Florida Election Fraud

Please, let's not forget what happened in the Florida 2000 election. <!--break--> <p>People who voted for third party candidates in 2000 are getting a bit<br />jittery about now. They've<br />been blamed for putting President Bush in office by the Democratic spin<br />doctors who needed someone to blame for losing the election (the one they<br />actually won before it was stolen by the Republicans).<br /><br />The Dems would rather attack third party politics than confront how<br />Florida was rife with election fraud, undoubtedly orchestrated by Florida<br />Governor Jeb Bush and his Republican Secretary of State, Katherine Harris.<br />Ralph Nader is an easier target than the Republican Party, and pointing<br />the finger at a scapegoat is easier than confronting the poorly managed<br />2000 Dem campaign.<br /><br />Let's take a look back and refresh our memories of the things the press<br />discovered when all the attention was turned towards Florida in 2000;<br />investigations that would not have happened if it the election hadn't been<br />so close (with Bush winning by 537 votes).<br /><br />1) In what I'm sure the Palm Beach Election Commission and the State<br />Election Commission must have thought was a clever, fraternity-prank-like<br />move, they made the ballot misleading and confusing to Gore<br />voters, many of whom unknowingly voted for Pat<br />Buchanan. Over 13,000 people in one county did notice<br />their error and filed a complaint to get a new ballot (as<br />prescribed by state law) but were refused.<br />&lt;13,000-plus Gore votes stolen&gt;<br /><br />2) A total of 27,000 votes in Palm Beach County were misread<br />by voting machines, and the Florida Election Commissioner,<br />Katherine Harris stopped these votes from being counted<br />by hand. She did the same thing to Galveston County, one of<br />Florida's blackest, poorest and most Democratic counties,<br />where machines misread 1 out of 8 ballots.<br />&lt;at least 27,000 Gore votes uncounted; likely &gt;<br />3) Harris, who just happened to be the Co-Chairperson for the<br />Republican Party in Florida, hired a firm (with Republican ties)<br />for $4.3 million to generate a list that took 57,700 Democrats<br />off the voting rolls if they happened to have the same name as a<br />felon (without making sure they actually WERE the felon). The list turned<br />out to be 95% wrong in the one county that took on the task of calling<br />each disenfranchised Democrat to verify their status as a felon.<br />&lt;at least 57,700 Gore votes uncounted&gt;<br /><br />These stolen votes - totaling far more than Ralph Nader's 95,000 votes in<br />Florida - would have gone unreported had Florida not become the deciding<br />factor in the 2000 Election. Where has the outrage gone over these stolen<br />votes and why is it now redirected, even by progressives, at a champion of<br />the people who dares to speak truth to power.<br /><br />For Mr. Nader to be unjustly labeled a spoiler is beyond a mathematical<br />error; it is a travesty of justice and an attack on Democracy. Especially<br />since it is clearly documented that, in this country's past, it was third<br />party candidates that brought about social change for the good of<br />the working class (i.e.. the populist movements that gave us the<br />women's right to vote, the abolishment of slavery, social security,<br />minimum wage, the right to form unions and increase their standard<br />of living and their safety). These acts of justice wouldn't have even been<br />touched by the two major parties if reform candidates had not<br />put these issues on the political table.<br /><br />Ralph Nader is doing a great service for America by pushing the needs<br />of the people into the public arena. Most Americans want an end to war,<br />stronger environmental protections, health care for all and a decent<br />living wage (Ralph proposes $10/hr. minimum). Without Ralph Nader, those<br />perspectives would not make it through the corporate wall of campaign cash<br />that stands between both major parties and the American people.<br /><br />In states that are not swing states, where Bush is expected to win<br />easily or Kerry is a slam dunk, a vote for Ralph Nader is like<br />a referendum on the needs of the people. It is safe to vote for a true<br />American patriot, Ralph Nader. So vote your hopes, not your<br />fears, and send a message to the world that Americans expect a return to<br />government &quot;of, for and by the people&quot; rather than two parties selling out<br />our interests to corporate profits.<br /><br /><br /></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="2"></font>

