INDEPENDENT CAMPAIGN Nader fails in efforts to be on ballots in Texas, Oregon

Nader called the ballot-barring 'American fascism.'
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
WASHINGTON -- In a pair of setbacks to his presidential candidacy, independent Ralph Nader lost bids Wednesday to appear on ballots in Texas and Oregon.
In Texas, U.S. District Court Judge Lee Yeakel denied Nader's appeal after the Texas secretary of state found that the candidate failed to produce the 64,077 signatures required by May 10.
In Oregon, Nader failed in his third try to get on the ballot when Secretary of State Bill Bradbury announced that he didn't provide enough valid signatures.
"It's my duty to uphold the law, and it is clear that signatures on sheets that do not comply with the law cannot be counted," said Bradbury, a Democrat. "Any alteration of public documents opens the door to fraud and threatens the integrity of the elections process."
An indignant Nader said in response from New York: "This is American fascism.
"We're going to appeal it all," he said. Nader blames Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe for leading an effort against him. "This is a racketeering strategy from the top of the Democratic Party."
Argued against law
In Texas, Nader argued the state law was unconstitutional because it required a different number of signatures for independents than for minor parties, which had to submit only 45,540 signatures by May 24.
"We're pleased that the court ruled in our favor on each and every point, concluding that the challenged signature and date requirements are reasonable, nondiscriminatory restrictions on the rights of voters, and that these requirements do not unconstitutionally burden Nader or the electorate," Texas Secretary of State Geoff Connor said in a written statement.
The Nader campaign has followed an aggressive legal strategy that began in Texas, the first state deadline in the nation. It's a ballot line sought by Nader because it's the home state of President Bush.
On Tuesday, Nader faces ballot deadlines in the key states of New Mexico and Wisconsin. So Tuesday will effectively mark the end of the consumer advocate's effort to collect signatures to get on the ballot as an independent.
Blamed for Bush victory
The action will then shift to the legal system. In many states, Nader has had to fight a suppression effort by Democrats who blame him for Bush's razor-thin 2000 victory.
"We've actually had more success than we expected," said Toby Moffett, a former Democratic congressman from Connecticut who co-founded Ballot Project Inc., a group of Democratic attorneys working for free to keep Nader from getting on the ballot.