Toledo Blade 6/12: Dems to meet Dean to discuss Ohio fraud

[AtLiberty]

Coin scandal concerns resonate to D.C.

By STEVE EDER
BLADE STAFF WRITER
June 12, 2005

*snip*

That's why some Democratic members of Congress are planning to meet with Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean next week to talk about what happened in Ohio during the 2004 presidential election.

Ohio held the keys to the White House last year, deciding the presidential race by a margin of fewer than 120,000 votes.

"I think there should be an investigation of Ohio," said Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo), who last week put a statement on the congressional record about Ohio's investment scandal. She said she is hopeful a meeting with Mr. Dean will put Democrats in position to undertake a review of what occurred in her home state.

*snip*

Cliff Arnebeck, an attorney and co-chairman of the Alliance for Democracy, said the news of Mr. Noe's coin deal has provided some optimism for people who believe the election was swayed by wrongdoing.

"There's an excitement that we are getting to the bottom of this," said Mr. Arnebeck, who filed lawsuits on behalf of voters after last year's election.

"It is happening at a fairly rapid time frame. It's phenomenal in terms of what has been uncovered. It dramatizes what I think is fair to describe as a culture of corruption," he said.

*snip*

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050...

[AtLiberty]

1. I say we DU the DNC this week...

...demanding a vigorous investigation of Ohio.

[autorank]

23. Here's how to contact the DNC -- Go for it!!!! TELL THEM THE TRUTH

Contact the DNC and Give 'em Hell About NOT Acting on Election Fraud

NEW LEADERS FOR A NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY

[LightningFlash]

2. Kicked.

[MelissaB]

3. This belongs on the "greatest" page

Thank you for posting this!

[kittenpants]

4. I love the Toledo Blade!

thank you, little paper!

[MelissaB]

5. Here is the beginning of the article:

By STEVE EDER
BLADE STAFF WRITER

Coin scandal concerns resonate to D.C.

By STEVE EDER
BLADE STAFF WRITER

WASHINGTON - What began as questions about Ohio's $50 million venture with a Toledo-area rare-coin dealer has mushroomed in just 10 weeks into a scandal that's echoing through the halls of Congress.


It's forcing Republicans nationwide to take a close look at what went wrong in the GOP-controlled Buckeye State.

"What's happening in Ohio is a specific case that we are looking into and monitoring closely," said Aaron McLear, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee. "We are taking steps to solve the problems. I don't think it is indicative of anything more."

Democrats are begging to differ.

Partisans in Washington argue that a Republican "culture of corruption" extends far beyond Tom Noe and Columbus, reaching all the way to the White House and Capitol Hill.

[AuntiBush]

9. It was $250 Million Coins, Not $50 Million

Ohio insurance fund for injured workers Tuesday reported a new investment loss of $215 million unrelated to the state's investment in rare coins ...

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/11841874.htm

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The embattled Ohio insurance fund for injured workers Tuesday reported a new investment loss of $215 million unrelated to the state's investment in rare coins already under investigation.

http:///www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/103-06072005-49...


Google/Yahoo the Search

[AtLiberty]

6. Interesting how the break we've been hoping and waiting for...

...came in the form of Coingate.

[Blue Shark]

38. I too find it interesting...

...I think it is becasue it is sexier than vanilla flavored fraud. It is RARE coins, it is bribery, it is election rigging thrown in, it reaches to the highest branches of power, it is investment incompetance at its worse, it is public funds, it is...quite frankly a "made for TV movie" and THAT today's media understands.

[Coexist]

7. drips are coming faster now!

[mod mom]

8. If the Dems are truly interested in getting to the bottom of this, they

MUST INCLUDE the activists like Cliff, Bob, and other citizen activists who have spent their time and money investigating what happened during the election instead of the patsy dem (mis)leadership who allowed it to happen in the first place.

Our own chairman of the Franklin County Dem Party (who happened to be Chairman of the Franklin County BOE) said although there were problems, the election was fair and those who state otherwise were "conspiracy theorists" at a House Administration Hearing. We need to re-build the Ohio Dem party without these political hacks who care more about their careers that their constituency!

[Columbus]

18. Mod Mom On Target

Mod Mom, you are so right.

