The Kerry/Edwards campaign is focused on winning this election. To support this effort, teams of lawyers are being sent to key battleground states. At a reception tonight in Washington, the legal strategy of the Kerry/Edwards campaign was outlined.
The reception I attended was focused on raising funds for the Kerry/Edwards GELAC fund. This is a fund designed to support the legal/accounting efforts of the campaign, including potential litigation against voter suppression and support of any recount efforts.
Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton (D.C.'s non-voting representative to Congress) got the crowd's attention. She spoke about the debates leveling the playing field and showing America President Bush and Senator Kerry head to head.
Representative Barney Frank telephoned in from New Mexico where he is campaigning for Richard Romero. He said it is important for everyone to get to work.
Steve Elmendorf, a senior adviser to the Kerry campaign, then talked about internal polls and the battleground states. It was good news. Steve told the group about the litigation filed against Sinclair Broadcasting and talked about the legal efforts underway to support the election campaign. He made it clear we will not be outgunned. Steve encouraged everyone to volunteer, whether as lawyers or as door-to-door campaigners, and encouraged people to get to the battleground. The only type of volunteers that Steve said we did not need are more people to give policy advice at Kerry/Edwards headquarters.
A Kirkland and Ellis partner then talked about litigation in Ohio regarding ballot access for Ralph Nader. He said the facts they developed showed that the same petition gatherers collected signatures for both Nader and the anti-gay amendment in Ohio. Four-fifths of the bill for signature collection was paid for by the GOP; one-fifth by the Nader campaign.
As for me, I am going to Canton, Ohio, to work for Jeff Seemann and do double duty to protect the right of Ohio voters to cast their votes.