Greens Paved the Way for Historic Electoral Vote Challenge.
COBB/LaMARCHE 2004 GREEN PARTY PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN
http://www.votecobb.org
January 6, 2005
Contact: Blair Bobier, Media Director at
414.364.1596
Today's historic Electoral College vote challenge
would not have happened without the leadership of Green Party
presidential candidate David Cobb, who initiated the recount of Ohio's
presidential vote and is demanding a second recount in federal court
because the first recount was conducted in violation of state and
federal law.
"Clearly, by demanding a recount and an
investigation into the widespread irregularities with the presidential
vote in Ohio, the Green Party paved the way for today's challenge to
Ohio's Electoral College votes," said Cobb. Cobb called for an
investigation of the vote in Ohio on November 5 and announced several
days later that he would ask for a recount. Cobb testified before two
Congressional forums chaired by Representative John Conyers held in
Washington and Columbus, Ohio, and announced at the second forum the
allegations of voting machine tampering which are now the subject of
investigations by the GAO and the FBI.
"Today is truly historic and marks the
beginning of a new democracy movement in America. We cannot honestly
call our country a democracy until we have publicly financed campaigns,
instant runoff voting, a Constitutional right to vote and until each and
every voter can verify their vote with a paper receipt," said Cobb.
Cobb spoke before hundreds of people in Washington, DC, today, who were
gathered at two rallies. The first rally featured Cobb and Reverend
Jesse Jackson and took place in Lafayette Park, across from the White
House, at 10 a.m. Reverend Jackson acknowledged the leadership role that
the Green Party has played in seeking justice in Ohio. Cobb then joined
with hundreds of protestors marching from the White House to the Capitol
along Pennsylvania Avenue. Protestors took over two lanes of traffic and
chanted pro-democracy messages en route.
Once at the Capitol, the marchers joined with
another demonstration in progress at Upper Senate Park where Cobb again
shouted out the Green message of grassroots democracy and social and
racial justice.
Cobb recently asked a federal court in Ohio to order
a second recount because the initial recount was conducted in violation
of Ohio recount law and constitutional guarantees of due process and
equal protection. Cobb has also demanded a recount of the vote in New
Mexico, the state with the highest percentage of under-votes in the
nation. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson has refused to comply with
the recount law of New Mexico so Cobb filed a lawsuit to get the recount
started. That case is now pending before the New Mexico Court of
Appeals.
Additional information:
Ohio and New Mexico recounts
Cobb-LaMarche campaign
www.votecobb.org.
Green Party
www.gp.org
