Wednesday 1/12/05 Election/Fraud/Recount Thread

[dzika]

In order to organize and document I thought it would be a good idea to have a daily thread to place items related to the recounts/fraud. This also make it easier to "catch up" when we are away from the computer for a while.

Please help us. If you see something that isn't here post it with a link to the thread and a thanks to the author. Thanks to everyone who is helping with this project.

Link to the thread from yesterday: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x277334

[dzika]

1. GOP ignores problems with election

January 12, 2005

GOP ignores problems with election

JIM MELANSON ("Give up, Democrats, you lost," letter, Jan. 10), like nearly every congressman last week, completely missed, or chose to miss, the point.

Last week the Democrats challenged Ohio's electoral vote count. Every Democratic speaker during the congressional debate made pains to say it wasn't their aim to overturn the election, but to call attention to the undeniable problems with the Nov. 2 vote.

As Senator Barbara Boxer said, the centerpiece of democracy is ensuring the right to vote. By any objective standard, the vote in Ohio was outrageously flawed. George W. Bush won Ohio, but he didn't win it fairly.

If you read the transcripts, you'll notice it's the Republicans spinning outrageous claims. It's Michael Moore's fault. Or, in the words of the ethically-challenged Tom Delay, the charges of election irregularities are mere ravings from the X-Files wing of the Democratic Party.


more
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/letters/articles/2005/01/12/gop_ignores_problems_with_election/

[EFerrari]

2. securing the vote flyer to distribute on 1/20

Other versions will be posted, time permitting.



(full page, black and white)

[EFerrari]

19. Updated link (added truthout to vetted sites)

[dzika]

3. Activists drop a challenge to Bush's Ohio victory

Wednesday, January 12, 2005

Activists drop a challenge to Bush's Ohio victory

T.C. Brown
Plain Dealer Bureau


Columbus- A coalition of activists dropped its legal challenge Tuesday in the Ohio Supreme Court over the president's re-election, but the group is not giving up.

In a paragraph-long request, the group of 40 grass-roots plaintiffs asked justices to dismiss their case, in which they had alleged that numerous voting machine errors, irregularities and intentional fraud by the George W. Bush campaign skewed the results in favor of the president.

The court is expected to grant the motion soon to dismiss the matter.

Coalition attorney Cliff Arnebeck said the effort had been derailed by the refusal of members of the Bush-Cheney campaign and Republican Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell to submit to sworn depositions.

"It is not a fruitful forum or endeavor at this point in time, given the fact that the other parties refused to cooperate," Arnebeck said. "There are other productive avenues which we can continue to pursue."

Arnebeck also faulted the Supreme Court for not acting more quickly on its legal challenge.

"The court should have knocked heads and said, 'Let's get to the merits at the earliest possible time because of the importance of the matter and the shortness of time,' " Arnebeck said.

more
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1105526026103491.xml

[dzika]

4. Something's Gotta Give - published by DU

Something's Gotta Give

By Ernest Partridge, The Crisis Papers



The Bush administration has set the United States upon a course which, if it continues, is almost certain to lead to a radical transformation of American society. And it will continue, for George Bush is renowned for his determination to "stay the course," and for his disinclination to contemplate and consider alternative policies and courses of action in the face of unforeseen developments.

It is impossible to predict the outcome of Bush's radical experiments with the American economy, his disregard of our political traditions, and his freedom from constraints from the Congress, the media, and soon the federal judiciary. Most scenarios are, quite frankly, dreadful.

If we are to avoid the precipice toward which we are accelerating, this deliverance must come from a shock of recognition of our perilous condition followed by decisive and concerted action by the financial establishment, the media, and the general public.

It has happened before in our history - the end of isolation and the mobilization for war, following the Pearl Harbor attack, the discrediting of Joseph McCarthy, and the fall of Richard Nixon, our disengagement from the Viet Nam war.


continued
http://www.democraticunderground.com/articles/05/01/12_give.html

[dzika]

5. Boxer, Waters Challenge ’04 Election Results

January 12 - 18, 2004

Boxer, Waters Challenge ’04 Election Results

Kathleen Herd Masser
Mirror contributing writer

George W. Bush was officially declared the winner of the 2004 presidential election last week, but not before California Senator Barbara Boxer made a bit of history when she and Ohio Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-Ohio) challenged the Ohio vote count during a joint session of Congress.

Under rules established in 1877, when a challenge is issued by at least one representative and one senator, Congress must adjourn so the Senate and House can reconvene separately and proceed with independent debates. Vice President Dick Cheney, who presided over the joint session, had no choice but to order the House and Senate to disband.

Only one other challenge has ever interrupted a joint session when, in 1969, a “faithless” North Carolina elector designated for Richard Nixon cast his vote instead for independent George Wallace.

Boxer and Tubbs Jones had no illusions that their action would overturn the election results. Their aim was to open a dialogue on election reform. In a letter to Tubbs Jones, Boxer wrote, “I have concluded that objecting to the electoral votes from Ohio is the only immediate way to bring these issues to light . . . to let the American people know the facts surrounding Ohio’s election.”

more
http://www.smmirror.com/volume6/issue31/boxer_waters_challenge.asp

[Viva_La_Revolution]

35. Wow!

When is the last time you read an article that actually included a persons entire quote? The writer didn't chop up their words and spin them around. What a pleasant surprise!!

[dzika]

6. Ohio Court Dismisses Election Challenges

Wednesday, January 12, 2005 10:48 a.m. ET

Ohio Court Dismisses Election Challenges

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- The Ohio Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a challenge from voters to the presidential election in light of last week's certification of the electoral vote and the upcoming inauguration.

A lawyer for the plaintiffs, a group of 37 voters, had moved Tuesday to drop the lawsuit, saying it is now moot. The high court agreed without comment to dismiss it.

((snip))

Attorney Cliff Arnebeck, who represented the voters, wanted the court to examine several Election Day problems such as long lines, a shortage of voting machines in predominantly minority neighborhoods and problems with computer equipment.

Arnebeck said Tuesday the voters couldn't expect to win the suit given the congressional certification of the electoral votes last week and the inauguration next week.

The voters' challenge to the re-election of state Chief Justice Thomas Moyer was also dismissed at their request.


http://wireservice.wired.com/wired/story.asp?section=Breaking&storyId=974185&tw=wn_wire_story

[dzika]

7. N.C. ag commissioner’s job still up in air

N.C. ag commissioner’s job still up in air

RALEIGH (AP) — A Wake County judge expects to rule later this week on whether sworn statements collected by the Republican candidate for state agriculture commissioner should be considered in determining how to resolve the disputed November election.

At a hearing Monday, a lawyer for Republican Steve Troxler said his campaign believes it has collected enough verified affidavits from Carteret County voters to resolve an election derailed by 4,438 missing votes.

That’s the number of early ballots cast in the coastal county that were lost when an electronic voting machine malfunctioned.

((snip))

Troxler is appealing an order by the State Board of Elections that a new statewide election is needed to resolve the race. He and his lawyers believe only the votes of those people whose ballots were lost should be considered in deciding the election.

Spencer said he would decide this week — possibly as early as Wednesday — whether to admit the affidavits as evidence. That could influence whether the judge sends the election back to the board for further review.

Troxler wants to show that it would have been impossible for Cobb to overtake him in Carteret County. In that effort, Hurley brought the affidavits to court in a box, which sat on a table during the hearing.



http://www.shelbystar.com/portal/ASP/article.asp?ID=13244

[dzika]

8. Judge grants delay in Dunn vs. Graff trial

Wednesday, 12 January 2005

Judge grants delay in Dunn vs. Graff trial
Dunn’s lawyers accuse Graff of stalling

By Cliff Hamilton
Odessa American


A visiting district judge on Tuesday postponed a trial that could mean a new election for the Precinct 3 county commissioner’s seat.

