Ralph Nader said Sunday he
will run for president as a third-party candidate, criticizing the top White House contenders as too
close to big business and pledging to repeat a bid that will “shift the power
from the few to the many.” Nader, 73, said most people are disenchanted
with the Democratic and Republican parties due to a prolonged Iraq war and a
shaky economy. The consumer
advocate also blamed tax and other corporate-friendly policies under the Bush
administration that he said have left many lower- and middle-class
people in debt. Nader also ran as a third-party candidate in the 2000 and 2004
presidential elections. He is still
loathed by many Democrats who call him a spoiler and claim his candidacy in
2000 cost the party the election by siphoning votes away from Al Gore in
a razor-thin contest in Florida.
Nader vociferously disputes the spoiler claim, saying only Democrats are to
blame for losing the race to George W. Bush. (Fox News contributed to this
story.)