Friday 2/11 Election Fraud, Reform, & Updates Thread

[MelissaB]

In order to organize and document I thought it would be a good idea to have a daily thread to place items related to reform, fraud, protests, and other items. This also make it easier to "catch up" when we are away from the computer for a while.

Please help us. If you see something that isn't here post it with a link to the thread and a thanks to the author. Thanks to everyone who is helping with this project.


Link to the thread from yesterday: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x323046#323753

[dzika]

1. ACTION ITEMS

Reply to this post with action item.

[Melissa is so cool for keeping this thread going!]

[dzika]

2. ACTION - Send Barbara Boxer a Rose for Valentine's Day!

ACTION - Send Barbara Boxer a Rose for Valentine's Day!

Only 1 day left!
Place your order by Feb. 12

Senator Barbara Boxer has recently emerged as the leading
voice in the fight against the Bush mandate of imperialism
abroad and destruction of civil liberties at home. She has
disputed the Ohio 2004 election vote, elegantly denied
Condoleezza Rice a confirmation vote, and almost singlehandedly
stood up for the principles of freedom, truth, and
accountability that we all hold so dear. She has started
what some are calling “The New Boxer Rebellion” - and
other Senators are starting to follow her lead.
Now is the time to let her know she has our full support,
admiration and thanks.

I have arranged for a national online florist, Coast to
Coast Florist, to take $10 pledges from callers up until
Feb.12th for three red roses, which, in a mass delivery,
will be taken on Feb 14th to the Hart Senate Building
office of Barbara Boxer in Washington DC.
This message will be included with the flowers:

Dear Senator Boxer:

We the people have sent these flowers to you this day in
thanks for your unwavering courage and determination to
stand up for the principles of freedom and truth in the
United States Senate. You are a shining example of what a
civil servant can, and should, be, and we, your
constituents and supporters, deeply appreciate your heroic
charge to bring accountability, responsibility and honesty
back into our government.

Here is the order/delivery information:

Call Coast to Coast Florist at 1-888-501-ROSE(7673).
This is a dedicated phone line, created only for this
order, a representative will answer “Barbara Boxer Rose
Campaign.” Press #1 to order and #2 for more information.
Give the representative your credit card number—you will
only be charged $10.00 for your roses. I am picking up the
delivery fee.

That’s it. The cut-off date for orders is Saturday, Feb.
12th. That only gives us TWO weeks!

Also included in this delivery will be a rose dipped in 22k
gold for her to keep. This fee I am also paying for.
(You may check out coasttocoastflorist.com online for your
own verification purposes — they have an informational link
on their customer service page, in the middle of the page
on the drop down menu about this - but please make orders
only on the toll-free number to ensure your order is
included in the mass delivery.)

Sen. Boxer is an emerging hero to liberals everywhere and a
grand public thank you is in order. This action will also
send a message to other Democratic senators and
representatives that we, the people, are watching - and we
will support, thank, and reelect those who stand up for our
democratic principles. Think of what a million roses could
mean! (And, once the roses lose their luster, we would
respectfully ask the Senator to donate the deceased to a
local manure manufacturer to be made into mulch - we're
green, too!)

Feel free to verify all of the above information with this
florist - who has taken a chance on this incredible idea
and showed tremendous enthusiasm and support. Please email
me directly if you need more verification of this movement.
This is not spam! We can only do it with your help! Make it
happen!

Thanks,
Stacy Davies
Citizen
Claremont, California
[e-mail]


The original email can be viewed in PDF Format:
http://members.cox.net/crankylittleblog/BBRC%20Email.pdf

[dzika]

3. ACTION - Sign the Petition to Demand a Special Prosecutor for "Gannon"

revised 02/09/2005 9:57pm

ACTION - Sign the Petition to Demand a Special Prosecutor for "Jeff Gannon"

SIGN THE PETITION * SIGN THE PETITION * SIGN THE PETITION

To: George W. Bush, Alberto Gonzales, Congress, and the Media

We demand the appointment of a Special Prosecutor to investigate the "journalist" using the pseudonym "Jeff Gannon" (James Dale Guckert) who attended daily press briefings at the White House and was regularly called upon by Scott McClellan.

Obviously "Jeff Gannon" is not a bona fide journalist and should never have been given White House press credentials.

In 2003, top White House officials gave "Jeff Gannon" exclusive access to an internal CIA memo that named Joseph Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, as a covert CIA agent.

It is obvious that there was a conspiracy between "Gannon," McClellan, and other top White House officials to run "smear" campaigns against White House "enemies" and to interfere with tough questions by real White House reporters. This is unacceptable in a Democracy.



In addition, "Jeff Gannon" may have dabbled in male prostitution rings (through registration of sites like Hotmilitarystud.com, Militaryescorts.com, and Militaryescortsm4m.com) which raises the possibility he was bringing male prostitutes into the White House or other institutions of our government.

These issues go infinitely beyond the charges involving Monica Lewinsky and therefore demand immediate investigation and prosecution.

SIGN THE PETITION * SIGN THE PETITION * SIGN THE PETITION

(http://democrats.com/gannon">Source)

---

For more information on "Gannon", try the following DU links:

Media Matters: Uncovers White House Reporter Copying GOP Documents

Official White House Softball Thrower, Jeff Gannon of Talon News Resigns

Some Jeff Gannon highlights ... no longer available on Talon News

Olbermann on Gannon-Gate

Democrats.com petition: Special prosecutor to investigate Gannon-Gate!

CNN's Wolf Blitzer to Interview Gannon at 5 PM ET today

Political activism continues after election - and a note about Gannon

Videos - Today's Gannon-Gate News

Video - Daily Show on Bush Press Conference (with a Gannon softball)

[dzika]

4. ACTION - Hearing on Provisional Voting, to take place in Columbus Feb. 23

February 10, 2005

Public Hearing on Provisional Voting, to take place in Columbus, Ohio,
February 23, 2005, at 1:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M.

Federal Register: February 9, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 26)
Notices
Page 6850
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access
wais.access.gpo.gov
DOCID:fr09fe05-40

ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION

Sunshine Act Notice

AGENCY: Election Assistance Commission.

ACTION: Notice of public hearing.

Date and Time: Wednesday, February 23, 2005, 1 p.m.-5p.m.

Place: Michael E. Moritz College of Law, The Ohio State University, 55 W. 12th Ave., Saxbe Auditorium, Columbus, OH 43210-1391.


Agenda:

The Commission will conduct a public hearing to identify the successes and problems involved with the use of provisional voting.

The following witness panels will be presented: Election Officials, Advocacy Organizations/Non-government Sector and Academics.

All public comments will be taken in writing via e-mail at [e-mail], or at the meeting or via mail addressed to the U.S.

Election Assistance Commission, 1225 New York Ave., NW., Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20005.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bryan Whitener, Telephone: [phone].


Ray Martinez III,
Commissioner, U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
(FR Doc. 05-2563 Filed 2-7-05; 9:02 am)

http://fairnessbybeckerman.blogspot.com/2005/02/public-hearing-on-provisional-voting.html

[dzika]

14. ACTION - Support National Election Reform!

Action Alert - Support National Election Reform!
Contact Congess today in support of the VOTER Act!

The VOTER Act bill (H.R. 533) is fully supported by Progressive Democrats of America, the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the AFL-CIO, People for the American Way, the NAACP, the NAACP National Voter Fund, the UAW, Rainbow Push, the Black Leadership Forum, and the National Voting Rights Institute.