Read my post which is down aways. The more we find out about the Republicans and what they did in the 2004 election the more we have to question the whitewash the Ohio Democratic Party is participating in. The ODP has alot to hide.

Notice that the DNC investigation (from my post below) includes the very same people that should be forced to testify about what happened in 2004. They should be testifying, not investigating. Even so, leaks happen and the best laid cover-ups sometimes fall apart.

[mod mom]

20. Welcome to DU Columbus! I had hopes when Howard Dean was named

Chairman of the DNC, but when that list came out I was appalled. Did they bother to talk to Cliff, Bob , Susan, RH Phillips, CASE, J30, the people who filed the affidavits during the public hearing? NO, that would have been logical. Instead they put the hacks who refused to fight for their fair share of voting machines, who did not watch election officials closely and are now trying to keep their job positions. Did they bother to talk to the grassroot activists that worked on election day in that cold rain encouraging people to stay and vote because THEIR PARTY LEADERS PROMISED TO MAKE EVERY VOTE COUNT.

HAS HOWARD DEAN MET WITH THOSE ACTIVISTS YET? NO

I for one will no longer donate to the dems nor work for them until they address the FRAUD, the LIES that installed a faux president who started an immoral war for fraudulent reasons.

(EXCEPTION: other course I will continue to contribute/fight for Conyers, Boxer and others who are fighting for our best interests!)

[Columbus]

26. Keep Hope Alive Mod Mom

Fingers are still crossed on the question of Dean.

First of all the release of the fake investigation report has not occurred since Dean found out there would be trouble in Ohio if the report was released without talking to genuine investigators of the 2004 election in Ohio. Why the release of the report did not take place nor if in fact Dean stopped the report I do not know. We do know the report has not yet been made public, or perhaps has been forced to be rewritten.

Second, Dean made a secret trip to Ohio a few Thursday's ago. The trip was not publicized at all, in fact his schedule showed he would be in another state that day.

Unfortunately, Dean has not reached out to any grassroots groups in Ohio that could help him. Maybe he is checking out the mess the so-called Ohio Democratic Party is in before he makes his move.

Dean is running out of time and fingers will soon uncross and judgement day will arrive. However, right now, the Kaptur/Brown request for an investigation puts the DNC and ODP in a tough spot. We need to make sure that Kaptur/Brown know the history of the fake investigation.

The Deaniacs need to help groups such as the Spine Project at www.OhioHonestElections.org

[mod mom]

28. Yes I am aware of Dean's trip and he met with the old regime of the party,

NOT any components of grassroot organizations, and as you probably know Columbus and Ohio in general has a strong network of grassroot activists in many organizations.

Believe me I am hoping Dean comes along, he is who got me involved in politics in the first place. that said, Dean has known about the problems with the machines before the election, he has to be aware of what has been uncovered, especially considering the "What Went Wrong in Ohio" which was written by Conyers and other members of the House Judiciary Dems. Why hasn't he addressed this? Two fraudulent presidential elections, and who knows how many other races were fraudulent. A fearful media who fails to report the truth. The dems should be screaming!

[Dee625]

40. What is the "fake investigation report" you speak of?

I've never heard of this.

[mod mom]

42. The DNC allocated $ 500,000 for an investigation into Ohio election. nt

[Columbus]

45. Here's a primer on the fake $500,000 investigation

if you want to know about the fake investigation, go to
http://www.ohiohonestelections.org
for more information

check out the entry in Breaking News for Friday, March 4, 2005 --
"DNC Announces Ohio Election Review Team Names" (this is a link to the actual DNC press release.


Follow that reading with the entry for Monday, March 14, 2005-

"We will hopefully post the full email by this week but for now below is a sample of the email we received regarding the DNC investigation into the Ohio Presidential vote in 2004 (reported here on March 4, 2005]:

“The official press release also said that the Task Force had been hard at work since January 2005, “conducting surveys and reviewing election data from all across the state.”
Those in Ohio and around the nation who have really been hard at work since November 2004, should be particularly fascinated by this statement for at least two reasons:

(1) It took the DNC two months to announce the appointment of the Task Forces members and

(2) No Task Force members have contacted any of those with the most information regarding the problems with the November 2004 elections in Ohio, most of whom are registered Democrats. The apparent secrecy in which the Task Force members have been working raises red flags and casts suspicion over the entire operation.

