Take Action!

Show your support: Send cards and letters to the "Florida Fourteen"

On behalf of Democratic Members of Congress, Democrats.com collected and synthesized specific credible  allegations of official misconduct, deliberate fraud, and conspiracy to suppress voter turnout through illegal methods in Florida.  These were collected to serve as the foundation for a challenge to Florida's electors.

As set forth in 3 U.S.C. section 15, Congress convened in joint session at 1 p.m. Saturday January 6th, presided over by the President of the Senate (Vice President Al Gore). He opened the Certificate of Ascertainment from each state in alphabetical order and asked if there were any objections.  On Saturday 14 brave Members of Congress challenged the electors from Florida as having been unlawfully obtained by George W. Bush.

The courageous Members of Congress who supported  the challenge were: Alcee Hastings, Corinne Brown, Carrie Meek, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Sheila Jackson-Lee, Maxine Waters, Eva Clayton, Elijah Cummings, Jesse Jackson Jr., Barbara Lee, Cynthia McKinney, Patsy Mink, Bob Filner and Peter Deutsch.  

Although we understand Gore's disinterest in a formal challenge of Florida's electors, the Congressional Black Caucus and the people it represents are the real victims in the Florida fiasco.   For more than 400 years they have been struggling to achieve full citizenship in our society and the very least they deserved was an opportunity to air their grievances before the world.  In truth, of course, we owe them a whole lot more.  

With all due respect for the Vice President, it is not up to him to decide how much election fraud we as a nation are prepared to live with.  That is -- or should be -- a subject of considerable debate.  The Congressional Black Caucus is right:  There is considerable credible evidence of deliberate voter fraud, intimidation, official misconduct and a conspiracy to suppress voter turnout by illegal methods.    Over time, as the clarity of Gore's victory in Florida and the magnitude of the Bush brothers' complicity in stealing this election grow, we believe a failure to challenge the Florida electoral results will come to be seen as a failure to act on principal.

We applaud the actions of the Congressional Black Caucus and its allies in the Congress and hope that it will serve as the strongest possible warning against Republican extremism and recklessness.

If you like this cartoon take this file and e-mail it to your friends or print it out and distribute it!