The VOTER Act (H.R. 533) would permit all citizens to register to vote on election day; require early voting for the two weeks prior to election day; require a defined minimum number of voting machines present at each precinct; ensure that those who manufacture and service voting machines and software do not have conflicts of interest; strengthen the powers of the EAC (Election Assistance Commission) to create national standards for elections - so that every vote WILL count, regardless of what state it is cast in; require the source code of voting machines to be public; and require the option of a voter-verified paper ballot so that voters can verify their selection and results can be audited when discrepancies occur.

Sign the petition here:
http://capwiz.com/pdamerica/mail/oneclick_compose/?alertid=6942056

[anamandujano]

25. Thanks to both of you for this thread

I hate to dilute the thread but you guys are the greatest. It needs to be said from time to time.

[dzika]

5. Video - Daily Show on Bush Press Conference (with a Gannon softball)

(re-post)
Given this week's Gannon-Gate scandal, a video clip from last night's re-run of the Daily Show is appropriate.

In the video clip you can even hear one of Gannon's softball questions.



Video clip in Real Media formation (256k stream / 3 minutes):
http://www.edwardsdavid.com/BushVideos/daily_show_press_conf_050210-02.rm

[dzika]

6. Voter Verification Newsletter - Volume 3, Number 1, on February 08, 2005

--- "VerifiedVoting.org" wrote:

Voter Verification Newsletter
Volume 3, Number 1, on February 08, 2005

*** Please forward this newsletter to your friends! ***
*** Invite them to visit http://verifiedvoting.org ***
*** For this and previous newsletters, see
http://verifiedvoting.org/newsletters ***

===========================================================
CONTENTS: THE "YES IT'S 2005" ISSUE

* November 2004 Election Roundup: EIRS and TechWatch
* New Federal VVPB Legislation
* State-by-State Updates
* Voting Systems Rating Group Established

* Celebrate Verified Voting's New Offices
* We're Hiring a Development Manager
* Internship Program
* Join Verified Voting
* Donate to Verified Voting
* Subscribe and Unsubscribe Information
* About Us

====================================

NOVEMBER 2004 ELECTION ROUNDUP

Election Incident Reporting System (EIRS) Report

In Spring 2004, Verified Voting Executive Director Will
Doherty decided that we needed a better way to track reports
on problems with e-voting machines more effectively. He made
a proposal to other verified voting organizers at a meeting
sponsored by the Quixote Foundation in Chicago. Out of the
recognition that Election Protection groups needed a similar
tool for tracking election incidents of all types was born
the Election Incident Reporting System (EIRS).

Developed by many dedicated volunteers and a few paid staff
within several months and in partnership with the Computer
Professionals for Social Responsibility, EIRS was already
in operation by the Florida primary in August 2004.

EIRS had a profound impact on election protection activities
in general, and scrutiny of the problems with electronic
voting in particular. EIRS supported about a thousand public
hotline operators and election protection managers (almost
all of them volunteers) who received about 175,000 calls in
about two dozen national call centers, legal command centers,
and field operations headquarters across the country. During
peak hours on Election Day, these volunteers entered
thousands of reports per hour into the EIRS database, which
now contains nearly 40,000 individual cases. EIRS data was
published immediately on a public website, where it was used
extensively by various organizations, the media, and the
general public, while protecting the privacy of incident
reporters. EIRS benefited voters who needed immediate help,
election protection organizations who used it to prioritize
their responses, and researchers who are now using its data
to help prepare legal cases and legislative recommendations.
After the election, Verified Voting Foundation staff and
volunteers used EIRS to compile summaries of widespread
electronic voting problems that were publicized on the web
and via press conferences and media releases summarized on
the VerifiedVoting.org website. For more information, see
http://verifiedvoting.org/eirs

The Verified Voting Foundation is seeking volunteers and
funding to continue EIRS and our work with partner
organizations. We have plans to improve EIRS not only for
analyzing and publishing 2004 election data, but also for
use in elections in 2005 and beyond. To help, join VVF and
indicate that you want to volunteer for EIRS at
http://verifiedvoting/join/

TechWatch

TechWatch was another important program for the Verified
Voting Foundation. We recruited more than 1300 technology
professionals as volunteers and trained hundreds of them to
assist with the election. We assisted partner organizations,
particularly those involved with the +1-800-OUR-VOTE
nationwide Election Protection hotline, in preparing for
voting technology issues, especially for detecting
electronic voting machine failures or fraud. We also
deployed professionals to Logic and Accuracy testing of
election equipment prior to Election Day in more than a
dozen states. As e-voting election incidents occurred on
Election Day, we were able to dispatch technology
professionals immediately, in more than a dozen states, in
cooperation with Election Protection Coalition operations.
For more information, see
http://verifiedvoting.org/techwatch/


NEW FEDERAL VVPB LEGISLATION

Senator Ensign soon plans to introduce the "Voting Integrity
and Verification Act of 2005", which is identical in content
to a similarly-titled bill (VIVA 2004) that he introduced
last year (S. 2437). VIVA 2005 will not be issued a Senate
bill number until it is actually introduced. In the
meantime, you can effectively review the bill summary and
text for VIVA 2005 by looking at the corresponding
information for last year's VIVA 2004 (S. 2437).
VerifiedVoting.org supports the VIVA 2005 bill and encourages
all members of the Senate to become cosponsors.

The "Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of
2005" (H.R. 550) was introduced on February 2, 2005, by
Rep. Rush Holt of New Jersey. This is an updated and
expanded version of a similar bill (H.R. 2239) that Rep.
Holt introduced in the previous session. VerifiedVoting.org
supports this bill and encourages all members of the House
to become cosponsors.

VerifiedVoting.org will continue to work tirelessly towards
passage of voter-verified paper ballot (VVPB) legislation in
the 109th Session, which is now underway. To monitor pending
federal and state VVPB legislation please check our
Legislation Page often at http://verifiedvoting.org/leg


STATE-BY-STATE LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

1. Connecticut - Last October, in collaboration with a local
group of Connecticut voters, the Verified Voting Foundation
submitted a package of documents to Connecticut's Secretary
of the State, Susan Bysiewicz, recommending that Connecticut
consider the full range of HAVA compliant voting systems
when preparing its Request for Proposal (RFP) for new
voting systems. These documents provided both technical and
economic arguments demonstrating that a precinct-based
optical scan system, augmented by accessible marking
devices, would provide the best replacement system for
Connecticut's aging lever machines. Connecticut issued its
RFP in December 2004 asking voting systems vendors to supply
bids only for Direct Record Electronic (DRE) aka e-voting
machines. The Verified Voting Foundation is working actively
with our supporters and the state-based TrueVoteCT.org to
broaden the scope of the RFP so it includes all
HAVA-compliant voting systems. For more details, see
http://verifiedvoting.org/stateview.php?area=7

2. Indiana - Verified Voting participated in voter education
in Koskiusko County, distributing a targeted email campaign
intended to stave off the premature purchase of voting
machines that do not provide a voter-verified paper trail.
See the Indiana action alert listed on the state page at
http://www.verifiedvoting.org/stateview.php?area=15

3. New York - By a vote of 11 to 4, the The Tompkins County
Legislature passed a resolution on January 18 calling for
New York State to adopt paper ballots/optical scan/ballot
markers as the state's voting equipment. This is the first
resolution of its kind in New York State. While non-binding,
this shows state officials who will be making equipment
decisions that the counties are concerned about adopting
e-voting machines and want an alternative. Bo Lipari, of New
Yorkers for Verified Voting (NYVV), wrote: "It took many
meetings and education sessions with the Legislature, budget
committees and board of election officials to convince them
of the benefits of optical scan. The source material,
arguments, and feedback Bob and Pam (of VerifiedVoting.org)
provided me throughout this effort was invaluable in winning
the day." VerifiedVoting.org salutes Bo and NYVV for their
excellent work in New York.

