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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: LindyBill who wrote (86431)	11/16/2004 5:42:21 AM
From: Bill Ulrich	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 793782

The "Arnold for President" amendment change is already under way (and the ads mentioned are indeed showing here in the Bay Area). I think they should have waited until his 2nd term. sacunion.com Arnold for President Spots Hit the Airwaves By Ryan Rose Published: November 15, 2004 Article II of the U.S. Constitution is under fire by those who want to see a President Arnold Schwarzenegger. Taking its fight to the airwaves, AmendUs.org began airing a television commercial to gain support for a constitutional amendment allowing foreign-born citizens a chance at the presidency. The spot hit television sets Monday across the state. The commercial is also available for download at the group’s Web sites, amendus.org and amendforarnold.org. The Austrian-born Schwarzenegger (naturalized in 1983) returned Monday from his trade mission in Japan. The governor has not issued a response to the commercials. Although representatives of Gov. Schwarzenegger report the Republican has no official link to the group, the three Californians behind the movement do have personal ties to the actor-turned-politician. Lissa Morgenthaler-Jones, her husband David Jones and Mimi Chen are the co-founders of AmendUs.org, also known as Americans to Amend for Arnold and Amend for Arnold. Morgenthaler-Jones appears in the television commercials asking Californians to “help us amend the constitution.” Morgenthaler-Jones has been a major contributor to many of Schwarzenegger’s past political crusades, supporting him in his campaign for Proposition 49 and the 2003 gubernatorial recall election. According to the Web site, Morgenthaler-Jones did everything from “calling donors and throwing fund-raisers to carrying signs and cheering at rallies.” A picture of Morgenthaler-Jones with her husband and Schwarzenegger is available at the Web site. Chen also worked for Schwarzenegger as a volunteer during the governor’s election campaign, serving as a spokeswoman. Morgenthaler-Jones and Chen met as roommates while attending Princeton University. Politically active for years, both women want to see a President Schwarzenegger, but they need help from millions of American citizens. Presently there are two bills before Congress to amend the Constitution to allow for foreign-born presidents. In an amendment sponsored by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, D-Calif., and Rep. John Conyers Jr., D-Mich., foreign-born citizens could become president after claiming U.S. residence for 20 years. An amendment proposed by Rep. Vic Snyder, D-Ark., would stipulate 35 years. For implementation in the Constitution, the amendment must receive two-thirds approval from the Senate and the House and ratification by 38 states. Sponsors of the amendment bills must wait for the next legislative session to begin debates on amending the Constitution. The founders of AmendUs.org want to streamline the ratification of Hatch’s bill. Stating on their Web site that “thousands of amendments are floated in Congress every year but virtually all of them sink out of sight,” the Schwarzenegger supporters ask citizens to “give 10 to amend.” AmendUs.org founders want residents of every state to give $10, 10 days, 10 hours or 10 minutes to supporting a change to the Constitution. Hoping to spark a grassroots movement, the group’s founders encourage citizens to use emails to inspire action. They point to political action committee MoveOn.org as an example of successful Internet organization. “MoveOn.org started with emails sent to maybe 100 friends and now claims to have 2.5 million members,” claims the Web site statement. Crossing the aisle, the AmendUs.org founders are reaching to Democrats for support as well. Changing their banner to Amend for Arnold and Jen, the group’s founders charge the amendment will not only help Schwarzenegger but popular Michigan Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm, a naturalized citizen born in Vancouver, British Columbia. “You can’t choose where you are born, but you can choose where you live and where you swear your allegiance,” said Democrat Granholm, a supporter of the amendment. Morgenthaler-Jones echoes Granholm’s statement in her group’s television commercial. “You cannot choose the land of your birth. You can choose the land that you love,” she said. Ultimately, AmendUs.org, wants to reach its founders’ goal in four years. According to its plan, the group wants a million members by the end of its first year. The organizers want to increase membership at an exponential rate for the next three years, culminating in a “million-human” march in their third year and an “Olympic-torch style relay around the United States” to inspire amendment ratification by the several states. The new television commercials are the first step in reaching that goal. “Help us Amend for Arnold and at least 12 million other Americans,” pleads Morgenthaler-Jones in the television commercials. Citizens can purchase AmendUs.org hats and T-shirts at their Web site. All proceeds go to the amendment movement. AmendUs.org is the second California-based group to rally local support for a constitutional amendment. Southern California residents Marshall Miller and Joshua Mikael founded Operation Arnold operationarnold.com to meet those ends as well.

