Democrats say election investigation in the works

GAO will probe irregularities in voting machines

A group of high-ranking congressional Democrats who had called for a federal probe of the November election announced Tuesday that the Government Accountability Office would investigate irregularities with voting machines and provisional ballots nationwide.

That announcement came on the same day that the Democratic Party in Ohio said it would join the recount effort in that state that was initiated by Green and Libertarian party candidates.

Both of these developments reflect growing concern with election results and procedures that were first raised by poll watchers and individual voters and then circulated on the Internet.

"All Americans, no matter how they voted, need to have confidence that when they cast their ballot, their voice is heard," Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, declared in a statement also signed by five other Democrats.

more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/11/24/MNG77A0L481.DTL

It's way past time. GEEEZZZ wht have they been waiting on???

tell how they fixed the election. We all feel it was fixed and I think back to one of the debate questions to Shrub. I can't remember who the moderator was but he asked him if he should lose the presidency what would he do. Shrub immediately, almost before it was out of the moderator's mouth--I'm not going to lose, and he said it forcefully. That told me right then we were lost.

...from both the Meet the Press interview and especially the infamous "press conference". At both the only points of high confidence were when Bush* announced that he was definately going to win. He said it with the certainty of foreknowledge. I told my wife the "fix was in" then and there.

Note especially the press conference. I literally thought through most of it that Bush* was about to scream, pull his hair out, and run from the room. I was literally embarassed that this obviously incompetent man was the "leader of the free world". The cadence of his words was accelerated, the tone higher than usual -- all signs of major stress. But when asked if he would win the election, Bush answered confidently and with certainty that, yes, he was going to win. HE KNEW!

(PS/ I forgot the exact words used but this is the lasting impression I got from both.)

and others to do their jobs for them?

As Alexander Cockburn put it rather well the other day,


"Do I think the election was stolen? No more than usual. The Democrats are getting worse at it and the Republicans better. Back in 1960 it was the other way round. The best documented stolen election in history is probably the one that put Lyndon Johnson in the US Senate. Next came the one that gave JFK the White House. So, for sure there's vote suppression in Ohio and Florida. I don't think it made the crucial difference.

"'Stolen election' is one way to divert attention from the fact that the Democrats had a lousy candidate and gave up on most of the country, investing everything in two or three states. Small wonder they lost the popular vote, not to mention other minor details, like the US senate."


http://counterpunch.com/cockburn11202004.html

These elections of the last 5 years are unprecedented in this country, and there is no excuse for tolerating it.

What we have here is a case of the absolute undermining of democracy. Sure, Chicago helped JFK, that's just one place. What we have now is country-wide and it's not just ballot-stuffing, it's whole-sale dis-enfranchisement of entire sections of the electorate.

PEOPLE DIDN'T STAND IN LINE FOR 8-9 HOURS TO VOTE FOR GEORGE BUSH

It's easy for us bloggers to jump on stuff like this, but it would be foolish for Congressmen. They can't just react to information; they have to vet it thoroughly before acting on it.

Obviously, election fraud is serious business. If they aren't careful, we all look like nuts and the whole thing blows up in our faces. As it stands - even with all the evidence that exists - the RW is trying very hard to make this look like a foilhat conspiracy. The Congresspeople are doing the right thing IMHO.

Bookmark this thread, or just copy-and-paste this:

Long investigation. Many damning revelations and direct evidence of jiggery-pokery. The worst facts will point to utter corruption by Republicans, and imply that many significant results were altered. Those will be counterbalanced by one or two minor incidents of Democratic wrongdoing that had no effect on any race. No one will be held responsible or accountable. Two or three cosmetic changes will be proposed, watered down, and ineffectually implemented. And the whole thing will happen all over again in 2006.

How do I know this? Because it happened in 2000 and 2002. It taketh not the wisdom of the ages to see that it will happen again in the aftermath of 2004.

"non-partisan" groups in the government agree to "investigate" something only to take too long and to finally pronounce that no wrong doing took place. It serves merely to give official political cover to Republicans in the end. Seriously, does anyone doubt that the outcome of this will be that the Repubs did nothing wrong?

with their investigations during the Bush term. They have found wrongdoing on the WH's part in several cases.