<p>Please, let's not forget what happened in the Florida 2000 election.</p> <!--break--><p>People who voted for third party candidates in 2000 are getting a bit<br />jittery about now. They've<br />been blamed for putting President Bush in office by the Democratic spin<br />doctors who needed someone to blame for losing the election (the one they<br />actually won before it was stolen by the Republicans).</p> <p>The Dems would rather attack third party politics than confront how<br />Florida was rife with election fraud, undoubtedly orchestrated by Florida<br />Governor Jeb Bush and his Republican Secretary of State, Katherine Harris.<br />Ralph Nader is an easier target than the Republican Party, and pointing<br />the finger at a scapegoat is easier than confronting the poorly managed<br />2000 Dem campaign.</p> <p>Let's take a look back and refresh our memories of the things the press<br />discovered when all the attention was turned towards Florida in 2000;<br />investigations that would not have happened if it the election hadn't been<br />so close (with Bush winning by 537 votes).</p> <p>1) In what I'm sure the Palm Beach Election Commission and the State<br />Election Commission must have thought was a clever, fraternity-prank-like<br />move, they made the ballot misleading and confusing to Gore<br />voters, many of whom unknowingly voted for Pat<br />Buchanan. Over 13,000 people in one county did notice<br />their error and filed a complaint to get a new ballot (as<br />prescribed by state law) but were refused.<br />&lt;13,000-plus Gore votes stolen&gt;</p> <p>2) A total of 27,000 votes in Palm Beach County were misread<br />by voting machines, and the Florida Election Commissioner,<br />Katherine Harris stopped these votes from being counted<br />by hand. She did the same thing to Galveston County, one of<br />Florida's blackest, poorest and most Democratic counties,<br />where machines misread 1 out of 8 ballots.<br />&lt;at least 27,000 Gore votes uncounted; likely &gt;<br />3) Harris, who just happened to be the Co-Chairperson for the<br />Republican Party in Florida, hired a firm (with Republican ties)<br />for $4.3 million to generate a list that took 57,700 Democrats<br />off the voting rolls if they happened to have the same name as a<br />felon (without making sure they actually WERE the felon). The list turned<br />out to be 95% wrong in the one county that took on the task of calling<br />each disenfranchised Democrat to verify their status as a felon.<br />&lt;at least 57,700 Gore votes uncounted&gt;</p> <p>These stolen votes - totaling far more than Ralph Nader's 95,000 votes in<br />Florida - would have gone unreported had Florida not become the deciding<br />factor in the 2000 Election. Where has the outrage gone over these stolen<br />votes and why is it now redirected, even by progressives, at a champion of<br />the people who dares to speak truth to power.</p> <p>For Mr. Nader to be unjustly labeled a spoiler is beyond a mathematical<br />error; it is a travesty of justice and an attack on Democracy. Especially<br />since it is clearly documented that, in this country's past, it was third<br />party candidates that brought about social change for the good of<br />the working class (i.e.. the populist movements that gave us the<br />women's right to vote, the abolishment of slavery, social security,<br />minimum wage, the right to form unions and increase their standard<br />of living and their safety). These acts of justice wouldn't have even been<br />touched by the two major parties if reform candidates had not<br />put these issues on the political table.</p> <p>Ralph Nader is doing a great service for America by pushing the needs<br />of the people into the public arena. Most Americans want an end to war,<br />stronger environmental protections, health care for all and a decent<br />living wage (Ralph proposes $10/hr. minimum). Without Ralph Nader, those<br />perspectives would not make it through the corporate wall of campaign cash<br />that stands between both major parties and the American people.</p> <p>In states that are not swing states, where Bush is expected to win<br />easily or Kerry is a slam dunk, a vote for Ralph Nader is like<br />a referendum on the needs of the people. It is safe to vote for a true<br />American patriot, Ralph Nader. So vote your hopes, not your<br />fears, and send a message to the world that Americans expect a return to<br />government "of, for and by the people" rather than two parties selling out<br />our interests to corporate profits.</p> <p></p> <p><font face="Times New Roman" size="2"></font></p>