BOARD OF ELECTIONS RULES THAT JERESKI THROWN OFF BALLOT IN NYC’S 14TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT -- Urgent Action Needed – BRING BACK DEMOCRACY TO OUR ELECTION PROCESS INSTEAD OF ALLOWING GREEDY, CORRUPT INCUMBENTS ABUSE THE SYSTEM!

Important Announcement From The Jereski Campaign!
Yesterday afternoon, August 4th, after hours of badgering, disruption, and conniving by Maloney's 5-person team of election lawyers and objectors, the Board of Elections ruled that our designating petitions were 4 signatures short of the 1250 needed to qualify. (Details below) The campaign will now have to invest some of our resources on petitioning the courts to recognize signatures mistakenly dismissed instead of putting those resources into our street operations and voter education efforts. We are certain of success in having the courts recognize that at least 4 and most likely two dozen signatures are valid and reinstating us. It is especially important now that all volunteers step forward to help with outreach, donations, and events planning. We are baffled as to why a six-term Congressperson would spend so much time and money running away from debates and an election if she believes in herself and her popularity.

Maloney, the millionaire incumbent, is trying to throw Robert Jereski off the ballot! Maloney, a Democrat in name only, apparently prefers to spend money on election lawyers rather than putting those resources into holding debates where she might explain her views and votes to the voters. We are very disappointed that Maloney, who has voted with Bush too many times, would use her PAC money to unleash her election lawyers to thwart Democracy, instead of facing the voters and asking them to decide. We oppose election-by-election lawyers. If you do as well, please send a contribution to help with the attorney's fees. We continue to call on Maloney to withdraw her undemocratic challenges to our petition, to agree to hold debates with Robert Jereski on the issues to inform voters about their options. The following two-week period is critical. If you reject the world Bush is offering us, then help us fight the Bush Agenda locally and get involved this week.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP

1. Visibility and Outreach: We need you to help create high visibility for the campaign on the streets and to gather and send to us contact information from people interested in supporting and receiving updates from our campaign. Rush hour is perfect at the subway stop in your neighborhood. Information should be compiled and forwarded to the campaign at mutualaid@earthlink.net. Pick up our new materials to help inform voters at subway entrances. Preview the new flyers at http://www.jereskiforcongress.com/ and viewing the "posters". Give a call to pick up flyers (212.973.1782) or just come by and ask the doorman at 2 Tudor City Place (41st street between 1st and 2nd avenue). We can also deliver flyers to you, if necessary. Remember our District is in the East Side of Manhattan, Western Queens, Roosevelt Island, part of Clinton (Hell's Kitchen) and those are the voters we would like to reach.

2. Events: We need you to help plan events in our neighborhoods throughout the district where Robert Jereski can speak with voters about issues of concern to them. Please take the initiative to contact the campaign and to plan such events and donate money. Our political system needs actively involved voters. Send potential times and dates early to mutualaid@earthlink.net to avoid scheduling conflicts.

3. Donations: You can help by sending a check to the following address and/or taking action in the district.

Friends of Robert Jereski
2 Tudor City Place, Apt. 9AS
New York, NY 10017

Voters in our very powerful district of the country (with the wealthiest zip codes, a cosmopolitan, multi-ethnic, and educated voter base) must be given a real choice of an alternative to politics as usual in our federal government (see http://www.jereskiforcongress.com/). You must be a U.S. citizen and for donations over $200 and up to $2000 (not more) you must include your name, address, occupation, and employer.

Details about what transpired at the Board of Elections yesterday ... At the beginning of the hearing, the Board of Elections had estimated that we were 24 below the threshold. I claimed to have us well above (with at least two dozen more than necessary). I asked for a review. We spent 4 tense hours during most of signatures I claimed valid were reviewed. I got 28 more that put us over by 4. Many I should have had recognized were not given b/c of the badgering of Maloney's team (5 of her people were there). Maloney's lawyer found that they had undercounted by 8 the invalids on my petition. We went in front of the commissioners again. I appealed to them to reinstate another 11 signatures from two other sheets. The Board of Elections Commissioner was applying a very restrictive interpretation of our signatures. The result according to them is that we are off the ballot by 4 signatures. We will contest this finding and give the voters a choice.

MESSAGE FROM MOVEON.ORG ... FOX NEWS COVERS UP THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION
Fox News showed its Republican colors last week by giving the Democratic convention short shrift. Fox News host Cal Thomas himself said: "I think if you're going to be there during prime time and if your whole reason for being there is to cover the convention, then you ought to, in fact, cover the convention". Instead of covering the convention, Fox covered it up. For instance, they aired just 45 seconds of former Vice President Al Gore's speech before cutting away to attack him. In sharp contrast, Fox's cable peers CNN and MSNBC showed viewers the full 13-minute speech. As Washington Post media critic Howard Kurtz asked ... Whatever happened to "we report, you decide"? Shouldn't Fox viewers get to hear Gore before O'Reilly and his guests start sounding off? This is a disservice to Fox viewers, many of whom don't know what they're missing by relying on Fox. By writing a letter to our local papers, we can reach out to neighbors who count on Fox News for election coverage. Writing a letter to the editor doesn't actually take very long -- you can do it in ten minutes or less. We've made it really easy for you, with talking points, sample letters, and a tool to find your local paper, at: http://www.moveon.org/lte/lte.html?lte_campaign_id=7&zip=11222&id=3214-2148547-D.lTegxCqIoaUzVEOC8zqQ

Gore wasn't alone in getting the silent treatment from Fox. The network also interrupted former President Jimmy Carter and Senator Ted Kennedy to make room for the pundits. Ret. General Wesley Clark and Rev. Jesse Jackson were shut out entirely. All in all, Fox News showed a quarter less of theDemocratic Convention than CNN and a full third less than MSNBC. Fox News insists its reporting is fair and balanced, but the numbers make plain thatFox shut out the Democrats to protect their Republican friends. As Paul Krugman wrote in the New York Times, "Fox News is for all practical purposes a G.O.P. propaganda agency". Serious news networks give their viewers every opportunity to decide for themselves how to vote. Anything less is unfit for democracy. Our letters can inform our neighbors of the convention outrage on Fox.