WTF? Letter from Kerry: "our legal teams ...have found no evidence ..."

[elehhhhna]

Today via email:
Dear XXXX,

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.



Paid for by Friends of John Kerry, Inc.

[Avalux]

1. No worries

read between the lines. :hi:

[progressoid]

5. Between the lines he's saying,

"I'm re-conceding for those of you that didn't accept my first concession speech"

[IndianaGreen]

16. "I am turning my swift boat around and getting the Hell out of here!"

Give that man a medal for running away from the good fight. And Kerry told Newsweek that he sees himself as the frontrunner for the 2008 nomination?

:shrug:

[0007]

26. .......Kerry is DOA in 08.

I'm pissed

[ldf]

38. yeah, i got that email, and replied back

and i told him exactly that, don't even bother to run in 08.

and i didn't mince words either. (no obscenities, just frank talk covering quite a few issues, especially voter integrity and softening on choice and equal rights.)

and i informed them that if we, the party base, do not show up in 08, NONE of them will be elected.

i, too, am pissed.

:grr:

[hopein08]

44. I replied too...

Told him that there was a snowball's chance in hell that calling by Repuke Senators and Rep. would actually motivate them to do a thing. Seems like a pretty lame, incredibly weak, way to "fight for us."

[zann725]

56. WTF, indeed!

I haven't emailed him back yet, but fully intend to...once I calm down a little.
Was he PURPOSELY trying to discourage other Senators from stepping up tomorrow? I'll bet we DID have at least 6 lined up...prior to his email.

[GreenPartyVoter]

59. Ditto

------------------------------------------------------
Election reform can help save this country!
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/electionreform.htm

[hopein08]

45. You nailed it, progressoid! n/t

[jswordy]

2. To my constituents:

If I can't win, then I am not interested in whether your vote counts or not. But do go ahead and beat your own brains out trying to get Congress to reform the election process. I won't stick my own neck out by being there, but you be my guest!!!

Every move this guy makes shows me more why he was not the candidate we should have ever run at all!

[w4rma]

4. Bingo.

I saw this coming during the primaries. This and the recent talk about him thinking abour running in 2008, prove that I was right to vote for Gov. Dean instead of Sen. Kerry.

[blm]

13. horsepoo....the ONLY way you're going to prove anything is with

a lengthy investigation, requiring complete access to the machines. That will never happen as long as it is the OUTCOME being debated.

Kerry's efforts may not benefit him in the short term him, but, may just save democracy in the future.

I am surprised by the rampant obtuseness of the snap analysis here at DU and wonder how much of it is deliberate.

[stray cat]

3. No evidence that would change the outcome of the election

Fraud must be exposed but not to instate Kerry as President but to achieve election reform. Election reform and protests should be independent of this single election and a single candidate.

To make a longterm difference the debate must be bigger than a perceived sore loser.

[Q]

6. 'Sore loser' is the nomenclature of the RWingers...

...and it should have no place in serious politics. When the Kerry teams says that there is no evidence that would change the OUTCOME OF THE ELECTION it suggests that they don't give a shit about the voters...just the way Kerry would be perceived as a potential candidate.

Kerry turned out to be quite the BSer.

[newcombt]

7. ...

would he possibly been such a wimp if he would have won the election?

[greenohio]

53. I believe Kerry does care about the voters.

I believe he busted his tail and has decided that fighting this battle will not help the voters or his fellow Dems. So just keep bashin away.

[MisterLiberal]

8. English

I wish Kerry spoke it without sounding like a damn English teacher

"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."

No one talks like that. Love or hate him, Dean can speak conversational English.

[marcologico]

9. It says "We must act today" so

let's get busy folks!

:toast:

[IndianaGreen]

10. So much for Kerry fighting for us!

Are there any doubters left? Or are we going to hear another rationalization for Kerry's failure to attack Bush.

[LittleClarkie]

11. I have no doubts

that about half y'all are wingnuts.

I'm still a supporter. Now call, dagnabit! Or email! Bug the shit out of Hassert and Frist today. It's a GOOD thing.

[IndianaGreen]

12. Kerry just pissed on MoveOn!

Dear MoveOn member,

When Congress reconvenes this Thursday to ratify the 2004 Presidential election, Representative John Conyers (D-Michigan) will object to the vote count in Ohio, and if even one Senator joins him, Congress will have to debate the widespread voting problems that have been exposed. Nobody expects this election to be overturned, but it's time in this country to seriously grapple with the issues of voting rights, un-auditable computerized voting, and the suppression of minority votes.

Call your Democratic Senators today and ask them to join Representative Conyers in challenging the 2004 voting process. With your support, they can step forward and force this important debate.

