Free Republic

I never felt any longing to go to Orlando, Florida. What I felt, in traveling south to volunteer for the campaign of George W. Bush, was an obligation. Let me explain by first saying something about the critics of our president. A great many of them like to laugh at George Bush for not reading books and for being uninterested in visiting other countries. But a lot of those same people are guilty of the opposite offense. They prefer to read books and travel abroad rather than actually getting to know their own country face to face. These critics do...

From Electoral-Vote.com: I have it on good authority that overseas voters are registering in huge numbers this time, maybe double or triple 2000. I was told that the number of people who showed up at the Democratic party caucus in England earlier this year was 10 times what it was in 2000, ditto in other countries. Americans overseas vote in the state they last lived in, even if that was decades ago. There are about 7 million overseas Americans and probably about 5 million are over 18. In Florida, it was the overseas absentee ballots that swung the election. I...

Dan Rather came under criticism after it was revealed by the Washington Post that he had given a keynote speech at a fund-raiser for Texas Democrats: GERALDO RIVERA: Let me just read you this news account, April 5th, USA Today: "Conservatives and pundits had a field day at Dan Rather's expense Wednesday after the CBS anchor apologized for being the star attraction at a recent Democratic fundraiser in Texas that raised 20 grand." Was that one of the worst mistakes you've made at least recently? DAN RATHER: Well, it certainly was one of the dumbest mistakes I ever made. But...

September 9, 2004 Documents Suggest Special Treatment for Bush in Guard By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE and RALPH BLUMENTHAL ASHINGTON, Sept. 8 - President Bush's Vietnam-era service in the National Guard came under renewed scrutiny on Wednesday as newfound documents emerged from his squadron commander's file that suggested favorable treatment. At the same time, a once powerful Texas Democrat came forward to say that he had "abused my position of power" by helping Mr. Bush and others join the Guard. Democrats also worked to stoke the issue with a new advertisement by a Texas group that featured a former lieutenant colonel,...

Have at him!

Excerpts.... The Kerry end is near? At this precise time every four years, the most media-savvy members of the Gang of 500 begin to think about their roles in the premiere post-election forum that revisits the actions and players of the presidential race. But if nothing changes in the race as it now stands — with President Bush winning a decent-sized victory — much of the talk will be about the greater technical proficiency of the Bush-Cheney effort.Democrats, who deny up and down that they had anything to do with the documents, tell ABC News that they plan to continue...

<p>September 10, 2004 -- THE populist revolu tion against the so- called mainstream media continues. Yesterday, the citizen journalists who produce blogs on the Internet — and their engaged readers — engaged in the wholesale exposure of what appears to be a presidential-year dirty trick against George W. Bush. What the bloggers and their audiences did was call into profound question the authenticity of four documents proudly trumpeted by CBS News in a much-heralded investigative report on Wednesday night's edition of "60 Minutes" about the president's National Guard service in the early 1970s.</p>

This is a serious crime, altering military records to not only slander a war-time President, but that also suggest criminal activity. These forged memos suggested serious charges against our President, and should not be taken lightly. Whenever the Democrats suggest the Republicans might have done something wrong, they demand a full-scale congressional investigations. These memos are linked to sources inside the DNC, and it is important to get to the bottom of this. Whomever did this commited a serious crime. Our limp-wristed Representives must grow a backbone and demand that this be thoroughly and quickly investigated. I can guarentee you,...

The Federal Election Commission leadership is "corrupt" and should resign for refusing to regulate political groups that are spending millions of dollars to attack both presidential candidates, Sen. John McCain said yesterday. [snip]Retired Adm. Roy Hoffman, founder of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and Mr. Kerry's former commander, also told Time that his group will run the ads until the election, despite condemnation from Republicans and Democrats. The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth has raised $2.5 million on its Web site since the original advertising buy of $500,000. Anti-Bush groups such as America Coming Together, MoveOn.org and the Media...

Presidential candidate John Kerry can count on the support of at least one group of Vietnam Veterans – and they're still in Vietnam. Following Kerry's denunciation of the ad by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, criticizing him for exaggerating his war record, a group of former U.S. soldiers gathered in Hanoi to express their support for Kerry and to call President Bush a "draft dodger" for his service in the Texas Air National Guard during the war. And they were selling T-shirts to tourists to raise money for Kerry's campaign. The $5 shirts sport a picture of President Bush with...

