Why isn't this the only issue for all present? Ohio election fraud conviction!

[JackRiddler]

Guilty, guilty! I talked about spanking too.

Meanwhile, there's been a criminal conviction establishing that fraud was committed in the Ohio 2004 presidential recount - and not only isn't this of any concern to the corporate media, but of nearly zero interest here - the board started because of Coup 2000, the board that in large part collectively broke the story on Fix 2004. Why?

They're trying to pass this off as a golly-gee, isolated, meaningless curiousity.

Everyone please add your links on any developments or relevant analysis.

http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/news/state/16536269.htm

2 election workers convicted of rigging '04 presidential recount
M.R. KROPKO
Associated Press

CLEVELAND - Two election workers in the state's most populous county were convicted Wednesday of illegally rigging the 2004 presidential election recount so they could avoid a more thorough review of the votes. A third employee who had been charged was acquitted on all counts.

Jacqueline Maiden, the elections' coordinator who was the board's third-highest ranking employee when she was indicted last March, and ballot manager Kathleen Dreamer each were convicted of a felony count of negligent misconduct of an elections employee. Maiden and Dreamer also were convicted of one misdemeanor count each of failure of elections employees to perform their duty. Both were acquitted of five other charges. Rosie Grier, assistant manager of the Cuyahoga County Elections Board's ballot department, was acquitted of all seven counts of various election misconduct or interference charges. The felony conviction carries a possible sentence of six to 18 months.

(...)

Special prosecutor Kevin Baxter, who was brought in from Erie County to handle the case, did not claim the workers' actions affected the outcome of the election - Kerry gained 17 votes and Bush lost six in the county's recount. But Baxter insisted the employees broke the law when they worked behind closed doors three days before the public Dec. 16, 2004, recount to pick ballots they knew would not cause discrepancies when checked by hand so they could avoid a lengthier, more expensive hand recount of all votes.

(um, there's no way for Baxter to know this since there was not a valid re-count under Ohio law)

Ohio law states that during a recount each county is supposed to randomly count at least 3 percent of its ballots by hand and by machine. If there are not discrepancies in those counts, the rest of the votes can be recounted by machine. A full hand-count is ordered if two random samples result in differences.

(...)

The board released a statement saying the convictions highlight the importance of changes it has made since 2004 "and the critical need to aggressively pursue additional reforms."

"The board's goal is to fully restore the public's confidence in the election process in Cuyahoga County," the statement said.

Cuyahoga County is a Democratic stronghold where about 600,000 ballots were cast in 2004. Statewide, Bush won by about 118,000 votes out of 5.5 million cast. Green Party candidate David Cobb and Libertarian Party candidate Michael Badnarik sought the recount and complained about its procedure.

[Tunkamerica]

1. i thought it was strange as well

i expected a reaction at least. I guess we got what we wanted with the democrats' win so we don't care about any past misdeeds.

[ccpup]

2. I thought I had seen

something on DU in the last few days about the convictions in this case. Perhaps it was my imagination ...

[CrazyOrangeCat]

18. I saw it too.

Kicked then.
Kicked now.

[librechik]

60. From a legal standpoint, does anyone know what we can do next?

I mean,in a rational world, that would mean that there was serious irregularity in the vote tally in the state everyone recognizes decided the Presidential election in 2004. Legally, is the Shrimp the President? Again? Am I dreaming?

[The Straight Story]

3. Give them crooks some big houses and it will be all over the place!

;)

[blm]

5. The Dem power elite don't want this story discussed and debated. They can't let

people think that Kerry won, because then it becomes clear that the Dem PARTY INFRASTRUCTURE and its national chair are the ones who dropped the ball.

And not just 2004 - they dropped the ball on election security in 2000 and 2002, as well. But the party elders all say that it was Gore's fault, 2002 candidates were weak on national security, and Kerry's fault.

Pointing the blame away from the real culprits - Terry McAuliffe and his bogus Office of Voter Integrity.

