Take Action on Election Violations!

From:

No Stolen Elections! (2004)

What's happening:

January 6, 2005:

Take Action on Election Violations as Congress Meets to Certify the Vote!

More than a month has passed since voters cast votes for the President and Vice-President of the United States -- but every day, more and more stories surface that call into question the election's integrity.

Machines broke down, counted backwards, eliminated votes, and registered votes for the wrong candidate. progressive and African-American neighborhoods experienced by far the longest lines on election day, the most vote spoilage, the most elimination of provisional ballots, and the most victimization by precinct manipulation.

Four hundred thousand callers phoned voter protection hotlines, with complaints ranging from absentee ballots lost in the mail, to outright voter intimidation and disenfranchisement. And partisan election officials with conflicts of interest undermined voting rights in states from Ohio to Florida to New Mexico. Even progressive Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee have questioned the elections' legitimacy, in a series of rigorous, painstakingly detailed letters documenting the unprecedented extent and scope of vote suppression, available at http://www.house.gov/judiciary_democrats/

How can we have confidence in American democracy when so many questions about this election remain unanswered? In addition to the longstanding issues subtly undermining democracy -- corporate domination of the two major parties, plurality elections, and corporate media bias - the recent election betrayed democratic principles overtly.

Despite the efforts of a few valiant members of Congress, most of our Senators and Representatives have ignored our pleas for serious investigation into the "irregularities" that surrounded the 2004 election. But one more opportunity remains for these government officials to stand for democracy.

What you can do:

URGE PROGRESSIVE SENATORS TO TAKE A STAND ON JAN. 6, WHEN CONGRESS MEETS TO CERTIFY THE VOTE

On January 6, 2005, Congress will meet in joint session to certify the 2004 presidential election. On that day, if one member of the House and one member of the Senate object to the certification of the vote, then all members of Congress will finally discuss these issues. On January 6, 2001, not a single Senator would join with the Representatives who demanded an inquiry into the Florida recount. This year, let's make our Senators take a stand!

The following seven Senators are some of the most progressive members of the Senate. Please call them immediately, and urge them to defend democracy on January 6.

*SPREAD THE WORD TO PEOPLE YOU KNOW TO KEEP DOING THE SAME UNTIL JANUARY 6.*

Senator Barbara Boxer, (202) 224-3553, senator@boxer.senate.gov

Senator Dick Durbin, (202) 224-2152, dick@durbin.senate.gov

Senator Russ Feingold, (202) 224-5323, russ_feingold@feingold.senate.gov

Senator Tom Harkin, (202) 224-3254, tom_harkin@harkin.senate.gov

Senator Jim Jeffords, (202) 224-5141, Vermont@jeffords.senate.gov

Senator Edward Kennedy, 202/224-4543, senator@kennedy.senate.gov

Senator Patrick Leahy, (202) 224-4242, senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov

ON JANUARY 6, PROTEST IN WASHINGTON, DC AND AT SENATORS' OFFICES IN YOUR OWN COMMUNITIES

While our Senators and Representatives are inside Congress, tallying the electoral college vote, We the People must have a presence outside, bringing attention to the disenfranchisement, suppression and fraud that pervaded the 2004 election - and demanding real reforms to extend and protect democracy in America. Please join us on January 6 in Washington, DC. Details on the DC protest TBA. Check http://www.Nov3.US or http://www.counter-inaugural.org for more information.

If you can't come to DC, we urge you to organize a protest outside a Senator's office in your community, and list your event at http://www.Nov3.US

This call to action is initiated by No Stolen Elections! and United Progressives for Democracy.

State-by-State

THE NATION: US Chamber Plans For Season of Blistering Attack Ads Funded by Corporate Dollars

March 15, 2013

Sasha Abramsky

The US Chamber of Commerce's Multimillion-Dollar Attack Plan

(Originally published on August 29, 2012)

General

RAW STORY: US Chamber Opposed 9/11 First Responders Healthcare Bill For Fear of Higher Corporate Taxes

March 15, 2013

Daniel Tencer, John Byrne, Stephen Webster

Revealed: Chamber lobbied against 9/11 health bill to save foreign members on corporate taxes

(originally published on December 18, 2010)

The US Chamber of Commerce lobbied to kill a bill that would have helped cover medical expenses and compensation for first responders and survivors of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, according to documents available online.

The Chamber’s aim was to keep open a tax loophole benefiting foreign corporations that the $7.4 billion bill would have closed to provide funding for the American emergency workers.

General

TRUTHOUT: US Chamber Attorneys and Military Contractors Conspired to Hack Political Opponents

March 15, 2013

Brad Friedman

Chinese Cyber Attacks on US Targets Said to Mirror US Chamber of Commerce Cyber Plot Targeting Progressives Such as The BRAD BLOG

(Originally published on March 12, 2013)

So what do the Chinese Government and the Rightwing mega-lobbying group calling itself the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have in common? Apparently, they are both interested in hacking into the computer networks of their perceived political opponents and appear to be using very similar techniques and tools to do so, as The Nation's Lee Fang reported on Monday.

