Need Not Apply
/By Greg Fuller
As a nation, many have accepted as an article of faith that our
national election process is relatively accurate and free of
corruption; to some extent that faith has always been more hope than
fact, today such faith borders on gross myopia. The fact is, at least
since the 2000 election, holes in our election system have been created
and exploited to a degree as yet unfathomed by the average citizen. As
Schopenhauer said, "All truth passes through three stages. First, it is
ridiculed, second it is violently opposed, and third, it is accepted as
self-evident." The most consistent attention to our election problems
has come from the disenfranchised themselves, US Civil Rights
Commission under Ex-Commissioner Mary Francis Berry, a few Democratic
politicians, concerned citizen activist groups and a few courageous
news paper columnist.
To date, the most visible actions have been by Democratic Representatives John Conyers , Stephanie Tubbs Jones and Senator Barbara Boxer
; their public stands against the irregularities in the Ohio election
are notable as are the voices of others in their rank. Beyond speaking
outing , Rep. Tubbs Jones and Sens. Clinton and Boxer are pushing a
legislative effort via the "Count Every Vote Act "
; short of a cable news worthy smoking gun revelation its chances in
"GOP World " are slim ; in the bill's present form , I'd sooner bet on
the success of a eunuch on VIAGRA.
Citizens groups like the WE DO NOT CONCEDE COALITION (WDNCC) and Honest Elections Campaign (HEC) and Black Box Voting
have documented irregularities and are coalescing citizen support to
address our election woes; other similar efforts are listed on HEC's
and WDNCC's websites . In a bygone era, the issues already documented
by these groups , would have aroused greater main stream media interest
.
In new election reform developments this week, a private study commission
headed by Jimmy Carter and James Baker was formed to recommend
improvements to the nation's federal election system . When I heard the
news I thought the anchor person misspoke , I thought , surely they
intended to say , the widely respected former Senator Howard Baker ,
but no , it really is Bush family consulaire James Baker ; Rod Sterling
couldn't top this one . Now, Jimmy Carter is held in high regard as a
decent and thoughtful Ex Prez , but not for the sharp elbows one needs
for the likes of Jim Baker. And Jimmy is bringing along DLC helpmate
Tom Daschle; and that pleases Jim - Baker that is.
I understand the need to build consensus by having
representatives from opposing camps on matters as important as national
elections, but it is incredulous that James Baker was selected given
his intimate involvement with the contentious 2000 Florida election;
what do ya know! A review of Florida's problems is part of the
commission's mandate. Jim Baker's presence will surely cast a shadow of
doubt on the commission's dedication to meaningful reform in the eyes
of those who remember his central role in the 2000 Florida fiasco; and
it should.
Next, the Twilight Zone gives way to abject insult, it is an
appalling fact that this commission does not have a single Black
Democratic member. The Black community, has suffered a disproportionate
share of the voting irregularities and difficulties Both in 2000 and
2004 and throughout US history, that fact alone makes the omission
glaring; It's 2005, we are suppose to be better than that at this point
in our history. Moreover, are we to believe that in all the country, no
qualified Black citizen of sufficient bearing and stature can be found
to lend a hand on the issue of voting reform; this commission starts
out with a disappointing unmitigated slap against Blacks who still
struggle disproportionately against disenfranchisement tactics. But the
way things have started, I'm sure we will see a J.C. Watts type trotted
out if this issue gets any traction.
The Center for Democracy and Election Management,
which will organize the work of Carter's commission, said the group
would hold two public hearings -- the first on April 18 at American
University in Washington and the second at Houston's Rice University in
June.
The Commission on Federal Election Reform aims to produce a report to Congress on its findings by September.
Additional Notes from Greg Fuller
__________________
Frankly , I'm troubled by Daschle's
(Patton Boggs) participation as well ; he is a part of the
lobbying establishment that moved the Democratic party into the
camp of Corporate America.
In fact , as ironic as it may seem , the Republican party
used his family's lobbying interest to defeat him in
2004 : Lobbying may now be considered a Daschle family profession . Moreover ,he was not my idea of a principled fighter when he was in the Senate and his family is to tapped into the DC money making scene :
- Jill Gimmel Daschle Daughter-in-law of Sen. Daschle (D-S.D.) JD Consulting Through Sullivan & Baldick, represented Northwest Airlines and Freddie Mac .
- Linda Daschle Wife of Sen. Daschle Baker, Donelson, Bearman & Caldwell, represents American Airlines, Boeing, Lockheed Martin Air Traffic Management.
- Son Nathan Daschle was a lobbyist for the American
Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and served in
the legislative affairs office for the Natural Resources Defense
Council before taking a position at the Washington lobbying firm
of Covington and Burling. Covington and Burling represents Microsoft,
Merck, and the Washington Post among others.
We need principled people whose primary if not only interest is
the strengthening and integrity of our voting system and our
nation , people who are beyond question.