Now, how the Congress acts on that information is another thing.

they have in fact been recognized as a human being with equal rights to their peers.

Not just the BBV problem, but all aspects of voting. This is fresh in everyones' minds and the GOP is vulnerable on this issue since there are so many stories of long lines, unreliable machines, inconsistent rules, and republicans attempting to suppress minority voters this year. Republicans hate having the truth be told about the rampant bigotry and racism in the GOP and would have a hard time defending trying to continue to disenfranchise minorities. They will look bad if they oppose election reform. There is no reason that an election reform bill can not be the very first thing passed by the next Congress. But the democrats have to make it an important issue because the republican party loves the current election laws.

After fighting for election reform the democrats should emphasize the need to reform the government which has grown more corrupt under one party control. They should focus on nepotism and the revolving door of government employees leaving and becoming lobbyists. The democrats should freely admit that this will hurt some democrats as well as republicans, but they should argue that it needs to be done. Put the onus on the GOP to defend nepotism and the revolving doors to corrupt wealth.

It's intended to brainstorm about what kinds of reforms are needed. By all means please go add to it. (Don't have a link handy, but I posted it in the middle of the night so it shouldn't be too far off the front page.)

The democratic party "leadership" is a bunch of useless yahoos who are either in cahoots with the repubs or are so spineless and incompetent they should simply be taken out and buried.

They are utterly useless and not only are a disgrace, but are an actual danger to us all.

Staying with the Democratic Party at this point would be like staying on the bus after finding out the driver is blind.

And now we get losing Republican candidates itching for a recount. When it's convenient, voting irregularities are an outrage. Otherwise, what's the big deal.

Heflin wants House seat back or a new election
By JOE STINEBAKER
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2...

State Rep. Talmadge Heflin will ask the state House of Representatives today to overturn the results of his failed re-election bid and either order him returned to the Legislature or call for a new election.

Heflin's attorney, Andy Taylor, said the election results in state House District 149 in southwest Harris County were fraught with voting irregularities and potential fraud, most of which occurred in predominantly Democ
ratic precincts.

and if they are, too fucking bad for them if they are guilty.

Frankly, the inertia by the Democrats hints strongly that some ARE in on this, IMO.

Every so often you have to flush the corrupt sob's out of the system no matter what their affiliation.

I have seen no evidence whatsoever that Dems, within that past 20 years, have committed *any* voter fraud whatsoever. I think Dems have totally forgotten HOW to do it (and therefore how to DEFEND against it) since the folks who were doing it (dixiecrats) all seem to have moved to the Republican Party.

their mess in GA to do anything but promote and defend those lousy Diebold machines to the hilt does nothing but lend weight to that argument. Of course, it didn't do former Gov. Roy Barnes any good -- he lost his election. As for SoS Cathy Cox, my bet is that she's unlikely to win when she runs for Gov either. But we'll see.

I haven't heard any.

That's the only thing making me think it's a purely Reptilian venture.

on edit: Bush's favor. Have any discrepancies gone in Bush's favor. Just a wee bit of political dyslexia.

Jesus, I hope I voted right!

And a hearty WELCOME to DU! I was just saying to another newish DUer in a PM how the influx of brand new DUers who are so intelligent, bright, etc., just knocks my socks off. Welcome to all of you!

www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2916692

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

the apathy of American's with regard to election issues and the Bush administrations total disregard for the United States constitution! I cannot believe so many Americans are willing to sit on their butts and let criminals overtake America! Are Americans so self-centered, they are willing to sit back and watch the total destruction of our founding ideals? Why are people not taking to the streets of Washington in peaceful protest? My family is completely broke, but I can assure you, if someone presented me with a viable opportunity to march on Washington, I would be perfect willing to pile the entire lot of us into a car and drive the approximately 1500 miles to Washington to participate!
:bounce:

I agree, what's wrong here?

Who is going to lead the parade? Not Kerry. Not Clinton. Haven't seen Kucinich. Dean is trying to lead the Party, but they aren't willing to be led. We have no Adamses, no Paines, no Franklins, even. Jesse Jackson can only do so much, thanks to the beating he's taken from people who should know better.

