BreakForNews.com,

24th Dec, 2004 23:00ET

If you haven't been following John Kerry closely, get ready to hear of surprising developments. The vote-defrauded, potential president-in-waiting has just indicated through his lawyer that the validity of George Bush's reelection is no longer a given.

On 23 December, 2004 Kerry's lawyer confirmed to MSNBC's 'Countdown' that John Kerry will be seeking (likely on Monday 27 Dec.) to expedite court proceedings and secure evidence in an ongoing recount suit by the Green and Libertarian parties. That might sound like just another "count every vote" exercise by the Kerry campaign, were it not for two important details. Kerry's court filing will conjoin him to existing allegations that Triad Systems, a Republican-linked supplier of voting machines to around half of Ohio counties --"orchestrated" a covert campaign to thwart a legitimate recount in Ohio. If the allegation proves well founded, it could invalidate the Ohio recount and eventually even hand the presidency to John Kerry.

Which probably explains the second critical detail: a quiet, on the record bombshell statement to 'Countdown' by Daniel Hoffheimer, the Cincinnati lawyer representing the Kerry campaign in Ohio.

Previously, the Kerry Campaign's intent in Ohio seemed to be merely an exercise of American civic spiritedness.

Two weeks ago, when Kerry wrote to Ohio's 88 county boards of election asking to visually inspect some ballots, Donald McTigue, the lawyer handling the recount for the Kerry campaign said: "We're trying to increase the transparency of the election process."

In early December, when the Kerry Campaign joined a suit by Green and Libertarian party candidates seeking a recount in Delaware County, Daniel Hoffheimer said Kerry wasn't disputing President Bush's victory in Ohio. The aim was to make sure any recount was "done accurately and completely," Hoffheimer said.

Now MSNBC 'Countdown' reports the same Hoffheimer, in comments on their imminent filing in the Ohio recount, concluding their call for a scrupulous recount with this caveat:

"...Only then can the integrity of the entire electoral process and the election of Bush/Cheney warrant the public trust."

That's the first time the Kerry Campaign has impugned the legitimacy of Bush's reelection.

RECOUNT CHEAT SHEETS

It's a signal move, likely driven by emerging evidence of suspicious activity by representatives of Triad Systems during the recount in Ohio. Evidence which has led a senior Democrat, ranking House Judiciary Cmtee. member, John Conyers Jr. to accuse Brett A. Rapp, the boss of Triad Systems of orchestrating a criminal conspiracy to pervert the outcome of the Ohio recount.

The allegations first surfaced before an extraordinary Ohio hearing convened by Conyers on behalf of Democratic Minority members of the House Judiciary Committee. An affidavit filed by Sherole Eaton, Hocking County deputy director of elections, stated that a Triad representative had told her "how to post a 'cheat sheet' on the wall so the ...count would come out perfect and we wouldn't have to do a full hand recount of the county."

That account has been corroborated by other officials and by extracts from a video documentary in which a Triad technician admits that the company was in possession of computer "backup" copies of the official election data.

SIGNAL, THEN MANEUVER

If the recount was fraudulent, does that have implications for the validity of the first count in Ohio? The Kerry campaign knows full well that it does. That's why their latest statement questions the "integrity" of the "entire" electoral process. And the election of Bush/Cheney.

For Kerry, a fraudulent recount in Ohio could be an open door into to the Oval Office. Already, John Conyers is confident that a few U.S. Senators will join House members on January 6 to question the November 2 election. On Thursday, the Chicago Tribune reported that in a conference call with journalists Jesse Jackson said that Kerry had conceded the presidential election "much too soon. Before all the facts were in."

But don't expect Kerry to quickly rush to a microphone in order to unconcede. He doesn't have to. His unconcession will take effect by default.

"He and others in Congress are considering formally challenging Ohio's vote, Jan 6th."

The House Judiciary Cmte., meeting in Ohio to investigate election vote irregularities, has heard that preparations to conduct a fraudulent recount are underway statewide.

In early testimony, chairman of the forum, Rep. John Conyers heard from Green party presidential candidate, David Cobb say that employees of punch card vendor, Triad Governmental Systems, Inc. are attempting to orchestrate a fraudulent recount of precincts likely to be included in the first phase of the recount process. Kerry Gets "Hands On" with Recount Letter to Ohio Counties

Dear Director and Deputy Director:

Enclosed please find a copy of a letter personally signed by John Kerry appointing me as his legal counsel, with full authority to act for him and John Edwards, including appointing witnesses to attend the recount. On behalf of John Kerry and John Edwards I am making the following requests re. the recount... rest of letter

Also: Kerry tells Jackson to turn up heat On Sunday, John Kerry urged Jesse Jackson to take a more active role in investigating vote irregularities like: 92,000 over and undervote ballots; provisional ballots; and independent analysis of the op-scan voting machines. How Kennedy Won Hawaii

In the 1960 presidential election, Hawaii's 3 electoral votes were cast for Senator John F. Kennedy even though the Republican electors supporting Vice- President Richard M. Nixon had been certified the winners.

This little noticed fact was mentioned by Supreme Ct. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy in dissenting Bush v. Gore.

Voters' Suit Seeks Reversal -not recount- of Ohio Result,

Cliff Arnebeck, a lawyer for "Alliance for Democracy" --a group of 40 voters challenging the Ohio result, is expected Monday 13th to be filed before the Ohio Supreme Court.

"We'll be calling for a reversal of the result based on evidence developed in the course of litigation," Mr Arnebeck told The Guardian the suit would be seeking "aggressive discovery of election-related material. "There is evidence that votes cast for one candidate were moved to the column of the other candidate," he said.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------