The office of Congressman John Conyers (D-MI), ranking minority member of U.S. House Judiciary Committee and longtime Election Reform champion tells The BRAD BLOG that Conyers has expressed outrage at the tenor of today’s hearings and the morphing of election irregularities/fraud issues into voter registration/fraud issues!
We’ll note that, despite having compiled 102 pages of evidence on Election Irregularities in OH, Conyers was not invited to participate in these hearings though he has recently written a letter to Carter [PDF] volunteering to help in any way while expressing disappointment about Baker’s position as co-chair.
UPDATE: Conyers’ full no-holds-barred statement, condemning today’s hearing in no uncertain terms has now been released! A few highlights here, but the whole thing is well worth the read!…
The remarks of Mr. James Baker, III, which were echoed by a number of right wing political operatives called as witnesses, seemed to have a singular purpose of spreading hoaxes and conspiracy theories about ineligible Democratic voters being allowed to cast votes. The remedy was cleverly repeated like a broken record, “photo ID, photo ID, photo ID.” Right wing pundit John Fund was called as an “expert” witness by the hearing and offered racially charged proposals with racially charged rhetoric.
The substance of the testimony alleging “voter fraud” was a fraud itself.
…
At the outset, Mr. Fund laid bare the nasty, racial underbelly of these proposals. The right-wing has been long engaged in tactics to suppress minority votes, but rarely lets slip about such tactics, as Fund did today. In a discussion about provisional ballots, Mr. Fund said that Congress should allow precinct workers to determine whether a provisional ballot should count because they would know who “looks as if they belong in the neighborhood.” Wonder what he meant by that?
…
For a moment, I was encouraged when someone appeared to have bumped the phonograph and the broken record of “voter id” suddenly stopped. Instead, a new broken record began repeating “no voter verified paper ballot, no voter verified paper ballot, no voter verified paper ballot.”
On a panel supposedly designed to address “voting technology,” only one of the four witnesses, Professor David Dill, spoke of the need for a voter verified paper ballot. Two of the witnesses on this panel spoke in total opposition to such a proposal.
The pattern of the hearing was clear: Republican political operatives, with little or no track record of involvement in voting rights issues, facing non-partisan advocates for civil rights. Predictably, this hardly was a fair fight. The deck was stacked from the beginning.
What can be said of a commission that holds such a hearing? What hope is there for the recommendations of such a Commission? I am scheduled to meet with Commission officials this week and I am trying very hard to have an open mind. But, frankly, at this point – seeing this first hearing – I think we should all be very wary of this Commission’s objectives.
BRAD BLOG’s LIVE BLOGGING of today’s hearings can be read in this previous item…
Hooray for John Conyers!
Hooray for Brad Friedman!
Hooray for all the other TRUE American Patriots!
I second Winter Patriot’s sentiments. John Conyers sees clearly and "shoots" straight from the hip. As does Brad, thanks be.
How has honesty become such a low-priority virtue?
OK, not to pile on… but hooray for Brad, Rep. Conyers and all who speak out for our country!
It’s ok, Hannah: Pile on all you like!
John Conyers is the best. This whole CSPAN thing was a big show to descredit all those like Conyers, Mr. Brad, Arnebeck etc. I thought it was fishy when none of them were on the list. Ugh. I’m glad Conyers isn’t letting them get away with it.
Go, Conyers, go !!! We’re with you, Conyers !!!
What a pathetic attempt to smear the voters. John C should have been on that Commission. We want John!!! We want John!!! We want John!!!
David Dill–Computer Science Professor at Stanford said:
"precinct count optical scan systems" are reliable and cheaper
"paperless e-voting technology is fundamentally hostile to election transparency."
He was right on target–great summary from Prof. Dill. Send him positive email.
"Paperless Voting…Fundamentally hostile to Democracy"
David dill
Professor
4/18/2004
Just sent Conyers an email (contradicting myself) to thank him.
Mr. Conyers should be outraged! These liars will do anything to keep him and his 102 pages of evidence off the record. What have they got, barely thirty pages of unsubstantiated LIES.
Beat me with the truth, don’t torture me with lies.
I’m with you Andy. Mr. Conyers, Cliff Arnebeck, David Cobb, Jesse Jackson. All of them should’ve been the key players in this.
