anyone else get this letter from Kerry ?

[riverwalker]

Dear Friend,

No American citizen should wake up the morning after the election and worry their vote wasn't counted. No citizen should be denied at the polls if they are eligible to vote. And, as the greatest, wealthiest nation on earth, our citizens should never be forced to vote on old, unaccountable and non transparent voting machines from companies controlled by partisan activists.

Tomorrow, members of Congress will meet to certify the results of the 2004 presidential election. I will not be taking part in a formal protest of the Ohio Electors.

Despite widespread reports of irregularities, questionable practices by some election officials and instances of lawful voters being denied the right to vote, our legal teams on the ground have found no evidence that would change the outcome of the election.

But, that does not mean we should abandon our commitment to addressing those problems that happened in Ohio. We must act today to make sure they never happen again.

I urge you to join me in using this occasion to highlight our demand that Congress commit itself this year to reforming the electoral system. A Presidential election is a national federal election but we have different standards in different states for casting and counting votes. We need a national federal standard to solve the problems that occurred in the 2004 election. I will propose legislation to help achieve this.

Florida 2000 was a wake up call. But the Republicans who control Congress ignored it. Will they now ignore what happened in 2004?

There are nearly 3,000,000 of you receiving this email. We accomplished so much together during the campaign. Now let's use our power to make sure that at least one good thing comes from the voting rights problems of the 2004 election. If we want to force real action on election reform, we've got to demand that congressional leaders hold full hearings. Make sure they hear from you and help hold them accountable.

Speaker Dennis Hastert: 1-202-225-0600
Leader Bill Frist: 1-202-224-3135

And please report that you've made your call right here:
http://www.johnkerry.com/signup/electoral_reform.php

I want every vote counted because Americans have to know that the votes they stood in line for, fought for, and strived so hard to cast in an election, are counted. We must make sure there are no questions or doubts in future elections. It's critical to our democracy that we investigate and act to prevent voting irregularities and voter intimidation across the country. We can't stand still as Congressional leaders seek to sweep well-founded voter concerns under the rug.

Please join with me in calling Speaker Hastert and Leader Frist and telling them that you want action on election reform now.

A recent report from Representative John Conyers (D-Michigan) reveals very troubling questions that have not yet been answered by Ohio election officials. I commend the Democratic National Committee for its announcement this week that the DNC will be investing resources and reaching out to non-partisan academics in a long term study of Ohio voting irregularities. I am only sorry that we haven't seen the same from Ohio Secretary of State Blackwell and GOP officials.

Congress must play a positive, proactive role on this issue. That's why I will soon introduce legislation to reform our election system, ensuring transparency and accountability in our voting system and that all Americans have an opportunity to vote and have their vote counted.

Please remember to let us know that you made your call when you're done. We're hoping to ensure House and Senate leaders' offices hear our demand for action on election reform in meaningful way. Please take a moment to let us know you have made your call here: http://www.johnkerry.com/signup/electoral_reform.php

Thank you,

John Kerry

P.S. Thanks to all those who participated in our USO "phone home" campaign last week. The totals are coming in from the USO, and they are thrilled with your generosity and support for our brave men and women in uniform. We will send you totals as we get them.

[brainshrub]

1. This is the ultimate "to little, to late" letter.

Kerry's such a ___________. (Derogatory term in this blank.)

[russian33]

2. Is anyone really surprised though?

[andyhappy]

3. I am

I really thought he was 'working behind the scenes'all this time!

guess i been drinkin the kool-aid too!

[Laurab]

4. I disagree

I think it's the ultimate "perfect timing" letter. Too little, too late for the right wing media attack though.

[brainshrub]

5. Nah, it's just a face-saving letter.

So far all he's done is file a complaint in Ohio. (Remember the "Big News"?) *sigh* I'm so disgusted right now I could puke.

[Laurab]

10. I still disagree

Face saving - having 3 million people call Congress? I don't think so - it's an activism letter. I called.

[brainshrub]

17. Those people are not calling b/c of his letter.

They are calling b/c of the hard work of grass-roots organizations: Libertarians, Greens, Progressives and concerned citizens.

The Democratic Party has dropped the ball on this big time.

[Laurab]

18. Um...

This "people" called b/c of his letter.

[Hieronymus]

13. Mike Malloy is right.............

the Democratic Party is finished.:mad:

[Skarbrowe]

6. Yeah. I've been avoiding making any comments about Kerry.

Still avoiding.

