[Davis Democrats] FW: This is Your Call to Action-election reform

[John Chendo]

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From: Jennifer Hodges <Me at JenniferHodges.com>
Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 13:10:09 -0800
To: Jennifer Hodges <Me at JenniferHodges.com>
Subject: This is Your Call to Action

Hello John Kerry supporters!

You have worked  tirelessly for over a year to elect John Kerry and other
Democratic candidates.  You¹ve donated money, phone banked, registered
voters, wrote letters to the editor, put up lawn signs, knocked on doors and
monitored polls. You were there when they needed you.  They still need you,
perhaps now more than ever.

But more, your Democracy needs you.

We have been extremely cautious with respect to calling you to action
because we are mindful of  accusations of sour grapes or wild conspiracy
theories.  This caution has helped us as we now feel confident enough to
reach out and share what we have learned.  Regardless of whether this
affects the outcome of this election when the electoral college meets on
December 13th, it will affect all future elections:

We believe there were irregularities in crucial voting precincts that may
have influenced the outcome of the election in George Bush¹s favor on
November 2nd.  We believe the only way to restore faith in the integrity of
the electoral process is to investigate these irregularities. We believe
this strongly enough that we ask you to investigate for yourself by reading
the articles below.  Then, we ask you to devote a few more days before you
take your holiday vacation to call for an investigation.

You will be joining a growing chorus of Democrats who suspect that the
message of a fair shake for the middle class did, in fact, resonate with
Middle America.  That Americans really do vote rationally, the way they
always have, and that exit polls tell the truth, the way they always have.

Already, six congress people have filed for an investigation and John
Kerry¹s team of lawyers has been doing an independent investigation.  We
have been calling for electronic voting machines with a paper ballot for
years because we know the alternative is an invitation for fraud.  We need
to know that fraud did not occur.

The mainstream media is beginning to follow this story, led by Keith
Olbermann at MSNBC, whose blog has frequent updates on the state of the
election and the irregularities. Please send him a note at
KOlbermann at msnbc.com thanking him for his journalistic enthusiasm and for
staying on the story.

This is no substitute for the work that needs to happen over the next years.
Work on communicating our message, work on building a deep bench of
qualified candidates, work reviving Democratic appeal to all, regardless of
region or culture.  But without these investigations, it is possible that no
matter how much work we invest, we will never win.

This is your call to action.  Pass this on.

Articles

Evidence Mounts that the Vote Was Hacked
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/110804Z.shtml

Worse Than 2000: Tuesday's Electoral Disaster
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/110804A.shtml

Kerry Won. . . 
http://www.tompaine.com/articles/kerry_won_.php

Ohio Machine Error Gives Bush Extra Votes
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041106/ap_on_el_
pr/voting_problems&cid=694&ncid=1963&sid=96378798

Broward machines count backward
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/politics/content/news/epaper/2004/11/05
/a29a_BROWVOTE_1105.html

Sites to visit and support

Black Box Voting 
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=3D65najb44.0.ciy7jb44.d9spuyn6.8104&=
p=3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.blackboxvoting.org

Votergate
 http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=3D65najb44.0.fiy7jb44.d9spuyn6.8104&=
p=3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.votergate.tv

Verified Voting 
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=3D65najb44.0.diy7jb44.d9spuyn6.8104&=
p=3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.verifiedvoting.org

Election Protection
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=3D65najb44.0.foe8z7n6.d9spuyn6.8104&=
p=3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.lawyerscommittee.org%2Fhome.html

Voters Unite
 http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=3D65najb44.0.eiy7jb44.d9spuyn6.8104&=
p=3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.votersunite.org%2Felectionproblems.asp


People and media to contact

A quick guide to each state¹s democratic party.
http://www.democrats.org/states/

Find contact info for all senators, representatives and Secretaries of State
http://www.firstgov.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml

The People¹s Email Network
http://www.thepen.us/e-fraud.html

Contact info for state election directors
http://cadca.org/CoalitionResources/ElectionGuide/EG-Appendix3.asp

Great Congressional guide to local media by state.
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/media/

