If early silence is any indication of coverage interest...

[Pacifist Patriot]

The hearing is going to be soundly ignored. I sent the following letter to the editor of my local paper, but I'll be shocked if it is printed. I'm wondering if this is how we're going to have to go about it though. If it begins appearing on editorial pages will that help the story gain momentum?

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On December 8, Rep. John Conyers hosted a congressional forum in which verifiable evidence of vote suppression and compelling indications of vote manipulation in Ohio were detailed by panels of witnesses. One witness who previously served as an international elections inspector recounted incidents in Ohio that would never have been permitted in El Salvador’s elections. Yet we ignore these disturbing reports from within our own borders?

C-SPAN and several radio stations carried the forum live. Concurrently, mainstream media covered stories such as Basketbrawl, Martha Stewart’s incarceration and Scott Peterson’s sentencing hearing. One day later, a search on CNN.com returns no hits regarding this forum and the only mention at MSNBC.com is on Keith Olbermann’s blog. ABC.com has a short story, but the headline does not appear on their home page.

I am baffled by the media silence and appalled by the republican absence in this critical moment in American democracy. This may well be the least partisan yet most important issue facing our nation today. We cease to function as a representative republic when we cannot guarantee that the will of the people has been upheld. I urge the media to begin full and prominent coverage of the investigations into the 2004 election and the process to reform our voting systems. I urge citizens to contact their representatives in Tallahassee and Washington. Let them know we consider it their duty to protect and defend the integrity of our votes.

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Do we have to prod the media and shame the republicans?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Great letter.

But the mainstream media have already been bought and paid for, and you just can't shame Republicans.

[Pacifist Patriot]

2. But I can die trying.

[Ninga]

3. The hearing was covered by the Cleveland Plain Dealer,

and was buried in the back. It was a small article, but nonetheless, it was covered.

I live in Cleveland, and would willingly attend a public demonstraton. So far, the demonstrations have been in Columbus. Hopefully, each of the major Ohio cities such as Cincinnati, Dayton, Toledo, Youngstown, and Cleveland will hold coordinated demonstrations.

I am volunteering for the count, and will be trained this week-end.

[tommcintyre]

4. OK PP, WE GONNA GET THEIR ATTENTION NOW!

I finished updating the blaster (thanks to you and the others in that thread). All the "undeliverables" are gone and all the top MSM TV media have been moved into set 1. So peeps can email 98 of the top ones with one click of their email send button!

I've been too burnt out to finish the letters, so I'm gonna insert yours now (minus the Talahasee reference). And let her fly!

Tomorrow, when I get up, I'm going to pm every one I can here urging them to go BLAST! ITS NOW OR NEVER!

The Progressive Dems said that nearly 6,000 people emailed the congress about the Conyers forum in two days!

I wonder if we could do 10,000 to the national media in four days? (BY the electorial college meeting on Monday?)

[Pacifist Patriot]

7. I look forward to seeing what you've done.

[tommcintyre]

9. Here is how it will look, I modified it as necessary. What do you think?

<Edit as you see fit:>

To the media:

On December 8, Rep. John Conyers hosted a congressional forum in which verifiable evidence of vote suppression and compelling indications of vote manipulation in Ohio were detailed by panels of witnesses. One witness who previously served as an international elections inspector recounted incidents in Ohio that would never have been permitted in El Salvador’s elections. Yet we ignore these disturbing reports from within our own borders?

C-SPAN and several radio stations carried the forum live. Concurrently, mainstream media covered stories such as Basketbrawl, Martha Stewart’s incarceration and Scott Peterson’s sentencing hearing. One day later, a search on CNN.com returns no hits regarding this forum and the only mention at MSNBC.com is on Keith Olbermann’s blog. ABC.com has a short story, but the headline does not appear on their home page.

I am baffled by the media silence and appalled by the republican absence in this critical moment in American democracy. This may well be the least partisan yet most important issue facing our nation today. We cease to function as a representative republic when we cannot guarantee that the will of the people has been upheld. I urge the media to begin full and prominent coverage of the investigations into the 2004 election and the process to reform our voting systems.

