Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News Saturday, April 8, 2006

[livvy]

Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News

All members welcome and encouraged to participate.



Please post Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News on this thread.

If you can:
1. Post stories and announcements you find on the web.

2. Post stories using the new Spring 2006 Edition of "Election Fraud and Reform News Directory" listed here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x407240

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.



Please "Recommend" for the Greatest Page (it's the link just below).

[livvy]

1. PA: New Voting Machines OK'd, Many Still Wary

New voting machines OK'd, many still wary

Saturday, April 08, 2006
By Diana Nelson Jones, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


Ted Kopas, chief of staff for Tom Balya, chair of the Westmoreland board of commissioners, demonstrates the new "iVotronic" touch-screen voting machine for Vicky Wallbaum, of Blairsville, last night at the New Alexandria Firemens Club. This machine will also be used in Allegheny County.

The county elections board voted last night to authorize a contract with Nebraska-based Elections Systems & Software to buy or lease 4,700 iVotronic touch-screen voting machines, 1,300 of which must be in place for the May 16 primaries.

The move comes just one week after Secretary of State Pedro Cortes told Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato that the Sequoia Voting Systems machines the county had planned to buy would not be certified because of software problems.

The state decertified the lever voting machines the county has used in the past. Also, the state requirement that these changes be made so close to the primary prompted a pre-vote venting from elections board member John DeFazio: "This is not right, this is not fair and it's going to be a catastrophe."

>snip

Mr. Fawcett does not approve of the iVotronic because it does not allow a voter to verify his ballot on paper before committing it; the print-out of votes on each machine -- which is randomized -- is done only after voting is closed.

>more

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06098/680551-85.stm

[livvy]

2. PA: Touch Screen Touch And Go

Touch screen touch and go

By David M. Brown
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, April 8, 2006

The Allegheny County Elections Board on Friday night approved Chief Executive Dan Onorato's plan to buy new touch-screen voting machines from a Nebraska company to replace the lever-style machines voters have used since the 1960s.

The plan is to have the new machines in operation for the May 16 primary -- a goal that's beset with potential obstacles.

"It's impossible to get everybody trained. It's going to be a mess," said County Councilman John DeFazio, D-Shaler, one of the three members of the elections board.

Even so, DeFazio voted with Onorato, also an elections board member, to approve the deal to buy 4,700 iVotronic touch-screen machines from Omaha-based Election System & Software for $11.9 million, which would be reimbursed by the federal government.

>more

http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/trib/pittsburgh/s_441554.html

[livvy]

3. IL: Vote Woes Blamed on Subversive Conspiracy

Vote woes blamed on subversive conspiracy
Alleged Venezuelan tie called crackpot idea

By Gary Washburn
Tribune staff reporter
Published April 7, 2006, 9:17 PM CDT

Venezuela gave Chicago Ozzie Guillen, the beloved manager of the World Series champion White Sox. But is the South American country, with secrecy and stealth, also exporting vote fraud here?

As angry aldermen lambasted the head of the company that sold Chicago new, controversial voting machinery, Ald. Edward Burke (14th) suggested Friday that the hardware could be part of a Venezuelan conspiracy to subvert American elections.

Jack Blaine, president of Sequoia Voting Systems, faced the hostile questions for about two hours at the City Council hearing. He acknowledged some problems with his company's equipment in the March 21 primary.

But he flatly denied Burke's allegation that Venezuela's leftist president, U.S. critic Hugo Chavez, might be pulling strings behind the scenes.

> much more

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-060407voting,1,5791216.story?coll=chi-news-hed

[mopinko]

29. i was at this hearing.

i will report in er forum later, i don't have time right now.
but i will just say this- it accomplished what it set out to do, which is- the city wanted to embarrass the county. period. but ald bernie stone, i think the oldest member of the council, said this was the worst mess he has ever seen, and we should just go back to paper ballots. we gave him a round of applause.
learned a little something about the council, which was also mentioned during the nsa hearing in the senate- if they schedule the hearing of a friday- they are not serious. even one of the alderman that called for the hearing was not there. there were no more than a dozen of the 50 there, at all. only 3 were left by the time any of us got to testify.

[livvy]

37. Great!

I look forward to reading your report!

[livvy]

4. Update on Today's Chicago Election Hearing at City Hall

April 7, 2006

Update on today's Chicago election hearing at City Hall

By Caroline Gibbons, Illinois Ballot Integrity Project (IBIP)

Just a note to RAVE about the fabulous testimony given by Neal Resnikoff and
Bob Wilson at today's hearing. Both gave marvelous testimony, trying to broaden
the scope of the March 21st problems, from just Sequoia to election machines in
general. And I wish you could all have seen the near mayhem created when the
Council's investigation established the (concealed) Venezuelan ownership of
Sequoia and the "support" provided, here, on election night, by their
Venezuelan Nationals. They practically had Chavez cooking our election. The
President of Sequoia was hardly credible. Andy Shaw covered it and gave a good
run-down on ABC TV at 5PM. If you're home look for it on the 10:00PM news.
Caroline



Authors Website: www.CountEveryVote.BlogSpot.com

http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_caroline_060407_update_on_today_s_ch.htm

[Algorem]

5. McCain traveling to Ohio to back Blackwell, Chabot

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/politics/14291140.htm

WASHINGTON - ...

According to McCain's official schedule, the Arizona senator is holding a reception Tuesday evening at Cleveland's Union Club for Blackwell, who is running against Attorney General Jim Petro in the May 2 primary.

McCain plans to start the day Tuesday with a breakfast fundraiser in Cincinnati for Rep. Steve Chabot, who is considered vulnerable to a well-funded Democratic challenge in November from Cincinnati City Councilman John Cranley.

ON THE NET

McCain's schedule details: http://www.straighttalkamerica.com/schedule/

[Algorem]

6. OH-Blackwell also invested in morning-after pill

Blackwell holdings prompt questions
Makers of slots, morning-after pill among his stocks

http://www.dispatch.com/news/news.php?story=dispatch/2006/04/08/20060408-C1-01.html

Saturday, April 08, 2006
Mark Niquette
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Secretary of State and gubernatorial hopeful J. Kenneth Blackwell has said he is moving his portfolio to a blind trust.


The leader of a state antiabortion group said yesterday that she doesn’t doubt J. Kenneth Blackwell’s "pro-life" beliefs but doesn’t think he should own stock in a company that makes the controversial morning-after pill.

"We think he should divest of any company that supports the culture of death," said Denise Mackura, executive director of the Ohio Right to Life Society.

Mackura was responding to a Dispatch story yesterday that Blackwell, a staunch abortion opponent and a Republican candidate for governor, holds stock in Barr Pharmaceuticals...

[Algorem]

7. OH-Radical cleric's church criticizes IRS complaint as harassment

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/14290864.htm

ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS
Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio - A complaint alleging improper political activity by conservative churches on behalf of Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell is "a campaign of harassment" and full of errors, one of the churches said.

World Harvest Church of suburban Columbus was one of two megachurches named in a complaint filed late Thursday by a group of 56 mainly liberal religious leaders who want the IRS to investigate the churches' activities.

"People certainly have the right to disagree and to debate," World Harvest spokesman Giles Hudson said. "But for this group - especially members of the clergy - to engage in outright falsehoods for the sake of a political agenda is unconscionable."

