**Action Alert** Email from PDA about Kerry/Edwards recount case

[MelissaB]

Dear Friends,

We have learned that the Kerry/Edwards campaign is preparing to withdraw from the Ohio recount case, which is pending in federal court. This move comes as Federal Judge Carr in Toledo prepares to hold a status conference on August 30 on this case, along with two other pending voting rights cases.

When most others stood aside, PDA stood for voting rights and untainted elections in Ohio and in the halls of Congress. We stood to make sure that every vote counts. We have continued to fight together without slowing down.

Yesterday, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. issued a letter to Senators Kerry and Edwards urging that they not withdraw from this case. Here is a link to the letter:

http://fairnessbybeckerman.blogspot.com/2005/08/congressman-conyers-urges-kerry-and.html

The National Voting Rights Institute and its general counsel John Bonifaz, a PDA National Advisory Board Member, represent 2004 presidential candidates David Cobb and Michael Badnarik in their request for a meaningful recount of the 2004 Ohio presidential vote. During the recount last December, NVRI and its clients documented extensive irregularities in the way county boards of election conducted the recount. This included evidence that the Triad corporation had tampered with voting machines prior to the start of the recount, as well as evidence the county election officials had directly violated rules and procedures so as to avoid a full hand count of the ballots.

In late December, Cobb and Badnarik filed amended counterclaims in this case alleging the recount was not conducted in accordance with basic equal protection and due process guarantees under the US Constitution. At stake in this case today is whether the court will grant the plaintiffs declaratory judgment, setting forth the constitutional standard for how recounts should be conducted in future federal elections. This is a critical precedent to set for any future presidential or congressional election.

Please call/write/email Kerry today urging that he not withdraw and that he join Cobb and Badnarik's amended counterclaims on the way the recount was conducted. To contact Kerry/Edwards campaign office, go to:

http://www.johnkerry.com/contact/


In light of the upcoming August 30 hearing before Judge Carr, time is of the essence. If the proper precedent - of creating a constitutional standard as to how recounts should be conducted in regard to due process guarantees - is set in this case, it will help assure that future elections can and will be held without taint or improper interference. Kerry and Edwards must not back away from this all-important struggle. If they do, they will not only be abandoning all those who stood for them in the campaign and all those who fought for a fair counting of the votes, but they will also be abandoning the fight to make sure that elections in this country do not become the murky purview of corporations whose machines and managers cannot be trusted. Please contact them today and tell them to keep standing for the vote.

In peace and solidarity,

Tim Carpenter
http://www.pdamerica.org

P.S. Thank you again for all your work this week with the launch of the People's Petition for an IRAQ PEACE PROCESS. If you have not signed the petition please go to:


http://www.pdamerica.org/petition/iraq-withdraw-petition.php#here

The vigils last night were amazing. Thank you again for all your help and support.

Please continue to support this work by visiting https://www.pdamerica.org/donate.php and making a contribution.

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. I can't believe it.

I just donated to Kerry. Why did I do that?

[kansasblue]

2. Can you Kerry supporters comment on this? "preparing to withdraw"

I'm trying to keep an open mind.

[babsbunny]

5. Hope he's not Runnin'

Cause he won't get my vote! Well.... he wasn't gonna get any more votes from me anyway! I already emailed him and pleaded for him to not withdrawl from this lawsuit!

[Bluebear]

3. He's working BEHIND the scenes!

:yoiks:

[kansasblue]

4. Is that sacarsm, Bluebear? :-)

[AuntPatsy]

13. I think thats pretty obvious.

[MelissaB]

6. I'm pissed, too, but we need to make sure he stays in the game.

He need to hear from us.

His email box needs to fill up and his staff needs to be freaking tired of answering the phone. Let's do it!

[iconoclastic cat]

7. Yes,

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

8. Done.

[DELUSIONAL]

9. oh yea -- way way behind the scenes --

so far back he doesn't know what the fuck is really happening.

I have been discounting the people who kept yelling about the Skull and Bones connections of Kerry and bushie -- but the more I see of Kerry's lack of back bone -- I'll have to apologies to the conspiracy crowd.

Kerry -- just retire -- just go away. You are useless -- you are just a rich frat boy who might be more intelligent than bushie -- but you are in his crowd.

If he can't stand and fight on this -- he is a waste of my time.

In fact -- Kerry is a non person -- in my books Kerry no longer exists.

[JanMichael]

17. Bingo! That's IT! That's IT! I knew there was a secret plan...

...all along just like so many DUers were saying!

Good catch guys!

[loudsue]

10. I just gave him an earful.

Hope they get it to him! I don't really trust the people he has working for him.

