anyone have a copy of the actual Walden O'Dell letter?

[garybeck]

that says he's committed to delivering Ohio to Bush?

[FreepFryer]

1. Couldn't find it quick, but here's the Mar '04 Mother Jones article (n/t)

http://www.motherjones.com/commentary/columns/2004/03/03_200.html

[FreepFryer]

2. And his political donations to the Repubs

http://www.newsmeat.com/ceo_political_donations/Walden_O'Dell.php

[Zan_of_Texas]

3. Maybe Julie Carr Smyth has it.

Voting Machine Controversy

08/28/03
Julie Carr Smyth
Plain Dealer Bureau
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/106207171078040.xml

Columbus - The head of a company vying to sell voting machines in Ohio told Republicans in a recent fund-raising letter that he is "committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year."

The Aug. 14 letter from Walden O'Dell, chief executive of Diebold Inc. - who has become active in the re-election effort of President Bush - prompted Democrats this week to question the propriety of allowing O'Dell's company to calculate votes in the 2004 presidential election.

O'Dell attended a strategy pow-wow with wealthy Bush benefactors - known as Rangers and Pioneers - at the president's Crawford, Texas, ranch earlier this month. The next week, he penned invitations to a $1,000-a-plate fund-raiser to benefit the Ohio Republican Party's federal campaign fund - partially benefiting Bush - at his mansion in the Columbus suburb of Upper Arlington. The letter went out the day before Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, also a Republican, was set to qualify Diebold as one of three firms eligible to sell upgraded electronic voting machines to Ohio counties in time for the 2004 election. Blackwell's announcement is still in limbo because of a court challenge over the fairness of the selection process by a disqualified bidder, Sequoia Voting Systems.

In his invitation letter, O'Dell asked guests to consider donating or raising up to $10,000 each for the federal account that the state GOP will use to help Bush and other federal candidates - money that legislative Democratic leaders charged could come back to benefit Blackwell.
<snip>

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
[e-mail], 1-800-228-8272

[garybeck]

5. Does that link work for you?

I get a blank page.

-Gary

[Zan_of_Texas]

6. Hmmmm.

Yeah, it comes out blank.

I archived it when it came out, sorry it doesn't work any more.

[JunkYardDogg]

4. I sent it back with my donation

Sorry
I'll call him and ask for another one
For 2008

[Andy_Stephenson]

7. I have a hard copy...

but don't have it scanned.