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VELVET REVOLUTION -- Home of The New American Patriot!

UPDATES AS THEY OCCUR
Rick Gagliano with contributions by Katrina Wilcox | begun 11/10/04 and developing

1/27/05 3:00 PM Eastern

Former GOP Party Head Sentenced to Seven Month in Phone Jamming - Chuck McGee must turn himself in by April 26. Judge said "Actions of this nature strike at the core of the democratic process". McGee said "I'll be back in 2006 to help some good Republicans get elected".

Republicans Maneuvering to Get Voting Rights Act Killed - Some GOP leaders suggest Voting Rights Act be made "national and permanent", but that would set the act up for being ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. by Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr.

The Fox Guarding the Hen House - How Long will "The Election Center" Continue to Give Bad Advice to NC Election Officials?

Orlando Mayor Surrenders in Ballot Probe - Mayor Buddy Dyer, Judge Alan Apte, Dyer campaign manager Patti Sharp and Ezzie Thomas, campaign consultant to Dyer and Apte surrendered on felony charges. Indictments issued by grand jury looking at whether Thomas illegally collected absentee ballots in predominantly black neighborhoods for Dyer's and Apte's campaigns before last year's election.

Elections Run by Same Guys Who Sell Toothpaste - Why can't we develop a democratic society in which people's opinions matter? by Noam Chomsky

L.A. Re-Inked Votes - The actions of Los Angeles City Clerk Frank Martinez raises questions and possibility that ballots could be tampered with or changed.

Whose Elections? Our Elections? - Software politically manages votes and voters not only to produce vote totals but also to "discipline and punish" voting populations. by Greg Moses

1/27/05 3:00 PM Eastern

Ohio Recount Volunteers Allege Electoral Tampering, Legal Violations and Possible Fraud

Filing and Affidavits

Should the Left Ignore the "Stolen Election"

Jim Crow Returns to the Voting Booth: Does America have an Apartheid Vote-Counting System? by Rev. Jesse Jackson and Greg Palast

In One of the Worst Political Gaffes Imaginable, J. Kenneth Blackwell and Ohio AG Jim Petro Give Election Reform Attorneys a National Stage

The Minus Touch - A study of touch-screen voting in Snohomish County, WA suggests that machines favored Dino Rossi.

Urgent! Contributions Needed for Legal Defense Fund

1/27/05 1:50 PM Eastern: Petition's Progress #9, 1/27/05

The official newsletter of A Petition to Congress requesting an investigation into the Presidential Election of 2004

http://www.petitiononline.com/uselect/petition.html

More information at:
http://www.dtmagazine.com

Greetings Petitioners,

When I last sent out an email to you, in the first week of December, I left with the message that I was returning to my normal work and could no longer promote the effort of the petition and the fight we wage against the administration.

It was a hard decision to make, but my economic circumstances dictated that I do so. I realize now that this decision may have been a mistake and that some of you may have been let down or felt that I deserted you and our cause. If that's the case, I am truly sorry and hope that I can regain your trust.

This was about the time Congressman John Conyers was holding forums on election problems. Our petition was submitted to the official record of these "ad hoc" hearings.

I followed the hearings and news developments through the holidays and it was difficult to stay focused on the mundane tasks of running a business. I was seething inside and making plans to return to active opposition of Bush and his cronies after the electoral college vote on January 6.

Three days after Christmas, my mother passed away. Even though she was 84, it came as a shock to me and my family because despite being a diabetic, her health was pretty good. This put everythng - work, politics, life - on a back burner and into perspective.

About a week ago, life began to return to normal, so to speak, for me and I began writing again, updating my site and moving forward. I made a committment to oppose the Bush administration on every policy, every issue, every front, in whatever way I could.

Watching the debale of the Gonzalez and Rice confirmation hearings, I began to seeth with the same passion that prompted me to start the petition. Hearing Bush and Cheney say things like the "mandate", "political capital" and "accountability moment", in which Bush claimed that the election affirmed his decisions and actions in Iraq and elsewhere. And then the inauguration, with the look of a 1970s May Day in Soviet Russia, steeled my resolve.

