Michael Moore has come around...

[Ryder911]

Senators website: http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php?id=179


Tuesday, January 4, 2004
Just One Senator... An Open Letter to the U.S. Senate from Michael Moore

Dear Members of the U.S. Senate,

Welcome back! The 109th session of Congress has just begun. I'm watching you on C-SPAN right now and you all look so snap-happy and clean-faced. It's like the first day of school all over again, isn't it?

I have a favor to ask of you. Something isn't right with the vote from Ohio. Seems a lot of people didn't get to vote. And those who did, thousands of theirs weren't counted.

Does that seem right to you? I'm just asking. Forget about partisan politics for a moment and ask yourself if there is a more basic right, in a democracy, than the right of the people to vote AND have ALL their votes counted.

Now, I know a lot of you wish this little problem of Ohio would just go away. And many of you who wish this are Democrats. You just want to move on (no pun intended!). I can't say I blame you. It's rough to lose two elections in a row when the first one you actually won and the second one you should have won. And it seems this time around, about 3 million more Americans preferred to continue the war in Iraq and give the rich more tax breaks than those who didn't. No sense living in denial about that.

But something isn't right in Ohio and more than a dozen members of the House of Representatives believe it is worth investigating.

So on Thursday at 1:00pm, Rep. John Conyers of Detroit will rise and object to the vote count in Ohio. According to the laws of this land, he will not be allowed to speak unless at least one of you -- one member of the United States Senate -- agrees to let him have the floor.

A very embarrassing moment during the last session of Congress occurred in the first week when none of you would allow the members of Congress who were black to have the floor to object to the Florida vote count. Remember that? You thought no one would ever notice, didn't you? You certainly lucked out that night when the networks decided not to show how you shut down every single member of the Congressional Black Caucus.

No such luck this year. Everyone now knows about that moment of shame. Thank you? You’re welcome.

But this Thursday, at 1:00pm, you will have a chance to redeem yourself.

Congressman Conyers and a dozen other members of Congress have some serious questions about how the Republican secretary of state in Ohio (who was also the state’s co-chair of Bush’s reelection campaign) conducted the election on November 2. The list of possible offenses of how voters were denied access to the polls and how over a hundred thousand of their votes have yet to be counted is more than worthy of your consideration. It may not change the outcome, but you have a supreme responsibility to make sure that EVERY vote is counted. Who amongst you would disagree with that?

If you would like to read more about the specific charges, I ask that you read these two links: “Senators Should Object to Ohio Vote” —by Jesse Jackson and “Ten Preliminary Reasons Why the Bush Vote Does Not Compute, and Why Congress Must Investigate Rather Than Certify the Electoral College”. I am asking everyone on my mailing list to send you a letter joining me in this call to you to do your job and investigate what happened before you certify the vote.

It only takes one member of the House and one member of the Senate to stop the acceptance of the Electoral College vote and force a legitimate debate and investigation. Do you know why this provision is set in stone in our nation’s laws? I mean, why would we allow just two officials in a body of 535 members to throw a wrench into the works? The law exists because nothing is more sacred than the integrity of the ballot box and if there is ANY possibility of fraud or incompetence, then it MUST be addressed. Because if we don't have the vote, what are we left with?

C'mon Senators! Especially you Democrats. Here is your one shining moment of courage. Will you allow the gavel to come down on our black members of Congress once again? Or will you stand up for their right to object?

We will all be watching.

Yours,

Michael Moore
www.michaelmoore.com
[e-mail]

P.S. My whereabouts this week: I will be on the Today Show Thursday morning, Jay Leno on Friday night. And... the People's Choice Awards are this Sunday night, live on CBS at 9pm! Can we defeat the superheroes Spiderman, Incredibles and Shrek for best picture? A documentary??? Whoa... tune in...

[rodeodance]

1. I just got this in an email. Good for him!

[Dr Fate]

2. Moore is a hero- Most DEMs will remain corrupt cowards.

No one will stand up- no one.

