Republicans are happy to learn that consumer advocate Ralph Nader is running for president yet again:

“You have to ask yourself as a citizen, should we elaborate the issues that the two (parties) are not talking about?” Nader said. He said voters are feeling “locked out, shut out, marginalized, disrespected” on issues from the Middle East, Enron and Katrina to bungling by both parties.

“In that context, I have decided to run for president,” said Nader, who turns 74 this week.

One wonders what Nader is trying to accomplish at this point. It’s his fifth run at the White House, and in no election other than 2000 has he been much of a factor. He received very little media attention in 2004.

The article goes on to note that Nader might not be welcomed back into the Green Party fold, and that Nader has not yet decided if he will seek that party’s nomination or run on another ticket or as an independent. If he seeks the Green Party’s nomination he will face a tough challenge from Cynthia McKinney, who, as a former member of Congress, would be considered quite a heavy hitter by Green standards. I suspect Nader will run as an Independent, as he did in 2004.