Among the mistakes cited by World Harvest Church and Pastor Rod Parsley:...

_

[Algorem]

8. OH-"Voting system still has flaws"

http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/news/local/states/ohio/counties/summit_county/14295641.htm

Posted on Sat, Apr. 08,

Memory cards' failure rate falls to 4%; absentee ballots yet to arrive

By Lisa A. Abraham
Beacon Journal staff writer

Despite promises by an Election Systems & Software official earlier this week that all new computer memory cards for voting machines at the Summit County Board of Elections had been tested twice and would work, 4 percent have failed.

The number of cards that failed -- 14 of 349 -- is small compared with that in earlier testing, when hundreds failed. But any failures are frustrating to elections staffers, who have been dealing with the faulty equipment since February and have only 24 days until the May 2 primary.

``I wasn't surprised because there's been so many batches where there's been problems,'' said Marijean Donofrio, deputy director of the elections board.

At the same time, ES&S failed to keep its promise to have absentee ballots printed and delivered to the board by Thursday -- a date that already was more than a week tardy...

[Algorem]

9. OH-Democrat forces House GOP to pull ad

Democrat forces House GOP to pull ad
Saturday, April 08, 2006


http://www.dispatch.com/news/news.php?story=dispatch/2006/04/08/20060408-C2-02.html

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Republican campaign organization yesterday replaced television advertisements attacking an Ohio Democrat in one of the nation’s top open congressional races after the candidate challenged their accuracy.

The ads by the National Republican Congressional Committee accused state Sen. Charlie Wilson of knowingly allowing a sewer authority he led in the 1990s to dump raw sewage into the Ohio River. The ads included an old newspaper headline indicating the FBI was joining an investigation.

Wilson wrote television stations in Youngstown and Wheeling, W.Va., saying the ads unfairly implied he was the target of an FBI investigation. The stations reach viewers in the district along Ohio’s eastern edge.

The sewer authority was fined $770,000 by environmental regulators for the dumping. Wilson, along with the other sewer board members, paid an undisclosed amount to settle a lawsuit filed by an official who appeals judges said was wrongly fired in retaliation for exposing the dumping. Wilson was taped by the official saying he couldn’t let the sewage issue hurt his career...

[Algorem]

10. OH-Columbus contends for GOP event

http://www.dispatch.com/news/news.php?story=dispatch/2006/04/08/20060408-C3-01.html

Mayor traveling to Washington to try to land convention
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Jodi Andes
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Mayor Michael B. Coleman is part of a bipartisan effort to bring the 2008 Republican National Convention to Columbus.


Politically, blue and red don't mix.

But on Tuesday, the D's and R's will work together to bring C-town a little green.

Mayor Michael B. Coleman, Columbus' leading Democrat, is teaming with Chris McNulty, the state's second-ranking Republican Party official, to try to lure the 2008 Republican National Convention here...

[Algorem]

11. OH-Democrats see chance to unseat GOP incumbents

http://www.dispatch.com/news/news.php?story=dispatch/2006/04/08/20060408-C1-03.html

OHIO HOUSE PRIMARY RACES

Saturday, April 08, 2006
Jim Siegel
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH


Two years ago, not a single Democrat filed to challenge Rep. Geoffrey C. Smith, who went on to a 13-point win over a Democratic-leaning independent candidate.

But as observers sense a shift in the political winds this year, the 24 th Ohio House District is now a targeted seat with four Democrats battling in the May primary for the chance to face Smith, a Columbus Republican.

"I think a lot of these races are much more open than they were a couple years ago," said James B. Agler, of Hilliard, a 35-year-old server at Longhorn Steakhouse who said he got into the race after becoming fed up with Republican leadership and the lack of representation of the middle class.

"It’s been a complete failure across the board of state government."...

[livvy]

12. MO: Tape Glitch Halts Ellis' Sentencing

Posted on Sat, Apr. 08, 2006

Tape glitch halts Ellis' sentencing
Defense tries to show minor role
BY BETH HUNDSDORFER
News-Democrat

EAST ST. LOUIS - Technical difficulties halted -- maybe for months -- the sentencing Friday of the city's former director of regulatory affairs for plotting to kill a government witness.

Kelvin Ellis' role in the plot, which has yet to be determined by U.S. District Judge Michael Reagan, could mean a difference of nine years in prison.

In effort to show Ellis had a minor role, defense attorney John O'Gara wanted to play audio tapes Friday of conversations between Ellis, 56, and East St. Louis Assistant Police Chief Rudy McIntosh, who was working undercover with federal agents.

But the tapes wouldn't play. :rofl:

>snip

Ellis is one of five people convicted of vote buying in East St. Louis in the Nov. 2, 2004, general election.
Former City Council member Charles Powell, precinct committeemen Jessie Lewis and Sheila Thomas, and Democratic precinct worker Yvette Johnson also were convicted of vote fraud after a federal trial in June.
The four were convicted in a scheme that paid East St. Louis residents $5, $10 and $15 for their votes.

>more


http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/news/local/crime_courts/14295336.htm

[livvy]

13. CA: Jury is Deadlocked in Consultant's Trial

Jury is deadlocked in consultant's trial

By Ray Huard
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

April 8, 2006

A federal court jury deadlocked yesterday in the trial of a prominent San Diego political consultant, who was charged with illegally conspiring to spend public funds on a commercial promoting a community college bond campaign five years ago and then covering it up.

Jurors told U.S. District Court Judge John A. Houston that they were divided 10-2 in favor of convicting consultant Larry Remer.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John Rice said the case will be retried.

>snip

The charges center around a bill for a television commercial for Proposition AA, which passed with 69 percent of the vote in November 2000.

>more


http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20060408-9999-7m8remer.html

[livvy]

14. Italy: Campaign Blackout Over Italian Candidates

Campaign blackout over Italian candidates

04/08/2006
A campaign blackout fell over Italy on Saturday on the eve of general elections, silencing the candidates, and giving the nation a respite from the ugliest electoral battle in living memory.


Silvio Berlusconi

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who called leftist voters masochistic "assholes" in the last week of his campaign, stayed out of sight, as did opposition leader Romano Prodi, favoured by opinion polls to win the race.

The pre-election pause was meant to give the country an opportunity for national reflection, following five years under Berlusconi that brought Italy rare political stability but not the economic prosperity he promised.

"I'm glad the campaign is over. It was ugly, ugly and not fair to the electorate," said Edvige Cesarei, a 63-year-old teacher, who counted herself among the millions of Italy's undecided voters. "I've always voted for the centre right, but this time, I don't know."

Campaigning officially ended on Friday night and the candidates traditionally stay silent until voting begins on Sunday, when they will start publicly casting their own ballots.

>more

http://www.eitb24.com/portal/eitb24/noticia/en/international-news/italian-elections-campaign-blackout-over-italian-candidates?itemId=D24199&cl=%2Feitb24%2Finternacional&idioma=en

[livvy]

15. WV: Ballots Not Quite Ready For Early Voting

LOCAL NEWS | Friday, April, 7, 2006

Ballots not quite ready for early voting

By Antwon Pinkston
The Herald-Dispatch

April 7, 2006

HUNTINGTON-- Cabell County voters who are looking to vote early might have to wait a little longer to find out when they can cast their ballots.