God bless the demonstators at the inauguration! They made us all proud!

In my heart and mind I know that the election was a sham, that it was stolen, that the Republican party and their disciples committed fraud on a grand scale.

I wrote and published (on my web site and at bellacio.com) four articles in the past week:

Why We Fight - an overview of the movement against Bush and a rallying cry to the progressive movement.

Why Condoleezza Rice Should Not Be Confirmed

Parsing the President's Speech - Should We Take W Literally? - a critique of Bush's Inaugural Address

Presidential Concerns - The many opposing forces that can bring the Bush presidency to its knees.

I will be writing more, updating and adding articles and ideas to my web site and promoting the petition with more vigor.

John Conyers recently sent a letter to Rep. James Sensenbrenner, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, calling for full hearings into election irregularities. This is critical because the House must call a full committee hearing in order to have subpeona powers and the full weight of the Congress. In the coming week, I will be formualting an action plan to put pressure on all members of the House Judiciary Committee, and especially Chairman Sensenbrenner.

I am not going to quit until Bush is OUT. I am pushing for hearings (the original intent of the petition) because, like Watergate, that is the process that can lead to impeachment and impeachment is what I am now after. Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and the rest of the corrupt neocons must GO!

You'll be receiving this newsletter at least once a week, with updates and inforation on how you can stay active and involved.

It is my hope that many of you are still supportive of a progressive cause instead of the regressive policies of this administration.

There are a number of ways you can help, and here are a few suggestions:

Talk to your friends and neighbors. No, the election is NOT over. We need a full, open, honest investigation to determine what really happened on November 2, 2004.

Get more people to sign the petition. Email the URL http://www.petitiononline.com/uselect

Visit my site and other progressive sites (I've got links to many of them on the Elections/Politics page)

Take out a Patriot Ad. These ads send a message, can be linked to any site you support.

Donate: You can donate through the Amazon Honor System.


Amazon Honor System

Click Here to Pay
Learn More

Contributions can also be mailed to: Downtown Magazine, 29 Owen Street, Rochester, NY 14615

Publish! You can send your articles, ideas, news for publication at Downtown Magazine using our online form.

Stay informed. Get your news on the internet, listen to Air America Radio, avoid the contrived and controlled mainstream media.

WE CAN WIN! BUSH OUT!

Rick Gagliano
Downtown Magazine, Petition Author

1/2/05 11:40 PM Eastern: Updates courtesy of Katrina Wilcox

Ohio

Verified Election Contest Petitions and Documents in Ohio Supreme Court:
http://www.freepress.org/departments/display/19/2005/990

Distribution of Voting Machines by County in Ohio:
http://www.freepress.org/departments/display/19/2005/1062

The Case for Fraud in Ohio Election 2004:
http://www.bpac.info/pdfdocuments/OhioFraudSum2.pdf

Ohio Recount Steeped in Fraud:
http://www.truthout.org/docs_05/010205I.shtml

Blackwell and Friends Running Out Clock in Ohio:
http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00001090.htm

Cleveland Paper Cites Voter Problems:
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/121204U.shtml

2004 Ohio Election - Spreadsheets, Charts, and Summary:
http://www.jqjacobs.net/bush/xls/ohio.html

2004 Ohio Election - Presidential Ballot Orders, Combinations, and Cross-Voting:
http://www.jqjacobs.net/bush/ohio_ballots.html

Protests Planned in Ohio and D.C.:
http://www.votecobb.org/

Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and other Grassroots Organizations to Hold Pro Democracy Rally in Ohio:
http://www.solarbus.org/stealyourelection/articles/0101-jackson.html

Text of Justice Moyer's Order Denying Plaintiff's Motion that He Recuse Himself:
http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/rod/newpdf/0/2004/2004-ohio-7120.pdf

Transcript of Nov 13 New Faith Baptist Church Hearing
http://freepress.org/images/departments/4254PublicHearing.txt

Transcript of Dec 13 Columbus City Hall 2004 Election Forum
http://www.freepress.org/images/departments/Congressional.pdf

Secretary of State List of Distribution of Voting Machines in Ohio:
http://www.freepress.org/images/departments/machine_distribution.pdf