Equally alarming is the membership of the Ohio Review Team and the Ohio Advisory Team of the Task Force. These Teams include many members of the Kerry Campaign in Ohio and prominent members of the Ohio Democratic Party who were caught unawares on November 2, 2004 that there were so few machines in the traditionally Democratic-voting wards of major Ohio cities that it took voters in those areas up to 12 hours to vote.”

And

“On November 27, 2004, Task Force Advisory Team Member William A. Anthony Jr., Franklin County Democratic Party Chairman and Chair of the Franklin County Board of Elections, said he’s “personally offended by the allegations” from “a band of conspiracy theorists.”

[mod mom]

47. My comments on Bill Anthony's quote:

“On November 27, 2004, Task Force Advisory Team Member William A. Anthony Jr., Franklin County Democratic Party Chairman and Chair of the Franklin County Board of Elections, said he’s “personally offended by the allegations” from “a band of conspiracy theorists.”

This is what I am talking about. F. HIM! , as chairman of the Franklin County BOE, he is partially responsible for the 15,000 to 20,000 inner city residents who was denied their constitutional right to vote due to the outrageously long lines. Bob F told me how Bill Anthony (an African American no less), later told him that inner city (Hi dem area) machines were moved out to the suburban (repub)mega churches. I live on the near east side of Columbus, an area that was especially hit with long waits (3-5 hours were not uncommon), yet my precinct (an affluent precinct that includes the governor and many titans of business AND WENT FOR bU$H had a 15 min wait at the height of pre-work voting (8am) and NO lines for the majority of the day. I later had a chance to question Blackwell regarding the discrepancies in voting times, and his reply was "you were lucky".

Yes the Repuugs stole the election but the dems deserve partial blame for letting it happen. I refuse to work or support the Ohio Dems until they rid their ranks of this CYA type of politician. Yet this was the type of individual chosen for this DNC investigation. Did they really think Mr. Anthony would accept blame when it meant the possibility of ending his career?

[Columbus]

48. You are so on target Mod Mom when you say

"Yes the Repuugs stole the election but the dems deserve partial blame for letting it happen."

We cannot let this happen again. You are right again mod mom when you say the Ohio Dems are in CYA mode (clue: some of them post to DU and try to deflect questions).

That's why the fake investigation was made to cya for the Ohio Dems. Can you imagine if the report actually said that there were legitimate questions about the election results? This would mean that Kerry and the national Dems sold out Ohio voters after promising yet again they would count every vote.

If it were a real investigation they would have appointed some of the critics to the advisory committee if not the actual committee. They would be asking questions to Dem officials about what they did not do on Election Day; about why there was no monitoring of poll site voter lists; about the mess in Franklin county that the national kerry office knew about but did nothing to correct. Dems are covering up alot of their responsibility for the disaster of 2004 and the fake investigations are but a part of that coverup.

It seems to me mod mom that you know whereof I write and about some of the things I have not posted -- yet.

[Columbus]

46. This was another post I made on fake investigation

I cross-posted the below earlier on dailykos:


Cliff Arnebeck's website has alot of information at www.ohiohonestelections.org

Besides the connection being drawn to the 2004 election the other interesting aspect of this story is the investigation angle.

The DNC has a whitewash investigation already going on. It is run by Donna Benedict Brazille. It is costing Democrats $500,000. Don't Sherrod Brown and Marcy Kaptur know about this fake investigation? It was supposed to produce a report in early spring. This fake investigation has not interviewed Cliff Arnebeck nor any of the investigators of what happened in Ohio in 2004.

Also, the DNC formed the panel in early January but did not issue the press release announcing its members until late March. They issued the press release in the "bury it " Washington tradition -- on a Friday night.

One of the members of the investigation's advisory panel stated privately months ago that an email was received by this panel member stating the report was already written. This panel member was surprised because the members of the panel had not been consulted in any way.

Private messages were sent to Dean at DNC telling him of all this and warning him of consequences in Ohio if a fake report is issued. The report has still not been issued. Brazille's company denies all this and says the report is still being written.

Most of this was posted at Democratic Underground by me as a red flag to DU members. The Brazille people still won't say why the panel members were not announced months after they were at work nor why the panel's work is relegated to Friday news dumps.

