Kerry
Not Joining Objection To Formal Electoral Vote Count The Washington
Times (1/6, Fagan) reports Sen. John Kerry "said he won't be joining a
small band of House Democrats today in trying to spoil President Bush's
formal election before Congress by objecting to what they say are
voting irregularities in Ohio." A group of House Democrats, led Rep.
John Conyers, ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, "will object
to the counting of Ohio's electoral ballots before a joint
congressional session today, because of what they say are massive
voting irregularities and voter disenfranchisement there." But they
"need at least one senator to join them in order to temporarily stop
the process and force the House and Senate to formally debate their
complaint. Mr. Kerry said he won't be that one senator." Kerry said, "I
will not be taking part in a formal protest of the Ohio electors.
Despite widespread reports of irregularities, questionable practices by
some election officials and instances of lawful voters being denied the
right to vote, our legal teams on the ground have found no evidence
that would change the outcome of the election." CNN's Inside Politics
(1/5, Woodruff) reported Kerry has sent an e-mail to supporters "saying
he will not take part in a formal protest of the Ohio electors, despite
what we he calls widespread reports of irregularities." The New York
Times (1/6, Stolberg) reports Conyers "issued a report saying there
were 'ample grounds for challenging the electors from the state of
Ohio,'" and Kerry "said he would draw on the Conyers report to make
voting rights one of his 'top agenda items' this year." The Frontrunner
January 6, 2005 Pictured above on 1/10/05: Former U.S. presidential
candidate Senator John Kerry, an election
observer, leaves the office of Mahmoud Abbas, in the West Bank city of
Ramallah in this January 10, 2005file photo.[more]Pictured left: Here he is sipping Arabic coffee in the ancient Omayyad Mosque
in old Damascus on Saturday, Jan. 8, 2004, the day after the election challenge. Kerry toured old Damascus
following his talks in the Syrian capital regarding Iraq , the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the U.S.-Syria strained bilateral
relations.[more]
Pictured above on 1/10/05: Former U.S. presidential
candidate Senator John Kerry, an election
observer, leaves the office of Mahmoud Abbas, in the West Bank city of
Ramallah in this January 10, 2005 file photo.[more]
Pictured left: Here he is sipping Arabic coffee in the ancient Omayyad Mosque
in old Damascus on Saturday, Jan. 8, 2004, the day after the election challenge. Kerry toured old Damascus
following his talks in the Syrian capital regarding Iraq , the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the U.S.-Syria strained bilateral
relations.[more]