Miscellaneous

Vote-by-Mail - The Real Winner Is Democracy:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A40032-2004Dec31?language=printer

Presidential Election Congressional Hearing Transcript:
http://www.freepress.org/departments/display/19/2005/1064

Did We Bounce An Election:
http://www.freepress.org/departments/display/19/2005/1063

San Diego Asked to Overturn Mayor Election:
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20041231/D87ACHQO0.html

"Research on the 2004 US Presidential Election" by Steve Freeman:
http://www.appliedresearch.us/sf/epdiscrep.htm

Registered Republican is Frightened of this Administration:
http://miamedia.com/news/2004-12-31.republicans.abandon.bush.html#fright

A Message From A Real Republican:
http://miamedia.com/news/2004-12-31.republicans.abandon.bush.html#real

 A Primer on the Conservative Mind, From the Inside of One:
http://miamedia.com/news/2004-12-31.republicans.abandon.bush.html#primer

"Phantom Votes Are Not Possible" says New Mexico's Secretary of State (Yet there are 2,087 phantom votes in her certified canvass report)
http://www.votersunite.org/info/newmexicophantomvotes.asp

"Impossible Phantom Votes in New Mexico" by Warren Stewart:
http://www.votersunite.org/info/ImpossiblePhantomsinNM.pdf

Vote Recount Fight "Is Not Over":
http://www.abqjournal.com/elex/278376elex12-24-04.htm

Action Memo from Progressive Democrats of Illinois:
http://fairnessbybeckerman.blogspot.com/2005/01/action-memo-from-progressive-democrats.html

Gatherings

Jan 3: Columbus, Ohio: Pro-Democracy, Count Every Vote Rally
http://fairnessbybeckerman.blogspot.com/2005/01/rally- monday-january-3rd-columbus-ohio.html

Jan 4-6: Baltimore, Maryland to Washington DC: Save Our Votes March
http://fairnessbybeckerman.blogspot.com/2004/12/ save-our-votes-march-baltimore.html

Jan 5: Columbus to Washington: Freedom Ride
http://fairnessbybeckerman.blogspot.com/2004/12/ january-5th-freedom-ride-from-columbus.html

Jan 6: Lafayette Park, Washington, DC: Rally (Cobb and Bonifaz to Speak)
http://fairnessbybeckerman.blogspot.com/2004/12/rally-at- 1000-am-on-january-6th.html

Jan 6: Washington, DC: Defend Democracy Rally and Vigil
http://fairnessbybeckerman.blogspot.com/2004/12/ january-6-2005-washington-dc-defend.html

Monday's Rally in Columbus Aimed at Keeping Spotlight on Vote Irregularities:
LINK

11/30/04 11:00 PM Eastern: 53,500+ signatures - SPECIAL ALERT

The House Judiciary Hearings investigating election irregularities will be broadcast beginning tomorrow at 10:00 am Eastern on C-SPAN and on the internet via Pacifica Radio.

There is also a blog devoted to it by lead writer for truthout.org, William Rivers Pitt. That blog is live now and contains excellent background information including a link to the letter from the committee to Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell and a list of committee members and speakers. It can be found on the web at http://www.truthout.org/cblog.shtml

A discussion forum on the hearings has been set up at DemocraticUnderground .com.

Here is a link direct to the forum.

At the very least, this should be interesting to see just how powerful the arguments and the committee questions are.

11/30/04 11:00 AM Eastern: 52,000+ signatures - Petition submitted to Congress

The following was submitted to the House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary as an official comment:

November 30, 2004

To: United States House of Representatives, House Committee on the Judiciary

In support of your investigation into irregularities affecting the 2004 Presidential election, and on behalf of the more than 52,000 signatories, I submit the following petition and signatures:

A Petition to Congress requesting an investigation into the Presidential Election of 2004

To: United States Congress

TO: All members of the Congress of the United States of America; all Senators and Members of the House of Representatives

A Petition to immediately and without delay open a joint investigation into potential wrongdoing in the Presidential Election of 2004, specifically to investigate the potential of voting machine manipulation or purposeful malfunction, especially electronic voting machines manufactured and supplied by Diebold, Inc.; Electronic Systems & Software (ES & S); Sequoia Voting Systems, and others, and also to identify and investigate all allegations of improper conduct by election officials, workers, observers, challengers and operatives and employees of both major parties concerning the voting process including intimidation, dissemination of improper information, manipulation of registration records, improper handling of actual voting ballots and, in general, any and all potential improprieties which could have led to improper or inaccurate election results.

