Michigan GOP Alert: Help get Ralph Nader on the ballot!

TO: Republican Leaders
FR: Greg McNeilly
Executive Director

Your help is needed in the next five days to ensure that Michigan voters are not disenfranchised.  Michigan Democrats are trying to block an independent candidate from having access to the ballot in Michigan.  More specifically, they want Nader off the ballot.

In 2000, Ralph Nader got 1.8% of the vote in Michigan.  According to Detroit News pollster Steve Mitchell (6/30/04) Ralph Nader is currently pulling 4% among Michigan voters.  Those voters deserve the option and choice!

Michigan Democrats today announced that they fear Ralph Nader's access to the ballot will prevent John Kerry from winning Michigan.

In 1992 and 1996 Ross Perot was on the Michigan ballot. Many Republican strategists believed this hurt Republican candidates.  It may have.  But the Republican Party never tried to deny access nor disenfranchise voters by opposing ballot access for Perot.

This election will be close.  Michigan Democrats are going to try every dirty trick possible.

While the Michigan Republicans are expending no funds to assist Nader's efforts, we are seeking volunteer help to ensure Nader's ballot access.

Right now, today, we need to assist efforts to provide Ralph Nader access to Michigan's ballot.  Please contact your local Victory Center to help, our Lansing headquarters or click here for a link to obtain a petition from the Nader campaign: http://www.migop.org/nader.asp

(Nader volunteers will collect the petitions from there)

Michigan Republican Party HQ
2121 E. Grand River Ave.
Lansing, MI 48912
517-x487-5413

Michigan Democratic Party
606 Townsend
Lansing, Michigan  48933

Mark Brewer
Executive Chair

July 8, 2004

Ralph Nader
Nader for President 2004
PO Box 18002
Washington DC,  20036

Dear Mr. Nader,

        I'm writing to ask that you refuse the assistance of the Michigan Republican Party to qualify you for the ballot as an independent presidential candidates in the States's November general election.  There are many reliable reports from around the state that Republicans, including paid staffers from the Michigan Republican Party, are distributing petitions and gathering signatures to put you on the ballot.  This follows a nationwide pattern of GOP assistance to your campaign in other states, including Arizona, where you were ordered off the State ballot last Wednesday after a challenge by the Arizona Democratic Party revealed a large number of defective signatures and substantial Republican assistance to your campaign.

        Furthermore, the Michigan Democratic Party asks that you and your campaign refuse to accept any petition signatures that the Michigan Republican Party, its staff and Republican volunteers have collected on your behalf.  If you accept their help, we will have no choice but to oppose your petition effort, review every signature and challenge your petitions if they are insufficient in any way.
 

Sincerely,

Mark Brewer
Executive Chair
Michigan Democratic Party

News from
THE MICHIGAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                   Contact: Jason Moon
July 16th, 2004                                                                                                            517-x
 

          The Michigan Democratic Party today announced that it would file federal election complaints concerning illegal and excessive contributions against Ralph Nader and the Michigan Republican Party unless Nader withdraws his attempt to qualify as an independent candidate and disavows the GOP signatures gathered for him.

          “A state political party is limited to $5000 in contributions to a presidential candidate - it is illegal both for a party to give and for a candidate to accept contributions in excess of that limit,” said Michigan Democratic Party Executive Chair Mark Brewer. “The staff costs and administrative expenses incurred by the Michigan GOP in spending several weeks collecting 43,000 signatures for Nader clearly exceed that limit.”

          “Unless Nader withdraws his attempt to qualify as an independent candidate and disavows those GOP signatures, we will file complaints against him and the Michigan GOP with the Federal Election Commission,” said Brewer.

          Based on published reports, Michigan Republican support for Nader’s candidacy includes:

-Executive Director Greg McNeilly collecting at least 1000 signatures himself;
-E-mail from the Michigan GOP soliciting help collecting signatures for Nader;
-Using 14 so-called “GOP Victory Centers” and their staff to distribute and collect Nader petitions;
-Using GOP staff to collect signatures on Nader petitions.

News from
THE MICHIGAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                 Contact: Jason Moon
July 19th, 2004                                                                                                          517-x
 

          "The Michigan Democratic Party again asks that Ralph Nader refuse all of the 43,000 petition signatures that the Michigan Republican Party gathered on behalf of his campaign.  If he chooses to accept their help we will have no choice but to file a federal election complaint concerning illegal and excessive contributions against his campaign and the Michigan Republican Party.  We will also challenge Nader's petition signatures with the Michigan Board of Canvassers.  A close inspection of the petitions revealed numerous instances of petition fraud made by Republican Party staffers."

          "Throughout his career, Ralph Nader has stood for corporate responsibility, consumers' rights and health care.  He now needs to decide whether to stand on principle or accept the help from those he has fought against his entire life.  We urge Nader to reject this Republican political trick and demonstrate that he is still a man with great integrity who honors his own beliefs."