At the 9 a.m. trial, former Midland District Judge Willie DuBose continued the trial between incumbent Barbara Graff and challenger David Dunn for a week, granting a motion by Graff’s attorneys, Steve Spurgin and Bert Smith.

Spurgin said the extra week would allow him to get depositions from the witnesses called by Dunn’s attorney, Brian Carney.

Spurgin said the depositions would let him respond to the specifics of Dunn’s suit.

“The purpose of this is to narrow the issues so we know what the real battles will be at the trial,” Spurgin said. “That makes this process a lot cleaner and lets us deal with the real issues involved.”

The “real issues,” Spurgin said, are two contested duplicate ballots for Dunn that were thrown out at the Nov. 15 recount of the election between Dunn and Graff.

Dunn won the Nov. 2 election by one vote, but Graff won the recount by one vote after Elections Administrator Sharon Wilson threw out the two duplicate ballots.

DuBose said he was not convinced the extra week would make a difference.

“My suspicions are things are not going to be any better next week than they are now, but I’m going to give you that chance,” DuBose said to Spurgin.

more
http://www.oaoa.com/news/nw011205c.htm

[dzika]

9. Locke departs from divided Olympia WA

January 12th, 2005

Locke departs from divided Olympia

By Chris Mulick, Herald Olympia bureau


OLYMPIA -- Outgoing Gov. Gary Locke said goodbye Tuesday and the Democrat-controlled Legislature ensured Christine Gregoire will get to say hello in her inauguration ceremony today.

But even as lawmakers filed into the Legislative Building for a joint session of the House and Senate, as many as 2,000 Republican and Democratic demonstrators continued an orderly clash on the Capitol lawn.

((snip))

Republicans are contesting the election in court, hoping to have it thrown out. The state Supreme Court likely will have the final say.

Legislative Republicans said it would be wiser to wait for more facts to come out before allowing Gregoire to take office. But Democrats defeated a motion Tuesday to defer granting Gregoire's certificate of election for two weeks by a count of 80-65.

It was a straight party-line vote with the lone exception of conservative Potlatch Democrat Tim Sheldon, who sided with Republicans. Missing the vote were Reps. Don Cox, a Colfax Republican hospitalized for a viral infection, and Shirley Hankins, a moderate Richland Republican who is recovering this week from minor surgery during the weekend.

Republicans portrayed the issue as about restoring voter confidence rather than maneuvering to change the outcome of an election.


more
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/tch/local/story/6014192p-5905645c.html

[dzika]

10. Bush Takes Poll Advice for Election Fraud Distraction - Humor?

http://cloakanddagger.ca/

[dzika]

11. 2004 fiasco highlights need for changes before, during and after Election

January 12, 2005

Commentary: Poll reform
2004 fiasco highlights need for changes before, during and after Election Day
in New Mexico

By Matt Brix
January 12, 2005

On Nov. 29, a request was filed for a recount of ballots cast for president in New Mexico. The outcome of that request is still pending in court.

Common Cause New Mexico supports the right of any candidate to call for a recount, especially if the intent of the recount is to shed light on our ailing electoral process. It is unlikely that a recount would change the outcome of a Bush victory in New Mexico. However, some of the issues brought to light by the recount request should serve as a reminder that real electoral reform is needed.

Common Cause administered a national toll-free number during the days leading up to Election Day. That number received more than 200,000 calls from voters reporting systemic electoral problems in all 50 states. In addition, Common Cause New Mexico, through a partnership with Votewatch, conducted exit polling in 40 Bernalillo County precincts on Nov. 2 in an effort to gather specific information about voter experiences at the polls.

While this voluminous quantity of data is still being examined, a preliminary look at data gathered from each of these initiatives has helped Common Cause develop the following set of recommendations for reshaping New Mexico's electoral process.

Common Cause's first set of recommendations focuses on solidifying procedures for casting a provisional ballot, training poll workers and modernizing voter registration. Voters should be allowed to cast a provisional ballot even if they have to vote in the wrong precinct. Every provisional ballot cast by an eligible voter should be counted, and there must be uniform standards for counting these ballots. Providing every polling place with enough provisional ballots should be a top priority for elections officials.


more
http://www.abqtrib.com/albq/op_commentaries/article/0,2565,ALBQ_19866_3464833,00.html

[dzika]

12. The Last Man to Concede

January 11, 2005

The Last Man to Concede

by Sheila Samples
www.dissidentvoice.org


On November 3, just hours after Democratic vice presidential hopeful John Edwards made a national announcement that he and John Kerry were not going to concede until all the votes were counted, Kerry grabbed the spotlight and conceded -- before all the votes were counted.

Kerry took the money and ran. Seems he couldn't stick around because he and the missus were spending Christmas at a holiday extravaganza in Sun Valley as personal guests of California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who just weeks before had fired up the Republican Convention at Madison Square Garden by declaring that “America is safer with George W. Bush as president.”

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, “The former candidate, largely AWOL post-election, was seen in intense conversation with Dennis Miller.”

It would be another two months before Kerry got around to emailing his millions of stunned, exhausted, and much poorer supporters to let them know that, although he was committed to “ensuring that every vote in this election is counted,” alas, he wouldn't be joining the protest of the Ohio Electors.

((snip))

Meanwhile, back in the trenches, Conyers, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee and most dogged of investigators, continued to do much more than “highlight” issues and “gather” questions. Conyers faced stiff and often illegal opposition from Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, who is also an elite Bush donor and co-chair of the Ohio Bush/Cheney ‘04 campaign.



more
http://www.dissidentvoice.org/Jan05/Samples0111.htm

[dzika]

13. Media ignored or denied evidence that Bush failed to fulfill duty

In CBS memos coverage, media ignored -- or even denied -- credible evidence that Bush failed to fulfill National Guard duty

The media is allowing conservatives to use the release of the Independent Review Panel report examining CBS News' 60 Minutes Wednesday's September 8 broadcast of questionable memos to claim that the report disposed of all remaining questions that have been raised about President Bush's service in the National Guard. In fact, substantial evidence exists, completely independent of the CBS memos, that strongly suggests that Bush did not fulfill his Guard obligations and did receive special treatment as the son of a prominent politician -- evidence that Bush has never directly refuted.

On January 10, CNN host and nationally syndicated columnist Robert Novak and author and WorldNetDaily.com columnist Bob Kohn both falsely suggested that questions about Bush's service rested solely on the flawed 60 Minutes report. January 11 reports in The Washington Post and The Boston Globe relayed erroneous claims by Bush administration officials and other Republicans that the panel report vindicates Bush's assertion that he fulfilled his service and received no preferential treatment, without detailing the vast body of evidence that is completely unrelated to the memos and has not been contradicted or substantively disputed.

Appearing on the January 10 edition of MSNBC's The Abrams Report, Kohn reacted to CBS anchor Dan Rather's September 15 remark that nobody has questioned the "major thrust of our report" by asserting that "There's no story without the documents. ... it's just conjecture without the documents." Earlier that day on CNN's Crossfire, Novak asked why CBS has failed to issue a "formal retraction of George W. Bush ducking National Guard service."

