ASHINGTON - Ralph Nader supporters who worry that they could tip the presidential election to the Republicans are being told in a new ad campaign that a ''vote for Nader is not a vote for Bush.'' The Green Party candidate currently draws about 4 percent in national polls, and some Democrats fear he could siphon enough votes from Democrat Al Gore to give Texas Governor George W. Bush the edge in several key states. ''Why Voting for a Candidate Who Can't Win Is the Smartest Thing You'll Ever Do,'' reads the ad, which will appear in seven markets in a dozen daily and weekly alternative newspapers. (AP)
Back home Texas official quits in racial incident
AUSTIN, Texas - The Texas health commissioner resigned yesterday after being accused of making racially insensitive comments to a black former employee. William ''Reyn'' Archer III, 46, whose appointment had been approved by Governor George W. Bush 1n 1997, had taken heavy criticism during the past year from minority groups over comments he made about Hispanics and blacks. Bush had supported Archer through his previous controversies but pulled back last week, calling Archer's latest comments ''inappropriate.'' Dr. Demetria Montgomery, who was a top-level administrator in the department before she was fired last month, had secretly tape-recorded a February meeting with Archer, who is white. On the tape, Archer can be heard making references to ''lynching'' and suggesting Montgomery used her brain to advance her career and ''that's what white people do.'' (AP)
City slip-up snares Gore's daughter
EVERETT, Wash. - Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore's daughter experienced a bout of what could be called ''fuzzy geography'' at a campaign rally, stumbling over a state capital lesson she said her father helped her learn. Kristin Gore, 23, said at a rally for Gore that her father had helped her in many areas of her childhood - comforting her when her dog died, attending her soccer games, and helping her memorize names of The Beatles' albums ''in chronological order.'' ''He also was the guy who helped me study for my third-grade state capital quiz - Seattle, I got it down,'' she said, clearly startling the crowd. The capital of Washington is Olympia. (Reuters)
Endorsements Muslims say Bush open to own issues
WASHINGTON - A new national Muslim coalition is endorsing George W. Bush for president, citing the Texas governor's openness to American Muslims' concerns. ''The main factor was the governor's accessibility to Muslim leaders. He has promised to address American Muslim concerns,'' said Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the American Muslim Political Coordination Council, a political action committee made up of the American Muslim Alliance, American Muslim Council, Council on American-Islamic Relations, and the Muslim Public Affairs Council. (AP)
Highway hijinks get the job done
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - A confusing billboard on Interstate 485 that featured presidential candidates George W. Bush and Al Gore was a publicity stunt, an ad agency said yesterday. The billboard featured a picture of Republican Bush and said ''Gore 2000.'' By yesterday, the billboard had a banner promoting a job firm with the script: ''Today's job ... proofreader.'' (AP)
