Did you all get the email from Kerry? - Democratic Underground

mousie

(398 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Wed Jan-05-05 05:48 PM
Original message

Did you all get the email from Kerry?

Sorry again if this is a dupllicate. I didn't even get it myself (though I should be on his mailing list?), but a friend shared it with me.
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No American citizen should wake up the morning after the election and
worry their vote wasn't counted. No citizen should be denied at the
polls if they are eligible to vote. And, as the greatest, wealthiest
nation on earth, our citizens should never be forced to vote on old,
unaccountable and non transparent voting machines from companies
controlled by partisan activists.

Tomorrow, members of Congress will meet to certify the results of the
2004 presidential election. I will not be taking part in a formal
protest of the Ohio Electors.

Despite widespread reports of irregularities, questionable practices
by some election officials and instances of lawful voters being denied
the right to vote, our legal teams on the ground have found no
evidence that would change the outcome of the election.

But, that does not mean we should abandon our commitment to addressing
those problems that happened in Ohio. We must act today to make sure
they never happen again.

I urge you to join me in using this occasion to highlight our
demand that Congress commit itself this year to reforming the
electoral system. A Presidential election is a national federal
election but we have different standards in different states for
casting and counting votes. We need a national federal standard to
solve the problems that occurred in the 2004 election. I will propose
legislation to help achieve this.

Florida 2000 was a wake up call. But the Republicans who control
Congress ignored it. Will they now ignore what happened in 2004?

There are nearly 3,000,000 of you receiving this email. We
accomplished so much together during the campaign. Now let's use our
power to make sure that at least one good thing comes from the voting
rights problems of the 2004 election. If we want to force real action
on election reform, we've got to demand that congressional leaders
hold full hearings. Make sure they hear from you and help hold them
accountable.

Speaker Dennis Hastert: 1-202-225-0600
Leader Bill Frist: 1-202-224-3135

And please report that you've made your call right here:

http://www.johnkerry.com/signup/electoral_reform.php

I want every vote counted because Americans have to know that the
votes they stood in line for, fought for, and strived so hard to cast
in an election, are counted. We must make sure there are no questions
or doubts in future elections. It's critical to our democracy that we
investigate and act to prevent voting irregularities and voter
intimidation across the country. We can't stand still as Congressional
leaders seek to sweep well-founded voter concerns under the rug.

Please join with me in calling Speaker Hastert and Leader Frist and
telling them that you want action on election reform now.

A recent report from Representative John Conyers (D-Michigan) reveals
very troubling questions that have not yet been answered by Ohio
election officials. I commend the Democratic National Committee for
its announcement this week that the DNC will be investing resources
and reaching out to non-partisan academics in a long term study of
Ohio voting irregularities. I am only sorry that we haven't seen the
same from Ohio Secretary of State Blackwell and GOP officials.

Congress must play a positive, proactive role on this issue. That's
why I will soon introduce legislation to reform our election system,
ensuring transparency and accountability in our voting system and that
all Americans have an opportunity to vote and have their vote counted.

Please remember to let us know that you made your call when you're
done. We're hoping to ensure House and Senate leaders' offices hear
our demand for action on election reform in meaningful way. Please
take a moment to let us know you have made your call here:
http://www.johnkerry.com/signup/electoral_reform.php

Thank you,

John Kerry

P.S. Thanks to all those who participated in our USO "phone home"
campaign last week. The totals are coming in from the USO, and they
are thrilled with your generosity and support for our brave men and
women in uniform. We will send you totals as we get them.

Paid for by Friends of John Kerry, Inc.

We apologize if you received this message in error. Click here to
unsubscribe from our mailing list.

Friends of John Kerry, Inc., P.O. Box 34640, Washington DC, 20043, U.S.A.