In a January 11 article, The Washington Post reported that conservatives asserted that the panel's findings "would convince Americans that Bush had served honorably during the Vietnam War and received no special treatment," but failed to mention that the panelists explicitly stated (as noted below) that they were not addressing the issue of Bush's service -- not the strength of the evidence against him, nor the credibility of his response. Instead, the Post quoted a remark that made no reference to the panel's findings -- Republican National Committee chairman Ed Gillespie's claim that "he public has made their judgment: They know the president served and was honorably discharged." (Media Matters has previously noted the media falling for the irrelevant Republican talking point that Bush's honorable discharge means he fulfilled his duties.) The Post noted that "credible reporting by other media outlets has raised questions about whether Bush received favorable treatment in the Texas Air National Guard," but neglected to provide any details or to note that Bush has made untrue assertions about his service in the Guard, and has made little effort to address any of those questions. Instead, the Post simply quoted former Kerry-Edwards '04 campaign adviser Joe Lockhart, who said: "I don't think we're certain the president fully fulfilled his National Guard service."

more
http://mediamatters.org/items/200501120004

[dzika]

14. North Carolina Select Committee on Electronic Voting Systems Meeting

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY
STATE LEGISLATIVE BUILDING

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA 27601


January 12, 2005

MEMORANDUM

TO: Members, Joint Select Committee on Electronic Voting Systems

FROM: Senator Austin Allran, Co-Chair

Senator Eleanor Kinnaird, Co-Chair

Representative Verla C. Insko, Co-Chair

Ms. Susan T. Adams, Co-Chair



SUBJECT: Joint Select Committee on Electronic Voting Systems Meeting


There will be a meeting of the Joint Select Committee on Electronic Voting Systems on Friday, January 14, 2005, at 10:00 a.m. in Room 414 of the Legislative Office Building.

Parking for non-legislative members of the committee is available in the visitor parking deck #75 located on Salisbury Street across from the Legislative Office Building. Parking is also available in the parking lot across Jones Street from the State Library/Archives (see attached directions and map). The cost for visitor parking is $.50 per hour or $4.00 per day and may be reimbursed with a parking receipt submitted with your travel reimbursement form.

Please advise Angie Whitener, Committee Clerk, at [phone] or email [e-mail] if you will be unable to attend.


Posted: January 11, 2004

cc: Committee Record _____
Interested Parties _____

[dzika]

15. "The election was still stolen, and we're still talking about it"

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

"The election was still stolen, and we're still talking about it"

by Noah


Welcome back, friends. It's a gray Tuesday here in the State, County, and City of New York. The state of the world is precarious, the state of the nation dire; the election was still stolen, and we're still talking about it.

We begin today with this Indianapolis Star editorial by William Raspberry, who asks the reasonable question, "What really happened in Ohio?" Noting that the House Democrats who challenged the election could not resist a single opportunity to state that they were not challenging the results, Raspberry has some other reasonable questions, too.

"So what am I to think about all the allegations I've been reading in the noncertified press since November? That the left-wing bloggers are blowing things out of proportion? That the mainstream press is being properly circumspect? That nothing much happened in Ohio?

"But 'Preserving Democracy' belies such a benign conclusion. 'We have found numerous, serious election irregularities...which resulted in a significant disenfranchisement of voters...In many cases these irregularities were caused by intentional misconduct and illegal behavior, much of it involving Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell, the co-chair of the Bush-Cheney campaign in Ohio.'

"Well, I don't want to overturn the election, either. But I would like to know if public officials and private citizens did engage in significant and concerted effort to steal the election in the event the wrong person seemed to be winning it. And if so, I'd like to know who the miscreants were, what they did, and what heads are going to roll. Because if all we get are a few hearings and empty promises, it's a safe bet it'll happen again."

Truthout's William Rivers Pitt, who's been one of this story's foremost investigative journalists, has the luxury of an "I'll prove it" stance, as opposed to Raspberry's "Yeah? Prove it." Pitt recently published this interview with the man who should be First Brother, Cam Kerry. Quoting the Boston Herald article which established that Cam Kerry "is playing the same pivotal role that the late Robert F. Kennedy played for his older brother back in 1960," Pitt gets some halfhearted admissions out of his subject.

"Kenneth Blackwell's conduct throughout this election, going back months beforehand and through the recount, has been disgraceful," Cam told him. Hey, everybody -- Cam noticed! When the interview got more specific, Cam took the reins from Pitt and began to interview himself: "Were there people who were disenfranchised? Yes. Were there mistakes and irregularities and fraud? Yes. I think this was a closer election than 119,000 votes."

But, needless to say, Cam doesn't think the margin was close enough to indicate a true Kerry win, official misconduct notwithstanding. "I am a lawyer," he explained when Pitt searched for a sign that the Kerry camp regretted the instant concession of November 3, "and I'm going to deal with evidence. I have to deal with what I think a court would do. That's the kind of judgments I make."

So, in a stated attempt to "satisfy Cam Kerry's request," RaulVB at Democratic Underground has "found" 800,000 popular votes in Ohio. Read Raul's entry -- it's a model of how investigative bloggers can build a case using information from an array of media sources. If you agree that Raul convincingly answers the call for numbers, please join me in e-mailing Cam Kerry ( [e-mail] ) to tell him the good news that his brother is the rightful President of the United States.

On the bright side, the Nashua Advocate notes that "with the specter of a constitutional crisis fading -- at least for the moment -- into the background of the national political debate, some heavy-hitters in the media are coming out of the woodwork in support of election reform," which nobody can deny, which nobody can deny.

more
http://nerofiddled.blogspot.com/2005/01/abu-ghraib-lawyeris-cheerleading.html

[dzika]

16. Oregons Sens. Gordon Smith and Ron Wyden shared a bipartisan moment

January 12, 2005

Smith, Wyden field queries at packed town hall meeting

Smith, Wyden field queries at packed town hall meeting



Sens. Gordon Smith and Ron Wyden shared a bipartisan moment at a joint town hall meeting in Medford Tuesday but ended up confronting an occasionally testy audience worried about election fraud, the cost of the Iraq war and how the government will pay for health care and other services.

((snip))

Many audience members expressed concern about voter fraud in the November election.

Ashland resident Gaia Carner asked Smith, "How do you feel about the fact that in 2004 alone, 50 million votes were cast with no paper trail, no means of auditing and no means of verifying?"

Smith responded, "I share your discomfort with a lack of paper trail. I am also mindful of all of the blogs out there that are spinning this idea and that idea."

"Senator, are you calling John Conyers of the House Judiciary Committee conspiratorial bloggers?" Carner said. She was referring to a report on suspected voter fraud by Conyers, a Michigan Democrat who is the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee.

Smith said he hadn’t read the report, but pointed out that questions could be raised about any election. "I’m not aware that I’ve been part of a perfect election," he said. "There is always hard feelings afterwards."

Wyden, jumping to Smith’s defense, said Oregon was in danger of losing its vote-by-mail system the last time Congress entertained voting reform. He said Smith joined him in fighting to keep Oregon’s system, which does have a paper trail.

Smith did say that more needs to be done to make sure the election process doesn’t raise the kind of questions that it has after this election. "The underpinning of our democracy is that we have confidence in the outcome," he said.

http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2005/0112/local/stories/01local.htm

[dzika]

17. Jazz Funeral For Democracy

Jazz Funeral For Democracy

"A Wake for Peace"

January 20, 2005 New Orleans, LA

The Event
*** ALERT: DUE TO THE GREAT RESPONSE TO THIS EVENT AND EXPECTATIONS FOR A SIZABLE CROWD, THE FUNERAL HAS INCREASED THE BUDGET FOR POLICE SECURITY, RESULTING IN A PROJECTED $595 BUDGET SHORTFALL. IF YOU ARE ABLE TO HELP, PLEASE CONSIDER DOING SO. LET US KNOW AT [e-mail] AND/OR SEND A CHECK ACCORDING TO THE INSTRUCTIONS HERE. A TREMENDOUS THANKS TO ALL THOSE WHO ARE HELPING US MAKE HISTORY BY CONTRIBUTING TO THIS EVENT. ***

The Jazz Funeral for Democracy is a wake and funeral for the principles upon which America once stood.

