Archive for category: Rights and Liberties

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Trickster Rove Pawing His Hand In Columbus

Talk about the great ironies of history. Ohio’s leading kleptocrat, J. Kenneth Blackwell, recently compared being homosexual to being an “arsonist” or a “kleptomaniac.” Here’s the quote, in answer to the question by the Dispatch, can homosexuals change:

“And I think you make good choices and bad choices in terms of lifestyle. Our expectation is that one’s genetic makeup might make one more inclined to be an arsonist or might make one more inclined to be a kleptomaniac. Do I think that they can change? Yes.”

Blackwell, who has a propensity towards opportunism, clearly learned and nurtured by shameless ambition – not genetically implanted – believes in kleptocracy. That is, rule by thieves. He’s the leading shill for what can only be described as the Bush crime family.

The crime family run by the former CIA director is most well-known for bizarre speech patterns which makes them unable to complete complex sentences. See The Bush Dislexicon, by Mark Crispin Miller. The only reason the cognitively impaired George W. Bush is president, is because of two unprincipled kleptomaniacs – J. Kenneth Blackwell and Karl Rove.

Rove was in Columbus, Ohio today assuring Republicans that they shouldn’t worry about Blackwell being 20 points behind Ted Strickland. Why would he say this? Because Blackwell and Rove, with the help of Congressman Ney and corrupt lobbyist Jack Abramoff have implanted partisan Republican electronic voting machines into the Buckeye State and throughout the nation. Rove, a despicable dirty tricks expert, whose roots go back to Watergate, simply plans to steal another election in Ohio. The for-profit corporate media bows down and serves the kleptocracy. After all, business is business.

The people of Ohio should be outraged that Blackwell would be equating violent criminal and compulsive thieves with homosexuality. But this is the usual form that fascism takes. Blatant corruption and scapegoating of gays and other minorities.

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Green Party To Columbus Dispatch (Uh Hello?) Media Lockout

Since that very important corporate newspaper, the Columbus Dispatch, has decided that only Strickland and Blackwell’s opinions matter, I’m now forced as a duly certified candidate to ask myself the same questions in a spontaneous interview on the fraudbusterbob blog.

How important is religion in your life?
I try to live my faith…which is democracy, human rights and the Sermon on the Mount. I believe it will be difficult for J. Kenneth Blackwell to get into heaven, much like it was difficult for the camel to pass through the eye of a needle. I’m also quite fond of the socialism of the early Catholic Church in the Book of Acts. And, I also fight every day to save the poor baby Jesus from the warmongering greedhead clutches of Bush and Blackwell.

Do you apply your faith in office or in campaigning?
Sure. Democracy means trusting the people. I apply that faith every day and I hold true to my belief in a final judgment and just pray I’m present when God asks J. Kenneth why he oppressed “the least of our brothers and sisters” by canceling their votes because they hadn’t registered on 80 bond unwaxed white paper.

Can you cite any policies or votes that may have stemmed from your faith?
Well, I’m not in office, but most of my positions are based on faith. For example, I believe Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and hence would find Bush and Blackwell’s illegal war in Iraq reprehensible. I believe Jesus and I would be against torturing human beings as are the vast majority of people on the planet. Bush and his lackey Blackwell, see otherwise. The only marriage I would outlaw is the marriage of Church and State. And I believe the First Amendment protects Freedom of Religion and the Freedom From Religion – the rights of agnostics, atheists, humanists, and pagans.

Do you think America was founded as a Christian nation, is it now, and should it be?
Since the original founders of our country were the indigenous, pantheistic Native Americans, I would have to say no. As I recall, in the preamble of the U.S. Constitution says “We the people” not “We the Christian people.” Now, I know that some far-right evangelicals will tell you that the holy spirit of Christ descended on the founding fathers in Philadelphia in 1787, but I think anyone who reads the Constitution will come to the conclusion that it was founded by a group of wealthy, well-educated men – some who were slave holders – and that it wasn’t the Holy Spirit or God who told them to count slaves as 3/5ths of a person and not to outlaw the importing of slaves for at least 20 years. That sounds like the work of the devil, or at worst, politicians.