:kick:

[MelissaB]

12. Why not, loudsue? Can you explain?

[loudsue]

30. He seems to have had some pretty bad advice from the folks

that he has around him: just ONE case in point, is the way he handled the swift-boat-liars.

When Kerry goes with his gut, he's good. When people keep trying to make him DLC compliant, he goes off course. And he seems to have had a few too many DLC-types around him.

But I came from my gut on the e-mail I sent him, asking him to stay on board with the Ohio recount litigation. If he reads it, he'll know it was all true.

:kick:

[MelissaB]

32. Thank you! Hopefully there won't be a problem in his office

with this getting to him.

[loudsue]

33. I addressed it: Dear President Kerry:

:woohoo:

And I referred to Vice President John Edwards in the body of my e-mail.

...and talked about how we need to protect future elections.

:kick:

[MelissaB]

11. Take your frustration out here:

I did! Give him an ear full, but ask him not to withdraw from the Ohio recount case.

http://www.johnkerry.com/contact /

[MelissaB]

14. .

[greekspeak]

24. Done

I am sure nobody but some wet-behind the ears aid will ever see it, but I sent an impassioned plea. Kerry said he has our back. If he gives up on this, he gives up on all of us, and on Americans' right to free, fair elections. He OWES us this. He PROMISED us that justice would be done. I am already fed up with his hemming and hawing; if he gives up on us, I am giving up on him. For if he gives up on us, he is no better than Zell Miller--a Democratic traitor.

[KerryOn]

15. To hell with Kerry...

He sends me e-mails all the time asking for money or asking that I sign this petition or that petition, and I'm now done with him.

He conceded way to fast, so he broke his promise that evey vote would be counted. By dropping out of the law suit he has failed again, and I'm not going to waste my time trying to convince him otherwise.

I think what happened is this: In the last few months of the campaign things were starting to turn for the worst in Iraq. If Kerry would have been elected, I don't think he would have been able to change or improve the situation over there. I think Kerry new that, and if he were elected, many would have blamed the mess we are now in on him.

I don't think there is a solution for Iraq, and Kerry new that, so I don't think he wanted to be president.

Now I don't think he wants to draw attention to himself. If they lose the law suit, then he looks stupid. He doesn't want to look stupid in case he decides to run again in 2008.

Well Kerry, in my opinion you are turning into a chicken-hawk.

[MelissaB]

16. You honestly don't think he wanted to be president?

[KerryOn]

21. OH he did in the beggining...

... but in the end I think he was having second thoughts.
Again, I think he figured out that no one could fix Iraq. What would the righties and even some of those on the left think of him, if he could not get the UN and other countries to back him in his plan.

And they would not have backed him, and therefore his plan would not have worked. He wanted to get the UN and other nations to help, and to train the Iraq people to fight. By day they train with us, and by night they fight against us, just like nam. What a stupid plan, but it was better the *'s, which was nothing.

[Eloriel]

25. Not bad enough -- that's self-evident. n/t

[me b zola]

18. Sent my e-mail

Wish I would have copied it.

I focused on the fact that without the facts of the overthrow of the democratic process that occurred in 2004 coming to light, we will not have fair elections in the future. I asked Senator Kerry why should any Dem donate money to a candidate if the elections are not fare and our $$ and efforts will have no effect on the outcome of the election.

[MelissaB]

19. Thank you, me b zola!

:yourock:

[me b zola]

31. ah, shucks

:blush:

[Duncan Grant]

20. Don't cry in your teacups.

I sent him a 'terse' email. :grr:
edited

[annabanana]

22. Please write that letter!

If the votes aren't secure, nothing else matters. It won't matter if we work from the DLC "middle" or the progressive left. It won't matter if most Americans agree with our domestic policies (which they DO) or with our desire to straighten out the mess in Iraq (which they ALSO do).

If the vote is compromised, nothing else will make any difference.

[stepnw1f]

23. For What it is worth

I emailed this:

I was amazed to learn from Democraticunderground.com that you, Sir, would be withdrawing from the Ohio recount. This will have serious repercussions pertaining to the apearance of the Democratic Party as a whole.

I have read the evidence indicating that there was Voter Fraud in Ohio. By your inactions to proceed with this investigation, many in this country will be told by the media that there is/was no such irregularities for voters to worry about.

I am very dissapointed to hear that my leaders do not take this situation as seriously as I and many many voters as well as Congressmen/women do. Please retract your intentions to pull out of this investigation. I am seriously afraid for the future of Democracy itself. This is not the time to hold back.


I'm really pissed off!

[me b zola]

27. Excelent letter!

:thumbsup:

[stepnw1f]

28. Thanks! (nt)

[dogday]

26. Took it this far, why don't they

just see it through to its' conclusion?

[stlsaxman]

29. Written and sent...

it's the least i can do.