4. Ohio - Last September, VVF submitted written testimony to
legislative hearings in Ohio, offering suggestions on how
Ohio could best meet the voter-verified paper ballot
requirements established last year by that State's
legislature. In that testimony, VVF argued that deployment
of a precinct count optical scan system augmented by
accessible ballot marking devices, would provide the most
verifiable and cost-effective solution. On January 12, 2005,
Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell announced that
Ohio will deploy a precinct count optical scan system
statewide. In addition, to meet the accessibility needs of
voters with disabilities, one accessible voting device will
be deployed at each polling place. For more details, see:
http://verifiedvoting.org/article.php?id=5510

5. West Virginia - In November, VerifiedVoting.org
Legislative Analyst Bob Kibrick was invited by the Interim
Subcommittee of the Joint Senate and House Judiciary
Committees of the WV State Legislature to make a
presentation on HAVA-compliant voting systems. Kibrick
stressed the need for any new voting systems in WV to
provide a voter-verified paper ballot (VVPB) and cautioned
legislators about the numerous problems with paperless
e-voting machines. The following day, Kibrick and
representatives from several local civic organizations met
with WV's Secretary of State-elect, Betty Ireland, who has
publicly committed to supporting VVPBs for WV. Later that
month, during the Interim Session, the legislature passed a
bill to freeze any further spending of WV's State HAVA funds
on new voting systems until the terms of a VVPB requirement
are settled. For more details, please see our West Virginia
state page: http://verifiedvoting.org/stateview.php?area=50

6. States Overview - For other state-by-state news, see the
January update on state legislation across the country at
http://verifiedvoting.org/states


VOTING SYSTEMS RATING GROUP ESTABLISHED

The Voting Systems Performance Rating (VPSR) is a new group
focused on measuring the performance of voting systems.
Previously, the only group seriously developing standards
was the 'IEEE P1583' group, criticized for being
vendor-dominated and for having a closed standards
development process. VPSR brings together a group of experts
from a number of voting-related fields, including Verified
Voting Foundation founder David Dill and VerifiedVoting.org
Legislative Analyst Bob Kibrick. To find out more, see
http://vspr.org




SUBSCRIBE AND UNSUBSCRIBE

To subscribe to the Verified Voting newsletter, please go to
http://verifiedvoting.org/join

To unsubscribe from the Verified Voting newsletter, please
contact us with your request to unsubscribe at
http://verifiedvoting.org/contactus.php


ABOUT US

The Verified Voting Foundation and VerifiedVoting.org are
sister nonprofit organizations championing reliable and
publicly verifiable elections. Founded by Stanford
University Computer Science Professor David Dill, the
organizations support a requirement for voter-verified
paper ballots for elections allowing voters to inspect
individual permanent records of their ballots and election
officials to conduct meaningful audits and recounts.
The organizations' website is at http://verifiedvoting.org

(c) Copyright 2005, Verified Voting Foundation, Inc., and
VerifiedVoting.org, Inc.

Reproduction for nonprofit purposes permitted with
attribution to the Verified Voting Foundation at
http://verifiedvoting.org

End

http://verifiedvoting.org

[dzika]

7. WTF? - CNN compares Jeff Gannon to Al Qaeda journalist? - 2/11 @ 10:10 AM

CNN compares Jeff Gannon to Al Qaeda journalist? - 2/11 @ 10:10 AM

"Al Qaeda's second-in-command was on the radio, on the internet, on dozens of TV channel's. Thousands of people call themselves 'journalists' and that is raising a sticky question. When it comes to access to the White House, which ones should be treated a real reporters?"

Video in Real Media format (256k stream / 3 minutes)
http://www.edwardsdavid.com/BushVideos/cnn_livetoday_gannon_050211-02.rm

[dzika]

8. Minorities still voting in smaller proportion in Palm Beach County, Fla.

Friday, February 11, 2005

Minorities still voting in smaller proportion

By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Turnout among Palm Beach County minorities lagged behind that of whites in the 2004 presidential election, a new report shows, while partisan participation rates were nearly equal.

Roughly three-quarters of the county's white voters cast ballots in the general election, compared with about two-thirds of blacks and Hispanics, according to figures released this month by the county elections office.

There was a similar gap in the 2000, when turnout was 71 percent among whites and 61 percent among blacks and Hispanics.

"We have, I think, more outreach to do," said Elections Supervisor Arthur Anderson, who took office last month. "That's one of my highest priorities."

The new report shows nearly identical turnout percentages among county Republicans and Democrats in 2004, after Democrats outperformed the GOP in 2000.


more
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/politics/content/local_news/epaper/2005/02/11/m3b_turnout_0211.html

[dzika]

9. McAuliffe calls the campaign's unwillingness to criticize Bush's record a

Outgoing party chair says Democrats held back in '04
McAuliffe calls the campaign's unwillingness to criticize Bush's record a 'mistake'

By TIMOTHY SPENCE


WASHINGTON - Outgoing Democratic chairman Terry McAuliffe on Thursday outlined mistakes he said his party made in Sen. John Kerry's unsuccessful 2004 presidential campaign, including the failure to attack the Bush administration record at the national convention and loss of support among Roman Catholics.

I think it was a mistake not to go after George Bush at the convention," McAuliffe said, referring to the party's Boston gathering in July where speakers avoided direct criticism of the commander-in-chief at a time when U.S. troops were fighting in Iraq.

"We did not do an effective job of delinking Iraq from the war on terror," McAuliffe said. "The message we have to convey across the country is the Democratic Party will protect you after 9/11."
...
McAuliffe said the anti-Kerry advertisements in August that questioned Kerry's record as a young naval lieutenant commanding a river gunboat "were a defining moment in the campaign" because the Democrats weren't quick enough to respond to the attacks. The ads were paid for by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, and the groups's supporters had links to the Bush re-election campaign.


more
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/politics/3034421

[dzika]

10. Did Jews misplace support for Bush?

Posted February 11 2005

Did Jews misplace support for Bush?

by George Urdang
Delray Beach

Our Founding Fathers wanted religion and government separated, as indicated in the Constitution. However, many newspapers across our country ignored that fact during the past election when they took polls and reported that many voters of the Jewish faith were supporting George Bush, believing that he would be a stronger supporter of Israel than John Kerry.

After the election, they reported that polls showed that members of the Jewish faith did vote for George Bush because he would be a stronger supporter for Israel than John Kerry. However, I wonder how my brothers and sisters of the Jewish faith now feel after reading two articles in recent issues of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

One stated that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that Israel faced some "hard decisions" if they wanted to achieve peace with the Palestinians. Please note that there was no mention of asking that the Palestinians renounce the pushing of the people of Israel into the sea.

The second article announced that President Bush would appoint a U.S. "senior security coordinator" to help train and equip Palestinian forces.

I have not heard opposition to these two stories.


source: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/letters/sfl-pbmail855feb11,0,6506793.story?coll=sfla-news-letters

[dzika]

11. Democrats Aren't Giving Bush a Break This Term

February 11, 2005

Democrats Aren't Giving Bush a Break This Term

Dean's likely rise to power is another sign the party is sharpening its differences with GOP.


WASHINGTON — In style and substance, Democrats are mounting a much more aggressive and unified opposition to President Bush than they did following his election in 2000.

