Posted on 08/09/2005 1:45:46 PM PDT by Tumbleweed_Connection
All reasonable people know it -- it was well documented by various media sources throughout the 2004 election and now we have the concrete proof: Democrats and their operatives were far and away more involved in voter intimidation, fraud, suppression and, yes, disenfranchisement, than Republicans. It's not even close. But don't take our word for it liberals, read the 368-page report by the non-partisan American Center for Voting Rights yourself.
The mission statement on the American Center for Voting Rights web site describes the organization in the following manner:
The American Center For Voting Rights (ACVR) was founded in February 2005 to protect the election process and zealously guard the constitutional right of all citizens to participate in deciding elections in a fair and equal manner free from discrimination, intimidation and fraud. ACVR will defend the election process through on-going civil litigation. ACVR’s activities will include voter education concerning election law and the election process to increase public understanding and thereby confidence in the fairness and outcome of elections. ACVR will sponsor symposiums and conferences with prominent legal scholars and election officials to address ways to improve the election process and increase public confidence that these processes contribute to fair and honest elections. ACVR is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that neither supports nor endorses any political party or candidate.
They are, apparently, dedicated to assuring that elections in this country are fair and are indeed non-partisan. Brian Lunde, a board member of the ACVR legislative fund and one of the authors of the report, is a former DNC executive director. Mark F. "Thor" Hearne, counsel for the ACVR, is a former attorney in two Republican administrations. Sounds fair and balanced to me. And it's certainly doesn't appear that the ACVR is a front group for some conservative organization with an agenda. Of course fair elections are exactly what conservatives are looking for. And the common knowledge for years has been that Democrats are the ones engaging in and benefiting from voter fraud. It's practically a given that they have to to win elections. This report confirms this as a fact.
Notwithstanding the fact that all you seemed to hear about during the 2004 election was voter fraud by Democrats, there are some things that just didn't make sense in the results of the 2004 election (and the 2000 election for that matter). One of these is the fact that, when you look at the red/blue map, that map is dominated by red -- they don't call America "Bush Country" for nothing -- but the election results in 2004 were still relatively close and razor thin in 2000. Of course you expect blue to be dominant in the larger population centers where there are traditionally more Democratic voters. But the larger Democratic population centers are also ripe for voter fraud based on the sheer number of voters. And wouldn't you know, all five of the areas mentioned in the introduction letter to the report -- Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Seattle, St. Louis/East St. Louis and Cleveland were all big Democratic voter populations centers. But it doesn't end there. A couple pages later, the table of contents lists all of the states that had voter fraud significant enough to rate their own section in the report. Not surprisingly, all these states were either Democrat strongholds or serious battleground states. And it doesn't get any better for the Democrats in the executive summary.
The executive summary begins with this fair and balanced assessment of the ACVR's ambitious goals in documenting the election fraud situation in the 2004 election:
The American Center For Voting Rights Legislative Fund (“ACVR Legislative Fund”)was founded on the belief that public confidence in our electoral system is the cornerstone of our democracy. ACVR Legislative Fund was established primarily to further the common good and general welfare of the citizens of the United States of America by educating the public about vote fraud, intimidation and discrimination which impacts the Constitutional right of all citizens to participate in the electoral process. This important task requires an honest accounting of activity during the 2004 election, so that we may move forward with a common set of facts to address the issues that undermine public confidence in American elections. ACVR Legislative Fund presents the following report as the most comprehensive and authoritative look at the facts
surrounding allegations of vote fraud, intimidation and suppression leveled by both parties during the 2004 election.
* Before, during and after the 2004 election, the Democrats and the Kerry Campaign mantra was that hundreds and thousands -- perhaps millions -- of voters were "disenfranchised" by Republican voter intimidation and suppression. It was a charge Kerry was still slinging around last April and was being leveled by the esteemed DNC chair Howard Dean as recently as June (and probably still):
“The Republicans are all about suppressing votes: two voting machines if you live in a black district, 10 voting machines if you live in a white district. … You know, the idea that you have to wait on line for eight hours to cast your ballot in Florida there’s something the matter with that. … Well, Republicans, I guess, can do that because a lot of them never made an honest living in their lives.” (7)
“Some have alleged that precincts in predominantly African American or Democratic precincts were deliberately targeted for a reduction in voting machines, thus creating the only lines in the county. I can assure you Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, both as a leader in the black community and Chairman of the local Democratic Party and a labor leader and Chairman of the Board of Elections, that these accusations are simply not true.” (10)
Anthony noted that the entire process for allocating voting machines in the county was controlled by a Democratic supervisor. (12) He cited three reasons for the long lines in Franklin County on Election Day 2004: increased voter turnout, static resources and an exceptionally long ballot. (13) Finally, Anthony was “personally offended” by these allegations. As he told The Columbus Dispatch, “I am a black man. Why would I sit there and disenfranchise voters in my own community? … I feel like they’re accusing me of suppressing the black vote. I’ve fought my whole life for people’s right to vote.” (14)
So what Anthony is saying here is that he is offended by the lies of many of the prominent leaders in his party regarding voter suppression -- including his party's own presidential candidate.
