John Kerry Calls for National Election Standards

As Bev Harris of www.blackboxvoting.org and members of Florida Fair Elections pick through trash at Florida's Volusia County Elections Office to find illegally discarded, election day optical scanner poll tapes, John Kerry is warning of a right wing assault on American values and vows to fight for a national standard for federal elections.

"It's unacceptable in the United States that people still don't have full confidence in the integrity of the voting process," Kerry stated calling into question the transparency and accountability of the US voting system. "Regardless of the outcome of this election, once all the votes are counted - and they will be counted - we will continue to challenge this administration," he said.

One week after the presidential election, which was soon followed by Kerry's formal concession, the Ohio Election Protection Coalition's public hearings have documented insufficient voting machines in Black Democratic precincts resulting in 5 - 7 hour waits, voter intimidation, machine malfunctions, and other irregularities.

Others call into question the reversal of the exit polls which early on predicted a Kerry sweep into the White House. Scoop NZ Co-Editor, Alastair Thompson published a full set of the 4 pm Exit Poll data as well as an article by Dr. Stephen F. Freeman from the University of Pennsylvania. He calculated, "The odds of just three of the major swing states, Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania all swinging as far as they did against their respective exit polls were 250 million to 1." ( http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0411/S00227.htm)

"The corporate media says the election is over, but there will be a recount in Ohio - thanks to grassroots activists who know there were problems with vote suppression and vote counting in Ohio and nationwide," according to an alert by Democrats.com.

Kerry further called into question President Bush's words of cooperation and moderate sounding promises. "This administration is planning a right wing assault on values and ideals we hold most deeply. Healthy debate and diverse opinion are being eliminated from the State Department and CIA, and the cabinet is being remade to rubber stamp policies that will undermine Social Security, balloon the deficit, avoid real reforms in health care and education, weaken homeland security, and walk away from critical allies around the world."

"There are more than eight million uninsured children in our nation," Kerry continued, unveiled plans to introduce a bill on the first day Congress is in session to provide every child in America with health insurance. "Normally, a member of the Senate will first approach other senators and ask them to co-sponsor a bill before it is introduced - instead, I am turning to you." To support the federal Children's Health Insurance legislation, please sign the 'Every Child Protected' pledge at www.johnkerry.com/EveryChild

ENDS

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