http://www.iconoclast-texas.com/Columns/Ed...editorial48.htm

Ohio — Ground Zero

The spirit of freedom is essential to the American character.

Some experience it with but a mere twinkle in the eye, while others wear it like a chip on their shoulders.

Yet there are those who choose to reject the spirit of democracy for myopic greedier pastures. They would discard the creation of Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin as immaterial and no longer relevant in a world being redefined by a neo-conservative mold in which Americans act according to government policy, speak according to government propaganda, and think as the government dictates.

During the month of December, Ohio has become ground zero, where rests the survival of democracy as we know it, for this will be the test of whether America will stand for an election riddled with irregularities.

The test will determine if the true spirit of honest elections will continue to exist in America or if honesty, like respect and cooperation, has become a dinosaur.
Although the battleground in Ohio might be described as one of abstraction, lacking the smoke-filled sea of asbestos and lead that was ever present at ground zero in New York, its pungency is just as caustic because this battle will determine whether democracy will gasp its last or reign as an icon of truth.

Although some Ohioans might applaud Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell’s fascist sorcery to make impossible a manual recount in time for the Electoral College elite to cast their votes, citizens of the United States from coast to coast condemn it.

Take heed. This is not merely an election issue isolated to the state of Ohio.
Ohio is not an island.

That state’s decisive posture on the Electoral College makes this a national referendum.

Those championing honest elections look upon slimy efforts to disintegrate the ghost of freedom as abhorrent. Many are joining forces through rallies, marches, and protests to educate America of the potential flight of truth. At the same time, they are extending their voices into Ohio as they descend upon ground zero to attempt to clean up the mess created by election irregularities that are too numerous to even remotely be considered accidental.

The Iconoclast applauds the initiatives of the freedom-fighters who with substantial courage are standing up for rights that would normally be taken for granted. We encourage others to pitch in and help, to be heard, to take back what has been stolen, for this theft carries the stain of treason.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson is one among thousands seeking the truth. “We want to know how deep this pattern goes,” Jackson said. “We have been continuing to pursue the outcome of the election with disturbing findings. ... We want a full investigation of these irregularities,” he said Sunday.

The time is now to draw a line in the sand — to give not one inch, one millimeter, one vote toward the cause of skewing this election. This recount, no matter the outcome, conducted properly, is a necessity for democracy to prevail. Without it, America can never trust another election.

— Written By W. Leon Smith and Don M. Fisher

Bush will be singing this when he realizes his grip is slipping.........

Your love is fading I can feel your love fading
Woman it's fading away from me
'Cause your personal touch has grown cold
as if someone else controls your very soul
I fooled myself long as I can
I can feel the presence of another man
It's there when you speak my name
It's just not the same
Oh honey I'm losing you
I can feel it in the air, it's there everywhere
Oh I'm losing you

I can feel it in my bones
any day you'll be up and gone
Ooh I'm losing you
It's all over your face someone's takin' my place
Could it be that I'm losing you

When I look into your eyes a reflection of a face I see
Oh Lord I'm losing you
I'm hurt, downhearted and worried girl
'cause that face doesn't belong to me

Your love is fadin', I can feel it fadin'
Oh away from me
I can feel it in the air, it's there everywhere
ooh I'm losing you

I don't wanna lose you
but I know I'm gonna groove you
Oh Lord I'm losing you, and I'm a losin' you

Your love is fadin', I can feel it fadin'
Oh Lord I'm losing you

Woohoo! This ought to tell the world a lot. If the little Crawford paper can see the truth, and dare to tell it, since dubya does spend most weekends here (on the taxpayers nickel), why can Faux news and the rest continue to be hoodwinked????

Can we send these guys to Ohio/Florida, wherever, to play the Woodward/Bernstein parts? I think they know the tune!

Great article! But the sad thing is that bush will never read it - he doesn't read the papers

I think it's funny how this paper is anti-bsh!

I live in Texas (obviously) and take great delight in the musings of the good folks over at the Crawford paper...

Remember everyone, for many long years Texas was just as blue as the clear blue sky!

Ahhh, Ann Richards...where are you now...

What does "dubya" mean really? Why is Bush called "dubya"? This is just for my edification.

Because his middle initial is "W", and a lot of people who like him, and who have kind of redneck accents, call him by that initial and it comes out "dubya".

Very quaint and charming, no?

Its short for George "W" ( or as we dumb it down to his level "dubya") Bush

I have red-neck Bush thumping Bush supporters in Texas. I can't wait to send them a copy of this. They are always telling me how bad I was voting for Kerry! I wonder what the general public opinion is of Bush in Crawford, Texas. Does anyone know?

Here's an opinion peice form my newspaper it should tell you how the Public Opinion is because it shows the public opinion towards the newspaper.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/...as%20Iconoclast

Editorial: We can all sleep better
LAS VEGAS SUN
After the weekly paper in President Bush's adopted hometown of Crawford, Texas, endorsed John Kerry last month, the national media pounced on the story. W. Leon Smith, publisher of the Lone Star Iconoclast, was quoted as saying he expected a backlash but that he had to follow his conscience.

"We felt we had to be able to sleep at night," he said.

Smith may be sleeping well but his working hours are worse than he had anticipated. Reflecting on the reaction from many of the townspeople in a follow-up editorial, Smith wrote resignedly about readers canceling their subscriptions and businesses pulling ads. But what he could not resign himself to were the personal attacks. "Unfortunately, for the Iconoclast and its publishers there have been threats -- big ones including physical harm," Smith wrote.

He wrote of a more tolerant time. "In the past, when individuals disagreed with an editorial, they would write a letter to the editor politely expressing a different point of view ..." And he wrote of what his paper is experiencing today. "... the focus is now upon how to run the newspaper out of business."

We believe there are millions of people who feel as we do, that this nation is well served by the W. Leon Smiths among us. Contrasting opinions about the news of the day, clearly labeled as opinion and published for all to read and discuss, help produce public policy worthy of a free nation. When this founding concept is attacked, we believe there is only one thing to do: Support the person under siege.

A subscription to the Iconoclast is $45 a year, or $22.50 for six months. It can be ordered by writing: The Lone Star Iconoclast, P.O. Box 420, Crawford, Texas 76638. Be sure to include your name and full mailing address.

Yeah, and I'm from about 30 miles from the ranch in Crawford. So, the "dubya" is how the locals often refer to him, to differentiate him from his daddy, big George.

I miss Ann Richards, too. You just had to love her. She's a great example of political grace. She made lots of mistakes, but her politics were always good.