No, since he acquits himself half-decently with the bit near the end, not the easiest thing to say for a NY writer.
Regarding Nader, however . . .
EA sez: "Perhaps a serious Feingold or Wellstone run at the nomination with a stronger platform on globalization issues will convince those die-hard Naderites to join in the difficult business of building a more rational, Christian Coalition-like bloc to counter corporate power within the party. For now, we can expect an ugly period of payback in Washington in which Nader's valuable network of organizations will likely be the first to pay. Democrats will no longer return his calls. Funders will tell him to take a hike. Sadly, his life's work will be a victim of the infantile left-wing disorder Nader developed in his quixotic quest to elect a reactionary Republican to the American presidency.
[mbs] This is an interesting paragraph. First he notes the lack of initiative on the part of the left Democratics, big D, for which they have only themselves to blame. Tho Feingold is not too left, IMO. Wellstone is the one who really fell down. If he couldn't bear sitting in a plane he should have bought a damn bus, or gone to Rent-a-Wreck.
Regarding Washington 'payback,' I have a bit of interest in this. The idea of Congress not paying heed to Nader groups is stupid. Shows EA is clueless about Washington. These groups *service* Members of Congress. They provide them with material to pursue their constituents' interests. Whoever is not in majority has a serious staff disadvantage that the advocates fill. With funding it could be a different story, though the function those groups fill remains essential to the Dems. Members understand that without the advocates, instead of having research upon which to base their remarks, they'll just be standing there wacking off. You can't get this stuff out of an encyclopedia. It has to be properly masticated for political use.
Labor may be among the most pissed-off, but on labor's favorite issue -- trade -- the Nader groups were more important than almost any (ahem). One can't imagine the anti-NAFTA/WTO agitation in Washington (as opposed to the grass roots) without Lori Wallach, for instance.
Another point: the Washington "Nader groups" are not identified with the Nader campaign. To the best of my knowledge, they didn't play much of a part in it. I didn't hear from any of them re: the campaign. So the revenge factor is attenuated in that sense as well.
There is a real problem, but it's the left Democrats and labor's, not Nader's. It is that Gore & the corporate DNC espouse none of what the left Dems believe, and Nader espouses all of it. It's the Dems that are on the fence, and that hurts your crotch after too long. They have a pragmatic interest in staying w/Gore et al., to cut deals, but w/o the message developed by the left, they have no case to make their deals. What's in store for them is pain. Sort of like giving birth (I would imagine).
mbs