45 GROUPS UNITED AGAINST FRAUD: IN WINTER DEMOCRACY CAMPAIGN

[Carolab]

For Immediate Release
December 6, 2004

For more information:
Ted Glick, 973-338-5398
Diane Shamis, 845-661-3754


Calls for “Winter Democracy Campaign”

Meeting in Washington, D.C. over the weekend of December 4-5, representatives of more than 45 organizations decided unanimously to call for a “Winter Democracy Campaign.” This campaign will demand that there be a full investigation of widespread and growing reports of disenfranchisement, electoral racism and inaccurate voting results on November 2 in Ohio, Florida and elsewhere.

The newly-formed coalition, United Progressives for Democracy, also called for support of an 11-point Voters’ Bill of Rights to “bring the U.S. electoral system into the 21st century,” in the words of conference organizer Ted Glick.

The Winter Democracy Campaign includes support for these planned and on-going activities:

-Immediate: the Ohio recount being spearheaded by the national Green Party of the U.S. and the Libertarian Party, with support from Rev. Jesse Jackson and Ohio activists; volunteers and public support are needed;


-Tuesday, December 7, 8:30-4:30, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room G-50: “Voting in 2004: Report to the Nation on American’s Electoral Process.” Includes testimony by Congressional members and is initiated by Common Cause;


-Wednesday, December 8, 10:00 a.m., 2237 Rayburn Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.: “What Happened in Ohio?,” a hearing on electoral problems and voting issues called by Congressman John Conyers and progressive allies;


-December 10-13: local actions around the country called by No Stolen Elections! to urge Electoral College electors meeting in state capitols on December 13th to use the vote casting process to delay the vote for any Presidential candidate until there are comprehensive recounts and voting violation investigations;


-Now until January 6: grassroots campaign to urge Congresspeople and Senators to object to the certification of all electoral votes when in joint session on January 6; this would create a space for discussion of major electoral problems, including those in Ohio, and actions necessary to address them;


-January 16-20: counter-inaugural activities in Washington, D.C. and around the country.


Ms. George Friday, spokesperson for United Progressives for Democracy, explained, “All of us in this country should support making real the unfulfilled promise of U.S. democracy. The Winter Democracy Campaign is an urgent, needed call for action to address the democracy deficit. We refuse to accept a tainted and corporate-dominated electoral system and a racially discriminatory, illegitimate election of a corrupt administration.”


Contact information:


Ohio recount: www.votecobb.org

December 7 hearing: www.commoncause.org

December 8 hearing: www.pdamerica.org

December 10-13: www.nov3.us

Counter-Inaugural: www.counter-inaugural.org

[RaulVB]

1. Kick! (Keep kicking)

[Carolab]

2. kick

[BeFree]

11. Deficit?

Yes!

What we have here, is a deficit. A deficit so large as to endanger America's well being and continued solidarity. The deficit continues to divide the people and therefore allowing a few powerful politicians to gather up more power than the law allows.

This deficit of democracy becomes evident after a close examination of the ways and means that the most recent elections were handled. A "Death by a Thousand Cuts" is an apt term to describe the final results.

Voters were denied time and again the access, opportunity, and timeliness of becoming equal participants in the process. Not only that, there remian seriuos questions as to whether the votes were counted as cast!

This deficit must be controlled, and now is the time to do it. Forget whether or not Kerry or Bush won this election for a bit, and concentrate on the fact that no election will ever again unite us as long as this deficit of democracy continues to dig a ditch through the heart of our country.

This democratic deficit must be filled, so that everyone in our land feels absolutely secure in the knowledge that his or her vote is equal to even the most powerful's vote.

[shraby]

4. Kick

[s-cubed]

22. KICK

[Neoma]

3. kick

[snot]

5. YAY! (kick)

[Hekate]

6. Kick as if everything depended on it

:kick:
:kick:
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:kick:
:kick:


:bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce:

[RaulVB]

7. Kick

[lip-sink]

8. kick

[Carolab]

9. Kick

[m berst]

10. thanks Carol n/t

[gingergreen]

12. kick!

[DoYouEverWonder]

13. Sounds great

we need some heavy hitters coordinating this stuff.

[understandinglife]

14. Cross posted at dKos...

...will send to others.

Peace.

"Did Bush Know?"

[mopinko]

15. kick

[KaryninMiami]

16. Kick- This is great news! Groups are coming together!!

Please help by posting this at as many other sites as possible. We need to connect all of the different groups together so that we can have one major initiative moving forward. This one already has the momentum and the support of many of the larger groups.

I assume they will soon have their own website- as soon as anyone hears what this is, let us know so we can use that as a main resource for national action campaigns.

If they did it in the Ukarine- we can do it here but we need to get everyone on the same page!

[Straight Shooter]

17. Winter Democracy is a variation on a theme, Winter Soldiers

John Kerry, this is a form of tribute to you, even if it's on the subconscious level. Take heed and report to duty, sir! Please.

"We refuse to accept a tainted and corporate-dominated electoral system and a racially discriminatory, illegitimate election of a corrupt administration.”

That's the word I use constantly in speech and letter when referring to this so-called election, "tainted." People seem more able to absorb that then they are the word "fraud." It's a start.

