This campaign called "Swing the Vote" is urging everyone concerned about vote fraud to call specific Senators who might join in a challenge of Ohio (and other states such as Florida and New Mexico)'s electoral votes when Congress meets on January 6th.
I wonder if we're going to have a repeat of the scene Michael Moore had in F-9/11, with no Senators coming forward to join in the complaint. I will be glued to my TV watching C-Span on January 6th. Wish I could be in D.C.!
Vickie
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From Swing the Vote, PO Box 716, Rindge, NH 03461-0716, Phone: 866-543-8683
We SWUNG the Vote, Now Let's Save the Vote
If we can swing the thinking and action of just one U.S. Senator before January 6th, we can help rebuild the integrity of the American electoral system.
Dear Swing the Vote Friends:
We worked hard and together we swung the vote in New Hampshire. Apparently some in the Republican Party might have had an 'STV' strategy as well. While tens of thousands of progressive activists pounded the pavement to swing the vote across the U.S., did others secretly work to Steal The Vote? Disturbing evidence is mounting that our national electoral process has been severely compromised and may even have been hijacked.
In addition, Rev. Jesse Jackson urges your participation and action.
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IF YOU NEED DATA ON THIS, C ONSIDER just a bit of the EVIDENCE:
(*** If not, jump ahead ***)
-- The precinct in Cuyahoga County (OH) that had less than 1,000 voters, and gave Bush almost 4,000 extra votes was the tip of the iceberg; 29 precincts in that county reported votes cast IN EXCESS of the number of registered voters totaling at least 93,136 extra votes. (1)
-- US Rep. John Conyers recently conducted hearings at Columbus City Hall where election observers testified under oath that more than a dozen voting machines in Mahoning County regularly switched Kerry votes to Bush votes while voters watched in amazement. (2)
-- Univ. of Pennsylvania's Dr. Steven Freeman found that the odds of Exit Polls (favoring Kerry) in all of three key states being so far off from the "official" vote tallies by chance are 662,000 to 1. (3)
-- In one of dozens of examples, Ellen Connally, a Democratic African-American Supreme Court candidate (OH) running an underfunded race at the bottom of the ticket, received over 257,000 more votes than Kerry in 37 counties. (4)
-- Rep. Conyers will ask the FBI to probe 'likely illegal election tampering,' citing charges by Hocking County elections official Sherole Eaton that Triad Government Systems, which created and maintains vote-counting software in dozens of Ohio counties, made several adjustments to county's tabulator in advance of state's recount and further adjustments after learning which precinct the county was planning to use for the recount. (5)
--"Few of Ohio's 88 counties are randomly selecting sample precincts for the recount as is required by Ohio law. When the precincts are pre-selected by election officials in violation of state law, the integrity of the entire process is called into question," said Green Party presidential candidate David Cobb (6)
(SEE footnoted sources at very bottom of the email)
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***MUCH HAS HAPPENED in the last two weeks, and the nation is waking up (including a woman preparing to conduct a hunger strike at her senator's office in Oregon). Truth Out reported 12/23 that JOHN KERRY is entering the Green Party/Libertarian Party lawsuit and recount effort, requesting expedited discovery re: Triad Systems voting machine information. (7)
MEMBERS OF SWING THE VOTE (and Progressive Democrats of America) ARE LAUNCHING AN INITIATIVE TO HELP RESTORE THE INTEGRITY OF THE VOTE. We need to convince at least one U.S. Senator to challenge the 2004 vote and pave the way for a full Congressional investigation of voting irregularities and the breakdown of the voting system. But to do this, WE NEED YOUR HELP! See the action steps you can take below.
Remember that chilling scene from Micha el Moore's "Fahrenheit 911", where one African American congressional representative after another stands up to challenge the Florida vote from 2000, only to be ruled out of order due to the lack of a single signature from a single Senator? (It takes at least one member from each house to challenge the electoral college vote.)
Are we to see a REPLAY so soon? NOT if enough of us act now!
On January 6, 2005, the House and Senate will meet to consider the electoral vote count. Once again the vote count is likely to be challenged by 14 or more progressive House members, who will make the case that the misallocation of voting machines (especially in Ohio), abusive provisional balloting restrictions in numerous states, voting machine errors and alleged hacking, and the refusal to conduct the recount in an open and auditable manner in Ohio, along with many other problems in Florida and other key states, all means there is good cause to believe we did not have a legal, just and legitimate election, and the vote of the electors should not be accepted, and a full congressional investigation should be undertaken.
We need at least ONE Senator to support this challenge. We need white congressional leaders standing beside people of color and civil rights advocates because it's the right thing to do AND because if they were disenfranchised, ALL of us who voted "blue" were disenfranchised as well.
Below is a call to action! First and foremost, we call on you to demand your senators stand up for the sanctity and security of our votes. Ideally, our goal is a REVOTE in Ohio (8). While a joint challenge, from the House and the Senate, to the 2004 electoral vote may be unlikely to result in a revote or to lead to an overturn of the election results, it will not be an empty gesture.
o It will put teeth int o the investigation of voting fraud and malpractice.
o It will help legitimize these concerns in the eyes of some who rely on the mainstream media.
o It will slow down the endless "right wing mandate" spin.
o It will give heart to all who love justice, honesty and believe in universal suffrage.
o It will help build genuine Congressional resistance to the Republican steamroller.
o It will be a courageous stand for a restoration of true Democracy in the United States of America.
PLEASE HELP by taking 3 quick action steps described below (bonus points for #4!) by Jan. 6! Please also note that various emails are circulating that ask you to email Conyers' House Judiciary Committee site to encourage they hold OFFICIAL hearings -- while this is an important goal, we learned today (directly from Conyers' staff) that they've been in undated, their server has been clogged, etc., so more email contacts are not needed at this time. It's most important that we focus on Senators.
