If past is prologue, we are in trouble

[Carolina]

Our side needs fighting actions not more words. Read on:

Published 5/18/07 by CommonDreams.org by Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman

Will Al Gore Face His Inconvenient Truths About Our Stolen Elections?

Al Gore has just made his second major contribution to our national political dialog.

His ... “Assault on Reason” ... excerpted in Time Magazine ... paints a compelling portrait of a democracy being obliterated by money and television.

... But the former Vice-President must finally face the huge personal responsibility he bears for much of the problem.

First, he was an important party to the complex but catastrophic Telecommunications Act of 1996. This Clinton-era corporate goodie bag enabled a huge spike in the monopolization of the electronic media Gore now decries.

... Gore should now become an active agent in reversing that horrific pro-monopoly give-away... fight to re-establish meaningful pluralistic media ownership and public access, and for ... both the Fairness Doctrine and Equal Time Provision ...

Second, Gore was victim of the theft of the election of 2000, but he also enabled it. In the entire history of the United States, few events have more deeply damaged our democracy than the stolen Florida vote count and warped Electoral College outcome that followed.

----- snip -----

... Amidst the carefully choreographed chaos of the Florida 2000 vote count, the Gore campaign inexplicably asked for a recount only in four counties, rather than statewide. This was a miscalculation of epic proportions. In recent years it’s been proven that Gore did win the legitimate Florida statewide vote count, and would have prevailed with a full and honest recount.

----- snip -----

Gore’s actions on the 2000 recount might be discounted as a stategic failure.

But they were followed by something much much worse. In January, 2001, the Black Caucus of the US House demanded a Congressional dialogue on the seating of the Florida delegation to the Electoral College. This procedure had been established in 1887, in response to the stolen election of 1876. It required the signature of one Representative and one Senator.

... Gore prevented this from happening. As the presiding officer over the joint session of Congress gathered to ratify the election, Gore repeatedly gaveled down those Representatives demanding a discussion of the theft of Florida’s decisive electoral votes. This very ugly, politically catastrophic moment is forever memorialized in Michael Moore’s Farenheit 9/11.

----- snip -----

In short, Al Gore and the Democratic Party were complicit in the most demoralizing and anti-democratic events in the recent history of our nation. It is fine for the brilliant and lucid former Vice President to decry the power of money and television in the destruction of our democracy.

But what can tangibly and irrevocably destroy a democracy more thoroughly than the outright theft of elections, especially when it happens without challenge from the opposition?

----- snip -----

Most of all, we need to hear how Al Gore and the Democratic Party plan to guarantee it never happens again. And then we need to see them actually act on it.

[snappyturtle]

1. As much as I love Gore he does have a lot of responsibility

for the situation we find ourselves in today. K&R

[Carolina]

2. and as much as I loved him,

or perhaps having a Dem in the White House, Bill Clinton, too.

We really need NEW BLOOD, fighters who back up their words with ACTION.

The current Democratic Congress doesn't give me much hope. Having oversight is great but hearing after hearing, calling for votes of no confidence, sending bills to * that are dead in the water because he's proclaimed in advance that he'll veto them ... what does it all mean in the end??!!

The dems could achieve more by using their 6-figure salaries and/or personal wealth to take an ad out in every major newspaper nationwide (WP, NYT, Bostom Globe, LA Times, Baltimore Sun, Miami Herald ... wherever and everywhere) citing the high crimes and misdemeanors of the entire administration and then signing their names like the law school classmates of Gonzalez.

[snappyturtle]

5. Yes! Wasn't that letter by Gonzo's classmates great?

I printed it out! Love it! You're right our congresscritters could do more to get more people aware of the insanity they're up against. And you're right, we need new blood! I wish Gov. Brian Schweitzer of MT would run. I just love him. I've seen him on tv several times and he's smart and down to earth at the same time. And, you're right again: The Democratic Congress does not exude hope. It's depressing. I just wrote Senators Hutchison and Cornyn and gave them my views on the Iraq War funding and immigration, for all that's worth....probably zip. Hey, you got three stars for being right three times! imho

[Carolina]

6. Three out of three ...

Thanks :toast:

I'll be on the lookout (C-SPAN, perhaps) for Gov Schweiter.

[some guy]

3. You forgot the link

so I will add it here.

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/05/18/1279/

Thanks for posting this :hi:

[Carolina]

4. oops and thanks

:hi: right back at ya!