Some Democrats are blaming The Green Party and Ralph Nader, in part, for the closeness of the presidential election. They say Nader and his backers cost Al Gore thousands of votes in Florida and other states in Tuesday's election. Nader's running mate, Winona LaDuke, says that the criticism of Nader is misplaced.

LaDuke is an author, journalist and Harvard-trained economist who lives on the White Earth Reservation in northwestern Minnesota. La Duke became politically active for the first time when she ran with Nader in 1996.