They are too afraid that the lying, corrupt Republicans and media who told us Saddam has WMDs will call them "conspiracy nuts"

DEMs, (except for a few heros like Conyers) cowering to the media & Republicans is the one sure thing we can aways expect form them.

[pa28]

5. Mine too.

Nobody since Cassandra has been hated so much for telling the truth.

History will shine on you Michael. Keep it up.

[mzmolly]

18. Sorry, it would appear to fail you that the FIRST who STOOD UP

were infact, DEMOCRATS.

The man in my avatar - DEMOCRAT. Stood up with other DEMOCRATS on 11/5/2004 and called for a FORMAL INVESTIGATION into the issues in Ohio and other states.

So far we have at least a dozen DEMOCRATS in office calling for a contest on 1/6. And of the 200 plus INDEPENDENTS who ran for the Presidency, I believe we have 2. So the Democrats are actually ahead in the *anti-coward category* since were keeping track.

[Dr Fate]

33. I said "most" Democrats.

And I hope to be proved wrong about this, but I will not be.

[mzmolly]

34. What about Republicans and Independents like Jeffords?

If they don't stand up what will it say about "them?"

[Dr Fate]

36. They dont supposedly represent or speak for me.

The Republican voters do not WANT them to adress election reform- the DEM base who busted their ass does want their leaders to fight for this.

[mzmolly]

40. McCain supported election reform and others in his party are also

interested in making sure votes count. ;)

[wakemewhenitsover]

3. Kick

:headbang:

[Dream of the Flood]

4. And the FReepers are already having at it:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1314259/posts

One calls the vote fraud thing fictitious. Well, if there are any lurking FReepers, remember, the Republicans left themselves wide open to the charges of fraud when they refused to require paper trails for the magic disappearing vote machines that were manufactured by pro-Bush companies. You had to know this was coming. Nobody trusts your party because it is so corrupt. Run corrupt candidates whose handlers are crooks, then expect we should all fall in line and believe it was all on the level? Get real. Come on, I know even you wonder about those exit polls in counties with machines vs. paper ballots. If we could trust your party and the machines manufactured by pro Bush companies, we wouldn't be having this awful conversation. But face it. You left yourself open to this. Now we are angry. Now we have a cause. And I'm an ex-Republican who has become tired of his party's lies. I voted for Bush 41 in '92. When I realized what a wonderful president Clinton was, I switched my views around. I stopped drinking the right wing cool-aid. So can you. I dare you.

[Dr Fate]

6. Senate DEMs apparently agree with the Freepers.

Or will they prove me wrong?

If history is an idicator, DEMS will cower & cave as usual.

They are too scared that proven liars like Bush or Judy Woodruff will call them "Micheal Moore conspiracy nuts"

[mzmolly]

20. Dems cower and cave? Sorry what is John Conyers again?

Jesse Jackson?

The twelve members of the House who signed on to this bill?

DEMOCRATS!

[Dr Fate]

32. I said SENATE DEMS.

Not DEMS who are safe and are not scared of Judy Woodruff & Karl Rove.

I hope to be proved wrong, but you did not do it.

[mzmolly]

35. What about SENATE REPUBLICANS, SENATE INDEPENDENTS?

Do they not care about our democracy and the right of all people to vote?

[Dr Fate]

37. And apparently Senate Dems agree with them. What a shame.

I did not campaign for or donate money to these Republicans and Independents- so why am I supposed to be upset at them for representing their own interests?

I EXPECT Republicans to fuck me over- but not the party I work for.

I've been busting my ASS for DEMS for years- and what do I get in return for it? They treat me like I'm a radical to be ignored-when all I want is some truth.

Again, I hope to be proved wrong instead of being let down for the 100th time.

[mzmolly]

39. Well, your officially proven wrong Dr. Fate.

:hi:

Today DEMOCRATS are contesting the election.