Cabell County Clerk Karen Cole told Cabell County commissioners Thursday there is a chance they will miss the first statutory deadline for early voting and publication on April 19 due to not receiving the ballots from their vendor on time.

Cole explained to commissioners that she and her staff have been making efforts to contact the vendor, Electronic System and Software, and Secretary of State Betty Ireland to solve this issue, but is still waiting for feedback.

"So much is out of our control," Cole said. "It's been frustrating because we have been calling every day for the ballots, but nothing has happened."

>more




http://www.herald-dispatch.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060407/NEWS01/604070358/1001/NEWS

[livvy]

16. PA: Election Board Establishes Policy For Hearings

04/07/2006
Election board establishes policy for hearings
By Amy Zalar , Herald-Standard

The Fayette County Election Board has established a policy requiring notification of any complaints or election irregularities to be reported in writing within 24 hours of their occurrence.
In a report signed last month by board members Angela M. Zimmerlink, Joseph A. Hardy III and Thomas Frankhouser, the board gives six recommendations regarding future hearings.

In addition to providing written notification within 24 hours, the findings and recommendations of the election board include a directive to schedule a hearing as soon as possible and within 30 days. In the event a complaint is withdrawn or if the person who signed the complaint is not present for the hearing, the election board will have the discretion to determine if a hearing will be held. The recommendations also include stipulations that the election board may "sua sponte" schedule a hearing on its own, meaning without a formal complaint, and also may subpoena witnesses and make requests for production of written documentation to insure an orderly proceeding.

In a separate ruling, the election board recommended, "A judge of election shall not take any steps to close an election machine until the polls are officially closed."

The ruling dealt with a complaint filed by Dana Sanders regarding a German Township voting precinct, alleging that votes were counted before the polls officially closed. Although Sanders withdrew the complaint prior to the scheduled hearing date, the election board previously heard informal testimony from Robert Belch in the matter before making the recommendation.

>more

http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16443270&BRD=2280&PAG=461&dept_id=480247&rfi=6

[livvy]

17. 2nd-Choice Supplier of Voting Machines Had Problems Elsewhere

2nd-choice supplier of voting machines had problems elsewhere

Friday, April 07, 2006
By Dan Majors, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Today is the final day of the weeklong early-voting period before Tuesday's primary runoff election in Jefferson County, Texas.

Residents who vote today will be casting their ballots on touch-screen machines purchased from Election Systems & Software, or ES&S, the same Nebraska-based company that is selling 4,700 of the ATM-like machines to Allegheny County for use in Pennsylvania's May 16 primary.

"It's been going good," said Jefferson County Clerk Carolyn Guidry. "Turnout is low because it's a runoff election, but it's going good so far."

And yet Ms. Guidry is not happy. She's especially upset with ES&S.

>more

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06097/680227-85.stm

[Peace Patriot]

55. "She's especially upset with ES&S." WHY? WHY? WHY?

Here's the next paragraph:

"Because of incomplete instructions and faulty memory cards, all of the votes cast in Jefferson County's March 7 primary had to be recounted March 13. County commissioners withheld a $1.9 million payment to ES&S and threatened legal action." (MORE)

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06097/680227-85.stm

[livvy]

18. OH: Glitch Being Rectified In New Voting Machines

FRANKLIN COUNTY
Glitch being rectified in new voting machines
Friday, April 07, 2006
Robert Vitale
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

A "random and miniscule" problem with the write-in feature of Franklin County’s new touch-screen voting machines has led to a nationwide fix by their manufacturer.

In pre-election testing of more than 4,200 machines for the May 2 primary, one machine recorded a write-in candidate’s name incorrectly on the paper tape that is designed to reassure voters that their choices are properly recorded.

"It was garbled, just jumbled," said Matthew Damschroder, director of the Franklin County Board of Elections.

Election Systems & Software, which makes the county’s new iVotronic machines, already had alerted jurisdictions nationwide about the programming flaw, company spokeswoman Jill Friedman Wilson said.

The error also caused problems in North Carolina.

>more

http://www.dispatch.com/election/election.php?story=dispatch/2006/04/07/20060407-B4-01.html

[livvy]

19. Editorial: Blackwell's Attention Deficit

Article published April 7, 2006

Blackwell's attention deficit

KEN Blackwell has done himself no favor in pursuit of Ohio's governorship by failing to pay attention to the stocks in his investment portfolio.

The secretary of state left himself wide open to charges of conflict of interest when he came into ownership of 178 shares of stock in Diebold, Inc., in January, 2005, at a time when his office was involved in negotiations that ultimately favored Diebold, which makes touch-screen voting machines used in 41 Ohio counties, including Lucas.

Mr. Blackwell, who is opposing Attorney General Jim Petro in the May 2 primary for the Republican nomination for governor, says that the Diebold stock was purchased without his knowledge. Nonetheless, he didn't sell the last 83 shares until Monday, the deadline for state officials to file financial disclosure statements with the Ohio Ethics Commission.

Even if Ohioans accept Mr. Blackwell's assertion that he did not know that the stock had been added to his portfolio, his lack of attention to immediately removing the ethics conflict is disturbing. And his claim that he had nothing to do with the Diebold negotiations, that they were handled by others in his office, is similarly unpersuasive.

>more


http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060407/OPINION02/604070309

[livvy]

20. MT: County Still Awaiting New Voting Machines

County still awaiting new voting machines

Angela Brandt

Havre Daily News

[e-mail]

Hill County officials are still awaiting the arrival of 10 new voting machines, and county commissioners on Monday adopted new, consolidated polling stations.

Hill County Clerk and Recorder Diane Mellem, who serves as the county's election administrator, said she was told she would receive the equipment by April 1 and has not heard from the Office of the Secretary of State, who is supposed to deliver the machines.

“It's getting closer and closer,” Mellem said. “It's becoming a great concern at this point. I am hopeful that all will fall into place.”

>snip

The machines' manufacturers, ES&S and AutoMARK, are set to train Mellem and deputy election administrator Betty Williams on how to use the machines beginning April 17.

>more

http://www.havredailynews.com/articles/2006/04/06/local_headlines/county.txt

[livvy]

21. NE: Official Ballots Missing In Action

Published Thursday
April 6, 2006

Official ballots missing in action

BY CHRIS OLSON


WORLD-HERALD
STAFF WRITER

Sixty-nine of Nebraska's 93 counties were without official election ballots Wednesday, even though voting began Monday through the state's early voting program.

Voters are using copies of ballots that will be recorded later.

The supplier of those ballots, Omaha-based Election Systems & Software, is still printing the county ballots, said Jill Friedman-Wilson, a company spokeswoman for ES&S in St. Louis.

ES&S regrets the delay, Friedman-Wilson said, adding that all ballots will be ready by April 14 at the latest.

>more
(registration required)
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=1673&u_sid=2146164

[livvy]

22. MD: Counting of '04 Votes Is Questioned

Counting of '04 votes is questioned

General Assembly 2006

04/07/06
By Bryan P. Sears

A voting watchdog group says some county voters may not have had their votes in the 2004 election counted because of problems with electronic voting machines.

But county Board of Elections officials said those assertions are based on an inaccurate interpretation of documents obtained in the course of an ongoing lawsuit.

Linda Schade, co-founder of Takoma Park-based TrueVoteMD.org, says an e-mail report sent from one county Board of Elections official to the state board shows nearly 50 instances of problems with the electronic voting machines.

