In Washington, Nader released a list of over 100 "prominent" academics, political leaders, and Hollywood stars who want him to participate in high-profile debates with Vice President Al Gore and Texas Governor George Bush. Nader said Sarandon, who has a record as a "social activist," held a separate press conference in New York to make the same point. Sarandon is also a co-chair of the Citizen's Committee for Nader/LaDuke.

Nader and Reform Party candidate Pat Buchanan are currently excluded from the three upcoming debates sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates. The first begins on Oct. 3. Polls must show that candidates might receive 15 percent of the vote to be included, according to the commission.

Nader today said the commission acts as a front for the two-party system to exclude any who would disrupt their monopoly over power and connection to corporate money. "It is an institution entrusted and controlled by the two parties to exclude third parties," Nader said. Gore and Bush could easily create a venue whereby third party candidates participated if they wanted. "Gore and Bush are the real people" on this issue, Nader said. "If they wanted to open the debates, they could."

Nader also said the major television networks could establish their own debates including third parties that Gore and Bush "could not say 'no' to."

Gore said on Sunday he would consider debating Nader. "I have not ruled out revisiting the issue of the people who participate in the debate." Campaign spokesperson Jano Cabrera today said Gore's statement meant he had not ruled out any third party participation in the commission debates so long as they meet commission criteria. "Gore understands that the commission has set up their own criteria," Cabrera said. The criteria are "set by the commission, not by the Gore campaign and not by the Bush campaign. The commission is an independent commission."

Nader released today a list of supporters in his cause including actor Danny Glover, singers Willie Nelson and Bonnie Rait, author Noam Chomsky, radio commentator Jim Hightower, and documentary film-maker Michael Moore.

Nader today also said the commission has set an inappropriate bar for inclusion in the debates. As opposed to a 15 percent rating in the polls, Nader said five percent would make more sense. Nader also noted that 64 percent of likely voters polled said Nader should participate.

But commission Media Director John Scardino said the commission selected the 15 percent level of support as a yardstick because the debates are designed to only include candidates "with a reasonable chance of winning." Polls showing that 64 percent of Americans want Nader in the debates are irrelevant, he said. "That is not the question we are looking at. The question we are asking is, 'Who do you want to be the leader of your country?'"

Copyright 2000 by United Press International.