Nader expands on his response to the debates.
Ralph Nader weighs in on the debate (you know, the one he wasn't invited to) | Top of the Ticket | Los Angeles Times
Ralph Nader weighs in on the debate (you know, the one he wasn't invited to) | Top of the Ticket | Los Angeles Times
Sen. John McCain is engaged in showboating," said Nader, an independent presidential candidate who is on the ballot in at least 45 states.
"I think whatever is happening in the massive bailout, in the $700 billion blank check that Bush wants from the Congress, is not dependent on Sen. McCain's returning to Washington. But over 50 million American voters are depending on his showing up on Friday at Ole Miss for the debate."
If McCain demurs, Nader said he would love to fill in for him.
"If he doesn’t reconsider, I would be very happy to take his place in the empty chair on the stage," Nader said. "I'm the No. 3 presidential candidate."
The sunny demeanor belies Nader's heartfelt belief that the meetings between presidential nominees, organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates, are controlled by a biased cabal of major media companies and the Democratic and Republican parties. Nader, along with Bob Barr, has not been invited to participate.
The commission "is controlled by our two major competitors who don't want us to compete in front of tens of millions of Americans," Nader said. "Only in America. No other Western nation has such farces."