WASHINGTON - Three campaign finance watchdog groups filed a complaint Tuesday accusing a group of Vietnam veterans of violating the campaign finance law by airing an ad that challenges Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry (news - web sites)'s military record. Democracy 21, the Center for Responsive Politics and the Campaign Legal Center argue that the ad by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth violates a federal ban on the use of unlimited donations, often referred to as "soft money," to influence federal elections. In the ad, the group accuses Kerry, a decorated Vietnam veteran, of lying about his war record and...

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A team of international observers will monitor the presidential election in November, according to the U.S. State Department. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe was invited to monitor the election by the State Department. The observers will come from the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. It will be the first time such a team has been present for a U.S. presidential election. "The U.S. is obliged to invite us, as all OSCE countries should," spokeswoman Urdur Gunnarsdottir said. "It's not legally binding, but it's a political commitment. They signed a document 10...

(CNSNews.com) - A government watchdog group says the finances of the "Vote for Change" rock-music tour deserve the same scrutiny as the finances for the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ad campaign. The controversial Swift Boat ad features Vietnam Veterans who accuse Sen. John F. Kerry of lying about his war record. The Democratic Party says none of the veterans appearing in the ad served on a Swift Boat with Kerry. Democrats call the ad completely false -- a smear campaign. The Vote for Change tour - featuring Bruce Springsteen and other anti-Bush pop music celebrities - is billed...

Bruce Springsteen, REM, and more tour for political change. SEATTLE, WA.  Friday 8.6.2004  /netmusiccountdown.com/ -- Is political change in the air for the USA? Artists like Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, REM, John Mellencamp, Babyface, John Fogerty, The Dave Matthews Band, Ben Harper, Pearl Jam and the Dixie Chicks hope so. These musicians, along with James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, Jurassic 5, Keb' Mo', Bright Eyes, Death Cab for Cutie and My Morning Jacket, have formed a coalition of musicians who make up the Vote For Change Tour. Presented by MoveOn PAC, the tour launches October 1, one month before the...

With a fervor that hasn't been witnessed since musicians in the late '60s united to protest President Richard M. Nixon and America's involvement in the Vietnam War, some of the biggest names in popular music are coming together for an unprecedented series of fund-raising concerts with the goal of unseating President Bush on Nov. 2. Superstars from several diverse genres in rock and country -- among them Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews, R.E.M., Pearl Jam and the Dixie Chicks -- are among the more than 20 bands taking part in the Vote for Change tour, announced Wednesday with a publicity blitz...

New York Times August 5, 2004 OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR Chords for Change By BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN nation's artists and musicians have a particular place in its social and political life. Over the years I've tried to think long and hard about what it means to be American: about the distinctive identity and position we have in the world, and how that position is best carried. I've tried to write songs that speak to our pride and criticize our failures. These questions are at the heart of this election: who we are, what we stand for, why we fight. Personally, for the last...

Artists back effort to unseat Bush Several leading Norwegian artists are donating works to a local campaign aimed at driving US President George W Bush out of office. The campaign, called "Tellhim.no," is raising money to place an ad in the Washington Post just before the US election in November. The artists include painter Frans Widerberg and photographer Morten Krogvold. One of Widerberg's paintings, for example, will be auctioned in August over the campaign's web site, with proceeds from a sale going towards efforts to unseat Bush. "We are frustrated and shaken over what's been going on," Widerberg told Norwegian...

As I understand it, broadcasts advocating the election or defeat of a candidate for federal office cannot be aired X days before a general election. If that is the case then isn't it the case that: 1. Michael Moore is prohibited from running commercials for the DVD/Video release of F911 within that period of time before the general election; and 2. Cable companies are prohibited from broadcasting F911 (either programmed broadcasting or "on demand" pay-per-view) within that period before the general election? Has there been anything written on this? Is there any litigation or FEC complaints pending?

July 13, 2004, 1:41AM Kerry forms legal team to fight abuse at polls By STEWART M. POWELL and MARK HELM Hearst News Service BOSTON --Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry on Monday announced creation of a nationwide legal SWAT team of election lawyers to combat the kind of voting irregularities that occurred in Florida four years ago, contributing to the disputed election of President Bush by five electoral votes. Kerry said his team would take "tough action" to prevent the kind of voter "intimidation and harassment" that kept an estimated 1 million African-American voters from the polls in 2000 and prevented...

