If there was ever any doubt that Ralph Nader’s former supporters understand that redefeating Bush is the top priority for progressives in this election, it ended this morning when the overwhelming majority of Nader’s 2000 National Citizens Committee issued a strong statement urging support for John Kerry and John Edwards in all swing states. (Click here to read the statement.)

Among the more than 75 signers are Phil Donahue, Noam Chomsky, Barbara Ehrenreich (who used one of her New York Times column to come out against Nader), Jim Hightower, Howard Zinn, Tim Robbins, Eddie Vedder, Susan Sarandon, Ben Cohen and Cornel West.

This urgent call comes at a time when it appears that the Nader campaign has qualified for the ballot in some 23 states, a minimum of 10 of which are considered swing states. Nader will probably also qualify for several other swing state ballots by the time of the election. In a race which remains both close and highly polarized, any one of these states could end up as the new “Florida,” and tip the electoral college vote to Bush.

While the 75-plus signers include a spectrum of views, all are united around a single proposition: Ending the national nightmare of Bush. As Noam Chomsky describes the stark choice: “Help elect Bush, or do something to try to prevent it.”

A number of signers also stress the importance of working to (re)defeat Bush on behalf of the world community. “We are not just voting for ourselves,” says political strategist Steve Cobble. “The entire world wishes they could vote in our presidential election–so they could vote against George W. Bush, pre-emption, bullying and unilateralism.”