Please let us know you've made these calls at:
http://www.moveon.org/callmade14.html

In November's election, Americans in inner cities were prevented from voting by eight-hour lines. Local officials changed the rules on which votes were counted. Technicians were allowed to tamper with balloting machines unsupervised. We've attached an editorial by Rev. Jesse Jackson with more details below.

The winners of these tainted elections assert that their outcomes didn't depend on the fraud. But even in sports, referees call penalties and enforce the rules, whether or not the game is at stake. Nowhere in the Constitution does it describe some acceptable level of denying Americans their votes. When Congress meets this Thursday, January 6, we'll have a good opportunity to make it clear that Americans want every vote counted, period.

A sound democracy depends on elections that everyone, winners and losers, can agree were held fairly and honestly. America doesn't have that now, and it's got to change.

Thanks for everything you do,

--The MoveOn PAC Team
January 5th, 2004
____________

Senators should object to Ohio vote
January 4, 2005
BY REV. JESSE JACKSON

http://www.suntimes.com/output/jesse/cst-edt-jesse04.html

This Thursday in Washington Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), the senior minority member of the House Judiciary Committee, will formally object to the counting of the Ohio electoral vote in the 2004 presidential election. If any senator joins him, the counting of the vote is suspended and the House and the Senate must convene separately to hear the objections filed, and to vote on whether to accept them.

The grounds for the objections are clear: The irregularities in the Ohio vote and vote count are widespread and blatant. If the Ohio election were held in the Ukraine, it would not have been certified by the international community.

In Ohio, the gulf between exit polls and counted votes is vast and glaring. Blatant discrimination in the distribution of voting machines ensured long lines in inner-city and working-class precincts that favored John Kerry, while the exurban districts that favored President Bush had no similar problems.

Systematic efforts were made to suppress and challenge the new voters in Kerry precincts, whether students or African Americans. Some precincts were certified with more votes than the number registered; others were certified with preposterously low turnouts. Voting machines, produced by a company headed by a vowed Bush supporter, provide no paper record. Ohio's secretary of state, the inappropriately partisan head of the state's Bush campaign, has resisted any systematic recount of the ballots.

(Edited to comply with DU's copyright requirements. IG)

[emulatorloo]

14. USE YOUR ANGER AND CALL FRIST AND HASERT AND DEMAND HEARINGS

ON OHIO

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

[IndianaGreen]

15. We need one (1) Senator to join Rep. John Conyers

Do we even have one Senator worth anything at all??????????

Feingold, where are you?

[LittleClarkie]

25. Are you upset that they are similar emails?

With similar calls to action, including reporting back?

Or just that Kerry won't be "that" Senator?

One question: what is the name of the guy who worked for MoveOn who moved over into Kerry's campaign? Does he still work for Kerry?

I'm seeing a coordinated effort here, not a pissing upon. Good for them.

Before you piss in someone's Wheaties, be sure the bowl is not your own.

[sendero]

18. Go to the...

... Elections forum and read the long thread of delusion. These people are truly resilient - Kerry has smacked them down time and again but they still "read between the lines".

Maybe I'm just too cynical - but when I read a message that says "call Frist and Hastert" and I'm supposed to believe that will accomplish ANYTHING AT ALL, well, I'm just not THAT DAMN STUPID.

[LittleClarkie]

29. Who needs to read between the lines

I don't.

It's plain as day. He. is. not. contesting. the election. He. is. however. fighting. for. election. reform. I thought the timing was excellent, myself. I don't expect anything much to happen tomorrow even if a Senator stands up, or in your words "accomplish ANYTHING AT ALL." It will be a symbolic gesture, one that will hopefully generate discussion at best. If you think that it will do more than that, then I'm afraid I think you are the one who is delusional.

And calling Hassert and Frist is about as good an idea as pestering your senators. Why the hell not. If it's because it came from Kerry, well, pretend it came from someone you like. Then get off your tush and make the damn calls.

[sendero]

31. Correction...

... Little one. He is calling on everyone else to fight for election reform. He is not about to get his hands dirty, that might hurt him in 2008. Or so he thinks.

[LittleClarkie]

32. Who do you think is going to introduce the bill, dear

Oh, he'll be in there when he gets back from the Middle East. Support him or don't.

[sendero]

33. Ever since Nov 3...

... I've been hearing about what Kerry is "going to do" or what is happening "behind the scenes".

You'll understand that by now I'm not expecting much.

I'm one of those "kooks" who absolutely believes the election was stolen based on nothing more than the exit polls. And the fact that nobody has been able to turn up any usable evidence of such suggests to me that they aren't trying very hard.

Harsh, I know. And no doubt I'm still pissed about the election, pissed about the fraud, pissed about the stupid average American and pissed that the one guy I thought might open his kimono just a little has decided to worry about 2008.

He will never get my vote again, that is for sure.

[LittleClarkie]

34. Well, his place of strength is the Senate

so I didn't expect anything much until ol' 109th started up.