The list includes as many as 11 machines that did not register any votes and another seven that recorded "suspiciously low vote totals," according to the report and Schade.

>more

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=806&NewsID=710040&CategoryID=8408&show=localnews&om=1

[livvy]

23. KY: New Voting Machines Causing Confusion

New Voting Machines Causing Confusion
By:Jon Sasser
WTVQ Channel 36
Thursday, April 6, 2006

Fayette County is showing off it's new voting machines to seniors today. These are similar to the machines that have caused confusion and problems in recent elections across the country. Many voters ended up voting for the wrong person. Some of those who tested the machines today had problems as well. The problems aren't technical, it's just many users aren't used to the new system. That was the purpose of today's demonstration. It gave voters a chance to try them out, before election day. They're a lot different than the one's you may be used to. Gone are the levers. They've been replaced by a series of clicks and spins. If you'd like to learn how to use the machines as well, log on to www.fayettecountyclerk.com. There you can find information on how to use them, so you're not caught off guard.

(This is the whole piece, but here is the link.)

http://www.wtvq.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WTVQ/MGArticle/TVQ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137835197770&path=

[livvy]

24. AR: No Ruling Issued in Polling Site Lawsuit

No ruling issued in polling site lawsuit

By Warren Watkins

Thursday, April 6, 2006 5:46 PM CDT


Colby Maneritch of Russell, Homer Ditto of Georgetown and Donald Johnson of Garner sit in the Wilbur D. Mills Court House Thursday for a lawsuit against the White County Election Commission.


Three men sat in wheelchairs in White County Circuit Court Thursday for their lawsuit against the White County Election Commission concerning changes in polling sites.

One plaintiff departed early, and the trial concluded without a ruling from the judge.

Chris Raff, White County prosecuting attorney, represented the commission, which is being sued by the three disabled men: Colby Maneritch of Russell, Homer Ditto of Georgetown and Donald Johnson of Garner.

Because the commission reinstated Russell city and township precincts to their former location in Russell City Hall after the suit was filed, Maneritch’s claims may be moot. The youngest of the three plaintiffs, Maneritch left the courtroom before opening remarks and did not return.

>more



http://www.thedailycitizen.com/articles/2006/04/07/news/top_stories/top01.txt

[livvy]

25. Philippines: No Snap Poll Option for GMA'

‘No snap poll option for GMA’
By Aurea Calica
The Philippine Star 04/09/2006

Malacañang maintained yesterday that calling an early or "snap" presidential election is not an option for resolving the political crisis hounding President Arroyo.

"The opposition can try all they can, but we will not be a party to snapping the people’s hopes for a better future," said Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye, Mrs. Arroyo’s spokesman. "Snap polls have never been and shall never be among our options."

He added that snap elections "are not the answer to our poisoned political atmosphere but a decision by an enlightened public to do away with and change the degenerated system is."

Bunye was referring to Mrs. Arroyo’s persistent calls to have the Constitution amended to shift the country from a US-style presidential form of government to a parliamentary system, which she said would speed up passage of legislation needed for economic recovery.

>more



http://www.philstar.com/philstar/News200604090401.htm

[livvy]

26. Belarus: Lukashenko Sworn In For Third Term

Lukashenko sworn in for third term

MINSK, Belarus (AP) -- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was sworn in for a third term Saturday following an election denounced by the West as undemocratic and fraudulent.

Lukashenko took his oath during a pomp-filled ceremony attended by several thousand officials and lawmakers at the Palace of the Republic, a huge concrete Soviet-era palace of congresses. He received blessing from the head of the Belarusian Orthodox Church and top officials. The audience hailed Lukashenko with a standing ovation.

In his brief speech after inauguration, a somber-looking Lukashenko accused the West of fomenting unrest in the ex-Soviet nation. "They want to humiliate our nation and turn it into another testing ground for a color revolution," he said in a reference to protests that helped oust unpopular governments in other ex-Soviet nations.

The building in downtown Minsk was tightly encircled by police, who also blocked the public from entering other central areas of the Belarusian capital in an apparent effort to prevent the opposition from mounting rallies.

Following the inauguration ceremony, Lukashenko donned a military uniform and went out to the adjacent square to receive an oath of allegiance from the military and security troops. "We won't allow anyone to speak to us in a posture of force," Lukashenko told the troops.

>more

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/04/08/belarus.lukashenko.ap/

[livvy]

27. CA: Officials Investigate Voter Registration Fraud

Apr 8, 2006 7:44 am US/Pacific
Officials Investigate Voter Registration Fraud

(CBS) SANTA ANA, Calif. State officials are investigating allegations that petition drive solicitors tricked voters into switching to the Republican Party in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

After hundreds of election fraud complaints, the California Attorney General’s Office and the Secretary of State’s Office joined forces to begin an investigation.

"Time is of the essence," said Nathan Barankin of Attorney General Bill Lockyer's office. "The attorney general realizes that as we head into the full election season, voter registration efforts will only increase. We want to make sure those who do not know how to comply with the law aren't in the business."

The alleged activity took place over several days in December and January at shopping centers in Garden Grove, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Westminster and Buena Park, where paid petitioners begged, cajoled, tricked, lied and committed forgery to boost Republican registrations.

>more

http://cbs2.com/topstories/local_story_098104856.html

[FogerRox]

28. WI.: Recount-Madison School Board election

Cole asks for recount
By Pat Schneider

Maya Cole, edged out by Arlene Silveira in the Madison School Board election by a wafer-thin margin of 86 votes, filed for a recount Friday.


Cole had wavered over whether to request a recount, but said in an interview Friday night that she felt she owed it to voters.

"We both ran great campaigns and got the School Board election to be something people paid attention to," Cole said. "It's very important to the people who came out to vote that they feel both candidates did everything they could to get the most accurate count of votes."

Cole also said that preliminary review of voting data suggested undervoting in some wards, compared to past elections.

>snip<

State law requires that a request for a recount be filed with the City Clerk within three working days of certification of the election results by the Board of Canvassers. That body met Wednesday.

Silveira said Friday that she respected Cole's right to seek a recount.

"Probably if the shoe were on the other foot, we'd look into it," she said.

"My biggest concern is that it be an expeditious process. We are approaching important issues in the district and we need to have a decision on who is going to be on the board," Silveira said.

E-mail: [e-mail]
Published: April 8, 2006

full story:

http://www.madison.com/tct/mad/topstories/index.php?ntid=79471&ntpid=1

[FogerRox]

31. CO.: Recount Summit County

Recount requested in Dillon

BY BOB BERWYN
summit daily news
April 7, 2006

DILLON - The narrow one-vote margin between candidates Don Parsons and Lucinda Burns prompted Summit County resident Sandy Greenhut to formally request a recount of last Tuesday's election tally in Dillon.

Parsons won a council seat by a vote of 65 to 64. Suzanne Hebert and John Younger held on to their council seats.

"I'm not for anyone or against anyone. I just think the town should have done it," Greenhut said Friday after hand-delivering her letter to town clerk Jan Thomas.

After the close vote, Dillon appeared set to do a recount. But town officials later determined that the result did not fall within the 0.5 percent margin that triggers an automatic recount.

