We Need To Stop Blackwell

[mary195149]

Rally demands speedy Ohio recount Blackwell urged to certify official votes

By JAMES DREW
BLADE COLUMBUS BUREAU CHIEF


COLUMBUS - An attorney representing the Green and Libertarian parties urged Ohio's chief elections officer yesterday to allow a recount to be finished before the electoral college meets Dec. 13.
"Those people have not been chosen until the recount process has been completed," said John Bonifaz, founder and general counsel of the National Voting Rights Institute in Boston.

Mr. Bonifaz charged that Republican Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, associate chairman of President Bush's re-election campaign in Ohio, has "actively engaged in thwarting the recount law" by delaying certification of the official statewide results until tomorrow.

The official results will show that Mr. Bush defeated Democrat John Kerry on Nov. 2 by about 119,000 votes to win the 20 electoral votes and another four-year term, according to an analysis of county board of elections results by The Associated Press. Kerry campaign attorneys have said they do not believe a recount will overturn the outcome, but support one to ensure that every vote is counted.

Ohio law requires candidates to file recount requests with the 88 county boards of election within five days after the secretary of state certifies the official results. David Cobb and Michael Badnarik, presidential candidates respectively of the Green and Libertarian parties, say they will do so, but they have failed in federal court to speed up the schedule.

Mr. Bonifaz said the Secretary of State's Office plans on Tuesday to send certificates to the presidential electors, who will meet at the Statehouse to vote on Dec. 13, the date set by the U.S. Constitution, said Carlo LoParo, spokesman for the secretary of state's office. Tuesday is when the secretary of state must inform the U.S. Senate of Ohio's electors, Mr. LoParo said.

"Mr. Blackwell is doing everything he can to push through a slate of electors based on an untested initial county of the vote. He must be stopped," Mr. Bonifaz told 500 people at a rally organized by a coalition of liberal activist groups. A recount is expected to take 5 to 11 days and probably won't be finished before Dec. 13, Mr. LoParo said.

"Two federal courts have informed Mr. Cobb and Mr. Badnarik that the Electoral College will meet on the 13th and they will not be harmed by the Electoral College because they have no chance of overcoming President Bush's lead. Collectively they received 0.26 percent of the overall statewide vote," he said.

The accusation that Mr. Blackwell has delayed certification is "absurd," Mr. LoParo said.

If a recount shows a Kerry win, a different set of electors would vote, Mr. Bonifaz said. "If that happens, the United States Congress will receive the votes of two competing sets of electors from the state of Ohio when it convenes on Jan. 6 to formally receive the Electoral College vote," he said.

Contact James Drew at:
[e-mail]
or 614-221-0496.

[jimshoes]

1. It amazes me that the guy

in charge of counting the votes can be the associate chairman of President Bush's re-election campaign as well. That's kind of like having one of your team mates umpiring the game.

[roseBudd]

2. Glue this graphic to metal utility poles or staple it to wooden ones

Guerilla marketing uses unconventional means of distributing a message.

Viral marketing describes any strategy that encourages individuals to pass on a marketing message to others, creating the potential for exponential growth in the message's exposure and influence. Viral marketing often comes about because of "buzz".

Before the election I was using guerilla marketing in my GOTV street canvassing. Some DUers did join me but it was not nearly enough to create media buzz. People of course were phone banking, canvassing and writing LTTES, all of which were very important before the election. Now that we have time on our hands and an army of hopefully willing participants, IMHO a brilliant way to take the next step and get the word out to those who do not frequent lefty web sites is:

What we can do right now is use poor man's advertising and free delivery systems, ie. DUers to spread the immediate message, that the election was fraudulent.

Right NOW we at DU CAN just like the mean girls in highschool start a whisper campaign against the chimp's reputation. How you ask? By using guerilla and viral marketing techniques.
Do this:

download the files below and go to Kinkos and make copies.



high res file at http://somnamblst.tripod.com

BUSH CHEATED is color but can be printed and
photocopied B&W to save $$$. They print 2 to a sheet, so you will have to cut them.



download this and other files here:

http://somnamblst.tripod.com/

Use the BUSH CHEATED and Blackwell RECUSE graphics to flyer cars or even BETTER...

Buy a can of 3M Super 77 spray adhesive from staples and glue the BUSH CHEATED graphic to metal utility poles, bus stop shelters, advertising benchs, newspaper racks etc. let your inner anarchist express itself. If enough people do this then the masses will become aware AND just like highschool Bush's reputation will be ruined.


This is something we can do RIGHT NOW. No dreaming just ACTION. I've started. I challenge everyone on DU to commit to disseminating at least 10 per day.

I had hoped to plaster Columbus at the rally yesterday with both BUSH CHEATED & Blackwell RECUSE, but the wind was so bad it would have been impossible. I did however do some bus stop shelters and utility poles near campus in Cincinnati yesterday and none of my handiwork has been peeled off.

[lip-sink]

8. kick n/t

[SnoopDog]

3. Mr. LoParo is incorrect about one statement...

The actual date of December 13 is set by Congress not a specific date in the US Constitution.


Article II
Section 1.

"The Congress may determine the Time of chusing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States."

[Twist_U_Up]

10. change the date

how hard can that be <sigh>

[tinfoil_beret]

4. Ohio needs to select two sets of electors.

See Nixon/Kennedy election, regarding the recount of Hawaii.

Florida damn well better, too. I smell a challenge there, also. Actually, we should disqualify electors from both Ohio and Florida, because the elections of both of these states stink terribly.

[berniew1]

5. Why hasn't Blackwell been indicted? Malfeasance is documented

Systematic Voter Suppression: STEALING VOTES IN Ohio Urban Areas (by ward/precinct)
Stealing Votes in Columbus
http://web.northnet.org/minstrel/columbus.htm
Stealing Votes in Cleveland http://web.northnet.org/minstrel/cleveland.htm

[Moderator]

6. mary195149

Per DU copyright rules
please post only four
paragraphs from the
copyrighted news source
and provide a link to
the source.


Thank you.

DU Moderator

[Eloriel]

7. You forgot the link n/t

[lip-sink]

9. kick n/t