And, NANA #11, the meat of Hearne’s 31 page report is based on FRAUDULANT registrations by cartoon characters supposedly Democrats? Why would Democrats even do that?? No gain for Dems, but lots of gain for RePukeliCONS. Can’t Jimmy Carter read between the lines? Is there a threat held over his head?
re #13: Can’t Jimmy Carter read between the lines? Is there a threat held over his head?
Sorry, Kira. But it seems to me that Jimmy Carter went over to the other side a long time ago.
Disgusted and outraged.
Who is listening to us? Does anyone really listen to the average voter? Clean up this voting mess. Make things right for once and for all. Go back to paper ballots if necessary.
If Bush is in office due to thievery at the voting booths, he should be impeached and removed. This is certainly more of a serious crime than that by which Clinton was impeached.
The Republicans have been preaching about how moral they are, so let them show us by investigating the voting in Ohio FAIRLY.
Winter Patriot #14 – could you elaborate a little to help me understand your comment that JCarter went to the other side a long time ago? Not that I’m arguing with you – I just need to catch up with you.
Are all these Politicians suffering from MPD (Multiple Personality Disorder) or are they knowingly attempting to deceive – read EVIL?
All politicians are bought and paid for. They answer to those with the big bucks, throwing us crumbs to keep us appeased.
We’ve been hypnotized, drugged, and stripped of our will, and until we wake up and get into warrior shape this will continue. It is our faults.
Conyers is a good fellow, but he is not the next savior. We should support him, but not deify him, thereby perpetuating this horrible laziness that pervades the American public, that expects others to do the work.
Right on Teresa!
I agree Teresa. It is up to We The People to make things right now. Far too long have we allowed politicians to do what they want in direct conflict with the peoples will.
I think Jimmy Carter means well, but it is like the compromises that were adopted leading up to the Civil War. Attempts to work along with the Bushist Arbeiterspartei are going to fail; it’s as simple as that. Not playing along, however, is frightening, especially in the historical context.
Cooperating with the Bushists like this is dragging out the collapse and so, probably, making it more painful in the long run. I’m not even interested in these hearings as such, because there is no point in working alongside any Bushist on this issue.
(I just heard Randi Rhodes call Olympia Snowe and Christopher Shays "decent people." If they were decent they would have quit their party; they are for killing and destroying for no reason. They are free to quit, but they don’t.)
I just e-mailed this letter to everyone (almost) on my e-mail list. If you think it’s useful, feel free to cut, paste and send it to your friends/contacts.
***************
Dear Friend-
Did you know that last month Ohio Republican
Congressman, Bob Ney, chairman of the U.S. House
Administrative Committee held hearings in Columbus on the massive reported problems during the 2004 Presidential Election in the Buckeye state?
Did you know that the only "voting rights" group
allowed to testify before that Committee was a sham
"voting rights" group called American Center for
Voting Rights (ACVR) that had been formed only days
before and was entirely composed of high level
Republican operatives from the Bush Campaign and
Republican National Committee? Not surprisingly, the
only "voting problems" presented and dealt with by
this committee was "voter registration fraud" supposedly committed by Democratic Party registration groups.
Did you know that today was the first day of hearings
for a secretly impaneled commission called the
Commission on Federal Election Reform, co-chaired by former President Jimmy Carter and James A. Baker, III — the Bush family loyalist who went to the Supreme Court demanding that America’s votes not be counted in 2000 election debacle? Most of the other members of this commission are also linked to Bush and the Republican Party. No established legitimate Voting Rights groups or individuals are so far scheduled to advise or testify before this group. But the phony "voting rights" group American Center for Voting Rights (ACVR) IS on the Advisory Board for the Commission. This commission will apparently be the main body making suggestions to the Congress for any "reform" of the dangerously flawed American voting system.
-Do you have faith that all legitimate votes are being
counted in our elections?
-Do you have faith that the true will of the people is
determining our elections?
-Has your paper or the mainstream media covered the phony American Center for Voting Rights (ACVR) or the secretly impaneled Commission on Federal Election Reform that began hearings today?
PLEASE click on this link https://bradblog.com/
and read all of THE BRAD BLOG’s posts and links today regarding the first day of this Commission’s hearings (and, if you have time, click on the links at the BRAD BLOG about the phony American Center for against Voting Rights group).
PLEASE inform yourself about what the mainstream media is failing to tell us. It’s only our democracy that’s at stake!
Sincerely,
Your Name
thank you jesus for john conyers.
Giving them plenty of rope.
We just need to see who takes ahold of it…and who doesn’t.