Although Greenhut is not a Dillon resident, any interested party can request a recount, Thomas said. The next step for the town is to contact the election judges and bring them back together some time next week for another look at the ballot. The deadline for the recount is April 14.

Full story-

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20060407/NEWS/104070065

[FogerRox]

32. WIS. : Recount

Baraboo Vote Will Get Hand Recount

School District Referendum Was Defeated By 73 Votes

POSTED: 5:47 pm CDT April 7, 2006

BARABOO, Wis. -- The debate over Tuesday's referendum in the Baraboo school district will continue into next week.

Baraboo voters were asked on Tuesday whether to approve exceeding the levy limits by $1.5 million over the next five years.

The referendum failed by just 77 votes. Then a canvassing of those votes narrowed the margin of defeat to 73.

The confusion happened Tuesday night when officials accidentally counted the results of the "bring the troops home" referendum instead of the school question, WISC-TV reported. Hours after the canvassing, a pro-referendum voter filed a petition for a hand recount, WISC-TV reported.

The recount will begin at 9 a.m. on Wednesday.

http://www.channel3000.com/news/8540270/detail.html

[FogerRox]

33. WIS.: Recount Requested in Portage County

http://media.graytvinc.com/casimages/Anchor+Bar5.jpg

Recount Requested in Unusual Portage Co. Board Race

Amanda Lutz


"By the time I came back in, I had a message saying, 'You won a county board seat!' And I was like, 'You're joking, right?'"

But it wasn't a joke. Eric Folkman received seven write-in votes for the District 11 seat on the Portage County Board -- enough for a victory.

>snip<

UWSP graduate Eric Krszjzaniek registered as a write-in and did some campaigning, but still came in second with five write-in votes.

"I was a little shocked. In the back of my mind, it was a possibility, but it wasn't a likely possibility," he says.

On Friday, Krszjzaniek asked for a formal recount.

full story-

http://www.wsaw.com/home/headlines/2598201.html

[FogerRox]

34. New Mexico: Recount: Belen mayoral election

Jaramillo asks to withdraw mayoral vote recount request


Jackie Schlotfeldt News-Bulletin Staff Writer; [e-mail]

Belen A motion to withdraw his application for recount and recheck in the Belen mayoral election was filed in the District Court Monday afternoon by Councilor Rudy Jaramillo.

In the mayoral race on March 7, Jaramillo lost to incumbent Ronnie Torres by 42 votes and a recount of the absentee paper ballots was conducted on March 24. The results of the recount were 58 votes for Torres and 17 votes for Jaramillo, the same as the count on election night.

In Jaramillo's most recent motion to withdraw his application for recount, recheck and the inspection of ballots in the remaining precincts, he stated that he is not retracting any of the previous allegations.

Full story-

http://www.news-bulletin.com/news/60621-04-08-06.html

[FogerRox]

35. Mass.: Recount, Board of Selectmen, Stoneham.

Doherty claims vote totals wrong
By Stephen Hagan/ [e-mail]
Friday, April 7, 2006 - Updated: 02:25 PM EST


Only hours after Daniel Doherty learned his fate; that he had lost a seat on the Board of Selectmen by merely 13 votes, the telephone in Town Clerk John Hanright’s cluttered office rang.

It was Doherty indicating he planned to formally contest the election.

>snip<

According to Hanright, Doherty will need to get 10 signatures in support of the challenge from each of the town’s seven precincts in order to qualify for the recount. Every signature will need to be verified as a registered Stoneham voter. In addition, Doherty will need a notarized signature from each precinct.

But even Hanright said he is not sure what will take place should the recount end in a tie.

“If it ends in a tie, it remains to be seen what will take place,” he said.

Hanright has seen only one contested election in Stoneham during his eight year tenure as town clerk. In September 2000, John Buonomo, a candidate for the registrar of Middlesex County Probate Court, requested a recount after he lost the race by about 40 votes.Buonomo was successful with his challenge, eventually earning enough votes to win the election by six ballots.

Full story-

http://www2.townonline.com/stoneham/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=468567

[FogerRox]

36. NH: Recount law suit, Grafton.

Resident suing Grafton over Town Meeting voting recounts
April 7, 2006

GRAFTON, N.H. --The head of New Hampshire's Libertarian Party is suing Grafton over a Town Meeting recount.

John Babiarz lives in the town, where officials recounted the ballots by machine and by hand for some articles because election night tallies revealed more votes than voters. The recount changed the outcome for a planning board seat and confirmed a proposal for a trash compactor had lost.

Babiarz argues the town should have relied on machine recounts, not hand counts.

Officials say there was a discrepancy between the number of voters and number of votes because some ballots were counted twice on Town Meeting day.

Full story-

http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2006/04/07/resident_suing_grafton_over_town_meeting_voting_recounts/

[livvy]

30. IN: Marshall Sets Tests of Voting Equipment

April 08. 2006 6:59AM
Marshall sets tests of voting equipment
Three separate systems to get workout Tuesday


ANITA MUNSON
Tribune Staff Writer

PLYMOUTH -- If you've ever wondered how election officials come up with the correct ballot tallies on election day, you'll have your opportunity to find out during a public test of all the equipment.

The test will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the Marshall County Clerk's office in the Courthouse at 211 W. Madison St.

The Marshall County Election Board will test "all forms of the voting equipment," Steve Harper, election board president, said Thursday.
That means that three separate systems will be given a workout, including "the old system that everybody is familiar with," Harper said, as well as the voting machines, and the absentee voting ballot counting system.

Harper explained that election board officials will be looking to make sure that each candidate on the ballot is "activated," meaning that voters can be assured any vote for a candidate will be recorded accurately.
Officials also will check to make sure that in races where more than one candidate is chosen, that no one can vote for more candidates than allowed.

>more


http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060408/News01/604080310/-1/NEWS01/CAT=News01

[livvy]

38. Editorial: FEC Inches Toward Net Regulation

EDITORIAL: FEC inches toward Net regulation

(Northwest Florida Daily News (Fort Walton Beach) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Apr. 8--The Federal Election Commission has been widely hailed for a recent decision that, to a great extent, keeps the Internet free of federal campaign regulations. Although the new rule is not as onerous as some that had been considered, it does interject federal regulation into one aspect of Internet political activity, which could serve as a precedent for future regulation.


As a regulation of an independent agency, the new rule is subject to change, especially in response to litigation, which is how this one came into being. If the Internet is to remain free of intrusive federal regulation, it is important for Congress to act. A majority is ready, but will the leadership cooperate?

>snip

To its credit, the Federal Election Commission ruled with a light hand. It exempts bloggers and other individuals politicking on the Web, including linking to other sites and even e-mailing in coordination with an official campaign, from any FEC regulation. It did so by extending the exemption from campaign finance laws that traditional media, such as newspapers, radio and TV stations, now enjoy.

But the FEC also said that paid Web advertising, including banner ads and sponsored links on search engines, can be regulated like political advertising in other forms of media. This precedent could lead to further regulation of political speech on the Internet.