Fake voter sign-ups increasing By ERIN NEFF and BRIAN HAYNES REVIEW-JOURNAL Nevada's position as a battleground state in the presidential election has sparked a surge in fake voter registrations, Clark County's top election official said. "We've never seen anything close to this," said Larry Lomax, registrar of voters. So far, the office has flagged several hundred suspicious registration forms, but Lomax believes many more escaped detection among the 5,000 forms coming through his office every week. "There are stupid criminals out there, and there are smart ones," Lomax said. "We can spot the stupid ones because they submit them in...

According to some Democratic lawmakers, you aren't capable of voting this year without a United Nations monitor making sure you get it right. Nine prominent Democrats, elected members of the House of Representatives, have sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, begging him to send UN monitors to oversee the 2004 election. Florida representative Eddie Bernice Johnson led the latest effort to subvert the sovereignty of the United States and place us under the control of the increasingly-corrupt United Nations. Let me get this straight. A group of Democrats want to bring some people from countries like North Korea,...

One Man, Two Registrations Michael Moore simultaneously on voter rolls in New York, Michigan JUNE 28--Prior to last week's Washington, D.C. premiere of "Fahrenheit 9/11," Michael Moore denied that the new film represents his de facto endorsement of John Kerry. "I am an Independent," the filmmaker told reporters. "I'm not a member of the Democratic party." Which is not exactly correct. New York City Board of Elections records show that Moore, 50, registered to vote in Gotham in 1992, checking off "Democratic" as his party affiliation (below you'll find a copy of his original registration form). He listed his address...

Why am I running for governor of Texas in 2006? Why the hell not? I already have several good campaign slogans, starting with "How hard could it be?" Compared with the daunting financial crunch that Arnold Schwarzenegger inherited when he became governor of California, being governor of Texas is a notoriously easy gig. It's rather like being the judge of a giant chili cook-off. Consider that in the past a series of wealthy Texas oilmen have ascended to the office, some of them rarely bothering to leave their ranches to go to Austin unless there was a football game. And...

By now I'm sure you've heard of www.democraticunderground.com ... a website where your Democrat neighbors can go to trade ideas and thoughts about this year's election. One of our alert listeners lifted a few postings on this website that I thought you might enjoy. Here, my friends, are your loving, compassionate Democratic neighbors at work. Why don't we all sit back and let them chose our next president ... waddaya say? Here's the first post: As we've heard again and again recently, if we are going to beat this bunch of rule breaking GOP misanthropes, we're going to have to...

I have come across, (in the Japanese language), the directing of Japanese in Japan (foreign nationals/small contributions) to stateside contribution websites for the HOWARD DEAN FOR PRESIDENT campaign.The Japanese site is located located at:http://web.sfc.keio.ac.jp/~lune1978/mt/archives/000218.htmlThe post is from mid-August, but is still up. You will need a font/browser and Japanese language comprehension capabilities to understand the solicitation. This report follows research provided to FREE REPUBLIC in August 2003 [ http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/953876/posts ] also exposing the DENNIS KUCINICH campaign (which is still openly soliciting in Japanese FOREIGN CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS), on the internet in Japan. This also follows Matt Drudge's recent expose on...

(You will need a browser with Japanese font capability, and ability to comprehend written Japanese) As a FReeper Researcher, I have just come across a JAPANESE organization, based on an overseas JAPANESE website, in JAPANESE, that is encouraging foreigners to contribute money to and assist the "Campaign for American President Dennis Kucinich".The URL of the activity was located at:http://www.peace2001.org/ The organization is called "Global Peace Campaign" located in Japan. It is part of an umbrella of socialist and communist organizations opposing US efforts in Iraq, it supports North Korea, and is aligned with the usual communist movements.The website has...

CAMPAIGN CASH RACE TURNS INTERNATIONAL; MOVEON.ORG CENTER OF INTRIGUE; CLARK SEEKS CANADIAN SUPPORT, WEBSITE SHOWS Frustrated with the lack of domestic support, left-leaning website moveon.org has apparently been reaching beyond American borders to generate cash revenue over the Internet! The provocative international fundraising strategy threatens to embroil the presidential candidacy of General Wesley Clark and former Vermont Governor Howard Dean. Both men are named on international fundraising websites suggesting donations to moveon.org... Moveon.org, which has been running ads critical of the Bush Administration, has named an "International Campaigns Director." It is not clear how much money has been raised from...