[Clark2008]

8. Office of Voter Integrity sounds very Orwellian - or at least Bushian.

[blm]

9. Unfortunately, it was very McAuliffian, and Brazillian.

That translates into - whose interests WERE they serving those four years since we KNOW they were never working to secure the election process or countering the RNC's tactics.

[mod mom]

22. Exactly. Carville Tips Bush Off to Kerry Strategy in 2004:

Did Carville Tip Bush Off to Kerry Strategy (Woodward)

By M.J. Rosenberg | bio
I just came across a troubling incident that Bob Woodward reports in his new book. Very troubling.



On page 344, Woodward describes the doings at the White House in the early morning hours of Wednesday, the day after the '04 election.

Apparently, Kerry had decided not to concede. There were 250,000 outstanding ballots in Ohio.

So Kerry decides to fight. In fact, he considers going to Ohio to camp out with his voters until there is a recount. This is the last thing the White House needs, especially after Florida 2000.

So what happened?

James Carville gets on the phone with his wife, Mary Matalin, who is at the White House with Bush.

-SNIP

http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/coffeehouse/2006/oct/07/did_carville_tip_bush_off_to_kerry_strategy_woodward

[mod mom]

23. In 2000, DLC says Gore "loses" becuz a shift away from DLC:

So Gore "lost" because of decision to discard New Dems (ie DLC)?
Posted by mod mom in General Discussion (01/01/06 through 01/22/2007)
Sat Jan 20th 2007, 02:52 PM
"A key factor in that defeat was Gore's peculiar decision to discard the New Democrat formula that had worked so well in 1992 and 1996."

-snip
http://www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?knlgAr...

This was written by Will Marshall. Who is Will Marshall?

Will Marshall is one of the founders of the New Democrat movement, which aims to steer the US Democratic Party toward a more right-wing orientation. Since its founding in 1989, he has been president of the Progressive Policy Institute, a think tank affiliated with the Democratic Leadership Council. He recently served on the board of the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq, a committee chaired by Joe Lieberman and John McCain designed to build bipartisan support for the invasion of Iraq. Marshall also signed, at the outset of the war, a letter issued by the Project for the New American Century (PNAC) expressing support for the invasion. Marshall signed a similar letter sent to President Bush put out by the Social Democrats USA on Feb. 25, 2003, just before the invasion. The SDUSA letter urged Bush to commit to "maintaining substantial U.S. military forces in Iraq for as long as may be required to ensure a stable, representative regime is in place and functioning." He writes frequently on political and public policy matters, especially the "Politics of Ideas" column in Blueprint, the DLC's magazine. Notably, he is one of the co-authors of Progressive Internationalism: A Democratic National Security Strategy.

-snip
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Marshall

THAT'S RIGHT, THE GUY WHO SAID GORE LOST BECAUSE OF HIS DECISION TO ABANDON THE NEW DEMOCRAT MOVEMENT (IE THE DLC) WAS A SIGNER OF PNAC!

DO YOU THINK PERHAPS THIS IS WHY THE DEMS IGNORED ELECTION FRAUD AND ALLOWED THE APPOINTMENT OF bu$h?

Al Gore had seen the light! This is just why our nation needs him to run for president!

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/mod%20mom

[Wiley50]

24. I'd Wondered Why I Was Never Interested In Reading "Talking Points Memo"

A wolf in sheep's clothing

Why Doesn't anyone else mention these things

Nice Catch!

[blm]

25. You see, it's never about the failures of the Dem party infrastructure. The Dem elite use

the alleged 'losses' to attack the left.

That is why they wanted 2000, 2002, and 2004 to be losses, so they could attack the left, the left candidates and push the party further right on policy and force a Right leaning centrist in 2008.

Election fraud CAN'T be discussed or validated, because it destroys their only compelling argument for a centrist candidate.

This is what we are all up against. They wasted no time in undermining Gore and then Kerry. And us.

