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  •  Blackwell has got to be filling his pants. (none / 0)

    I don't see anyway that Blackwell can answer most of questions without admitting fraud.  
    It asked Blackwell to answer upwards of 100 questions about how thousands of votes diappeared from Kerry and re-appeard in Bush's column.  I got the impression that they only scruntinized a fairly small number of Ohio precincts, and it probably happened all over Ohio.  

    If anyone out there has not read the whole letter, you really have to do so.  It is wonderful.  

    •  I don't know that Blackwell would appear (none / 0)

      Minority parties don't have subpoena power do they?  

      -Fred

      Democrats *do* have a plan for Social Security - it's called Social Security. -- Ed Schultz

      by FredFred on Fri Dec 03, 2004 at 06:33:28 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  How would it look... (none / 0)

        ...for a state official to refuse a Congressional subpoena?

        Even most Republicans would wonder about something like that.

        Yes, in fact, I do drive a Volvo.

        by KTinOhio on Fri Dec 03, 2004 at 06:35:02 AM PDT

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        •  not really (none / 0)

          Not if the republicans are just calling the dems sore losers and they are just fishing for anything.  Don't you know that Kerry has already conceded!  Its a PR game and the Dems have a tough road to face when no one still thinks the outcome is in doubt.  These hearings aren't going to make any difference is the recount isn't even making the news.
    •  My God We are Starting to Look Stupid (0.96 / 27)

      Look folks,

      The House DEMs are catering to a minority community and its supporters with the same type of rhetoric that the Democratic party has indoctrinated them too, and everyone, predicatable, is jumping up and down and getting excited as our puppet strings are being pulled by the likes of JJ and KO.  

      Man, this is really going to hurt us.  The reason that the mainstream media is not involved is that even they know the when they are pushing the envelope too hard and seriously damaging their reputation.

      Voting irregularities are common when 100,000,000 votes are cast.  In Michigan, massive fraud on the DEMs side is the story of the day.  Both sides cheat a little becuase in every group of people there are always a few assholes, but there is no widespread centrally controlled fraud machine that meets in dark secret places and takes esoteric oaths and are not allowed to take any notes least they be suddenly discovered and their cover is blown. Tin fucking hat shit.

      Come on, we need to get a grip.  I am finally realizing, after getting whipped up by all the - I will use this word now - CRAP on this site about this topic that the real issues are being ignored, the party is going to be severely damaged by this, and we are all going to wish that our collective heads were not shoved up our ass.

      Already in the Washington state governorship race 73% do not want a recount and only 27% do, which is smaller than the DEM base there.  People are really starting to get pissed off - including some DEMS.

      I am also starting to get so pissed off, that I know longer plan to support any progressive causes with either money or time, and I may, if this crap continues, switch over the Repulican party and attempt to temper what appears to be their more reasonable minds to at least give my ideas a fair hearing.

      People, grow up!  This is not even close to the Ukraine issue where there is widespread video evidence of MASSIVE fraud.  In any US election, if you dig hard enough, you will find some machines to be not as good as they should be, people who are intimidated in reality and in their own minds and people who say they were disenfranchised just because Jessie Jackson told them so.  Thankfully, many of my African American friends are beginning to see thru this garbage and paying attention to reality.

      Would you like to join them?

      I think we all should.

      •  Is it so unreasonable... (4.00 / 5)

        ...to want an election process in which the electorate feels confident that their vote was counted accurately?

        The sanctity of the vote is at the very foundation of our democracy. Whether there was massive fraud or not in this election, the process itself is very much broken, such that the possibility of massive fraud does exist. This MUST be fixed, or we won't even have a democracy left to work with! Nothing is more important, in my view.

        And the best way to motivate real change in the electoral process is to expose the many problems that occurred this year, no matter what their cause.

        Perhaps you would do better to switch to the republican party. Members of MoveOn.org voted this issue the #1 priority, and the efforts to examine the vote are dramatically increasing in number, not decreasing.

        •  it's not about kerry!! (4.00 / 4)

          pointsoflight, you are right on about the need to make sure the electoral process itself is secure.

          of course we all hoped kerry would win, but do you really think all of the congressmen (women??) are willing to stake their repuations on a few votes that more than likely will still end up falling to Bush?

          I SAW john conyers interviewed just before they filed to have the GAO investigate. he was all about, yeah, that would be nice, but this is about democracy and making sure the people can trust the process, bc if they don't trust the process they won't vote at all.

          IMO, this is all part of a long term strategy to make sure we all "fight the power" next time and the next time etc -- bc the only ppl who won't vote bc they don't think their votes will count are NOT republicans.

          •  That's right. (none / 0)

            One forward-looking thing that no one is discussing is what the voter disenfranchisement and lack of confidence in the vote could mean for dem turnout in future elections. You could sure see how someone who stood in line for several hours in the rain in Ohio--yet still doesn't even know if his/her vote counted--would not be particularly enthralled about voting next time around...
      •  "... switch over ..." (4.00 / 4)

        For my money, if you're willing to equate the growing number of incidents as "some machines to be not as good as they should be" or "say they were disenfranchised just because Jesse Jackson told them so," then the Republicans can have you.