Now we have Kaptur and Brown calling for an investigation of what happened in Ohio. What is the DNC spending $500,000 on? Our money

[bvar22]

10. Republican "Culture of Corruption" !!!!!

I have heard this a few times last week from different sources.
I like it!

Lets help make this stick!

REPUBLICAN
Culture of CORRUPTION

[Bill Bored]

11. Hey, what's the big deal?

With all the unemployment in Ohio, there aren't any workers to be injured anyway. Might as well put that money to some other productive use, right?

How about rare-coin-operated e-votin' machines?

[mod mom]

16. This effects businesses BIG time! Prior to January, I was a small busines

owner. Employers pay for workmans comp. It is a % of your payroll based on the type of business you operate. In the past, employers received a 80% discount credit. I paid my last installment first quarter '05 and guess what-NO DISCOUNT! This means a BIG increase in employer taxes at a time when the economy is not doing so well. I wonder if the chamber of commerce is happy with the party they helped install.

[Bill Bored]

39. Tell 'em Mom! I hope this is what you guys need to take your state back!

The Dems should run on REFORM!
Election reform and all the others!

I hate to say it but a pro-biz Bill Clinton sort of strategy might do fine at the polls in Ohio! Just don't give Diebold your votin' machine biz!

[autorank]

25. LOL

You've been reading your Calvin Trillin lately? Actually, your question is "Swiftian"

[Carolab]

12. Has this been media blasted?

I think we need to alert the other local papers around the country, yes?

[MelissaB]

13. Agreed! Where is that media blaster?

I can never find it.

[AtLiberty]

14. If you media blast, please place the mailing list on

BBC so that the media doesn't see that it's "spam."

Also, be creative and write an original subject head and message for the same reason. It needn't be long.

[Carolab]

21. Media blaster link here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/cu /

I just used it to contact my local press.

[AtLiberty]

15. Don't forget to thank Steve Eder!

[e-mail]

[Columbus]

17. Investigation, What Investigation?

I cross-posted the below earlier on dailykos:


Cliff Arnebeck's website has alot of information at www.ohiohonestelections.org

Besides the connection being drawn to the 2004 election the other interesting aspect of this story is the investigation angle.

The DNC has a whitewash investigation already going on. It is run by Donna Benedict Brazille. It is costing Democrats $500,000. Don't Sherrod Brown and Marcy Kaptur know about this fake investigation? It was supposed to produce a report in early spring. This fake investigation has not interviewed Cliff Arnebeck nor any of the investigators of what happened in Ohio in 2004.

Also, the DNC formed the panel in early January but did not issue the press release announcing its members until late March. They issued the press release in the "bury it " Washington tradition -- on a Friday night.

One of the members of the investigation's advisory panel stated privately months ago that an email was received by this panel member stating the report was already written. This panel member was surprised because the members of the panel had not been consulted in any way.

Private messages were sent to Dean at DNC telling him of all this and warning him of consequences in Ohio if a fake report is issued. The report has still not been issued. Brazille's company denies all this and says the report is still being written.

Most of this was posted at Democratic Underground by me as a red flag to DU members. The Brazille people still won't say why the panel members were not announced months after they were at work nor why the panel's work is relegated to Friday news dumps.

Now we have Kaptur and Brown calling for an investigation of what happened in Ohio. What is the DNC spending $500,000 on? Our money

[IndyOp]

19. Wow - this is about as effective an effort as having James Baker on

the National Blue-Ribbon Panel to discuss election reform NOT.

[rateyes]

22. Watergate started with the catching of

Republican burglars in the DNC headquarters. Brought down a president. Now we have Republican burglars in Ohio. Hope we get the same result, but only if Cheney gets impeached, too! As much as it creeps me out that Bush is President, can you imagine "President Cheney?" (I guess some would argue that's what we've got now, if not in name, in reality.)

[autorank]

24. HOT HOT HOT...AtLiberty, you made my day. CONTACT INFO FOR DNC

AtLiberty

Contact the DNC and Give 'em Hell About NOT Acting on Election Fraud

NEW LEADERS FOR A NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY

Recommend

On edit: This has developed over time. It may explain some of the recent "unpleasantness" against ERD DUers focused on demonstrating election fraud. Just sayin'

[tandem5]

27. It's interesting how the investment scandal and election fraud have...

become interchangeable. No real direct connection has been offered, yet not even the Republicans quoted in the article are disputing a link. That could mean that there's something more tangible just under the surface that nobody wants to talk about yet.

