African-American Leaders Call on Republicans to End Vote Suppression Tactics
(excerpt)
MOVEON PAC
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jessica Smith or Kawana Lloyd,
Thursday, August 26, 2004
Fenton Communications, 202-822-5200
MOVEON PAC TO BUSH, REPUBLICAN PARTY:
DISAVOW MINORITY VOTER SUPPRESSION
In New Petition, MoveOn, African-American Leaders Call on Republicans to End Vote Suppression Tactics
MoveOn PAC Releases Benny Boom Ad To Encourage Voting;
MoveOn PAC announced today that, together with Julian Bond, chairman of the NAACP*, Rev. Jesse Jackson, and other African-American elected officials, it is launching an on-line petition demanding an end to Republican efforts to suppress the votes of minority and specifically African-American voters.
MoveOn PAC also announced the release of a new 30-second TV spot produced by noted hip-hop director Benny Boom aimed at spurring registration, voting and turnout among younger and minority voters.
The petition, addressed to President Bush, Ken Mehlman and Ed Gillespie specifically asks the Republican Party and the Bush/Cheney campaign to disavow all forms of voter suppression, including voter intimidation, misinformation, purges of voter roles that disenfranchise qualified voters, the threat to discount provisional ballots, and other actions that undermine the rights of qualified Americans to vote.
“Rather than trying to win over African-American and minority voters on the issues, Republicans are simply trying to prevent them from voting,” said James Rucker, Director of Grassroots Mobilization for MoveOn PAC. “The approach is racist, undemocratic and has no place in American politics.”
The Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr. indicated this petition is only one part of a massive effort to address this issue, saying, “We will mobilize our communities to halt all voter suppression efforts of the rightwing aimed at thwarting the democratic vote of the people.”
A new report released yesterday by People For the American Way Foundation and the NAACP highlighted the systematic efforts across the country to deny qualified voters the ability to exercise their most basic democratic right. The entire report can be found on PFAW’s website at http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oId=16368.
The ad will start next week during the Republican Convention. It has been submitted to MTV and BET and will run on other youth and urban-focused stations if it does not run on those networks.
* For identification purposes only.
Beta and VHS tapes are available by contacting Steve Smith at: SSmith@fenton.com or 202-822-5200 x243. Screengrabs are also available by contacting Jessica Smith at: jessica@fenton.com or 202-822-5200 x234.
Jessica A. Smith
FENTON | Communications
1320 18th St., NW
Washington, DC 20036
202.822.5200 x234
http://www.fenton.com
MOVEON PAC
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jessica Smith or Kawana Lloyd,
Thursday, August 26, 2004
Fenton Communications, 202-822-5200
MOVEON PAC TO BUSH, REPUBLICAN PARTY:
DISAVOW MINORITY VOTER SUPPRESSION
In New Petition, MoveOn, African-American Leaders Call on Republicans to End Vote Suppression Tactics
MoveOn PAC Releases Benny Boom Ad To Encourage Voting;
MoveOn PAC announced today that, together with Julian Bond, chairman of the NAACP*, Rev. Jesse Jackson, and other African-American elected officials, it is launching an on-line petition demanding an end to Republican efforts to suppress the votes of minority and specifically African-American voters.
MoveOn PAC also announced the release of a new 30-second TV spot produced by noted hip-hop director Benny Boom aimed at spurring registration, voting and turnout among younger and minority voters.
The petition, addressed to President Bush, Ken Mehlman and Ed Gillespie specifically asks the Republican Party and the Bush/Cheney campaign to disavow all forms of voter suppression, including voter intimidation, misinformation, purges of voter roles that disenfranchise qualified voters, the threat to discount provisional ballots, and other actions that undermine the rights of qualified Americans to vote.
“Rather than trying to win over African-American and minority voters on the issues, Republicans are simply trying to prevent them from voting,” said James Rucker, Director of Grassroots Mobilization for MoveOn PAC. “The approach is racist, undemocratic and has no place in American politics.”
The Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr. indicated this petition is only one part of a massive effort to address this issue, saying, “We will mobilize our communities to halt all voter suppression efforts of the rightwing aimed at thwarting the democratic vote of the people.”
A new report released yesterday by People For the American Way Foundation and the NAACP highlighted the systematic efforts across the country to deny qualified voters the ability to exercise their most basic democratic right. The entire report can be found on PFAW’s website at http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oId=16368.
The ad will start next week during the Republican Convention. It has been submitted to MTV and BET and will run on other youth and urban-focused stations if it does not run on those networks.
* For identification purposes only.
Beta and VHS tapes are available by contacting Steve Smith at: SSmith@fenton.com or 202-822-5200 x243. Screengrabs are also available by contacting Jessica Smith at: jessica@fenton.com or 202-822-5200 x234.
Jessica A. Smith
FENTON | Communications
1320 18th St., NW
Washington, DC 20036
202.822.5200 x234
http://www.fenton.com
Starmail - 26. Aug, 22:58
