Wednesday November 8 7:58 PM ET

Nader's potential spoiler role was ``reprehensible,'' said John Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO.

``We believe his candidacy clearly affected the outcome of the election,'' he said.

Mike Casey of the Environmental Working Group said Nader would have been a ``cultural hero'' if he had dropped out of the race as liberal groups had urged.

``Because he put his ego before his commitment, he wakes up today with 3 percent, no federal money, he stands virtually alone in the environmental community and he's put Bush and his goon squad in the White House,'' said an infuriated Casey.

Kate Michelman, president of the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, said Nader ``pursued blindly his own goals, without regard to the risks it posed for those of us who have struggled long and hard for rights that are now in grave jeopardy'' in a potential Bush administration.