This particular issue is rather clear — you’re either for or against the people of this country choosing their representatives on fully free and valid grounds. Not really a gray area. Not at all.
Is it true that ignorance is 9/10 of the law?
Just in from Blackboxvoting.org:
4-18-2005: Diebold Lobbyist Documents Reveal Problems
Black Box Voting has obtained check stubs showing that Diebold Election Systems appears to have misreported its lobbying fees to Rose & Kindel.
Black Box Voting Director Jim March met privately last week with staffers for new California Secretary of State Bruce McPherson, to provide these documents and urge McPherson to remove new appointee Adan Ortega due to conflict of interest.
Ortega has been a senior communications executive at Rose & Kindel. The curious selection of an executive for the Diebold lobbying firm for a position with the office of Secretary of State was noted by the Los Angeles Times, but so far no one has reported the actual amount of money paid by Diebold Election Systems to Rose & Kindel.
*MORE*
#25 Miss Persistant
I think the saying goes "possesion is 9/10 " or some such. But hell, don’t listen to me, I’ve had 2 Margaritas.
#22 Steve
Thanks, great letter. Will do it tomorrow, first thing.
Teresa #18 –
Exactly dead center! Bull’s eye!!
Nana #27 –
I think Miss P had her tongue in her cheek. 😉
They can have and hold all the commissions they want. The people of America are pointing out the total fraud of the matter, and will continue to do so. Nothing will come of this commission, because it has already been rejected by the people of America in its entirety. The Bushites are quickly moving the country closer to revolt and a demand for their removal from office.
I suggest a date be set for people to take to the streets to demonstrate they are prepared to take action against the Bushites. If millions take to the streets against the Bushites, neither police nor soldier will take action against a crowd that is larger than they could ever imagine. Everyone will simply hope that it remains peaceful. AND IT CAN REMAIN PEACEFUL. No one wants to emulate the violence and disregard for life and liberty embraced by the Bushites. But, the people of America can bring the country to a grinding halt – and that is what they must do.
Do it Peggy #30! Help us organize.
#29 Pe C
oops! , I am not with the program this eve!
#30 Peggy you are soooo right. Their pathetic attempt was too funny to be insulting.
re #16 Kira: You can argue with me if you want to! I don’t bite!! And I apologize for taking so long to get back to you. This crazy little thing I like to call "my life" got very busy all of a sudden. [That usually happens whenever I say something here that requires an explanation!] And I still don’t have time to write very much, but [just to get you started] I can point out a few comments made on another thread.
Here’s an excellent comment from "Freedom". The articles linked here are also well worth reading. Sickening, but worth reading! [Two of the links are duplicated below.]
"Starring Jimmy Carter, in War and Peace" by Alexander Cockburn
"The Venezuelan Referendum: Beware Jimmy Carter!" By James Petras
If you need more, here’s a good comment from Dredd. Please read the article linked in this comment. [That link is also duplicated below.]
"Inside America’s Secret Court: The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court" by Patrick S. Poole
Thanks WP #33 – Actually, I have scanned 3 of these links, but haven’t given them the time it takes to really study them. Thanks for providing the links. POP goes another weasel?
Miss P #25/ Nana # 27
Under this GOPher mob Ignorance IS the law.
Possession is what ‘they’ got thanks to Ignorance.
The links in WP’s # 33 do a good job of explaining Carter. He blends right in. This commission is damned from the start, we may be better off by not watching them screw the truth to find nothing.. Whoever said
"Ignorance is bliss"
was right.
:::*CONYERS*;;;IS THE MAN.We in MI.,sure like what he is doing,need more like him in D.C. (BLUE STATE)::::
This is to Teresa’s posts in another thread (whicch will undoubtedly die like all others in the fullness of time):
Dear Teresa,
I’m afraid you’re wrong. Bushism is the apotheosis of fascism, fascism without an objective enemy (like Jews or Muslims), but with a sole objective: the ascendency of corporate power – which has NO human component. As in: allow a machine to seek its own benefit at the expense of all organic value.
Hitler was a mere foreshadowing. True evil is amongst us now.
We on BradBlog who rant and rave are not diluting the massive humanistic effort to stem this anti-life tide. We, when we applaud champions, are not "creating saviors" out of whole cloth. We are praising courage in the face of unimagineable evil. And we are keeping, like cheerleaders, hope of history alive.
And a few "rants" and "Oh gods" are entirely appropriate, it seems to me.
