Verified Voting Rally!

Tuesday (June 22) at 11:45 am Congressman Rush Holt (D-NJ) will hold a press conference/rally near the Capitol Building to gain support for the The Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2003 (H.R. 2239). This bill will require a paper trail for every vote.

This is important! It's not enough to vote! You have to be able to prove who you voted for!

National Rally for Voter Verified Paper Ballots
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
11:45am to 1:00pm

Cannon Terrace, just south of the U.S. Capitol, between Cannon and Longworth House Office Buildings
(At the corner of New Jersey and Independence)
Nearest Metro station: Capitol South

UPDATE: This was a great little event. Finally managed to get some pics of one of many 'commy' events I attend.

Reps who spoke at the rally included Rep. Marcy Kaptur (OH), Rep. John Lewis (GA), Rep. Robert Wexler (FL), Rep. Jan Schakowsky (IL), and Rep. Jay Inslee (WA) also spoke at the rally.

Special props go out to Rep. John Lewis because of his strong background on voting right, having been a primary crusader for the black vote back in the day - he's got the scars to prove it. If you don't know his story, go read up.

I overheard one encounter a demonstrator had with a jerky Republican staffer. Never fails - it seems that whenever I go to one of these things there is *always* at least one jerky Republican staffer who is anti-Democracy and very condescending of public demonstrations. It's really unbelievable if you think about the fact we're talking about a non-partisan issue here. Unbelievable - unless you consider what the American Republican party consists of these days - spoiled, ignorant, rich people exploiting the base fears of the American public and the 'redneck vote' to keep their puppet in office. How much progress could we make with no Republicans in office? Horrible people.

People like to make all sorts of excuses for Republicans and the Republican Party and platform, but I fully believe what Chomsky has said forever now - that the elite - the financially and politically powerful - hate democracy and are its more fierce enemies, because democracy is the only thing that can threaten their power. Many on both sides of the aisle do their best to remain in power - regardless of what democracy calls for - but the Republican party is especially immoral and lawless when it comes to maintaining their grip. Bush's term here will be a demonstration to any future enlightened society of how corrupting power can be.

There were some cameras. Saw a mobile CNN camera buzzing around. A few note-taking reporter-types.

Hadn't heard of Common Cause before today.

Rush Holt at the lecturn with Democracy for America rep in white t-shirt off to left, Rock the Vote guy in the blue shirt, obscured-with-purplish-shirt True Majority guy, and a bunch of Representatives.

And a shot of the Computer Ate My Vote guy and a bunch of other signs.