[Iowa-dx] FW: Nader will run as an independent; Gonzalez is VP pick (NY Times)

[Hart, Holly J]

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Nader Announces V.P. Pick

By Ariel Alexovich
The Caucus: Politics Blog
The New York Times, February 28, 2008
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/28/nader-announces-vp-pick/


Ralph Nader was last to jump into the
presidential race, but he=92s the first to find a
running mate.

He announced his =93first choice=94 for vice
president, Matt Gonzalez, a San Francisco lawyer,
at a Washington news conference on Monday. Mr.
Nader added that he and Mr. Gonzalez would not
seek the Green Party nomination and instead would
run as independents.

Mr. Gonzalez=92s greatest claim to fame is his
second-place showing in the 2003 San Francisco
mayoral race. As a Green Party candidate, Mr.
Gonzalez lost 53 to 47 percent to Democrat Gavin
Newsome, who had a considerably larger budget and
the outspoken support of Bill Clinton, Al Gore
and Nancy Pelosi.

The two anti-war, anti-NAFTA men met =93at various
public conferences in 2000 and then we campaigned
against the Iraq War in 2005, and we=92ve kept in
close touch since,=94 Mr. Nader told The Caucus,
adding that he made his decision to run with Mr.
Gonzalez about a month ago.

Mr. Gonzalez, 42, a
Democrat-turned-Green-Party-member-turned-independent,
is a practicing civil rights lawyer with a
background in criminal justice. He=92s a native
Texan but earned his political stripes in San
Francisco, where he=92s served as the deputy public
defender and president of the city=92s Board of
Supervisors.

=93He has great character, a great personality,
steadfastness in his principles and a lot of good
experience,=94 Mr. Nader said. =93He=92s not that old,
but criminal justice in the courts, urban
policies, and election reform =97 those are three
important areas.=94

Mr. Nader also said in the interview that his
2004 running mate, Peter Miguel Camejo =93told me
he=92s run so often that he=92s just tired=94 and
wasn=92t interested in another go-around.
Back in December, Mr. Nader endorsed John Edwards
for president, and he still holds the former
candidate in high esteem. Mr. Nader said he
hasn=92t heard from Mr. Edwards or his old advisers
since he threw his hat in the ring =97 but he said
he=92d welcome Mr. Edwards back to the race.

=93I would think he=92d be a leading candidate for
V.P. again, for Obama, if I would guess,=94 said
Mr. Nader of Mr. Edwards. =93The more the merrier.
You can=92t have too many progressive forces in
this country. You can=92t have too many efforts to
advance justice.=94

But during the press conference Mr. Gonzalez had
harsh words to say about Mr. Obama and John
McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee. Mr.
McCain was slammed for calling for =93perpetual
war,=94 and Mr. Obama for not committing to have
all U.S. troops out of Iraq by 2013.

Both men acknowledged they have a tough road
ahead of them, but that they=92re standing firm in
their fight to get on the ballot in all 50
states.

=93I have no illusions about what is happening here
today,=94 Mr. Gonzales said at the news conference.
=93I understand what stands before us. But let me
also say that I=92ve never entered a political
contest with the idea that it couldn=92t be won.
And it=92s cynical to say that the American people
are incapable of hearing the truth in casting a
vote for someone that they believe in.=94

And, yes, Mr. Gonzales voted for Mr. Nader in
2000 and 2004, he told The Caucus.