Peace

[rumpel]

10. thanks

:toast:

[Shakespeare]

27. Heh..they think fraud is fictitious, EXCEPT in Washington state.

And THEY bitch about moral relativism?

[Dancing_Dave]

7. Mike also published a stronger Thom Hartman piece against the fraud

"Dialing for Democracy", which among other things encourages people to call their Senators urging them to support Rep. Conyers objections to the accepting the Ohio electors.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=848

Hartman recognizes that the fraud was nation wide, and probably affected the outcome of other races besides the Presidency.

[Oversea Visitor]

8. Hmmm

A very nice worded warning.
Well he cant call it F911. Wonder what the new title will be.

[Helga Scow Stern]

9. Woo-hooo!!!! I faxed this to all of the Senators on the "list".

He just sent this out to 10M people on his list. Do you think the public will start to wake up now?

You bet they will!!!

MM is going on TV tomorrow morning and on Leno Friday night, The People's Choice Awards Show is on Sunday night.

Go Michael Moore!

Go DU'ers!


But then on the other hand,

I will quietly wait and see.....this will be a long haul, regardless.

[rumpel]

11. agree

[Twist_U_Up]

12. kick for MM

[MelissaB]

13. This has made my day!

I thought all those emails to him were useless. :) I guess somebody is listening.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

14. He didn't come around as he was Always in the right place.

When I saw Michael, cleanshaven, suited on Leno, and heard him say that Bush was the winner, I was in shock. Not for too long though. I carefully thought about immediately afterwards, and came to the realizationt that what I had just seen was an act.

After all, he had film crews in Florida and Ohio on election day. An excellent little video came via him onto the net showing the disenfranchisement in Ohio. Then there was his website. If he believed the election fair, and Bush the winner, then why the heck did he keep posting articles on his site on election fraud?

So I have been waiting here patiently for Mike to make his move, and here he comes up to bat at the bottom of the ninth.

PS... I wrote to him this morning a brief note at his AOL address:

Can't wait to see you on the Today Show, and give 'em hell!

[Patsy Stone]

31. Yes, exactly. :) Hi! n/t

[Vidar]

15. Glad to hear it Moore was a real hero during the campaign.

[HEAVYHEART]

16. Nice

I was happilly surprised to see his email this morning! :bounce:

[Peace Patriot]

17. Imagine if Michael Moore had NOT been emotionally destroyed...

...as so many were--by the alteration of the Exit Polls (which showed a Kerry win) on Election night, thinking that all our passion and hard work went for nothing.

Imagine if he and others had known from the beginning that the Exit Polls said Kerry won.

In Germany, Canada, the Ukraine and the rest of the free world, the official results and the Exit Polls are kept separate. If the Exit Polls are different from the official results, suspicion of fraud is aroused, and recounts and audits are instituted.

Not here. Even with the US testing out a controversial new election system-manufactured by Bush "Pioneers," with the source code that tabulates all our votes held by them as secret, proprietary information, and with no paper trail in a third of the country--no one thought it necessary to provide a fraud check of this system, as is routinely done in other countries.

So, as the "official results" from the Republican controlled central vote tabulators came in to the networks, on Election day--fed by AP--the Exit Polls, which showed a Kerry win, were ADJUSTED to match the "official results," making it appear that Bush won both the Exit Polls and the "official results."

In the Ukraine, they rioted over the discrepancy between the Exit Polls and the "official results"--and held a new election!

In the US, the emotional devastation of all those Kerry voters and supporters on Election night, thinking Bush won and there was no hope, changed the outcome here--no riots, no mass protests, no calls for immediate investigations and a re-vote. The BushCons won--once more--with an ILLUSION.

This makes me so-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o sad!

It also makes me very, very, ve-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-ry angry!

The TV networks.
AP.
Mitofsky (the Pollster).
And the untouchables, Bush and the BushCons.

