Kerry, Edwards: Fla. Votes to Be Counted

[Khephra]

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Democrats John Kerry and John Edwards, on their first trip together to the state that narrowly put President Bush in the White House after a fierce recount and court fight in 2000, promised Thursday that "every vote is going to be counted" this year.

The presidential candidate told thousands of screaming supporters gathered in an airport hanger in Broward County, ground zero in the recount, that he's discovered that Edwards' two young children, ages 6 and 4, were "good at math."

"Those kids really know how to count," Kerry said. "I've given them a special duty in this election. We're sending Jack and Emma Claire down there to help those Republicans in West Palm Beach count those votes."

As the crowd erupted, Kerry boomed: "I've got news for you. In 2004, not only does every vote in Florida count but every vote is going to be counted."

Kerry said elections officials in Florida still are trying to fix voting machines. "I'll make a deal with them," he said. "They fix those machines and we'll fix America!"

more............

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-democratic-ticket,0,6646124.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[7th_Sephiroth]

1. you go Mr Kerry

you point out the BBV issue

[iconoclastic cat]

2. Dammit, I'm in love.

If Mrs. IconCat can drool over Edwards, can't I love Kerry?

[clydefrand]

3. Hey, those guys

are good enough to be loved by all of us. :bounce:

[Ironpost]

4. Go John go

this is exactly what it will take to unseat the pResident. keep the fire built.

[eablair3]

5. you know, ... I can only think of that video clip in F-911

you know, the video clip where the Congressional Black Caucus, one after another, took to the podium to object to the count and the process in Florida where Al Gore was presiding over the Senate. Gore repeatedly asked if they had *at least one member of the Senate* to sign one of their objections that the CBC members presented -- and none did.

Not one member of the Senate would sign even one of those objections.

Where were Kerry and Edwards then ... and the rest of the Senate Dems?

But, Kerry's "going to count those votes now." yeah right.

[shraby]

10. It wouldn't have done them any good to sign

That would have thrown it back to the Republican house.

[eablair3]

12. they must've never heard they were supposedly the "opposition" party

they don't really oppose Bush and the Repugs on many of these issues.

So, because it would have thrown back to the Repub House, they decided to stand in unison with the Repugs and back Bush.

I guess that is their rationale for backing the WAR and the PATRIOT Act among other things.

hmmmm,... got to like those guts.

[AlGore-08.com]

13. Yeah, it wouldn't have given Gore the White House

But there is a point when you have to stand up for principle. 51 million people were disenfranchised when the Supreme Court stopped the vote count. The Supreme Court created a terrifying precident by doing so - - it was a completely unconstitutional ruling.

Where do you draw the line? When do you stand up for the right to vote, regardless of practical reasons? Standing up for civil rights is never practical. It wasn't practical for Truman to desegregate the army - - as a result the solid south was lost to the Republicans and remains lost to this day.

Even if the practical results were too awful to comtemplate, Kerry and Edwards and the rest of the Dem Reps and Senators who did not rise to challenge the electors had another choice. They could have made a symbolic gesture. They could have stood up and said, on the record, that the Bush v Gore ruling was wrong (or the election was questionable) but they weren't going to challenge the electors because (insert practical reason here). They didn't.

You think they don't know the value of a symbolic gesture - - or think they're unwilling to do something totally impractical that will show moral leadership? Why did they all stand out on the steps of the capital and sing "God Bless America" after the terrorist attacks? Why do they all wear those little flag pins on their lapels? There is absolutely no practical value in either. But they rush to do it, because it shows "leadership".

Again, for two of the Dem Senators who did not challenge the Florida electors in the last election to be campaigning that they will insist that every vote be counted in this election means that either these two guys couldn't figure out the votes weren't counted back in 2000 when it mattered, or these two guys didn't care that all the votes weren't counted back in 2000, when it didn't keep them personally out of the White House. Take your pick.

[AlGore-08.com]

11. Yes, it sits badly with me as well

I cannot forget the interview Kerry gave the day after the electors were not challenged, when Kerry was asked point blank why he did not challenge them. He said "Nobody asked me." (He also stated in this interview that he was going to run for President in 2004.)

I participated in a letter writing campaign organized by Democrats.com to write every Dem Senator to beg them to join the Florida 14 and challenge the electors. I know that thousands of people participated in this effort alone. There was an article a few days before the electors were not challenged where Joe Biden commented on how "surprised" the Dem Senators were at receiving so much mail on the subject - - more than any other single issue in memory.

So even if you can forget that thousands of people did ask him... what does that say about him as a leader? What does it say about Edwards as a leader? Either they didn't realize that all the votes weren't counted in 2000 (but have since figured it out), or they did know at the time that thousands of Floridians were denied the right to vote and as a result, 51 million people were disenfranchised - - but they just didn't care.

So which are they - - two guys who can't recognize a fixed election, or two guys who doesn't care if an election is fixed, so long as they aren't the candidate who gets ripped off? Are they too incompetent or too Machiavellian? Take your pick, neither reason is an acceptable excuse in a President or Vice President.

[johnnie]

6. Classic !!

"Those kids really know how to count," Kerry said. "I've given them a special duty in this election. We're sending Jack and Emma Claire down there to help those Republicans in West Palm Beach count those votes."

That's great!

[PopSixSquish]

7. Somebody Needs to Start a List of the Zingers

which the Kerry/Edwards team have unloaded on the misadministration in the past two days.

[cthrumatrix]

8. maybe they can outsource this to Canada...they count theirs with

no problem

[Skarbrowe]

9. I was supposed to be there!

I tried to get directions to the Airport Hanger?. I'm so lousy with directions that I decided not to go. Sounds like everyone had a screamingly good time! Knew I'd kick myself. Now I'm off to cat and pool sit in Port St. Lucie. Wonder if he's going up north? Suppose I should check the schedule.

grrr..

Skarbrowe

[Merlin]

14. This is nothing but hollow rhetoric. We need a real plan!

The problem for this November remains. How in the hell will we know if fraud has taken place, since VVPBs will not be used and there will be NO auditing mechanism in place?

How will we have any ability to tell if there is fraud?

We need some way to conduct exit polls at those precincts (not private exit polls, but exit polls the numbers for which we can get our hands on).

If we can do that, we can compare the exit polls with the published vote and target where to aim our contests.

Does anybody have any better ideas?

What about this idea? Can we organize such exit polls on a voluntary basis?