[Ladyhawk]

24. Me too...until tomorrow...must...not...disparage...n/t

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[gatorboy]

8. If Kerry's afraid of Right wing attacks, tell him to suck it up.

Clinton took 5 times the shit Kerry ever endured and came out on top. Which is one of the reason's why Conservatives foam at the mouth at the mere sound of Big Dawg's name. They couldn't keep him down. He was a fighter.

Kerry rolled over and played dead like a good dog.

[truthseeker1]

9. Kerry's a stooge!

Always has been. I've held off from saying anything since the "election" because of the glimmer of hope I had that he would come through......but that glimmer has been snuffed out. Thanks John, way to go.:eyes:
:hurts:

[Still_Loves_John]

11. This is the best way to bring about real reform

If it looked like he was doing all this just because he thought he could win the election this way, everything would split down party lines and everyone would be too combative. By not contesting the Ohio vote (which I'm sure he would have done had he found a really compelling reason to do so), he cane pave the way for some real voting reform.

Everyone on here who is really concerned about voting irregularities should be ecstatic, because while his method may disappoint you in the short run, it ensures real changes in the long run.

[Cleita]

12. Randi Rhodes on a rant about that right now.

Has a Congresscritter (name escapes me) on now saying that the reason the Democrats aren't pursuing investigating the vote was because Kerry conceded the election.

:argh:

[Individualist]

14. That's Congressman John Conyers

Randi is terrific today.

[yankeedem]

15. I hate to say it but

I would have voted for David Cobb if I knew John Kerry was not going to fight for my vote to be counted. At least David Cobb WANTED to win.

Yea, John, I'll call Bill Frist. You won't fight for our vote and you think Frist and Hastert will? In the future, John, please leave running for President to someone who gives a shit.

[Bluebear]

16. "I've got your back!" nt

[Oversea Visitor]

19. Right move

If he make any noise before that the whole issue will be so clouded that it will hamper rather than help people who are investigating 2004.
There will be so much attacks on him in the mass media that it will turn most people hostile to him.
So one must accept that the mass media is no friend of his, even from way over here he was make to look so bad during the 2004 election.
I will say take your cue from Conyers, he will be the best one to know the true role Kerry play in this investigation, if anyone know it would be him.

[julialnyc]

20. grow a spine kerry

He's worrying about the swing voters still

[imenja]

21. Yes. Anyone else think Kerry is playing both sides of the fence here? n/t

[BiggJawn]

22. No.

I un-subscribed from johnkerry-dot-com. moveon-dot-org, too.

Too busy learning to play the "Internationale" to bother with either of them.

[Pachamama]

23. I got this letter today and it made me sick to my stomach....

....I don't know what to feel...I will say that I have been a committed Kerry supporter but that letter was a kick in the stomach...I actually feel he is not the person I thought he was...first time I ever thought that....

:cry:

[jzodda]

25. Kerry has quicky become yesterdays news

I got the email and I deleted it, didnt even read it. Kerry is not relevant anymore in any way, shape or fashion nationally.

[Clarkie1]

26. Good letter; says all the right things

[lovuian]

27. Kerry has showed his colors Lets face it!!! But its out of his hands

Its up to the Democrats to point out this man is stealing these elections and Kerry is letting him its pretty obvious in this letter but there was two men on that ballot and one was Edwards and where is his letter its not there cause he is going to FIGHT ON!!!

[NoodleBoy]

28. Wow-- you signed up on his mailing list and you expected to not hear from

him?

Seriously, the man is STILL a US Senator. He STILL has a first-person impact on American politics.

And let me remind you: YOU signed up for his mailing list.

Would you feign suprise/outrage if you signed up to Russ Feingolds', or Barbara Boxer's, or Nancy Pelosi's mailing list, which--just to remind you-- is basically saying, "Hey, keep me up to date on what you're up to by sending me emails now and then," and then complain when they keep sending you things?

Like it or not, Kerry has become, for the time being, the de facto face of the Democratic party. I don't know about you, but I'd like to know what the man who got the second largest number of votes in a US election is up to.

Keep on talking about him losing the election, but I'd first like to see what your answer would be to how to sway millions of voters who care about only very narrow policies-- some voting only on who's pro-life, some voting only on who's pro-war, and some voting solely on who's a conservative born-again evangelical christian-- to the Democratic side.