Heated Emotions Still Run High over Last Year’s Election Outcome

[kerrygoddess]

Re: the Kerry re-buff here are the facts: (posted in Elections and GDP) Need help getting this around to DKos, etc. Please link back to Dem Daily!

Heated Emotions Still Run High over Last Year’s Election Outcome
November 4th, 2005

There’s no doubt that emotions still run high over last year’s election outcome. So many feel that the election was stolen, yet with a Republican dominated House and Senate, it’s nearly impossible to push the envelope.

In an interview on Democracy Now, Mark Crispin Miller, pushing his new book, “Fooled Again” made some claims that are causing quite a stir over on DU.

I spoke briefly with him just as he arrived, and handed him the book, saying, “You were robbed, Senator.” He said, “I know!” with a clear gesture of extreme frustration, and then said that he can’t get any of his colleagues on the Hill to face the issue… In bringing the subject up with Dodd, Kerry was not influenced by the GAO report, which he didn’t even know about until I mentioned it to him. Indeed, he seemed mightily impressed that the GAO had come out with a strong report… He said that, given his position, he doubts that he can be the one to go out front about the issue, because of the “sour grapes” factor. I appreciate his dilemma, but still think that he must embrace the issue of electoral reform, for the country’s sake.

A Kerry campaign spokesperson, has questioned Crispin’s claims noting that Kerry is leading the way on voter reform with the Count Every Vote Act:

I know Mr. Miller is trying to sell his book and he feels passionately about his thesis but his recent statements about his conversation with Senator Kerry are simply not true. The only thing true about his recollection of the conversation is that he gave Senator Kerry a copy of his book.

Make no mistake, after pouring his heart and soul into the campaign and seeing George Bush continue the mess he created, if the election had been stolen John Kerry would be fighting them today to reverse the outcome.

If Mr. Miller wants to prevent the problems that happened in Ohio moving forward into 2005 and 2006, instead of misrepresenting what Senator Kerry said, he should be complimenting Kerry for leading the way in Congress with the Count Every Vote Act to improve voting rights and fund the election reform effort across the country.

Miller notes that Kerry needs encouragement to continue moving forward on this issue:

But if he’ll champion the issue of electoral reform, we stand to gain much more than we can get from merely cursing him for his timidity. I therefore would advise you all to shower him with strong encouragement ASAP.

But, what Miller states above is off the mark because, as noted above, Kerry is championing electoral reform. Beyond the Count Every Vote Act, is the fact that the Kerry campaign is moving forward with the Voter Fraud lawsuits in Ohio.

Miller is on target in reminding people to keep the pressure on, but indeed the pressure needs to be on ALL the Senators, ALL the Reps, not just Kerry. We’re never going to move forward with electoral reform unless everyone gets on board. That’s where Miller misses the mark.

We need to target those in Congress who are NOT on board with this. Kerry consistently mentions the need for voter reform - as recently as his eulogy for Rosa Parks, and as noted here and here.

Mark Crispin Miller claimed that Kerry said he did not know about the GAO report, however that is absolutely false. On January 5, 2005, John Kerry released a statement regarding the GAO Report. Here’s a quote:

“As Representative John Conyers’ (D-Mich.) recently released voting rights report shows, there are very troubling questions that have not yet been answered by Ohio election officials. I have supported and will continue to support a close examination of voting irregularities in Ohio and elsewhere because it’s critical to our democracy. (The entire statement can be found here.)

And on January 6, 2005, though Kerry was in Iraq during the counting of the Electoral Votes the Congressional Record shows that a statement was entered by Kerry on the count and mention was made of the GAO Report. Here is a quote from that statement:

The questions being raised by my colleagues in Congress about the vote in Ohio are important. As evidenced by the media and Congressman JOHN CONYERS’ report of the vote in Ohio, there were many voting irregularities in the November election that led to the disenfranchisement of voters. These included long lines at predominantly minority polling places resulting from the failure to provide sufficient number of voting machines; voter intimidation and misinformation; the restriction of provisional ballots in a fashion that likely disenfranchised voters; and instances in which malfunctioning voting machines transferred Kerry votes to Bush.

I strongly believe that we need to investigate this election and reform our system. (The entire statement can be found here.)

It’s really time that everyone who feels so strongly about the outcome of last year’s election and the need for voter reform understand that John Kerry IS doing his part. It’s others in the Congress who are not, particularly, the Republican’s who only stand to gain but avoiding this issue. We need to stand up and demand our rights. Kerry brings this up frequently - we need to demand that others do as well.

Mark Crispin Miller would do better to promote his book and Electoral Reform by suggesting that everyone put the pressure on where it is needed most - with all who have not co-sponsored the Count Every Vote Act.

