Reply #81: Election Reform (letter sent to Ney)

[KaliTracy]

I also sent a version of this to some other Ohio Republicans, including Kenneth Blackwell last night.

Dear Mr. Ney:

I have read your comments regarding the Judiciary Hearing that Representative Conyers invited all of the Republican members to, and which all Republican members declined to attend.

In an Associated Press article, you are quoted as saying "Election reform is a serious issue that requires serious, bipartisan examination and debate. It does not deserve what we are seeing today - partisan attacks and unsubstantiated claims disguised as fact in a faux hearing."

My question, sir, is this: Isn't this the time to become bipartisan? If indeed nothing improper happened except long lines and machine breakdowns, (which just happened to occur unfortunately mainly in Democratic neighborhoods, but also occurred in some Republican neighborhoods), then why are all of the Republican House Members so afraid of appearing in a public forum? Why did not one of you come to listen/participate before calling all of the information false? How can you possibly make that claim without hearing the evidence?

The issues that Kenneth Blackwell, Secretary of State/Co-Chair of the Bush/Cheney Re-election Committee, has refused to answer in the Letter the House Judiciary Committee (Dem) sent ( http://www.house.gov/judiciary_democrats/ohblackwellltr12204.pdf ) are not merely "faux" incidents. They deserve careful scrutiny, and they deserve to be answered for the people -- for, lest you and your Republican Members forget, it is we, the people, that elect you all.

The number of people that were disenfranchised during this election were not just a few, not just a hundred, but numbered in the thousands, and that is just in Ohio. This is not something that is to be "expected" in an election. This is *not* democracy, and it appalls me that you and the rest of the people who are declaring the vote in Ohio a success believe it to be true. I would be just as upset if the same circumstances occurred, yet the other candidate was deemed to be elected. Would you be upset then? Would that change circumstances, and your intensity on this matter, or is this truly about free, fair and equitable elections, which you profess to want?

I respectively ask that this matter be addressed now -- jointly with the Democratic Judiciary Committee -- that all House Members review the claims, and today's transcript, and that Kenneth Blackwell answer the Letter sent to him to the best of his ability by December 10th. Election reform cannot occur if the issues surrounding this election are not considered and addressed.

You are expected to represent your constituents. Do not let them down.