Thom Hartmann (CommonDreams): How to Take Back a Stolen Election

[Jack Rabbit]

From CommonDreams
Dated Monday November 24

How To Take Back A Stolen Election
by Thom Hartmann

"Never again!" says the slogan in an email I received from an activist friend. "Never again will we allow a stolen election in the USA!"

But how are we going to stop it?

The major American political parties have an answer - it's already working for them in the Ukraine - but it's very much a sword that can cut two ways.

Interestingly, it was first used in the US.

On December 4, 2000, in time to change the outcome of the Electoral College vote, Greg Palast published an article in Salon.com, made into a BBC television documentary shortly thereafter, that laid out solid evidence of massive electoral fraud in Florida, perpetrated against the majority-Democratic-voting African American community by Katherine Harris and Jeb Bush. Without this fraud, Gore would have easily carried the state.

Even more glaring, a consortium of news organizations found and reported on the front page of The New York Times (and other papers) on 12 September 2001, that in Florida "...a statewide recount -- could have produced enough votes to tilt the election his way, no matter what standard was chosen to judge voter intent." (The Times apparently chose to bury this fact - that Gore actually won the 2000 election - in the 15th paragraph and behind a misleading headline because the nation had been attacked on 9/11 the day before.)

Not only was the election of 2000 stolen by the Bush brothers, but it was proven by the later statewide recount that - even after Jeb's knocking thousands of African Americans off the rolls - Gore still would have won Florida had all the votes been counted.

Read more.

[Spiffarino]

1. All we need now is somebody to lead it

Democratic Party? Yoo-hooo!! Helllooooo!

Guess we'll just have to do it ourselves.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. how about YOU lead it

I am serious... WE ARE those modern leaders

Time to stop waiting and well LEAD.

[Spiffarino]

8. You are precisely correct

We are the leadership now.

I had hoped to make that clear with my previous post, but I guess I failed. I should stick to the obvious and stop trying to be ironic. Apparently, I'm not very good at it. :dunce:

[hangloose]

2. Remember the slogan used during world war 1....

"Don't Tread On Me"

perhaps we can resurrect it for our present day cause. Place it over an inverted American flag.

[GetTheRightVote]

3. Could be, Don't Tread on My Vote instead

[hangloose]

4. Yep that would be apropos and less dated, shall we launch it

to the DU crowd? I can come up with some art work give me a few days.

[hangloose]

5. To further the thought here is what I pulled up on "Don't Tread on me"

My mistake it predated WW1 by a few hundered years.

Don't Tread on Me

The Fourth of July never fails to reinspire my patriotism and sense of community with my fellow Americans, even when those fellow Americans are a mob of drunken cretins and teenagers trying to get out of downtown Chicago at 11pm.

I like seeing all the American flags. I do have my complaints about the American government, especially about how intimately the Washington D.C. politicians feel they should be involved in the daily lives of their subjects, I mean, citizens. But the flag isn't just a symbol of the American government. It's a symbol of shared American values -- especially our highest common value: freedom.

When it comes to symbolizing freedom and the spirit of '76, I do think there's a better American flag. With all due respect to the stars and stripes, I prefer the yellow Gadsden flag with the coiled rattlesnake and the defiant Don't Tread on Me motto.

The meaning of Old Glory can get mixed up with the rights and wrongs of the perpetually new-and-improved government. The meaning of "Don't Tread on Me" is unmistakable.

There's also an interesting history behind this flag. And it's intertwined with one of American history's most interesting personalities, Ben Franklin.

<snip>


Benjamin Franklin diverts an idle hour

In December 1775, "An American Guesser" anonymously wrote to the Pennsylvania Journal:


"I observed on one of the drums belonging to the marines now raising, there was painted a Rattle-Snake, with this modest motto under it, 'Don't tread on me.' As I know it is the custom to have some device on the arms of every country, I supposed this may have been intended for the arms of America."
This anonymous writer, having "nothing to do with public affairs" and "in order to divert an idle hour," speculated on why a snake might be chosen as a symbol for America.

First, it occurred to him that "the Rattle-Snake is found in no other quarter of the world besides America."

The rattlesnake also has sharp eyes, and "may therefore be esteemed an emblem of vigilance." Furthermore,


"She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever surrenders: She is therefore an emblem of magnanimity and true courage. ... she never wounds 'till she has generously given notice, even to her enemy, and cautioned him against the danger of treading on her."
Finally,


"I confess I was wholly at a loss what to make of the rattles, 'till I went back and counted them and found them just thirteen, exactly the number of the Colonies united in America; and I recollected too that this was the only part of the Snake which increased in numbers. ...

"'Tis curious and amazing to observe how distinct and independent of each other the rattles of this animal are, and yet how firmly they are united together, so as never to be separated but by breaking them to pieces. One of those rattles singly, is incapable of producing sound, but the ringing of thirteen together, is sufficient to alarm the boldest man living."



http://www.foundingfathers.info/stories/gadsden.html#history

[tom_paine]

6. kick

[Spiffarino]

9. With all the evidence, it is clear

This election, if not stolen, was at the very least a travesty. Republican operatives in the electoral systems in several states succeeded in disenfranchising thousands of voters in heavily Democratic areas.

International standards are very clear: Elections officials should have NO political agendas. Need any of us be reminded what Kenny Blackwell's job was? How about Katherine Harris'? They both work(ed) for Bush while simultaneously presiding over their states' electoral process. How is it that such obvious partisans are allowed in such positions? Why were both able to single-handedly decide the outcome of a national election?

No, this cannot stand. It is time to march on the state capitals and stop this NOW.

Here is one way I found on DU to make our voices heard:
http://www.51capitalmarch.com

If you know of any other protest marches we can participate in, please share.

[cyberpj]

10. I say we join forces with this group

Take a good look at the

Progressive Democrats of America... http://pdamerica.org /

This new caucus movement intends to take back the Dem Party from inside and we need your help. Join... with Dean and Kucinich supporters, Indies, Greens and ABB Dems who fell behind Kerry as a last ditch solution - like we need another billionaire President. Instead we’ll rekindle the voice of dissent from WITHIN the Democratic Party.

ACTION SUGGESTED TO REACH DEMOCRAT LEADERSHIP

Some creative and hardworking Kerry volunteers are dismayed that Kerry has just about vanished, and the Democratic National Committee (the DNC) has been really quiet about all the voting and counting problems with this election… Incredible machine problems have emerged (one in Ohio recorded negative 21,000,000 votes!) Lots of voting place hassles, misinformation, appalling waits, etc, have also been documented.

So, because they can’t get the Democrats to respond to them (one has gotten 2 funding appeals since Nov. 2, though…) these Minnesotans are suggesting that people who want the Democrats to come out aggressively as the Party for Clean Elections and Voter Enfranchisement send back their Kerry t-shirts, buttons, etc to the DNC.

They aren’t conspiracy theorists; they’ve just all been using computers (and cars, washing machines, etc) too long to believe that ANY machine is 100 per cent INFALLIBLE. And they want to assure CLEAN ELECTIONS and ACCURATE COUNTS in the future.

They’ve put up their suggestions and a creative form to send to the DNC at http://loyalopp.tripod.com/fairvote.html

PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG QUICKLY. LET’S SWAMP THE DNC!

FIRST THINGS FIRST. Without Election Integrity guaranteed, our democracy is DEAD