During a Sept. 16 campaign stop at Macalester, Ralph Nader, the consumer advocate-turned-presidential candidate, alleged that Democrats might be breaking laws in their attempts to keep him off state ballots.

Calling the Democratic Party “spineless, gutless, hapless, [and] clueless,” Nader demanded that the party stop its efforts to keep him off state presidential ballots, characterizing the party’s drive as “anti-democratic.” He called, instead, for Democrats to focus their attacks on President Bush.

Speaking to reporters prior to his stump speech in Weyerhauser Memorial Chapel, Nader insinuated that Democrats, in their efforts to deny him space on the ballot, were involved in criminal activity.

“Money’s changing hands,” Nader said, alleging that Democrats in Pennsylvania attempted to bribe signature gatherers to “phony up” ballot petitions. “They’re obviously engaged in the abuse of due process,” he continued. “They are connecting with behavior by secretary of states that is extra-legal.”

On July 24, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Nader’s campaign was hiring people to collect petition signatures as part of a statewide effort to gain access to Pennsylvania ballots. The article indicated that the campaign was paying petition gatherers up to one dollar per signature. The Inquirer reported that some gatherers were seen signing each other’s petitions multiple times, and encouraging people to put down multiple names.

Pennsylvania law requires that presidential candidates collect 25,697 signatures of eligible voters to appear on the ballot. Democrats are suing to keep Nader off the ballot, alleging that the campaign has collected forged signatures, and have failed to meet the required number of valid petition signatures.

Nader spokesman Kevin Zeese, in a telephone interview from Washington D.C. Wednesday, said that he believes Democrats were behind the forged signatures, a claim Democratic officials deny. “[It’s] a shame that the Democrats are continuing to try to keep Nader off the ballot,” he said.

“All it takes is one eruption, one investigative report, to flash this around the country,” Nader said. He warned that Democrats are “playing with fire, [sic] and if they are not held accountable before the election they will be after,” characterizing the activities as a “mini-Watergate.”

The Pennsylvania Kerry campaign denied any involvement in petition tampering, and referred all questions to Mike Manzo, chief of staff for Penn. House Democratic Leader, Rep. Bill DeWeese. “If there was anyone engaged in unethical activity, it was the Nader campaign,” Manzo said, calling the allegations false.

Samuel Stretton, an election lawyer working for the Nader campaign in Pennsylvania, acknowledges that many of the petition signatures may be forged, and therefore, invalid. Contacted at his office outside Philadelphia on Wednesday, Stretton said many of the allegations are “second hand information, that are being investigated.” He would not elaborate.

“The Nader campaign had sole responsibility of monitoring the petitioners,” Manzo said, adding, “it was always our intention to challenge the validity of [petition] signatures.”

In spite of the controversy, the Pennsylvania State Supreme Court put Nader’s name back on the ballot Monday, reversing an August decision by the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania. Signature verification will begin Monday. According to the Nader campaign, Pennsylvania is the 38th state to put him on the ballot, although some of the states are still in litigation. Minnesota granted Nader ballot access on Sept. 14.

During his speech at Macalester, Nader repeatedly criticized Republicans as well as Democrats for catering to “corporate interests,” and called for an end to “a corrupt” two-party system. “[We are] one of the largest countries in the world,” Nader said at a press conference before his speech, “and we only have two parties.”

Nader blasted President Bush for U.S. involvement in Iraq, calling him a “charlatan, messianic, militarist.” He also assailed his environmental policies, the national debt, and the administration’s ties to big business.

However, Nader saved his most vehement attacks for John Kerry and the Democratic Party. He told the approximately 350 attendees to vote their conscience, rather than choosing “the least of the worst” candidates.

Nader called for Kerry to adopt more radical policy stances, like those in Nader’s own platform, “so he can get more votes” from progressive voters. Among the issues he mentioned during his speech were universal health care, an end to foreign energy dependence, a living wage, “honest billing practices,” legalization of gay marriage, decriminalizing marijuana, a six-month supervised pullout from Iraq, and legalizing the use of industrial hemp.

Nader’s supporters said afterwards that they were glad to hear a candidate they saw as passionate and honest. “I think he has a view of the country that is more mature than other politicians,” said Adam Duffy, a Gustavus Adolphus graduate who lives in Bloomington.

About twelve members of Mac Dems protested Nader’s visit, standing under the flagpole south of the chapel. “We’re trying to make a point that there are a lot of students here who don’t support Nader,” said Caleb Jonas ’07, who was holding a John Kerry sign.

Jesse Mortenson ’05, who has been in Mac Greens, said he does not plan to vote for Nader, but would not vote for Kerry either. “If Democrats were interested in my vote, they should have worked to get instant runoff voting in a couple states,” Mortenson said, echoing Nader’s call for an end to the two-party system.

Nader is the second presidential candidate in less than a week to visit Macalester. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination and is now campaigning for Kerry, spoke in Kagin Commons Sept. 12, during a campaign-season kickoff for College Democrats of Minnesota.