WASHINGTON

COURT: DEBATES CAN BAR THIRD-PARTY HOPEFULS

The bipartisan group that organizes presidential debates had the right to exclude consumer advocate Ralph Nader and other third-party candidates from the debates in 2000, a federal appeals court ruled.

The court, reversing a judge’s ruling, said the Commission on Presidential Debates could exclude Mr. Nader, then the Green Party presidential candidate; Reform Party candidate Pat Buchanan, and other third-party candidates from the 2000 presidential debates and ban them from sitting in the audience at the first debate in Boston. The candidates had complained that the commission violated FEC rules prohibiting groups that stage debates from supporting or opposing political candidates or parties.

The commission “acted not out of any preference for major-party candidates, but rather because it feared one or more third-party candidates would disrupt the debate,” the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit said in overturning 3-0 a lower court judge’s decision in the candidates’ favor.

Mr. Nader had said before the Boston debate between George W. Bush and Vice President Gore that he should be allowed to participate or attend in person to watch the proceedings at the University of Massachusetts.

The third-party candidates, led by Natural Law Party candidate John Hagelin, filed suit in U.S. District Court, claiming the commission was unfairly biased against third-party presidential challengers, depriving them of “extensive television exposure and media coverage.”

– Bloomberg News

UNION TAKES STEP TOWARD WITHDRAWING FROM AFL-CIO

One of America’s fastest-growing unions, the Service Employees International Union, has reiterated its threat to bolt from the national labor federation, the AFL-CIO.

On Saturday, the union’s executive board authorized union leaders to withdraw the Service Employees from the AFL-CIO if such a move is deemed necessary. Local unions representing more than 70% of the union’s 1.8 million members have already voted in favor of such authority, a union statement said.

“We respect those who disagree with us and hope to continue to work with them on political and community issues we share,” the Service Employees’ board said in a statement .”But there comes a point where if we can’t reach agreement on basic principles, we should each move on and devote our time and resources to a strategy we believe will help working people win.”

The union is one of several dissident unions that have been locked in a struggle with the AFL-CIO’s president, John Sweeney, over changes to the strategy of the flagging American labor movement.

Some dissidents had hoped to mount a challenge to Mr. Sweeney when he faces re-election at a convention in Chicago next month, but the labor chief appears to have secured enough support to fend off such a challenge.

Yesterday, the 750,000-member International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers announced its continued support for Mr. Sweeney. “A smaller, divided labor movement will only harm the cause of unionism,” the Electrical Workers’ union warned in a statement.

– Staff Reporter of the Sun

VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY CALLS HOWARD DEAN ‘OVER THE TOP’

Howard Dean is “over the top,” Vice President Cheney says, calling the Democrats’ chairman “not the kind of individual you want to have representing your political party.”

“I’ve never been able to understand his appeal. Maybe his mother loved him, but I’ve never met anybody who does. He’s never won anything, as best I can tell,” Mr. Cheney said in an interview to be aired today on Fox News Channel.

In recent weeks, Mr. Dean has described the GOP as “pretty much a white, Christian party” and said many Republicans have “never made an honest living.” Republican leaders have called on him to apologize, and even some Democrats have distanced themselves from his remarks.

Mr. Dean said Saturday that positive responses from influential supporters have reinforced his determination to keep talking tough.

“People want us to fight,” Mr. Dean told the national party’s executive committee. “We are here to fight.”

– Associated Press