Reply #42: REAL conservatives are concerned too! We need to find/reach out to more.

[tommcintyre]

<This is a work-in-progress. I will post it as a thread AFTER the first Carter Election Reform Hearing (April 18th). This hearing will be my main focus until then. However, anyone who happens to see this here, I would welcome any comments/additions/suggestions etc.>

Excellent article! We DO need to reach out to REAL conservatives. They feel just as disenfranchised - maybe even more, since their party was hijacked! They will be very motivated if they have more info - and know what actions to take.

We need to heed this advice from the National Election Reform Conference: "...start talking to someone who doesn't know about it yet."
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x355044

I just spent the better part of today researching the info in the rest of this post, and I'm surprised how few Conservatives of ANY stripe are aware of the possibility of election fraud. Read some of the posts at second to the last link in this post ("Senate 2006 - Filibuster-proof possible"), and you will see what I mean. They blithely make predictions of both Dem and Repub winners and losers as if its "business as usual"! I don't think its just classic denial at work here. I sense genuine ignorance of the very existence that massive fraud is possible - even the repubs/conservatives that consider it in their favor!

Clearly, we need to educate the moderate repubs/conservatives who have at least as much to lose as we do.
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Another Republican, who is a promoter of exposing the 2004 election fraud, is Chuck Herrin:

"...write your elected officials and tell them you want Hand-Counted Paper Ballots. Now."
http://www.chuckherrin.com/hackthevote.htm

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Check this post (about how Freerepublic has changed) to get more of an idea how the "rank and file" moderate ("paleo" as opposed to "neo") conservatives feel about the takeover of their party:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=3007140&mesg_id=3018665

"...it has turned into a censorship organization where nothing can be said against the current administration." "Rarely can you find an intellectual review or comparison article like once before." "The purpose of the original site seems to have been lost!" <I would think "hijacked" would be a more accurate description - like the Repub party has been.>

<another conservative commenter:>
"FreeRepublic is no longer Conservative, it is REPUBLICAN" <He must mean the "new" Repubs (Bill Maher described the way the neocon/religious right took over the Repub party as akin to the movie, "Invasion of the Body Snatchers").> "The original intent of being a "grassroots conservative forum" has morphed into a "Re-elect George W. Bush at all costs" forum." "Many conservative posters have left FreeRepublic and now post at Libertypost.org, a NON-CENSORED conservative site." <I registered there a couple of months ago when I first discovered this post. I haven't had time to really check it out, but I did discover they have some sort of election fraud section there (I just didn't have time to figure out how it worked there.)>
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I'm sure we can find (and educate) MANY more moderate conservatives. And we need all the help/support we can get! Besides, having significant bipartisan support will only increase our credibility.

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Here are some elected conservatives that may be a "friend" to election fraud investigation and election reform:

Christie Whitman (former Bush EPA administrator): She was very critical of Bush in her book "It's My Party Too". "Christie Whitman wants to be the Republicans’ Zell Miller – or so says the dustjacket of her forthcoming It’s My Party Too: The Battle for the Heart of the GOP and the Future of America" http://www.patrickruffini.com/archives/2005/01/whitman_vs_the.php

Interestingly, in my research on her, I came across this recent (April 5th) DU thread (New Jersey forum). "Christie Whitman for President? Surely you jest." http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=167x1709

Hmm... Maybe she's especially motivated for fair elections since we wouldn't stand a chance against the "Bushco fix".

Also, interestingly, her web site http://www.itsmypartytoo.com now points to WorkingForChange ("WorkingForChange is an online journal of progressive news and opinion published by Working Assets" - affiliated with Ben Cohen, of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream fame, who now devotes full-time to progressive causes.)

"Muckraker: Party girl Christie Whitman's forthcoming book assails GOP's rightward lurch" "the book examines the "rightward lurch" of the GOP under the Bush administration, which is causing a rift between moderate and hard-right Republicans..." "Whitman fears this rift could threaten the long-term viability of the Republican Party."
http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?ItemID=18394

I found the following quote while searching for Whitman on the Daily Show: "Once the Democrats get serious (spending cuts, not raising taxes) about fiscal responsibility, I'll be the first to join them. Especially, if the Dem leader is serious about fighting the WOT. I guess you could call me a CTW Republican." http://republicans.redstate.org/story/2005/2/10/232435/124

To watch her on the Daily Show (1/29/05):
http://www.comedycentral.com/tv_shows/thedailyshowwithjonstewart/videos_celeb.jhtml?startIndex=13&s=stewart

On NPR Fresh Air:
1/27/05 - Christine Todd Whitman: Battle for the GOP Core
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4468239

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Other Moderate Repubs I can think of to consider soliciting to support Election Fraud/Reform issues are:

Lincoln Chaffee (R-RI)http://chafee.senate.gov/
"Sen. Chafee: I will probably not vote for Bush"
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/9/20/162844/239
"The Republican said the party's direction in the future will determine his political career as well. He said he's "not OK" with the conservative platform from the Republican convention, but would not say if he'd consider switching parties in his next election in 2006.

