Have any of the Kerry people followed up on his BBV comments detailing his plans? Also, does anyone have video of this exchange? IIRC, his body language was as strong as his words:
IOWA’S BROWN AND BLACK FORUM 2004 DEBATE FOR DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES, JANUARY 11TH, 2004.
http://www.bbpresforum.org/2004forumtranscript.html
VIGIL-GIRON: Well, actually, these are directed to two people, if you don't mind, because this is very crucial, Senator Edwards and Senator Kerry. On the Help America Vote Act, Congress last year passed the Help America Vote Act, a bill designed to address the electoral problems that arose from the 2000 presidential election. While the states have the responsibility of implementing many of the provisions of the bill, the federal government has a key oversight and financial role to play in 2005 and beyond.
Secretaries of states, state legislators and elections officials across the country have already complained that many of the provisions of HAVA are unfunded mandates.
What will you do as president to assure elections officials that the federal government is committed to making the Help America Vote Act work as Congress intended?
Senator Edwards and then Senator Kerry.
EDWARDS: What I'll do as president ...
<snip>
HOLT: Senator Kerry, your response to that question?
KERRY: Thank you.
Madam Secretary, I should thank you for letting me get back in the debate, I appreciate it.
(LAUGHTER)
I will not only do what John has said, but I am not going to wait until I'm president. When I'm the nominee of the party, I intend to put together a legal team across this country. And we are going to prechallenge some of these automatic machines -- the Diebold machines -- where there have already been problems. And we're going to prechallenge and have a team across this country who are focused on those particular areas of the country where they are notorious about switching addresses, telling people they're not registered, intimidating people, and we will have the strongest democracy poll- watching effort in the history of this country so that every vote is counted so I can become president of the United States.
On edit: I certainly hope he aims to keep this promise, as it would be a great way to focus the media whores on some real issues for a change.