To: LindyBill who wrote (86431)	11/16/2004 7:21:27 AM
From: unclewest	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 793782

A SEAL just E-mailed me this...His viewpoint and explanation to the press. Same unit, previous day, live unwounded decoy ‘body’ waits for our troops to give him aid because he knows the good Americans will, and as he is rolled over to be given help, hits the detonator, kills the troop that was to give him aid and wounds five others, a typical suicide bomb attack right? Wrong, not even close folks, this is ‘house to house’ a war zone. Same unit this day, unit receives word that mosque has been reoccupied, troops re-enter and see ‘dead’ man still breathing. Troop shoots the body before the detonator is hit, saves his own and other lives. Only one difference, this particular body didn’t have explosives rigged, well that’s good, but the next time I want YOU to go check first, ok? The typical homicide bomber gets on the bus next to you and smiles, or drives up to your ship and waves, or waits with you in the terminal while you drink your coffee, before you get on that plane, To me that is the end of the story, period. Its war folks, plain and simple, now raise your hand if you want go home and see your kids again.

To: LindyBill who wrote (86431)	11/16/2004 7:18:39 PM
From: Neeka	Respond to of 793782

It is amazing how evenly divided we are in this state. Happened when Cantwell ran against Gorton in the Senatorial race, and now for the Governors race. There will be an automatic recount, probably starting on Saturday. Tuesday, November 16, 2004, 12:00 A.M. Pacific Q&A: The rules for a recount By Susan Gilmore Seattle Times staff reporter Washington law requires a recount of an election if the margin is within one-half of 1 percent of all votes cast and within 2,000 votes. Q: How would it happen? A: The counties are required to certify election returns to the Secretary of State's Office by tomorrow. The secretary of state expects to issue a recount order, if needed, the same day. Before beginning a recount, the counties are required to provide two days' notice to the candidates and parties of the time and place of the recount. Q: How long would a recount take? A: Most counties can recount all ballots in one day; some may take two days. King County expects it would take four days. It is expected to begin its recount Saturday, and all other counties would begin Monday. The recount should be completed by Nov. 24, the day before Thanksgiving. The election is to be certified by the state Dec. 2. Q: How would the recount be done? A: A machine recount would occur if the difference is more than 140 votes and less than 2,000 votes. A manual recount would occur if the difference is less than one-quarter of 1 percent of the total votes and the two candidates are separated by fewer than 150 votes. Only ballots counted in the original tally would be included in the recount. Q: Would this be the end? A: Not necessarily. State law authorizes only one mandatory recount, but a candidate or political party can request a recount after the election is certified. The party or candidate must make a deposit with the state in the amount of 15 cents per vote for a machine recount and 25 cents per vote for a manual recount. If the final number of voters is 2.8 million, the deposit would be $700,000 for a manual recount and $420,000 for a machine recount. Q: Have recounts ever made a difference in a race? A: No. No statewide races have ever changed as a result of a recount. In 2000, when there was a recount of the Maria Cantwell and Slade Gorton race for a U.S. Senate seat, Cantwell picked up 177 votes in the recount and Gorton lost 99 votes, for a final difference of 2,229 votes. But recounts have decided other races. In 1986, a recount altered the outcome of a 15th District state Senate race between incumbent Irv Newhouse and Dick Golob. Newhouse won in a recount after trailing in the original tally. In 1990, the legislative race in the 24th District became known as "the Race From Hell" after the candidates finished within five votes of each other. After two recounts and a bizarre discovery of five unopened ballots, Democratic state Rep. Evan Jones of Sequim was declared the winner over Republican Ann Goos of Forks. (Jones went on to sponsor the measure that limited the number of recounts and called for hand recounts in extreme cases.) The last statewide recount for a state office occurred in the 1968 attorney general's race, when Republican Gorton defeated Democrat John McCutcheon by 5,368 votes. Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com seattletimes.nwsource.com