[mod mom]

27. Except to demonize progressive leaders like Howard Dean. Remember how Emmanuel,

Carville et al called for Howard's head after the '06 elections? Remember how they tried to diss his 50 state strategy? This is why we need to support Gov Dean, because although he is now "infrastructure, he is a good guy.

[blm]

28. That's when they strike - immediately after an election, because that is when

it usually is most effective.

But this time more of us were on to their game, because Woodward's book that nailed Carville on election night, really showed us all who these people wee and who they are really working for.

I'm proud that we caused a backlash when they tried to get Dean dumped.

[mod mom]

29. We've got to educate voters that all dems are NOT "created" equal. I get

so tired of hearing how we have to vote for the Dem candidate no matter who they are. I was there once, but never again. We need to expose these folks for who/what they really are. Is it any wonder why some Dems did not want to go after the fraud? Who benefits from election fraud is the question we need to ask.

[blm]

33. Name one Dem who sticks their neck out and doesn't get whacked by the Dem elite

who get most of the broadcast media time.

[ccpup]

4. I just finished a simple Search

using the word "ohio" and found two threads started on the 24th about the convictions. If I knew how to link to them, I would. Perhaps you can take a look at those threads and see how the conversation went? Good luck.

[Rex]

6. Because you are applying Left rules to a Right problem.

The Right won't see it like that...they are the 'get over it' crowd. Like their Don Scalia. Perfect example. They don't do conflict of interest or oversight or immoral war profiteering or...

Election fraud is so 2000...pay no attention to Chuck Hagel...

[JAbuchan08]

44. Chuck Hagel? He won through election fraud?

Is that why that guy looks so desperately sick sometimes? It's like he wants to vomit out something black and tarry and evil. Well there goes another one of my illusions.

[cosmicdot]

49. Internet searching 'Chuck Hagel and voting machines'

and 'Chuck Hagel and ES&S'

from 'Chuck's ball, Chuck's game'

"Chuck Hagel once ran and is still a major stockholder in the company that owns the company that counted 85 percent of the votes cast in his very own 2002 and 1996 election races is a potential doozy. His 1996 victory, some will recall, was considered one of the biggest upsets of that election; he was the first Republican in 24 years to win a Nebraska senatorial campaign."

http://www.bestoftheblogs.com/2003_02_05_bestof.html


Thom Hartmann:

~snip~

The respected Washington, DC publication The Hill (www.thehill.com/news/012903/hagel.aspx) has confirmed that former conservative radio talk-show host and now Republican U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel was the head of, and continues to own part interest in, the company that owns the company that installed, programmed, and largely ran the voting machines that were used by most of the citizens of Nebraska.

Back when Hagel first ran there for the U.S. Senate in 1996, his company's computer-controlled voting machines showed he'd won stunning upsets in both the primaries and the general election. The Washington Post (1/13/1997) said Hagel's "Senate victory against an incumbent Democratic governor was the major Republican upset in the November election." According to Bev Harris of www.blackboxvoting.org, Hagel won virtually every demographic group, including many largely Black communities that had never before voted Republican. Hagel was the first Republican in 24 years to win a Senate seat in Nebraska.

Six years later Hagel ran again, this time against Democrat Charlie Matulka in 2002, and won in a landslide. As his hagel.senate.gov website says, Hagel "was re-elected to his second term in the United States Senate on November 5, 2002 with 83% of the vote. That represents the biggest political victory in the history of Nebraska."

What Hagel's website fails to disclose is that about 80 percent of those votes were counted by computer-controlled voting machines put in place by the company affiliated with Hagel. Built by that company. Programmed by that company. ~snip~

http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0131-01.htm


posting info/links in order to knr


Top Hagel Contributors 2006

1 Peter Kiewit Sons $20,900
2 Level 3 Communications $18,900
3 Feinberg Group $17,800
4 Barclays $16,800
5 Aquila Inc $12,000
5 Edison International $12,000
7 Bank of America $11,500
8 Mutual of Omaha $11,170
9 Qwest Communications $11,015
10 Merrill Lynch $10,300
11 American Medical Assn $10,000
11 Carpenters & Joiners Union $10,000
11 Defend America PAC $10,000 <=============
11 GlaxoSmithKline $10,000
11 National Auto Dealers Assn $10,000
11 Service Employees International Union $10,000
17 Altria Group $9,500 <========== aka philip morris
17 Natl Assn/Insurance & Financial Advisors $9,500
19 National Assn of Realtors $9,000
20 Insurance Consultants Inc $8,400

