After eight years of disastrous Bush-Republican policies, America is reeling. Still at war, moving into a deep recession, saddled with crushing debt, Americans face the most important election for president in generations.

In this environment, the most important thing Democrats and progressives can do is to unite in support of our common goal: Reversing the damage done by George Bush and the Republicans. In this environment, the worst thing we can do is to fight each other. But that is exactly the threat presented by the recently announced candidacy of Ralph Nader.

Nader’s candidacy has a special meaning to me – because his new running mate, former San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ President, Matt Gonzalez, was my opponent in 2003 when I first ran for mayor.