ow that he has blasted public subsidies of a new Fenway Park and excoriated state lawmakers for rushing through ballpark legislation, Ralph Nader is going after the Boston City Council.
Saying that word of the council's reputation for folding under pressure had reached Washington, D.C.,Nader's office there fired off a series of press releases and letters to individual councilors.
''The Boston City Council must not cave like other lawmakers involved,'' Nader wrote. ''It is their duty to stand, take charge and represent the public interest of the citizens of Boston.''
As the last governmental hurdle to a new Fenway, the City Council is in an unusually bright spotlight, and at least seven of the 13 members have declared opposition to the $665 million project.
Nader staffers hoped a public reminder from the consumer advocate campaigning for president on the Green Party ticket might prevent councilors from later giving in to political pressure.
''They have a reputation for talking one way and then folding later on,'' said Shawn McCarthy, a Nader spokesman. ''They're going to come under incredible pressure.''
