On Wednesday, Shanikka's diary
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/12/15/9734/4841
about Black voter disillusionment and what it means to the future of the Democratic party really rocked the world of dKos. It looks like any Democratic Senator with the slightest idea of running for president in 2008 better be willing to stick his or her neck out in support of disenfranchised voters, if he or she has the slightest prayer of capturing the vote of Black Americans. I suggest a letter writing campaign to any Dem senator who has appeared on anyone's wish list, with an attachment of Shanikka's marvelous diary. Ask them, for the sake of a viable future possible candidacy, to speak out on January 6 against deliberate vote suppression and on behalf of fair elections. There's a list below the fold.
Here's the list, adapted from http://www.100towatch.com, with help from Wikipedia, of Democratic senators who have been mentioned as potential candidates to run for president in 2008. Contact information is available at http://capwiz.com/thehill/home/. It might be a good idea to fax the letters if possible, as there is not much time left, the senators will be home for the holidays, and (it is said that) faxed letters garner more attention than e-mails.
Evan Birch Bayh, Indiana
Joe Biden, Delaware
Barbara Boxer, California
Maria Cantwell, Washington
Hillary Clinton, New York
Christopher Dodd, Connecticut
Byron Dorgan, North Dakota
Richard Durbin, Illinois
Russ Feingold, Wisconsin
Dianne Feinstein, California
Tom Harkin, Iowa
Jim Jeffords (Independent), Vermont
John Kerry, Massachusetts (oh, well)
Mary Landrieu, Louisiana
Patrick Leahy, Vermont
Carl Levin, Michigan
Joe Lieberman, Connecticut (no way)
Blanche Lincoln, Arkansas
Barbara Ann Mikulski, Maryland
Zell Miller, Georgia (they've got to be kidding)
Patricia Murray, Washington
Bill Nelson, Florida
Jay Rockefeller, West Virginia
Charles Schumer, New York
Debbie Stabenow, Michigan
Ronald Lee Wyden, Oregon
I gave a couple of senators a pass: Corzine because he is running for NJ governor (although such a move might help his gubernatorial campaign with potential African-American constitutents in New Jersey), Harry Reid because he has other things to worry about, and newbies Obama and Salazar, who ought to keep their heads down for awhile.
I plan to write these senators and ask them to stand up for disenfranchised voters on January 6 (and I will include Shanikka's eloquent response to the last election on behalf of Black Americans). I'm not even going to mention fraud . . . I think deliberate "urban" disenfranchisement is not only better documented, but just as unacceptable as outright screwing with the vote tallys.
It's past time to get serious about this travesty. Let's scare the bejesus out of these would-be Dem candidates and make them stand up for democracy this time. The Democratic Party has one last chance to make this right.