WASHINGTON -- March 30 -- The following statement was released today by Velvet Revolution:

• Bush Family friend, loyalist, operative and architect of the 2000 Bush/Cheney strategy to keep American's votes from being counted has no place as Co-Chair of bi-partisan commission with esteemed former-President Jimmy Carter
  
• Velvet Revolution calls for Baker's immediate removal from Commission

VelvetRevolution.us ("VR"), a leading Election Reform advocacy group representing nearly 100 affiliate-organizations, including the vast majority of America's Voting Rights and Electoral Reform movement, today strongly states its opposition to the recently formed Baker/Carter Commission that has been tasked to study and recommend solutions for the myriad of electoral irregularities documented in the 2004 general election.

The reason VR condemns this otherwise necessary blue-ribbon commission is due to the participation of James A. Baker III as its co-chair. Indeed, while we applauded the true bi-partisan spirit of the Carter/Ford commission, a similar blue-ribbon commission convened after the 2000 election, we believe that the selection of a partisan political operative and Bush Family loyalist in place of the esteemed former-President Ford, will irreconcilably sully the credibility of such a commission and render it's findings completely suspect.

While former President Jimmy Carter is a superb choice for the post, Mr. Baker is, indeed, the architect behind the invidious scheme to ensure that the votes of all Americans were not counted in the un-democratic 2000 Presidential Election. The regrettable and reprehensible actions of James Baker on behalf of Bush/Cheney '00 were antithetical to free, fair and trustworthy elections that are the cornerstone American democracy.

Any commission seated to investigate and recommend solutions for problems in our elections has no place for a partisan operative such as Mr. Baker. His presence on this commission, given his close loyalty and ties to both the Bush/Cheney campaigns and the Bush Family itself, is wholly unacceptable.

VR co-founder and spokesman Brad Friedman said today, "There are scores of suitable and respected statesmen who could serve as a fair and impartial co-chair on this commission. Unfortunately, Mr. Baker is not one of them."

Indeed, his participation will fail to give confidence to the millions of Americans who are greatly concerned that our last two national elections have been highly flawed and potentially rigged in favor of one party. In fact, many citizens believe that, in 2000, Mr. Baker himself was the point man for ensuring that all the votes in Florida were never counted.

Mr. Baker's inclusion on this commission is the proverbial fox guarding the henhouse. His presence renders the commission's work and findings untrustworthy and not worthy of the cooperation that VR, and our nearly one-hundred affiliate organizations, would otherwise hope to offer to an invaluable project.

Mr. Baker must immediately step down or be removed.

Velvet Revolution is an issue-based advocacy group working on Election and Media Reform, serving as an umbrella organization to nearly 100 Voting Rights, Election Reform and Media Reform organizations. VR has recently launched its "Divestiture for Democracy" campaign calling on America's Voting Machine companies to provide transparency and accountability in their publicly funded role of running America's elections.

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