This instance is one of six in the section entitled Charges Of Voter Intimidation & Suppression Made Against Republican Supporters. The report systematically debunks all of these six charges made against Republicans in much the same manner as it debunks the "voter suppression" charge. When you get into the next section, Charges Of Voter Intimidation & Suppression Made Against Democratic Supporters, it's a different story entirely.
The section of the report detailing charges of Democratic voter suppression, intimidation, "disenfranchisement" and outright fraud contains nine well-documented charges and a huge laundry list of other documented incidents around the country. Most of these are ones people who were following the election will remember.
Remember the incident involving allegations of Democratic operatives slashing the tires of Republican get-out-the-vote vans in Milwaukee? Here are the actual indictments in the case:
The following is a list of the individuals charged with slashing tires on the morning of November 2, 2004, and their connections to the Democrat campaign in 2004:
Michael J. Pratt
* Paid $7,965.53 by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin in 2004
* Pratt’s father is former Acting Mayor Marvin Pratt, who chaired the Kerry-Edwards campaign in Milwaukee
Sowande Ajumoke Omodunde (a.k.a “Supreme Solar Allah”)
* Paid $6,059.83 by Gwen Moore for Congress and the Democratic Party of Wisconsin in 2004
* Son of U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI)
Lewis Gibson Caldwell, III
* Paid $4,639.09 by Gwen Moore for Congress and the Democratic Party of Wisconsin in 2004
Lavelle Mohammad
* Paid $8,858.50 by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and America Coming Together ($966 for canvassing work in June and July) in 2004
Justin J. Howell
* Paid $2,550.29 in 2004 by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin (62)
While the Kerry-Edwards campaign and state Democrats denied knowledge of the plan to vandalize the Republican get-out-the-vote vehicles, the vehicle used by the defendants was rented by (DNC consultant Opel)Simmons, a political consultant from Virginia working for the DNC in Wisconsin. According to the criminal complaint filed in the case, Simmons told police that he had rented the vehicle “to be used by his workers for their campaign activities.” When questioned by police on the night of November 2, Simmons said he knew that five of his workers were involved in slashing tires at Republican headquarters early that morning, and identified all five defendants to police. (67)
* Court Issues Injunction Against Democrat Operatives Targeting Ohio Voters With Phone Calls Providing Deceptive Information to Voters
Ohio voters who had identified themselves as Republicans received telephone calls telling them that the election was to be held a day later than Election Day, that their polling locations had been changed and that they could only vote if they brought four separate pieces of identification to the poll. This information was intentionally deceptive and intended to direct voters to a polling place where they would not be able to cast a ballot.
* Court Issues Injunction Against Democratic National Committee Ordering It To Stop Distributing Intimidating Materials To Republican Volunteers In Florida
Individual volunteers who received the letter threatening legal action by the DNC went to court in Seminole County and obtained an injunction against the DNC and the Florida Democratic Party. (80) Seminole Circuit Judge Nancy Alley ordered the DNC, Florida Democratic Party and Democratic Executive Committee of Seminole County to stop “further intimidation, further dissemination of these materials … designed or intended to intimidate or unduly threaten the activities of poll watchers who are duly carrying out their responsibilities” granted under Florida law. The court ruled that the flyer constituted a “misrepresentation of [poll observers’] legal rights and obligations.” (81) The DNC sought an emergency appeal of the trial court’s order to the Florida Appeals Court but was rebuffed. (82) (Exhibit I)
* Intimidating And Misleading Phone Calls To GOP Volunteers Made By President Bill Clinton And DNC General Counsel Joe Sandler In Florida
In addition to the intimidating letters sent by the DNC to Republican volunteers, the DNC paid for recorded phone calls to Republican poll observers’ homes in Florida featuring the same message that the court in Seminole County found to be intimidating and misleading.