Sincerely yours,
Norah Dooley, Joy Kaubin, John Anderson, Josna Rege, Elisa Pearmain
(STV ad hoc group on 2004 election--contacts are
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OUR CALL TO ACTION! Please do the following:
#1. CONTACT Senator Edward KENNEDY: Send a personal letter or fax, or telephone his office urging him to Stand Up, support Representative Conyers and others, and formally challenge the 2004 election results. These messages need to get to him by Wednesday, January 5 -- letters and calls are much preferable to email, and telephone calls will be best made when congressional offices reopen January 3. (Congressional Switch board's toll free # 800-839-5276 enables you to leave a voice mail message anytime day or night.)
Edward Kennedy (D-MA), 317 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510
(Contact Norah Dooley if you want to try to meet with Kennedy face-to-face doochild6@aol.com)
#2. SIGN one or more of the online PETITIONS targeted at Kennedy and other senators, including one site which makes it very easy for you to put PRESSURE ON THE MEDIA to cover these issues:
A. The Progressive Democrats of America petition automatically goes to eight selected senators thought to be good prospects for challenging the vote. While there, send a message to the media outlets (5 at a time) in your area or nationally, by clicking on the heading "Write the Media" at t op of petition page--they have been too silent or have discounted the problems. Urge that they cover these issues and take seriously the erosion of our democracy! Mainline MEDIA are a huge part of the problem at this point.
B. This national petition site allows anyone in any state to sign a petition to his/her own senators and promises the petitions will be hand delivered to the senators:
http://www.ContestTheVote.org
C. This is a local (eastern Mass. Coalition against Election Fraud) effort which targets 13 senators and gives excellent examples of "comments" signers have written in, which you might like to draw from:
#3. Make toll free CALLS TO OTHER SENATORS as well -- some of those who are thought more likely to challenge the vote are listed below. A visit to your senator is the most effective, particularly if there is a demo/vigil with big signs outside the office at the same time.
*SPREAD THE WORD TO OTHERS TO KEEP DOING THE SAME UNTIL JANUARY 6.*
(The Congressional Switchboard toll free # 800-839-5276 can also be used for ALL senators at all hours)
Also, JIMMY CARTER has monitored and worked for honest and just elections all over the world. ASK HIM TO DO THE SAME FOR US and help insure this election is fully investigated, any wrong-doers brought to justice, and appropriate changes made for future U.S. elections.
President Jimmy Carter, Carter Center, One Copenhill, 453 Freedom Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30307
Jesse Jackson also urges the following:
Next month we will pause to remember the sacrifice of Dr. Martin Luther King. I ask that you remember him not only in spirit, but in deed. His words ring as true today as ever, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Commit to taking action in the streets as a tribute to his memory.
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#4. ATTENTION OVERACHIEVERS: EARN EXTRA BONUS POINTS--BIG TIME!!
ON JANUARY 6, PROTEST IN WASHINGTON, DC, AND AT
SENATORS' OFFICES IN YOUR OWN COMMUNITIES
While our Senators and Representatives in Congress are tallying the electoral college vote, We the People must have a presence outside, bringing attention to the disenfranchisement, suppression and fraud that pervaded the 2004 election - and demanding real reforms to restore democracy in America.
Consider going on January 6 to Washington, DC. Details on the DC protest TBA. Check
If you can't go to DC, organize a protest outside a Senator's office in your community,and list your event at http://www.Nov3.US
ALSO, here's 12/22/04 news as it should be covered:
COLUMBUS -- As Republican officials stonewall subpoenas and subvert the recount process, Rev. Jesse Jackson has just pronounced Ohio's vote fraud fiasco "the biggest deal since Selma" and has called for a NATIONAL RALLY at "the scene of the crime" in COLUMBU S on JANUARY 3RD. On December 21, notice of depositions were sent to President George Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Karl Rove and Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell to appear and give testimony regarding the legal challenge of Ohio's elections results in the case Moss v Bush et al.
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PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL FAR AND WIDE--WE HAVE VERY LITTLE TIME LEFT--ONLY UNTIL JANUARY 6TH FOR THE SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES TO CHALLENGE THE VOTE! Thanks much!
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Below are the promised links to additional background info and more in depth analysis, news items, etc. (numbered footnotes at very bottom)
An excellent article giving a GOOD SUMMARY and presenting statistics CHALLENGING the "MORAL VALUES" explanation of Bush's alleged victory and discounting the theory that the Republicans out paced the Dems in getting out the vote is entitled "Why We Must Not 'Get Over It'!" http://www.crisispapers.org/essays/get-over-it.htm
(Especially see section in the middle of article under heading More Clues and Evidence, and scroll down to "Is 'Moral Values' a Cover Story?")
For a moderate and non-partisan take on the "stolen election"
read many articles by Keith Olberman /Bloggerman at msnbc.com
NAACP and Common Cause have written, Shattering the Myth of Election 2004:
OTHER WEBSITES and LINKS with extensive listing of articles and information:
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FOOTNOTES:
Also see: Machine recalibrated to match official result
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Swing the Vote has not independently verified the facts asserted at any of these links, which have been posted by groups not connected to Swing the Vote. The opinions given and the actions encouraged at these websites are not necessarily supported or endorsed by Swing the Vote.
Paid for by Swing the Vote and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.
Donations are not tax deductible and may very well be used in connection with a Federal election.
Swing the Vote
PO Box 716
Rindge, NH 03461-0716
Phone: 866-543-8683