UPDATE: To date, the only Co-Sponsors for the Count Every Vote Act are: Sen Kerry, John F. - 2/17/2005; Sen. Hilary Clinton; Sen Boxer, Barbara - 2/17/2005; Sen Dayton, Mark - 3/7/2005; Sen Lautenberg, Frank R. - 2/17/2005; Sen Leahy, Patrick J. - 3/1/2005; Sen Mikulski, Barbara A. - 2/17/2005.

LINKS AVAILABLE HERE: http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=1062

[Mass]

1. As I said in GDP, thanks for reminding the facts.

I had forgotten many.

As for IWR, it will not change the mind of those who think he has to say "the election was stolen", but it is good to remind reasonnable people that Kerry knows there were frauds and that he intends to do something about it.

[beachmom]

2. Yeah, the part where Miller said Kerry didn't know about the GAO

report struck me as suspicious. Thanks for the evidence, KG, that in fact he DID know about the report. I mean, the guy is making Kerry out to be ignorant of something directly related to him. Just ridiculous. This Miller guy I would put squarely in the camp of : with friends like these . . .

I normally don't read GD but saw a thread about this and it was just out of control the hatred of Kerry. I thought many of you did a great job responding, but I stand by my claim that many of these people will be as easy to convince about Kerry as a right winger on the other side. A waste of your time to try to persuade them. Feed the lurkers, not the trolls . . .

[Mass]

3. I think there were 2 GAO reports on the subject

http://www.bradblog.com/Docs/GAOReport_ElectionSecurity_102105.pdf

This is the one Miller is referring to, much more recent than the first one ( September 2005) .

[sandnsea]

6. At least 2

I think there was one in June or July too, I think they cover different topics. I think the one over the summer was on voter registration type issues, whereas the recent one was more on the machines. IIRC.

[blm]

4. You might want to edit the GAO part. Kerry didn't know about the OCT2005

GAO report. Remember,, he's been very busy and I would guess that some of his support staff isn't keeping him on top of everything they need to.

[sandnsea]

7. oops

Didn't see your post, I must be a really slow typer. :)

[sandnsea]

5. Wrong GAO Report

The GAO Report in question was just released 2 weeks ago. You might want to update that and look at some of the footage that was posted on the recent Boston event where he mentioned fraud. Ongoing minority disenfranchisement that amounts to fraud is not the same thing as a Republican Presidential Campaign Conspiracy to steal an election.

[kerrygoddess]

9. Crap!

I wondered if there was more. Just working with what I was given. If you have something particular you are thinking of can you email me with it and I will hat-tip you in the updated post. I just got back in.

[sandnsea]

10. Can't find it

TayTay and Whome went to the Boston-Salem March and said JK had mentioned fraud, somebody said it was caught on the NECN tape but I can't find the tape online anymore. Maybe one of them can put it in complete context. But if he's only said it that one time, it also may be better to not mention it at all.

[kerrygoddess]

11. I'll leave it be unless someone comes up with more...

Thanks so much for looking. I am going to have some free time later tonight to look for more on this, too. It's just so maddening that all this has gotten twisted.

[Mass]

8. I posted a thread asking the name of a congressperson who

said the election was stolen (and a quote).

At this point, a lot of "I hate Kerry" answer, but the closest to a name and quote is Carter.

and may be McKinney at the September protest.

So Kerry has to jump, and nobody will follow. (at least he said that Gore should be president).

[JI7]

12. it seemed the same thing concerning 2000 elections also

Kerry got a lot of crap for what he did or said or didn't do or say concerning that election. far more than Gore got.

so nothing has really changed on here.

[TayTay]

13. As posted in this here forum, April 10, 2005

This comes from my first-hand report of the speech I saw and heard John Kerry give at Fanueil Hall in Boston, MA. 4/10/05.

I said: "The last item mentioned was the election problems. This was addressed both directly and indirectly. Senator Kerry talked about it being wrong, flat out wrong, that people are denied their rights to vote. He specifically mentioned how some Democrats got fliers that said Democrats vote on Wednesday. (Ohio, right?) He also mentioned the injustice of having people wait in line to vote for hours and how this was a policy that specifically affected minority voters. We cannot attempt to import our democracy abroad when it is in such a dire state at home. This must be changed. He was emphatic about this. The ethnically, racially mixed crowd gave a very strong reaction to this and applauded for a while. Everyone knew what he was talking about and to whom he was talking. It was a powerful statement."

Mr. Kerry has been on this issue repeatedly since the election last year. He is moving at his pace and in the way he thinks is best. It is possible for honorable people to disagree on methods and still have the same goal in mind. Sigh!

[kerrygoddess]

14. Thanks Tay Tay

All anyone has to do is watch his eulogy for Rosa Parks and hear the cheers when he brought up voter's rights. People are flat out ignoring that he is talking about this stuff on a regular basis.