Nader puts spotlight on 1967 'cover-up' Friday, October 31, 2008 3:12 AM By Jim Siegel THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Ralph Nader wants John McCain to address his support of a book about Israel's attack on a U.S. ship in 1967.
Adding to his usual criticisms of the "corporate candidates" from the two major parties, independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader yesterday introduced a wrinkle, calling on John McCain to come clean about Israel's 1967 attack on the USS Liberty.
"He doesn't like to have his character impugned. I'm challenging his character on this point," Nader said in a news conference at the Statehouse.
McCain was not involved in the incident, which killed 34 American sailors amid the Six-Day War between Israel and several Arab nations. Israel said the attack was a case of mistaken identity, and McCain's father, Adm. John S. McCain Jr., approved an investigation that determined the incident was a tragic mistake.
Nader is among those who think the report was a cover-up. He's dragging McCain into it because the senator wrote a positive note on a 2002 book, The Liberty Incident, that also concluded the attack was an accident.
"He has been asked again and again by these sailors and their families to come clean," Nader said. "Instead, he endorses a propaganda book that says it was accidental. That reflects on his character."
The McCain campaign declined to respond.
Democrats fought to keep Nader off the Ohio ballot four years ago, but this year, his presence on the ballots of Ohio and 44 other states hasn't caused much of a stir. A number of Democrats blamed him for Al Gore's loss in the 2000 presidential election.
"If Obama and McCain have the ability to take votes away from me, then I have the right to take votes away from them, and we should get over it," Nader said
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