John Ashcroft's subpoenas, and why you should be afraid.

Very afraid.

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Ralph Nader has told us all to "relax, rejoice," at the prospect of his independent candidacy for president.

Let me make one thing crystal clear - contrary to popular and media wisdom, Nader was not the cause of Al Gore's loss in 2000. Gore's lame campaign, his refusal to employ arguably the greatest campaigner of the 20th century, Bill Clinton, to stump for him, and the criminal behavior of the state of Florida cost him the election. OK, technically, Nader drew enough votes to trigger the recount, but Gore should never have been in that position to begin with.

This time, it's different. Shrub is an illegitimate Resident of the white house, and needs to be deposed. Dividing the "left" vote, such as it is, prepares a recipe for defeat. This is going to be a close election once again, and narrowing the margin may well result in another round of disputed recounts. This cannot be left to state officials again.

To that end, Nader must step out of the race, or endorse the Democratic nominee closer to November. Likewise, Dean will have to endorse the party nominee in order to sway his supporters to come out and vote. This will be crucial, as many of Dean's backers are people who have been reluctant to vote, or are eligible for the first time this year.