Election 2004 and RFK Jr – Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Questions Whether 2004 Oh

[stevenleser]

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_steven_l_060601_election_2004_and_rf.htm


Election 2004 and RFK Jr – Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Questions Whether 2004 Ohio Prez Vote Stolen
Rolling Stone Article Accuses GOP, Secretary Blackwell and others
by Steven Leser

http://www.opednews.com

Steven Leser

It is great to see a big name get behind the quest to learn more about what happened in Ohio in election 2004. RFK Jr.’s Article in Rolling Stone, http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/10432334/was_the_2004_election_stolen is remarkably complete and well done. With over 208 citations of official data and other commentary, those on the right will find it cannot be dismissed offhand as partisan rhetoric. I was a newbie to journalism when election 2004 rolled around. 36 hours after the voting ended and shortly after Kerry conceded, I began to hear stories about problems in Ohio. I initially dismissed the allegations as wishful thinking by fellow Democrats, but eventually the amount of claims provoked me to do some investigation. I have provided links below to the no less than ten articles that I wrote in less than one month on the subject.

In a way, the Ohio recount defined what sort of journalist I would become. I decided that I had to be on the editorial side of the house. I am too opinionated not to want to say how I feel about the events I am writing about. I also decided that despite the fact that I am VERY partisan, I want to tell the complete story as all sides see it and not omit any facts even those that might contradict where I would want to see a story lead. Those who have read my recent articles will note that I often give the opinion of the Freepers and other Republicans so that people know how they see an issue. I may think they are nuts and say so and also why I think that, but that is a different issue. I also decided that merely digesting news from other reporters and giving an opinion was not nearly enough. I had to do a lot of contacting the sources to get first hand information. This paid off in my reporting of the Ohio recount although the mainstream media never noticed.

When the Ohio dispute came along, I decided early on that if there was nothing to it, I would tell that story. You can clearly see that with my December 13, 2004 article “Ohio Secretary of State’s Office Responds”. Carlo LoParo, the spokesperson for Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, made a strong argument as to why I should not think anything was amiss with the 2004 Ohio Presidential vote. The problem is, the method he gave me for backing up his story backfired on him. I contacted the supervisors of elections of both Franklin and Hamilton Counties as he suggested and they did not back up the story coming out of the secretary of states’ office at all. If anything, they back up RFK Jr.’s assertions that Blackwell and the GOP intentionally made things difficult for certain people to vote among many other allegations.

I am just very sad that it took so long for anything even remotely resembling the main stream media to pick up on the fact that additional investigation was needed on what happened in Ohio. If you read my below article from December 20, 2004 The Ohio Recount: The Stealth Recount, you can see how disgusted I was with the lack of coverage. If you want to completely share in my disgust, do a little investigation and see what passed for more important news that newspapers like the New York Times, Miami Herald, Washington Post and others put on their front page on that date, but I digress. There are a couple of important things that everyone should get from RFK Jr.’s article and my small library of work on the issue. There is too much in the 2004 Ohio Presidential vote that does not add up. There is too much about how the recount was conducted that is suspicious. People who have nothing to hide do not deliberately circumvent proper procedures in something so important. It may be two years too late, but it is still important to know the complete truth about what happened. All of us should demand no less.



Will Kerry be elected President by the Electoral College in eight days?
http://www.elitestv.com/pub/2004/dec/een41b4d7875c59c.html

Strange and suspicious behavior regarding the election and recounts from Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell 12/12/04
http://www.elitestv.com/pub/2004/dec/een41bcaddeb20b7.html

Ohio Secretary of State's Office Responds 12/13/04
http://www.elitestv.com/pub/2004/dec/een41bdf9f1ad056.html

Ohio Recount: County Election Board Chair Disputes comments from spokesperson for Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell 12/14/04
http://www.elitestv.com/pub/2004/dec/een41bf5ef4d50b2.html

Ohio Recount: Interview with Chair of Franklin County's Board of Elections 12/20/04 www.elitestv.com/pub/2004/Dec/EEN41c754d14d6d9.html

The Ohio Recount: The Stealth Recount 12/20/04
http://www.elitestv.com/pub/2004/dec/een41c7071285fd1.html