Top Industries 2006

1 Insurance $127,870 <======== Chuck, what's your universal health care plan?
2 Securities & Investment $107,898
3 Electric Utilities $90,028
4 Commercial Banks $88,550
5 Lawyers/Law Firms $86,650
6 Retired $84,210
7 Oil & Gas $71,650
8 Real Estate $66,600
9 Health Professionals $57,750
10 Pharmaceuticals/Health Products $52,165
11 Telecom Services & Equipment $43,915
12 Business Services $40,136
13 Lobbyists $39,450
14 General Contractors $37,400
15 Leadership PACs $35,000
16 Misc Manufacturing & Distributing $34,250
17 Finance/Credit Companies $33,250
18 Crop Production & Basic Processing $32,450
19 Mining $30,500
20 Agricultural Services/Products $29,561

http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/indus.asp?CID=N00005301&cycle=2006

Having been a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, he's probably 'OK' with the military industrial complex, corporations, etc.
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Chuck_Hagel

[JAbuchan08]

61. Like I said, maybe he realizes that its all crashing down on him

and that is where his newfound sincerity has come from.

[Rex]

52. It's okay, I couldn't believe it either until I looked into it.

So many levels of corruption.

[peace13]

7. And why isn't the candidate that had his win stolen

talking about this? Just askin'. This brings back bad memories of being one of 50 people on the statehouse steps in Ohio, begging for a recount. The election was stolen and Americans were too lazy to get off of their butts and do something. Just my opinion though.

[zeemike]

11. Does Scull and Bones ring a bell ...n/t

[MelissaB]

14. He was. He did. So did his wife.

Lots of info in the election forum.

[zeemike]

10. I asked that question of Hillary

when she was asking for input for her blog
Wanna bet it never gets answered.
But I would encourage everyone to ask it of her and all candidates because if we do not have free and fair elections all of the rest is just bull shit to get our money, and the election will be decided in the back room.

[Greyhound]

50. Server lag dupe

[Greyhound]

51. "Leadership" amerikan style...

You seem to think that the sheeple care about this kind of stuff. No, they would much rather listen to the fairy tale told to them on the news, and go on believing that "we're number one!"

"...and the election will be decided in the back room."

[quiet.american]

12. I think because we know it won't change a mothereffin' thing.

Bush will remain in the White House.

[JackRiddler]

19. well in that case

why bother knowing anything at all?

[quiet.american]

26. Indeed. Sometimes I wonder. n/t

[Ellipsis]

13. Fresh Thread here: OHIO 2004: 6.15% Kerry-Bush vote-switch found in probability study

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x259620

and crossed posted here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x466044


The 2004 Ohio Presidential Election: Cuyahoga County Analysis
How Kerry Votes Were Switched to Bush Votes
© 2007 by James Q. Jacobs. All Rights Reserved.

Preface

"Simply put, Ohio votes were NOT counted as cast. Many votes were miscounted, and Kerry votes were counted for Bush. Numerous questions have been raised about the fairness of the 2004 Presidential election in the United States of America (US). In this article I focus on one election issue, punch card cross-voting—how votes cast one way were counted other than as intended, as a vote for a different candidate or option. Punch card voting has been replaced and, with so many election issues, this most egregious of flaws—counting votes wrong—has seemingly been overshadowed by e-voting concerns. I also focus on a particular region with one-tenth of the Ohio vote, Cuyahoga County.

[stillcool]

15. when the prosecutor himself, eludes to lazy workers..

as the motive behind the shenanigans that put a presidential election in question...one has to wonder..WTF??