Such inquiries should not be limited to any particular state, precinct or district but strive to examine the voting process in any and all areas in which there is even the slightest indication of impropriety, but especially in the states of Florida, Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Nevada, New Mexico, Iowa, Arkansas, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas and New Hampshire, and not limit such investigation, and expand such investigations to cover Senatorial races as well, especially those in Kentucky, Florida and South Dakota.

We, the undersigned, request that our elected representatives act in accordance with the Constitution of the United States of America in a legal, impartial and expedient manner for an open hearing before the people of the United States and if such wrongdoing, illegal practices, manipulation of voting records or processes is of such a nature to indicate egregious or extensive tampering, alteration or misappropriation of the voting process that the violators be brought to justice and remedies, potentially including a nationwide audit, recall, recount or new election be imposed by your bodies.

We feel it is our patriotic duty to request such action from you, our elected officials, and your duty to respond in a responsible manner.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The entire petition and signatures are available at the following URLs:
http://www.petitiononline.com/uselect/petition.html
http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?uselect


The more than 52,000 signatories, and all subsequent signatories, express concerns similar to those expressed by your committee and wish that you pursue an investigation with all due speed and diligence.

Printed copies of the petition, signatures and supporting documentation are available to your committee upon request. Signature verification can be performed by petitiononline.com upon request.

A sizable amount of supporting documentation can be found on the Downtown Magazine web site, specifically on these pages and pages linked to them:
http://www.dtmagazine.com/elections.html
http://www.dtmagazine.com/petitionupdate.html


I am a resident of New York State, 28th District, and am represented by Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, who has communicated to me that an investigation is needed.


Richard A. Gagliano, Petition Author
Webmaster: dtmagazine.com
29 Owen Street
Rochester, NY 14615
Phone: 585-458-0498
email: fr@dtmagazine.com

11/29/04 4:45 PM Eastern: 52,000+ signatures - Olbermann comments interesting

I noticed an interesting article about Keith Olbermann, host of MSNBC's "Countdown" today from the Cornell Daily Sun (Olbermann graduated from Cornell). Near the end of the story the following:

The first story of the Countdown: 2004 election irregularities, and why Olbermann is the only major television news personality covering the story

On the "Thursday or Friday after the election," someone sent Olbermann a link to an article about a "lockdown" in effect on election night at the Warren County, Ohio courthouse because of a "terrorist threat." "It struck me on the face of it as the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard," Olbermann said.

After seeing countless other reports of minor voting inaccuracies, Olbermann was stunned.

"Suddenly it was clear to me that there were a large number of stories suggesting widespread voting irregularities," he said.

"At a minimum we know the election hardware is not working," he added. When asked why other reporters haven't picked up the story, Olbermann said that he "assumed everyone else would." But, he had some ideas as to why they did not.

"After Kerry conceded, the reaction of all the political reporters was probably to take time off," he said. "Also, 2000 was a disaster for the networks. They were beaten up by the newspapers. This time, nobody got beaten up."

He said that the networks are "loathe to bring up" the fact that the exit polls had problems. In addition, Olbermann said that political reporters usually take their cues from what the Democrats and Republicans say.

"If there was a prominent Democrat saying this, it would be front page news," he said.

"I don't think there is any question that Ohio messed up the election [in some way]. The question is: was it deliberate or accidental? And I don't really care which answer is correct," Olbermann said.

"You see machines with inaccurate vote counts, you see stories about unused voting machines in a warehouse when the precincts were begging for more machines because of long lines and long waits; these are facts, they are suggestive facts," he said.

"The only way that we can find out what happened is to ventilate the issue and find out what's wrong with these 'Rube Goldberg' voting machines." Olbermann said. "There is no national standard for elections, and if we don't get one, we are going to have an election just like the one in the Ukraine."

