[CUGreens] Nader responds to NOW and HRC

[Dan <danielstephen@earthlink.net>]

Date: Sat Sep 16, 2000 7:32am
Subject: SF Gate: Nader Defends Record On Women's Rights/Candidate fires
back at NOW president

Nader responds to NOW
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This article was sent to you by someone who found it on SF Gate. The
original article can be found on SFGate.com here:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2000/09
/15/MN69280.DTL
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September 15, 2000 (SF Chronicle)
Nader Defends Record On Women's Rights/Candidate fires back at NOW
president Carla Marinucci, Mark Simon, Chronicle Political Writers

   Portraying himself as one of the nation's most aggressive advocates
for women's issues, Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader
yesterday responded to criticism from the National Organization for
Women, charging that the organization has been silent on a host of key
women's issues.
   "I have been fighting for women's rights before Patricia Ireland knew
the term," said Nader, lashing out at the president of NOW, who suggested
in an interview with The Chronicle that the consumer advocate was
"ill-informed" on the issues related to abortion and reproductive rights
in the 2000 presidential race.
   Nader was outspoken on a campaign swing through California, speaking
before an overflow crowd of 1,000 at San Francisco State University and
later at San Jose State University. But at a press conference earlier in
Oakland, Nader argued that in two books, he pioneered the first campaign
against what he has called "marketplace discrimination against women,"
which he said encompasses "everything from excessive and unnecessary
operations, unnecessary prescriptions, auto dealer and repair firms
ripping them off . . . (and) credit discrimination."
   "The women's organizations simply have not paid enough attention to
these issues," he said. "I have failed utterly to get NOW interested in
this subject for the last 18 years."
   In the interview with The Chronicle, Ireland, while lauding Nader for
his credentials as a consumer advocate, warned women to think twice about
casting a vote for him as president. She noted that Nader's 10-page
candidacy statement "did not mention any explicitly feminist issues, not
birth control or abortion . . . and not violence against women."
   "It's not just an indifference," said Ireland in comments mirrored in
recent mailings by NOW, which has also criticized Nader's handling of gay
and lesbian issues. "It's an ignorance that's almost willful."
   But Nader had sharp words yesterday for Ireland and challenged her to
debate those issues, saying she and her organization have ignored key
problems for women as consumers in America.
   "Over 40,000 women a year die from medical malpractice, (but) there's
no comment there" from NOW, Nader said. "I haven't heard NOW talk about
Clinton-Gore foot-dragging on RU-486 for almost eight years," he said of
the administration's position on the experimental "morning-after" pill.
   Nader also spoke to the criticism from the Human Rights Campaign,
which suggested that Vice President Al Gore is more in a position to help
gays and lesbians on rights issues.
   "I'm the only candidate, among four, who comes out for equal rights
and responsibilities for gays and lesbians," he said. Gore, he said, is
"waffling on the military, waffling on civil unions . . . and yet they're
supporting a man who doesn't stand for their most fundamental position."
   Nader charged traditionally progressive groups lack the fortitude to
stand up to the Democratic presidential candidate.

   "It's time for the constituency groups of the Democratic Party to hold
that party up to a higher standard, instead of crawl on their knees to an
endorsement because they believe Republicans are worse," he said. "That's
not a good enough standard for the women of America -- the choice between
a bad Democratic Party, and a worse Republican Party."
   Nader kept up the tough words later in San Jose, when he launched an
attack on plans by Cisco Systems Inc., a leading Silicon Valley tech
firm, to expand its headquarters on 680 acres in the Coyote Valley. A
city environmental report, released Wednesday, largely dismissed concerns
about traffic and other major impacts on the 6.6 million-square-foot
project.
   But Nader -- who holds 18,000 shares of Cisco stock valued at more
than $1 million -- said investors must raise concerns or "this is going
to end up in lawsuits." While he stopped short of calling for legal
action, he said, "This is a situation where the investor class . . . has
to be more accountable."



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