General

FOLEY HOAG LLP: U.S. Chamber Sues SEC Over Payment Disclosure Rule to Foreign Governments

March 15, 2013

Paul Bork, Dean Hanley, Brandon White, Matthew Baltay

US Chamber of Commerce Sues SEC to Overturn Conroversial Dodd-Frank Resource Extraction Rule

(Originally published on October 18, 2012)

On October 10, 2012, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and three industry groups filed suit against the Securities and Exchange Commission in federal court in Washington, D.C., seeking to overturn the recently-promulgated SEC rule implementing the Dodd-Frank Act provision requiring disclosure of payments to foreign governments relating to oil, gas and mining projects.

General

AMERICAN CHRONICLE: US Chamber Accused of Criminal Fraud, Money Laundering

March 14, 2013

National Desk

Watchdog Groups Request Criminal Fraud and Money Laundering Investigations Against the U.S. Chamber

(originally published on September 15, 2010)

General

AMERICAN RIGHTS AT WORK: The US Chamber's Anti-Union Agenda

March 14, 2013

Capital Research Center

Big Business Umbrella Group's Anti-Union Agenda

(originally published on July 27, 2008)

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the nation’s most powerful business lobbying organization1, has been campaigning against unions, fair labor practices, increases in the minimum wage, and legal protections for America’s workers for nearly a century. The Chamber’s anti-union initiatives are just one part of its multi-issue agenda. Unlike other anti-union organizations, this prominent lobbying force does not hide its alignment with big business.

General

NYTIMES: 45 Anonymous Corporate Donors Provided More Than Half of US Chamber's 2009 Funding

March 14, 2013

Eric Lipton, Mike McIntire, and Don Van Natta Jr.

Top Corporations Aid U.S. Chamber of Commerce Campaign

(originally published on October 21, 2010)

Prudential Financial sent in a $2 million donation last year as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce kicked off a national advertising campaign to weaken the historic rewrite of the nation’s financial regulations.

General

NYTIMES: US Chamber Lobbying Heavily Against Climate Legislation

March 4, 2013

John Broder

Storm Over the Chamber

(Originally published on november 18, 2009)

BACK in the 1990s when Thomas J. Donohue was president of the American Trucking Associations, a subordinate raised a question at a staff meeting.

Some of the association’s members, the aide said, wondered whether it was really necessary for the group’s president to fly on a private jet.

Mr. Donohue, a scrappy Irish-American born in Brooklyn and raised on Long Island, turned to his chief of staff and asked how many seats his jet had. “Well, eight, sir,” the aide said. “Tomorrow morning I want you to call and get a 12-seater,” Mr. Donohue shot back. The subject never came up again.

General

CAMPUS PROGRESS: Tom Donohue's US Chamber is Biggest Obstacle to Progressive Change

March 4, 2013

Jake Blumgart

Thomas Donohue

(originally posted on June 21, 2010)

The Chamber of Commerce is one of the biggest obstacles to progressive change in the United States. Claiming to represent the interests of American business, it is the largest lobbying group in the nation, with over 300,000 anonymous dues paying members and a staggeringly deep war chest and immense influence in both parties. From its cyclopean headquarters on H Street and Connecticut Avenue NW, the Chamber mobilizes its diverse membership to combat everything from environmental regulation to minimum wage increases.

General

AUDIO: Hear Dennis Kucinich's speech at the Rally for Democracy

February 12, 2013

Liberty Tree Foundation

Dennis Kucinich Speaks at Barrymore

Dennis Kucinich and Ben Manski speak to Wisconsinites on February 12th, 2013 as part of Liberty Tree's "Shut the Chamber!" campaign kickoff (complete audio below, courtesy of WORT 89.9FM, followed by printed excerpts).

Ben Manski:

WSJ: Wisconsin's GOP legislature lays out their priorities for mining, education, taxes, and jobs

January 6, 2013

Dee J. Hall

GOP-controlled Legislature ready to tackle mining, taxes, jobs, education

Paving the way for a new mine, lowering income taxes and finding ways to train more workers for available jobs are among the priorities cited by top Republicans, who will control the Legislature.

The two-year session begins Monday and will run through May 2014. Republicans have a 59-39 majority in the Assembly, with one vacancy in a heavily GOP district, and an 18-15 majority in the Senate. Gov. Scott Walker is also a Republican.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, said much of the Legislature’s work will revolve around the governor’s proposed budget, expected to be submitted in mid-February.

“The budget controls the landscape for the first six months,” Fitzgerald said.

SALON: Provisional ballots still being counted in Arizona and reports of suppressed Latino votes could affect outcome of close races

November 17, 2012

Alex Seitz-Wald

Arizona elections still not over as suspicion builds

The election may have ended almost two weeks ago, but in Arizona, it goes on. Perhaps it’s fitting for a state with its own time zone, but as of last night, there remained over 100,000 uncounted votes in the state’s two largest counties, leaving election officials unable to officially certify the results of a number of the state’s high profile races, including the Senate race, several House contests, and Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s reelection bid. Friday was the deadline for counties to finish counting ballots, but the state blew past it yesterday when Maricopa, which contains Phoenix, and Pima County, which contains Tucson, said they needed more time.

