Independent presidential candidate and anti-corporate activist Ralph Nader led a protest of hundreds in front of the New York Stock Exchange against the US government's US$700 billion Wall Street bail-out package on October 16, according to an AFP report that day.
Nader demanded a new tax against financial institutions to help pay for the bailout, arguing "Make Wall Street pay for its own bailout, by implementing a securities speculation tax, starting with derivatives", AFP reported.
Nader accused heads of financial institutions of "high economic crimes" and argued that a speculations tax "would have the additional benefit of deterring some of the worst excesses of casino-capitalism".
Nader also stated that Republican presidential candidate John McCain and Democrat candidate Barack Obama "willingly or unwillingly, are puppets of corporate power".
According to AFP, Nader called for more federal action to protect US citizens at risk of home foreclosures. He also slammed McCain and Obama for being more concerned with their political fortunes that the plight of ordinary people. Both candidates "take orders from their corporate masters", he said.
The AFP reported that polls place support for Nader at 5%. For more information on Nader's campaign, visit http://votenader.org.