouche of this election? I mean really now. LaRouche's mutterings about trilateral commission conspiracies are downright lucid compared to most of the stuff I see out of the so-called Nader campaign these days. Next I expect we'll see them chanting and wandering barefoot around airports. Nader has turned himself and his entire movement into an absolute farce. It must really be embarrasing to walk around with a Nader for President sign these days.
Sep 23, '04
I wonder what Kafoury would say about Slevin's comments? While Slevin does appear to have come unhinged in a major way, his attacks are really just a more extreme form of the personal attacks that have been levied against anyone questioning the Nader campaign.
The above comment is correct, that the Naderites have become the new LaRouchies.
And thanks Kari for that link to the Philly article. Slevin really showed himself to be an ethical actor in ripping off the homeless. And he said Anne has never worked for a living?
Sep 24, '04
First I have to say that the pettition process is one of our base democratic principles and should be defended from fraud at any level.
Second Anne Martins is an incredible woman dedicated to moving a progressive agenda. She's smart, honest and wonderful. She works deligently in not only her work life but her personal life as well for fundamental democratic rights.
Last I think personal attacks is a sure sign of a weak defense.
Sep 26, '04
Might I ask what the conditions of use are on Blueoregon? Anything goes?
Slevin's two posts, it seems to me, overstep the bounds of acceptable political discourse. They contain personal profane attacks on individuals and, especially the second, are basically empty of any political content.
As a regular reader, I request that they be removed.
10:29 p.m.
Sep 26, '04
Prof, thanks for asking. So far, I've never yet deleted a comment or a post. (Except for duplicates, when someone accidentally double-clicks a submit button.)
Generally speaking, I believe that the answer to nasty speech is just more speech. As a place where anyone can comment, anyone will - and anyone else can respond to them.
As the target of Slevin's freakout, I actually laughed out loud - he's clearly gone haywire with the Supreme Court decision. Beyond that, I'm not personally concerned.
The only scenarios where I could envision deleting comments for content reasons: comment spam (unrelated comments with links to unrelated sites - like porn), or violent/threatening messages.
I'm pretty much a free speech absolutist, and while I recognize that it's not a legal requirement for a private website like BlueOregon, I'll consider it an ethical/moral requirement.
Oct 10, '04
This is in response to your snide “memo to Ralph Nader”in the Statesman Journal .What a pity you weren’t the editor of a Mississippi paper before the civil rights era. Your fear of Nader and your fellow citizens who wanted an anti-war and health-care-for-all candidate on the ballot is palpable. Your patronizing remarks harked back to editorials in the Jim Crow era and their fear of outside agitators and uncontrolled black voters so common place back then. Oregon voters got a taste of that ugly time as they watched the Democratic Party conspire to keep Ralph Nader off the ballot rather than compete against him. It has robbed each of a right to choose secretly from among candidates on a secret ballot. It has stolen a valuable civil right from each. I hope each remembers this when she votes. Each vote now becomes one of approval or disapproval of what voters have experienced. Voters have been victimized. Your ruling neo-Dixiecrats don’t trust residents to make the right decision on the war or on health care for all. Why should they trust their candidates or your counsel?