In other campaign news, consumer advocate Ralph Nader has announced another bid for the White House. He announced his decision on NBC’s Meet the Press with Tim Russert.

Ralph Nader: “One feels an obligation, Tim, to try to open the doorways; to try to get better ballot access; to respect dissent in America and the terms of third parties and independent candidates; to recognize historically that great issues have come in our history, against slavery, women rights to vote, and worker and farmer progressives, through little parties that never won any national election. Dissent is the mother of ascent. And in that context, I have decided to run for president.”

Nader said he is running because none of the other candidates are discussing important issues, such as the military’s bloated budget, government support for nuclear power and corporate subsidies. Nader criticized the policies of John McCain, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama. He accused Obama of switching his view on the Israel-Palestine conflict once he became a US senator.

Ralph Nader: “He was pro-Palestinian when he was in Illinois before he ran for the state senate, during he ran — during the state senate. Now he’s supporting the Israeli destruction of the tiny section called Gaza, the million-and-a-half people. He doesn’t have any sympathy for a civilian death ratio of about 300-to-1, 300 Palestinians to one Israeli.”

Clinton and Obama both criticized Nader for entering the race. Clinton accused Nader of preventing Al Gore from becoming president in 2000.