Also these journalists:
ftn at cbsnews.com ; evening at cbsnews.com
;hardball at msnbc.com ; nightly at nbc.com ; MTP at NBC.com ;today at nbc.com ;
niteline at abc.com ; ETAUDR at abc.com ;wnn at abcnews.com ; letters at msnbc.com ;
2020 at abc.com ; 60ll at cbsnews.com ; aaronbrown at cnn.com ; am at cnn.com
;cnn at cnn.com ; Colmes at foxnews.com ; Fox at foxnews.com ;imus at msnbc.com ;
Jack.Cafferty at turner.com ;jconason at observer.com ; wolf at cnn.com ;
Joe at msnbc.com ;LarryKingLive at turner.com ; Lateedition at cnn.com
;letters at charleskrauthammer.com ; liberties at nytimes.com; LouDobbs at cnn.com ;
Norville at msnbc.com ;NYTDirect at nytimes.com ;PeterJennings at abcnews.com
;Public at nytimes.com ; sidney_blumenthal at yahoo.com ;Ted.Koppel at abc.com ;
greg.ip at wsj.com ; editor at usatoday.com


Sample Letter to Media  (tailor this letter for election officials and
congress people):

Every journalist and news organization has a vested interest in
investigating and exposing any possible fraud that may have damaged our
democracy on November 2nd.  Whether it is the kind of fraud that happened in
2000 or tampering with the vulnerable and republican-owned electronic voting
machines that evidence suggests occurred.

The House Judiciary Committee has asked the GAO to investigate numerous
problems with the election process, and stories continue to point to
irregularities that can no longer be ignored.

The press declared a mea culpa one year after passively reporting  the
misinformation fed to it in the lead up to the Iraq invasion. You can
restore your reputation by helping Americans restore our faith in the
integrity of the election system and to declare that ³There are certain
things that should never be privatized.  Democracy is one of them.²

If you have any doubt that what happened November 2nd was anything but a
fair and square victory for the George Bush administration, it is your duty
as a journalist to follow your instinct.  You will be rewarded.  You will
have half the country rooting for you, and grassroots groups eager to
support you as you call for an investigation.

Please, step up to the plate!



Jennifer Hodges
California Grassroots for Kerry
Director, Speakers Bureau & Constituent Groups
p 310.289.5438
c 323.646.0632



I¹ve been trying to write to you all for a few hours but nothing seems
appropriate.  

I feel like I¹ve been punched in the chest.  Like I did after September
11th.  Like I did when my mother died.

But it¹s not because of any self absorbed pity for us having put so much
blood sweat and tears into this campaign.

It¹s because John Kerry should be President of the United States.  And
America will realize that only when it¹s too late.

John Kerry is a man of integrity, grace, strength and maturity.   He
embodies the America of my dreams and distant memories.  I was honored and
deeply transformed by participating in the massive mobilization to get this
man elected. 

I was also honored and deeply transformed by working with, and getting to
know and love all of you, my compatriots.  Your dedication, humor,
professionalism and goodness reassures me that this nation cannot and will
not suffer for long.  She will once again be a beacon to all who want to be
shown the light.  But it is up to us.

I truly believe that in order to see our vision for this country realized,
we must stay unified, energized, organized and positive.  There is much work
to do both locally and nationally, politically and culturally, physically
and spiritually.   Take the month to mourn, rest and regroup.  Spend
Thanksgiving truly giving thanks for a fight well fought, and a man worth
fighting for.

Then, I invite all of you to join me as we look to the future and begin that
work.  We here in Southern California will keep our structure, though we
will shift our focus.  To those elsewhere, please keep in touch, let me know
how you are staying engaged.  What groups you recommend, people you believe
in that may need support as they run for office, issues and news that needs
to be investigated and exposed.

Help communicate our values and reframe the debate with those who have been
misled by a political and media machinery that is broken and needs to be
replaced.  Continue to give of your talent, time, money and networks so the
foundation upon which we stand will be the only dry, solid, high ground left
when the flood comes.

Thank you again, and God bless us all.


Jennifer Hodges
California Grassroots for Kerry
Director, Speakers Bureau & Constituent Groups
p 310.289.5438
c 323.646.0632