Think Kerry Is Not Involved In This Fight? Think Again

[spatlese]

http://www.moderateindependent.com/v2i21election.htm

>snip

NOVEMBER 10, 2004 – When Senator John Kerry (D-MA) talked about how his policy would be different in Iraq, he kept saying, in effect, ‘It’s the how, stupid.’ He said repeatedly he would fight a “smarter” war.

Flash forward to today. Following the election, there was a problem apparent. The exit polling didn't match the ballot count, and many reasons for that began to become apparent.

John Kerry was faced with three options. One, fight on publicly rather than conceding and put the nation into a media frenzied limbo. Two, concede and go on with his life, turning his back on his promise to his supporters to ensure that “every vote will be counted.”

Most people are assuming that John Kerry opted for the second of these while John Edwards, his runningmate, opted for the first, and since Kerry was the big dog, he won out. But people who think this are thinking in Bush terms, all or nothing, either you are for the war or against it, that either Senator Kerry was for recounting the votes or he was against it.

The reality is, John Kerry has chosen a third, much smarter course – just as he said he would all along.

>snip

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. We can only hope

------------------------------------------------------
Fight the fraud; fund the recount!
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/electionreform.htm

[rabid_nerd]

6. GreenPartyVoter

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=979106

[chiburb]

2. Don't know how credible this author is, but...

After reading the entire post I'm REALLY HOPING he's right!

Thanks for the encouraging link!

[spatlese]

9. Especially coming from a 'moderate'..

I found it really encouraging too and had to share it here.

[eek]

3. Kerry's been playing it this way quite often

How many times have we witnessed this?
All's quiet on the Kerry front then...


i'm sure he stepped out of the public fray in order to appear gracious and patriotic.
Even though Al Gore was in rhe right (so to speak) last time it was hard not to take it as sore-loser-itis.



Too - I hope JK and THK are having some lovely R&R hot-tub time to rest up for whatever comes next.

[Cobalt Violet]

4. I beleive it.

And I'm so sick of people putting him down. My guess is that these people really only liked him because he wasn't Bush. But some of us out here are real Kerry supporters and have followed his career for some time and know that he will fight.

[magnolia]

14. I'm a true supporter.

I was ABB and would have been happy with any of our people in the primaries. Then I saw the video of Kerry's testimony to the senate when he was just 27 years old. I lived through that time. This is a truly great man. There are many war heros and I do respect them, especially today...and respect Kerry's war record. But my admiration goes to him being a peace hero. That's what this world so desperately needs right now and it breaks my heart to pieces that we were so close.

Anyway...my focus changed. It was no longer about getting rid of Bush, it was about knowing that the world needs a leader like Kerry.

[hollywood926]

5. This is what I have been saying all along!!!! n/t

[rabid_nerd]

7. SEE THIS THREAD

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=979106

[ronnykmarshall]

8. Very interesting .....

Reading this I tend to agree with this plan of attack.

What I am wondering is this?

Should this process drag on, what will happen?

If the votes are not validated by Ohio or Florida or any of the other states in question, were does that leave the electoral balloting?

If this investigation proves to have teeth, we could have a bigger mess than 2000.

Could you imagine if the fingers point right back to KKKarl and the WH?

What a thrill that would be!

[Hubert Flottz]

16. I think the Dems started gearing up for this when...

Nothing was done over a year ago when democrats in the US House tried to investigate the BBV and the GOPers shut that down! Then there was the stealing of political information out of Jay Rockefeller's trash can! These democrats are not stupid! Jay has more cash than Bush or about any of the rest of them! He is not a man they want to jerk around! As vocal as Bob Byrd has been in opposition to Bush's looting and plundering, it's strikes me as VERY strange we have not heard a word! All the heavy hitters are laying back letting Shrub lay out his cards, like the guy who said the Geneva Convention was "Quaint", nominated for AG, for instance!

I'm like Mr Scott! "I think She's About To BLOW!" It's the when that's got me stumped!

[blue neen]

10. We're all hoping Ms. Vazquez is correct!

She wrote a very astute column. She does need to call Olbermann "Keith" instead of "Ken", though.

