Naderites' wild darts.

• Position: Editor's Note

Several subscribers sent me a copy of an electronic letter from the Nader-Gonzalez '08 campaign that it mailed out to its supporters. Dated March 31, it took issue with my April Editor's Note entitled "Don't Worry About Ralph." I've gotten comments from lots of subscribers who thought my column was too kind to Nader. But the Nader-Gonzalez campaign had a different reaction.

The letter began: "You have to wonder about self-proclaimed 'progressives.' Take Matthew Rothschild, for example."

The Nader staffers took issue with my claim that "to the extent that there is anything like a progressive movement going on right now, it is foursquare behind Obama." They also didn't care for my assertion that "I barely know anyone who has voted for Nader in the past who will vote for him this time."

Their explanation for that? "Rothschild is living in his little viral liberal bubble, where the anti-Nader virus has taken hold and won't let go."

From there, they descended to name-calling. "It doesn't matter that you call yourself a progressive, Matt, or that you call your magazine The Progressive . You are not progressive. And your magazine is not progressive. You are supporting the corporate Democrats. Therefore, you are a corporate Democrat. Stop deceiving the public."

Signed: "The Nader Team."

Let the record reflect that The Progressive (which is not my magazine, by the way) does not endorse candidates: neither corporate Democrats nor Greens nor Independents like Ralph Nader. We've run pieces critical of both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, and we're running one this month that is critical of John McCain. Some of our columnists have expressed their preferences, as you saw last month in the debate between Edwidge Danticat and Adolph Reed Jr.

But The Progressive itself, as it has for decades, is leaving the voting decision up to the reader. And like...