Kerry not helping with recount funding in swing states

[proudbluestater]

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/11/17/1525203

Third-party candidates are requesting recounts in swing states as reports of widespread voting problems and malfunctions in electronic voting machines continue to emerge. Meanwhile, Democratic candidate John Kerry is sitting on over $50 million in unspent campaign funds, which could be used to fund recount efforts. We speak with Green Party presidential candidate David Cobb.
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President Bush nominated Condoleeza Rice yesterday as he continues to reshape his Cabinet for his second four-year term.
But, controversy continues to rage over the fairness of the November 2 presidential election. Stories are still emerging from states like Ohio, Florida, North Carolina and New Mexico of widespread problems with vote counting, voter suppression and malfunctions of electronic voting machines.

Now three candidates in the 2004 presidential race are demanding recounts. And not one of them is John Kerry.

In New Hampshire, independent candidate Ralph Nader is asking for a recount to test the accuracy of optical scan vote-counting machines. The request covers 11 of the state's 126 precincts that use Diebold's Accuvote optical scanning machines to count paper ballots. Backers urged Nader to request a recount after a statistical analysis posted on the Internet appeared to show that some New Hampshire precincts using the machines gave President Bush up to 15 percent more votes than had been expected on the basis of exit polls and the 2000 presidential vote.

Meanwhile, the Green and Libertarian Parties announced they raised $150,000 over the past week, enough to file the required fee for a statewide recount of the vote in Ohio.

While they scrambled to raise the required $150,000 in time to file the recount request, Democratic candidate John Kerry has been sitting on over $50 million in unspent campaign funds. According to the Center for Public Integrity, Kerry could use that money to fund recount efforts.


David Cobb, a lawyer from Texas. He now lives in California. He is seeking the Green Party nomination for president."

Amy Goodman interviewed David Cobb by phone.

[Dinger]

1. What Exactly Is His Problem?

[Gloria]

2. There may not be a problem....sometimes things

work in mysterious ways. Really.

[Lerkfish]

3. people like you keep saying that, but...

if nothing happens, and Kerry SAT on 50 million earmarked especially for vote recounts, I for one will not be a happy camper.

[info being]

4. I'll take that further

I will no longer be a Democrat. Ever.

[VegasWolf]

20. What difference does it make anyway, as long as Diebold determines

the outcome of the election. If Kerry and the dems don't
fight now over vote rigging, then they, like all who voted
for chimpanzee get exactly what they deserve.

[kimchi]

25. I agree.

My crystal ball sees 3rd parties getting many more votes.

[ahimsa]

38. If so..

..they won't be coming from Republicans. Democrats giving up will doom us to smaller and smaller "minority" status.

[vet_against_Bush]

28. The story isn't over. nt

[lynx rufus]

11. Is this true?

[Politicub]

16. If you find out

please let me know

[Az_lefty]

5. Their implying that he could use this money

to help another party with a recount? This may not be that simple. State and Federal laws play into this.

[troubleinwinter]

10. Please cite the laws. I'd be interested to know if that's true or not.

[bemildred]

18. There is no such law.

He collected the money for recounts, he can use it for recounts.
There is nothing at all that says different parties cannot work
together for common ends. Some people are just in denial.

[Eloriel]

6. Of course he isn't. But there's plenty DUers can do

VOTE FRAUD? What can we do? http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=2701028#

********SEND THIS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW AND MEDIA TOO *********
Best Fraud Summary I've seen!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x57214
Link: http://www.bopnews.com


And to keep up with the news and developments, including activism suggestions:

VOTE FRAUD Links - a DU Compendium
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=201&topic_id=1984#

VOTE FRAUD Links Compendium - Thread #2
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=201x3223

[bemildred]

7. He's not on our side, that's why.

It was all lies. Honest elections are a threat to both parties.

[Straight Shooter]

8. There has never been an "honest election"

It's just that it's never been so blatantly manipulative before, thanks to "modern" technology.

And this must be thread number 2,657 about Kerry and why isn't he doing what someone wants him to do.