With the expected selection Saturday of firebrand Howard Dean as chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Sen. John F. Kerry's rapid reemergence as a Bush critic, and the sharp congressional challenges to Cabinet nominees Alberto R. Gonzales and Condoleezza Rice, Democrats are consistently choosing confrontation over conciliation in their early responses to Bush in his second term.
...
Congressional Democrats have seized almost every opportunity to register opposition to Bush, including protests by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) to November's results from Ohio, and searing questioning by Boxer and others during Rice's confirmation hearing to become secretary of State. And although they chose not to attempt a filibuster, 35 of 41 Senate Democrats present voted against Gonzales' confirmation as attorney general.
...
Bush moved into the White House after a campaign in which he promised to govern as "a uniter, not a divider." But his first term was marked by partisan confrontations that left even centrist Democrats leery of cooperating with him.

"Democrats don't trust Bush and don't trust doing business with him," said Bruce Reed, president of the centrist Democratic Leadership Council.


more
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-dems11feb11,1,6198357.story?coll=la-headlines-politics

[dzika]

12. Mosh Video by Eminem (Post-Election Version)

Released: 12/01/04

Mosh Video by Eminem (Post-Election Version)

If you haven't seen the post-election version of Eminem's Mosh Video then here is your chance. Even if you aren't an Eminem fan, the video is worth a look.



Video in Real Media format (256k stream / 5 minutes)
http://www.edwardsdavid.com/BushVideos/Eminem_Mosh_Post_Election_041201-01.rm

[dzika]

13. Gallup - DNC Members Optimistic About Party's Future, but Want Change

February 11, 2005

DNC Members Optimistic About Party's Future, but Want Change
Believe Howard Dean would do an excellent job as party chair

by Jeffrey M. Jones

PRINCETON, NJ -- The Democratic National Committee will elect a new chairman Saturday to lead the party for the next four years, with former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean the likely choice. A new poll, conducted by Gallup in conjunction with CNN and USA Today, shows Democratic National Committee members are optimistic about the party's future, and most think Dean would do an excellent job as party chair.

The poll of 223 Democratic National Committee members was conducted between Jan. 27 and Feb. 8. While the poll finds that the Democratic Party leadership believes that major changes are needed in the way the Democrats approach elections, three-quarters believe it is very likely the party will win the 2008 presidential election. DNC members favor an electoral strategy that focuses on persuading undecided and swing voters to vote for Democratic candidates, rather than mobilizing existing supporters to vote. They also favor a legislative strategy that attempts to defeat the Republican agenda in hopes of drawing clear distinctions between the two parties, rather than finding areas of compromise with President George W. Bush and the Republicans in Congress.

Following are the detailed findings of the poll:

The DNC membership has high hopes for Dean as chair -- the highest-ranking party position -- if he is elected. Sixty-three percent say Dean would do an excellent job as chair and 27% say a good job.













more
http://www.gallup.com/poll/content/?ci=14890

[EFerrari]

15. Turn your back on Bush ON LINE

(This site is along the lines of sorryeverybody & thankyoupatriot -- but the photos are of people with their backs turned to Bu$h!)

Turn YOUR back on Bush!
Tell the world why Bush is
NOT YOUR PRESIDENT.

We know that Bush does not speak or act for millions and millions of people in this country. More importantly, we must find the ways of showing this, ways that allow us to be connected to each other. We are not alone, we transcend borders of "red" and "blue," American and Iraqi.


http://www.notourpresident.net/

[dzika]

16. DemocracyNow! reports on "fake White House correspondent", Jeff Gannon

Friday, February 11th, 2005

DemocracyNow! reports on "fake White House correspondent", Jeff Gannon

White House Under Fire Over Right-Wing Blogger

The White House is facing fresh accusations of a clandestine propaganda campaign after it emerged this week that it granted regular access to a rightwing blogger with a habit of asking President Bush easy questions. Jeff Gannon, who represented a rightwing site owned by a Texas-based Republican activist, had been a regular at White House briefings since 2003 but aroused reporters" suspicions after posing ideologically loaded questions. The fake White House correspondent quit his job at the Talon News site on Wednesday after bloggers found he had been operating under a pseudonym, and that he was linked to several gay pornographic web domain addresses under his real identity, James Guckert; web sites such as hotmilitarystud.com and militaryescorts.com are registered to the same owner as Gannon's Web site, jeffgannon.com. White House spokesman, Scott McLellan, has dismissed charges that Gannon was part of an underground propaganda effort as "just a wild conspiracy theory". But questions remain about why the White House suspended the normally rigorous vetting process to issue daily passes to an organization rejected by the Senate last year for not being a legitimate media outlet. The extent of Gannon's links to an earlier White House scandal - the leaking of the name of the CIA operative Valerie Plame - also remained unclear yesterday. Gannon has been targeted for questioning in that case. Gannon's unmasking comes only weeks after the Bush administration admitted paying handsome sums to three conservative commentators to promote its social programs in print, radio and TV.

Video in Real Media format (256k stream / 2 minutes):
http://www.edwardsdavid.com/BushVideos/democracynow_gannon_050211-01.rm

[dzika]

17. Two Ohio counties get more time to select vote machine vendor

Thursday, February 10, 2005

Two Ohio counties get more time to select vote machine vendor

by Diane Suchetka
Plain Dealer Reporter


The years-old debate over what kind of voting machines Ohio will use heated up once again Wednesday.

That's when two judges - one in Portage County and another in Franklin County - ordered Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell to give boards of elections in those counties more time to choose the company they'll buy new voting machines from.
...
A bigger concern for other counties, though, was Blackwell's insistence that they buy optical-scan machines instead of what some say are more sophisticated touch-screen machines.

Wednesday's court orders could change that, said Michael Vu, director of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections.

"This allows for legal options to be opened up," Vu said Wednesday. "Legal action - and other options - are definitely on the table at this point."


more
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1108031491222040.xml

[dzika]

18. WaPo - Scandal in the Press Corps

Thursday, February 10, 2005; 12:44 PM

Scandal in the Press Corps

By Dan Froomkin
Special to washingtonpost.com


The rise and fall of "Jeff Gannon," the pseudononymous conservative partisan who bragged of working "behind enemy lines" in the White House press corps, is turning into the media scandal of the week.
...
Yet another example of the White House's attempts to avoid scrutiny, undermine the free and independent media, and use fake news and propaganda to manipulate public opinion.
...
Yet another example of the blogosphere's ability to out-investigate the mainstream media and force it to pay attention to stories that otherwise would be ignored.
...
Pretty much every day, Gannon got cleared into the White House briefing room by a press office that knew his real name. Press Secretary Scott McClellan frequently called on him during the mid-day briefings, using his fake name. McClellan was consistently rewarded with questions that -- in stark contrast from most of what passes for questions in that room -- were more expressions of conservative dogma than actual attempts to elicit information. Members of the press corps individually confronted Gannon and told him that he didn't belong there. But nothing more serious than that happened -- until Bush called on him at his televised Jan. 26 news conference and he asked a loaded, inaccurate question partly derived from a Rush Limbaugh joke.


more
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14148-2005Feb10.html

[dzika]

19. 2004 Election Sees Second American-Muslim Bloc Vote

Washington Report, January/February 2005, page 25

2004 Election Sees Second American-Muslim Bloc Vote

By Lisette Poole and Tahir Ali


In the 2004 presidential election, 93 percent of American Muslims voted as a bloc for Democratic candidate Sen. John Kerry in an effort to help restore civil liberties and human rights for all. It was the largest turnout of American Muslim voters in U.S. history. There was a 20 percent voter registration increase over the previous presidential election, in 2000, in which 72 percent of Muslims voted for George W. Bush.