Presidential recount case goes to jury
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CLEVELAND - A jury on Tuesday started to decide whether three election workers illegally rigged what was supposed to be a random sample recount in the 2004 presidential election to avoid a hand count of all votes.

"This was not done for political reasons," the case's special prosecutor, Kevin Baxter, said in his closing argument. "It was so you didn't have to do a full hand recount. Politics didn't matter."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Baxter, who was brought in from another county to prosecute, has made no claim about whether mishandling the recount could have affected the election result
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070124/NEWS01/701240352

[annabanana]

16. "Politics didn't matter"

That may or may not be true for the lazy poll workers... But the outcome of the election matters a great deal. It possibly matters more than anything else in the Country..

I hope they get the maximum time...

[stillcool]

17. In his closing statement

he trivializes the crime he's prosecuting...what a guy!

[freedomfries]

20. here are some of the many DU threads on OH recount fraud

Check the Election Reform Forum:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=465777&mesg_id=465777

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=465752&mesg_id=465752

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=465486&mesg_id=465486

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=465020&mesg_id=465020

:patriot:

[JackRiddler]

21. Why don't you guys

bring it in here and replace these Edwards house threads with something that matters?

[lonestarnot]

30. Do you think Blackwell will ever pay for his part in this?

[wiggs]

31. Much of this kind of stuff was known at the time congress certified Ohio's electoral votes. nt

[wiggs]

32. And I'm bitter about it. nt

[JackRiddler]

35. Yes of course...

It was obvious already in Dec 2004 that the recount trigger sample was non-random. But here the perps have been convicted for it and it stirs nothing.

This is a good example of how good people get swept up with each next new thing (or latest horror) and lose focus on the pressure point issues that can actually change fundamental conditions and perceptions.

[wiggs]

36. I agree that most people lose focus on last week's misdeed to address

this week's disaster. That has been so disappointing to see (see DSM). But that doesn't explain why congress has been so passive on both sides of the aisle on election reform (with a few exceptions). I think that the notion of a corrupt or corruptible election is too frightening and embarrassing and fundamentally destablizing for government to acknowledge. Let's not forget that our representatives are part of the government and scandals reflect on them and drain respect, authority, integrity, and money from them as a whole.

[Pierzin]

34. Talk about it unitl it sqeaks!! The quiet wheel gets no grease

I am convinced both elections were stolen! Gore should have been president and we desperately need election reform!

[eagler]

37. And you wonder why we need a FAIRNESS DOCTRINE?

No sympathy here for those who don't favor an updated FD! You can scream into a bucket and get the same results as you're getting now.

[JackRiddler]

38. My problem with it...

is insofar as this will further cement the moronic conservative/liberal, Democratic/Republican dichotomy between two limited choices that share the same set of assumptions and faith in the status quo, but pretend to be radically different from each other (and thus give us a "choice").

If the new fairness doctrine means that every statement by a Bush is followed by equal time for a Clinton, then good night!

I don't want to hear a debate between "troops out in maybe a few months" and "troops keep killing the enemy until forever." What about the version of the truth that at least a third of Americans share (and a tenth should suffice for media time): the invasion of Iraq is a crime against humanity and the perpetrators must be brought to justice?

It has to start from the idea that public airwaves (or cables that go through public land) must be made accessible to the entire public, not just its representations in the form of moneybag political organizations.

Also, the degree to which the law will be abusive from the start, in that it's pitched, say, at bloggers as much as at networks. Remember, the first organizations to be attacked under early 20th C. anti-trust legislation were the labor unions.

In other words, show me the details before you pitch the name.

Examples relevant to this thread, showing how something can pretend to be one thing but actually be the opposite: HAVA! Not to mention McCain/Feingold Act.

[eagler]

54. Fairness Doctrine isn't an equal time thing. That's being

spread around by Rightwingers. The FD only requires,for example, a chance for John Kerry to defend himself against personal attacks that destroy his character. Day by day, year after year, RW announcers have had carte blanc to smear and destroy American heroes with impunity without a challenge or accountability.