Conyers is the man! Unfortunately, a few young turks in Detroit, his district and my home, are tired of waiting for him to retire, and have been threatening to try to oust him in the Democratic primary in ’06. One of them filed to run against him in ’04 and then withdrew (see his website http://www.detbuzz.com).
Predictably, they think they can run as Democrats who are less confrontational and can get things done (translation: Democrats in name only) and are young and energetic (translation: he is too old).
Goes to show you that even dems in "safe" districts go out on a limb for us when they pursue these things.
Many think it could be tough for Conyers because he hasn’t had a real campaign in more than a decade…..
Oh Jeff,
Get a massive groundswell going for him. This nation NEEDS honesty!!!!
Apology alert: One of the links in my previous post (#33) was broken. I think it’s fixed now, but just to make sure, here are those links again:
"Starring Jimmy Carter, in War and Peace" by Alexander Cockburn
"The Venezuelan Referendum: Beware Jimmy Carter!" By James Petras
"Inside America’s Secret Court: The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court" by Patrick S. Poole
Peg C,
Of course the rants are appropriate. I do it too.
I even prefer that you rage at me rather than some huge evil force you can’t control.
In time, I will explain some of the differences between Hitler and Bush. My family was almost wiped out by Hitler so I know something about it. You needn’t be afraid of Bush. He is a weak man. He won’t get you. I believe you are safe. We wouldn’t be here comfortable in front of our computers enjoying one another’s company if we were in extreme peril.
But rage on. It’s good.
And Peg, something to me doesn’t ring true about your rants on evil. The emotional release is good, though. You’re lucky to have these people who love and appreciate you.
I would like to see you take a peek at Rawanda, and then maybe you would appreciate your good fortune.
Thank God for Conyers! I’m glad he’s on this. I thought this was really fishy when I didn’t see his name, Arnebeck, Cobb etc. on the list to testify I thought this was a big joke like the 9/11 Comission hearing. I watched a few minute’s of this last night and I was watching one guy testify and Carter was very serious and listening to them all but Baker was just smirking and smiling. I didn’t like it at all. They’re in the stage of fighting us.
I want to state here CLEARLY: someone has been posting as "Peg C": who bears no resemblance to the real thing. I do not recognize this *crap*.
Really, Peg?
Have you all checked out Conyers website? He is psyched by the response, and is really getting into the blogosphere. He is putting a lot of effort into keeping us informed, and he updates constantly. He has information we aren’t getting elsewhere.
Based upon a median IQ score of 100 for every citizen, and the fact that the majority are somewhat educated, there must be much more than ignorance, greed, and corruption working against us today. And so I’ll venture a foolish rant. 🙂
In any and all issues, from the moment forward that we are mature enough to understand right from wrong… When we have gained knowledge of the facts, we are pressured to act toward correcting any wrongdoings. We learn that this is for our own welfare, both individually and collectively. We learn that knowledge is required to function, and indeed our survival is wholly dependent upon it. We accept that only the truth is worthy of our time and the responsibility of all to embrace and disseminate it. And so most of us do.
Growing up, we learn that a lack of knowledge and understanding of our natural planet, combined with the imperative willingness to live within natures bounds, prevents even our own short-term survival. Ask anyone who’s ever been lost in the winter wilderness… If they are still alive. We also learn that nature provides all, that it’s balance cannot be successfully controlled by any force. We learn that our natural resources must be respected and preserved or we shall all perish. But have we accepted our responsibility to do so?
Growing up, we learn that lies and deception are the secondary greatest forces affecting our collective survival. Crime upon heinous crime, we learned that our own government may be the greatest liars ever. As nurturing parents, we must shelter our children from the criminal acts of government in the early years, lest they become confused with the concepts of tolerance and right and wrong. As maturing citizens we learn to accept our government’s lies and deception as self-evident facts. Finding our government the greatest ruling force working against nature, and the well-being of our civilization, many of us are alarmed. We combat lies every day with many of us finding death the profound result. Ask any American soldier’s family about that… We must confront the lies, but have we all accepted our civic responsibility to do so?
Evidence suggests that the majority of the American populace is indeed intelligent, though morally bankrupt, self-centered, and undeserving of the freedoms and comforts they enjoy. Modern-day Americans are educated, profoundly lazy, civilly immature, complaining freeloaders on the backs of corporate owned, sElected representatives. We complain of being powerless because we deservedly are. We have not, as individual citizens, exercised our personal civic duty to govern our government on the required daily basis.
