Posted on 09/11/2004 7:17:03 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - Democrat John Kerry (news - web sites) suggested Saturday night that Republicans may attempt to suppress black voter turnout to help President Bush (news - web sites) to victory in November.
"What they did in Florida in 2000, they may be planning to do in battleground states all across this country this year," the Democratic presidential nominee said in remarks prepared for delivery to the Congressional Black Caucus (news - web sites). "Well, we are here to let them know that we will fight tooth and nail to make sure that this time, every vote is counted and every vote counts."
Kerry has a team of lawyers to examine possible voting problems to try to prevent a repeat of the 2000 election disputes. He also has said he has thousands of lawyers around the country prepared to monitor the polls on election day.
"We're not going to stand by and allow another million African American votes to go uncounted in this election," Kerry said. "We're not going to stand by and allow acts of voter suppression."
The Massachusetts senator criticized the president for failing to meet with the caucus since his first month in office and for what he said was a failure to meet the Biblical standard set by the Good Samaritan to help others in need.
Bush-Cheney spokesman Steve Schmidt said the campaign would not respond to Kerry's "baseless, divisive attacks" until Sunday. "Today is a day of remembrance," he said.
Earlier Saturday, Kerry recalled the good works done in memory of those who died in the Sept. 11 terrorist strikes that killed nearly 3,000 people.
"While Sept. 11th was the worst day we have ever seen, it brought out the best in all of us," Kerry told families of Massachusetts victims during a memorial at the Boston Opera House. He delivered the same message in the weekly Democratic radio address.
"In the years ahead, we will share its lessons with our children and grandchildren," he said. "We will tell them that on Sept. 11, ordinary men and women became heroes at a moment's notice — and so can you. We will tell them that we were strong because we took care of each other — and so can you."
At 8:46 a.m. — the moment three years ago that American Airlines Flight 11 hit the north tower — Kerry was visiting a memorial to Massachusetts victims. He laid white lilies at the memorial, located in Boston's Public Garden, then attended a private breakfast with families of the victims before the memorial service.
The two hijacked planes that crashed at the World Trade Center originated at Boston's Logan Airport. Victims of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon (news - web sites) included nearly 200 people who either lived in Massachusetts or had ties to the state.
Kerry also issued a statement Saturday calling on Bush to release a 2001 report by the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board that reportedly recommended a major restructuring of the U.S. intelligence community, including establishing a single intelligence director.
The board's chairman, retired Lt. Gen. Brent Scowcroft, was national security adviser under Bush's father and President Ford.
"The White House has held this important report under wraps for nearly three years while resisting efforts to strengthen the intelligence services that are essential to preventing terrorist attacks and protecting our nation," Kerry said in the statement. "What is the White House hiding? Why shouldn't the Congress and the American people be able to fully consider General Scowcroft's recommendations?"
Kerry seems to be doing a good job at depressing black turnout himself.
focus on rather
So Kerry is already anticipating low support in the Democrats' core voter block.
On a positive note, it is nice that he still has not locked up their votes at this stage. The more time he has to spend courting the blacks, the less time he is able to devote to battleground states.
I'm just boggled that anyone is listening or paying attention to Kerry and actually thinking he's still a good possible leader for this country.
In other news, John Edwards has warned parents that, if re-elected, Dick Cheney will come to your house and eat your children.
All one has to see is -- Nedra Pickler - AP, and you know it is going to be a pro-Kerry-gushfest.
I guess they figure it's time to change the subject. The National Guard story isn't working out so well.
Is sKerry lining up his post election day strategy?
I think lurch should elaborate a bit when he says "they'll do what they did in Florida." Just what did "they" do in florida.
It's my recollection that the DNC had a phone bank set up the morning of the election in florida and they called a lot of elderly dem voters and suggested to them that they were confused by the butterfly ballots and probably voted for bush by mistake. As is to be expected the elderly in these communities started getting hysterical. Yeah, I expect more of this sort of thing from the DNC this year.
I guess Clinton is going to let him use his "black churches are burning" commercials.
These guys need a new playbook.
Wait for the Dems to prepare Florida for voting irregularities, postponements, recounts, disenfranchisment fits..in the aftermath of the storms..as a gaming the system card...It will happen...
Actually concerned that rural areas will have greater issues for voting vs. the cities....A little worried for our end.
Suppressing votes? Even Ice T on Law & Order confessed once that his character is a pubbie.
This woe is me attitude is nauseating. Take a hike pal. People who like to be independent like to vote for the little guy, not the mindless one.
Right. Mr. Kerry, out with it: what do you think the Republicans did in Florida in 2000?
Maybe he can come up with some documents to support this claim.
Kerry's internals must look horrible. Playing the race card like this is beyond the pale. He must really be hurting- he's going for broke cause he has nothing to lose.
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