[bemildred]

14. Correctamundo. nt

[cal04]

9. here's an opinion from this site, but my question is

can he keep the money?. I thought Gore gave his to someone

It's been my theory all along that Kerry was taking a dive, possibly in exchange for that very $50 million which I believe he gets to keep personally when he leaves politics.
Had Kerry really wanted to win, he would have taken a stand against this unpopular war. But Kerry and Bush argued about Vietnam instead. Together with how quickly Kerry conceded and how silent Kerry has been as evidence of massive election fraud piles up, the pictre is not one to reassiure Americans.

Well, if Kerry doesn't want the Job, Edwards sure does.
http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/

[w4rma]

12. He doesn't get to keep the money. I promise you that there are laws

preventing that.

Vice President Gore didn't get to keep his money either (and he didn't try to).

[bunkerbuster1]

13. You can spend money. And you can spend money wisely.

Why are we assuming that throwing 45 million at this particular problem would make a difference?

That money is not going away. It can be used for other legal battles, presumably of Kerry's choosing, in the next month, or at some other time, even.

I'm going to a) assume that my guy is not a blithering, weak-ass imbecile, and b) withhold judgment on his course of action for now, and ask that the circular-firing squad leaders in here at least consider doing likewise.

[lynx rufus]

15. Problem is, he appears to have folded without a fight

Looks very fishy from where I am sitting

[seito]

43. Appearances can be deceiving...n/t

[trogdor]

17. Thank you!

We do NOT know the whole story, no matter how many blogs we might have read. Let Nader do his thing in New Hampshire, and let the Greens do their thing in Ohio. These things are good, and if they don't have JFK's name on them, it's harder for the flying monkeys to howl on the Sunday news shows about it.

$50 mil. is a shitload of money, and if the party gets it, we can kick serious ass in '06. I figure it would take the GOP at least $400 mil. to counter it (it takes a lot of money to sell bullshit), and I don't think even they can raise that kind of cash in an off-year.

[gordianot]

22. Exactly

Strategic thinking, "flying monkeys" is a good analogy.

[wrate]

19. It is true that if Kerry uses that money to fund the recounts the * spin

doctors will say he is directly behind the recounts. Which will help unload a whole bunch of other crap to de-legitimize the effort.

Still, it has to be immensely difficult for Kerry's backers to go on like this without the slightest signal from the DNC, Kerry or some other reliable person. Kerry seems, IMHO, to be pushing loyalty a bit too far. I hope something happens soon for the good of Democracy.

[Skip Intro]

21. Thanks

I kind of think the longer things can get done re: the recount(s), without Kerry's name coming into it, the better. I'm not sure if that's true, really, but I can see the logic.

I'm giving Kerry the benifit of the doubt, for now.

[Baja Margie]

23. Me too,

If nothing happens, & I'm considering that too, I'll be pretty sad.

[Mister K]

24. It has the potential yes.

Right now, I believe that he wants the recounts to have a low profile.

Over the past year, the media has decided for America what is important. What the media shows on TV is what America pays attention to. Personally, I have not watched a news program in about 5 years. I can't stand the sensationalism and the fact they control what I see. Not one person I spoke with this week has any idea that a recount is taking place in any state. If Kerry would step in, the media would be all over it and then Bush/Rove would have to handle it. I think that Bush is taking a hands off approach because Kerry is. If Bush were to react to anything the Green Party did, it would give them power.

Kerry plays a mean game of chess. The green party are knights. Bev Harris is the Queen. (No insults intended)

A very large shit storm is coming. We just have to have a little faith and a little patience.

[madison2000]

35. I sure hope that you are right

And that Kerry is just keeping a low profile so he doesn't look desperate...

So that he can be pleasantly surprised and caught a little off guard when it turns out that he wins the electoral vote...

This would be the first time this year that WE actually outsmart THEM

A mean game of chess... God, I hope you're right.

In the meantime I need a LOT of faith and a SHITLOAD of patience.

[Oak2004]

42. If the shitstorm you expect does not happen

I all but guarantee there will be a shitstorm of another kind.