If it ain't on TV, it ain't happening.

"My family is completely broke, but I can assure you, if someone presented me with a viable opportunity to march on Washington, I would be perfect willing to pile the entire lot of us into a car and drive the approximately 1500 miles to Washington to participate!"

...they just want to jump on a bandwagon someone ELSE built.

Shameful. They're NOT leaders. They're FOLLOWERS.

But, at LEAST they're jumping on - FINALLY. Jeeeze.

fuck them. They are useless as a party. I'm done with them forever.

I can appreciate the comments about how nothing will come from the GAO investigation, especially since the GOP-ruled Congress will have to act upon GAO recommendations. However, that's not what excites me about getting the GAO involved. I think we can use this as leverage to get more discussion going within the media about election reform. The GAO involvement lends some credibility in the minds of the media to the reports of election irregularities. Let's not let them wait until the GAO report comes out, but let's strike now. Push this story to every media source you know so that we can get and keep the issue of corrupt elections in the above-ground public's eye.

PTV

It's WAYYYYY too late.
We should have fought on voting day.
Pukes have taken control of the electoral process.
This game is over. Too bad, so sad.

We fought them every step of the way, and lost at every turn.




    "committed to delivering the electoral votes of Ohio to the President"
     Walden O'Dell, CEO

They had ample fucking chance to do something about this in the last FOUR FUCKING YEARS.

Where the FUCK have they been?

Fuck them all to hell. They are finished as a party. If they couldn't beat Bush, they couldnt beat a dead man.

I will no longer support the Democratic Party. Goddamn them to hell.

...somthing nuanced perhaps...er-its rope a dope...er- they are giving the GOP more rope to hang themselves with...er just wait a little longer- Dems will fight...someday...er, um...We have to be nice-swing voters dont like agressive, unapolagetic, outspoken candidates...blah blah blah.

Join the Greens. They showed some balls when they told Nader to "stick it", and in NH.

It's absolutely nuts that the dems didn't penetrate diebold (using $$$) BEFORE this completely predictable theft of democracy. The dems remind me of Bob Bruce & clan in "Braveheart".

Gyre

:mad: :puke: :puke: :mad: :wtf: :mad: :grr:
then get the HELL OFF THIS forum and go to the repuks forum you will have more idiots there with you than here. Good riddens IDIOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

...another party?
http://www.greenparty.org/
http://www.dixienet.org/politics/cppltfrm.html
http://www.rnc.org/

Lots of people are pissed off, but if we sit around and complain without acting, the dark side will continue to prevail.

Bush is a worthless piece of shit. He is the worst president in the history of the U.S. and possibly the worst leader the world has ever seen.

If you're serious, find somewhere that fits you better and make a difference. If you really want to help, you won't do it by pissing in our corner.

There was a time when election fraud was unthinkable.
Not any more. It is the status quo.
Especially after 2000, it is outrageous that this is being taken in stride and our media pretends everything peachy.
There should be anarchy, just like in the Ukraine.
But instead Americans go shopping.
Feh.

Most Americans don't know there's anything wrong with the elections this year. My dad and stepmom had no idea there were recounts going on in NH till I told them two weeks ago!! The MSM aren't telling the people anything, and most are not proficient enough on the internet to look beyond the AOL welcome page. They've been told Bush**'s been reelected. They think it's FINISHED.

this is not my forte in any way but perhaps, it's time to bring in the hackers. Computer hackers who can replace what is shown on the home page of America Online and MSN, and just keep hacking and hacking and hacking until no one can miss it.

so many Kerry supporters are still unaware of the election fraud, although folks I know have their suspicions. Whenever I tell folks what's going on underground, you see the lightbulb go off in their head and the fire begin to burn in their belly.

We have GOT to get the word out somehow. Bumperstickers, pins, hats, whatever. People are VERY receptive to the idea that Bush stole the election. Almost every Kerry supporter has no problem believing Bush is capable of fraud, they rememeber the last four years afterall. . .