So, who can blame our corrupt government for our immoral wars for profit? Who can blame our greedy criminals for being criminal, when it is we who sat idly by while they rose to power? Who can blame them for covering up their crimes and lying to people when they must? Who can complain that the bush clan are ignorant and stupid… aren’t all criminals generally considered to be somewhat stupid? At a minimum, lazy and incapable of thriving by honest means? Who can blame them for stealing elections when that is their best tool to maintain absolute power? Who should we blame for the trotting out of Carter-Baker stooges for a "voter fraud" propaganda photo-op? And who do they fear? Really.
We understood our civic duties from the very beginning. It is our patriotic DUTY as citizens to be active in our governing processes, lest we certainly become victims of the same. If citizen action was always our only choice, then citizen Patriots were always our only hope. We were all taught this while growing up, so it is we that must now shoulder the blame.
Are the solutions any different today? No. Never will be any different as long as freedom loving Americans inhabit the earth and are making noise. As it was once written and declared:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. –That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."
WE are those noisy American Patriots we’ve been looking for. We grow stronger every day while they must remain victims entangled in the maintenance of their lies. We embrace the facts, we thrive in the truth, and they fear that. However desperate they become, they will only fear us from now on.
We will never give up to become one of them. Not ever. Some of them are understanding that now. And by our sheer numbers, 280 million noisy patriots awakening… By natures absolute law that only the facts built upon the absolute truth, and those who live absolutely within them will survive… By our own declaration to be independent and live free… WE WILL PREVAIL!
Wow Torqued! Really beautiful. I actually think I heard your speech and it sounded like Patrick Henry or Nathan Hale! Let Freedom Ring!
Keep making noise (as Brad would say!)
Thank you, Torqued, my brother.
You cannot imagine how much I love this high minded discourse and the call to take responsibility.
Torqued-
Most of us could only wish to put it so eloquently as you did in your remarkable post (#48). Let Freedom Ring, indeed, and you appear to be ringing the loudest (and most rousing) bell I’ve heard so far.
Torqued: Right on.
I have thought for years that America has become a frail shadow of what it’s founding fathers intended it to be. In fact in many regards, it has metamorphosised into the type of Imperial expansionist power that it originally railed against and dispensed with the rights and freedoms that marked the rise of "government by the people, for the people".
Only, you put it much better.
Strength to you all.
Teresa: "You needn’t be afraid of Bush. He is a weak man. He won’t get you. I believe you are safe. We wouldn’t be here comfortable in front of our computers enjoying one another’s company if we were in extreme peril."
We might be safe now… but it’s our future that is at peril and the longer Bush is in power, the more dangerous a place the world becomes [The White House has stopped producing annual reports on terrorism because the trend is getting worse not better!!] (of course, it’s the judicial nominees who are going to have the longest effect.. at least… second to the defecit!)
—
Just to add to everyone elses comments.. yay for John Conyers… yay for Brad.. it doesn’t matter how big the steps are… we’re getting closer to the truth and our voices are getting louder. Everything the GOP are trying to throw at us is more shambolic than the last. They’re making mistakes, they’re being caught far too often.. and their corruption is becoming blatantly obvious… as long as we don’t give up (and there’s no sign of that!!) it’ll just be a matter of time…
Peace!!!
I agree with Method about Bush. He was anointed in the first place by moneyed interests in the G.O.P., who knew they could manipulate him (as they couldn’t manipulate McCain). He’s weak, not very bright, deeply insecure, and dependent on reciprocal loyalty within his inner circle. In other words, he’s Warren Harding with an Ivy League background.
It’s the people around him we have to worry about, i.e., Rove, Baker, Cheney, Wolfowitz, Rice, Gonzales, Rumsfeld…all smarter than he is, and all fiercely devoted (because they know blind devotion is the key to success with Bush).
I don’t think we’ll have DeLay to worry about much longer. He’ll be hung out to dry pretty soon.
Kira #26 – EVERYONE should scroll back up and read that link!
A very highly paid Diebold lobbyist is working in the California Sec. of States office! I’ve seen some other stuff, like the 2 DKos diaries below:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2.../28/132948/585
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2.../14/121029/468
That indicate California may be "Diebolded" in future elections. Very disturbing!
Will someone please explain something to me?
I often visit some of the left leaning blogs, like Atrios/Echaton, DailyKos, and America Blog/John Aravosis.
