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Was the 2004 Election Stolen?: A Debate on Ohio One Year
After Bush's Victory
Mark Crispin Miller: “Kerry Told Me He Now Thinks the
Election Was Stolen”
Thousands Protest Bush in Argentina, People's Summit Counters
Free Trade Talks
Was the 2004 Election Stolen?: A Debate on Ohio One
Year After Bush's Victory
A year later, questions remain over the outcome of the Ohio
election and whether George W. Bush fairly won the state and
the presidency. We explore some of these questions with a
debate between Mark Crispin Miller and Mark Hertsgaard. [includes
rush
transcript]
There were widespread reports of voter intimidation; suspiciously
long lines in heavily Democratic areas; faulty voting machines;
mishandled absentee and provisional ballots; election results
that contradicted exit polls…and then there were the
electronic voting machines. For years critics of these machines
have warned that they could be manipulated in ways to fix
elections.
Last week the Government Accountability Office – the
investigative unit of Congress – issued a major report
on the safety of electronic voting machines. Although the
report has received little attention in the corporate media,
its findings have startled critics of electronic voting. There
are three main problems the GAO found with the machines: First,
some electronic voting systems did not encrypt cast ballots
or system audit logs, and it was possible to alter both without
being detected. Second, it was possible to alter the files
that define how a ballot looks and works so that votes for
one candidate could be recorded for a different candidate.
Third, vendors installed uncertified versions of voting system
software at the local level.
The GAO concluded, “some of these concerns were reported
to have caused local problems in federal elections –
resulting in the loss or miscount of votes.”
- Mark Crispin Miller, author of “Fooled Again: How
the Right Stole the 2004 Election and Why They’ll
Steal the Next One Too (Unless We Stop Them).” He
is a professor at New York University and author of several
other books including "Cruel and Unusual: Bush/Cheney’s
New World Order" and "The Bush Dyslexicon: Observations
on a National Disorder."
- Mark Hertsgaard, investigative reporter who recently
examined the 2004 election for Mother Jones magazine. He
is the author of many books including "The Eagle’s
Shadow: Why America Fascinates and Infuriates the World"
and "Earth Odyssey: Around the World in Search of Our
Environmental Future." He is also the environment correspondent
for The Nation and the political correspondent for LinkTV.
Mark Crispin Miller: “Kerry Told Me He Now
Thinks the Election Was Stolen”
New York University professor and author Mark Crispin Miller
says in an interview on Democracy Now!: “[Kerry] told
me he now thinks the election was stolen. He says he doesn't
believe he is the person that can be out in front because
of the sour grapes question. But he said he believes it was
stolen. He says he argues with his democratic colleagues on
the hill. He said he had a fight with Christopher Dodd because
he said there's questions about the voting machines and Dodd
was angry.”
- Mark Crispin Miller, author of "Fooled Again: How
the Right Stole the 2004 Election & Why They’ll
Steal the Next One Too." He is a professor at New York
University and author of several other books including "Cruel
and Unusual: Bush/Cheney’s New World Order" and
"The Bush Dyslexicon: Observations on a National Disorder."
Thousands Protest Bush in Argentina, People's Summit
Counters Free Trade Talks
In the wake of the Summit of the Americas and President
Bush’s arrival in Argentina, a People’s Summit
is also being organized as a counter protest and thousands
have gathered to hear Venezuelan President Chavez speak at
a rally. We hear from Nobel Peace prize winner Adolfo Perez
Esquivel in Argentina and others.
World leaders are meeting in the coastal resort of Mar del
Plata. The meeting is officially assembled to focus on creating
jobs and promoting democracy but thousands of protesters are
gearing up to demonstrate against President Bush’s visit
and the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas or FTAA.
Argentina is the first stop on Bush’s first trip to
Latin America since he won re-election one year ago. He will
to travel to Brazil and Panama before heading back to Washington
on Monday.
Protests began in Argentina three days before Bush’s
arrival and a massive security clampdown is in place for the
talks. More than 7,500 police officers erected a security
ring around summit hotels and patrolled the streets and beaches.
Coast guard boats watched the shoreline and air space was
restricted. Most schools canceled classes. A People’s
Summit is being organized to counter the Summit of the Americas
and thousands of people are due to stage a protest rally today
that will be addressed by Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.
Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona joined other celebrities
late on Thursday aboard a Chavez-sponsored private train headed
from Buenos Aires to Mar del Plata, to lead the march. Speaking
to reporters, Maradona blasted Bush’s visit to the country.
- Diego Maradona, Argentine Soccer Player, one of the organizers
of the People’s Summit:
“With my daughter, I will lead the march that we're
going to do with many because he doesn't value us, he steps
on us and yet we have to be at his feet. Not I. Not I nor
many Argentines. We don't agree with this."
The mayor of Mar Del Plata, Daniel Katz, came out in support
of the People’s Summit.
- Daniel Katz, mayor of Mar Del Plata:
“It reassures me that Maradona is coming, it reassures
me that people come to participate in the Summit of the
People, because there is also an attempt to demonise the
People's Summit, that is to say, that the violence will
be generated from there. And the architect Perez Esquival
said to me from the first day the watchword is to generate
consensus, not violence. And it seems to me the presence
of respected, popular figures at the front of this march
is going to guarantee just that."
Cuban leader Fidel Castro was the only leader excluded from
the Summit of the Americas which was sponsored by the Organization
of American States. However, Cuba sent a large continegent
to the People"s Summit. Among the Cubans participating
is Cuba"s world record-holding high jumper, Javier Soto
Mayor.
- Patricia Diaz Bialet, who organized a contingent of artists
taking part in the protests:
“We artists, intellectuals and writers repudiate the
presence of Bush in Argentina. We say "No" to
those responsible for the genocide in Iraq and guilty of
the hunger and poverty in the world."
Today's Guests:
- James Petras, author and journalist, Professor Emeritus
at SUNY Binghamton. He has written about Latin America for
many years and is author of the new book, "Social Movements
and State Power: Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador."
- Elsa Montero, IMECC, a worker-run clinic in Argentina.
She is translated by Gretchen Begley.
- Adolfo Perez Esquivel, Argentine Nobel Peace Laureate
For a copy of today’s program, call 1 (800) 881 2359.
Our website is www.democracynow.org.
Our email address is mail@democracynow.org.
Democracy Now! is produced by Mike Burke, Sharif Abdel Kouddous,
Ana Nogueira, Elizabeth Press, Jeremy Scahill and Parvez Sharma.
Mike Di Filippo is our engineer.
Thanks also to Uri Galed, Angela Alston, Orlando Richards,
Simba Russeau, Johnny Sender, Rich Kim, Joe Murgio, John Randolph,
Chris Zucker, Karen Ranucci, Denis Moynihan, Eric Rweyemamu,
Jenny Filipazzo and Isis Phillips.
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