Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News Tuesday 7/19/05

[MelissaB]

Sorry this is late, guys!

All members welcome and encouraged to participate.





If you can:

1. Post stories and announcements you find on the web.

2. Post stories using the "Election Fraud and Reform News Sources" listed here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x371233

3. Re-post stories and announcements you find on DU, providing a link to the original thread with thanks to the Original Poster, too.

4. Start a discussion thread by re-posting a story you see on this thread.



If you want to know how post "News Banners" or other images, go here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=203&topic_id=371233#371391

Link to previous Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x384497

All previous daily threads are available here:

http://www.independentmediasource.com/DU_archives/du_2004erd_el_ref_fr_thr_calenders.htm

[MelissaB]

1. Franklin County elections director suspended

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Franklin County elections director suspended

Julie Carr Smyth
Plain Dealer Bureau

Columbus- The Franklin County elections board suspended its director Monday for his handling of a $10,000 check from a representative of voting-machine company Diebold.

Elections director Matthew Damschroder, a Republican, was suspended without pay for 30 days. He will continue to work, but he will be docked five days' pay for six two-week pay periods, said board Chairman Bill Anthony.

Damschroder has said he accepted a $10,000 check from Diebold political consultant Pasquale "Pat" Gallina on county property and later delivered it to the Franklin County Republican Party.

"Matt's done a good job for us," said Anthony, a Democrat. "And I don't believe that Matt had that guy in there in order to take the bribe in order to push Diebold. I just don't believe it. He made an error in judgment."...

More: http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1121765705186991.xml&coll=2


Thanks to Algorem here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x384670

[MelissaB]

2. Bush nominates Ohio industrialist to be envoy to Germany

Timmy goes abroad. He resigned his directorship at Diebold in early July.

http://www.cleveland.com/newsflash/cleveland/index.ssf?/base/news-18/1121800514236940.xml&storylist=cleveland

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush has nominated William Robert Timken Jr., an Ohio industrialist and influential Republican donor, to be the next U.S. ambassador to Germany, the White House announced Tuesday.

Timken, 66, serves as executive chairman of the board of the Canton, Ohio-based Timken Co., an alloy steel and bearings manufacturer. He assumed the post after retiring from day-to-day management of the company at the end of 2003.

He succeeds Daniel Coates, whose term ended earlier this year.

Timken, who must be confirmed by the Senate, helped raise funds for Bush's successful re-election campaign.


http://www.cleveland.com/newsflash/cleveland/index.ssf?/base/news-18/1121800514236940.xml&storylist=cleveland

Diebold's Political Machine

O'Dell has defended his actions, telling the Cleveland Plain Dealer "I'm not doing anything wrong or complicated." But he also promised to lower his political profile and "try to be more sensitive." But the Diebold boss' partisan cards are squarely on the table. And, when it comes to the Diebold board room, O'Dell is hardly alone in his generous support of the GOP. One of the longest-serving Diebold directors is W.R. "Tim" Timken. Like O'Dell, Timken is a Republican loyalist and a major contributor to GOP candidates. Since 1991 the Timken Company and members of the Timken family have contributed more than a million dollars to the Republican Party and to GOP presidential candidates such as George W. Bush. Between 2000 and 2002 alone, Timken's Canton-based bearing and steel company gave more than $350,000 to Republican causes, while Timken himself gave more than $120,000. This year, he is one of George W. Bush's campaign Pioneers, and has already pulled in more than $350,000 for the president's reelection bid.


Thanks to cmd here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1639205

[homeopathic]

4. Allso: GOP Sleaze ALERT!!!

http://www.waynemadsenreport.com/

July 19, 2005 -- President Bush has nominated William Robert Timken, Jr. to be the next U.S. ambassador to Germany. Timken, the head of Canton, Ohio-based Timken Co. and one of the Bush campaign's deep pocketed "Pioneer" half million dollar contributors, also served on the board of directors of Ohio-based Diebold, Inc., the company accused of helping to fix the 2004 presidential elections through the use of faulty and paperless computerized voting machines. Timken conveniently resigned from the board of Diebold on July 5, 2005, just a few weeks prior to Bush nominating him as ambassador to Germany. Note to Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee: This will be the first time you will be able to get someone so involved with Diebold and the 2004 election under oath during his confirmation hearings. This is something John Conyers would've dearly loved to do over on the House Judiciary Committee -- but official hearings were blocked by the GOP. Senators Biden, Dodd, Feingold, etc.: don't blow this golden opportunity to grill Timken on what he knows about Diebold chairman Walden O'Dell, his comment that he would "do whatever he could" to put Ohio in Bush's column, and pre-programmed Diebold "election engineering." The GOP will argue it has nothing to do with Timken's qualifications to be an ambassador -- but being involved in a crooked election says everything about Timken's integrity.

