Blackwell is right about us: who we are, and what we've done.

[bleever]

Katherine Blackwell called us names. And the worst he could do was "disappointed partisans".

We know that "partisan" is okay, because as chair of the * campaign in Ohio, he was also able to run what he called "one of the best election administration performances in the country".

And disappointed? Yes. But really, why am I disappointed?

I'm disappointed because, contrary to everything that is held sacred to the American vision of democracy, one side set up the voting machines, and afterwards they took the votes into their clubhouse to count; then they came out to announce that they'd won, and got belligerent and very defensive when we wanted to recount some votes, or to make sure they were all counted, or to check the machines that were used to make sure that they were working properly.

So, yes: I am a partisan; and that's okay. And, I am disappointed.

Kathy B. also talks about what we've done: we've gone from being "disappointed partisans talking to each other on the Internet boards" to building alliances with "people in responsible positions and people with enough experience in electoral politics to know better."

Right again, Mr. Blackwell. Enjoy it while you can.

[Wilms]

1. .

[Pacifist Patriot]

5. I have a dream....

Diebold and ES&S Issue Joint Statement Rescinding Blackwell’s Retirement Fund

Washington, DC -- April 1, 2005 - Ohio Secretary of State, Kenneth Blackwell made a stunning admission of complicity in election fraud on Wednesday, March 31, 2005 setting off the beginning of a potential Constitutional Crisis for the third time in just five years. The presidential election of 2000 resulted in a lengthy media circus cut short by the appointment of George W. Bush to the presidency by the U.S. Supreme Court. The second crisis of January 6, 2005 was narrowly averted by sheer apathy and ignorance as there was not a media circus, but a media blackout.

At the press conference following his late night confession at Byrne’s Pub in Columbus, Ohio, Mr. Blackwell tearfully took full responsibility for the widespread voter suppression that disenfranchised countless minority and lower income voters. “I can’t believe I betrayed my brothers and sisters in such a shameless manner. Please forgive me for making you stand out in the freezing rain for hours and hours. I never should have sent those extra machines over to Upper Arlington. My bad! Oh, and those voter roll purges, direct mail pieces that sent you to the wrong polling place, rejected registration cards on flimsy paper and provisional ballots because of using 2000 voter rolls…those were pretty crappy things I did too.”

Diebold, ES&S, the Republican National Committee and Bush/Cheney 2004 immediately convened a meeting at an undisclosed location to discuss the ramifications to their companies and organizations. Diebold, already irritated with Mr. Blackwell for failing to secure the contracts to place their paperless touchscreen voting machines in all 88 Ohio counties, issued the strongest statement condemning Blackwell’s traitorous statements.

A Diebold spokesman said, “O’Dell said we were committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year, clearly we banked on the wrong guy. Literally. We’re immediately halting all payments to his gubernatorial campaign and closing the account in Grand Cayman.” The spokesman’s brother speaking for ES&S added, “Yeah, what he said.”

Despite Mr. Blackwell’s assertions that he had nothing to do with the homeland security lockdown during Warren County’s vote count he did comment, “Damn, that was a good one. If I’d thought of it sooner we could have had that going on all over the state!” Mr. Blackwell also denies any knowledge of why the exit polls deviate from the election results outside of a reasonable margin of error and why voter turnout in one county was over 100%. Mr. Blackwell responded to these questions with a shrug, “What can I say? I suck at math.”

President Bush issued a brief comment from his ranch in Crawford, TX. “I am shocked and awed that Ken Blackwell approved of my leadership so much that he would go to such….what’s the word?…um, yeah, lengths…to make sure I was reappointed, I mean re-elected. The Bible says something about loving your friends as much as you hate your enemies, boy howdy that man was a true friend.” Glancing over at Alberto “Torturoo” Gonzalez who was slowly shaking his head, Bush added, “Of course treason is punishable by the death penalty. I hope Blackwell’s got good life insurance. I hear Diebold and ES&S are about to cut him off.” Aids quickly ushered Bush out of the room.

The Republican National Committee has announced they will host a press conference in Barrow, AK on April 15, 2005 and welcomes all media outlets to attend.

[bleever]

9. You may say you're a dreamer, but you're not the only one.

Thanks for this!

:)

[Griffy]

16. SEND THIS TO RADIO HOSTS on April Fools day!

Give it a little more "offical" look and email it... post it on blogs.. or phone in and read it as truth.. its closer to the truth than what we are told!

[berniew1]

2. It wasn't a real election; fraud, malfeasance, dirty tricks ,suppression

in many counties of many states.
http://www.flcv.com/summary.html
http://www.flcv.com/ussumall.html
http://www.flcv.com/studentv.html

I don't understand why corrupt state officials such as Blackwell are allowed to get away with this kind of actions and to pretend there was a real election.

[Blue Shark]

3. It was real because...

...our guy QUIT...and then his Lawyers SAID it was real!

Gutless wonder!

[anamandujano]

4. There's no feeling quite like

getting the rug pulled out from under.

[Pacifist Patriot]

6. I've been thinking about this quite a bit...

I wonder if some of it is flat out fear of the aftermath. 2000 would look like a picnic compared to the "constitutional crisis" a fraudulent election would initiate. I wonder if "for the good of the electorate/country" is in the mix of why we're seeing almost complete media silence and politicians absurdly denying the obvious.
I don't think it's the prevailing reason, but perhaps its an undercurrent. I'm sure CYA and the lure of power have a lot to do with it as well. But "for the good of the electorate/country" would explain some of the peripheral silence.

[abbiehoff]

15. I think you're absolutely right.

I think much of the denial is just an unwillingness to admit to living in a country where this amount of fraud is possible. We're supposed to be the very model of democracy, therefore our elections must be fair by definition. I only wish that were true.

[Pacifist Patriot]

7. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

;)

[roseBudd]

8. My name is Uncle Tom Whitewell and I approve this mesage...

[Amaryllis]

10. Do you have a link for these statements of his? I'd like to read article.

[bleever]

11. Here you go:

It was on Bradblog:

http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00001275.htm

Sorry for not providing it in the OP.

[bleever]

12. And check out what Conyers had to say about the testimony!

"While I await a transcript of his testimony, I am not encouraged by press or other accounts I have heard, which make clear that Blackwell has yet to come clean about what happened in Ohio. Indeed, Mr. Blackwell reportedly still clings to the notion that "Ohio...had one of the best Election Administration performances in the country." If by that he means that he was the best Secretary of State in the nation at weighing the paper that registration forms were printed on, well...I wholeheartedly agree. If, however, he means treating voters fairly, I don't know who to believe: him or my lying eyes?"

Strong stuff!

Kathy B must go down.

:thumbsup:

[Amaryllis]

13. Whoa! Conyers tells it like it is.

[New Earth]

14. haha! lol

Conyers owns.