Are non-Christians religions true?
Is the Pope Catholic?
Which of the following statements comes closest to your view about the Bible?
#3 – that the Bible is an ancient book of fables, legends, history and moral precepts recorded by man. I would disagree with this statement in that there were obviously women, like Ruth and others, who recorded things. Also, that the King James version is an incredible work of literature as well. All great radicals from Marx to Eugene Victor Debs and Norman Thomas quoted the Bible. It has a prophetic quality and should inspire us to speak truth to power, and that’s a basic Old Testament concept of righteousness.

What is your position on evolution, intelligent design and science, and what should be taught in science classes?
Let me go out on a limb here – science should be taught in science classes. By that I mean that the scientific method that people can never have truth, but the best possible explanation given the existing data. Why would we teach intelligent design in our science classes? I believe in the separation of church and state. But, if they do allow intelligent design, I think you have to include them all, including the one about the Earth being on the back of a giant turtle and the ancient astronauts breeding with primates. I think any non-scientific faith-based explanation must be treated equally in a secular classroom.

Is homosexuality a sin and can gays be cured?
No and I’m laughing too hard to answer the second half of this question. I believe that people like Blackwell who see sexuality as a “choice” must have had a very strange pattern of sexual development as a youth. I don’t remember somewhere around puberty there being a “choice” day. Scientific studies show that the vast majority of people’s sexual orientation is set early in life and it’s not a choice or lifestyle. I do however, believe that eating pork, as in the Book of Leviticus, is a sin. And, I say this as a biased former owner of two noble tropical boars, including the legendary Iggy. So, if I’m going to spend my time, focusing on sin, look for me protesting at Bob Evans against the pig holocaust.

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We Do Not Concede To The Bush Election Team In Mexico Or Here In Ohio

More than a million people were in the streets in Mexico City in perhaps the largest demonstration in the history of the western hemisphere. What’s the difference between Columbus, Ohio and Mexico City? Both had a stolen election by the same people. When I saw, a week or so before the election, that the Bush team was headed down to Mexico, you could tell that the son of a CIA director was about to steal again. Bush, Rove and Blackwell are chronic kleptomaniacs. They steal because they think they can get away with it – but that only works in Ohio. In Mexico, the difference is that people believe in democracy and they are not brainwashed by a propagandistic corporate media into ignoring the obvious.

We didn’t have a million, but I want to acknowledge the hard core voting rights activists who did hit the streets after the 2004 election and continue to fight for a fair election in Ohio to this day. My campaign is the direct result of that movement – we will not concede.

We should do everything we can to support the nonviolent civil disobedience and massive demonstrations that are rocking Mexico. I’ve enclosed two recent articles Harvey Wasserman and I have written on the elections in Mexico. Let me know what you think.

The Democrats must now say “We Do Not Concede” in the U.S. as it’s being said in Mexico

An open letter from Ohio to the people of Mexico

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Another Sign Of Smiley-Faced Fascism

I marched in the Doo Dah Parade today in Columbus, Ohio; democracy requires dissent. And here’s where I dissent from W. Bush and his junta. Our founders held that people are born with certain “unalienable Rights” – among them life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We have a Constitution with a Bill of Rights that protects us from “unreasonable search and seizure.” The Bush administration violates this daily with its warrantless searches of U.S. citizens. This is the hallmark of an authoritarian regime, not a constitutional republic with guaranteed rights.

  Our Bill of Rights guarantees that people won’t suffer “cruel and unusual punishment.” The Bush regime and its Attorney General embrace torture by redefining it. Remember when Alberto Gonzales wrote the memo saying that torture isn’t torture unless a major body organ fails. This is another sign of smiley-faced fascism. We rip your toenails out with pliers and claim it’s not torture. We shock your genitals with electricity and say it’s not torture. Finally, we have a regime that is every bit as imperialist and ruthless as the British empire early Americans rebelled against. The Bush junta adopts the same tactics as King George. His is a belief in an empire based on lies and full-scale occupation of whole countries.

We must resist the tyranny of the Bush regime and drive them from power, just as we drove the original King George from these shores.

The Green Party in the Doo Dah Parade marched for clean elections, peace, the environment and prosperity. Thanks to everyone who joined us!

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Ted Strickland In Gay Pride Parade?

I didn’t get a chance to blog over the weekend. I was busy volunteering at the Community Festival in Columbus, Ohio at Goodale Park. I also did a little campaigning. On Saturday, Tim Kettler, Green Party candidate for Secretary of State, and I, marched in the gay pride parade between the Peace Pride contingent and the Stolen Election float. Our banner read: Fitrakis-Rios-Kettler for Clean Elections – fraudbusterbob.com.