The high Muslim voter turnout and focus came on the heels of the “qualified” endorsement of Senator Kerry by the American Muslim Taskforce on Civil Rights and Elections (AMT), a coalition of 10 national Muslim organizations. At the same time other Muslim organizations also voiced their choices. The ministry of Imam W.D. Muhammad, for example, issued a press release giving the results of a membership poll, which showed that about 98 percent of their members supported Kerry.

The news of the Muslims’ endorsement was reported internationally, most notably in the Muslim and Arab world, where U.S. President George W. Bush’s initiative to spread democracy in the Middle East is being scrutinized.

At the onset of the U.S. election campaign, leaders of major American Muslim organizations had contended that elections would provide opportunities for setting an agenda, building skills and coalitions, and negotiating accommodation of minority interests. They urged their members to engage in the electoral process.


more
http://www.wrmea.com/archives/Jan_Feb_2005/0501025.html

[dzika]

20. Video - Checkpoint "Dubya" shows illegal use of military at innagura

Video - Checkpoint "Dubya" shows illegal use of military at innaguration

Video in Quicktime format at following site:
http://www.fluxview.com/v/protests/05/inauguration/QT-Inauguration.htm

[dzika]

21. Republican convention part of preparation for CA election showdown

Friday, February 11, 2005

Republican convention part of preparation for CA election showdown

By TOM CHORNEAU

Instead of working out their differences in the Legislature, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democrats are gearing up for a showdown.

State Republican Party delegates planned to meet Friday to prepare for what they expect will be an unprecedented special election this fall. Schwarzenegger will rally them during a speech, seeking their help for his series of sweeping constitutional amendments that would overhaul state government and politics.

"California Republicans are on the offensive," said Ron Nehring, chairman of the San Diego County GOP Central Committee, adding that he doesn't believe a compromise with Democrats is likely.

Not to be outdone, Democrats are busy with preparations of their own. This week they established a political committee supported by a coalition of unions, education groups and advocates for the poor that will coordinate resources and strategy among multiple initiative campaigns.


more
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/n/a/2005/02/10/state/n153410S65.DTL

[dzika]

22. NPR - Conservative Reporter, Jeff Gannon, Resigns Amid Controversy

Feb. 9, 2005

Conservative Reporter, Jeff Gannon, Resigns Amid Controversy

All Things Considered, February 9, 2005 · A reporter for the conservative news site TalonNews.com resigns. The reporter, who went by the pseudonym Jeff Gannon, drew critical attention at President Bush's Jan. 26 press conference when he referred in a question to Democrats "who seem to have divorced themselves from reality" on the issue of retooling Social Security.

Liberal bloggers have disclosed that Gannon, who has little previous journalism experience, was easily granted a coveted White House press pass -- even though he did not work for a traditional or established news organization. He also routinely asked "softball" questions at press conferences. There are also allegations that Gannon is linked to Web sites with homoerotic themes.

Gannon spoke with NPR's David Folkenflik the day before he resigned. He says he is open about his conservative point of view, but that he is just as valid a journalist as other reporters in the White House press corps.


Audio interview in Real Audio format:
http://www.edwardsdavid.com/BushVideos/20050209_atc_14.rm

Story on NPR Website:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4492778

[dzika]

23. Electionline Today - February 11, 2005

Electionline Today

CLICK HERE FOR ELECTIONLINE TODAY ARCHIVES


February 11, 2005

• electionline Weekly: NASS to EAC: Three Years is Enough
  
  
• Arizona: New ID law won't affect March elections, attorney general says
  
  
• California: Governor ready to fill Shelley post (registration required) | San Diego County registrar to retire
  
  
• Indiana: Potential voting systems showcased in Delaware County
  
  
• Nebraska: One man, one vote (and several bids on eBay)
  
  
• Nevada: New voting machines needed to replace paperless versions
  
  
• New Hampshire: Plan to nix registration on Election Day blasted
  
  
• New York: County clerk named to mayor's election review panel | Queens D.A. is reviewing voter registration fraud case
  
  
• North Carolina: Mecklenburg County elections board won't tally provisional ballots (registration required)
  
  
• Ohio: Self-evaluation shows Franklin County needs more voting machines (registration required) | Report | Some counties still want touch-screen machines, despite Blackwell's deadline(registration required) | Athens County elections board splits over which voting system to buy
  
  
• Texas: Wichita County is one step closer to having new voting machines
  
  
• Washington: State task force gets earful over gubernatorial election
  
  
• Wisconsin: Voter logbooks out of whack

source: http://electionline.org/index.jsp?page=ElectionLineToday2

[danostuporstar]

31. Another story on the NE eBay thing

http://www.dcist.com/archives/2005/02/11/voting_documents_for_sale_on_ebay.php

[dzika]

24. Self-evaluation shows Franklin County needs more voting machines

Posted on Thu, Feb. 10, 2005

Self-evaluation shows Franklin County needs more voting machines

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Franklin County elections officials should change the way voting machines are distributed and purchase more of them to satisfy state requirements, according to a report by the elections board.
...
"There are clearly things we goofed on that had a negative impact," Franklin County Board of Elections Director Matthew Damschroder said.

The report said the county needs to purchase 1,325 more voting machines, at a cost of nearly $8 million, to meet a new state standard of one machine for every 200 voters.

The self-evaluation of election procedures also said poor communication between elections workers kept dozens of voting machines from being used in two locations on Election Day.

Lawyers behind a failed challenge of Ohio's presidential election results cited long lines and reports of machine shortages in minority neighborhoods as evidence of fraud.


more
http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/news/state/10868892.htm

[dzika]

26. Voting Integrity and Verification Act Bill proposes e-voting paper trail

February 10, 2005, 8:32 AM PT

Voting Integrity and Verification Act Bill proposes e-voting paper trail

By Declan McCullagh CNET News.com


Voting machines must include a verifiable paper trail and audit capability in time for the 2006 elections, according to a bill introduced this week in Congress.

The legislation requires states to follow a stricter set of federal rules that are designed in large part to respond to a wave of concerns about the electronic voting machines used in November's election.

"Congress set aside billions of dollars for states to buy new, more reliable electronic voting machines. But those machines aren't perfect, and without a paper trail, we can't guarantee that all votes will be counted correctly," Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said.
...
Called the Voting Integrity and Verification Act, the bill says states must allow the "voter to review an individual paper version of the voter's ballot before the voter's ballot is cast and counted." The paper ballot, typically viewed under glass, would become a "permanent paper record" that must be preserved in case of a recount.

After the November 2004 election, a handful of Democrats sought to stall President Bush's certification as winner by alleging problems with e-voting machines in Ohio. But this bill has support from both Republicans and Democrats. Its sponsors include Sens. John Ensign, R-Nev.; Conrad Burns, R-Mont.; Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.; Mark Dayton, D-Minn.; Lincoln Chafee, R-R.I.; John Sununu, R-N.H.; and Richard Durbin, D-Ill.


more
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-5571030.html

[dzika]

27. Supercharged McAuliffe Revels in Closing Days of Tenure

Friday, February 11, 2005; Page A07

Supercharged McAuliffe Revels in Closing Days of Tenure

By Dan Balz


Democratic National Committee Chairman Terence R. McAuliffe is not leaving quietly.

