DOJ TO REQUIRE ES&S TO SELL OFF ASSETS FROM DIEBOLD MERGER CITING ANTI-TRUST CONCERNS

[BradBlog]

Source: BRAD BLOG

DOJ TO REQUIRE ES&S TO SELL OFF ASSETS FROM DIEBOLD MERGER CITING ANTI-TRUST CONCERNS

The Department of Justice's Anti-trust division has determined that the purchase of Premier Election Solutions, Diebold Inc.'s recently renamed e-voting division, by Election Systems & Software, Inc. (ES&S) has resulted in a voting machine monopoly. The DoJ and nine states who have joined in a lawsuit, are suing to require ES&S to divest of the assets gained in the bargain-basement priced purchase of Diebold's e-voting outfit last September.

The merger with their second largest competitor Diebold/Premier, had given ES&S, a private corporation which had already controlled some 50% of U.S. elections their electronic voting systems, a full 70% control of the votes cast in this country. The acquisition had been opposed by election integrity organizations, Hart Intercivic (a much smaller Austin-based competitor), the New York Times editorial board, U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in his capacity as chairman of the Senate Rules Committee and was being investigated by 14 different states along with the DoJ's anti-trust division…

FULL STORY: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7733




Read more: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7733

[pleah]

1. K&R

[peacetalksforall]

29. I'm holding off until voting machines ARE NOT PRIVATIZED. What's the big

deal here in this move except that it might be the only way to move on something given the laws.

Who awarded the #$#(*&^^%%#%^ machines to Republican companies, anyway?

Who is responsible for privatization?

Go after them. If ever Congress let us down it was on this development of privatization and NOT GIVING A DARN about the theft and not lifting a finger except Conyers in hearings that went nowhere.

This is another dirty little secret of Congress and the States. It was all about thefts of a federal office each time it happened.

It was so stupid. Here's my vote Mr. Republican. Safeguard it.

Theft of votes aided and abetted by all our leaders and the media.

Instead of our leaders taking a lead in doing something (until now on just one angle of it), individual citizens proved it.

[Bitwit1234]

31. See where in the 2004 Ohio election which was rampant with fraud

the servers were hooked up the the white house and the same company that supplied ALL THE EMAIL AND WEBSITE CAPABILITIES to the republicans.

No wonder the totals were so off. And then of course nothing was done about it. They can't reverse the election but damn it rove and bush and cheney and the rest should all be sitting in Leavenworth.IN THE GENERAL POPULATION.

[OnyxCollie]

2. K&R.

I'm holding off on opening the champagne. I'm waiting for the DOJ to reverse itself and offer ES&S a nice apology.

[imnKOgnito]

5. I'm holding off until...

we create laws that ban electronic vote counting by anything other than open source software. Using proprietary software in this manner should flat out be illegal.

[OnyxCollie]

10. Funny how Congress isn't motivated to do something about it. nt

[defendandprotect]

14. Weird how entire Democratic Party is so unconcerned about computer voting!!!

And then began coming in during the late 1960's!!!

[avaistheone1]

22. Yup. The Democrats are a disgrace on this issue.

[kenfrequed]

25. Feh

A suicidal disgrace really. I honestly can't imagine why they don't make a bigger deal out of this. It is completely in their interest to assure that everyone can vote.

[Old Time Pagan]

30. Just put it on the list

of things the Democrats are a disgrace on:

Agriculture
Iraq
Iran
Patriot Act
Trying Bush
Trying Cheney
Trying Rumsfeld
Trying all the other lickspittles and toadies
Mining
Health care

I suspect I missed a fair number of issues, feel free to pile on.

[Iowa]

19. I can recall Tom Vilsack (Iowa Governor at the time) saying that he didn't know how to use email...

That was only a few years ago, and he said it without any shame whatsoever (it was almost as if he thought it was cute). The dumb ass.

Most of these twits would need to have their hands held in order to perform the most basic computer task. They couldn't even begin to understand the difference between proprietary software and open source software, and how that might relate to vote counting fraud.

There are an awful lot of dullards in Congress.

[imnKOgnito]

32. Pretty shocking

That a lot of them have no idea how easy this is to manipulate. More shocking is that many of them do and still do nothing about it. Makes you wonder if they're thinking it might come in handy for themselves someday.

[Hekate]

21. Yes

[Kelvin Mace]

3. Does my heart good to see us continue to win on this front

Many here at DU helped destroy Diebold as a brand name. Now, we are seeing that ES&S doesn't get to step into a monopoly.

[BradBlog]

4. One (very) small win for democracy, one giant leap compared to what we're used to...

...from the Bush Dept. of Justice.

[Kelvin Mace]

9. Agreed.

But I'll take my victories, no matter how small, where I can get them. It is worth pointing out that activists with little money, no influence in Washington, and scorn from a lot of politicians brought a multi-billion dollar corp to its knees.

[joeglow3]

33. Multi-million, not billion

Still not bad though.

[Stevepol]

11. Amen!

[blm]

24. I'll take even a small victory over none.

.

[IDemo]

6. Recommending twice

Hey, they can do it, why not me?

[SlingBlade]

7. Oh Well. Mission Accomplished anyhow, Right ?

[BradBlog]

8. The "missions" never end, amigo...

Which is why we need to keep fighting for an election system that can actually be overseen by we the people!

[w4rma]

12. Now a very wealthy progressive needs to buy the assets (and contracts)!

Let the virtual ballot box stuffing wars, begin!

[defendandprotect]

13. DOJ actually doing something?

[Wilms]

15. Meet the new boss... n/t

[BradBlog]

16. Cynical much, Wilsmy? ;-) (nt)

[Wilms]

18. AS a matter of fact...

...I'm not over it.

:hi:

[earcandle]

17. Glad they are paying attention.

[Hekate]

20. I keep getting these lightning-like flashes of hope. It's very disconcerting....

This is great news, and a good start.

Hekate

[Vidar]

23. K&R.

[mod mom]

26. This does very little to assure verifiable & transparent elections, unfortunately.

NO need for caps here. :(

[Overseas]

27. K&R . //nt

[No Elephants]

28. Very news. Here'e hoping the decision holds, if challenged.

[McCamy Taylor]

34. Voting machines should be government owned and produced.

[BradBlog]

35. Yup. And even better, not used at all...

...Since the best "voting machine" is the eyeballs of the people who don't need no stinkin' voting machines!