>more

http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2006/04/08/1554067.htm

[livvy]

39. Bill Moyers: A Culture of Corruption

April Friday 7th 2006 (22h26) :
A Culture of Corruption by Bill Moyers
4 comment(s).
Published on Thursday, April 6, 2006 by the Washington Spectator A Culture of Corruption Let’s Save Our Democracy by Getting Money Out of Politics

by Bill Moyers

Money is choking our democracy to death. Our elections are bought out from under us and our public officials are doing the bidding of mercenaries. So powerful is the hold of wealth on politics that we cannot say America is working for all Americans. The majority may support such broad social goals as affordable medical coverage for all, decent wages for working people, safe working conditions, a secure retirement, and clean air and water, but there is no government "of, by, and for the people" to deliver on those aspirations.

Our system of privately financed campaigns has shut regular people out of any meaningful participation in democracy. Less than one-half of one percent of all Americans made a political contribution of $200 or more to a federal candidate in 2004. When the average cost of winning a seat in the House of Representatives has topped $1 million, we can no longer refer to that chamber as "The People’s House." Congress belongs to the highest bidder.

At the same time that the cost of getting elected is exploding beyond the reach of ordinary people, the business of influencing our elected representatives has become a growth industry. Since President Bush was elected the number of registered lobbyists in Washington has more than doubled. That’s 16,342 lobbyists in 2000 and 34,785 last year: 65 lobbyists for every member of Congress. The total spent per month by special interests wining, dining, and seducing federal officials is now nearly $200 million. Per month.

Numbers don’t tell the whole story. With pro-corporate officials running both the executive and legislative branches, lobbying that was once reactive has sallied forth to buy huge chunks of public policy. One example: In 2004 the computer maker Hewlett-Packard sought Republican-backed legislation that would enable it to bring back to the United States, at a dramatically lowered tax rate, as much as $14.5 billion in profits from foreign subsidiaries. The company nearly doubled its budget for contract lobbyists and took on an elite lobbying firm as its Washington arm. Presto! The legislation passed. The company’s director of government affairs was quite candid: "We’re trying to take advantage of the fact that Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the White House."

>much more

http://bellaciao.org/en/article.php3?id_article=11374

[livvy]

40. Wielding Godlike Powers

This was really hard to choose the paragraphs to post. Good read!



April 7, 2006

Wielding Godlike Powers
by Stephen Dinan

http://www.opednews.com

Political leadership involves some of the highest powers available to humans on earth: the ability to forcefully dictate what others can or can’t do, to demand money and time for the good of the collective, to wage war, and to legislate the relations between millions of people. The level of power over others is staggering.

>snip

At every level, the system was built on a recognition that we need to be protected from the distorting effects of power. The Founding Father’s structure has done a reasonably good job of protecting us from the worst political excesses and allowing for incremental evolution of the system itself. However, the power landscape has shifted in many ways that our founders could not have anticipated, which has meant that the corrosive effects of new power centers have seriously undermined the integrity of the whole.

Like a computer operating system that starts crashing when the code that runs it is no longer adequate to deal with new demands, America’s current political infrastructure has begun crashing. We will need to go through a major upgrade of our political system to adequately address the distorting effects that the new powers on our cultural landscape wield. Without such an upgrade, our self-congratulatory rhetoric about democracy will increasingly be out of sync with the truth of the moment.

We need not see this as a failure. Rather, it’s remarkable that our system was built so well as to last this long without a major overhaul. We just need to be honest that the checks and balances are no longer robust enough to deal with current realities. So what are some of these forces that the founders could not have anticipated and which are rendering our current checks and balances inadequate?

>snip

Non-verifiable electronic voting - As long as elections have been held, politicians and the people who support them have been tempted to cheat – and often do. The intoxicating drug of power is often sought at any price. That’s why the recent rise in non-verifiable electronic voting, combined with the forces ennumerated above, create the most immediate threat to American democracy. Unlike citizens of other countries, Americans seems to be particularly naïve about the tendency to use whatever means is necessary to “win” elections, including stealing them. Both the 2000 and 2004 elections have abundant, demonstrable evidence of fraud. The corporations that wield increasing power in the process, such as Diebold, are deeply suspect. Without the checks and balances that come with a paper trail, this situation will only worsen.


>more
http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_stephen__060407_wielding_godlike_pow.htm

[livvy]

41. Ion Sancho Issues Statement Supporting HR 550

Ion Sancho Issues Statement Supporting HR 550
By Ion Sancho, Supervisor of Elections, Leon County Florida
April 08, 2006

>snip
Sancho issued the follow statement in conjunction with a press conference that took place this morning:



"The independent authority of election officials to provide honest and impartial elections conducted in a fair and efficient manner is under attack today. Partisan politicians in conjunction with some voting machine vendors are taking away the right of American citizens to cast their votes and have them verified as accurate. Congressman Holt's bill is how we must begin to protect our votes and end the erosion of public trust in our elections."



http://www.votetrustusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=4&Itemid=26

[livvy]

42. HR 550 Collects Nine New Co-Sponsors As Citizens Come to DC....

HR 550 Collects Nine New Co-Sponsors As Citizens Come To DC To Demand Verifiable Elections

By I Count Coalition
April 08, 2006

Over the past two days, hundreds of citizens from across the country participated in a the I Count Lobbys Days in support of Rep. Rush Holt's Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act (HR 550). Meetings has been arrranged in 117 Congressional offices on Thursday afternoon and during the day Friday but already by mid -afternoon Thursday, Rep. Jim Leach (R-IA) agreed with activists representing Iowans for Voting Integrity that the nation needs the election safeguards that HR 550 would provide.

By the time Rep. Holt (D-NJ), and HR 550 co-sponsors Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA), Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR), and Rep. Tom Petri (R-WI) spoke at a press conference on Friday morning, the number of new co-sponsors had risen to eight. New endorsements came from Rep. Ray LaHood (R-IL, Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL), Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Rep. Tim Holden (D-PA), Rep. Steven Lynch (D-MA), and Rep. Ben Chandler (D-KY). As the final meeting was concluding at the end of Friday afternoon, the call came from Democratic Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) had brought the total co-sponsorship of HR 550 to 177.

After the press conference, a petition signed by over 50,000 voters form each of the 50 states was delivered to the both the majority and minority offices of the Committee on House Administration.

>snip

http://www.votetrustusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1166&Itemid=26

[Peace Patriot]

56. Very important discussion of HR 550 here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x421136

HR 550 provides a real paper ballot, and bans secret programming code and wireless/internet in "voting machines" (bill doesn't say "voting systems," which could leave secrect code or wireless/internet in the central tabulators--a major cause of concern), and is effective immediately (for 06) elections, but has a very serious flaw in the auditing provisions, which should be amended and fixed (a paper ballot is not very useful if there is an inadequate audit). The bill further institutionalizes the (Bush appointed) EAC and electronic voting. Will the good parts of the bill survive in tact in this fascist Congress? That is the question.

[livvy]

43. Blogspot: Election Predictions Website

Election Predictions: Election Predictions for all national races in the United States, as well as governor election predictions. Updated daily.


Saturday, April 08, 2006
I just posted a new poll that is trying to gauge loyalty to the Democratic party. The previous poll was trying to gauge loyalty to the Republican party, and I will post both results and an analysis after a period of time.

(The poll is on the right...scroll down.)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some poll briefs from the site posted today. Other days are at the link, along with more links to specific states (on the right side of the page.)

Indiana District 9: Indiana House District 9
>snip
For these reasons, this is a VERY WEAK GAIN for the Democrats.