"It wasn't that long ago that moderates had more of a voice," Chafee said. "It's a cycle that I hope will come back." "
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Olympia Snowe (R-ME): http://snowe.senate.gov/
"Snowe is part of that near-extinct breed of Republican moderates. She formed the Senate Centrist Coalition in 1999 with Louisiana Democrat John Breaux, but the following 5 years saw more bitter partisanship and Republican bullying than ever before. In 2001, Snowe unsuccessfully begged fellow New England Republican Jim Jeffords not to leave the party, saying that their voices would more easily be heard and respected if they remained Republicans. She has been repeatedly attacked for being moderate on abortion and gay issues, with Catholic bishops threatening to deny her Communion unless she renounces her pro-choice stance. In 2003, she was the subject of ugly attack ads by the far-right, extremist Club for Growth, who derided her for her "Franco-American" opposition to a third round of federal tax cuts for the rich. Due to 25% of Maine's population having French ancestry, the ads backfired, but extremists continue to taunt and jeer Snowe, threatening to foist a far-right primary challenge on her in 2006 <she has strong reason to support election reform>."
http://www.dkosopedia.com/index.php/Olympia_Snowe
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Susan Collins (R-ME): http://collins.senate.gov/
"This independent thinker from Maine shakes off pressure to run with the pack. Collins and five other Republicans recently signed a letter opposing drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, in an attempt to block this unpopular legislation from being tacked onto a spending bill. She also reliably fights attempts to weaken the Clean Air Act (in fact, she's said it should be strengthened)."

From: "Maine Democrats: The Way Blogs Should Be" (03.30.05) "Sen. Collins paused to take a poke at several Bush policies and distance herself from Republican colleagues during discussion of policy issues with the editorial board of the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram."
http://mainedemocrats.org/index.php?cat=7

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While we're at it, why not the only Independent?:

Jim Jeffords (I-VT): http://jeffords.senate.gov/
March 26, 2005 "Jeffords expects to be GOP bullseye"
http://www.reformer.com/Stories/0,1413,102~8860~2783449,00.html

"BRATTLEBORO -- There's no doubt about it: The 2006 U.S. Senate campaign has begun and it's already getting ugly, Sen. Jim Jeffords said Friday.

The Vermont independent also said he expects to be the Republican Party's "No. 1 target." He said he expects to be treated like former U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., who was pounded by the GOP during the last election cycle and, as a result, lost his re-election bid.

"The nasty part of (the election) has already started, too, which I hate to see," Jeffords told the Reformer during a visit to downtown Brattleboro.

The three-term senator is entering his first election season since abandoning the Republican Party in May 2001. The decision came after a dispute with the Bush administration.

The move threw control of the Senate over to the Democrats. Republicans have since regained control of the chamber, but are still brooding over Jeffords' switch."

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May as well add any Dems in "high risk" positions in 2006; or would otherwise be helpful:

March 10, 2005 Maria Cantwell (D-WA): http://cantwell.senate.gov/
"Democrats See Cantwell as Republicans' Number-One Target"
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=%5CPolitics%5Carchive%5C200503%5CPOL20050310b.html

"(CNSNews.com) - President Bush and Karl Rove are "working on a plan to attack Democrats in the U.S. Senate," and their number one target is Maria Cantwell of Washington, according to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

In an email message to Democrats, DSCC Chairman Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) warned that Republicans, buoyed by electoral gains in 2004, want to increase their majorities in Congress in 2006.

"With increased majorities, they know they can appoint right-wing judges at will, pass legislation to restrict a woman's right to choose, and rollback our precious environmental protections," Schumer wrote.

Republicans have already drawn up a list of "targets" -- politicians to be defeated -- and Cantwell, the U.S. Senator from Washington, tops the list, he said."
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<Some interesting info here, including a list of who's up for re-election in 2006.>
Senate 2006 - Filibuster-proof possible
http://election.redstate.org/story/2004/11/4/10189/9444
Senate 2006
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/11/4/53612/9073