Link to watch the Conyers Forum online (click on House Forum on Ohio Election Voting Procedures (12/08/04):
http://www.c-span.org/

Link to 113 under-reported election irregularities/potential fraud stories (11-2 to present):
http://www.independentmediasource.com/election_art_1128_1204.htm




++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++




The "Email to Friend" letter urging them to also "blast" the National media:

Hi,

I’m emailing you to ask that you join me in urging our national media to cover the 2004 Presidential Election problems. These problems are so serious that they have put the results into question. At the request of 12 Congressmen, the GAO (the Congressional investigative department) has agreed to investigate the 57,000 reported irregularities. This is not a Democrat, Republican or Independent issue. It is an issue that must concern all voters. It calls into question the results of the 2004 election, and potentially jeopardizes our future elections. Please go to the url below and send the following letter to our national mainstream media.
http://www.independentmediasource.com/voteintegrity.htm

P.S. If you would like to know more about all this, please watch the Conyers Forum online (link below). You can also read short summaries (or the full articles), and see for yourself how the National Media has been neglecting this important story (link below).

Sincerely,


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On December 8, Rep. John Conyers hosted a congressional forum in which verifiable evidence of vote suppression and compelling indications of vote manipulation in Ohio were detailed by panels of witnesses. One witness who previously served as an international elections inspector recounted incidents in Ohio that would never have been permitted in El Salvador’s elections. Yet we ignore these disturbing reports from within our own borders?

C-SPAN and several radio stations carried the forum live. Concurrently, mainstream media covered stories such as Basketbrawl, Martha Stewart’s incarceration and Scott Peterson’s sentencing hearing. One day later, a search on CNN.com returns no hits regarding this forum and the only mention at MSNBC.com is on Keith Olbermann’s blog. ABC.com has a short story, but the headline does not appear on their home page.

I am baffled by the media silence and appalled by the republican absence in this critical moment in American democracy. This may well be the least partisan yet most important issue facing our nation today. We cease to function as a representative republic when we cannot guarantee that the will of the people has been upheld. I urge the media to begin full and prominent coverage of the investigations into the 2004 election and the process to reform our voting systems.

Link to watch the Conyers Forum online (click on House Forum on Ohio Election Voting Procedures (12/08/04):
http://www.c-span.org/

Link to 113 under-reported election irregularities/potential fraud stories (11-2 to present):
http://www.independentmediasource.com/election_art_1128_1204.htm

[Quakerfriend]

5. Super letter

I'm beginning to feel that they will never speak to this. IMO a very ominous occurance. It seem that to get out in the streets, people must have some idea what is happening behind the scenes. And, Americans, in gen'l, are totally in the dark right now.

[geo]

6. We started at 20%... just figure it takes time for something like...

this under the current conditions to perculate to the top of this trash-heap. Just saying, keep up the energy but never lose the faith. :) :) -G

[Pacifist Patriot]

8. This is an amended version I sent to my Rep. Pinhead (R)

Yesterday, Rep. John Conyers chaired a congressional forum in which verifiable evidence of vote suppression and compelling indications of vote manipulation in Ohio were detailed by panels of witnesses. I would like to know why republican representatives chose not to attend this important forum.

C-SPAN and several radio stations carried the forum live. Concurrently, mainstream media covered stories with far less relevance such as Scott Peterson, Martha Stewart and Michael Jackson. While I remain baffled by the media silence, I am incredibly disappointed by the republican absence in this critical moment in American democracy. This may well be the least partisan yet most important issue facing our nation today. We cease to function as a representative republic when we cannot guarantee that the will of the people has been upheld.

I urge you to participate fully in the investigations into the 2004 election and the process to reform our voting systems. I consider it your duty to help protect and defend the integrity of our votes. Please enable us to retain faith in our democratic process, a true patriot would do no less.

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Anyone residing in a congressional district represented by a republican should definitely contact their office and ask why no republicans bothered to show up at the hearing.