[MelissaB]

6. Thanks, homeopathic, and welcome to DU!

:hi:

[MelissaB]

3. DUer Autorank published in Scoop ....2nd time!

The Unanswered Question: Who Really Won In 2004?

Monday, 18 July 2005, 2:53 pm
Opinion: DU Elections Forum

The Unanswered Question: Who Really Won In 2004?

By DU Poster Autorank
Posted at Democratic Underground

See also... this annotated thread. It’s all in the numbersAccording to the vote tabulators, in the 2004 presidential election George W. Bush won a stunning victory that defied all odds, particularly those applied by unbiased statisticians. He won despite trailing in most state and national polls. He won despite an approval rating of less than 50%, usually the death knell for an incumbent presidential candidate. He won despite trailing in the three National Exit Polls three timelines from 4pm to 12:22 am (13047 respondents) by a steady 48%-51%, miraculously winning the final exit poll (with only 613 additional respondents, totaling 13,660). This poll was “weighted” (altered) to meet the reported election result on the assumption that the reported result was accurate -- quite an assumption. The final poll showed a stunning reversal of the Kerry 51%-48% poll margin, which had been measured consistently all day by the same polling group: major news/networks and polling firm Edison-Mitofsky.

The analysis of exit polls and documented fraud in this election began on the Internet. A number of academics posted detailed work showing the near-impossible odds of Bush overcoming deficits in the state exit polls and the National Exit Polls. Much of this analysis comes from “TruthIsAll” (TIA), a poster on DemocraticUnderground.Com. TIA has a background and several degrees in applied mathematics. Using various elements of the national and state exit polls and other data sources, he produces results that are thorough, detailed, sober and compelling. He shows ALL data and calculations, while encouraging others to check his math. Only once did he make a minor math error, after asking DUers to check his calculation of probability that at least 16 states would deviate beyond their exit poll margin of error and go for Bush. The answer turned out to be one in 19 trillion! The debates on DemocraticUnderground’s “2004: Election Results and Discussion” forum are legendary and have attracted observers from all over the Net.


Before the election, TIA produced a daily update of his Election Model site. On 11/1/04, based on extensive statistical analysis, he projected a Kerry win of 51.63% to 48.38%, using a combined average of national polls, and of 51.80% to 48.2% using a Monte Carlo simulation of individual state polls. After the polls closed, data from the Edison Mitofsky NEP survey (sponsored by the major television networks and CNN) was unintentionally released over the Internet. This was internal network data, embargoed from public use, data with statements like “Estimates not for on-air use” and “This page cannot be displayed.” The networks had locked down this data for their own use in an “electronic cover-up” that was offensive to those who knew the story. Luckily for all of us, Jonathan Simon downloaded the exit poll data and saved the CNN screen shots! The Edison-Mitofsky (EM)-Corporate Media (CM) “embargoed data” was available for anyone with eyes to see it and a mind to review it.

TruthIsAll immediately began analyzing and publishing analyses on the forbidden data. Looking at the demographics on the second to last E-M major network poll, he laid out the set of improbable circumstances needed for Bush to win: “To believe Bush won the election, you must also believe….” This post was cited by Will Pitt in a major blog, which gave it wide visibility on the Net. “KERRY WON THE FEMALE VOTE BY A HIGHER PERCENTAGE THAN BUSH WON THE MALE VOTE…AND MORE WOMEN (54%) VOTED THAN MEN (46%).” It was all right there, polling results that we were never intended to see. But this was only the beginning. There are over 100 individual analytical postings that demonstrate the tremendous odds against a Bush win. This high-level analysis dovetailed with and was confirmed by on-the-ground stories of voting rights violations all over the country, particularly in Ohio.


More: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0507/S00238.htm

First story here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x384574

Wake Up America! What Went Wrong In Ohio – A Summary


WTG, Autorank!

:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:

[MelissaB]

5. McKinney urges inquiry into electronic voting

McKinney urges inquiry into electronic voting

By COREY DADE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 07/19/05

Fourth-District Rep. Cynthia McKinney on Monday called for an investigation of the state's electronic voting machines, pointing to numerous problems with equipment failure, defects and software problems in the 2002 elections.