You can view the mission statement of the Jazz Funeral for Democracy here.


WHAT
Traditional New Orleans jazz funeral entitled "A Wake for Peace": Jazz Funeral for Democracy timed to coincide with the inauguration of George W. Bush. Street theater encouraged. March, rally and inaugural ball featuring local New Orleans musicians.


WHERE
New Orleans, Louisiana. Meet at 10:00 at Congo Square (Armstrong Park) located just outside of the French Quarter on Rampart Street. 11:00 AM march down Rampart to Canal Street to N. Peters/Decatur to Jackson Square where a rally will be held. The march will then continue down Decatur Street, on to Frenchman via Esplanade before settling down at which time our "Inaugural Ball" will commence for a block party on Frenchman.


WHEN
Thursday, January 20, 2005. Assemble 10:00 AM, March 11:00 AM (CST).


WHO
A coalition of groups and individuals distressed about issues including, but not limited to, the occupation of Iraq and other instances of US military aggression, the mistreatment of "detainees", corporate control of America, the rollback of individual liberties, state sponsored homophobia, election fraud, the poisoning of the environment, and the class warfare instituted by the Bush Administration. Groups include military veterans, civil rights organizations, theater groups, regional peace coalitions, and gay rights activists. Individuals involved are good, patriotic Americans who come from all walks of life.


WHY
Because we still can.

[dzika]

18. Letter from Boxer - right-wing extremists ratcheting up attacks on me

A letter from Senator Boxer:

Dear Lindsay,

On Election Night last November, I told you how honored I was that Californians elected me to a third term in the United States Senate. I explained that I would be so proud to walk onto the Senate floor and fight for you.

Little did I know that I would need to be fighting so soon after I was sworn in. My actions last week were desperately needed to shine light upon the rampant voting irregularities that occurred during the 2004 Presidential election. In my floor statement, I wondered, "How can we ask our brave men and women to fight a war to bring democracy to Iraq, if we allow the disenfranchisement of so many here at home?"

Seeing no other way to get my colleagues to focus on this issue, I stood up to challenge the Electoral College vote.

And, I'm going to keep standing up.

I'm going to stand up and fight for our shared American values -- economic justice, social justice, environmental justice, electoral justice, and a woman's right to choose.

But, I can only continue to do this if you are behind me. We need to stick together. In response to my actions last week, the right-wing extremists are ratcheting up their partisan attacks on me -- and I need you now more than ever.

So, stay tuned in the coming days as we enter the next phase of our movement to change America for the better.

In Friendship,

Barbara Boxer
U.S. Senator

http://www.livejournal.com/users/zee_katai/204799.html

[dzika]

20. O'Reilly: The "word is" that Soros funds Michael Moore

O'Reilly: The "word is" that Soros funds Michael Moore

http://mediamatters.org/items/200501120006

Listen to this audio clip: audio clip



FOX News host Bill O'Reilly claimed without evidence that progressive financier, philanthropist, and political activist George Soros "funds" author and filmmaker Michael Moore's activities overseas. O'Reilly himself admitted he "an't prove it" but insisted, "that's the word."

From the January 10 broadcast of Westwood One's Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly:

O'REILLY: So, anyway, Moore comes in and he wins (a People's Choice Award), and he gives a mild speech about "We all love the country, live in a great country." This is the same guy who runs around Europe saying we live in a terrible country. ... No, we live in a great country when he wins a People's Choice Award voted on by Americans. He goes over to London -- "We live in a bad country, America's bad, exploits people, causes pain and suffering all over the world." This is what Moore does. And who funds all of his stuff overseas? Word is George Soros does. Can't prove it -- that's the word.

In fact, Soros has stated publicly, "I am not a fan of Michael Moore," and he has criticized what he called Moore's efforts "to mislead the American people."

O'Reilly's willingness to repeat baseless rumors to smear his political enemies contradicts his frequent insistence that he reports only claims he has verified and his frequent criticism of the "mainstream media" for supposedly reporting unsubstantiated claims from the Internet.

From the December 10, 2004, Radio Factor:

O'REILLY: Because freedom of speech is really what's at play. Guys like me -- who speak out, speak their mind -- every day run the risk of being destroyed by these people who disagree with us. And on left wing too -- but again, left wing not as much because the right wing can't get it into The New York Times. They can't get it anywhere.

I get stuff all the time; I never use it. I mean, my mandates to my producers are, "You gotta check it. You gotta confirm it. We're not printin' unless we know it's true." We don't use it. But that's not what's going on in the mainstream media most of the time. It's not happening. They will print and say anything they pick up from the Internet.

From the November 11, 2004, Radio Factor:

O'REILLY: Ladies and gentlemen, I mean, it is outrageous. Because when the stuff appears on the Internet, then the straight press picks it up. And then when you call 'em on it, it's, "Well, I read it on the Internet. Not my fault. There it was, public domain."

From the October 27, 2004, Radio Factor:

O'REILLY: Now, there are no rules anymore in the media -- no rules. It used to be that you had to verify your story. You had to have proof before you printed. No longer. If there's an allegation out there, you can print it. It doesn't have to be true; it doesn't have to come from a credible source -- you know, boom, it's out there. You've seen that in the presidential race right now.

From the July 14, 2004, Radio Factor:

O'REILLY: Now, if somebody calls me up and says, "O'Reilly, so-and-so is doing this," and it sounds like a good story, I can't just report that to you like the websites do, for example. Somebody calls up a website, tells anybody, "this is happening," and they just post it, and then they say, "Well, so-and-so told me," or, you know, "what sources say." We can't do that. We've got to verify independently what is happening. We can take the tip, but we have to verify independently.

(...)

As a journalist, you know, I have to fight that every day. Somebody gives me a -- a really juicy item about somebody I despise, I want to go right away and use it, you know, but I can't, because if it's wrong, I get -- I get killed.

Contact:
Bill O'Reilly [e-mail]

Contact:
The Radio Factor Call in live: 1-877-9-NO SPIN (12pm-2pm eastern time)
Westwood One
Bart Tessler
Sr. VP, Network News / Talk Programming
202.457.7998


link
http://mediamatters.org/items/200501120006

[dzika]

21. Bush wins despite Ohio challenges

January 12, 2005

Bush wins despite Ohio challenges

By SAMANTHA YOUNG
PVT WASHINGTON BUREAU


WASHINGTON - Congress officially approved President Bush's election victory this week despite a Democratic challenge to the election results in Ohio.

Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, D-Ohio, and Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., objected to Ohio's 20 electoral votes, which tipped the election to Bush over Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.

Interrupting lawmakers as they read off the electoral vote totals by state, the two argued voting irregularities, long lines and a shortage of polling places in urban areas handicapped Democratic voters in Ohio on Election Day.

The challenge during a joint session of Congress was only the second time since 1877 that lawmakers have interrupted the ceremonial counting of the presidential election results.

Boxer acknowledged the challenge would fail in a Republican Congress, but said she acted to highlight rampant voting irregularities that needed to be addressed.

continued
http://www.pahrumpvalleytimes.com/2005/01/12/news/dcdigest.html

[dzika]

22. Senator says use of official seal in Blackwell’s campaign letter illegal

(thanks to drummer55)

1/12/2005

Senator says use of official seal in Ohio election chief’s campaign letter is illegal

By John Byrne | RAW STORY Editor



Blackwell hit with another charge of illegal activity in same campaign fundraising letter

THE LETTER


Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell is in hot water again for the campaign fundraising letter first reported by RAW STORY in which he allegedly engages in improper use of the Great Seal of the United States.

