August 22, 2008 (LPAC)--
Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, who was in her fifth term representing the Cleveland area, died of a brain hemorrhage on Aug. 20, 2008, at the age of 58. Tubbs Jones, an African-American woman who been a strong supporter of Hillary Clinton, against vicious opposition, was a strong fighter for her constituency, and a distinguished lawyer. However, her major mark in history was made on January 6, 2005, when, despite enormous pressure, she rose to challenge the certification of the election of George W. Bush. With dignity, she voiced her objection, and handed the resolution to the scowling tyrant, Vice-President Dick Cheney, who was presiding over the session. Excerpts of her statement on that occasion follow:
"I, thank God, have a Senator joining me in this objection, and I appreciate Senator Boxer's willingness to listen to the plight of hundreds, and even thousands of Ohio voters, that for a variety of reasons were denied the right to vote.
"Unfortunately, objecting to the electoral votes from Ohio is the only immediate avenue to bring these issues to light.... I am duty bound to follow the law and apply the law to the facts as I find them, and it is on behalf of those millions of Americans who believe in and value our democratic process and the right to vote that I put forth this objection today. If they are willing to stand at polls for countless hours in the rain, as many did in Ohio, then I should surely stand up for them here in the halls of Congress.
"This objection does not have at its root the hope or even the hint of overturning the victory of the President; but it is a necessary, timely, and appropriate opportunity to review and remedy the most precious process in our democracy. I raise this objection neither to put the Nation in the turmoil of a proposed overturned election, nor to provide cannon fodder or partisan demagoguery for my fellow Members of Congress. I raise this objection because I am convinced that we as a body must conduct a formal and legitimate debate about election irregularities. I raise this objection to debate the process and protect the integrity of the true will of the people....
"In my own county where citizen volunteers put forth a Herculean effort to register, educate, mobilize, and protect, there were long lines, 4- to 5-hour waits. Election Protection Coalition testified that more than half of the complaints about long lines they received came from Columbus and Cleveland where a huge proportion of the State's Democratic voters live. One entire polling place in Cuyahoga County had to shut down at 9:25 a.m. on Election Day because there were no working machines. On provisional balloting, Cuyahoga County had over-all provisional ballot rejection of 32%. Rejection rates for provisional ballots in African-American precincts and wards in Cleveland averaged 37% and in some as high as 51%. Significant flaws in registration process and procedures. Initial research identified at least 600 individuals purged from the Cuyahoga County voting rolls without a due process. Cuyahoga County analysis of 10,900 voter applications showed that almost 3,000 were never entered; address updates received but never updated; mistakes in entering addresses.
"I thank the Speaker for the opportunity to be heard, and I raise the objection on behalf of the electors of the State of Ohio."
Tubbs Jones was then followed by other Democrats--but her leadership was irreplaceable, and helped put a backbone into the Democratic Party of early 2005.
