Reply #12: Here's the text of that exchange... [View All]

CARLSON: But that — see, that’s part of the problem, I guess, here. I mean, look, I have no doubt, and I don’t think anybody would, that there are voting irregularities in this election as there are in any election, probably some crookedness, as there are in any election, again.

But you’re alleging that in state after state, not just Ohio, but many states, including Florida, New Mexico and others, there were concerted, coordinated efforts to subvert the vote.

And yet, John Kerry, the person who lost in this election, the injured party here, when you talked to him and you said, “Did you think this election was fixed?” said no.

KENNEDY: I don’t think that’s what John Kerry says at this point. But you know, the issue here is that these facts are on the table, Tucker. There’s no dispute about the facts. I mean, go through the article and show me a single fact that you dispute.

Also Kerry did join the suit filed by Cliff Arnebeck against the Ohio Election results.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - John Kerry's campaign has joined a lawsuit by third-party presidential candidates seeking a recount in Ohio. A lawyer for the campaign said Thursday the campaign does not question the Democrat's loss but wants any counting to take place statewide.

Kerry's campaign this week joined the suit filed by Green and Libertarian party candidates seeking a recount of the vote in Delaware County. A judge in that county issued a restraining order blocking that request, but the order expired Thursday. A hearing is set in federal court in Columbus today on the recount request.

"The Kerry-Edwards campaign felt it had to intervene," said Daniel Hoffheimer, a Cincinnati lawyer who represents the campaign in Ohio. "We did not want a recount to go forward if it only was 87 (of Ohio's 88) counties."

Kerry said in the article that he didn't think the current data was "conclusive", but the fact is - it doesn't have to be. If a burglar tries and fails to steal something, isn't it still a crime?

He also said...

Kerry conceded, however, that the widespread irregularities make it impossible to know for certain that the outcome reflected the will of the voters. ''I think there are clearly states where it is questionable whether everybody's vote is being counted, whether everybody is being given the opportunity to register and to vote,'' he said. ''There are clearly barriers in too many places to the ability of people to exercise their full franchise. For that to be happening in the United States of America today is disgraceful.''

Kerry's comments were echoed by Howard Dean, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee. ''I'm not confident that the election in Ohio was fairly decided,'' Dean says. ''We know that there was substantial voter suppression, and the machines were not reliable. It should not be a surprise that the Republicans are willing to do things that are unethical to manipulate elections. That's what we suspect has happened, and we'd like to safeguard our elections so that democracy can still be counted on to work.''

To help prevent a repeat of 2004, Kerry has co-sponsored a package of election reforms called the Count Every Vote Act. The measure would increase turnout by allowing voters to register at the polls on Election Day, provide provisional ballots to voters who inadvertently show up at the wrong precinct, require electronic voting machines to produce paper receipts verified by voters, and force election officials like Blackwell to step down if they want to join a campaign. (205) But Kerry says his fellow Democrats have been reluctant to push the reforms, fearing that Republicans would use their majority in Congress to create even more obstacles to voting. ''The real reason there is no appetite up here is that people are afraid the Republicans will amend HAVA and shove something far worse down our throats,'' he told me.

Kerry hasn't totally joined the tin-foil hatters, but compared to most of Congress he's way out in front on this issue. At least give him credit for that.

Vyan