Terrorism Threatens the Ballot Box, or, What WON'T The Junta Do To Hold Onto Power?
AlterNet.org
The administration is warning that large-scale terrorist attacks could force postponement of the November elections
Will
terrorists, aiming to disrupt the November presidential election,
launch a large-scale strike in the homeland? In late June, DeForest B.
Soaries, appointed to head the federal Election Assistance Commission
last year by President Bush, asked the government to “establish
guidelines for canceling or rescheduling elections” in case terrorists
strike in the United States, the Associated Press reported. According
to the AP story, Soaries said he wrote to National Security Advisor
Condoleezza Rice and Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge in April: “I
am still awaiting their response,” he said. “Thus far we have not begun
any meaningful discussion.”
On July
8, a somber Homeland Security Secretary warned the American people that
“Credible reporting now indicates that al-Qaeda is moving forward with
its plans to carry out a large-scale attack in the United States in an
effort to disrupt our democratic process.” Secretary Ridge added that
“We are basically laying out before the general public the kind of
information that we've received…. And it's not us – these are not
conjectures or mythical statements we are making. These are pieces of
information that we could trace comfortably to sources that we deem to
be credible.”
(more)
But, is there anyone left in this
country who would actually still believe the junta's claims regarding
“credible” evidence? Hey, dude, the sky is falling! Cancel
the elections! pResident for life!
Trish Nelson of Rapid Response – Iowa sent out this statement from Senator Barbara Boxer. Some good talking points are included.
STATEMENT BY U.S. SENATOR BARBARA BOXER
To even
consider postponing our elections, the most ardent symbol of American
democracy, because of threats made by terrorists would be nothing short
of allowing fear to rule our country. America is too great and
too strong and too brave for that.
If this
Administration is so concerned about the possibility of terrorist
attacks disrupting U.S. elections, the priority should be how to best
defend against those attacks, not how to close polling places.
We need
to pass the Rail Security and Port Security bills, both of which passed
unanimously out of the Senate Commerce Committee in April. We
need to pass my Homeland Defense Act, legislation authorizing grants
for our local first responders so they can purchase interoperable
communications systems that will allow them to talk to one another in
the event of a terrorist attack. And we need to put more federal
dollars toward funding these Homeland Security initiatives, including
our local first responders.
We are
focusing far too many of our resources abroad trying to bring democracy
to others while this Administration seems completely at a loss on how
to protect us here at home. All we hear about is fear from them
and no plan. It is time to stop the fear-mongering and start
protecting our people, our homeland, and our democracy here at home.
TAKE ACTION NOW!
Contact
your U.S. Senators and Representative immediately and make sure they
know you are watching this issue closely. Let them know:
1) You appreciate their efforts to ensure that our elections run smoothly.
2) You
will not tolerate the passage of any guidelines that provide for
canceling a national election or rescheduling it in a way that could
delay the inauguration of newly-elected officials at the traditional
times in January 2005.
To write Senator Tom Harkin, go here:
http://harkin.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm
http://grassley.senate.gov/webform.htm
To write to your Representative in the U.S. House, go here:
http://www.house.gov/writerep/
Blog For Iowa 
Senator Chuck “I Vote With the Junta” Grassley! Too funny!
I called yesterday about the Federal Marriage Amendment – of course Grassley was planning to vote for it. Voting with the junta, indeed.
Alta Price
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