Washingtonpost Column: "What Happened in Ohio"

[sabra]

<<SNIP>>
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61930-2005Jan9.html
What Happened in Ohio

By William Raspberry
Monday, January 10, 2005; Page A17

I don't usually let other people do my thinking for me, but I confess I'd been waiting for Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) to tell me what to think about the voting irregularities that marred the November elections in Ohio.

Bloggers have been burning up the Internet with tales of manipulation and fraud. A representative of the company that supplied some of the voting machines (and whose corporate chief had promised to deliver the state for President Bush) supposedly was caught fiddling with some of the machines. Heavily Democratic -- but not heavily Republican -- precincts were plagued by a shortage of voting machines. Votes cast for challenger John Kerry showed up on the screen as votes for Bush. Black and poor voters -- likely Democratic voters -- were harassed and otherwise discouraged. And there were scores of similar allegations.

....

So what am I to think about all the allegations I've been reading in the noncertified press since November? That the left-wing bloggers are blowing things out of proportion? That the mainstream press is being properly circumspect? That nothing much happened in Ohio?


But "Preserving Democracy" belies such a benign conclusion. Listen:


"We have found numerous, serious election irregularities . . . which resulted in a significant disenfranchisement of voters. . . .

"In many cases these irregularities were caused by intentional misconduct and illegal behavior, much of it involving Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell, the co-chair of the Bush-Cheney campaign in Ohio."

...

Well, I don't want to overturn the election, either. But I would like to know if public officials and private citizens engaged in a significant and concerted effort to steal the election in the event the wrong person seemed to be winning it. And if so, I'd like to know who the miscreants were, what they did and what heads are going to roll.

Because if all we get are a few hearings and empty promises, it's a safe bet it'll happen again.


[e-mail]

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[StephanieMarie]

1. Just wrote and thanked him

and asked him to continue to cover the issue.

[sabra]

2. I thought the last paragraph was very strong! n/t

[bleever]

3. Wrote and thanked him. n/t

[On the Road]

4. I Also Wrote and Thanked Him

Somebody's got to pick this thing up. William Raspberry is pretty much an establishment figure, but his background in the civil rights days means he knows better than to ignore the activist community.

[roseBudd]

5. It is the most viewed article on WaPO, lets keep it there by DUing it

I work for an online news organization and I can tell you traffic analysis is done and noticed...

[bardgal]

6. I thanked him too.

[myschkin]

7. request

Do you have the whole article or a password for the site? :-/ Want to use it for press-information...

[sabra]

8. try this:

http://www.bugmenot.com/view.php?url=www.washingtonpost.com

[caligirl]

9. Sent in my thank you and spoke to him re: Alameda Cty and Diebold.

[zimba]

10. Good Article nt

[zbdent]

11. Damn, I sure wish people would get over the election

of 1960.

[troubleinwinter]

12. I thanked him and also

asked about questions he posed in the article:

"What is your conclusion regarding political reporters and mainstream editors:

"Were they asleep at the switch? Were they afraid of discovering a truth that the country couldn't handle?"

[icehenge]

13. I just emailed him too

[corbett]

14. Thanks - Would Have Missed This One Without Your Post

I've written him a quick note of thanks.

Kickin' for the truth!