Palast to testify at US Civil Rights Commission Thursday July 15th (CSPAN)

frank frankly

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Wed Jul-14-04 06:30 PM
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Palast to testify at US Civil Rights Commission Thursday July 15th (CSPAN)

(I received this notice via email)

WAY TO GO, PALAST!!!

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The US Civil Rights Commission has asked Greg Palast to testify before a special commission hearing Thursday, July 15th at 11am, to discuss his continuing investigative reports for BBC Television on Florida and other states' cleansing of Black voters from voter rolls. Palast's reports provide the basis for the story on the vote fix in Florida featured in Michael Moore's “Fahrenheit 9/11.”

The Commission requested that the Florida Secretary of State testify jointly with Palast before the Commission.

The hearings are open to the public to and the media.

Palast's latest investigation has uncovered new attempts by the State of Florida to take away the votes of African-Americans - this includes a fix in registries and in ballot counting methods and racial bias in the computerization of the ballot box. "Florida put Jim Crow in cyberspace in 2000 ... and it's looking worse in 2004."

The Democratic Caucus of Congress has also asked Palast to appear Thursday morning before the hearings to explain the latest from his investigations of vote fixes and the Bush-bin Laden family connection. Palast will also be a panelist on a joint Minority Outreach Forum sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus and Senator Hillary Clinton. "I'm happy to speak to Republicans, too,” said journalist Palast, "but I haven't received a request to drop by Dick Cheney's bunker."

C-Span is expected to provide coverage of this event.

Those interested in bringing more public attention to Palast's appearance may want to go to Common Cause’s Action Center: http://causenet.commoncause.org/afr/dbq/media/?command=state_search&state=dc, select the media outlets in DC that you think should cover this event, scroll to the bottom of the screen and press the button “compose message.” Then, type up an announcement of this event in the box including the relevant info:

ELECTION 2004: IS AMERICA READY TO VOTE? COMMISSION EXAMINES PURGE LISTS, VOTER DISENFRANCHISEMENT, FLORIDA REGISTRATION PROCESS

WHO:
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights; an independent, bipartisan agency charged with monitoring and protecting voting rights.

WHAT:
Briefing on Purge List and Florida Voter Disenfranchisement;
National Voter Empowerment

WHEN:
THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2004 AT 11:00 AM PANEL:
Ion Sancho, Supervisor of Elections, Leon County, FL;
Gracia Hillman, Vice-Chair, U.S. Election Assistance Commission;
Greg Palast, Author, "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy..."
Voting Rights Advocates, Election Experts, and Others

WHERE:
Commission Headquarters
624 9th Street, NW
Room 540
Washington, DC

For more information contact Laura Hart at the commission at 202/833-9771 202/352-8755

Palast is author of the Expanded Election Edition of the New York Times bestseller, “The Best Democracy Money Can Buy.” And Thursday, 7 Stories Press will release Palast's, "Joker's Wild: George Bush's House of Cards" - the game with the stacked deck.

Information, media inquiries at www.GregPalast.com or phone Sally McCartin at (347) 804-7415.