Posted on Wed, Mar. 17, 2004

Nader to visit Crawford

Associated Press

AUSTIN - Independent presidential candidate Ralph

Nader will visit Texas this weekend as he works to

earn a spot on the state's November ballot.

Nader's visit includes a Saturday stop in Crawford -

home of President Bush's ranch - to join peace

activists in condemning the Bush administration and

the war in Iraq.

"This is Bush's Western White House," said Debbie

Russell, the Austin-San Antonio regional coordinator

for the Nader campaign. "(Nader) is joining other

Texas peace and justice groups in speaking out against

the current administration's aggressive foreign and

domestic policies."

The campaign swing also will include stops in San

Antonio and Austin on Friday, and a trip to Dallas on

Saturday.

Nader supporters began last week collecting the 64,000

signatures he needs as an independent candidate to

make the presidential ballot in Texas. Campaign

organizers said they do not have a running tally of

signatures, but they are encouraged by public interest

thus far. They said they hope to gather 95,000

signatures to make up for any signatures that turn out

to be invalid.

"We have people all over the state circulating

petitions," said Karen Elenich, state director for the

Nader campaign.

The Crawford rally, which is scheduled to mark the

one-year anniversary of the U.S.-led war against Iraq,

is part of a worldwide protest called the "Global Day

of Action Against War and Military Occupation."

Officials in Crawford, population 700, said they are

mostly concerned about traffic congestion during the

rally, the Waco Tribune-Herald reported.

Crawford also is hosting on Saturday a citywide garage

sale, a rodeo and the St. Paul Lutheran Church

Cemetery Association's second annual chili and bean

cook-off.

Friday will mark Nader's second trip to Texas since

announcing his bid for the presidency on Feb. 21. His

first trip included campaign stops in Houston, Austin

and San Antonio.

Nader needs to gather the required signatures, which

would make up 1 percent of votes cast for president in

the state in 2000, by May 10, according to the Texas

Secretary of State's Office.

Only registered voters who don't vote in Democratic or

Republican primaries can give valid signatures. Their

signatures will be invalid if they signed and voted on

either ticket in the March 9 primary.

In 2000, Nader won 137,994 votes, or 2.15 percent, in

the Texas presidential general election.

ON THE NET

March and Rally to Protest the Bush Administration

Policies: www.marchcrawford.org