I've seen what he has done. Apparently either others haven't seen it, or don't consider it enough.

May I ask who you supported in the primaries. Is this recent disillusion, or was he your third, fourth or fifth choice?

[sendero]

37. I'm not going to lie..

... to you - he was not my first choice. I was for Dean early, but at this time I don't think Dean will ever run a successful campaign - he's too far the other direction. Presently, I think Wes Clark is as close to perfect as the Dem party is going to see in a long long time.

But I supported Kerry, I sent him money several times, and convinced as many friends and relatives to vote for him as I could.

And I still think he would have made a decent, maybe even damn good president. I am not "mad" at him - I just want him to forget 2008 and let someone who has a chance run.

Because at this point I do believe that there is a grain of truth to what the pukes say about him. The IWR vote I could get around. but after seeing the post-election blackout, I know he's not the man I thought, or at least hoped, he was. I wish him well in the senate, but to be honest I don't expect much from him. It's just not in him, he doesn't have the fire, IMHO.

[LittleClarkie]

39. He probably isn't the man he was in 1971

I think he found out what his words might have done to people, and it moderated him. I'm just guessing though.

But even in 1971 he wasn't a radical. He was a moderate. As soon as the VVAW leaned too far left, he beat feet. He's never going to be the man of drastic action. I don't think he ever was, frankly.

I liked Clark too (duh) but I think he needed practice politically, and he got it during the campaign. He was just such a newbie. Maybe next time.

Meanwhile, I'm perplexed by the 2008 thing. Too early, pro or con, for 2008 talk. And I'm not going to watch everything Kerry does through a "he's campaigning for 2008" filter. It's distorting.

During this Congress, we shall see what the Dems accomplish. They got the Repubs to half way back down on the ethics issue. (well, truth be known, some of the Repubs were repulsed too.) I want to watch the first Congress I've ever paid attention to at work. Like Clark, I'm a newbie too ;-)

[sendero]

42. Well...

... that's fair enough. Maybe I'm being too harsh on him - and really we don't need a "radical", that is not the same as a "fighter" IMHO.

And I do believe that Kerry is motivated by further designs on the presidency. He has expressed interest in running again. That in and of itself rubs me the wrong way big time, but it's hard to explain why so I won't :)

As for the ethics retreat - I'm not sure we yet know the whole story. I was heartened by the threat of the Dems to declare procedural war on the legislature (unanimous consent) if the cloture rule was changed. That's a step in the right direction. See, I can't help it I am an all-or-nothing person. I want the Dems to fight the pugs tooth and nail or just step aside and let them ruin the country with nobody but themselves to blame. The middle ground is useless - Dems will get blamed for everything and accomplish nothing.

[OhioBlue]

17. I got the same letter

I have been thinking about it today and what I have come to accept is that this is a marathon and not a sprint. I don't think we can overturn the results in Ohio. We can prove fraud and in my mind certain deliberate voter surpression. I also think the * cartel will implode (or I hope) before too long. I beleive in JK and I do beleive that if he thought the votes could be found, he would contest the elections. But the bigger issues is the integrity of the vote, and I am hoping that this is the battle he is picking to fight. I think it is still important to protest the election tho b/c it shows the right that we are not laying down and buying their BS. It also shows the rest of the world that * is NOT the face of America. If congress bucks up this time and grows a set of balls, I won't be as afraid of the current executive branch.

[sendero]

19. You know what..

... it is doubtful that even 2-3 weeks after the election that the evidence of the fraud, if any, was not cleaned up.

The idea that after months have passed they havven't covered their tracks and their asses is laughable.

[OhioBlue]

20. very good point - I'm sure they have covered their tracks

as far as a major shift in votes. But the documented cases of machines that counted JK votes for Libertarians or the Gahanna machine that converted JK votes to Bush proves that 1. we cannot trust electronic voting and 2. we must have paper audit trails. A line has to be drawn and I just have faith that JK knows more than I do and knows where that line should be drawn. Starting with Election Reform makes sense to me.

[sendero]

21. I agree with your first point..

... we need election reform in the form of a paper trail.

I have lost all faith that Kerry will have much to do with it.

[Jose Diablo]

22. I am not surprised seeing how it was also Gore's legal team

Was anybody impressed a few weeks back when they were posting here?

Edit: All that will remain is in a few months, somebody will come in and say, gee we should have advised Kerry differently, "my bad". Why don't we try for '08.

[curse10]

23. yeah! more Kerry bashing!

we don't have nearly enough of this!!! :eyes:

and people are still saying "dean would have done better?" What? Did we suddenly have a time warp and it's January 04? Is it still the same primary bullshit all over again? Dean lost! He's a has-been. I hope he crawls back under the rock he came from! He's not what we need- he's not even liberal, for FUCKING CHRISSAKES!!!

