For those of you who may not remember, Nader's Raiders were a group of
Nader's co-workers, who, about 25 years ago, worked on a variety of consumer
advocacy issues.
Tom
-------------------------------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2000 08:04:45 -0700
From: John C. Strawn <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Truth of "Nader's Raiders for Gore"


FYI: Here is the original States News Service story by Andre
Vasquez documenting that the brains behind the self-named
'Nader's Raiders for Gore' is former Monsanto Vice President
for International Government Affairs, Toby Moffett. Moffett
is listed on p.1025 of the authoritative Washington
Representatives, 1999, as holding that position with
Monsanto. He has since left that position and moved to a
corporate lobby firm in DC, Higgins, McGovern and Smith
whose clients include high tech, insurance, drug and
intellectual property interests such as ATT, America West
Airlines, Telecommunications Industry Association,
Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co., Mylan Laboratories,
and the Chamber of Commerce of the USA. I do not know
exactly when he left his position with Monsanto, but it was
a recent move, perhaps even to distance himself from a group
that one paper described as having a revolving door
relationship with Clinton/Gore. Nor do I know if he is
currently working for Monsanto out of his new position, or
for the Gore campaign or the Democrat party, or which
commercial clients are his. However, he is the ringleader of
the 'Nader's Raider's for Gore' and a very powerful
coprorate lobbyist for the interests Al Gore promotes and
defends, including non-testing and non-labeling of GE foods.
For him to be identified as a 'Nader's Raider' is like
identifying Benedict Arnold as a patriotic hero of the
American Revolution. I'll be happy to address and comment on
'Nader's Raider's for Gore' in my capacity as an individual
supporting Nader who is an authority on PR front groups of
this sort.

John Stauber 608-238-7376

--------------- Forwarded Story ---------------

Headline: Former Nader Ally Toby Moffett Now On Campaign ...
Wire Service: OTC (COMTEX Newswire) Date: Thu, Aug 31, 2000

Aug. 31, 2000 (States via COMTEX) -- WASHINGTON, Aug.
29-Former U.S. Rep. Toby Moffett (D) is a man on a mission:
to minimize any negative effect Green Party presidential
candidate Ralph Nader might have on Al Gore's presidential
aspirations. Moffett formed this month a committee of 10
former Nader workers independent from the Gore-Lieberman
campaign. Their goal, come up with a strategy to offset any
inroads that Nader may make. "[Democrats] must be afraid,"
says Nancy Allen, a Maine resident and one of the Media
Coordinators for the Association of State Green Parties.
"This effort is a response to what Nader could do to
[Democrats]." Like many political observers, Moffett thinks
Gore might have at hand a hard, if not impossible, task in
trying to defeat Republican office seeker George W. Bush in
states where large numbers of voters are still undecided.
Lately Moffett has been on a very tight schedule as his
mission is no easy work either. Nader's poll numbers appear
strong in some states. And prior to the Democratic
convention in Los Angeles they reached nationally a healthy
8 percent placing the Green Party in a solid third position
behind the Republican and Democratic parties but far ahead
of the Reform or any other party. Though currently on a
seven-day vacation in his Connecticut home in , his daily
routine is hectic and loaded with interviews for radio and
TV stations across the country-especially from a handful of
key states-Illinois, Maine, Michigan, New Jersey, Oregon,
Pennsylvania and Washington-where Nader could make a
difference. "It's wild out there," he says about Oregon just
after finishing an interview with a radio station. "All this
is not a [personal] attack on Nader," Moffett says. "It's
clear that a vote for Nader is a vote for Bush. Even Nader
has coincided with that." Oregon is the state where Nader
had his best showing, 4 percent, at the expense of President
Clinton four years ago. Clinton won that state nevertheless.
But there was a lesson to be learned: the Democratic Party
should not take any longer for granted several traditionally
Democratic states. To avoid a similar surprise this year,
Moffett's approach is simple: Talk to as many media outlets
as he can and spread the electoral equation that a vote for
Nader is a vote for Bush. Moffett's task is still largely
unknown, so much so that several members of the Gore
campaign barely know he was working on their behalf. Even
Allen had to admit she had never heard of Moffett before.
But that doesn't mean everyone within the Green Party is
unaware of Moffett's doings. "It's obvious the Democrats
picked him because of his previous association with Nader,"
says Green Party coordinating member Howie Hawkins,
referring to the day when Nader, Moffett, and a few other
activists worked for the Connecticut Citizen Action Group
back in the early 1970s. Back then Moffett "worked hard" for
the group, says Alan DiCara, one of those activists working
side by side with Nader and Moffett for about two years. But
now DiCara says to be disappointed with Moffett. "[Moffett]
is looking out for [Moffett]," DiCara says. "I am dismayed,
but I am not surprised. That's the way [Moffett] is."
Hawkins says he understands how someone who worked so
closely to Nader could be working against him. "As the
country has shifted to the right a lot of intellectuals and
activists have decided to go with the money. Just look at
the Democratic leadership," Hawkins says. Moffett has been
in the political arena since 1969 when he was an aide to
then Sen. Walter Mondale (D-Minn.). But he has been out of
office since 1983 when after four terms in the House he
waged an unsuccessful run for the U.S. Senate. Moffett says
the only reason he started this committee is to avoid the
election of Bush and to stop the agenda against the
Democratic Party. Moffett says Nader would like to see the
Democratic Party shifting back toward the left after an
electoral defeat for the presidency. "Nader has become
reckless," says Moffett. "He's basically saying there's no
difference between Gore and Bush. If [Nader] succeeds, I
don't know what will happen." For now, Allen, the Nader
spokeswoman, said not to be concerned about Moffett's
efforts to stop Nader. "This kind of effort is going to
backfire," says Allen. "Independent voters will see it as
another reason to vote for Nader." Allen laughs and adds
sarcastically. "I am delighted, it's a wonderful strategy
that can only help us."

By Andre Vasquez -0-

Copyright States News Service, all rights reserved

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