Avi Rubin: Don't Blame The Messenger

[Wilms]

Don't Blame The Messenger

By Avi Rubin, Johns Hopkins University

July 06, 2006

This article was posted on HuffingtonPost.com. It is reposted with permission of the author.

snip

Yesterday morning, I was a guest on NPR's Diane Rehm show. The topic of discussion was a recent report by the NYU Brennan Center on the security of electronic voting machines. One of the other guests was Linda Lamone (pictured at right), administrator of elections in my own state of Maryland.

I was struck by something that Lamone said.

According to her, one thing wrong with the Brennan report was that it could reduce public confidence in the outcome of the election. She has criticized my studies of electronic voting systems for the same reasons. This is an attitude that I cannot comprehend. Is it really her goal to fool people into having confidence in election machinery that is actually vulnerable to undetectable, widespread fraud?

snip

Well, as far as I'm concerned, if Lamone is going to insist on using machines that she knows are flawed, and that have been proven to be vulnerable, then she is the one responsible for "lowering the public's confidence in elections." It is our duty and obligation to inform the public, and if that means that the results of the election come into question, then let's just remember not to blame the messenger. Instead, blame the vendors, blame the election officials who bought them despite seven independent studies that have found security flaws in the machines, and blame the certification process that passed them.

snip

http://www.votetrustusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1480&Itemid=26

[lindisfarne]

1. Thanks for posting this. I heard the show and agree 100% with Rubin's

characterization of Lamone's statements. (In fact, I said something similar last night in another thread
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=438368&mesg_id=438591 )
The show can be listened to at this link:
http://www.wamu.org/programs/dr/06/07/05.php#10784

[stellanoir]

2. 4th rec

Professor Rubin nails it once AGAIN and it reminds me of people blaming Jon Stewart for disenchanting the 18-34 demographic from political invovement. I mean sheesh. If all of the players weren't so lame assed Jon wouldn't have anywhere near the amount material to work with as he does with all these bozos.

[Lasher]

3. "...it could reduce public confidence in the outcome of the election"

Translation: People might learn the truth.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

4. Democrats shielding Linda "Diebold" Lamone

After all, it is the Democrats in Maryland who are
protecting Linda Lamone.

Linda has been given the power to recklessly endanger elections
because Democrats rally behind her.

Democrats in Maryland - this is your mess, and your state lawmakers
made it worse!

[BeFree]

7. Forget that...

...lets spend all our time on Bev.

[Kelvin Mace]

13. Rubin was one of Bev's many targets

for baseless smears.

[autorank]

18. This scanning program just alerted on this important fact....

someone used the "*" word (three letters beginning with the
second letter of the alphabet).

This is a computer generated message.

The use of the word "*" may be purely innocent but that will
not prevent you from castigation should the frequency increase
over time. The program is unable to ascertain motives or any
relationship with "*". Nevertheless such relationships may be
assigned arbitrarily with those who subscribe to this service.



"Management"

N.B. There is no implied or stated "fitness for merchantability"
guarantee associated with this program. Any negative consequences
to you individually or collectively are not the responsibility of
the program, its owners or licensees. Any disputes regarding this
program will be settled through binding arbitration as per the laws
of the sate of Nevada.

[Joanne98]

8. What is it going to take to stop this crap?

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

9. what I should have said is

Can democrats in Maryland lobby or persuade the
democratic senators to get on board with verified voting?

MD had a good bill pass in the house unanimously, so no problem there -
but when it went to a democratic controlled committee in the Senate,
they killed it.

So, it seems that the power is in the hands of the democrats, and
maybe dems in Maryland might be the key to this?

I don't know that they haven't tried.

And while it may seem silly, perhaps they can tell candidates
that if they don't support verified voting, the only way they will get
their votes is if the machines steal them.

Sorry for complaining without providing any suggestion to improve situation.

It seems that some of the Dem State Senators in Maryland are more concerned about possibly embarrassing Linda Lamone, instead of being concerned that their votes count.

[BeFree]

10. Ain't that the truth?

What is their problem? With all that has happened in Maryland, you'd think they'd get rid of Diebold, forthwith.

_______________

Then, we have something similar right here on the ER Forum:

It seems that some of the posters on ER are more concerned about possibly embarrassing Bev Harris, instead of being concerned that their votes count.

[diva77]

12. blast this article to all Dem central committees, local Dem party

organizations for starters. Follow up with phone calls, set up meetings. It has taken several attempts to get attn of Dem central comm leaders in my neck 'o the woods and still with minimal success so far, but a few breakthroughs. Don't give up

:hi:

[Alex35332]

15. According to Lamone

The only ones who want election reform are the Greens and the MD GOP. And everyone else loves the voting machines. I suggest everyone go to the hearings on these bills when they come up next time. I was there last time and kept track of every lie that Lamone made to the state legislature, things like "The machines are only costing us $1 million a year to operate", when its closer to 5 million on off election years "05" and 10 million for the 2006 elections. I even archived responses on our website. www.TrueVoteMD.org. The amount of money that she wastes as Elections Administrator is shocking. When she came into office I think their anual budget was 2 million, now its getting closer to 30 million. Its not all her fault, but I think that someone in the state needs to look into the SBE's spending.

What is it called when someone pathologically lies to state officials if they are not under any oath?

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

16. being a political hack

that is what it is called.

[mod mom]

5. I think this "reduce public confidence" agument has been wrongly

picked up by many within the Dem Party. I have never understood it. So we should be silent about the truth and just allow them to continue to steal elections and have false confidence in the system?

If ever there was a reason to prove a fraudulent election, certainly the total mismanagement, corruption, immoral war, deficit, dishonoring the constitution, abuse of executive authority.....by the bu$h pResidency would be it.

Avi Rubin makes an EXCELLENT point!

[freedomfries]

6. Rubin's book for sale on Amazon - Rate it!!!

Brave New Ballot : The Battle to Safeguard Democracy in the Age of Electronic Voting (Hardcover)
by Aviel David Rubin

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
List Price: $24.95
Price: $15.72 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $9.23 (37%)




Availability: This title will be released on September 5, 2006. You may order it now and we will ship it to you when it arrives. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

[salvorhardin]

11. The noble lie

It's stupid when neocons advocate for it and it's still stupid when Lamone says it.

[garybeck]

14. Avi Ruben ROCKS. n/t

[Wilms]

17. .

[autorank]

19. Quick comment on politics ...

Rubin's points are very well taken and he is a long time participant in the
effort for clean elections.

Virginia has a somewhat similar situation. The SoS here hs appointed by the Governor,
in this case Warner. She has continued through under Kaine, although Kaine favors
strong standards, or at least he did in the campaign, for election protection.

Our SoS doesn't think any type of paper trail is necessary, routinely mouths that problems,
when they occur (and they do here) are due to human error etc. You know the drill.

Why is she still there? Politics. You get someone a position, you like the person. Then
something goes wrong and you come to that persons defense, reflexively, without really thinking
because you have history with them. It gets more intense and you become irritated with the
people leveling the charges. You think, "Nuts to this" and positions are now solidified in
a dance of power absent rationality.

I don't know for sure, but I'll bet that that's what happened in Virginia and I'll bet there
is something like this going on in Maryland and any other state where someone is appointed
to this position and lacks the intellectual capacity or curiosity to figure out the obvious.

The personal politics of these situations is always something to take into account to understand
where the change might or might not come.