What would happen if the Ohio result were overturned? "It's all political science fiction at this point. If something is found in Ohio, and Ohio is found to go for Kerry, it would be fascinating to see what the Republicans would do," he said.

He said that the Republicans in Congress would have to make a choice about whether to support the President, or risk their own seat in Congress due to recall or impeachment. They would have to decide whether they would go down with the president or save themselves. "We have proved time and time again that self-interest will trump party interests. This could become a non-partisan issue," Olbermann said.

11/29/04 2:00 PM Eastern: nearing 52,000 signatures - Congresswoman Louise Slaughter responds to Petition

Petition to be submitted to House Committee on the Judiciary

Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (28th District, NY), who joined fellow legislators calling for a GAO investigation into voting irregularities, has responded to communication from petition author Rick Gagliano.

In a letter dated November 24, 2004 and received today by Gagliano, Slaughter says, "...I agree that an investigation into the voting irregularities must be launched."

Te full text of the letter can be found on the Downtown Magazine website, at: http://www.dtmagazine.com/slaughterletter112404.jpg

Plans are moving forward to submit the petition, signatures and supporting documentation to the House Committee on the Judiciary, based on Slaughter's support and the actions of now 14 Members of the House of Representatives who have signed on to the letters calling for a GAO investigation.

The petition, calling for a full Congressional investigation can be viewed and signed at: http://www.petitiononline.com/uselect/petition.html

More information, including the two letters from legislators to the GAO and an online form for submitting official comments to the House Committee on the Judiciary is available at:
http://www.house.gov/nadler/issue-gao.shtml

11/26/04 6:00 PM Eastern: 51,300+ signatures - The Tide is Turning

More information, coverage seeps into mainstream

While most of us were enjoying a welcome break and Thanksgiving feast, the internet again blazed up with new accusations and information concerning the elections of 2004.

Those who have signed our petition now have much to be thankful for and should take careful note of the continuing action in Congress. What began as an urgent request by three House Representatives instructing the GAO to investigate various election irregularities on November 5, was followed by a second request, with more information and 3 more signers on November 8.

On November 23, the GAO responded positively to the request, and seven more House Members signed on, signaling deep concern in the House, and broadening the scope of the investigation.

Today comes news from the GAO itself that it had already begun investigating on its own accord. The GAO apparently saw egregious inconsistencies and struck out on its own authority, without instruction from Congress. So it seems that what the mainstream media believes to be less than newsworthy is actually quite important to the General Accountability Office.

There are two important documents which signers of our petition should download (pdf format) and read. They are both carried on a page made available by the office of NY Rep. Jerrold Nadler, one of the original three signers (along with John Conyers of Michigan and Robert Wexler of Florida) of the GAO request.

The two documents are the two letters from the House to the GAO and can be found, along with a form to add information into the official record of the investigation, located at:
http://www.house.gov/nadler/issue-gao.shtml
DIRECT LINKS TO PDFs:
First Letter to GAO, Nov. 5, 2004:
http://www.house.gov/nadler/pdf/gaoinvestvote2004ltr11504.pdf [PDF]
Second Letter to GAO, Nov. 8, 2004
http://www.house.gov/nadler/pdf/gaovotingltr2.pdf [PDF]

According to information on that page, anything submitted via the form will become an official comment to the House Judiciary Committee, which has "jurisdiction over the Voting Rights Act, the Help America Vote Act, and our constitutional rights to free and fair democratic elections."

Representative Nadler is the Ranking Member on the Constitution Subcommittee.

Another document, from the Comptroller of the GAO, outlining specific authority on election-related issues, can be found at http://www.gao.gov/electionresults.pdf [PDF]

In earlier articles, I expressed concern that the initiation of a GAO investigation by the House of Representatives fell short of our aims, though now, upon closer examination, I believe it is as much as we can expect from Congress at such an early date.

Also of some significance is the addition of Rep. Louise Slaughter to the signers of the letters to the GAO. The congresswoman is the Representative of New York's 29th legislative district, in which I reside.