The possible illegality was first floated by The Brad Blog early this morning. A brief appeared in this morning’s subscription-based email hotline from the National Journal and in longer form in the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

The Blackwell fundraising letter and envelope use a fake version of the Great Seal, raising “questions about a letter that has already run afoul of the law,” Sen. Frank Lautenberg’s (D-NJ) spokesperson Alex Formuzis told the Journal. Federal law “says that using the official seal – or its likeness – for commercial purposes is punishable by up to six months in prison, a $250 fine or both.”

Already, the Blackwell letter has come under fire for asking for corporate contributions to his campaign, which is illegal in Ohio. Blackwell’s spokesman claimed that the national mailing agency erred, using a template for other states.


continued
http://www.bluelemur.com/index.php?p=545

DU Thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x280162

[dzika]

23. Waxman and Conyers Call on GAO to Investigate

January 12, 2005

Waxman and Conyers Call on GAO to Investigate

WAXMAN AND CONYERS CALL ON GAO TO INVESTIGATE LONG LINES AND EXCESSIVE WAIT TIMES AT THE POLLS

Representative Henry Waxman, Ranking Member on the House Committee on Government Reform, and Representative John Conyers, Jr., Ranking Member on the House Judiciary Committee, sent the following letter to GAO Comptroller General, David Walker, to request an investigation into the long lines and excessive waiting times experienced by voters in the 2004 election.

January 12, 2005

The Honorable David M. Walker
Comptroller General
U.S. Government Accountability Office
441 G Street, NW
Washington, DC 20548

Dear Mr. Walker:

We are writing you today about the extraordinarily long time some Americans were made to wait simply to cast a ballot on election day, November 2, 2004.

According to news reports, it was not unusual on that day for American voters to stand in line at their polling places for several hours before finally reaching the voting booth. While it seems most Americans endured this wait where possible, it is clear that in some cases citizens left the polling places without having voted when personal responsibilities or health concerns made waiting exceedingly difficult. Press accounts of that day focused on the lines in some areas, particularly the cities and college towns of Ohio. However, it appears that these incidents were by no means limited to those areas. One nonpartisan voter assistance hotline collected nearly 1,400 reports of excessively long lines from 32 states, with significant numbers of reports coming from Florida, Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and other states.

In light of these incidents, we request a GAO investigation into the long lines and excessive waiting times experienced by voters in the 2004 election. Specifically, we ask that GAO:

1. Identify the voting jurisdictions in which voters experienced excessive waiting times and determine to what extent these waiting times involved minority, young, or first-time voters.

2. Assess the cause of these excessive waiting times, including whether they were related to problems with voter registration; voting machines and supplies; or local election officials, including poll workers.

3. Identify the significant issues that need to be addressed to reduce the waiting times in these jurisdictions.

Participating in elections is one of the most basic rights of Americans. Allowing long lines and other barriers to participation to persist threatens that right.

GAO staff should contact Nancy Scola to discuss additional details of this work and the time frame for completion.

Sincerely,

Henry A. Waxman
Rankning Minority Member
John Conyers, Jr.
Ranking Minority Member

link
http://fairnessbybeckerman.blogspot.com/2005/01/waxman-and-conyers-call-on-gao-to.html

[dzika]

24. Priorities for Progress

Priorities for Progress

Take a look at the county-by-county electoral map for the 2004 Presidential Election:



The first reaction upon seeing this is, Damn, Bush won by about 95%. But of course 48% of the country voted for Kerry, so the real story here is that by-and-large, in blue states and red, Kerry won densely populated metropolitan areas and Bush won relatively sparsely populated rural areas. A blue state is, more or less, a state with more city voters than rural voters.

OK, that's not news. But now think about all the nightmare stories of waiting 2, 4, 8, 12 hours to vote in metropolitan areas. I'm in a very red suburb, and I voted in less than 5 minutes. I was second in line.

Now, picture it all across America. It takes 15 minutes for a Bush voter to vote. It takes 3 hours for a Kerry voter to vote. I'm making those numbers up, of course, but we must know if this trend is real and how real. It is not at all hard for me to picture this dramatically changin the course of an election, to the tune of 3% and more.

There is absolutely no greater priority for progressives in this country than ensuring equal access at the polls. And equal access means enough time and polling machines so that no one has to wait unduly to cast his or her vote. While we're at it, election day should be a holiday, so no one is choosing between earning wages and voting, which disproportionately affects the working class.

http://www.livejournal.com/users/goffhome/12059.html

[dzika]

25. Kentucky senator says he will leave GOP

January 12, 2005

Kentucky senator says he will leave GOP

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- A state senator whose party switch 5 1/2 years ago helped the GOP take control of the chamber said Wednesday he will leave the Republican Party over its actions in a disputed election.

Sen. Bob Leeper said he will register as an independent later this week.

His protest came after Senate Republicans voted to seat the GOP candidate who received the most votes in a Jefferson County election in November, even though courts have ruled Dana Seum Stephenson did not meet constitutional residency requirements.

A court hearing is scheduled Friday on whether Stephenson should continue as a senator.

The GOP has solid control of the Senate, but would need to keep both Leeper and Stephenson to have a "super-majority" needed to pass constitutional changes. In odd-numbered years, super-majorities are also needed to pass budget and tax measures.

continued
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2005/01/12/kentucky_senator_says_he_will_leave_gop/

[dzika]

26. Protesters Plan to Mark Bush Inauguration

January 12, 2005

Protesters Plan to Mark Bush Inauguration

By Andy Sullivan | January 12, 2005


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Protesters will march through Washington, stage a "die in" across from the White House and turn their backs on President Bush's limousine during his inaugural celebration next week, organizers said on Wednesday.

As U.S. authorities prepared unprecedented security for the Jan. 20 event, organizers said thousands of protesters will stage a noisy counterpoint to the lavish $40 million celebration.

One group of anti-war activists said it would carry 1,000 coffins to the White House and stage a "die in" to protest the lives lost in Iraq.

Another group said it had obtained a permit to protest along a 200-foot (60-meter) section of the parade route but planned to sue for more access to the large sections of Pennsylvania Avenue set aside for Bush supporters.

"The Bush administration, in conjunction with the National Park Service, is trying to stage-manage democracy," said Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, a lawyer for the anti-war group International ANSWER.


link
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/01/12/protesters_plan_to_mark_bush_inauguration/

[dzika]

27. Washington Governor Sworn In Despite GOP Objections

POSTED: 4:20 pm EST January 12, 2005

Washington Governor Sworn In Despite GOP Objections

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Democrat Christine Gregoire has been sworn in as the governor of Washington state, but her opponent is mounting a legal challenge that could still undo her election.

The former state attorney general took the oath of office Wednesday before a joint session of the legislature.

Gregoire beat Republican Dino Rossi, but only after two recounts. Rossi narrowly won the Election Night tally, and was ahead by an even smaller margin after a machine recount, but a hand recount put Gregoire over the top by 129 votes out of 2.9 million ballots cast.

Republicans claim the results are invalid because of allegedly widespread irregularities, including votes cast by felons and dead people. They're asking courts to set aside the election and order a revote.

The case is expected to end up in the state Supreme Court.

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/4076486/detail.html

[dzika]

28. Sham Recount Process on Diebold E-voting Machines

January 12, 2005

Sham Recount Process on Diebold E-voting Machines

Lawsuit Challenges Berkeley Election Officials in Measure R Recount

Berkeley, CA - A close proposition referendum will come under court examination in a case that highlights major problems with conducting a recount using Diebold electronic voting machines. Berkeley Measure R, the Patient's Access to Medical Cannabis Act of 2004, lost by only 191 votes after the regular election on November 2, 2004. Under the law, the proponents were entitled to seek a recount, which they did.

