Answers to my Email on the vote:

[EC]

They are rather long, and amount to nothing:

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To:
Subject: Re: We need to challenge the election
Date: Tue, 21 Dec 2004 13:10:05 -0500
December 21, 2004
Dear:

Thank you for taking the time to contact me with your
concerns about the outcome of the 2004 Presidential
election. I
value the input I get from people back home in Wisconsin,
and
would like to take this opportunity to address your
concerns.

As you know, the 2004 Presidential election brought
forth
candidates that demonstrated the vitality of the American
system
of government and of the American people. The experience
and
wealth of knowledge that each candidate brought into the
race
made it one of great competitiveness. This year's
Presidential race
presented the voters with a real choice on the issues. From
taxes to
prescription drugs, education to homeland security, there
were
vivid differences among the candidates.

Over the past months, Wisconsin residents heard first
hand
from both major Presidential candidates. Reaching record
numbers, 73 percent of eligible voters in Wisconsin voted
in this
election. Presidential candidate Senator John Kerry's
campaign
efforts paved the way for a popular vote victory in
Wisconsin.

The 2000 presidential election raised several
concerns
about current voting technologies and continued uncertainty
through the 2004 presidential election. The Help America
Vote
Act of 2002 and other legislation helps ensure that every
citizen
has an opportunity to vote and to have that vote counted.
I
understand your dissatisfaction with the results of the
2004
election and with recent publicized claims of voter
disenfranchisement and voter fraud. The Government
Accountability Office is investigating many of these claims
and
additional inquiries into voter fraud and other
technological
malfunctions are underway in some states. Although some of
these investigations are pending, there are not enough
contested
votes to alter the final outcome of the 2004 Presidential
election.

President Bush and his party have set forth a broad
new
agenda with many specific goals and proposals. I agree
with them
on some parts of this agenda and disagree with others.
When we
agree, I will work to pursue our common vision for the
country.
When we disagree, I believe it is part of the healthy
democratic
debate that allows our nation to move ahead - sometimes
slowly -
but always in a manner that takes the interests of all
Americans
into account.

Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me.
Please
feel free to contact me should you have any other concerns
you
wish to discuss.

Sincerely,
Herb Kohl
U.S. Senator






December 21, 2004

Dear :

Thank you for contacting me regarding your concerns about
voter fraud. I appreciate your taking the time to let me
know your views on this important issue.

I understand you support safeguarding the election process
so that we do not encounter any serious issues in counting
votes and in preventing fraud. While the U.S. Congress has
little role in determining how states design their specific
election rules or laws, Congress has passed legislation in
order to help improve the process for all states. As you
might know, I supported the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) in
2001. The 2000 Presidential election brought immediate
attention to the need for updating voting equipment,
maintaining valid voter lists, and making it easier for military and
overseas citizens to vote. On December 12, 2001, the House
of Representatives passed HAVA in hopes of resolving some
of these problems. This legislation has significantly
improved our election system by requiring states to adopt
stronger election standards such as in-precinct provisional
voting. It also has encouraged maintenance of accurate voter
registration records and supported efforts to provide better
access to voters with disabilities. President Bush signed
the bill into law on October 29, 2002.

This legislation authorized $2.65 billion in federal
assistance for election reform. These funds are being used to
help each state improve voting equipment, enhance access for
disabled voters, recruit and train poll workers, educate
voters about their rights, and ensure that absent uniformed
and overseas voters have their votes properly counted.

Through this authorization, $400 million is going to help
states replace outdated and unreliable punch card voting
systems. The remaining $2.25 billion is being allocated in
election fund payments to each state. Despite the presence,
this bill does not federalize the voting system. States
still have flexibility in determining how to meet voting
standards. Unlike alternative bills, this bill allows states
to continue to determine the way in which they will meet
these standards. Under this legislation, Wisconsin will
receive approximately $42 million between 2003 and 2006.

While we make efforts to protect the election process, I
believe that we must also make sure everyone's vote counts.
This is why I am a cosponsor of H.R. 4187, the Know Your
Vote Counts Act of 2004. Introduced by Representative Steve
King on April 21, 2004, this bill would require a
voter-verified paper record. It also would allow for voluntary
voting system guidelines to include guidelines for ensuring
security of electronic data. It is currently pending in the
House Committee on House Administration.

Thank you again for contacting me on this issue. If I can
be of further assistance to you regarding this or any other
matter, please do not hesitate to contact me. I am always
happy to respond and be of service to you.
Sincerely,

Paul Ryan
Serving Wisconsin's 1st District

[candice]

1. let's switch to "election fraud" from "voter fraud"

...the latter sounds as if we the people were fraudulent.