This is a Christmas and New Year's Eve communication to friends who have helped us to confront Alice's difficult challenge over the past nine (almost ten) months.

First, we wish to express thanks to each and all of you.  We have no way adequately to express how important your support has been to us. 

Second, on December 21 the Fourth District Court of Appeals entered the following in its docket:  "Given that it appears Appellant has made a good faith claim of confidentiality her motion to stay the Trial Court's judgment finding her in contempt and ordering her incarcerated is granted pending appeal."

This Court decision means that, at least until the Court of Appeals renders a judgment on the merits, Alice is not faced with going to jail if she does not testify.  Her attorney will now pursue the appeal on the merits.

Dear Mr. Wasserman, et al.,

I am the chair person of the Voting Rights Task Force of the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club. Following Nov. 2, we began meeting to challenge what rapidly appeared to be widespread voter suppression and intimidation in OH. Many of us worked in swing states, and we saw the energy and enthusiasm of Democrats, independents and moderate Republicans, who were determined to oust this regime. Instead, we have seen outrageous footage on the Internet of black voters being intimidated in Cleveland by white male challengers, and listened to the hearings from Ohio on Pacifica, and have demanded that our elected representatives in CA stand up for democracy. You can see our petition for Sen. Boxer at our website, democraticrenewal.us. We are determined to exercise our first amendment rights in support of our constitutional duty to vote, and will be demanding on Jan. 3, that Senator Boxer challenge the election results on Jan.6. We will present her staff with several thousand signatures of Bay Area residents, demanding that she do just that. In addition, an online petition directed to Sen.

My president talks to God. He said so. It was on TV.
My president took us to war in Iraq;
He said there were weapons of mass destruction there.
None have been found
He said Saddam Hussein was developing nuclear weapons
No proof of this has emerged.
He said there were ties between Saddam Hussein
and Al Qaeda
We now know this is not true.

If I mention these things, I will be labeled a Bush-hater.
After all, my president talks to God.

Since the war began, 1281 Americans
were killed in Iraq – 9765 wounded.
Since the war began more than 14,668 Iraqi civilians died.
Many were children. Some were injured
like Ali Ismail Abbas, age 12, when
one of our missiles hit his home, killed his family
and blew off both his arms above his elbows.

I cannot ask: what did the boy do to deserve that?
If I did, I would be called a Bush-hater

I do not hate my president
I pray for my president every day.
I pray that my president will stop talking to God
and start listening to Him.

On December 9, 2004, I posted an article on Lucas County.  I noted with deep suspicion the voter turnout data for the City of Toledo.  Of the 495 precincts in Lucas County, the 88 precincts with the lowest turnout, all in the City of Toledo, were won by John Kerry.  Of the 8 precincts with less than 50% reported turnout, 4 are located in 2 wards.  Of the 29 precincts with less than 55% reported turnout, 20 are located in 4 wards.  Of the 63 precincts with less than 60% reported turnout, 34 are located in 4 wards, 39 are located in 5 wards, and 43 are located in 6 wards.

When the precinct numbers are combined into totals for each ward, a clear and unmistakable pattern emerges.  The 14 wards with the highest reported turnout were won by John Kerry by a margin of 11 to 7 in the aggregate.  The 10 wards with the lowest reported turnout were won by John Kerry by a margin of 6 to 1 in the aggregate.  The more competitive the ward, the higher the reported turnout.  Conversely, the less competitive the ward, the lower the reported turnout.