Pennsylvania District 4: Republican incumbent Melissa Hart is running for her fourth term. In 2004, Hart garnered 61% of the vote. Democratic hopefuls include fundraiser Jason Altmire and Georgia Berner, a businesswoman. The District voted for Bush in 2000 and 2004. >snip
This is a MODERATE RETENTION for the GOP.


http://electionpredictions.blogspot.com/

[livvy]

44. Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Louisiana

Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Louisiana


Fri Apr 7, 7:07 PM ET

To: National Desk

Contact: U.S. Department of Justice, 202-514-2007, 202-514-1888 (TDD); Web: http://www.usdoj.gov

WASHINGTON, April 7 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Justice Department today announced that from April 10 through 13, 2006, and on April 15, 2006, federal observers will monitor polling place activities at the Registrar of Voters offices in Shreveport and Monroe, La, two satellite early voting locations for the April 22, 2006, municipal and parochial primary elections for New Orleans.

Under the Voting Rights Act, the Justice Department is authorized to ask the Office of Personnel Management to send federal observers to areas specially covered by the Act or by a federal court order. Caddo Parish, where Shreveport is located, and Ouachita Parish, where Monroe is located, are specially covered by the Voting Rights Act.

The observers will watch and record activities during early voting for the April 22 New Orleans elections at both polling locations. A Civil Rights Division attorney will coordinate the federal activities and maintain contact with local election officials.

Each year, the Justice Department deploys hundreds of observers and attorneys to monitor elections across the country. In 2004, a record of 1,463 federal observers and 533 Department personnel were sent to monitor 163 elections in 105 jurisdictions in 29 states. This compares to 640 federal observers and 103 Department personnel deployed in 2000.

>more

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20060408/pl_usnw/justice_department_to_monitor_elections_in_louisiana318_xml;_ylt=AkD79gReJbLsk1i0pvM6qSuyFz4D;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

[livvy]

45. CA: Scandal Looms Large in California House Race

Scandal Looms Large in Calif. House Race


By SETH HETTENA, Associated Press Writer Sat Apr 8, 12:41 PM ET

SAN DIEGO - If there is any doubt about whether ethics matter, consider how the scandal of a former GOP congressman now doing prison time for tax evasion and bribery has cast a long shadow over a House election.

This solid Republican district on the Southern California coast should be a cakewalk for the GOP in Tuesday's contest to choose Randy "Duke" Cunningham's successor. Complicating the Republican outlook, however, is Democrat Francine Busby, whose campaign has shone a harsh spotlight on corruption, and an everyone-on-the-ballot format involving 18 candidates.

"You have to be perceived as pure if you want a shot in this campaign," pollster John Nienstedt said.

Cunningham represented California's 50th Congressional District from 1993 until he resigned in disgrace late last year. In March, he was sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison on charges of evading taxes and accepting $2.4 million in bribes from defense contractors.

>more

?x=180&y=121&sig=rVF4.RVaeKustZlIkkdOJQ--

[livvy]

46. N.H. Congressional Candidate Found Alive

This isn't really election reform, but I'm just glad they found the guy, and he's going to be all right!


N.H. Congressional Candidate Found Alive

Fri Apr 7, 9:30 PM ET

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. - A congressional hopeful wrecked his car and wandered a mile in a daze, swimming across a river and then huddling under leaves for warmth until he was found alive a day later, officials and relatives said.

Gary Dodds, 41, was taken to a hospital to be treated for hypothermia late Thursday. His wife, Cynthia, said Friday that he was doing well but has only foggy memories of his ordeal and "definitely had a good bump to the head."

>snip

"He believes he may have swerved to miss a deer or something in the road," she told WMUR-TV. "He jumped out of the vehicle. He thought it was on fire."

After that, "he remembers he was in water over his head," she said.

She said he recalls crawling, covering himself with pine needles and staying under a tree to conserve energy. He was cold and hungry, she said.

>more


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060408/ap_on_re_us/missing_candidate;_ylt=Ahan1C7QDHMSMoBf0BpkMFiM5QcF;_ylu=X3oDMTBjMHVqMTQ4BHNlYwN5bnN1YmNhdA--

[livvy]

47. Making Democracy Transparent-David Dill

Making Democracy Transparent
by David Dill, Founder, Verified Voting Foundation, Opinion, TomPaine.org
March 7th, 2006

Public trust in our elections is eroding. While the general public still seems to accept election results, there is an undercurrent of bitterness that has grown tremendously over the last few years. There is a rapidly expanding body of literature on the Internet about the "stolen election of 2004," and several books on election fraud have recently been written. More are in the works.

Theories of widespread election fraud are highly debatable, to say the least. Some people enjoy that debate. I do not. It encourages a sense of hopelessness and consumes energy that could instead be focused on long-term changes that could give us elections we can trust.

The election fraud debate frames the problem incorrectly. The question should not be whether there is widespread election fraud. It should be: "Why should we trust the results of elections?" It's not good enough that election results be accurate. We have to know they are accurate—and we don't.

In a word, elections must be transparent. People must be able to assure themselves that the results are accurate through direct observation during the election and examination of evidence afterwards.
> much more

http://www.verifiedvotingfoundation.org/article.php?id=6345

[livvy]

48. Opinion: Reform Puzzle In Congress

Opinion


Reform puzzle in Congress



The Monitor's View Fri Apr 7, 4:00 AM ET

Why would Democrats, so keen to reform campaign finance spending four years ago, now halt at the next step? And why would Republicans, seared by lobbying scandals too hot for even tough-guy
Tom DeLay, turn cool on lobbying reform in the House, and back only a modest Senate bill?

These questions may sound puzzling, but they have a simple answer. Bluntly stated, it's the age-old temptation in Congress to put political self-interest ahead of voter-interest. As happens too often, lawmakers become more concerned with how they're going to get the money and backing to win and keep their seats, than with doing the jobs they were elected to do: represent voters without selling themselves to special interests.

Take the case of campaign finance reform. It wasn't long ago that Democrats backed a ban on unlimited campaign contributions, known as "soft money." That ban became law in 2002. But on Wednesday, most Democrats in the House refused to extend their support to closing a loophole in the law: so-called 527 groups.

The public will remember 527s as the nonprofits that bombarded the 2004 presidential race with anti-Kerry Swift Boat ads and anti-Bush National Guard ads. These groups have been spared from soft-money restrictions because they claim they're about the neutral job of voter education. But they showed their partisan colors in the last election, and donations to 527s should be regulated as campaign contributions are.

>more

http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20060407/cm_csm/ereform_1

[livvy]

49. US House Judiciary Committee Blocks Important Improvements.....

U.S. House Judiciary Committee Blocks Important Improvements to the Lobbying Reform Bill

2006-04-06 | Statement by Joan Claybrook, President, Public Citizen

If you think the U.S. Senate let down the American people by failing to pass meaningful lobbying reform legislation, take a look at what is coming out of the U.S. House of Representatives.

After blocking several amendments that would have greatly strengthened the Lobbying Transparency and Accountability Act of 2006 (H.R. 4975), the House Judiciary Committee today (% April) voted nearly along party lines to send an extremely weak lobbying reform bill to the House floor. By a vote of 18-16, Republicans generally supported the measure and Democrats almost universally opposed it.