The Gay Pride Parade is clearly the largest march in Columbus each year. It looked like 100,000 or so marchers and spectators. It’s hard to call them spectators because they are so active in their participation as they line the route.

Back when the Franklin County Democratic Party had a progressive wing, I managed the campaign of then-very young Tom Erney for Congress in the 22nd district. He, by the way, got 41% of the vote and only spent $17,000. I later wrote a paper for the American Political Science Association entitled “Waging Guerrilla War in the Heartland.”

One of the things that Erney did was become the first politician to accept the endorsement of Stonewall Union – the gay activist organization. I remember some labor voters thinking we got the endorsement of the bricklayers union. In 1991, I was working high up in the campaigns of two Democratic women, and they became the first candidates to march in the gay pride parade. They were Ann Taylor for Municipal Judge and Mary Jo Kilroy for School Board. We were warned that it was the kiss of death to march in the gay pride parade. When both of them won in upsets over incumbents, suddenly many of the local Dems wanted to march in the gay pride parade.

In fact, one of my fondest memories is from 1992 was watching sheriff candidate Big Jim Karnes schmooze in the gay bars with other Democratic candidates. What I noticed this year, sadly, in the aftermath of the Issue One debacle (making gay marriage illegal in Ohio) and the emboldened Ken Hackwell homophobes, few political candidates marched in the parade this year. When I was marching, I didn’t see ANY. While Lee Fisher addressed the march before it began, I didn’t see him on the route. Hopefully, I’m wrong here. I was hoping Ted Strickland was there, but I didn’t see him either. There’s nothing I’d rather do than debate Strickland and Hackwell at Stonewall Union.

As for me, I believe that the state should sanction gay marriage under equal protection, just as I believe that it’s up to each individual church to decide who marries in their church, under the First Amendment.

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Enquirer Endorses Plain Speaking

Jon Craig at the Cincinnati Enquirer is doing a great job writing about politics. They had the full Robert J. Kennedy Rolling Stone piece on their blog: http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/gov/

The Enquirer plans to ask very direct questions to all the gubernatorial candidates and they included me as an independent. I plan to give them very direct answers. Here are the first two questions they posed and my answers:

Question: On May 15, President Bush announced a National Guard mobilization in which more than 150,000 troops could be sent to border states to help stem the flow of illegal immigrants. Gov. Bob Taft has said he would support Bush by sending troops from Ohio.

As governor, would you support sending Ohio National Guard troops to border states?

Bob: No

Question: In one to three sentences, feel free to explain why or why not.

Bob: This is the job of the border patrol. Moreover, it’s a pathetic symbolic action which reeks of militarizing our border with a friendly ally. The problem is not to patrol our border with an armed National Guard, but to take a look at the minimum wage in Mexico and other conditions that are driving desperate workers into the United States.

Question: House Bill 228 would make it a felony to carry out abortions in Ohio or transport a woman across state lines to have one. Would you sign this abortion bill?

Bob Fitrakis: Never.

Question: Explain why or why not in one to three sentences.

Bob Fitrakis: I believe that Roe v. Wade is good law and that the decision is between a woman and her God, not the self-proclaimed God squad — I would no more sign this bill than I would sign one on witch burning. To criminalize transporting a woman across state lines for an abortion will make Ohio the laughingstock of the midwest. I would do everything possible to make sure no woman has to terminate a pregnancy because of economic circumstances and do everything I can to ensure day care and preschool for all children.

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The Republicans Stole It Blind

RFK, Jr. wrote to my good friend Harvey Wasserman this quote from pollster Lou Harris: “’They stole the Democrats blind in the exurbs and rural counties. It’s obvious what they did – they stuffed the ballot box.’” Coming from a pollster with the credibility and experience of Lou Harris, this is an astonishingly powerful indictment.”

Farhad Manjoo, denialist for salon.com fails to note similar quotes from Harris that appear in Kennedy’s Rolling Stone article. The fact that a pollster of Harris’ stature would go on the record is precisely what’s new in the Kennedy article and of major significance.