Ohio Recount: Ohio Recount has ended, Kerry finishes 300 votes closer to Bush 12/28/04
http://www.elitestv.com/pub/2004/dec/een41d1c25fa94dd.html

Ohio Recount: The Recount That Wasn't, a Chance to Reassure Voters Missed. 1/4/05 www.elitestv.com/pub/2005/Jan/EEN41daafcecb050.html

Election 2004: Congressional Democrats to Force Debate on Ohio Results 1/6/05
http://www.elitestv.com/pub/2005/jan/een41dd80d56b63c.html

Ohio Election and Recount: Congress/Legal Experts weigh in on Ohio Election & Lawsuits 1/7/05
http://www.elitestv.com/pub/2005/jan/een41defee5accf6.html

[babylonsister]

1. Excellent, and thank you, Steven! Bookmarked! nt

[stevenleser]

2. Note: If the article links do not work for some reason...

... do a search on the title on Google. Links to ElitesTV articles are funky sometimes...

Steve

[BeFree]

3. Good work!

Thanks for being an honest journalist. ya know, it seems a shame to ahve to thank you for doing your job, but in these days, you are, indeed, a rarity. I wish you luck in your career and hope many others gain courage from your efforts.

[wizdum]

4. Ohio was stolen for sure by Rove and Blackwell..

and John Kerry should have raised holy hell. I was so disgusted with JK at the time for backing down, I regretted voting for him almost immediately. Edwards wanted to fight, since that is his nature, but JK walked away and it was devastating for the country. It was the second election stolen by Rove/dubya and Rove was in the West Wing the entire night most likely coordinating the whole thing.

I am heartsick over this article. I can only skim through it. It'd kill me to read every word. It's just too damn depressing. Rove needs to go to jail for the rest of his life and so does Bush.

[IndyOp]

6. Uh-oh.

You criticized John Kerry's actions re: 2004 Election.

I am torn between :hide: and wanting to hang out with some :popcorn: to see who reads your reply.

[regnaD kciN]

8. No arguments here...

John Kerry bungled many aspects of his campaign, not the least of which was his decision to concede so soon. However, he was far from alone in his failings. Had the media (I speak of the Corporate Media Cartel) reported this properly, there would have been grounds for a more extensive contesting of the election. And, in particular, had they steadfastly reported the chicanery that took place before the election, there may have been enough public pressure to stop at least some of Blackwell's manipulations, resulting in a more honest ballot count in Ohio.

Even that may not have worked, though. The depressing reality was that too much of the entire election was in the hands of one political party. Their partisans controlled the voting rules, a Republican-stacked Supreme Court would be the final avenue of appeal on how the election should be run, and, if irregularities were charged that would put the legitimacy of the election into doubt, the matter was required to be settled by a Republican-controlled Congress. In other words, the results of the election were dependent on the Republican Party's honor and integrity -- its willingness to behave in an impartial manner, and let the chips fall where they may, even if it meant giving up power as a result. When it was clear that they had no intention to allow such an outcome, what recourse did we have?

:shrug:

[wizdum]

11. The media was hanging all over Kerry after the '04 election waiting for...

him to give them the go ahead and there would have been an absolute media frenzy. Kerry had the support of half the nation and was in a strong position to do it. He was almost like a rock star after his post election defeat. The MSM was after him for photo ops and statements, but he was meek and quiet and boringly dignified. He missed a vital opportunity to turn a hot spotlight on Rove and Blackwell and the ugly issue of voter fraud, which changed the results of two consecutive general elections. God only knows why.

Kerry might have been thinking about a second shot at the White House, but sometimes tomorrow never comes and you have to act today. He should have taken a risk and went with the moment. It would've stirred up a hornets nest that may have uncovered some real chicanery. He didn't realize how much power he had at that moment, despite having lost (due to voter fraud on a huge scale in Ohio). I was so let down I couldn't go to work for three days. Neither could other democrats I worked with. All the republicans were left short handed and they were complaining because we didn't come in. The democrats were in a daze due to the fraud and we were despairing in a big way. Some called it the blue flu. Kerry was the opposition leader in the immediate post election period and many (including the press) were looking to him to lead despite his defeat. But he didn't take on the fight. He vanished.

