Nader Decries a War That He Helped Cause

Re “Nader Plays the Antiwar Card,” April 20: I think it is monumentally amusing that Ralph Nader, who is the reason George W. Bush was elected in 2000, now wants us out of a war that Al Gore never would have gotten us into. (And for those who still don’t get it: Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with 9/11 or Al Qaeda. He had no weapons of mass destruction, and this war in Iraq is a gross diversion of effort and money and people from the real war on terrorism.)

Steve Synnott

La Canada

*

Nader, “the spoiler,” is being credited with far more responsibility than deserved for Gore’s defeat in 2000. Now, Nader’s antiwar stance is portrayed as a threat to Sen. John Kerry and is again being depicted as handing the election to Bush. Why has no one recognized the real spoiler -- the electorate? A vote for Nader guarantees membership in a 4% constituency and little else. Accountability for larger, unsought consequences clearly rests with Nader voters, not with Nader.

William Goldman

Palos Verdes Estates