Instead of attempting to ensure that the votes were counted correctly, however, Alameda County election officials engaged in a "going through the motions" exercise where they merely ran the same electronic vote data through the same counting machines and, predictably, reached the same result. They did not consult the machines' audit logs, redundant memories, or any other relevant materials. Yesterday, the county announced that the recount had failed to change the result. They altered the final margin of defeat to 166 votes, attributing the change to absentee and provisional ballots -- the electronic voting machine count remained the same.

Measure R proponents Americans for Safe Access filed a lawsuit on December 30 challenging the actions of county election officials in handling the electronic voting machine portion of the recount. This suit now awaits a hearing.

"California law guarantees every voter the right to a recount and requires election officials to produce for public review all materials relevant to that recount," said Gregory Luke, attorney at the Santa Monica firm of Strumwasser & Woocher, which represents the plaintiffs Americans for Safe Access, and three individual Berkeley voters. "Because the Diebold machines purchased by Alameda County do not retain any ballots for the purpose of a recount, election officials must, at the very least, look at the information produced by the system's existing security features to give voters some circumstantial evidence that the machines performed properly and that vote data was not damaged or altered. Alameda County's refusal to allow the public to examine the audit logs and redundant memory renders the so-called 'recount' they conducted utterly meaningless."

"While it was easy to watch the recount of the paper ballots to make sure every vote was counted, the recount from the electronic voting machine was simply a 'rerun' of the original election results and gave us no assurance that the results were correct," added Debby Goldsberry of Americans for Safe Access.


continued
http://www.eff.org/news/archives/2005_01.php#002210

[dzika]

29. ImpeachBush movement at Jan. 20 inauguration

www.VoteToImpeach.org

Dear ImpeachBush/VoteToImpeach.org member,

George W. Bush and his administration have been doing everything in their power to “sanitize” Pennsylvania Avenue on January 20th by trying to banish thousands of people holding Impeach Bush signs and banners. But they have not succeeded.

Not only will ImpeachBush members cover the parade route, but we will have the opportunity to sit in bleachers prominently arranged at 4th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. NW. We are joining with the antiwar movement, which has obtained a permit to build bleachers and hold a mass rally along the Inaugural route at 4th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. NW. This is the first time in Inaugural history that the antiwar movement has secured access to build bleachers along the parade route.

George W. Bush and the presidential motorcade will have to drive right in front of the bleachers and mass rally. Military family members whose loved ones are in Iraq, members of the Arab-American and Muslim communities, and people from all walks of life will hold signs reading “Bush Lied: Thousands Died,” “Impeach Bush,” “Save the Bill of Rights,” among other slogans. We are pleased to announce that Ramsey Clark and others will be featured speakers in the rally that will take place at 4th St. and Pennsylvania Ave.

Bush wants to cleanse the Parade route of dissenters so that he can falsely assert the legitimacy of his government. Nixon used the same tactic at his second inauguration. Let us not forget that Nixon chose to resign rather than be impeached just 20 months after his second inauguration.

The political effort to affirm our rights could not have happened without the support and commitment of so many people who believe strongly in the impeachment movement. The world media will be in Washington DC on January 20, and everyone should feel proud that our movement will be so visible. The people of the world must see that the people of the United States insist that Bush and other high officials be held accountable for their criminal acts.

Buses and car caravans are coming from more than fifty cities. People are flying from the West Coast to join us at 4th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. Volunteers are making signs, posters, handing out leaflets, answering phones and doing the one hundred and one other tasks to make this an effective mobilization.

If you are unable to come to Washington DC but want to help by making a much-needed contribution, we are in urgent needs of funds to cover the many costs. We have grown stronger only because of the continued generosity and commitment of ImpeachBush/VoteToImpeach.org members.

Please make a contribution now by clicking here for access to the online donation form and the secure server, where you can also get information to write a check.

Congratulations to everyone for their hard work and we hope to see you in Washington DC on January 20th. We’ll be sure to send a report of the activities following January 20th for those of you that can’t be there.

--All of us at ImpeachBush/VoteToImpeach.org
www.VoteToImpeach.org

[dzika]

30. Election Commission Investigating UA over Michael Moore appearance

January 12, 2005

Election Commission Investigating UA over Michael Moore appearance

Sandy Rathbun Reports

Filmmaker Michael Moore caused controversy when he appeared at the University of Arizona on October 11 and he's still causing it.

Tucson attorney Dave Hardy charges that the UA violated federal campaign finance laws when it paid Moore to speak.

Hardy says, "When universities or student groups make expenditures, tens of thousands of dollars, to bring a man to town to give specifically a speech calling for the election of John Kerry, I think those are the forbidden campaign contributions."

Hardy, who wrote the book "Michael Moore is a Big Fat Stupid White Man," has filed complaints with the Federal Election Commission or FEC.

He names the UA and other universities that paid Moore.


http://kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=2801808

[dzika]

31. Secretaries of state to debate call for making post nonpartisan

Posted on Wed, Jan. 12, 2005

Secretaries of state to debate call for making post nonpartisan

ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS
Associated Press


COLUMBUS, Ohio - States' top elections officials, accused of playing partisan politics, are hearing calls for changing the nature of their office.

Secretaries of state, at a meeting next month in Washington, D.C., will discuss whether it's appropriate for them to actively campaign for candidates whose elections they oversee.

The public must be assured "that we are not participating in any type of manipulation at that level," said Rebecca Vigil-Giron, New Mexico's secretary of state and president of the national group.

The ideas have been tossed around since Florida's disputed presidential election in 2000. The latest discussion is prompted by criticism of Ohio's Republican elections chief, an honorary Bush campaign co-chairman in the state that ultimately returned Bush to the White House, and possible federal legislation seeking to ban campaigning by state election officials.

Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell was criticized by Ohio Democrats and voter advocates, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Kweisi Mfume, president of the NAACP. All Ohio Republican officeholders were considered co-chairmen.

Blackwell drew new criticism last week with the revelation that he sent a letter to Republican donors thanking them for helping deliver Ohio for Bush.


continued
http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/news/state/10629027.htm

[dzika]

32. It's Crazy-Making - Fox's Smith says "the cat" voted in WA Gov. Race

It's Crazy-Making
Fox's Smith says "the cat" voted in WA Gov. Race

Imagine you know nothing about the recount in the race for the governorship of the state of Washington. Imagine turning on the Fox "News" Channel and hearing the following "news" report. After you read the report, ask yourself what the "news" report told you and what sort of picture you have about what happened.

Shepard Smith today (January 12, 2005) at the end of Studio B:

"Well, that's it, that's all for Studio B, except for one item that's just coming in to us. Christine Gregoire, out in the state of Washington, has just been, ah, signed into office. And you know there is, there was, all kinds of, man, all kinds of trouble out there. It was just so close. It's a decidedly Democratic state. Gregoire has been sworn in and Republicans are vowing to fight it. They're like, look, there were a lot of dead people voting. And there were voting irregularities and all the rest. That's why it was separated by like a vote and a half, plus the cat. ((Yes, Smith said "plus the cat.")) It was really close in Washington state. So the Republicans are going to push for a revote since they didn't win and the Democrats want to keep this since they won. That's how it works, isn't it? Oh, there is live pictures now. But we're out of time now."

COMMENT: I just made a post titled False Advertising, about a new ad Fox is running to promote itself. The ad says Fox has "reporters who uncover the truth" and correspondents who "get the story right." (Yeah right, right is right.) It says you can find "real journalism" on Fox News. Compare Smith's "news" report above to the claims made in Fox's new ad and you'll know why I think the ad can only be seen as propaganda.

(By the way, if the Democrats were challenging a vote count, after it had been certified and the Republican candidate sworn in, you can be sure Fox would be all over it. Democrats would be sore losers, whiners, UnAmerican and probably worse. To live up to its "fair and balanced" mantra, Fox might want to start doing the same to the Republicans on this story right now.)

link
http://www.newshounds.us/2005/01/12/its_crazymaking.php

[dzika]

33. Did Bush steal the White House again?

January 14, 2005

Did Bush steal the White House again?

