Great article on the stolen elections and why it will get worse

[dajoki]

NYT 8/19/05 http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/19/opinion/19krugman.html?th&emc=th "WHAT THEY DID LAST FALL"


By running for the U.S. Senate, Katherine Harris, Florida's former secretary of state, has stirred up some ugly memories. And that's a good thing, because those memories remain relevant. There was at least as much electoral malfeasance in 2004 as there was in 2000, even if it didn't change the outcome. And the next election may be worse.
<<snip>
Meanwhile, the whitewash of what happened in Florida in 2000 showed that election-tampering carries no penalty, and political operatives have acted accordingly. For example, in 2002 the Republican Party in New Hampshire hired a company to jam Democratic and union phone banks on Election Day.
<<snip>>
And what about 2004?
But both reports show that votes were suppressed by long lines at polling places - lines caused by inadequate numbers of voting machines - and that these lines occurred disproportionately in areas likely to vote Democratic. Both reports also point to problems involving voters who were improperly forced to cast provisional votes, many of which were discarded.The Conyers report goes further,
highlighting the blatant partisanship of election officials. In particular, the behavior of Ohio's secretary of state, Kenneth Blackwell - who supervised the election while serving as co-chairman of the Bush-Cheney campaign in Ohio - makes Ms. Harris's actions in 2000 seem mild by comparison.
<<snip>>
We aren't going to rerun the last three elections. But what about the future?Our current political leaders would suffer greatly if either house of Congress changed hands in 2006, or if the presidency changed hands in 2008. The lids would come off all the simmering scandals, from the selling of the Iraq war to profiteering by politically connected companies. The Republicans will be strongly tempted to make sure that they win those elections by any means necessary. And everything we've seen suggests that they will give in to that temptation.

[Ian David]

1. I met a guy today who works for Diebold.

I pulled into a gas station for directions, and this guy was filling his car.

"Excuse me, do you know how to get to Park Street from here?"

"No, I'm not from around here."

That's when I saw the Diebold logo on his shirt.

"Hey, do you work for Diebold?"

"Yes, I do."

"Oh. Then go home."

In hindsight, I should have told the guy to enlist and go to Iraq.
He was about 20-22 years old, and just right for going and supporting the pResident he helped put into office.

Fucker.

[LittleClarkie]

2. Um, Diebold makes alot of stuff

You just attacked some poor shlub who probably didn't know what the hell you were talking about. I see their name any number of places, from banks to any place with a safe.

Try not to attack the peons, dear.

[dajoki]

4. one bank in our small town...

uses diebold ATMs and i will not go there. i'm glad it's not my bank or i'd have to switch.

[dajoki]

3. probably just a kid...

that's happy to have a job. but i probably would have reacted as you did.