(Mea Culpa before anything else. This was my diary yesterday, but it got lost in all the RNC outrage. I think this is SO important, I'm posting again, mea maxima culpa)
First of all, I'm going to start and finish with shamelessly pimping this diary, not because I think I'm such an important diary writer. Rather, because lately, more than anything, I've been feeling like our calls to action are missing an important, even crucial component.
Throughout the primary, and now in the general election calls to action have been to volunteer, call, give, write letters.
All good. All important things to bring people into our camp.
But if 2000 and 2004 taught us anything, may they have taught us that getting people to the polls isn't enough.
Follow me beneath the jump...
In light of 2000 and 2004, if this were another country, there would be an international call for UN supervision of the General Election in November. But it's not. This is Amurika, the land of the 'free' democratic election. No matter how much we might want to do it, we all know, no official organ of our Party can ask for UN monitoring. So, no matter how much work we do, in donating, volunteering and GOTVing, if the process is crooked A G A I N, it will all have been for naught.
When the DNC started asking me for money, before the primaries ended, I told them they'd have to wait till I saw that the primary election wasn't stolen from Obama.
Given the events of the last week, I've been having intermittent waves of intense nausea, as I contemplate the theft of the General Election. Nope, I'm not a concern troll. I'm a realist, a pragmatist, and I'm calling to action.
Why only in the last week? Because events have been so ridiculous since McCain had Sarah Palin foisted upon him by his handlers. First, because he utterly caved regarding the Veep he wanted to select. Second, because the person he was handed is so vile, so corrupt, so dysfunctional, so small, so utterly unqualified, and such a radical religious extremist, it strikes me that the GOP is not even trying to pretend any more, that this is a legitimate election process. The Handlers are so cock-sure that they've successfully planned for the theft of the election, that they no longer feel they even have to make the GOP campaign even appear plausible.
Thus, this diary and here's where you come in:
Counsel for Change
As in all things, Obama and Team have the bases covered. Right after he clinched the nomination, the voter registration program was announced. We know we need large, large voter turn out to make stealing this thing more difficult.
And Counsel for Change plays hand in hand with that. Team Obama is asking attorneys and law students to volunteer in the days and weeks prior to Election Day, and on Election Day to watchdog the voting processes around the country.
You can read about voter protection: here, here, here (h/t JoseCheung). But the campaign itself can't really make a lot of noise about this program, because then there will be an outcry of "don't you believe in our election process, you unamerican upitty etc etc etc (fill in epithet of your choice)?"
This tells about Barack's Counsel for Change program. And the sign-up form (via the Obama website is here.)
What's the call to action?
Please start talking to every sympathetic attorney or law student you know about volunteering in this crucial effort.
Talk to all your friends, and ask them to talk to the attorneys and law students they know.
Stand on a street corner with a sign.
Whatever, just let's please spread the word about Counsel for Change.
Lets create our own team "UN" election monitors to fan out in the battleground states (at least). Let's make sure we have a strong team of lawyers who will assure that every single vote be counted this time. Let's make this election the one in which "Never again" becomes reality.
John McCain is a puppet and Sarah Palin is a pawn. We cannot let this election slip through our fingers.
Well, I haven't made good on my pledge to give to DNC yet. I've been giving to Obama (twice in the last week, no less--it's helped assuage those bouts of nausea) even though I'm unemployed. But, I'll give $25 to the DNC (because I want a working majority in Congress as much as I want an Obama administration) for the first attorney who lets me know s/he's volunteered for Counsel for Change.
America and the world need us to fully arm Counsel for Change.
And, just cuz I promised I would pimp at beginning and end, please rec this diary up so more people see it, because this isn't about me, it's about this election and it's THAT important.
Thanks.