Mrs. Slaughter has been a member of the House for at least 20 years and I contacted her office concerning the petition last week. Her signing-on to the GAO letters is an indication that she is in agreement with the overall thrust of our petition.

Plans are underway to submit our petition and signatures to the Committee and make it an official part of the record, though I will not undertake that effort without a good deal of input from signers. A newsletter will go out on Sunday and it will contain all of the pertinent information needed to make a decision on the direction of our petition.

Overall, I am generally pleased with the activities of the House and feel that anyone and everyone who signed the petition is getting representation now from House members. If your representative has not signed on to the GAO letters, now would be a good time to make contact and request that they join their fellow lawmakers. A directory containing contact information for every member of the US House of Representatives is located at http://www.house.gov/


The Corrupted Media

Every day, more news makes its way to the eyes, ears and minds of the American public. The mainstream "lock-down" is crumbling, albeit slowly, as CBS, ABC and CNN have all carried election-related stories on their web sites, though still can't seem to muster the courage and/or honesty to report these news items on their regular nightly newscasts.

When that happens, the efforts of many who have worked tirelessly to uncover the truth about our electoral process will be rewarded.

Indeed, news of the Ohio recount, legal challenge and GAO investigation all warrant extensive NATIONAL coverage. The thought that news anchors and executives somehow feel these stories DO NOT deserve national attention leads to one of two unavoidable conclusions: that they are either purposely not reporting or under-reporting due to pressure from an outside source, or that they are entirely incompetent.

This same line of rational argument usually fits with any unfolding scandal, be it Watergate, Iran-Contra or the leadup to the Iraq war (for which the Administration now admits that they relied on faulty intelligence).

And whether people are lying or incompetent should not concern us in the least. Either is good enough reason for investigation, exposure and eventual legal action.

The similarities to Watergate are becoming more striking every day, notably that it took an entire two years from the original break-in at DNC headquarters to Nixon's eventual resignation. At first, news was a trickle and almost exclusively the domain of two Washington Post reporters, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. Their unfailing dedication to the story provided the impetus for Congressional investigation and the eventual dismantling of a presidency.

More than two decades later, we are actually further ahead in some regards, especially in the unearthing of many, many voting irregularities. We have the technology of the internet to thank for that.

On the other hand, the mainstream media seems less than forthright in their lack of reporting and investigation of the story, and that remains a problem. Eventually, they too will learn and understand what many Americans already know: that the elections of 2004 were marred by far too many inconsistencies and complaints from voters to be considered fully fair and equitable.

It's probably a good sign that Dan Rather and Tom Brokaw are retiring within a few months, as their voices have, over the past three weeks, become increasingly hollow and we can no longer rely upon them to report news that is of vital importance to the American public.

Hopefully, when they leave, they will take some of the news producers, directors and executives who saw fit to suppress such news. While these types rummage for stories and prattle on about election fraud in the Ukraine, a similar story in their own country was covered by merely two brief pieces (one each by NBC and ABC) in the 3+ weeks since the election, both of which sought to discredit and ridicule the claims and findings of researchers, reporters, bloggers, and respected members of the academic community.

They should be put on notice and advised that the American public does not take matters such as our right to vote lightly and should prepare themselves for an avalanche of adverse reactions to their less-than-forthright handling of such vital, national news.

Their overt lack of reportage on post-election issues was a coordinated effort which smacks of collusion. Their reputations as honest journalists and the confidence placed in them have been severely damaged by this shameful episode.

11/24/04 4:20 PM Eastern: 51,000+ signatures

Slow go in New Hampshire, Ohio

On the heels of yesterday's news that the House of Representatives will get a GAO investigation into thousands of complaints of election fraud, tampering, manipulation, voter intimidation, misinformation, and various other charges surrounding the events of the November 2nd election, news today out of Ohio and New Hampshire lacked any semblance of a sense of urgency.

In Ohio, a federal judge denied a demand by Green Party presidential candidate David Cobb and Libertarian candidate Michael Badnarik for a recount to begin sooner than December 6, the date on which Ohio's votes are scheduled to be certified. The judge saw no reason to tamper with Ohio's electoral process and speed up the recount.