These phone calls were recorded by former President Bill Clinton and DNC General Counsel Joe Sandler. The call from Sandler said, “Please be advised that any challenge to a voter must be stated in writing, under oath, and that you must have direct and first-hand knowledge of the voter’s ineligibility. Interfering with a citizen’s right to vote is a serious offense and swearing out a false statement is a felony. Violations will be referred to federal and state prosecutors.” The recording finished by noting, “This call is paid for by the Democratic National Committee, www.democrats.org, not authorized by any candidate.” (83) (Exhibit J)
* Court Orders MoveOn.org To Cease Voter Intimidation And Harassment In Ohio
On Election Day, individuals in Franklin County, Ohio, were threatened and harassed at their polling places by agents of MoveOn.org after being asked about their voting preference and revealing their intention to vote Republican. Similar situations are alleged to have occurred elsewhere around the state and prompted a lawsuit filed in the Franklin County Common Pleas Court. Voters were intimidated by MoveOn.org in an attempt to dissuade them from voting for George W. Bush or in an attempt to harass them after they voted. (84) (Exhibit K)
* Ohio Court Ordered Democrat Polling Place Challengers To Remove Deceptive Arm Bands and Badges
On Election Day, several Lucas County voters brought suit against the Lucas County Board of Elections and Democratic challengers in the polling place who were wearing armbands and/or badges identifying them as “Voter Protection Staff,” “Voting Rights Staff,” and other similar terms. The Lucas County Court of Common Pleas granted the temporary restraining order prohibiting the use of such intimidating insignia. (87) (Exhibit L)
* Violence Against Republican Volunteers In Philadelphia On Election Day
One Republican activist, working as a Bush campaign legal volunteer to monitor the vote in Philadelphia, was “cornered in a parking lot by roughly 10 large men, whom the police later identified as ‘union goons.’” The men tried to tip over the minivan the Republican attorneys were sharing, “punching it relentlessly, breaking parts off and failing to drag us out, they chased us in and out of the dense urban traffic.” It took “a frantic 911 call and a police roadblock” to stop the assault, and the GOP volunteers “had to be secreted out of town to safety by a police escort.” (89) (Exhibit M)
* Union-Coordinated Violence And Intimidation Against Republican Campaign Offices And Volunteers
On October 5, a Bush-Cheney campaign volunteer in Orlando had his arm broken when trying to stop union activists from storming the campaign office. This incident was part of a series of simultaneous demonstrations coordinated by the AFL-CIO against Bush-Cheney campaign offices in 20 cities, intimidating campaign volunteers with violence and vandalism. In Orlando, AFL-CIO members stormed and ransacked the Bush-Cheney field office as part of what one local newscaster called a “coordinated attack against the Bush-Cheney campaign.” Protesters also defaced posters of President Bush and dumped piles of letters on to the floor of the office. Several protesters in Orlando faced possible assault charges as a result of the incident. (92)
* Violence And Other Incidents of Intimidation
In 2004, Republicans were subject to an aggressive and sometimes violent campaign of harassment and intimidation orchestrated by Kerry supporters. At least three Bush-Cheney offices were shot at during the election season. A swastika was burned into the front yard of a Bush-Cheney supporter in Madison, Wisconsin. Other incidents included offices burglarized, windows smashed, tires slashed and other property damage. The following is a timeline of documented election-related violence and intimidation against the Bush-Cheney ‘04 campaign and Republicans in 2004.
Does anyone know why the Dims and Libs have to resort to voter fraud and even with it and George Soros' millions, they still can't win? Anybody? Well, do the math. Liberals produce liberals. For the past 30 years, liberals have been killing their voting bloc in the womb. So, go figure.
Georgia Democrats don't want voter IDs because they are stupid AND ugly!!
Important and great post.
Ya...You mean democrats are crooked? (gasps, clutches chest in fake shock)Who woulda ever guessed that they would pull this and then blame the Repubs for doing it. Shocked! Shocked I am!
(Sarcasm off)
OK... who has a DU account that wants to get banned for posting this over there???
Why does Hillary... favor felon and illegal alien voting
May it happen again next time.
exactly right....but, the media's not biased, of course.
Live Democrats have to be poked & prodded to vote, and then only if it's a nice day out.
Deadocrats vote early & often.
I think most people (including all RATS) have known all along that if all votes were counted honestly, the RATS would hold far fewer offices than they do today. Vote fraud and partisan lies by their media stooges are about all they have left, especially after the recent union implosion. If the RATS were honest, they wouldn't have a chance. However, their Marxist mindset justifies any kind of cheating to achieve their goals.
Exactly! In fact, I remember watching another Conyer's run circus that was supposedly looking into the disenfranchisement of voters after the 2004 election.
Instead of stories about GOP precinct HQs being shot up; or GOP vans being vandalized; or crack coccaine and cigarettes being handed out for Democrat votes...all I heard was anectodal stories about college kids missing lunch because of long lines.
Instead of the substantiated crimes that Democrats committed, all I ever heard about was the unsubstantiated claims that Republicans were using intimidation tactics to suppress the vote.
Just like the phony Civil Rights Commission report after the 2000 election...that could find no intentional wrong doing, Democrats don't have any substantiation for their claims. Yet, I rarely see any of this same outrage for those abuses Democrats have been caught in (and convicted of) by this same media that heralds the liberals claims.
Even this "poor, black disenfranchisement" is a joke since most of these precincts with antequated equipment are run by Democrat supervisors responsible for their own communites. The fraud here is what their leaders are doing with this money, instead of investing it in a system that will serve the community.
And even now, as Republicans look for a way to further secure future elections with photo IDs, etc...it is still these same people moaning about intimidation and disenfranchisement. Now, why might that be? Could it be that it will make it harder for democrats to commit fraud? The gig is up.
I don't recall any such dialogue or reporting by the MSM. To the contrary, all I recall were absurd allegations from the left and its media handmaidens that minorities were being intimidated from voting.
We heard generic accusation aimed at Republicans. Actual events reported were pretty uniformly by Democrats.
Voter fraud bump. Rat voter fraud bump. Dirty Rat voter fraud bump.
So, will we be seeing wholesale roundups of democrats charged with election fraud on the nightly news ?
Old news, very old news. Remember LBJ and the Duval county ballot boxes? That's only a fairly recent example.
Oh, yes, indictments, convictions, etc., etc.
Hello, where's Nancy Pelosi and Barbara Boxer and their "big mouths" on this one!
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