With two days left before he hands the gavel over to former Vermont governor Howard Dean, McAuliffe was running at full speed yesterday, wrapping up the last details of the party's finances, lunching with reporters, and being feted at a gala whose speakers included former president Bill Clinton and the party's 2004 presidential nominee, John F. Kerry.
...
A Catholic, McAuliffe said criticism of Kerry's support for abortion rights by some members of the church's hierarchy was beyond the pale. "I was very dismayed at the Catholic Church in last year's election," he said. "The way they went into their pulpits and told people it was a sin to vote for John Kerry was nothing short of just outrageous."
...
Like many Democrats, McAuliffe said he mistakenly believed Kerry had won on Election Day, based on what turned out to be incorrect exit polls. But until he learned the truth, McAuliffe said, he had a wonderful time thinking about the possibilities.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15398-2005Feb10.html

[dzika]

28. Wisconsin Democratic Party wants fraud case explained

Posted: Feb. 10, 2005

Wisconsin Democratic Party wants fraud case explained

By TOM KERTSCHER


The Democratic Party of Wisconsin on Thursday called on the state Republican Party to "fully explain their involvement" in the case of a former College Republican who is charged with voting illegally Nov. 2 in Brown County.
...
Citing a story in Thursday's Journal Sentinel about the felony election fraud charge against Marc P. Lacher, the Democratic Party issued a statement saying that, despite claims by the GOP of widespread voting irregularities, the only election fraud case that has surfaced involves a Republican.

"Republicans are rushing to pass a bill that would disenfranchise voters across the state based on wild accusations of fraud when the only case of voter fraud has come from their own party," Kim Warkentin, executive director of the state Democratic Party, said in the statement. The statement refers to Republican support of a bill that would require voters to show photo identification at the polls but does not say why the Republican Party is suspected of being involved in the alleged illegal voting.

Chris Lato, spokesman for the state Republican Party, called the Democrats' reaction "silly," saying Democrats are embarrassed about criminal charges filed against five men accused of slashing tires on a GOP van in Milwaukee on election day. "It makes sense that they would make this incredible reach to say there was a conspiracy," he said, adding that any illegal voting should be prosecuted.

Lacher, 23, of the Chicago suburb of Hinsdale, was charged Jan. 14 with a felony that carries a maximum prison term of 3 1/2 years. The spring 2004 graduate of St. Norbert College in De Pere lives in Illinois but voted using his last address in De Pere, according to a criminal complaint.


http://www.jsonline.com/news/racine/feb05/300738.asp

[dzika]

29. WA State task force gets earful over gubernatorial election

Friday, February 11, 2005 - Page updated at 12:00 a.m.

WA State task force gets earful over gubernatorial election

By Andrew Garber
Seattle Times staff reporter


Secretary of State Sam Reed,
pictured last year after certifying
results from the first recount, is
co-chair of a state task force
charged with finding ways to help
prevent another chaotic gubernatorial
election.


VANCOUVER, Wash. — Secretary of State Sam Reed expected an onslaught of complaints about the state's election system last night, and that's what he got at the first of four public hearings being held around the state.

Reed, who oversees Washington's elections system, is co-chair of a state task force charged with finding ways to help prevent a repeat of the chaotic gubernatorial election, which went through two recounts. It ended with Democrat Christine Gregoire beating Republican Dino Rossi by 129 votes.

The election, rife with accusations of mishandled ballots and illegal votes, is being challenged in court by Republicans.

More than 100 people showed up at a Clark College auditorium to vent their frustration to the four-member task force chaired by Reed and former Democratic state Sen. Betti Sheldon. Comments ranged from technical advice to outrage.


more
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002177257_reed11m.html

[dzika]

30. J Kenneth Blackwell - The anti-Obama

Published February 11, 2005

J Kenneth Blackwell - The anti-Obama

Ohio's Bible-quoting secretary of state tests the GOP with his ultraconservative, unpredictable style

By Tim Jones


CINCINNATI -- At 6-feet-5 and 255 pounds, J. Kenneth Blackwell still is the noisy head-knocker the Dallas Cowboys brought to training camp 35 years ago.

Pro football didn't work out for Blackwell -- he insisted on being a linebacker, the Cowboys wanted him at guard -- so he walked away from a three-year pro contract and opted for the often brutish equivalent: politics.

The transition has paid off handsomely for the controversial Republican who, as Ohio's secretary of state, oversaw the election in that crucial state, which gave President Bush four more years in the White House.

Blackwell, a Bible-quoting child of Cincinnati's West End poverty pit, may be less well known beyond the borders of Ohio, but he is emerging as a national spokesman for black conservatism. Like Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, Ohio's Blackwell is one of a new generation of black leaders who have risen to national prominence by virtue of powerful government offices.

But in personality and politics, Ken Blackwell is the anti-Obama, a loud and persistent advocate for tax cuts, smaller government and a greater role for religion in daily life. With the cranky fiscal conservatism of H. Ross Perot, the saber-rattling chutzpah of Newt Gingrich and the volatile verbosity of Alan Keyes, Blackwell has already been elected statewide three times in Ohio. Now he is running for governor, aiming to be only the nation's second elected African-American governor.


more
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/chi-0502110043feb11,1,129879.story?coll=chi-leisuretempo-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true

[dzika]

32. Tech Backed Kerry in 2004

February 11, 2005

Tech Backed Kerry in 2004

By Roy Mark


The tech industry shifted political gears in 2004 and put its money behind Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry after backing Republican George Bush over Democrat Al Gore in the 2000 elections.

According to numbers compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics, the tech industry donated $2.6 million to Kerry in the recent elections while contributing $1.9 million to Bush. In 2000, tech contributed $1.2 million to Bush and $599,000 to Gore.

Despite the increase in presidential campaign contributions, the industry's political donations declined 13.5 percent from $39.3 million in 2000 to $25.8 million in 2004.

"That was common with a lot of industries because of changes in campaign contribution laws," Steve Weiss, the communications director for the Center for Responsive Politics, said, referring to the 2004 ban on soft money donations. "It was tough to exceed or match the soft money given in 2000."



           




more
http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3482546

[tommcintyre]

33. NOMINATE THIS THREAD: It should go on the greatest page everyday

This is a perfect thread to go there. It's a great way to get other DUer's up-to-speed on what's happening on the election fraud/reform front; and encourage them to come participate in this forum. I would prefer this thread to be part of a "sticky" at the top of this forum also, but nominating it to the greatest page on a daily basis is a step in the right direction.

I will do my best to nominate it everyday. All we need is one more person that feels the same and its a done deal!

[MelissaB]

42. Thanks tommcintyre! n/t

[Wilms]

34. FEC: 2004 Presidential General Election Candidates and Election Results

FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION

2004 Presidential General Election Candidates and Election Results

This is a compilation of the official election results for the seventeen Presidential candidates who appeared on at least one general election ballot on November 2, 2004.

This listing was compiled from the official certified election results obtained from the Secretaries of State and other state elections offices. It includes the Electoral College vote (see page 3) and the addresses and party designations for each of the candidates (see pages 4 and 5). Explanatory notes for the chart are found at the bottom of page 4.

According to the data received from state officials, over 122 million votes were cast in the 2004 Presidential general election.

2004 Official Presidential General Election Results

A pdf

<http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2004/2004presgenresults.pdf>


This is a state-by-state listing of the seventeen Presidential candidates whose names appeared on at least one general election ballot in November. The list was compiled from information provided by officials at the state election offices. The party name or identifying label that appeared on the ballot with a candidate's name is listed next to each entry. The key for the abbreviations is found on page 5.

2004 Presidential Candidates on the 11/02/2004 General Election Ballots

A pdf, again:

<http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2004/2004PresGenBallByState.pdf>

FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION

2004 Presidential General Election Candidates and Election Results

This is a compilation of the official election results for the seventeen Presidential candidates who appeared on at least one general election ballot on November 2, 2004.

This listing was compiled from the official certified election results obtained from the Secretaries of State and other state elections offices. It includes the Electoral College vote (see page 3) and the addresses and party designations for each of the candidates (see pages 4 and 5). Explanatory notes for the chart are found at the bottom of page 4.

