Edwards speaks out on Black Box Voting

[topdog08]

http://blog.johnedwards2004.com/article.pl?newsid=&sid=03/12/05/1924220&mode=nested&commentsort=1

Check it out:

According to Will Lester of the Associated Press:

Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards is calling on President Bush to return more than $100,000 donated to his campaign by a major manufacturer of voting machines, saying the relationship could damage confidence in elections. ...

... "We now have touch screen voting machines that some people think are just as bad as a butterfly ballot," Edwards said, referring to the confusing ballots that became notorious in the botched Florida election in 2000.

The article continues:

"What makes this worse is that one of George W. Bush's fund-raising Pioneers said he wanted to help Ohio 'deliver' its electoral votes to George Bush," Edwards said.

Edwards said that "people who make voting machines need to be real careful when they talk about delivering elections."

According to the New York Times, O'Dell wrote a letter to Republican contributors in August that said "I am committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year."

Terry Holt, a spokesman for the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign said he had no comment on Edwards' remarks.

[pruner]

1. this has been part of Dean's stump speech for the past few months…

but the more people saying it, the merrier.

:)

[Myra]

2. That's fantastic! Hey pruner...

Do you have any links to Dean's remarks on the subject?
I'm not challenging you; I truly want to see what he's
saying on it.

[pruner]

3. from his speech at Cooper Union (re: opting-out of public financing)…

They are people like Walden O’Dell, a 2004 Pioneer, who is also manufacturing electronic voting machines to count our votes, and has said that he is, quote, “committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the President next year.”

http://www.deanforamerica.com/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=10771&security=1&news_iv_ctrl=1321

[sandnsea]

6. Notice the diplomacy

Edwards doesn't go on a wild rant saying George Bush is paying off his friends to steal elections. He just hints at the impropriety. Dean goes off like a loon with absolutely no evidence to back up his accusations. Mainstream people have no idea there's any problems with these voting machines and comments like this will have them scoffing at Dean. It may be why his supporters like him, but it's going to freak out mainstream America.

"They are people like Walden O’Dell, a 2004 Pioneer, who is also manufacturing electronic voting machines to count our votes, and has said that he is, quote, “committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the President next year.”

According to the Center for Public Integrity, the majority of reconstruction contracts for Iraq and Afghanistan went to George Bush’s contributors.

They gave him the money, and he gave them the contracts."

[pruner]

7. you paint yourself as some kinda expert on "mainstream America"…

but you sure have been wrong about a lot of things lately,

[sandnsea]

8. We'll see

We'll see.

[pruner]

9. see we shall…

:)

[AP]

16. Furthermore, because Edwards takes no PAC/DC lobbyist money...

...(although this isn't PAC money) he has more authority to criticize Bush on his campaign financing.

[pruner]

4. kick for Myra

:kick:

[DemDogs]

5. Edwards concern on this through Judiciary committee

Edwards has been working on this for sometime. As a member of the Judiciary committee, all the issues around the Florida vote and move to paperless ballots have been a key concern.

Good politics to address it at Florida Convention. Great work on the frontlines to Edwards and thanks to other candidates who are mentioning it in their campaigns.

[AP]

15. Edwards had a great comment about FL on Diane Rehm Show...

...for anyone who cares to listen:

http://www.wamu.org/dr/2003/drarc_031124.html#tuesday

(I hope this is where I heard it.)

[althecat]

10. kick.... all we need now is Clark to join the party...

Hey Clarkies!!!!

Where's your man on this?

[ibegurpard]

11. Great!

The more that speak out on this the better.

[maddezmom]

12. Thumbs up to Edwards

and all the candidates that keep this issue in the media.

[supernova]

13. Heard a piece on NPR this AM

about this.

Great News! I hope all the Dem candidates will raise the roof on this issue.

[OBXNCarolina]

14. $100,000 Campaign Donation

Will Bush* return the donation? Spin, spin, spin.

[spooky3]

17. Way to go, John!!!