[spatlese]

12. It is Keith Olberman... :)

[MsTryska]

21. correction....Keith Olbermann ;-)

[teryang]

11. The best approach- prepare litigation- get injunctions before

...the elections. This would have required an investment in the tens of millions begun years before the election so litigation packages would be ready to go as soon as candidates qualified on the ballot.

I don't think that national elections can be "redone" under Federal law. The only possibility would be for candidates to challenge the vote and request recounts. These would be meaningful for opti-scan precincts, which apparently were the most abused in Florida for instance and have the benefit of having paper ballots to count. Areas with evoting machines are not going to be recounted in any meaningful fashion even if a challenge and recount were demanded. The recount rules for these machines (thanks to Glenda Hood, the Katherine Harris of the day) are meaningless and unconstitutional. Therein lay an additional basis for the injunctions which were never obtained. Because recounts are meaningless for evoting machines, the rules and the use of the machines could have been permanently enjoined as unconstitutional.

After the fact, if you don't challenge the vote and demand a recount, nothing will happen to change the outcome. For this reason, I don't feel that this letter from Kerry's brother means much.

[LittleWoman]

13. Keep in mind John Kerry is a former prosecutor

Prosecutors by nature tend not to publicize their case until they have all the evidence lined up. I think there will be more to come and I have a front row seat for the fun in Ohio.

[Blue_Roses]

15. Thank-you for this post!

I agree with it 100%. All the "hand-wringing" and "strategy-calling' for 2008 should take a serious backseat to what is happening NOW. Voter fraud is obvious but it takes time to prove it. I've been saying for a week now that Kerry did what he needed to to really fight this.

[noiretextatique]

24. it's only been 9 days since the election

apparently, americans do need instant gratification :eyes:
kerry had no other choice. if he had come out swinging, the media would have slaughtered him...and it would be over.

[displacedtexan]

17. Yum. May I drink you with dessert?

Love your handle!

If JK is serious about this fight, he sure left those of us who worked in his campaign offices out of the loop. Guess that's for the best, though.

LLSS was our campaign motto.
(Loose lips sink ships)

[spatlese]

29. From one Texan to another...

Love your handle too! ;)

I can't wait till Kerry is inaugurated in January!

[KurtNYC]

18. One problem I have with this is that Kerry raised $45 million

for the recount. How does he spend any of that money now, when it is needed and yet remain in this alleged stealth mode?

It would have been far better to let 527s raise that money (and spend it) if the strategy really is to play dead and then pounce. Bev Harris has had to undertake her own fund raising and plenty have already given to Kerry.

[shuffnew]

26. 527's DID "Net A Record Haul"

This below website (http://www.publicintegrity.com) is a great website if you want to get down and research details on how groups (on both sides of the fence) had 527's raising monies at record levels. It appears the GOP 527's spent much of theirs on advertising lies and slander. You can even search and get individual donors from site (like Soros, etc.) The GOP had to spend a lot of money on lies and slander to take focus off of the incompetence of the current administration (fog the voters eyes from the truth & real problems with the current administration). 527's still have monies in the bank and I think 3Q04 filings were due to the IRS by 10-21-04. You can get an idea by seeing how much they raised and how much has already been spent (poof!) before Nov. 2nd.

I don't think the Demos and Kerry supporters fell asleep at the wheel on 527 strategy either.

The choice is not to either focus on 527 activity and/or recount funds exclusive of each other. The strategy... cover all bases in a methodical manner toward a common goal! Propagating slander and lies versus organized strategy of covering all bases againt the GOP beasts.

527 Fundraising Nets A Record Haul:
http://www.publicintegrity.com/527/report.aspx?aid=403

Major 527 Organizations:
http://www.publicintegrity.com/527/search.aspx?act=exp&sec=totalexp&sub=topcom

Major Individual Donors:
http://www.publicintegrity.com/527/search.aspx?act=con&sec=indiv&sub=topindiv

[mourningdove92]

19. Thank you for sharing this. I have not dared to let my

heart hope, but of course my heart does what it wants to, and I was praying that Kerry was taking the steps outlined in this article.