According to the data received from state officials, over 122 million votes were cast in the 2004 Presidential general election.

2004 Official Presidential General Election Results

A pdf

<http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2004/2004presgenresults.pdf >


This is a state-by-state listing of the seventeen Presidential candidates whose names appeared on at least one general election ballot in November. The list was compiled from information provided by officials at the state election offices. The party name or identifying label that appeared on the ballot with a candidate's name is listed next to each entry. The key for the abbreviations is found on page 5.

2004 Presidential Candidates on the 11/02/2004 General Election Ballots

A pdf, again:

<http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2004/2004PresGenBallByState... >


FEC Page:

<http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2004/2004presgen.shtml>

[MelissaB]

35. Ruling won’t affect choice for voting system

Ruling won’t affect choice for voting system

Published: Friday, February 11, 2005 07:40 AM
By DYLAN MCCAMENT
News Staff Writer

Mount Vernon — A ruling made Tuesday by Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro will not affect Tuesday’s decision by the Knox County Board of Elections to adopt the ES&S voting system.

Petro ruled that Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell did not have the authority to order local boards of elections to select only from one of two types of optical-scan voting machines. Blackwell had said the two systems were the only affordable ones that meet federal standards for election reform.

“Actually, they’re both right,” said Knox BOE member Kenneth Lane.

The changes have been spurred by the Help America Vote Act, which Congress passed in 2002. The act specifies a number of requirements which states must meet by 2006. Thos requirements inlude more machines accessible to the disabled, greater ease in casting provisional ballots and increased machine detection of voting errors such as under- and overvoting.

Ohio received $105 million in federal funds to install machines that meet HAVA standards; the money flows through the secretary of state’s office. Blackwell ordered Ohio counties to switch from touchscreen to optical systems that count marks made on paper ballots, then limited the choice to two types of systems.

More: http://www.mountvernonnews.com/local/021105/voting.html

[MelissaB]

36. Secretary of state addresses controversy

Secretary of state addresses controversy

Friday, February 11, 2005 — Time: 9:53:00 AM EST

Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell has been the subject of much election controversy lately, but he doesn't expect it to derail his hopes for becoming Ohio's next governor.

Already established as a gubernatorial candidate, one of many Republicans seeking the position, Blackwell has been questioned most recently for his order to county boards of elections to decide on a voting system by this past Wednesday.
Attorney General Jim Petro, a Republican also seeking the governor's seat, came out against Blackwell's directive on Tuesday.

Two days later, Blackwell answered those criticisms on his way to Marietta for the Washington County Republican Party's Lincoln Day Dinner.

"The attorney general was for me before he was against me. He represented me in two court cases," Blackwell said. "So his reversal is inexplicable to me, but it's part of life in the fast lane."

More: http://www.mariettatimes.com/news/story/0211202005_new02stt.asp

[MelissaB]

37. Resignation over GOP rule for early Schwarzenegger endorsement

Resignation over GOP rule for early Schwarzenegger endorsement

DON THOMPSON

Associated Press


SACRAMENTO - A proposal that would let the California Republican Party make an early endorsement of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and allow early party contributions to his re-election campaign led a longtime activist to resign from a key party committee Friday.

Dora Kingsley said the rule proposed by party Chairman Duf Sundheim for consideration at the party convention this weekend in Sacramento could bring criticism of Schwarzenegger.

The state Democratic Party allows such preprimary endorsements, but Kingsley said the GOP rules prohibit them "in order to protect the integrity of the nomination process."

Changing the rule could "lead to loss of the voters' confidence," she said in her resignation letter.

Schwarzenegger's record-setting fund-raising already has drawn criticism, while his California Recovery Team is joining a lawsuit seeking to overturn limits on how much donors can give to ballot measure committees run by officeholders.

More: http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/northern_california/10879628.htm?1c

[MelissaB]

38. CITIZEN SCHWARZENEGGER UPSETTING HIS PARTY

CITIZEN SCHWARZENEGGER UPSETTING HIS PARTY

2 hours, 20 minutes ago Op/Ed - Richard Reeves
By Richard Reeves

>>>snip

His ideas, ranked here roughly by their popularity in state polls included: (1) across-the-board budget cuts when state spending outpaces revenues; (2) replacing tenure-based teachers' pay schedules with a merit system; (3) having judges rather than self-interested legislators draw legislative and congressional district lines; (4) replacing the most expensive public-employee pension plans with something like 401(k) savings plans; (5) relaxing state regulations (including those designed to protect the environment) to make it possible to build lower-cost housing across this very expensive state.

>>>snip

The argument he has used is that allowing politicians to, in effect, carve out their own districts is to guarantee the re-election of incumbents -- and he points out that in the 153 congressional and legislative seats that were at stake here in the 2004 elections, not a single one resulted in a change in the party of the officeholder.


He takes that a step further by arguing that such an incumbent-protection system, in which neither party risks losing what they already have, is the reason compromise has been replaced by deadlock in state politics. The state legislature seems forever polarized as extremists of left and right win safe party seats in Sacramento -- and in Washington, too. His solution: panels of retired judges (and computers) to create new and presumably competitive elections.


And the reaction: His own party, the Republicans, are screaming that the big man must be crazy. Republican National Chairman Ken Mehlman is among the compatriots who are telling Schwarzenegger to forget about it. One of the state's 20 Republican congressmen, John T. Doolittle, told the Los Angeles Times: "It would seem to me self-defeating if we set in motion forces that could result in the loss of seats in California, which in conjunction with a loss of a handful of seats elsewhere in the country could spell a return to the minority for Republicans in the House. I just don't think that's a risk worth taking."

More: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=123&ncid=742&e=11&u=/ucrr/20050211/cm_ucrr/citizenschwarzeneggerupsettinghisparty

[MelissaB]

39. McPherson named Secretary of State

McPherson named Secretary of State

Former state Sen. Bruce McPherson of Santa Cruz has been appointed California Secretary of State by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, replacing Kevin Shelley who resigned after months of turmoil and investigations into how he ran the office.

"I looked for someone with strong experience, unimpeachable integrity and someone who is widely respected, and that is exactly what Bruce brings with him to the job," Schwarzenegger said in a written statement. "I look forward to working with the Legislature to quickly confirm Bruce to ensure a smooth transition of leadership for this important office."

McPherson, a Republican, most recently served in the Legislature from 1993 to 2005 when he was termed out. He served as chairman of the Assembly Elections and Reapportionment Committee. He has authored or co-authored legislation concerning elections, including legislation that required electronic filing of campaign statements and campaign finance information (AB 1026 in 1995 and SB 34 in 2001), legislation to restore California Campaign Finance Reform Law as passed by voters under Proposition 73 (AB 3027 in 1996), legislation creating the bipartisan Commission for Political Reform (SB 1737 in 1998), and laws allowing the national "motor voter" registration cards to be accepted in California and establishing a statewide voter registration database (AB 1701 in 1996).

"I am honored to be able to serve the people of California again, and I want to thank Gov. Schwarzenegger for this opportunity," McPherson said in a statement. "I will work hard to restore integrity, trust and confidence to the office of Secretary of State, I will work to repair relationships between the state and the 58 county registrars, and I will work assiduously to ensure HAVA compliance as soon as possible."

More: http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2005/02/07/daily42.html

[MelissaB]

40. Bruce McPherson bio

Bruce McPherson bio

STYLE IS FRIENDLY, FUNNY AND PRAGMATIC.