By Lance Selfa | January 14, 2005 | Page 7


PEOPLE WHO saw Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 will recall the scene of Congressional Black Caucus members requesting a single member of the Senate to support their calls for investigations into the stolen election in Florida that put Bush in the White House in 2000.

Last week, that scene was re-enacted over disputed results in Ohio last November. Only this time, instead of responding with craven silence, Democratic senators--or at least one of them, Barbara Boxer of California--agreed to support a challenge to Bush getting Ohio’s electoral votes.

But after a few minutes of speechmaking on the importance of electoral reform, the Congress went ahead and dismissed the complaints about Ohio, certifying Bush as the victor in that state, and therefore the next president.

Bush’s opponent, John Kerry, was AWOL--having arranged for a visit to troops in Baghdad to coincide with the certification vote. In the Senate, only Boxer voted to pursue an investigation. In the House, 81 Democrats voted with the Republicans to dismiss the objections--and 80 House Democrats didn’t even bother to show up.

((snip))

The dirty secret of American “democracy” is that neither major political party wants elections to be truly democratic and free. Instead, they want a system that predictably produces victories for their corporate money-soaked candidates.


more
http://www.socialistworker.org/2005-1/526/526_07_StolenElection.shtml

[berniew1]

34. Documentation of widespread vote machine fraud and dirty tricks

There was widespread and systematic voter suppression of minority voters, dirty tricks, vote machine fraud, and other vote manipulation in Ohio, New Mexico, and Florida- that was of magnitude enough to call in question who won those states.

http://www.flcv.com/fraudpat.html
http://www.flcv.com/EIRSFla.html
http://northnet.org/minstrel/alpage.htm
http://www.freepress.org/departments/display/19
http://www.helpamericarecount.org/NewMexicoData/NewMexicoGeneralElection.pdf
http://www.flcv.com/bernalil.html
etc.

and also similar patterns in other states where the suppression and fraud did not change the election results including vote machine fraud in Calif., Pennsylvania, Washington, Texas, etc.
http://www.flcv.com/orangets.html
http://www.flcv.com/snohomis.html
http://www.flcv.com/mercerco.html
http://www.flcv.com/philadel.html
http://www.flcv.com/texas.html
http://www.votersunite.org
etc.

(the voter suppression of minorities in Mercer County is the worst I've ever seen-followup needed)

The unethical and illegal actions were so systematic and widespread that this cannot be allowed to continue uninvestigated and unpunished. There was a huge amount of obvious malfeasance and dirty tricks that should be investigated and dealt with
http://www.flcv.com/dirtytrf.html
http://www.flcv.com/EIRSFla2.html
http://northnet.org/minstrel/alpage.htm
http://www.votersunite.org
http://www.freepress.org departments
http://www.flcv.com/cuyahovs.html
http://www.flcv.com/cuyahopb.html

[dzika]

36. Video - Daily Show's Lewis Black on Dems and Ohio Vote Challenge

Some will find it offensive and rude. He does mention the challenge to Ohio's electors.




Real Media (broadband):
http://www.edwardsdavid.com/BushVideos/dailyshow_050113-01.rm

Real Media (dial-up)
http://www.edwardsdavid.com/BushVideos/dailyshow_050113-02.rm

[dzika]

37. Lawmakers and Lawbreakers Alike Feel the Squeeze: The Orange Report © No.4

(thanks to nashuaadvocate... all the latest news from THE ORANGEMEN)

Wednesday, January 12, 2005

Lawmakers and Lawbreakers Alike Feel the Squeeze: The Orange Report ©

No. 4 January 12th, 2005
By THE ORANGEMEN


Comedy of Errors Continues in the Office of Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell; Observers Wait Patiently for Blackwell's Nefarious, One-Man-Crimewave-of-a-Printer to Do the Perp-Walk -- Printer Also Suspected in Kennedy Assassination, Several Alien Abductions

((snip))

LoParo -- blushing, we presume, like a schoolchild caught in some unspeakable naughtiness -- told reporters that the Blackwell-for-Governor campaign had used another organization's canned templates to produce its own urgent pleas for high-volume financial aid.

((snip))

A second blunder by the Secretary of State -- or crime, if you wish to quibble over terminology -- was Blackwell's use of the Great Seal of the United States for commercial purposes, a jailable offense.

((snip))

In a story published in sixty-six major news outlets within the first hour of its release -- an average of one publishing every fifty-five seconds -- the Associated Press's Malia Rulon is reporting that two prominent Democratic Congressmen, John T. Conyers (D-MI) and Henry Waxman (D-CA), are asking the General Accountability Office to investigate why there were so many long lines at polling places across the country on Election Day. Waxman is the Ranking Minority Member of the House Government Reform Committee; Conyers is the Ranking Minority Member of the House Judiciary Committee.

((snip))

According to an Associated Press article by Andrew Welsh-Huggins released today, Secretaries of State the nation over will discuss, at their annual meeting next month, whether being the chairpersons of national presidential campaigns makes them the teensiest bit "partisan" come election time.

((snip))

U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) reveals in a letter to supporters that her courage on the floor of the U.S. Senate on January 6th, 2005, has already led to "right-wing extremists...ratcheting up their partisan attacks" on her -- proving that if there's one thing which scares Republicans more than an articulate Democrat smart enough to know the majority of the country supports his/her party's policies, it's election reform.


Read about all of this and much more
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php

DU Thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x281498

[dzika]

38. Backstory: Making your vote get counted

Thursday, January 13, 2005

Backstory: Making your vote get counted

Making your vote get counted
By Michael Green


Last week, Congress certified the 2004 presidential election results, but only after a debate. A member of each house must sign on to any challenge to the outcome. Sen. Barbara Boxer, a California Democrat, joined House members in questioning the results in Ohio, prompting a discussion before the formalities continued, much to the disgust of Republican politicians and editors, including the Review-Journal editorial page.

Meanwhile, Democrat Christine Gregoire became Washington's governor while Republican Dino Rossi, the loser by 129 votes after several recounts, requested a revote--just do it over, presumably until he wins.

Similar issues came up in 2000, when intimidation, Democratic stupidity, Republican cupidity and morally bankrupt Florida officials and U.S. Supreme Court justices deprived Al Gore of the presidency. But when several House members challenged that result, no senator signed on. This time, Boxer did and her Nevada colleague, new Minority Leader Harry Reid, voiced approval of her effort.

Reid and Nevadans know--or should know--something about controversial votes. The first election to raise a lot of eyebrows in Las Vegas was in 1944. In the Democratic Senate primary, incumbent Pat McCarran faced a challenge from Lt. Gov. Vail Pittman, whose brother had been a longtime U.S. senator and McCarran foe.


more
http://www.lasvegasmercury.com/2005/MERC-Jan-13-Thu-2005/25634446.html

[dzika]

39. Knappster: Election reform shouldn't be a partisan concern

Thursday, January 13, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Mercury

Knappster: Election reform shouldn't be a partisan concern

By George Knapp


The incomparable Leola Armstrong, better known to readers as Mistress Lee, thinks there is a lesson for all Americans in the recent turmoil in the Ukraine. Mistress Lee, a local bodybuilder, learned a thing or two about political payback and dirty tricks after the story surfaced on the Internet about her alleged relationship with GOP morality poobah William Bennett, who reportedly became smitten with the Mistress during his many gambling trips to Las Vegas in those halcyon days before he kicked his slot machine habit.