[flgeorge]

39. This looks procedural, not partisan

There is reason to believe Blackwell fudged the voters by denying a statewide recount on the strength of a split 2-2 vote of the OH election board along party lines. And we all remember Kathleen Harris and her shenanigans when it came to the recount in Florida in 2000.

This case, however, seems to be nothing more than a case of lazy, "fat"ass government employees wanting some extra time off. Perhaps if these women can be found to have GOP connections it would be a different story, but I have not been able to find any.

Perhaps the "Dems power elite" and folks like Keith Olberman, John Stewart, ALL of the Democratic politicians including progressives like Dean, Rangle, Feingold, watchdoggers like Waxman and the portion of the press usually known to pick up progressive causes early and often have been hohum on this because it appears to be a case of lazy governmental workers cutting corners to make it home by 5:00 PM? They received their just rewards for such skirting of responsibilities, which is important to report, as it serves as a reminder that maintaining election law all the way through to a flawless recount process is very important if the voter is to believe in the integrity of the election process.

We have plenty of ammunition to shoot the GOP to 35% minority status for at least a decade. Assuming that every election irregularity and illegality (which, frankly, happened in lots of precincts from both sides) is automatically an orchestrated "Steal the election" attempt by the other side is not necessarily correct just because we wish it to be.

[newyawker99]

46. Hi flgeorge!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[JackRiddler]

55. Not my assumption.

I agree in concluding with you that these workers were almost certainly motivated by laziness.

The point, however, is that there was no real recount - in Cuyahoga or Ohio - despite the statistical discrepancies. And this might have reversed the election result. Because the evidence that there was an orchestrated "steal the election attempt" as gathered and presented by the black-box movement, the Ohio protesters (Green & Libertarian), authors like Bob Fitrakis and Bobby Kennedy Jr. - and so many people cited and among the authors of the Election forum on DU.

So this case IS big - there was no full recount because of these stupid, dishonest bureaucrats.

[Mrspeeker]

40. WHY???

Well we know why, the so called free press is bought and paid for several times over, this is actually news based on facts and is in no way a story or a fairy tale so its unpublishable and Unpatriotic LOL

Boy those telecom bills, passed by Clinton by the way, are working GREAT!!!!!!

And I love our fiber optics network that we paid them to build for us, but instead they used the money to lobby for the signing of the Telecommunication Acts to give them total control over the media.

[JanusAscending]

41. I'm so disgusted with * at this time,

I really don't give a damn, unless it's going to make John Kerry President, as he richly deserves! Just let us make sure it doesn't happen next time!! ( if there is a next time!!)

[helderheid]

42. it was page 2 (tiny though) in my paper - did it end up on the teevee? Olbermann?

[JAbuchan08]

43. Just to be fair to the prosecuter he may not have claimed that

the election would have been effected, but that doesn't mean he claimed that they wouldn't have been effected.

[mvd]

45. You mean real news like this?

Hah! The media isn't interested in real news. Just vaguely reporting the events of the day, missing people, and celebrity gossip is what the owners are interested in. That 20/20 report on Camden is a rare thing.

[Greyhound]

53. Oh, and the commercials that are cleverly disguised as "human interest"

stories, can't forget those.

[Quantess]

47. Too late for a recommend. Darn it!

[JackRiddler]

48. well you can always keep it kicked ;)

[tjwash]

56. kick

[Exiled in America]

57. Because there's a lot going on.

[JackRiddler]

58. Those who buy the "lazy workers" excuse...

are simply accepting defeat before battle.

Imagine if this had been Republican lazy workers who sabotaged the recount of a state the Democrat won. Would the media be covering this? Would the right-wing blogosphere be making a ruckus? Would this help them in the long run? I think it's yes on all counts.

But never mind that: the point is, there was no recount. Even if because of stupid, lazy workers. This needs to be emphasized. We don't know the real Ohio count.

[Scout1071]

59. Since I can no longer rec this thread, I'll just have to kick!