[North-NV-Greens] Fwd: [usgp-dx] Green Blitz #2, Dec. 7-10: Write a letter, follow up on the Ohio recount

Tue Dec 7 20:59:45 PST 2004

>
>
>Green Blitz #2, December 7-10
>
>Please forward this to all Greens and all Green
>e-mail lists!
>
>
>Dear Green Party members,
>
>Our first Green Blitz was a success, with a
>couple of dozen letters on the Ohio recount
>effort sent by Greens to newspapers and web
>sites.  Several letters and at least one guest
>op-ed column were published.
>
>We're now launching Green Blitz #2, and asking
>you to send a new wave of letters and guest
>column submissions, in order to follow up and
>publicize the growing success of the recount
>effort, and to keep the recount and the Green
>Party in the news.
>
>Below is a list of talking points and two sample
>letters.  Write your own letter or column, or
>adapt one of the samples.  Keep your letter short
>and to the point, to make publication more
>likely, and identify yourself as a Green
>somewhere in the text.  If you send something to
>a web site, include a link or two if you can:
>http://www.gp.org http://www.votecobb.org
>
>Be sure to post your letter, column, etc. on
>e-mail discussion lists for other Greens to read.
>  Notify the Media Committee <mclarty at greens.org>
>if your submission gets published, so we can
>circulate and archive it.
>
>Again, we challenge any Green who doesn't write a
>letter, column, etc. during the Green Blitz to
>make a donation of $25 or more to the Green
>Party.  Donate on line at:
>https://secure.democracyinaction.org/dia/shop/Greens/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=26
>
>Write away!
>
>Thanks,
>Scott McLarty
>Media Committee co-chair
>
>
>*  *  *  *  *
>
>
>TALKING POINTS
>
>-- We have the Green Party to thank for standing
>up for the integrity of our electoral process
>which is the heart and soul of our democracy.  If
>not for the leadership of Green Party
>presidential candidate David
>Cobb, it's likely that there would be no
>organized investigation of thousands of
>complaints about obstructed votes and computer
>voting machine glitches in Ohio and New Mexico.
>
>-- The Green Party's demand for an Ohio recount
>has earned the support of Rev. Jesse Jackson,
>Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D.-Ohio), and Rep. John
>Conyers (D.-Mich.).
>
>-- What are (Ohio Republicans / newspaper
>columnists / whoever) afraid of?  Why is Ohio
>Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell acting like
>Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris in
>2000 and doing everything he can to impede a
>recount of presidential votes?
>
>-- Mr. Blackwell, who chaired President Bush's
>campaign in Ohio, should recuse himself from
>supervising the recount.  Campaign operatives
>should not be placed in charge of elections.
>
>-- In a victory for Ohio voters and all Americans
>concerned about the integrity of our elections, a
>federal judge overturned an Ohio state court's
>temporary restraining order, and the recount will
>proceed in all Ohio counties.
>
>-- Greens are fighting this battle for the
>integrity of all elections, not just the 2004
>presidential race.  Greens and other third party
>and independent candidates have been the target
>of obstruction for decades.  Democrats and
>Republicans have enacted prohibitive ballot
>access rules in many states, and excluded third
>parties from candidates' debates.  In 2004,
>Democratic Party officials worked to bar several
>Green candidates from the ballot.  Democratic
>operatives launched a vicious effort to block
>independent candidate Ralph Nader from many state
>ballots.
>
>-- Truly democratic elections would ensure that
>every voter knows that his or her vote is counted
>accurately, that every voter is sufficiently
>informed about every candidate whose name is on
>the ballot, and that every voter can vote for a
>candidate who represents his or her best
>interests and ideals.  Real democracy means fair
>and accurate elections, and participation by many
>political parties and candidates, not just two
>parties that are dedicated to their corporate
>campaign contributors. 
>
>-- Whether or not the Ohio recount overturns
>President Bush's November 2 win, we need to
>affirm that every voter is allowed to vote, that
>every vote gets counted, and that a auditable
>paper trail exists for every vote cast on a
>computer voting machine.  Our democracy is at
>stake.
>
>
>*  *  *  *  *
>
>
>SAMPLE LETTER #1
>
>To the editor,
>
>If not for the leadership of Green presidential
>candidate David Cobb, it's likely that there
>would be no organized investigation of thousands
>of complaints about obstructed votes and computer
>voting machine glitches in Ohio and New Mexico.
>We should also thank Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rep.
>Dennis Kucinich (D.-Ohio), and Rep. John Conyers
>(D.-Mich.), who are supporting David Cobb's
>recount effort in Ohio.
>
>Those of us in the Green Party are concerned
>about the integrity of all elections, not just
>the 2004 presidential race.  Greens and other
>third party and independent candidates have been
>the target of obstruction for decades, thanks to
>prohibitive ballot access rules enacted by
>Democrats and Republicans in many states.
>
>Truly democratic elections would ensure that
>every voter knows that his or her vote is counted
>accurately, that every voter is sufficiently
>informed about every candidate whose name is on
>the ballot, and that every voter can vote for a
>candidate who represents his or her best
>interests and ideals -- not just candidates from
>two parties under the influence of corporate
>campaign donors.  The movement for voting rights
>and fair, accurate, and open elections won't end
>in Ohio.
>
>
>SAMPLE LETTER #2
>
>To the editor,
>
>What are Ohio Republicans and their apologists
>[cite a newspaper column] afraid of?
>
>Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, who
>chaired President Bush's campaign in his state,
>should recuse himself from supervising the Ohio
>recount.  Campaign operatives should not be
>placed in charge of elections.  Mr. Blackwell,
>who seems to be doing everything he can to impede
>the recount, is acting like Florida Secretary of
>State Katherine Harris in 2000.
>
>Fortunately, a federal judge overturned an Ohio
>state court's temporary restraining order, and
>the recount will proceed in every county.  This
>is a victory not just for Greens and
>Libertarians, who are leading the Ohio recount
>effort and raising the necessary money, but for
>all Ohio voters and all Americans concerned about
>the integrity of our elections.
>
>Whether or not the Ohio recount overturns
>President Bush's November 2 win, we need to
>affirm that every voter is allowed to vote, that
>every vote gets counted, and that a auditable
>paper trail exists for every vote cast on a
>computer voting machine.  Our democracy is at
>stake.
>
>
>MORE INFORMATION
>
>Cobb/LaMarche campaign http://www.votecobb.org
>Ohio Green Party http://www.ohiogreens.org
>Center for Voting and Democracy
>http://www.fairvote.org
>Beyond Voting Campaign
>http://www.beyondvoting.org
>November 3rd Democracy Movement
>http://www.nov3.us
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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-- 
Paul Etxeberri

"Forests precede civilizations and deserts follow"   ---Chateaubriand