Ralph Nader has told close associates that he plans to announce his candidacy in January and mount a serious campaign for president under the Green Party banner, reports Salon magazine. On the other end of the spectrum, Texas Gov. George W. Bush (R), in his first presidential debate last night, tried to sidestep a question about dirty air problems in his state. Asked whether he supported a specific EPA proposal for cleaner-burning gasoline, which would help Houston and other cities curb their ozone pollution, Bush avoided giving a detailed response, saying only after being questioned a second time that “we ought to look at a national standard” for cleaner gasoline. He also attacked the Sierra Club for running ads opposing him in New Hampshire, saying they were “polluting” his record. And he claimed to have reduced industrial emissions in Texas by 11 percent. Astute Bush observers will note that this number is up from the 10 percent figure he’s been tossing about in recent months.
