Ralph Nader taps Peter Camejo, Green Party veteran and gubernatorial candidate, as his running mate: "Camejo shares my concern for economic and social justice, as well as the urgent need to protect the environment," Nader said in a statement yesterday. The announcement, which came just days before the Green Party selects its presidential candidate, will likely boost Nader's efforts to win the group's backing, said some political observers. "It seems like a very smart move, tactically, to select Camejo now, in order to extend Nader's reach to another political organization like the Greens," said Ross Mirkarimi, a longtime Green activist who worked on Nader's campaign in 2000. Camejo is "well-regarded, and he's not new to the scene." Nader has been endorsed by the Reform Party. He twice ran for president with the Green Party's nomination before announcing earlier this year that he would strike out on his own. He said he would not accept the Greens' presidential nomination, because he does not want to be too closely associated with any party. But Nader said he would accept its endorsement, a less formal expression of support that could give him access to the party's ballot lines in 22 states and the District of Columbia. His decision has deeply divided the Green Party between those who support the longtime consumer activist and those backing a little-known party activist named David Cobb. The party is expected to make its decision this weekend.