As a Ph.D. in Political Science, I find the “reluctant responder” hypothesis by Warren Mitofsky implausible, as does pollster John Zogby. Basically, reluctant responders tended to be extreme third party candidate supporters, or voters for a major party candidate in an area dominated by the other major party. Mitofsky would have you believe Republican woman only became too shy to talk to pollsters only in the late afternoon and only in areas where people voted in a majority for Bush. This mythology fits into the Rovian spin that fundamental evangelical raced to the polls at the very last second to save W Bush. Local newspaper accounts and eyewitness observers reported no such surge.

The data from the Moss v. Bush election challenge in Ohio, the exit polls, the statistical analysis by Dr. Richard Hayes Phillips and the bizarre illegal behavior in Auglaize, Miami and Warren counties all point to voter theft in these counties. Read more

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Manjoo Errs In Fact, Knows Very Little About Ohio Election Law

In Farhad Manjoo’s “Was the 2004 Election Stolen? No” he claims Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s article in Rolling Stone contains “numerous errors of interpretation and his [Kennedy’s] deliberate omission of key bits of data.” As an Election Protection legal observer in Columbus and one of the four attorneys who challenged the Ohio election results, I was struck by Manjoo’s own numerous errors of fact and deliberate omissions of widely-known studies and data.

In his first claim about the Ellen Connally anomaly, where an under-funded retired municipal judge from Cleveland ran ahead of Kerry
in rural southwestern counties fails to indicate vote-shifting from
Kerry to Bush, Manjoo deliberately omits several well-known facts.The obvious fact on record is that Democratic nominee Al Gore pulled his
campaign out of the state six weeks prior to the 2000 election while
Kerry and his 527 organization supporters spent the largest amount of money in Ohio history. So to compare the non-Gore campaign in 2000 to the massive Democratic effort in 2004 seems disingenuous. Moreover,  Manjoo conveniently ignores the fact that sample ballots were everywhere in the state of Ohio and voters in these rural counties were repeatedly mailed and handed both party’s sample ballots. There were large and active campaigns in the key counties in question – Butler, Clermont, and Warren – passing out Republican and Democratic sample ballots. This is a major omission. Also, Manjoo might actually want to do some research on the amount of money Eric Fingerhut spent vs. John Kerry. Fingerhut’s major effort was walking across the state of Ohio because he didn’t have any funds. Hardly Kerry’s problem. Read more

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Hemp For Ecological Victory!

I spoke at the Hemp Festival tonight at Ohio State University, sponsored by the Students for a Sensible Drug Policy. I’ve never been able to understand why you would outlaw a miracle plant like hemp – that doesn’t even get you high — just because it’s the male cousin of marijuana. It’s a bit like outlawing corn because somebody can make cornmash from it during Prohibition. Or outlawing barley because it’s used to make beer. The famous but ignored Popular Mechanics article from the 1930s called hemp “the wonder product” and talked about 25,000 products that can be made from it. Hemp can be used for multiple purposes: fuel, food products, oils, clothing, paper products or a whole car, as Henry Ford demonstrated.

The war on drugs that Reagan pushed was really targeted against marijuana, after all, the CIA’s assets (like the Contras) were bringing in cocaine by the carload and the Reagan administration told the CIA that they didn’t have to report it to the DEA. Read more

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Airbrushed From History

With the clamor over Bobby Kennedy’s article in Rolling Stone, that has thankfully re-ignited interest in the theft of the 2004 election, I want to make sure that certain people aren’t airbrushed out of the picture. This important grassroots history was left out of the article.

First, let me make it clear that the original Kennedy article included specific references to the Free Press (the paper and website I publish) and my good friend Harvey Wasserman. Harvey and I wrote a piece prior to the 2004 election outlining how Bush was planning to steal the vote. Most of the evidence turned up about Ohio was a result of public hearings about election irregularities held on November 13 and 15, 2004 in Columbus, Ohio under the auspices of the Columbus Institute for Contemporary Journalism/Free Press. The co-sponsors of the hearings included: the Alliance for Democracy, CASE-Ohio, and the League of Pissed Off Voters. Cliff Arnebeck of the Alliance and Susan Truitt of CASE played key roles in the hearings and were two of the four lawyers who challenged the election results in Ohio. Amy Fay Kaplan and Jonathan Meier of the League were invaluable in organizing the public hearings where sworn testimony was taken. Read more

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