DISTURBING! The Electric Chair for Katherine Harris and Ken Blackwell

Magic City Morning Star ^ | Feb. 26, 2005 | Stephen Crockett

[mattnaugle]

The Electric Chair for Katherine Harris and Ken Blackwell By Stephen Crockett Feb 26, 2005, 09:01

I think that Katherine Harris and Ken Blackwell deserve the death penalty for their actions as state election officials in the 2000 and 2004 elections. Current federal law does not permit the death penalty for their actions and Constitutional restrictions make it impossible to give them the electric chair by changing the law. However, I still believe that their actions in a morally sound legal system would see them on trial for their lives!

Katherine Harris as the Republican Secretary of State in Florida during the 2000 elections seemed to be using her office to promote the election of George W. Bush over the wishes of Florida voters. She was co-chair of the Bush campaign in Florida while serving as the top election official in the state. The conflict of interest was obvious. The potential for abuse was obvious. According to the investigative reporter and author Greg Palast, the actions of Harris and her office denied almost a 100,000 voters their right to vote or their right to have their vote counted. Almost all were Democrats! Details are available in Palast's book, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy.

Instead of being prosecuted for denying Florida citizens their vote, Republicans politicians created a safe seat in Congress for Katherine Harris. It looks likely that she will be seeking higher office in Florida. Since many of the voters who were illegally kicked off the voting rolls still have not been returned to active status, Harris has a chance of winning. Winning office by denying voters their voting rights should be a death penalty crime. In my opinion, any government official who uses their power to engage in a massive campaign to deny citizens their voting rights is committing a crime worse than treason in wartime.

Ken Blackwell as Secretary of State in Ohio during the 2004 election seemed to be trying to copy the Katherine Harris model. Voting machines were distributed to make voting difficult for Democrats. Crazy regulations that made registering difficult came out of his office. He played a key role in the Bush campaign while serving as the top election official statewide. An effective statewide hand recount was largely blocked because of Blackwell. Key state records are being denied access to the citizens of Ohio by his actions. Lawyers who challenge the vote recount procedures are being persecuted by the Republican Ohio Attorney General in legal actions on behalf of Blackwell. Many of the Ohio vote problems and Blackwell's role in them are documented at "Stolen Election 2004."

Denying voting rights to American citizens attacks the whole concept of American freedom. It is disgusting and morally repugnant. Something terrible has happened to the mindset of Republican leaders at the very top levels that makes winning power more important than American traditions, American values and American freedom. Our very American Democracy is being threatened.

The average Republican voter is unaware of the abuse. Most Republican voters would not put winning power over American traditions of free and fair elections. Democratic officeholders are in denial as well in many cases. Our election system simply stinks! Anyone who does not understand the weaknesses of our current voting system should read Black Box Voting by Bev Harris.

Only now, almost 5 years after Harris started purging the voting rolls in Florida in a partisan fashion, has the Democratic leadership in the US Senate made voting reform a legislative high priority. The Boxer-Clinton Voting Reform Bill is a great first step requiring a verified voting paper-trail, equal access to voting machines, advance notice of voting roll purges, etc.

However, we need to add stiff criminal penalties for any government official who denies the voting rights of large numbers of citizens. My liberal co-host on Democratic Talk Radio, Al Lawrence and I disagree on the penalty. Al Lawrence believes that they should face life in prison without parole. As the more conservative Democrat on our program, I support the death penalty in these types of cases. We both agree that crimes against American Democracy are the most serious types of crimes in existence next to genocide.

If I had my way, I would see Katherine Harris and Ken Blackwell strapped down to electric chairs and lit up like Christmas trees. The better to light the way for American Democracy and American Freedom!

Written by: Stephen Crockett (co-host of Democratic Talk Radio www.DemocraticTalkRadio.com).

[MeekOneGOP]

Thank you, sir! :^D

[kfander]

I find it particularly interesting when someone criticizes the Magic City Morning Star for publishing an article from a far leftist, especially considering that, as the publisher, I am to the right of the Republican Party. I voted for Peroutka in November, not because I thought the Constitution Party had a prayer of winning but because I couldn't hold my nose tightly enough to vote for either Bush or Kerry.

The Magic City Morning Star is not Crockett's "web newspaper," crappy or otherwise. He is simply one of many writers who contribute. If you'd look around, you'd find people from throughout the political spectrum.

Reasonable people don't avert their eyes or cringe when confronted with something they disagree with.

We've had articles linked to from Rush Limbaugh's site, WorldNet Daily, national and state GOP sites, as well as Christianity Today; and we've been linked to from the Democratic Underground, Buzzflash, and several leftist sites.

I haven't voted for a Democrat since 1972, but I am pleased to give Crockett a forum. He writes well and people read his material. Mature people can decide for themselves whether they want to agree with him.

I get complaints from leftists whenever I publish articles from Doug Wrenn or Mark Oaks. When I publish material from Stephen Crockett or Charles Cutter, I hear from the Republicans. When I publish Grant Swank's stuff, everyone complains. The Christians complain when I publish something from a Muslim and the Muslims are upset when I publish something from a Christian.

Are you really so afraid to read something that you might disagree with that you'd like repeal that nonsense about freedom of speech?

Crockett didn't suggest murdering someone. He suggested that they be put to death. In a country where capital punishment is a reality, that's really not the same thing.

Was it preposterous? Certainly, but can you really tell me that you've never heard anything over the top from a conservative radio talk show host?

Ken Anderson
Publisher, Magic City Morning Star, and
Millinocket Republican Party Caucus Chairman

[Diana in Wisconsin]

"Was it preposterous? Certainly, but can you really tell me that you've never heard anything over the top from a conservative radio talk show host?"

Not sure why you addressed your rant to me, when there were others that disagreed with Crockett as well?

That said, I always like to research where an article or opinion piece comes from, so I know where they're "coming from." Nothing wrong with that, IMHO.

I mean, why swallow someone's views hook, line & sinker if you don't have background info on them?

"Reasonable people don't avert their eyes or cringe when confronted with something they disagree with."

I think if you "look around" Free Republic, you'll find articles and points of views from all over. Heck, this week I brought articles here from Women's eNews which is a total male-bashing, poor-me-I'm-a-woman site, as well as an article from The Socialist Worker's web page for discussion.

One of my favorite quotes:

"Don't join the book burners. Don't think you're going to conceal faults by concealing evidence that they ever existed. Don't be afraid to go in your library and read every book!" ~ Dwight D. Eisenhower

BUT, I also reserve the right to exercise my own First Amendment Right...if someone seems like a whack job, I have the right to state that. And, IMHO, Crockett seems unbalanced and scarey, calling for the death of people he disagrees with.

But, please feel free to post links to the examples of this behavior that you find on the Conservative side, and anyone else, please feel free to hi-jack this conversation and tell Mr. Anderson (Mr. Anderson? THAT 'Mr. Anderson?') your views if you'd care to. :)

[kfander]

Diana, my words were intended for the thread as a whole, and not to you specifically. I'm not familiar with this forum software and so didn't know how to do that. I suppose I could have simply replaced your name with "All" or some such thing.

My only criteria for publishing an article is its potential for interesting (even if enraging) my readers, that it is reasonably well written, and that it not likely to result in my being either sued or arrested.

I enjoy well-written articles that I disagree with, and find that they spark interesting and perhaps even health discussions.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

OK. Just checkin'. You should become familiar with us. There are quite a few terrific writers amongst us.

If you'd like to send me an e-mail (click on my name) I know of two other people from another board that are published in their local newspaper Op/Ed sections quite often. Of course, they're both conservative, but I've yet to see them call for anyone's death over an issue, LOL!