They seem to have absolutely NO interest in ANY election reform issues. Even with the similarities between ACVR and GannonGuckert. Is there any possible way that this is "strategic" for Democrats? I am completely baffled!
I think if we could ever get the lefty blogs on board, it would be a major catalyst for getting the word out. Why is there any advantage to being silent? Would Martin Luther King have succedded in his goals if he was silent? Am I missing something? Is vote reform too controvercial to touch? If so why? I just don’t get it anymore.
…Bejammin075 #56 – I read those blogs too and wonder the same thing. Even Michael Moore treads lightly on this topic. Why? All of the issues the lefty bloggers, columnist & media pundits write about and care about do not matter if we can not get free and fair elections in the U.S.
It seems as though "establishment liberals" are more comfortable flogging themselves wondering why the "red staters" don’t get us, than facing up to the fact that another presidential election was stolen. (And some senate races too.)
Having to endure all of the talk of why Democrats don’t win is unbearable when I know with out a doubt that we did win.
Don’t you get it? The people that run this country and their corporations make the rules. They don’t tell you the rules because they don’t want you to play. Let see, a secret session about voting reform…how unAmerican is that? Pretty interesting that the real people trying to reform the voting system are not invited and do not have a voice. Figure it out. Why don’t you find a Supreme court judge to hear the case American People against the Voting Integrity of the Election 2004? Their lawyers will tell you they can’t hear it and they are way to busy. Why not support this case with the 2000 election in which Bush cheated to win also? Why don’t you put James Baker III on the stand and ask him some real questions instead of making him in charge? Because the government doesn’t want to talk about private companies counting votes in secrecy without verifiable paper ballots they want to put their spin on the whole "electronic" thing and see if anyone believes their shit. You know i heard Puppet Condolezza espoting the war on terrorism banter last week to support her furor’s and Dickless Cheney’s war in Iraq. I hope the 18 year old that had his family die from bombings (for Democracy of course) understands that there are Americans in this country that want to wave the white flag in Iraq and put these bastards in Jail where they belong. Frigin Rusters
Couldn’t leave sleep last night, I am so outraged with what’s going on.
And TIME puts Ann Coulter on their cover this week. That should tell you all you need to know about the state of our media. Fiddling while Rome burns…
Fellow patriots, call THE CARTER CENTER today and politely tell them you are concerned that the hearings are specifically designed to distract from the real issue–rigged voting machines and Republican voter intimidation.
Their number is 404-420-5100. Remember, be polite!
I have read all your postings.I will call the Carter Center and email the times protesting Ann Coulter being on their cover,but,until and unless enough people care and start waking up to what is actually going on,there will be no change.I live in a small north florida town,and I am willing to bet that half if not more do not know about any of the things that are going on,or care for that matter.I am writing a letter to be put on our editoral page to the citizens of my town.Our paper is small and seems to be run by someone that only prints our town news,no major news at all,can you emagine that.I tried to get them to run an ariticle about the draft one time,and they said they couldn’t.We need several million people to converge on D.C.and remain peaceful,but forceful,let the Bush people see we are serious.I will go,but have no ideal of how to start such a movement.Just my thoughts.
Is there an Email address for the Carter center? Maybe if we all send them with Emails, fax’s, calls etc. with our concerns and heed them to have a hearing with Arnebeck, Cobb, Conyers etc. They definietly are fighting us now and are aware. This shows me even more that they stole it and they’re flaunting it around with these "election reform" groups so they can discredit the democratic groups and can keep stealing elections. And who said they couldn’t control McCain was right. At first I thought he might be the 2008 nominee but then I thought about it some more and think it could be either Jeb Bush (I have my doubts on him though) or Bill Frist. Frist isn’t running for re-election so he could possibly be the nominee. He’s been doing a lot of panhandling to the right as well and he’s in the South where a lot of the republican Christians or "Christians" live.
Re: Maxie, #60: Well, the problem is we are disorganized and lacking a real leader for this movement. Everyone I talk to knows Bush stole the election or at least admits it’s a likelihood, yet none of the people we’d expect to champion this–for example, Michael Moore, John Kerry, Dan Rather, MoveOn, or anyone else who has been slimed by the neocon hate machine–will stand up. Which means in ’06, Diebold and ES&S will ensure the Dems will lose still more seats.