[AtLiberty]

29. People will come out of the woodwork...

[LightningFlash]

35. I "Noe" what you mean, in Lucas County.....

Those "bi-partisans!"

[rdmccur]

30. Perhaps Dean should

see some of the various works of TruthIsAll as well as the USCV report
on the exit poll discrepancies.

[bleever]

31. Ohio GOP chairman calls us out.

Bob Bennett, chairman of the Ohio GOP, said the party will welcome any inquiry the Democrats wish to pursue.

"If the Democrats want to continue losing the last election, they can count the votes as many times as they would like," Mr. Bennett said through a spokesman.

Thanks, Bob, don't mind if we do.

[LightningFlash]

33. Good idea Bob, how about we start with Thomas Noe's little raiding party.

Bob Fitrakis has the evidence showing they had hooked into the tabulator databases. It's in his very office and was handed to state troopers.....Actual state troopers.

[Chi]

41. Do you know/remember which article that was?

Heya LightningFlash
I went searching over at FreePress and got nada.

Thanx in Advance

[LightningFlash]

43. An article you have to pay money for.

Its in the official 700 pages of evidence book which you can buy, and also listen to how they did it in this radio broadcast archive. http://www.bradblog.com/bradshow /

Bob explains it all on the radio 6/13

[Chi]

44. Thank you n/t

[mod mom]

36. Great idea! We are just about to begin in Lucas County. I'm sure the

Diebold machines had no problems (sarcasm):

December 22, 2004
 
Report from Recount Observer, Lucas County, Ohio
Emailed report from Lucas County, Ohio, Recount Observer:

i was a witness for the testing of the optiscan machines on tuesday the 14th.

what is puzzling to me, after the tests of the scanners were finished, the witnesses were not allowed to compare the hand count results to the printed results from the scanners. the ballots, the hand count sheets and the printed tapes were all taken away, to another room, out of sight of any witnesses and about 40 minutes later, the director comes out and tells us everything checks out.

we go to lunch and when we come back, we find ourselves waiting in the lobby. why? we were waiting for diebold to reprogram the scanners. what? didn't they just verify that everything was on the up and up? what is the need to reprogram the scanners?

also, during the testing process, one precinct, sylvania 3, continuously had the test ballots spit back out at least 3 times for approximatley 50% of them. during the election, how many times did this occur and what poll worker is going to stand there and continuosly feed the scanner to get it to scan 1 ballot? therefore, how many of the ballots were put in the spoiled pile that were really not spoiled?

another thing that was very interesting was the two people that i was witnessing actually did not know how to run the scanner. are they the type of people that were the normal who were overseeing the election? am i crazy? what is wrong with this picture?

after witnessing the fiasco of a test recount being conducted at the lucas county government center, i am definitely for scrapping this election and having a re- vote. there isn't any other way we are going to get a legitimate election.

Please also visit "Ohio Election 2004" athttp://ohioelection2004.com.

[bleever]

37. Go, mod mom! n/t

[Patsy Stone]

32. Here's the Kaptur article from Thursday

Kaptur alerts colleagues of unfolding scandal

<snip>
"Mr. Noe, whose attorneys told authorities two weeks ago that $10 million to $12 million of the state's assets were missing from the coin fund, is facing multiple investigations, including a federal probe into whether he laundered money into President Bush's re-election campaign. The Republican contributor was considered a Bush "pioneer" because he raised at least $100,000 for Mr. Bush's campaign.

"I think the George Bush campaign raised a lot of illegal money in Ohio," Mr. Brown said. "That puts the election in some question. I know these people stop at nothing and I know their incompetence kept a significant number of people from getting to vote."
<snip>

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/2...

Also by Steve Eder. Show him some love!

Thanks to Botany, and sorry if this is a repost.

[autorank]

49. Thank you. This is a great article.

If this is coming out with all the power positions in state government in Republican hands, including the courts, then there is really something there.

Do you or does anyone know about the special council appointed to investigate election fraud in Ohio. I remember him from way back. A Dem coiunty prosecutor from a county near Cleveland, I think.

If he's doing this, holy shit!

Keep the faith.

[autorank]

34. KICK