[shuffnew]

20. Kerry Is a Man of Integrity & Brilliantly Plans All Strategies!

You are so right! Kerry knew what he would face against the cheating beasts... and Planned Ahead for it! Put the money where the problem is! Apparently the GOP crew didn't think the recount focus was needed (after all they have the "Tale of 2 Brothers" to rely upon, and arrogance to believe in a slam dunk (after all they got by with it in 2000 having much more set aside over Gore for recount), right? Well, Rove just may have flawed his plan with this assumption!)


Kerry Almost Doubles Bush's Recount Funds
Primary campaign funds give Kerry the edge

By Alex Knott

WASHINGTON, November 1, 2004 — Sen. John F. Kerry may have a $24.8 million advantage over President George W. Bush in pursuing any recounts that result from Tuesday's election, according to the campaigns' most recent financial filings.

http://www.publicintegrity.com/bop2004/report.aspx?aid=418&sid=200

[Kazak]

22. I am eagerly awaiting...

the public announcement.

[BattyDem]

23. Please let this be true

I'd just about given up on the guy ... I would be SO HAPPY to be proven wrong and forced to eat my own words!

To long-time Kerry supporters ...
Is this the way he usually operates? Does he lay low until he has enough to go in for the kill? Honestly, up until the Dem convention, I really didn't know a thing about the guy so that's why I'm curious about his tactics.

Oh damn ... I don't want to get my hopes up ... this emotional roller coaster we've been on the last week is driving me "batty"

[seabeyond]

25. this is what i keep telling myself

how i began to really respect this man, i owuld think he was rolling over or doing dem thing, and he always came thru. when he called them liars and crooks. thought he was going to apologize. he didnt. every step in all he did, for real in respect, he was not a man to roll over. also learning his personal history i saw a man that didnt roll over.

why i havent invested a lot of judging what he is doing today. not a clue.

[demokatgurrl]

27. So far I only see him doing option 2. Am I missing something?

[Chelsea Patriot]

28. Work, John Kerry, Work!!!!

We got your back!

[Steely_Dan]

30. Devil's Advocate...

I would want nothing more than to believe what this article is saying. In fact, there is a part of me that really believes that this is what JK is doing. Or...let's just say, I wouldn't be surprised. - Yet, I want to file that article under "wishful thinking...."

As a devil's advocate...I still have some questions concerning if this is actually what the Kerry camp is doing...

I can't see how the Kerry camp can successfully keep their intentions quiet. That is to say...how can they conduct an investigation without the Bush team knowing? I can't believe that the Bush administration isn't keeping their eye on this possibility. I mean...they know what Nader is doing...I think they can put 2+2 together....Can anyone counter this point?

I think that while there are "obvious problems" with much of the election...exit polls not matching, voter intimidation, etc. There is no getting around the fact that in many cases....there is NO PAPER TRAIL...making it virtually impossible to make any sort of case.

Second question: Isn't the deadline for filing "complaints, etc. already passed? I thought it was ten days. I'm sure that their are other avenues of recourse, but....

Third point....It is my belief that whatever they were going to find, they would have found by now. Is anyone else (impatience aside) that feel that if this trap were to be sprung, it would have happened already?

Anyway...not trying to throw water...I just don't want to get my hopes up to have them later dashed upon the shore of despair. I'm not into emotional rollercoasters...it makes me barf.

-Paige

-Paige

[LittleClarkie]

32. We may not get Kerry for President even after all of this

but if they are all successful in exposing the fraud, then the Bush crowd will be in a world of hurt anyway.

As some have said, this is bigger than Kerry. Even if he can't get in, he'll make damn sure the next election is a fair election.

[NJ_Lib]

31. Who would gain most from breaking this wide open?

Who would like NOTHING better than to break this case wide open?... Who LIVES for this kind of one-in-a-lifetime story? Who has the MOST to gain from being the one who discovers the truth?

A Journalist!!!... I am of the opinion that as I type this, there are no fewer than ten reporters on this case... And how... They would love nothing more than to be the one who breaks it wide open... Not for democracy of course, but imagine the career take-off?... They would become one of the most respected in the field... Wealth, fame, success... Most greedy reporters would love a chance at a story this huge... Even if there's a 1% chance... We play the lottery, don't we? ;)