So until we get a real champion to rally behind, we have to follow what’s going on on Brad Blog and Velvet Revolution.us and Black Box Voting.org.
I pray that it’s a matter of time before some major media figure just can’t take it anymore and speaks out loudly: THE ELECTION WAS STOLEN! I hope and pray this happens soon, while there’s still a chance of saving our country.
Complete contact info for the Carter Center:
The Carter Center
One Copenhill
453 Freedom Parkway
Atlanta, Ga. 30307
Phone: 404-420-5100
E-mail address: carterweb@emory.edu
Does anyone know how to get in touch with Jesse Jackson,he is good at organizing marches.
It’s called appeasement, which means betraying your allies in exchange for a promise of peace. All you get is the promise, of course, but the promise is oh so appealing….
Don’t panic because these blogs and others won’t touch "reality." You’ll end up wasting your effort and full of disappointment; the same thing will happen to you (and John Conyers) if you try to put "spine" in the Democrats.
Do you know if the Carter Center does read their Email??
Emily #66
I may be wrong, but it is my understanding that, the Carter Center was not involved with the "commission".
What can one expect from "Jim Crow" Baker III? That should be made his nickname from now on at these hearings.
Is there video on the internets of the Baker-Carter Commission hearing? Or the protesting?
On C-Span I could only find a 4/19/05 half-hour interview with Robert Pastor, the executive director of the commission. On the Commission website, they have links to a PDF for each speaker, but I don’t think it is a transcript of what they said.
I didn’t get the chance to watch the Baker-Carter Commission hearings yesterday but I have to admit that the Washington Post coverage of the hearings here as well as the link Brad provided to Bloomberg.com’s take here seem to suggest a lot more balanced tone than what was blogged here or what I gathered from Rep. Conyers statement. What gives? Were alot of the hearings not broadcast?
The fringe minority has taken over the country, by taking over the voting process. This is no longer a democracy. I blame the Democrats, too. What are they doing? (save for Conyers) Where’s everyone else besides Conyers? Exactly, what is the Democrats stance on voter fraud via computerized voting machines and optical scanners? Are the Democrats doing something about it? This has gone on long enough. There’s no way the Republicans can keep voting in America the way it is right now!
Someone’s got to do something DRASTIC! Because, it’s been proven by Bev Harris of blackboxvoting.org that anyone can easily hack into electronic voting machines. So, this means that even though it’s been proven, THAT’S STILL NOT ENOUGH TO CHANGE THINGS!!!!!!
The Republican’s strategy is working. It’s to lobby for more suppression, and the "other side" is for fair and accurate voting. So, what will happen is nothing, because the strategy will be, if you don’t give us what we want, you won’t get what you want. But, one side is right, and one side is wrong! It’s not a matter of balance, it’s a matter of voting rights! This isn’t the NEWS, where they let fringe whackos on for supposed "balance". If one side is for more voting suppression and not verifying electronic voting, they should not be heard! What’s going on here???
Bejammin #55
It sounds to me like Diebold has continued to keep strong connections to the republican party and the fraudulent bu$h administration, in spite of their public announcement that they had distanced themselves (due to the intense displeasure expressed by all who are not republican.)
It sounds like the machine is gearing up and going forward on all fronts.
#69
Steve,
This quote from the first link in your post is telling:
"We should not take on the really volatile issues with respect to which we have no reasonable chance of success," Baker said. "There are plenty of other issues for us to consider."
You wrote that the Washington Post piece & the Bloomberg piece on the commission
"seem to suggest a lot more balanced tone than what was blogged here or what I gathered from Rep. Conyers statement."
They are good at creating the illusion of balance.
If you had been able to watch it (CPAN repeats programs so I’d look for it if I were you) you would probably have been dismayed to hear them spend alot of time talking about the need for better voter IDs, about trying to prevent fraud COMING FROM VOTERS, and precious little time on fraud coming from machine tampering & the like. Conyers compiled 102 pages of evidence…he was not invited. This was a bogus committee.
Steve,
From #71:
"…it’s been proven by Bev Harris of blackboxvoting.org that anyone can easily hack into electronic voting machines."
There is a video, I believe on blackboxvoting.org, of Bev Harris sitting down with Howard Dean & demonstrating how pathetically easy it is to change the vote. Check it out. Somehow the commission missed that! Somehow they missed all the testimony from Conyers’ Ohio hearings.
Check out also Brad’s new thread about Pastor (the committee’s executive director?) & his phone call to Brad.