>>http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/07/09/MNGQQ7J31K1.DTL
and for those of you who didn't follow the link:
>Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader -- still not on the
>ballot in a single state -- has received a recent windfall of
>contributions from deep-pocketed Republicans with a history of big
>contributions to the party, an analysis of federal records show.
>
>Nearly one in 10 of Nader's major donors -- those writing checks of
>$1, 000 or more -- have given in recent months to the Bush-Cheney
>campaign, the latest documents show. GOP fund-raisers also have
>"bundled" contributions -- gathering hefty donations for maximum
>effect to help Nader, who has criticized the practice in the past.
>
>The donations from wealthy Republicans -- combined with increasingly
>vocal Democratic charges that they represent a stealth GOP effort to
>wound Democrat John Kerry -- prompted Nader's vice presidential
>running mate, Green Party member Peter Camejo, to suggest the
>consumer advocate reject the money that doesn't come from loyal
>Nader voters.
>
>"If there has been a wave of these (donations), then that's
>something Ralph and I will have to talk about -- and about returning
>their money,'' he said Thursday in an interview with The Chronicle.
>"If you oppose the war, if you're against the Patriot Act, your
>money is welcome.
>
>"But if your purpose is because you think this is going to have an
>electoral effect, we don't want that money. I take no money from
>people who disagree with us,'' Camejo said. "We're not interested in
>that.''
>
>But Camejo's views differ with Nader's recent defense of the contributions.
>
>"We have no indication that the Republicans are trying to maneuver
>support for us,'' he said at a recent press conference. "There are
>three or four major Republican donors who have contributed to my
>campaign. But that's because I worked with them on a number of
>issues. ... It's all very small, relatively small, contributions.
>And we like it that way.''