In New Hampshire, with 2 precincts already recounted and showing virtually no change from the offical count, the effort spearheaded by candidate Ralph Nader has inexplicably slowed to a crawl. The first two precincts were recounted by Friday of last week. Today comes word that the recount of 9 more precincts will continue on Monday. Nader had only requested a recount in 11 precincts which showed statistical anamolies.

No reason has been given for the virtual standstill on the recount and Nader has not publicly commented.

Earlier today, New Mexico certified their results, officially giving the state to Bush, by a razor-thin margin of 5,988 votes. In 2000, Democrat Al Gore won the state with a 366 vote margin.

In his updated blog, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann dissects an "unsolicited" email from Warren Mitofsky which Olbermann, host of the cable news show, "Countdown" says he received after having pollster John Zogby as a guest on Tuesday night's show. Mitofsky is president of Mitofsky International, one of the firms which conducted election day exit polls. These polls have been the subject of considerable debate, especially early results, which showed John Kerry leading in a number of states which he eventually lost.

11/23/04 5:00 PM Eastern: 50,693+ signatures

More news, more help, printing of petition underway

The events of today could not have been much more positive for those seeking to investigate the 2004 presidential election. While various Ohio Board of Elections officials, including one Kenneth Cunningham, Director of the Allen County Board of Elections, made some rather duplicitous statements yesterday, including that the recount effort mounted by David Cobb and Michael Badnarik would financially "crush county governments", news searches revealed a wealth of election fraud stories popping up on independent newspapers across the country.

For the record, Mr. Cunningham received the following email from me, earlier today:

To: Election Commissioner Keith Cunningham

Sir, your statements concerning the Ohio recount are very troubling and I intend to relate them to the American public. To suggest that the recount would financially "crush county governments" is suspect and likely groundless. The importance of fair elections in the United States, in Ohio and elsewhere is paramount to the continuation of our democracy, regardless of the cost.

Any attempt by you to subvert the recount process will be seen as an attempt to distort and hide the truth. I don't know if you are an elected official or appointed and it matters not. Your responsibility is to ensure an accurate and fair vote. All indications are that the election results in Ohio were neither accurate nor fairly achieved.

Your statements and actions display an unwillingness to recount Ohio's vote and by doing so, you expose yourself as an obstacle to democracy.

What is so troublesome to you about a recount? What are you trying to hide?

I think we both know the answer to that question and I challenge you to answer me in print.

Sincerely,

Rick Gagliano
Downtown Magazine
http://www.dtmagazine.com

Also unnoticed by the mainstream media was this press release of November 18 - VOTING PROBLEMS SHOULD BE FULLY INVESTIGATED & RESOLVED, by Kay J. Maxwell, President of the League of Women Voters. How that managed to slip beneath the radar of the the best journalists money can buy is anybody's guess, but it was not even well-reported on the internet. In fact, I didn't even know about it until I read this article: Congress to Revisit Election Reform, by Miles Benson of Newhouse News Service, published only yesterday.

An urgent email was dashed off to the League of Women Voters seeking their aid in our petition effort.

While I was digesting that, news broke that veteran newsman Dan Rather is resigning from the CBS Evening News.

During the day, various members of Congress have been receiving emails from many sources, particularly the people over at democrats.us an "Online Think Tank for Democrats," who graced their home page with a gorgeous pair of links to our petition.

We've still received no response from any member of Congress, and that is sending a mixed message. Either there's a full-blown whitewash going on in Washington, DC, and we're being buffaloed by this GAO investigation, or the Congress is effectively saying something to the effect, "we get the message, and we're on it." We can only hope that is the case.

Either way, it would be nice to hear the voice of a concerned Congressperson some day soon.

Progress on the printing of the petition continues at a steady pace. The signatures have been organized, bad entries removed and the first 15,000 signatures will be printed and ready to go by tonight - a task that I am returning to with all due speed.

December 2nd delivery to Congress remains on target, yet without a sponsor.


For earlier posts follow this link.

Election Main Page - information source and links

Click here for more news and updates about the petition

PETITION FAQ - Answers to questions about the petition.