These are the culprits. And since Bush and the BushCons are untouchable (unless the Democrats take them on), we must target this media list, and our goal should be justice, not reform.

They robbed us of a revolution. They gave us Bush, Part II, fascism in America.

Take no prisoners!

(Note: Mitofsky has his excuses for giving us polluted Exit Polls. None hold up. They do it differently everywhere else. He knows that. He knows why. And he and the networks damn well knew that this new election system was as insecure, hackable and fraud prone as it could be. The networks kept THIS information from the American people as well.)

(Note2: The Democratic leadership is guilty of a failure of leadership, it's true--on the election system and on the handling of the Exit Poll. Why did they permit BushCons to gain control of the voting system? When Tom Delay blockaded them on election transparency, why didn't they scream bloody murder--and warn the voters during the campaign? And, finally, KNOWING how fraud prone this election system was, why didn't they conduct their OWN Exit Poll? I don't think they're suicidal, exactly. I think they're inattentive, corrupt, collusive and live in a bubble of privilege. So I don't think THEY should be on this particular target list (those who are actively destroying our democracy)--or if so, put them way down on the list. They have very little power in BushCon America, and they don't use it well.)

[mzmolly]

19. Phew! Now we can take Michael Moore off the proverbial shit list.

Michael Moore and MANY others who feel Bush probably won legit like, are still calling for action about what went down in Ohio. Lest I remind anybody here that Mr. Moore (like many others) was chastized by the DU lynch mob for not agreeing with every conspiracy theory to come down the pike.

But, today he's a hero again because he cares about our democracy. :eyes:

/rant

I love this line by the very talented Mr. Moore:

"It only takes one member of the House and one member of the Senate to stop the acceptance of the Electoral College vote and force a legitimate debate and investigation. Do you know why this provision is set in stone in our nation’s laws? I mean, why would we allow just two officials in a body of 535 members to throw a wrench into the works? The law exists because nothing is more sacred than the integrity of the ballot box and if there is ANY possibility of fraud or incompetence, then it MUST be addressed. Because if we don't have the vote, what are we left with?"

He makes an excellent point doesn't he?

:hi:

There is a reason our constitution allows for 2 people to contest an election, I hope we exercise our rights in this case.

[sabra]

21. I think he was always there! Go MM!!!

[Turn CO Blue]

22. I think he has been following the story all along, but

has been preoccupied with his tax audit by the IRS and with his utter depression that must have hit after the intense work of the "Slacker Tour" - 60 cities worth of traveling!

[bmoney07]

23. Pray very hard people

:)

[McCamy Taylor]

24. MM is a real man, one who isnt afraid to change his mind

Hugs for Mike!

[mdb]

25. Nice letter

I like the part where he says everyone is watching this time.

[Broken Acorn]

26. Too little too late

I applaud MM for FINALLY speaking out regarding the election fraud, but we could have used his support more than a month ago.

The American people aren't that smart so we have to inform them regularly that we got fucked on 11/2.

Unless there is a big silent Dem conspiracy to all come clean and speak out against the fraud starting today.

[goclark]

28. Better late than never

[VTGold]

29. I knew it! Woo-hoo!! If he mentions on Today show we're going good!

[robbedvoter]

30. Not completely, but help is welcome:

It's rough to lose two elections in a row when the first one you actually won and the second one you should have won

Considering the amount of denial out there, I have to content myself with this position - the fraud needs to be examined. At least for practical purposes.
I think that FRAUD - NO MATTER HOW BIG OR SMALL - TAINTED THE VALIDITY OF THIS ENTIRE ELECTION{/B]

[HeyManThatsCool]

38. I guess

it is better late than never
but it does seem a huge turn around

[NVMojo]

41. I love this guy!! I give him the credit for publicizing the screw job

that happened to the black representatives in 2000 ....

[foo_bar]

42. I definitely got the feeling Boxer's speech was influenced by f911

re: "The Senate is Missing" scene