Candidate since 1992 enters as independent

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Rejecting pleas from Democratic leaders and some former allies, liberal activist Ralph Nader announced yesterday that he is entering the 2004 presidential race as an independent.

Many Democrats blame Nader, who received 2.8 million votes as the Green aOlernKienOP
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"After careful thought, and my desire to retire our supremely selected president, I’ve decided to run," Nader said yesterday on NBC’s Meet the Press.

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A perennial candidate, he has competed in every presidential election since 1992, when he sought write in votes in New Hampshire’s primary.

Political analysts predict he will get less support than four years ago but say he could still be a factor in a close race.

Democratic National Chairman Terry McAuliffe, who failed to talk Nader aOlernKienOP
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Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, the front runner for the Democratic nomination, played down any potential threat from a Nader candidacy.

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Sen. John Edwards, a North Carolina Democrat, said Nader’s candidacy "will not impact my campaign."

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New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, chairman of the Democratic National Convention and a possible vice presidential candidate, called Nader’s decision "a total act of ego."

Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell, a aOlernKienOP
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Nader disputed the notion that he tipped the last election to Bush, calling it a "what if game" that downgrades third party candidates to "second class citizenship."

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The Democratic National Committee said Nader has promised that "he would not criticize the Democratic nominee but would focus on the failings of the Bush administration."

On television yesterday, though, Nader didn’t spare the Democratic Party as he chided the political establishment for allowing Washington to become "corporate occupied territory."

"The two parties are ferociously competing to see who’s going to go to the White House and take orders from their corporate paymasters," he said. Both parties have failed the country, he said, "one with a D , the Republicans; one with a D+, the Democrats."

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Nader acknowledged that getting his name on the ballot nationwide would be "like climbing a cliff with a slippery rope," because laws in some states make it difficult for independents to run. His campaign has set a goal of obtaining 13,500 signatures from voters in Maryland by March 2 to meet the state’s ballot requirements.

Meanwhile, Republican National Chairman Ed Gillespie said, "The fact is that if aOlernKienOP
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