[sendero]

27. Its not about the fact that he lost..

... it's about the fact that he's more worried about his (delusional) run at 2008 than about helping to fix the voting problem.

THAT IS WHAT IT IS ABOUT. I don't care if we lose, but we need a fighter. Kerry is too afraid to offend someone to actually get anything done - that applies during and after the campaign.


Oh and BTW - I'll criticize anyone I want to - you calling it "bashing" is just as transparent as when the pukes were worried about "Bush bashing" at the Dem convention.

[curse10]

50. oh jesus h. fucking christ

he's not running in 2008. that's fucking clear.

And I don't particular care who you "criticize." but nice that you tried to compare me to a repug :eyes: That's cute. No wonder we have division in the party. God forbid we stand behind our candidate! yes! Let's all run to the real fucking loser! Howard Dean! He's the man!

When will people on this board get a fucking clue? Really?? I'm waiting. In the meantime, I'll just put the Dean supporters on ignore. Make sure you put his ridiculous avatar on, it's easier to spot.

[greenohio]

51. We like to eat our own here.

Its the DU way. Howard Dean has moved on...it would be great if his supporters could.

[curse10]

52. that's the truth

no wonder we lost the election.

It's a sad state of affairs.

[Cookie wookie]

24. Asking us to phone Hastert and Frist

That's got to be the lowest blow ever. Disgusting. Revolting.

What kind of bubble is he and his DNC/DLC advisors living in? We're going to get meaningful election reform at the national level? Can anyone say Holt bill?

Dear supporters,

You need to stand up now. I'll stand up for legitimate elections -- later, when I'm not so busy with USO matters.

Screw you.

Sincerely,

JK

[IndianaGreen]

54. Kerry would have sent a memo to Bin Laden to complain about terrorism

that's exactly the same thing he is telling us to do: send a memo to Hastert.

The correct Constitutional procedure is to join the House members in their challenge of the Ohio electors.

Kerry is "a miserable failure" and a political coward to boot!

[lojasmo]

28. Help is on the way! I've got your back! Every vote will count!

Cricket's chirping.

[LittleClarkie]

30. Whatsamatta? Your phone disconnected?

It is. He does. They will.

If you're just going to piss and moan when someone asks you to act, then you might as well go vote Green or something.

ABB, bah.

[lojasmo]

41. He said today he isn't doing shit.

My senator....one of the best, IMO, said today he's not doing shit.

I am calling, you don't know ANYTHING ABOUT ME.

Not one senator is going to do anything about CERTAINLY not Kerry or Edwards. Bank on it!

We got sold down the river, littleclarkie. we're fucked.

Maybe I'll call Russ Feingold. Unfortunately, he's not my senator.

[hopein08]

46. Mentioned many times before...

But Edwards CANNOT challenge the election results as a Senator because he is no longer a Senator!

Other than that, I agree with you.

My Senators are Specter and Santorum, so I refuse to waste my time calling them.

I read somewhere that someone asked Feingold why he didn't contest in 2000 and he said it's because he respected Gore specifically asking that no Senator contest. In a paraphrase, he said something to the effect that he, Kennedy, and Wellstone were possibly going to but respected Gore's direct request because he was the candidate.

[lojasmo]

47. heh....Good point about Edwards. LOL

[tgnyc]

35. ...no evidence that I have any testicles.

But that doesn't mean we can't find ways to further humiliate ourselves. I encourage each of you to bend over and invite Dennis Hastert and Bill Frist to put a foot up your ass. And remember to call me and report when they have finished planting their foot in your hindquarters.

[knight_of_the_star]

36. Coward

I will say no more.

[Lorien]

40. Oh, to live in Kerry's happy bunnyworld...

where "Republicans who control Congress ignored" the fraud in 2000 (as did many DLC Dems) and had no hand in commiting fraud in 2004, and where there's always "better luck next time".

:grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke:

[0007]

43. John Kerry is the most persnickety person I know that has

run for the presidency.

Why can't he just let it all hang out?

[leesa]

48. Kerry likes it just the way it is. A gigantic ME war to steal the oil.

[rucky]

49. May as well not investigate murders, either...

seeing as it can't bring the victims back to life.

[tgnyc]

58. EXCELLENT ANALOGY!

I'm going to borrow it.

[NightOwwl]

55. Don't worry...be happy...

Dontcha know he's the master of political jujitsu.

:puke:

[marcologico]

57. go back in your henouse, the sky is not falling. Hint: read the sentence

"our legal teams on the ground have found no evidence that would change the outcome of the election."

In other words, they didn't find 119,000 missing votes. Get it? And read the next sentence:

"that does not mean we should abandon our commitment to addressing those problems that happened in Ohio."

In other words, they're still on the case, they're still collecting criminal evidence to hang around Dumbya's neck, and the sky is still in the air.