The DeKalb County Democrat criticized the state for investing in a $54 million touch-screen computer format from Diebold Elections Systems and then forgoing adequate testing before the general election three years ago. McKinney suggested the failure raised doubts about the accuracy of the election results then and the outcome of the 2004 decisions — when McKinney herself won back her seat after a two-year absence.

"The facts we present pose real issues for all other states that followed Georgia's lead and adopted the Diebold standard for themselves," McKinney told reporters at her district office at North DeKalb Mall. "Our aim is an election environment in which voters have confidence in the result."

In 2002, Georgia became the first state to adopt standardized e-voting machines for all jurisdictions after the 2000 presidential election recount in Florida.

Most of the complaints about Diebold and other voting machine manufacturers have focused on proprietary software that critics say is vulnerable to hackers or rigging.

A spokesman for Diebold did not return calls seeking comment.


More: http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/0705/19mckinney.html



Thanks to Bill Bored here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x384656

[MelissaB]

7. [Cynthia] McKinney calls for review of voting machines

McKinney calls for review of voting machinesk

The Associated Press - DECATUR, Ga.

Georgia should review its electronic voting machines to make sure they're accurate, Rep. Cynthia McKinney said Monday.

McKinney, a Democrat from DeKalb County, called a news conference to say she considers the machines made by Diebold Inc. questionable.

"This is not just road-paving equipment. This is deciding who is going to make public policy," the congresswoman said.

State elections officials dismissed McKinney's complaints, especially that the machines weren't properly tested before the 2002 elections.

"There's absolutely no credible information whatsoever that there has been any tampering," said Chris Riggall, spokesman for the Secretary of State, who oversees elections. "As a matter of fact, the accuracy level has soared and the real scandal is the antiquated system Georgia had before, which had the second-highest error rate in the country."

McKinney said she planned future news conferences where she would show more evidence of problems with electronic voting.

Link: http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/ap_newfullstory.asp?ID=62916


And then there's the rest of the story:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x384604

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x384423


Thanks to Bill Bored in LBN here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1637547

[MelissaB]

8. Lawsuit spawns political firestorm

Lawsuit spawns political firestorm
Seeks data Taft received from aide, BWC official

By William Hershey

Dayton Daily News

COLUMBUS | — A public records' lawsuit filed in the Ohio Supreme Court against Gov. Bob Taft has ignited heated partisan bickering, all stemming from the multi-million dollar investment losses at the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation.

House Minority Leader Chris Redfern has requested that Supreme Chief Justice Thomas C. Moyer forbid all judges, including Moyer, who have received campaign contributions from Taft from hearing cases involving the Republican governor.

The five justices, all Republicans, will not remove themselves from the public records' case, said court spokesman Chris Davey.

"They take their responsibility of impartiality very seriously. In this instance they have determined they should stay," he said.

The fact that the campaigns of two of the justices – Terrence O'Donnell and Judith Lanzinger – paid the consulting firm of Brian Hicks more than $150,000 for political work "makes my case stronger," said Redfern, D-Catawba Island.

More: http://www.daytondailynews.com/localnews/content/localnews/daily/0720dann.html

[MelissaB]

9. Election official's pay docked for forwarding political donation

Election official's pay docked for forwarding political donation

Associated Press


COLUMBUS, Ohio - The director of the Franklin County Board of Elections will lose 30 days' pay for forwarding a $10,000 check to the Republican Party from a voting-machine company's representative.

Elections Director Matthew Damschroder used poor judgment when he accepted the donation in January 2004 and violated an agency rule against employees soliciting or accepting political contributions on the job, Chairman William A. Anthony Jr. said. The bipartisan elections board unanimously approved the reprimand.

Damschroder makes $97,240 a year.

"We cannot have the perception out there that you can buy us off," Anthony said.


More: http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/12171909.htm

[MelissaB]

10. Elections chief punished for taking check

Article published Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Elections chief punished for taking check
Franklin County official accepted $10,000 on behalf of GOP from Diebold consultant

By JIM PROVANCE
BLADE COLUMBUS BUREAU


COLUMBUS - The Franklin County Board of Elections yesterday docked its executive director a month's pay for accepting a $10,000 check in his office last year from a Diebold Inc. consultant seeking county business.


Matt Damschroder accepted the check on behalf of the county Republican Party.

He came forward after a Diebold competitor, Nebraska-based Election Systems & Software, sought to depose him as part of a lawsuit alleging special treatment for Diebold on the part of Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell.

Mr. Blackwell plans to seek the GOP nomination for governor in 2006.

His office denied any connection between campaign contributions and his decisions affecting Diebold.

More: http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050719/NEWS09/507190397/-1/NEWS