Our nation is slipping away because no high profile democratic leader is willing to step up to the plate and take on the issue of voter fraud. If they don't do it soon, they may never win another general election or regain majority control of congress. That is how serious it has gotten. Max Clellan never lost his seat in Georgia. It was stolen from him by Diebold. They tried to steal Cynthia McKinney's seat as well, but she was all over it and prevented them from subverting the results of her election.

Now, thanks to McCain and Diebold and Rove and all the other partisan criminals rigging the vote since 2000, the country is in a terrible mess. Maybe beyond repair. And it could be too late to turn the tide. We no longer live in a democracy. We have become the Corporate States of America and live in an autocracy.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

15. I agree with every word of your post. I could have written it.

I will never get over my disappointment with Kerry's rush to concede. People were still standing in line to vote for him for cripes sake!

And I want to know why all those disenfranchised voters , wherever they may be, have not brought lawsuits against the states for civil rights violations. RFK's article looks like it could be fodder for fifty law suits. Where is the army of Democratic lawyers?
How is it that far from being investigated and potentially indicted, that Blackwell is running for Governor?

[wizdum]

16. The govenorship was probably part of the deal Karl cut with...

Blackwell to rig the Ohio '04 presidential polls statewide. They should both be brought up on treason charges and imprisoned for the rest of their natural lives if proven that they denied American citizens their right to free and fair elections.

I know what you mean about the army of lawyers Kerry bragged about having to ensure a fair election. And the wimps in the mainstream media are certainly not going to risk their cushy well paid jobs going after this voter fraud story for him if he doesn't even show an inclination to do so himself (although Keith Olberman tried, bless his heart). Even if he couldn't have proved voter fraud (which I believe he would've had he camped out in Ohio putting pressure on Blackwell and others - possibly scaring some low level insiders into spilling the beans by threatening them with lawsuits and jail time), it would have perhaps made the republicans abit more wary of doing it again so blatantly and on such a wide scale. Kerry also could've wasted some republican money by forcing them to hire lawyers and most importantly put a spotlight on Ohio, voter fraud and diebold. I felt like he left us out to dry after we fought so hard for him. Everyone I know who voted for him was ready, willing and able to back him up. He could've held rallies in Ohio and drawn massive crowds of discontented voters. The democrats have to understand if people are going to take time out of their lives to work the phones for them and donate to their party (like I did), we expect our nominees to be our voice as like minority leaders even in (so called) defeat and fight like hell for us.

Have you seen this story on my blog? Check it out. Ohio recount fixed. Workers accused of fudging 04 recount..

Read it and weep. I am so fed up that on one is willing to do anything about it.

[babylonsister]

9. Hey, you!

[babylonsister]

7. I hope you took the opportunity to read the RS article. Here's a

snip//

Sen. John Kerry -- in a wide-ranging discussion of ROLLING STONE's investigation -- expressed concern about Republican tactics in 2004, but stopped short of saying the election was stolen. ''Can I draw a conclusion that they played tough games and clearly had an intent to reduce the level of our vote? Yes, absolutely. Can I tell you to a certainty that it made the difference in the election? I can't. There's no way for me to do that. If I could have done that, then obviously I would have found some legal recourse.''

Kerry conceded, however, that the widespread irregularities make it impossible to know for certain that the outcome reflected the will of the voters. ''I think there are clearly states where it is questionable whether everybody's vote is being counted, whether everybody is being given the opportunity to register and to vote,'' he said. ''There are clearly barriers in too many places to the ability of people to exercise their full franchise. For that to be happening in the United States of America today is disgraceful.''

Kerry's comments were echoed by Howard Dean, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee. ''I'm not confident that the election in Ohio was fairly decided,'' Dean says. ''We know that there was substantial voter suppression, and the machines were not reliable. It should not be a surprise that the Republicans are willing to do things that are unethical to manipulate elections. That's what we suspect has happened, and we'd like to safeguard our elections so that democracy can still be counted on to work.''

