I interviewed Rep. Conyers just before the vote - transcript here

[WilliamPitt]

http://www.truthout.org/docs_05/010705W.shtml

PITT: How are you feeling about what is happening today?

CONYERS: We have come a mighty long way. It seems to me, as we began this adventure, to make the ballot as important as it is, and that it be counted, and that it be available to every single qualified American voter, that I had always suspected that it would be hard for the United States Senate to do, again, what they did in 2000. To close down any possibility of any debate, of any investigation, of any recount, and it turns out that my hunch was correct.

The fact of the matter is that we have everything to gain and nothing to lose by doing this. This isn't like there is a down-side to this. It is all up, because as everybody knows, all the phones are jammed, emails are coming in, faxes. People are coming in from all over. This is a test of American democracy, just as in 1878. They passed the law to deal with the presidential election of 1877. We have to, in 2005, pass some more election reform laws to deal with what happened in 2004.

...more...

[Karenca]

1. kick ........ nt

[pbartch]

2. very interesting!

[lavenderdiva]

3. just finished reading the entire interview

at truthout.org, and was most impressed. Thanks, Will!

[merbex]

4. Will Pitt and Cong. Conyers - Shining Stars that have shed light on

subject that too many Americans don't care enough about

The dismal truth about voting today in America

[Peace Patriot]

32. merbex, the dismal truth about voting today in America?

Americans came out in droves to defeat Bush--biggest Dem voter regisration in decades. We beat Repubs 57% o 41% in new reg. Tell me we didn't win this election!

The trouble is the BushCons had yet another trick up their sleeve, besides Diebold et al, and not letting Demcrats vote in OH and FLA. Americans were NOT shown the true Exit Polls, in which Kerry won. These onscreen polls were doctored, "adjusted" to fit the BushCon "offcial results. In the Ukraine, they had the two separate, conflicting figures--Exit Polls vs. "official results"--and could see that there was something wrong.

Not so here. Biggest journalistic crime I've ever seen in lapdog media.

Americans were waking up! Beautiful thing to see! Then they hit our young democracy movement with their Darth Vader swords, and fractured us right through, possibly irreparably.

It's going to be a long walk back up the mountain.

[MelissaB]

5. I love this man!

Conyers rocks and so do you, Will!
:yourock:

[democracyindanger]

6. This, from Conyers

"I'm sure that a lot of people have done some reconsideration of their silence from four years ago. It was totally uncalled for, but it was asked for by the then-candidate, Al Gore, and they went along."

I hope it finally puts to rest the drum some folks like to beat about the 2000 Dem senators.

[liam97]

8. Will, I love Conyers but lets

not forget the freepress folks and the Glibs and the great Bonifaz

[EFerrari]

20. Bob was the first person I read that made any sense after 11/2.

He made me want to find out as much as I could. Major guy.

[emcguffie]

7. A Q. for you, Mr. Pitt.

Do you think they all really believe Bush truly won? Or is this a strategy?

[Kota]

9. Will you just keep going and going and going. Thanks

[Deb]

10. Thanks Will

I would have been too emotional to ask anything. Bless that good man.

[Shalom]

11. Even Conyers Has a Balanced Viewpoint wrt Flipping Election

(There has been lots of internal fighting over those who are fighting for reform and/or those who are fighting to overturn the election. Let's not let this divide us - John Conyers states in best in Pitt's interview)

Q: A little while ago, there were some Republican Representatives denigrating the whole process, describing this as an attempt to overthrow the election. How do you respond to that? What do you see as being the main purpose of this event today?

A: Anyone opposed to us re-examining the balloting process in the state that had the most complaints and grievances and errors of any other state, they've got to have some kind of reason. This is not to change the outcome of the results. But I hasten to add that until we complete our investigation, I don't know if it will change the result or if it won't change the result.

[Smoochie]

12. ... so the key message is that the investigation is still on!

"...until we complete our investigation, I don't know if it will change the result or if it won't change the result. ..."

This is what I need to hear ... and what mustn't be trampled over by the repugs in their haste to 'move on'!!

[Terre]

13. Thanks Will

Just read it. You are BOTH so COOL!

I appreciate all the hard work you've put into this, and I'm emailing Conyers (and everyone else) to thank them as well.

[leftchick]

14. The Question no one is asking... how?

How do the Democrats in congress...

"pass some more election reform laws to deal with what happened in 2004."


When the republicans run the show? How? I am trying desperately to be hopeful here and am absolutely thrilled with the speeches today. I still have to wonder how it will happen.