        If they don't already. Let's see, the username "kerry4pres," apparently created a month after the election ... a total of 2 comments ... both along the lines of "Get over it, fools!"

        Still, I'll play along. You want "dark secret places"? Try the Warren County, OH, election counting room on for size. Like a lot of people here, I want to see that any challenges are done on the basis of facts and not hysteria. There appear to be a number of facts reported from multiple sources, and people like Kenneth Blackwell need to account for them.

        And transparent trolls should go back to doing whatever it is when they're not tying up (or being tied up by) dominatrices during conventions.

        If you can't laugh at yourself ... we'll gladly do it for you.

        by btrain on Fri Dec 03, 2004 at 08:59:39 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

      •  I would like to know (none / 1)

        what are the issues you continue to ask about and I would like to have you explain why the proper accounting of our votes is not one the important issues to you.
      •  Looking stupid is bad.. (4.00 / 2)

        ..but eating stupid is far, far worse! Try this recipe for great turkey rolls:

        1 whole wheat sandwich wrap
        2 tbsp cream cheese
        1 oz. spinach
        2 oz. shredded mild cheddar
        2 oz. thinly-sliced deli turkey

        Add ingredients, in order, to one side of wrap. Roll tightly, and secure every inch and a half with a toothpick. Cut into sections like a swiss roll. Great for parties!

        •  And for desert (none / 0)

          Pistachio/Hemp Baklava

          Ingredients:

          Syrup:
          1 1/2 cups sugar
          3/4 cup water
          juice of 1/2 a small lemon
          2 tbsp. honey

          1 lb. fillo (phyllo) dough
          1 1/2 cups clarified unsalted butter, melted (3/4 lb.)
          1 cup shelled hemp seed (5 oz.)
          1/2 cup shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped (2 1/2 oz.)
          2 Tbsp. sugar
          1 tsp. cinnamon, ground
          1/2 tsp. nutmeg, ground
          1/4 tsp. cloves, ground

          Method:

               Put all ingredients for syrup in a small saucepan and bring to a boil and simmer for two minutes. Cool and refrigerate for later.

               Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix together the hemp seed, pistachios, sugar, and spices and set aside. Freshly grated nutmeg and freshly ground cloves are best. Unroll the fillo dough on your counter. With a sharp knife cut the fillo dough in half to fit your baking dish. Cover the two stacks of the fillo dough with plastic wrap and a damp dishtowel. You can use just the dish towel if you wring it out very well and work quickly. Dried out fillo dough is next to impossible to work with.

               With a two inch or larger pastry brush butter the bottom of a 16 x 10 x 2 inch Pyrex baking dish (it says 38 x 25 x 4 cm on the bottom of mine) with the melted butter. Lay in one half-pound stack of fillo dough one sheet at a time brushing each sheet with the melted butter as you go. Evenly sprinkle reserved nut mixture over buttered fillo dough. Lay in the other half-pound stack of fillo dough one sheet at a time brushing each sheet with the melted butter as you go. Remember to keep the fillo dough covered as you work.

               Cut pastry into diamond shapes about 1 1/2" x 2" with a sharp knife, cut through nut layer, but not all the way through. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and fifteen minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for five minutes. Pour cold syrup evenly over hot pastry. Allow to cool to room temperature before removing from pan.

               Notes: This dish is a little work, but is well worth it!

          "The greatest service which can be rendered any country is to add an useful plant to its culture" -- Thomas Jefferson

          by tommurphy on Fri Dec 03, 2004 at 02:14:10 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

      •  You are so full of shit (none / 1)

        your eyes are brown. It seems like your shirt is as well.
      •  Massive Fraud In Michigan? (none / 1)

        I do not know why you would advocate throwing in the towel at this point in the election.  Nothing has been certified and there are far too many questions of fraud and irregularities that we, the  people, deserve an answer to.

        BTW, can you back up your statement,

        "In Michigan, massive fraud on the DEMs side is the story of the day."

        with some links?  While I don't doubt Dems are capable of 'massive fraud' the only thing 'massive' I observed on 11/2 came from the Republicans.  And this is the first I have heard of your claims of fraud in Michigan on the part of the Democrats.  How about some backup?

        "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

        by givmeliberty on Fri Dec 03, 2004 at 05:21:33 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

    •  Blackwell and scared? Rethugs are never scared (none / 0)

      Blackwell has got to be filling his pants?
      No way!
      Republicans are rarely ever scared, all they need to do is one simple thing to come clean:
      "LIE"

      That's what he did very effectively the other day when he showed up at Countdown. Rethugs are even so smart as to know when the have to come out and lie and attack the opponents, so that the opponent suddendly needs to defend themselves. He called Jesse Jackson a "provocateur."

      Haven't we learned anything? They're unbeatable in their strategies.

      As for "proof," well, there's no proof so far, just "irregularities," "questions," "unexplained events."

      And the Rethugs will all stick together as they always do and they will together find a way to
      "LIE"
      their way out of this mess.

      That's what they're good at, and because democrats don't "realize" that, they not only became complacent before the final veredict is in, but they never have an effective strategy to deal with the Republican crimes and bring them to justice.

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