Kerry and the Democratic Party are going to learn that all their millions can't buy back betrayed supporters

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

26. Everything I'm hearing just confirms my opinion

Kerry never intended to win. He was a purposeful distraction from other more serious candidates. Nothing that is going on has made me flinch from this.

[Borgnine]

32. Sadly, I'm starting to agree.

I wanted to believe in Kerry. My desire to get Bush out was so great that I would have rallied behind Joementum if that's what it took. I still hope I'm wrong about this, but if Kerry doesn't so much as care about the recounts, BBV, and how there's a good chance he did win the election, then the hell with him. I hope he enjoys his long, ineffectual, Republican-appeasing Senate career.

A lot of us gave to Kerry just for this reason. A lot of us couldn't really afford the amounts we were giving to his campaign. Hell, I'm a poor college student who can barely afford to eat at times, yet I gave my monetary part. The fact that he's just sitting on all of this money just infuriates me.

[damntexdem]

27. This means that my next political contributions go to ...

the Green Party. Can the Dem Party be saved?

[Oak2004]

44. It may be time for serious discussion about a third party unity ticket

whose platform is, specifically, to rescue and preserve democracy.

After that is done, we can afford our factions. But unless that job is done, our differences are meaningless.

I've written here before that the Democratic Party is acting awfully Whig-ish circa 1850s, trying to take no real stand on the national crisis of the day. Disaffected Whigs and third party members, and even a few antislavery Democrats, gathered together to form the Republican Party. The party of treason, the Democrats, survived the Civil War. The party of wishy washy kinda sorta maybe we're opposed but not really, the Whigs, did not.

[Dancing_Dave]

29. Very sad.

Kerry really seems to be deep in denial about the treacherous methods of the Bush Administration. For christsake, he wouldn't even call Bush a LIAR!

[Merlin]

30. Held on to $50 million! And this guy wants to run again?

If it's true the JK has $50 million of unspent funds, then he should be excoriated. That might have been just enough to put us over the top. I wondered why he seemed to fade away the last weekend of the campaign. "Great Closer" my ass!

[msgadget]

31. kick

[Forkboy]

33. Dont worry folks...like Daschle,Kerry has a secret plan!

We should all be in the know sometime around the year 2010.

[JackieO]

34. he's fighting for us

behind the scenes

LMAO

[msgadget]

36. The deafening silence

doesn't immediately bring to mind a rescue fantasy in which they swoop to the rescue when all the grunt work has been done by Independents.

[politicasista]

37. That's not good.

That will make peeps turn against the Dems and more towards the Indie parties. Spirits not lifted today.:-(

[msgadget]

39. Didn't mean to bring you down!

:bounce: Instead I think we have to rely more on personal effort than wait for the right thing to happen. Things went quiet so quickly that it felt plain weird. We could sit back and just HOPE things are going on outside our view but, rather than wait, individuals got busy and are still busy. The parties with the least chance of ever winning got busy. People have power outside the two predominate parties, something both sides should remember.

[mirandapriestly]

40. The Repugs would look pretty silly trying to stop Nader or The Green Party

from getting the votes counted, so these third parties are able to proceed. However, if Kerry went in there they would be trying to obstruct him and calling him names related to being a sore loser, etc...their spin machine would be working overtime. The same things are being done without the Repugs backslash this way. I hope the Dem lawyers are investigating though, it is getting hard not to have a negative outlook.

[msgadget]

41. Yeah, I figured that

out early on but we still can't rely on someone waiting in the wings, know what I mean?

I'm so sick of politicians politicking. When the contest is between two rich guys, we have way more to lose than they. I have more faith in a little guy pushing against the big machine than I do a politician altruistically doing it for us.

[Hobbes199]

45. I believe Kerry should/would be helping, But...

There are a few things which keep me hoping if only a little bit:

1) Nader and the G/Libs are no longer stressing that the Dems step up. A well timed call could have quelled their fears.

2) There are some of the Dem lawyers around OH and FL. Though I'd bet they'd be more effective if there were papers to file and testimony to review.

3) Although Kerry seems to have moved on, he did leave the "doors open".