[Amaryllis]

21. Me too. Did you hear Tubbs-Jones say Tom Delay said the Holt bill will

never see the light of day? He has blocked hearings on it repeatedly. don't know about the Graham-Clinton bill in senate but they have blocked that as well.

So I am wondering the same thing.

[emcguffie]

23. Loud noise that won't stop.

We have to figure that out, how to do that.

I think we have to keep visiting senators. Some republican ones, too.

[katinmn]

31. We help them like we did this past week

We call
We show up at their offices
We email and fax
We remind them that they are there to represent us.

And when they are brave we stick behind them.

And we show the same attention to the Republicans. When calling, they don't know if you are a Republican, a Dem or a Green or an Independent or anything else.

[rman]

38. wouldn't upholding existing election laws do the trick?

if repubs can get away with what they've been getting away with so far, how are additional election laws going to make a difference?

[jus_the_facts]

15. ...pass some more election reform laws to deal with what happened...

...MORE LAWS? Seems the ones already IN PLACE are worthless...besides LAWS don't me SHIT to the right wing...blah blah blah...he'll lose his job over this like Cynthia McKinney did..if he LIVES to lose it..ala Wellstone...JFK...MLK...sigh...

HISTORY speaks volumes..but sadly too few are payin' any attention... :nopity:

[Wind Dancer]

16. Rep. Conyers gives us hope!

Thanks for posting this.

[EFerrari]

17. Interesting. I wonder if there's a deal in progress: "We won't

keep investigating your obvious theft and you let our reform legislation out of committee?" And I don't mean that in a bad or cynical way, just trying to see what chips Conyers has just picked up for the Dems.

[Peace Patriot]

35. Yeah, this occurred to me, too. It's the sort of thing Congress does...

...but, but, but. I fear it. I think we have to get this done--retrieving our right to vote, saving our democracy--locally, ourselves, state by state, county by county. And if the upshot of what the Congressional Dems do (if they succeed) is to take power AWAY from the states on elections, I fear what the BushCons will do next, and I worry that, in that case, WE can't fix it either.

I think: focused, local efforts: paper ballots/hand count, or paper receipt/open source code, and undoctored exit polls to check for fraud. A.S.A.P., while we still have the power.

I'm also thinking: peoples' forum on 2004 election. Do our own full investigation, get funding, public results.

[itzamirakul]

18. Excellent! I am glad to hear

that he knows how many grassroots people are behind the efforts that he and some of the other politicians are making for voer reform.

[seabeyond]

19. so once the dust settles

what are we going to do

[Carolab]

22. He gives Jesse a LOT of the credit

Jesse deserves a huge THANK YOU from all of us.

[bread_and_roses]

24. Good questions, WilliamPitt!

that is a good interview, open-ended questions, I especially like seeing "Is there anything else you'd like to add?" And I hope you get a relaxing evening in after all the hard work you've done!

[ChiciB1]

25. Will Somebody Tell Me Why....

We haven't stood up and given the Black Caucus more credit for what they have done??? Seems that it is THEY who have put themselves on the line more than anyone else in America!

And I'm WHITE, but my hats off to them and I've always felt Jesse Jackson is truly great. Forget all the crap, the guy really has HEART! I'd walk with all of them once again for FREEDOM!!

Yes, I'm a BOOMER and I remember When!! Abbe Hoffman, where ARE YOU????

[corky44]

26. why am I crying right now?

[derby378]

27. We don't NEED more election reform laws...

In fact, we need to kill the "voter reform" legislation that gave us this:

http://www.boomchicago.nl/images/Voting_Machine.wmv

[lancdem]

40. What's up with the photo?

Hillary hasn't had hair like that in a decade.

[WilliamPitt]

28. .

[understandinglife]

29. "But I hasten to add that until we complete our investigation, .....

".... I don't know if it will change the result or if it won't change the result.

Why are so many at DU so unwilling to read what the Congressman has to say?

Why have so few recognized that the title of the report yesterday contained the word "STATUS" not "FINAL"?

In two months, a bunch of fiercely dedicated citizens forced an historical event in a Joint Session of Congress; delivered massive amounts of data, analysis, support (emails, faxes, phone calls) to Congressman Conyers and others, wrote brilliant and insightful studies, crafted and filed numerous legal briefs, ....... . All in 2 months; all extensively coordinated through the net; all achieved by people who, mostly, have never even met.

How can such an extraordinary confluence of actions and commitment be viewed in anything but an inspirational and motivational manner?