The bill takes a cynical approach to reforming lobbying disclosure and behavior on Capitol Hill and is opposed by Public Citizen and other reform groups. Introduced by Rep. David Dreier (R-Calif.), the bill fails to restrict campaign fundraising activities by lobbyists, fails to ban gifts from lobbyists, fails to curb revolving door abuses, fails to create an independent oversight and compliance office, and bans privately sponsored travel – but only until after the next election.

Various parts of the bill have been sent to five House committees. The House Judiciary Committee today focused primarily on the disclosure and revolving door provisions. While the bill provides additional disclosure requirements of contributions by lobbyists, it in no way restricts lobbyist fundraising activities. The committee rejected amendments by Rep. Marty Meehan (D-Mass.) to require disclosure of media ads and direct mail grassroots lobbying activities by professional lobbying firms and to strengthen the revolving door restriction so that members of Congress cannot immediately conduct lobbying activity after leaving public service.

>more

Joan Claybrook, President,Public Citizen http://www.citizen.org

http://www.unobserver.com/layout5.php?id=2244&blz=1

[Warpy]

50. NM: Just a reminder that touch screen machines are OUT

and that the state will go to 100% paper, optical scan ballots. Yes, the scanners can be hacked, but the ballots can be recounted manually, and that is the point.

The ugly lawsuit over the 2004 election is still in the courts, and ES&S is trying to delay the inevitable as long as they can because they know damned full well they disenfranchised 17,000 of us to throw the state to Stupid.

I will be absolutely thrilled if that lawsuit means a poor, sparsely populated, largely third world state like NM will be the one to take these corrupt GOP voting machine companies down and get the pigs from top to bottom who conspired to wreck US elections long prison sentences.

[Peace Patriot]

57. I like your style, Warpy! What an enjoyable piece of writing!

You don't mess around!

I had a fantasy that I was reading a NYT or WaPo of L.A. Times article--in reading yours--and that they had decided to tell it like it is.

Others, re-read Warpy's post, and imagine that you are reading this on the front page of the Washington Post. It's great fun!

:woohoo:

[livvy]

51. Raw Story: Rep., Progressive Watchdog Ask Dem to Step Down.....

Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the article to read the rebuttal from Congressman Mollohan.

Republicans, progressive watchdog ask Democrat to step down from House Ethics Committee
04/07/2006 @ 5:58 pm
Filed by RAW STORY

"House Speaker Hastert today said he believes Minority Leader Pelosi should ask Ethics ranking member Alan Mollohan, D-W.Va., to step aside -- if only temporarily -- in light of a report this morning that federal prosecutors are investigating Mollohan's finances and whether they were properly disclosed," Congress Daily reported Friday afternoon. Just hours later, the progressive ethics watchdog Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington joined the fracas -- asking Mollohan to step aside from the Committee.

Meanwhile, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi blasted the allegations.

"The Speaker should join me in directing the Ethics Committee to get to work, and not cast aspersions on the independent and distinguished Ranking Member," Pelosi said in a statement.

The Wall Street Journal reported Friday morning: "A 12-term congressman, Mr. Mollohan sits on the House Appropriations Committee, a panel that disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff dubbed the "favor factory." Working with fellow West Virginian Sen. Robert Byrd, Mr. Mollohan has steered at least $178 million to nonprofit groups in his district over the past five years using "earmarks" -- special-interest provisions that are slipped into spending bills to direct money to pet projects."

>more

A snippet from his rebuttal:

"I am proud of the nonprofit groups that have been established to address needs which exist in northern West Virginia, focusing on economic and community development. I have worked aggressively to secure funds to enable these groups to carry out their worthy missions. And by every measure I know, they have been highly effective in achieving the purposes for which they were created.

"These groups were not created to benefit me in any way, and they never have.
> more before and after this snippet


http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Republicans_progressive_watchdog_ask_Democrat_to_0407.html

[livvy]

52. MT: Legislative Candidate Has Ties To White Supremacist Group

Well now, this is interesting. I don't remember seeing this posted before. Sorry if it's a dupe, but it was disturbing news to me.



Published on Saturday, April 01, 2006.
Last modified on 4/1/2006 at 5:00 pm

Legislative candidate has ties to white supremacist group

By The Associated Press
BUTTE - The only Republican running for the state Legislature here has ties to a white supremacist group.

Shawn Stuart, 24, told The Montana Standard on Friday he is Montana's contact point for the National Socialist Movement, a group that describes itself as "America's Nazi Party" on its Web site. Stewart is running for Butte's House District 76, along with Democrats Kevin Lowney and incumbent Jon Sesso.

Stuart said he "has nothing against any other race," but believes they should be separate.

"We have our right to exist in the world; they have their right to exist in the world," he said.

>more on this "interesting" candidate.



http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/04/01/news/state/40-supremacist-leg.txt

[livvy]

53. Vermont: True Blue Or Purplish? Kos Diary by 4Freedom

Vermont: True Blue Or Purplish?

Sat Apr 08, 2006 at 02:36:56 PM PDT

Some Vermont Democrats sounded like Red State Dems today. They voted against debating impeachment in the State Legislature.

The Vermont State Democratic leadership didn't listen to voters who attended a State meeting today. But it seems Democrats around the country are saying that about their leadership.

The Vermont meeting was called to discuss a State resolution for impeachment, known as the Rutland Resolution. The Resolution called for the State Legislature to debate impeachment, then send an impeachment motion to Congress with the full weight of a State resolution alongside it. The motion was amended and defanged.

Some members of the State Committee wanted to have the impeachment measure booted directly into Congress with just the passage of a State Party motion, avoiding a fullscale debate at the State level. 20 of the voters attending the meeting gave impassioned appeals to the Committee to stand firm and call for a full State Legislature debate on impeachment. Three dissenting voters spoke of blunting Democratic appeal to Republicans, of alienating the Democratic electorate, and of diluting efforts of State legislators to accomplish important State business.

Some Committee members wanted to avoid clogging the State Legislature with what they believed was a futile effort. They won an amendment to the Rutland Resolution that avoided a either a brawl or lengthy debate on the State Legislature floor. But they were ignoring the dozens of voters present who came to ensure that the measure was debated at the State level. This would have given the motion privilege when it reached Congress, according to lawyers present.

>more
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/4/8/173656/1129

[livvy]

54. Frist's southern Hospitality

:rofl:
Too good not to post.



Frist's Southern Hospitality

By Al Kamen
Friday, April 7, 2006; A17

It was with some trepidation that we opened a most interesting card, which announced on a blue-jeaned cowboy's belt buckle something called the "5th Annual VOLPAC '06 Weekend" in Nashville on April 21-23.

Problem was you had to unbuckle the cowboy's pants and look inside to see what this was all about. Seemed a bit too "Brokeback Mountain."

Imagine our relief to find only that we were "cordially invited" to the event honoring Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and "Mrs. Bill Frist, M.D." This is Frist's political action committee to raise money for other senators, making friends and positioning him nicely for his 2008 presidential bid.

>snip
The back of the card shows the cowboy from behind with a red flowered handkerchief sticking out of his right pocket. Wait a minute -- wasn't there something about how this used to be some kind of code in the gay community years ago? A way to signal each other in crowded, noisy bars?

So we checked the GayCityUSA.com's Hanky Codes. Sure enough, there it was in the chart explaining what they mean: red hanky in right pocket. Oh, dear.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/06/AR2006040601943_pf.html