To help prevent a repeat of 2004, Kerry has co-sponsored a package of election reforms called the Count Every Vote Act. The measure would increase turnout by allowing voters to register at the polls on Election Day, provide provisional ballots to voters who inadvertently show up at the wrong precinct, require electronic voting machines to produce paper receipts verified by voters, and force election officials like Blackwell to step down if they want to join a campaign. (205) But Kerry says his fellow Democrats have been reluctant to push the reforms, fearing that Republicans would use their majority in Congress to create even more obstacles to voting. ''The real reason there is no appetite up here is that people are afraid the Republicans will amend HAVA and shove something far worse down our throats,'' he told me.

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/10432334/was_the...

Also, if you'd rather learn than puff yourself up with invective, here's a grand interview Kerry had with Stephanie Miller where the election was addressed. I was happy to hear Senator Kerry discuss it:

Edit to add correct link:
http://www.kerrysupport.com/media/stephanie_miller_john_kerry-051706.mp3

[wizdum]

12. Thanks for that snip...

I am glad Kerry is doing something now, but he should have put alot more heat on Blackwell after the '04 election, and that would've happened if he had been more vocal and showed up in Ohio to draw the press and the media spotlight to that region while they were cheating and rigging even the recount. It was a disgusting perversion of what's left of our so called democracy.

India is a much bigger country, in fact it is the biggest democracy in the world and their elections are nearly foolproof. If they can get it right, why can't we? Their voting machines are simple electronic units that are taped after the election ends and taken OFF SITE to count the votes in the presence of the representatives of each party.

The criminals are in control here now when it comes to the voting machines and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

[regnaD kciN]

5. It's a thorough and comprehensive summary...

...of reasons to suspect that Ohio (and many other precincts throughout the U.S.) was/were stolen. However, it doesn't really break new ground -- there's no "smoking gun" to seal the deal -- but merely puts together a convincing case from material already available.

In reading it, I found Kennedy's claims to be utterly believable. Which, ironically, makes me more depressed than ever, because:

1) If what he charges is true, it's simple -- John Kerry should have been President the past two years. We would have been spared Justices Alito and Roberts, the Congressional knuckling-under to warrantless surveillance and telephone record-culling, the elevation of a General involved with this surveillance (and one refusing to accept that "probable cause" is in the Fourth Amendment) to the leadership of the C.I.A., another thousand or more American troops (and untold Iraqi civilians) dead, another wave of tax cuts for the rich and service cuts for everyone else, record-high gasoline prices, a bankruptcy bill that ensures that those who find themselves down will be unable to recover...the list goes on and on. None of these would have taken place with President Kerry in the White House. None of them can be remedied in the forseeable future. :-(

2) If so great a sweep of electoral wrongdoing took place in 2004, why should we assume things will change in 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012...? I know we're all hopeful for next November, but I'm getting the sick feeling that we'll have a familiar experience on Election Night, as widely predicted Democratic gains somehow fail to materialize, supposedly-threatened Republican incumbents pick up surprisingly easy wins, and the talking heads are left rationalizing new explanations for why "the polls got it so wrong yet again."

Is there anything we can do to prevent this from happening once more?

[stevenleser]

13. There are steps you can take in 2006 to prevent this in 2008...

See this article of mine---> http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_steven_l_060513_election_2006_state_.htm we need to all spread the word to our Democratic and Progressive friends that we MUST pay attention and elect Democrats to both houses of our state legislatures. The state legislatures have all the power in how elections are conducted. If we control the state legislatures, we control how the elections are conducted, period.

[Kurovski]

10. K&R(nt)

[carincross]

14. How Many Votes Will It Take?

How many votes will the Democrats have to get for them to finally retake the House - Senate - White House? Mr. Kennedy's article suggests that Kerry won easily, but lost thanks to a whole range of fraudulent practices. At what point is the gap so large that it is impossible to hide the true vote count? And, at what point will the Democrats in office push for real election reform?

[wizdum]

17. I was wondering the same thing.

"At what point is the gap so large that it is impossible to hide the true vote count?

Great question. The only problem is if republicans control statewide offices like in Florida and Ohio, they stay in power by repeatedly rigging the vote. And with the Supreme Court meddling in state affairs and letting them get away with it, I don't see it coming to an end anytime soon. I know that Gore won Florida in 2000 after the WHOLE of the state had been recounted. But that didn't matter after Sandra Day had her say. Bitch!!! Good riddance to her.

[politicasista]

18. Kick!

We need as many dems as possible to pay attention to this. :kick: