Nader: "I get by with a little help from my 'friends'."

Everyone knows the Democrats strongly dislike Ralph Nader, including the Republicans. Everyone always says, "A vote for Nader is a vote for Bush," and statistics show that they are right. Nader "took" votes away from Al Gore in 2000, and he stands to take away some from John Kerry this election year. Well, Republicans decided to take advantage of that fact, and saught the petition signatures Nader needed in Michigan to get him on the ballot.

I just got such a kick out of this story when I read it. Like this:

An article from The Detroit News posted on the state Republican Party's Web site quotes the party's executive director as saying, "We are absolutely interested in having Ralph Nader on the ballot," and adds that the executive director, Greg McNeilly, was personally circulating petitions for Mr. Nader.

Mr. McNeilly told fellow Republicans in a recent e-mail message that the Democrats were trying to keep Mr. Nader off the ballot, and that "your help is needed in the next five days to ensure that Michigan voters are not disenfranchised."

Of course the Republican party is "absolutely interested" in seeing Ralph Nader in the race, but not because they care about any voters being "disenfranchised." Give me a break. They know what they are doing, and kudos to them for doing it.

The Democrats, in very "cry baby-like" fashion said, "'There is no way they could have gathered over 40,000 signatures and spent less than $5,000,'" which is the legal limit." Fortunately for the Republicans, they aren't subjected to those campaign rules, because it was not arranged by the Nader campaign.