By Kate Folmar

Knight Ridder Sacramento Bureau


PERSONAL: A former editor of the Santa Cruz Sentinel, Republican McPherson served 10 years in the state Legislature. He and Mary, his wife of 34 years, have a grown daughter. Their son, Hunter, was killed in 2001 when he and his girlfriend were held up by an armed man.

HIS ROLE: Heir apparent to a Secretary of State's Office beset by scandals. McPherson is known as a likable moderate, able to work with both parties. Fiscally conservative and socially moderate, McPherson carried several election-reform and good-government measures in the Legislature. He made a surprisingly strong, but ultimately unsuccessful run for lieutenant governor in 2002.

HIS STYLE: Friendly, funny and pragmatic. McPherson is seen as a classic ``Schwarzenegger Republican.''

WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT HIM: ``Bruce has an outstanding reputation as a consensus builder. He is well respected across the political spectrum for his integrity and ability to work in a non-partisan way for the good of the state,'' said state Sen. Charles Poochigian, R-Fresno.

More: http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/10879078.htm?1c

[MelissaB]

41. Schwarzenegger names McPherson to Secretary of State post

Schwarzenegger names McPherson to Secretary of State post

By Associated Press

SACRAMENTO (AP) - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger named Republican former lawmaker Bruce McPherson of Santa Cruz as California's 29th secretary of state Friday, filling the post being vacated by Democrat Kevin Shelley, who resigned last Friday.
McPherson, 61, a former newspaper editor, served 11 years in the state Legislature as a moderate Republican in a Democratic district where he appealed to both environmentalists and business interests. If confirmed by the Legislature, he will fill the remainder of Shelley's term, which expires in January 2007.

>>>snip

McPherson was among the first to sponsor legislation seeking to put political contributions and lobbying information online through the secretary of state's office, and supports redistricting of state legislative and congressional districts, a key Schwarzenegger goal.

In McPherson, Schwarzenegger picked a nominee who has experience in state politics, elections issues and is a proven fund-raiser in statewide campaigns. In 2002, he campaigned as a moderate who backed education and environmental conservation. In a state with a large Democratic majority, McPherson lost by only 564,000 votes to current Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante.

More: http://www.presstelegram.com/Stories/0,1413,204%257E24654%257E2706284,00.html

[MelissaB]

43. email from John Conyers, Jr.

Dear Friend:



I wanted to provide you with a quick and informal update about the past week in Washington, and what a week it was...



Earlier this week, our friends at TomPaine.com posted my column, Fixing America's Broken Elections (read it here http://www.tompaine.com/articles/fixing_americas_broken_elections.php ). In it, I lay out a basic argument for complete transparency in the electoral process. There are those who would defraud the public of its rights; still more who would stand in the way of just and meaningful reform. I don't intend to let them succeed. In the days ahead, I will be looking for new ways to force Congress to confront this issue -- neither partisan interference nor common complacency are enough to slow the steady progress towards true electoral equality. In the meantime, if you haven't done so already, please sign my online petition in support of my election reform bill, the Voter Act at www.johnconyers.com .



Voting rights were not the only civil liberties on our agenda this week. The House considered the so-called "Real ID Act." The legislation includes numerous provisions limiting the rights of refugees, imposing onerous new driver's license requirements on the states, making it easier to deport legal immigrants, waiving all federal laws concerning the construction of fences and barriers anywhere within the United States, and denying immigrants long standing habeas corpus rights . Ironically, when my colleague Representative Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) introduced an amendment designed to reign in the concept of a national ID registry and protect gun owners and first amendment related activities, Republican leadership ordered its members to vote the provision down. Apparently, immigration laws that do not improve immigration are more important to House Republicans than the Second Amendment. Nobody tell the NRA.



Off of Capitol Hill, the Justice Department continues its investigation of a Bush Administration official's leak of Valerie Plame's identity while she worked undercover for the CIA. Former White House Counsel and newly appointed Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has chosen to recuse himself from the investigation, and I thank him for his discretion. Earlier this week, I wrote to Mr. Gonzales and asked him to seek recusal of his top three aides -- all former White House attorneys. (read the text of that letter http://www.house.gov/judiciary_democrats/agrecusalcialeakltr2805.pdf ). In a matter this serious, all sides have an obligation to set aside their partisanship for the fair administration of justice.



Of course, the most unexpected development of the week came with revelations about "Jeff Gannon," a fake reporter from a fake news site, who managed to gain White House Press Corps credentials with a pseudonym and a reputation for asking the White House questions so blatantly biased that they bordered on the ridiculous. Gannon, a.k.a. "James Dale Guckert," a.k.a. "J. Daniels," earned notoriety at a January news conference when he asked President Bush how he could work with Democrats "who seem to have divorced themselves from reality." He left the White House under suspicion of ties to suspicious and/or illegal activity -- and the White House has yet to explain how Gannon, who could not obtain press credentials at either the House or the Senate, managed to receive a new daily pass to White House press briefings every day for nearly two years. And managed to get access to a classified CIA memo about Valerie Plame. Gannon's antics may actually be missed. And the Bush Administration ought to be, at the very least, embarrassed.



Next week, House Republicans will be continuing the push for the President's tort reform agenda. More to come on that and on election reform.



Thanks again for your continued support. If this update was useful to you, I would encourage you to forward it to your friends and family, and ask them to sign up for future updates at www.johnconyers.com.



Keep up the fight,



John Conyers, Jr.

[dzika]

44. Election-fraud probe launched against Republican Jack Ryan

Published February 11, 2005

Election-fraud probe launched against DuPage County Republican
Prosecutors review petition signatures

By Rick Pearson, Tribune political reporter. Tribune freelance reporter Bob Goldsborough contributed to this report


A political consultant at the center of a controversy over the sealed divorce records of former Republican U.S. Senate candidate Jack Ryan now faces an investigation by DuPage County prosecutors over hundreds of candidacy petition signatures that are alleged to have been forged.
...
After local Republicans challenged Gumm's petitions, he spent $1,000 to retain a forensic handwriting and document analyst to review the nearly 700 signatures collected on his behalf by McCulloch. Gumm said the analyst determined "virtually every one was bad."
...
Last year, McCulloch served as the campaign manager for John Borling, one of several rivals to Ryan in the Republican U.S. Senate primary.

Just days before the March 16 vote, McCulloch sought to derail Ryan's candidacy by submitting affidavits to the Tribune and other media contending that he had seen then sealed records from Ryan's divorce. McCulloch detailed what he claimed were lurid allegations leveled against Ryan in the divorce papers by his ex-wife, TV actress Jeri Ryan.

Three months later, the records were ordered unsealed by a California judge. They showed that Jeri Ryan had accused her ex-husband of trying to take her to sex clubs. But McCulloch's earlier portrayal of her allegations was incorrect.


more
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/nearwest/chi-0502110311feb11,1,5580859.story?coll=chi-newslocalnearwest-hed&ctrack=2&cset=true

[dzika]

45. Talon News Statement on Gannon's Resignation

Talon News Statement on Gannon's Resignation

http://www.talonnews.com/statement.shtml

[Wilms]

46. Iowa State Daily: Electronic ballot safety is a concern for legislators

Iowa State Daily

February 11, 2005
Electronic ballot safety is a concern for legislators

By Jared Strong
Daily Staff Writer

Fourteen counties using touch-screen voting machines have concerned Iowa lawmakers because of a perceived lack of security.

Sen. John Kibbie, D-Emmetsburg, and other legislators have said the only way to ensure accuracy of votes cast on direct recording electronic machines is through the use of a verified paper audit trail, which allows voters to audit their ballots.

-snip/more-

<http://www.iowastatedaily.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/02/11/420c444db285e>

[L. Coyote]

47. Too many large images slow this thread for modem users. n/t