Bennett's loyal and conservative supporters continue to target Mistress Lee with all manner of threats and harassment and nasty e-mails. She, in turn, hasn't been shy in dishing out scathing criticism of Republicans in general and the Bush crowd in specific. Those millions of Ukrainians who staged street demonstrations and refused to accept the results of a rigged election, she says, should be an inspiration to Americans, who seem all too content to turn a blind eye to any discussions of possible election funny business.

"The Ukraine is how citizens should respond when the results are fixed," Mistress Lee declares. "The irony is that sheepish Americans stand by and let this monster steer them into the abyss."

It is just a tad ironic that Americans got so worked up about the legitimacy of the Ukranian election, and that our military personnel are dying at this moment to ensure that Iraqis get a chance for a fair election later this month, but few people seem to have much interest in the sanctity of elections here in the United States.


more
http://www.lasvegasmercury.com/2005/MERC-Jan-13-Thu-2005/25647905.html

[dzika]

40. Moss v. Bush moves on and movement continues

January 13, 2005

Moss v. Bush moves on and movement continues

by Bob Fitrakis, Steve Rosenfeld and Harvey Wasserman


The lawsuit challenging Ohio's 2004 presidential race has been withdrawn from the Ohio Supreme Court, having served as a lightning rod to draw national attention to the widespread and possibly illegal irregularities in the vote that gave George W. Bush a term as president starting in January.

((snip))

"This is not the end, this is merely the end of one state action," said Cliff Arnebeck, the challenge's lead counsel. "More importantly, it signals the emergence of a much broader effort where we plan to investigate and litigate county by county, ward by ward, precinct by precinct."

((snip))

A written statement released through their legal team stated that the "Contesters remain dedicated to the task of finding an alternative legal forum in which they may seek redress for the severe damage done...."

The contesters believe that the alleged constitutional and statutory rights violated on Election Day were racially motivated. The contesters assert that they "remain dedicated to the goal of ensuring through the legal system that in the future no other group of people, or indeed any individual voter, is deprived of the fundamental and basic right to elect our leaders freely and fairly in an election in which all votes are counted honestly."

((snip))

The contesters say they "look forward to the day" when they can place Blackwell, Rove, Cheney and Bush under oath in "an appropriate legal setting."

In closing, the contesters thanked "...all the people in the United States and around the world, from the Ukraine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Romania, Poland, South Africa and many other nations, who supported and continue to support the efforts to ensure the legitimacy of national and state elections in the United States...".


link: http://www.freepress.org/departments/display/19/2005/1085

[dzika]

41. Republicans want recall vote on Repub SOS Reed for certifiying Gregoire

Republicans want recall vote on Repub SOS Reed for certifiying Gregoire

Thursday, January 13, 2005

Group seeks recall vote on Reed
By KYLE ARNOLD
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER


OLYMPIA -- Frustrated with how Sam Reed handled the recounts in the governor's race, a group is trying to recall the secretary of state.

An online group accuses Reed of malfeasance and a violation of the oath of office for his role in certifying Democrat Christine Gregoire as governor.

The group's petition was e-mailed to the office of the Republican secretary of state yesterday by Martin Ringhofer, a Boeing Co. employee who ran for the Seattle School Board and lost in 1999. Ringhofer said the petition was conceived and drafted through Web logs, discussion groups and e-mail.

Reed, who took his oath of office for his second term yesterday, said he isn't concerned.

"I haven't seen what they filed, but what I've done is upheld my office and complied with the state laws for Washington," Reed said. "I would have to say that no one in the course of this has asked me to do anything improper or unfair."

State law says that once a petition has been filed with the secretary of state, a Superior Court judge from Reed's legislative district has to certify that the charge is sufficient, not whether it is truthful.

Then 180 days are given to collect the 342,356 signatures needed to put it on a statewide ballot.

Some backers of GOP gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi thought Reed should have done more to help Rossi. They say he was wrong for certifying Gregoire as governor after she won a 129-vote victory in a hand recount of 2.9 million ballots.

Reed has said that although there were irregularities in the process, there was nothing significant enough to keep him from certifying the election results.

[dzika]

42. To boost turnout, one lawmaker pushes $25 tax credit for voters

To boost turnout, one lawmaker pushes $25 tax credit for voters

By Megan Tench, Globe Staff

Saying there's nothing like the promise of a little extra cash to motivate people, Senator Brian A. Joyce, a Milton Democrat, wants to give a $25 tax credit to Massachusetts residents who vote in the state's general election. He's proposing that cities and towns give a $25 break on property or excise taxes to those who vote in local elections.

((snip))

''Whenever a legislator is filing a bill to increase voter turnout it's a good sign," said Juan Martinez, executive director of MassVOTE, a nonprofit focused on voter participation and election reform. ''In terms of whether or not it will work, we still don't really know. We are still pushing for other ideas, like same-day registration. It might be more effective."

((snip))

''I think, here, it would probably have a positive effect; you would wind up with more people at the polls," he said. ''But I'm not sure this is a good idea. Voting is the obligation of citizens in a democracy, and once you place a monetary value on a civic obligation, I think it distorts the nature of democracy."

Shea worries that while voter turnout may increase, tax incentives to vote may also drive up the cynicism that caused many Americans to stop voting in the first place. ''We should vote because we feel part of the system and we feel like we can make a difference," he said. When we vote for material incentives, for cash, we shift our focus away from making a difference. I would hate to think that it's come to that."

Still, Joyce, who plans on filing other bills to stimulate voter turnout, said he is heartened by the buzz his bill has created. ''It may or may not have merit, but it has begun a discussion," he said

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/01/13/to_boost_turnout_one_lawmaker_pushes_25_tax_credit_for_voters/

[dzika]

43. kick

[Rhiannon12866]

44. I got this e-mail, just today, from Senator Reid. It gave me hope.

Apparently, he's launching a new website to increase citizen participation in government. I contacted him, among others, to support their allegations of voter fraud in Ohio and received this as a response.:-)


Re: Thank you

Dear Friend,

I wanted to send an email to say thank you for the kind and powerful words you wrote me last week.

History has shown us that the right to vote has always demanded vigilance, responsibility and hard work from citizens and legislators alike. And the sad fact is disenfranchisement continues even today.

Thanks to your support, Senator Boxer and I we were able to use these facts to force the senate into a public debate on voting rights. But that was only the beginning. Now the Senate must act to correct the errors and injustice
of the voting system still visible in the 2004 election. It is a fight that I promise you I will champion as Democratic leader.

Although I was able to help enact landmark reforms in ballot box protection for my home state of Nevada this year, suppression efforts were still made. Calls, which we were unable to trace, told voters that Election Day was
November 3rd, not November 2nd. And our registration process was also tainted by the proven destruction of Democratic voter registration forms.

We know that in Ohio and across the country, precincts with large minority populations had disproportionately long lines because there weren't enough voting machines in those precincts. And blanket challenges to Ohio voters
were merely a thinly veiled effort to suppress the vote.

During the next session of Congress we face many other tough battles including the fight to save Social Security from the Republican plan to phase it out in favor of benefit cuts and private accounts. Social Security
is America's promise of retirement security, but through news reports and White House leaks, we know the President intends to break this promise in order to reward Wall Street with windfalls.

We're up against some very powerful opponents, and to win this fight you and I will need to work side by side, from battles on the Senate floor to debates in cities and towns around this nation. Together we can make sure
the values of fairness, security and opportunity survive the Republican onslaught and remain a part of the American experience.

To help our work together, in the next few weeks I plan on launching Democrats.gov, which will introduce new methods of citizen participation in Government. I will be in touch with you during this time to let you know how
you can get involved and strengthen your voice in government.

Once again thank you for your letters and kind words. They meant more to me than you could ever know.

Sincerely,

Harry Reid