[PATRICK]

18. When i suggest the obvious and it happens

I almost want to take credit since the obvious rarely happens nowadays. the obvious I REALLY wanted to happen was for the legal expertise of Kerry and Edwards to have had a plan for the inevitable onslaught of fraud.

This coalition should make every possible effort to expand and never get contracted into some ideological wormhole constructed by Rove or the AP wire service. Enlist more mainstream groups across a spectrum, not go into safe orbit with a bunch of other shut out issues.

And making an impression by stinking up this silent fraud is absolutely great. it will be interesting to see how far into numbnuts irrelevance our party leadership will sink when the people take the lead in saving our democracy. We had some vocal support in the past on the war and the patriot Act but it was nearly token or out of the mainstream. Now in the good loser mode let's see who will dare to be Democrats, small or big d, besides those in the states or constituencies(safe harbors?) most directly concerned. Will they instead repeat the ostrich good manners of 2000 and embark on a new suicide mission for 2006,8?

[keepthemhonest]

19. This is History in the making

bringing the Bill of rights up to the 21 century.This is really great. The snowball seems to get bigger and bigger.

[understandinglife]

20. Please consider this mechanism to bring lasting...

....as well as immediate attention to the issue of widespread systemic disenfranchisement and the need to call 'halt' on or before 6 Jan 2005:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=117149&mesg_id=117149

Peace.

"Did Bush Know?"

[AtLiberty]

21. Do you have a direct link...

...for this news release?

Thanks

[bunny planet]

23. Is the 51 Capital March included in this list.

I thought that was on December 12, but it's listed in your post as December 13th? I'll call one of the people at the top of your post. One of them lives near me I think, from the number.

[4democracy]

24. Do you have contact info for No Stolen Election! group?

[Jo March]

25. Kick for later

kick

[Wordie]

26. kicking as hard as I can!

[pat_k]

27. "Declaration of Intent" - Print and send to lobby for Jan 6th objections

Declaration in PDF. Print it and send to your represenatives-- email, fax, and snail mail!

See also thedeanpeople.org (Right now thedeanpeople.org is a shortcut to an HTML version of the declaration that can be printed as a flyer. Additional information and guidance is coming soon -- if you can volunteer to help get a site up, send email to [e-mail])

Declaration of Intent

As a Member of Congress it is my sworn duty to uphold and defend the US Constitution. Being mindful of that oath, I believe that the single moral tenet on which that document, and therefore the nation, rests is the principle that government power can only be derived from the consent of the governed.

Consequently, the right of the People to have confidence that they are being afforded free and fair elections for their government officials is a right that no other consideration can supersede. A free and fair election is one in which all citizens have been afforded equal access and opportunity to cast their vote and have that vote accurately counted.

I choose to make this declaration at this time because it has now become clear to me that several states have, to this point in time, failed to fully provide for what would generally be regarded as a free and fair election for their citizens. And consequently, they have generated an insufficient level of confidence in their official result.

There can be no arbitrary point in time -- whether it be a date scheduled for appointing electors, electoral voting, or electoral vote counting -- that can limit the right of the People to have their consent justly measured and expressed. An election is a survey not a contest.

With these principles in mind I would urge the duly authorized election officials in each and every state to make every effort -- whether it be ballot recounting, independent auditing, reopening voting, or even judicially-sanctioned statistical adjustment of results -- to assure that their election truly reflects the will of the citizens of their state.

I wish to recognize that efforts are ongoing in some states -- by candidates, election officials, the news media, and citizens groups, through recounts and other means -- to clarify and adjust the official results in order to increase the level of public confidence. These efforts are necessary, however, they cannot be sufficient.

This is true because by far the most disturbing circumstances that have occurred in this election are the confirmed cases of disparate treatment being afforded to certain classes of voters. If systemic barriers to exercising the franchise existed that correlate to a citizen's age, race, religion, gender, socio-economic status, military status, partisan status, absentee status, immigration status, or other identifiable characteristic, the election was neither free and fair, nor lawful in the absence of any corrective remedy being applied.

Therefore, in keeping with my oath of office, I publicly declare my intention to act on January 6th 2005 and object to any presidential electors that I believe to have been unlawfully appointed. To do less would make me complicit with a violation of our shared democratic principles.


___________________________
Member of Congress

[Vidar]

28. Great news. Thanks for posting, Carolab..

[4democracy]

29. kick

[Kellis]

30. This is so significant.

Better get your answers ready georgie boy.We're coming after you.

:kick:

[IndyPriest]

31. What's this I see? A rising tide against the bastards?! KICK!

[Wordie]

32. kick

[RaulVB]

33. Kick

[jamboi]

36. .

[juajen]

34. Marvelous

:kick:

[Hekate]

35. As of today I'm planning to be in DC for the inaugural festivities

:bounce:
Coming in on a wing and a prayer with a small group of VFP friends from way out here on the Other Coast. :bounce: I've been holding off, depressed and filled with indecision, but finally I just knew I couldn't miss this chance to take our First Amendment rights out for another stroll along the Mall -- or wherever the Counter-Inaugural is going to be. :bounce:
Not depressed anymore, either! :-)
:bounce:
Any DUers planning to be there? (as if I had to ask)

Hekate
what a kick
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[KaryninMiami]

37. kick