Nader challenges Gore to return campaign funds

LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) - Green party presidential nominee Ralph Nader Monday challenged Democrat Al Gore to return the campaign contributions from drug and health insurance corporations he so strongly criticizes.

In a news conference outside the Staples Center where last week the Democrats nominated Gore for the presidency, the consumer advocate blasted Gore for talking populist talk on one hand while catering to corporate interests on the other.

"In his acceptance speech, he (Gore) challenged and criticized the insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, the HMOs and oil companies. He said he is going to fight with the American people and take on these corporate giants," Nader said.

"At the same time, however, these companies are pouring million of dollars into the Democratic National Committee and into the personal coffers of Vice President Gore," he said.

Gore, in his speech, had said he would reduce the influence of money in politics with campaign finance reforms, double the amount of money in federal medical research and further crackdown on the marketing of tobacco to children.

Nader said Gore was trying to make a passing grade in "Populist Talk 101" and added, "The problem is for the last eight years Mr. Gore has been walking the corporate line."

Nader said if Gore was serious about his populist rhetoric, he should return the millions of dollars in contributions that these companies have poured into the DNC and to his own campaign.

"Give the money back Mr Gore or stand condemned of deceiving and misleading the American people into saying one thing -- that you are going to fight these big corporations, but doing the other -- that you continue to take millions of dollars from them into your campaign," he said.

Nader said that Gore's campaign is anxious to sell the idea that their candidate was an active and influential player in the Clinton-Gore administration.

"If these claims are accurate, where were the populist themes over the last eight years?" Nader asked. "It is easy to talk the populist line in a campaign, but the true test is the ability to walk it," he said.

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