Conyers urges the Kerry-Edwards campaign not to drop Ohio recount, etc.

[MelissaB]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2016491

From that post:

Busy Day Supporting Cindy, Treasongate, Making Every Vote Count

An unusually busy day for August, but with all of the GOP abuses, there never seems to be a shortage of things to post about.

First, as the top entry of the Conyersblog indicates, today we launched our effort to enlist at least 1000 individuals to write their local papers supporting the efforts of Cindy Sheehan to meet with the president. With Rush Limbaugh and others in the right wing moving into full a full scale Plaming of Cindy, I think it is important we show our support however we can. Just go to my web site to compose and email and have it sent, and to use the various resources in my new Crawford Action Center. And don't forget to ask your friends and family to write also.

Second, as indicated last evening, today Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) and I wrote to the Justice Department Inspector General, asking him to review whether former AG Aschroft violated ethical requirements in initially supervising an investigation into alleged misconduct by Karl Rove -- his friend and political ally -- regarding the outing of Valerie Plame. Rawstory has the full text of the letter. I was interviewed about this development by Tony Trupiano this afternoon, and will speak to the issue on the Amy Goodman show on Radio Pacifica tomorrow. I will try to get you the audio links to these interviews as soon as possible.

Third, today I wrote to the Kerry-Edwards campaign, urging them not to drop out of the Ohio recount case. The case is at a crucial juncture, and while we know the case will not alter the outcome of the election, their involvement is needed to allow us to establish important legal principles and precedents that will help insure that every vote is counted in future elections. The Ohio Election Fraud Blog has the letter.

So it was a busy day even before I learned that according to Rasmussen, Bush has hit a new low in his popularity, and that for the first time in history, a sitting Governor in Ohio was indicted on criminal charges.


Blogged by JC on 08.17.05 @ 09:56 PM ET


Link: http://www.conyersblog.us/

[TayTay]

1. Is there a FAQ somewhere on this?

What is this lawsuit about? (I thought the lawsuits in Ohio had been dismissed.) Why do they need Kerry/Edwards support? What is the goal of the suit i.e., to get at the tabulating machines, to get into the SecOfState office? What does this seek to do?

I am willing to write to Kerry and ask for help, but what am I asking for?

[Fly by night]

2. Two recent (and relevant) threads on this issue here on 2004 ERD

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=203&topic_id=388217

and

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=203&topic_id=388328

[demodonkey]

4. The lawsuit is COBB v. BLACKWELL...

In Federal Court in Toledo OH. The plaintiffs (David Cobb and Michael Badnarik, who filed for the original recount) are saying that the 2004 Ohio Recount was not conducted lawfully (basically Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell did everything he could to stop it, including not following Ohio election law!)

It is urgent to fight this thing out to the end with the goal of preserving any evidence that hasn't been destroyed AND with the bigger goal of setting a precedent in law so that this crap does NOT happen again, the next time some brave candidate calls for a Recount.

David Cobb will stick it out and fight for justice; Thank God our Patriot John Conyers has David's back.

PLEASE CONTACT KERRY / EDWARDS; tell them to NOT capitulate and withdraw their "friend of the court" filing -- they need to continue to support this case to the end! Don't let THEM let Blackwell pave the way for this happening again in another recount!

Please also see the other threads, posted by Fly By Night...

[Febble]

10. Done n/t

[mod mom]

3. Conyers-HERO; Kerry-WINNER; bu$h-LOSER! nt

[autorank]

5. The people's right to express their will through free & fair elections

MelissaB thanks for this post. I should get over to the blog more often. How simple things are--just count all the votes and be honest about it. I see K-E staying in the suit as a true turning point for the country but also for us at ERD. We need to have a virtual party if they do this. I know Edwards would be on board.

Lets hope...

[corkhead]

6. kick

:kick:

[demodonkey]

7. My own strongly worded e-mail to Kerry / Edwards...

DO NOT WITHDRAW FROM THE COBB V. BLACKWELL CASE ON THE OHIO RECOUNT.

Mr. Kerry and Mr. Edwards, if you withdraw your support from David Cobb and this lawsuit, DO NOT bother running in 2008. I voted for you in 2004, but if you withdraw from Cobb v. Blackwell, frankly I wouldn't vote for either one of you again even for dogcatcher -- and neither will a lot of other progressive Democrats.

You see, after the election I served one of the nine Regional Coordinators for the 2004 Ohio Recount.

What we observed in Ohio was atrocious! YOU WON -- but we couldn't prove it due to the horribly flawed way the Recount was conducted. Ohio law was NOT followed. The precincts were NOT randomly chosen and all sorts of other crap went on as well. If we had a little more support at the time from you and the large Democratic Party, we might have been able to prove more, but alas it was all dumped onto David Cobb and Michael Badnarik.

David Cobb is a TRUE PATRIOT; his courage and integrity in calling for the Recount and sticking to his values are an inspiration I will carry to my grave. Please let us know that you "got his back" and that you will see Cobb v. Blackwell through to the end!

[kerrygoddess]

8. This has not been confirmed!

I contacted Kerry's Senate office today. I was told that any inquiries would go through the Kerry PAC (Friends of John Kerry, Inc or Keeping America's Promise).

I have sent all info I have on this to contacts there. There has been no confirmation that this is true. Conyers said as much in his letter that this was rumor. PDA has jumped the gun with their attack!

There is no Kerry/Edwards campaign. Whatever investigation they may be still doing behind the scenes or involvement with fraud caeses would be handled by lawyers on retainer from the Kerry/Edwards GELAC Funds.

[MelissaB]

9. When I called last week I kept getting transferred around. I was told I

needed talk to someone in PAC, but never found a live person, only answering machines. I think I tried 4 different numbers for Kerry's offices. If you have one that will get a live person, I'd love to have it.

[kerrygoddess]

11. Sorry...

I am trusted by my contacts in JK's offices and can not give out contact info randomly. I do know the PAC has a limited staff and they are traveling with JK right now doing fundraisers for 2006 elections. If there was substance to this I would have received an answer yesterday from my contacts.

[mopinko]

12. so are you saying we should wait around until it happens?

and it is too late? trust someone who has already broken his promise to count every vote at every turn?
we are only supposed to write and call when bush screws us, not when a dem screws us? wake up.

[kerrygoddess]

13. He did not break any promises...

Go ahead believe what you like. I say write letters to him, becasue it will not hurt, but help to let him know people care, but blame the GOP and BushCo, not Kerry. He is as much the victim here as we are. What part of that do you not get?

[mopinko]

14. the part where he conceded and walked away

while votes were still uncounted, except for his piddling, ass-covering, itty bitty veil. the part where he left the country, leaving barbara boxer to cover his ass, the part where he didn't attend the conyer's hearings, and the part where he gave up. the little bit he has done is peanuts. the part where there is $50 mil. or whatever, in the legal fund went, but ordinary citizens dug into their pockets to try to get a fair count. you know, piddly shit like that. what part of that don't you get?