Democracy Now investigates the corporate influences behind the "Fix the Debt" campaign

November 13, 2012

As Talks Begin on "Fiscal Cliff," Report Warns "Fix the Debt" a Front for More Corporate Bailouts

As the White House begins a series of meetings today on the looming "fiscal cliff," a coalition of the largest corporate firms and advocacy groups is lobbying for wide-ranging cuts in government spending, including to programs like Medicare and Social Security. The group, which includes 80 of the country’s most powerful CEOs, is called the Campaign to Fix the Debt. It was co-founded by former Clinton White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles and former Republican Sen. Alan Simpson, previously the co-chairs of President Obama’s bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. Critics have accused the group of using the budget crisis to push for corporate tax cuts.

Overpass Light Brigade groups challenge free speech restrictions around the country

November 13, 2012

Kit OConnell

Overpass Light Brigade Is Challenging Free Speech Restrictions

One Victory, More Conflicts to Come?

Though the Austin Overpass Light Brigade won the right to hold lighted signs over a highway once, it can expect further encounters with police.

NYT: Americans in non-swing states less likely to vote and millions of ballots are still being counted

November 12, 2012

Nate Silver

Turnout Steady in Swing States and Down in Others, But Many Votes Remain Uncounted

Initial accounts of last Tuesday’s presidential election contemplated what seemed to be a significant decline in turnout from 2008. Those reports may have been premature, at least in part. Some states, particularly those where much balloting is conducted by mail, have yet to finish counting their returns. It is likely that there are several million votes left to be counted in California, for example. Nonetheless, it seems probable that we will see something of a split in the number of people who turned out to vote in 2012.

In many of the states where the campaigns focused most of their attention, more people voted than in 2008. Turnout is likely to have declined in many non-battleground states, however.

CAP TIMES: Supreme Court case could eliminate the Voting Rights Act

November 10, 2012

Associated Press

High court to take fresh look at voting rights law

The Supreme Court will consider eliminating the government's most potent weapon against racial discrimination at polling places since the 1960s. The court acted three days after a diverse coalition of voters propelled President Barack Obama to a second term in the White House.

With a look at affirmative action in higher education already on the agenda, the court is putting a spotlight on race by re-examining the ongoing necessity of laws and programs aimed at giving racial minorities access to major areas of American life from which they once were systematically excluded.

AP: South Carolina GOP wants to stop recount, but Election Day problems show importance of completing recount

November 9, 2012

Associated Press

SC GOP wants to stop Richland County vote recount

South Carolina Republicans on Friday asked the state's highest court to stop a recount of votes in Richland County, arguing that a GOP candidate fairly won a disputed legislative race.

The state party made the request to the Supreme Court a day after a circuit judge ordered that ballots and voting machines in Richland County be guarded by state police while state election officials reviewed them. County election officials had planned to certify election results Friday, but that process is on hold.

State election officials said they planned to begin their count Friday afternoon.

CAP TIMES: Journalists face restrictions as they cover Election Night events

November 9, 2012

Jessica Vanegeren

Campaigns' control of media gets heavy-handed on election night

Phil Ejercito, a Madison-based freelance photographer, took the usual steps prior to showing up Tuesday to photograph what turned into the election night victory party for Wisconsin’s new senator, Tammy Baldwin.

After showing identification, he was handed press credentials and then guided to the press area that included nearly 100 other journalists.

But as 8 p.m. approached and the ballroom at Monona Terrace began to fill with roughly 1,000 members of the public, a velvet red rope similar to what you’d find in a movie theater started to be drawn tight to cordon off the media area.

TRUTHOUT: Lack of transparency in exit polling makes it more difficult to know when an election is rigged

November 9, 2012

Victoria Collier

America's Media Just Made Vote-Rigging Easier

Stealing your vote is easier than ever now that the media has decided it can't afford the exit polling that helped track irregular ballot counts in more than a third of the states. Here's why it's important, and what you can do.

The news that America's mainstream media has cancelled exit polling in 19 states, means that insider election theft this November is now even harder to track, and therefore easier to get away with - something that scarcely seemed possible.

ALTERNET: Latino organizers call attention to thousands of uncounted votes in Arizona county sheriff's race

November 8, 2012

Steve Rosenfeld

Did Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio Really Win?

Did Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio—the face of Arizona’s anti-immigrant movement—really win a sixth term of office on Tuesday?

That is one question that Latino organizers are asking Wednesday after receiving reports that perhaps as many as 300,000 ballots remain uncounted in Maricopa County, with what they say are a sizeable proportion coming from non-white voters who unexpectedly were given provisional ballots after their names were not on polling place voter lists.