Just imagine what we can do in the next two months to support Congressman Conyers ONGOING INVESTIGATION; to support Arnebeck and Bonifaz; to begin assembling teams of experts to testify against any form of 'black box', unaccountable ballot format.

So, Will, and other DUers, should we petition to start a DU forum dedicated to what perhaps could be called "Conyers Election Investigation" and those supportive of it can focus on continuing to uncover the truth of the 2004 national election?

Peace.

[bleever]

30. UL nails it again. Thanks! n/t

[IndyPriest]

34. Sign me up, UL! We've got lots of exciting work ahead! n/t

[Nothing Without Hope]

39. Absolutely. Anything that can better organize this effort is a must

I totally support such a forum. There needs to be some thought given to how it is organized to be most flexible, broad, and efficient. Thread-based discourse would only be one part of it.

This forum is needed. Another that is needed, as I have suggested previously, is a DU area somewhat resembling the current "Campaigns" area that is used for organizing and publicizing local events like rallies and meetings. This could dovetail with the forum you are suggesting, as there will be localized efforts around the country to further the investigations.

Organization of these DU areas (or one joined area) needs to be carefully thought out. It's going to be a mainstay, very heavily used, I predict.

EDITED TO ADD: I believe it was DUer Truthpusher (though I'm not absolutely certain) to whom I suggested the idea of a DU forum formatted somewhat like the current "Campaigns" page for local events. This was less than a week ago. Truthpusher said then that he(?) would write DU Admin about it. It would be interesting to know how that is developing, if it is. It's a natural fit, either separate or combined if workable, with what you are suggesting.

[goclark]

41. Investigative Forum Is Great but it should not

be available to everyone.

Don't flame me but sometimes there are so many freepers in a thread that great minds have a hard time working creatively for the truth. The great DU minds have to be concerned with batting down the nay sayers and the trolls.

I don't believe there is a magic number of posts that should qualify you to be in the Investigative Forum but it should not be for those that just started "visiting " DU after reading about us in the NYT's.

I have over 6000 post but I am not an investigative genius. I would be thrilled to leave that work to others.

As an example, in my brain, Will Pitt could email the people that he believes could help him to develop strategies and ideas to bring back to us.

When it comes back to the Voting Issue Forum, one of the PITT PACK (for want of a better name :) ) could post a thread for us, the Worker Bees. Just tell us that we need to flood Tom DeLay's office with notes reminding him of his past deeds and we are off and running. We 'll understand that there is a logical reason for it. If we disagree than we don't participate in that task.

In other words, all our strategies do not have to be debated at sensitive levels in the wide open spaces.

I would not be the least bit offended. But that is just my opinion.

[Pam-Moby]

33. Thanks Congressman Conyers and William

We love you both. Keep up the good work.
:yourock:

[Nothing Without Hope]

36. Will - there's a book that needs to be written to help this process

I realized this suddenly last night. I will PM you about it this evening and I hope you will listen to my suggestion with an open mind. I think this book is potentially important as a tool to spread the influence of DU and DU-inspired internet-driven political activism further into the general population. We cannot count on the MSM, but we have an alternative at this time in history, and just in the nick of time. This evening I will try to organize my thoughts on this idea and why it is so important and PM you about it. Please don't delete it without reading it and thinking about it, okay?

Powerful as our community is becoming, without Conyers and other savvy, smart, tough, experienced and above all caring and honest people in the centers of power in Washington, there would be no hope. I believe that another major basis of that hope is the spreading and intensifying of internet-based person-to-person activism that bypasses the gridlocked, hijacked MSM.

Yesterday we saw some of the first fruits of the process of end-running the MSM and the closed-off monopolies of entrenched single-party rule to accomplish change. How? We are back to the old-fashioned way: person-to-person contact. The difference is, this time we have a new way to establish a cohesive community and instant communication through the internet and virtual meeting places for which I see DU as the prototype. (dKos with its diaries is an almost-there stage in my view.) THAT is why there is hope, and none too soon. Without this alternative to the controlled public media, the slide into the nightmare updated version of fascism would be far more difficult to stop. With the people kept ignorant and fearful and isolated, what would stop it?

WITH Conyers and all he respresents on the inside and our highly motivated activist community on the outside, working together to reach the people of this country with truth and an alternative to the horror that is happening to their country, we can prevail. I see that as our best hope. Maybe our only hope, not something I want to test.,

Will, thanks for this interview. Again, I hope you will consider my idea when I send a PM about it to you this evening.

[floridadem30]

37. kick

:kick: