Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News Thursday, March 22, 2007

[livvy]

Are we ready for this yet?

What Bush is Hiding
Bush's resistance to having Rove placed under oath or even having a transcript of his testimony appears to be a coverup of a series of obstructions of justice. The e-mails hint at the quickening pulse of communications between the White House and the Justice Department. But only sworn testimony can elicit the truth.

See the first post for more of the story and link.

Welcome to the Thursday Open Thread



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Please:

1. Post stories and announcements you find on the web. Google terms like “paper ballots”, “election reform”, or “campaign finance reform”. Don’t forget your local newspapers.

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

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Be the Media for open, transparent, and accurate elections!

[livvy]

1. Salon: What Bush is Hiding

What Bush is hiding
In the U.S. attorney scandal, Alberto Gonzales gave orders, but he also took them -- from Karl Rove, who plotted to turn the federal criminal justice system into the Republican Holy Office of the Inquisition.

By Sidney Blumenthal

Mar. 22, 2007 | Leave aside the unintentional irony of President Bush asserting executive privilege to shield his aides from testifying before the Congress in the summary firings of eight U.S. attorneys because the precedent would prevent him from receiving "good advice." Leave aside also his denunciation of the Congress for the impertinence of requesting such testimony as "partisan" and "demanding show trials," despite calls from Republicans for the dismissal of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Ignore as well Bush's adamant defense of Gonzales.

The man Bush has nicknamed "Fredo," the weak and betraying brother of the Corleone family, is, unlike Fredo, a blind loyalist, and will not be dispatched with a shot to the back of the head in a rowboat on the lake while reciting his Ave Maria. (Is Bush aware that Colin Powell refers to him as "Sonny," after the hothead oldest son?) But saving "Fredo" doesn't explain why Bush is willing to risk a constitutional crisis. Why is Bush going to the mattresses against the Congress? What doesn't he want known?

In the U.S. attorneys scandal, Gonzales was an active though second-level perpetrator. While he gave orders, he also took orders. Just as his chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, has resigned as a fall guy, so Gonzales would be yet another fall guy if he were to resign. He was assigned responsibility for the purge of U.S. attorneys but did not conceive it. The plot to transform the U.S. attorneys and ipso facto the federal criminal justice system into the Republican Holy Office of the Inquisition had its origin in Karl Rove's fertile mind.

Just after Bush's reelection and before his second inauguration, as his administration's hubris was running at high tide, Rove dropped by the White House legal counsel's office to check on the plan for the purge. An internal e-mail, dated Jan. 6, 2005, and circulated within that office, quoted Rove as asking "how we planned to proceed regarding the U.S. attorneys, whether we are going to allow all to stay, request resignations from all and accept only some of them, or selectively replace them, etc." Three days later, Sampson, in an e-mail, "Re: Question from Karl Rove," wrote: "As an operational matter we would like to replace 15-20 percent of the current U.S. attorneys -- the underperforming ones ...The vast majority of U.S. attorneys, 80-85 percent I would guess, are doing a great job, are loyal Bushies, etc., etc."

>more

http://www.salon.com/opinion/blumenthal/2007/03/22/attorneys/

[Patsy Stone]

6. Sidney reads DU

WHAT
ARE
THEY
HIDING?

[livvy]

15. All of the smartest people do! And, yeah, what are they hiding?

An easier question to answer might actually be, "What aren't they hiding?"

They can cover their eyes (or asses) all they want, but we can still see them for what they really are.

[livvy]

2. Panel Approves Five Subpoenas on Prosecutors

Panel Approves Five Subpoenas on Prosecutors
By CARL HULSE

Mark Wilson/Getty Images
Representative John Conyers Jr., the Michigan Democrat who is chairman of the Judiciary Committee, listening at a hearing on Wednesday.

March 22, 2007

WASHINGTON, March 21 — A House panel authorized subpoenas Wednesday requiring Karl Rove and four other senior Bush administration officials to testify under oath in the inquiry into the dismissals of eight federal prosecutors.

Even as the White House dug in against the demand, Democrats in Congress held out hope for a compromise. Though members of a House judiciary subcommittee approved the subpoenas, they did not issue them, saying they wanted to avoid a showdown over separation of powers.

“Trust me,” said Representative John Conyers Jr., the Michigan Democrat who is chairman of the Judiciary Committee. “We are not going to move in a reckless or angry or temperamental way at all.”

The potential for the investigation to broaden into a constitutional confrontation has created a tricky political calculus for the newly empowered Democrats. As they consider their strategy, they are acutely aware that they are already entangled in another major clash with the administration over the question of pulling American troops out of Iraq.

>more

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/22/washington/22attorneys.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

[livvy]

3. Editorial: An Offer To Refuse

An offer to refuse

First published: Thursday, March 22, 2007

President Bush's message to Congress on Tuesday wasn't entirely unexpected. But the tenor of his remarks -- defiant, strident, accusatory -- certainly was. Here is a President who has vowed to go to the Supreme Court if necessary to prevent some of his top aides from testifying before Congress on the firing of eight U.S. attorneys. The last president to dig in his heels so deeply, and to accuse congressional committees of partisanship, was Richard Nixon, who didn't want to release White House tapes to a Congress that was investigating Watergate. The high court ruled against him, as it might well do if Mr. Bush backs up his threat to fight it out in the courts.

In one sense, though, Mr. Bush has already lost his case. If the White House has nothing to hide, as he claims, why not allow such aides as Karl Rove, Mr. Bush's top political strategist, and Harriet Miers, former White House counsel, to go before the Senate Judiciary Committee and testify? So far, Mr. Bush doesn't have a good answer and, until he does, he will continue to give the appearance of circling the wagons.

>snip of middle

Mr. Bush accuses Democrats in Congress of wanting to put on show trials that will serve their political agenda. He is right that politics is at the heart of this controversy, but not in the way he sees it. The issue is whether the White House took part in purging U.S. attorneys for political reasons. Were the prosecutors fired for not being loyal enough to the administration -- either by pursuing corruption charges against Republicans, or by moving too slowly in investigating Democrats. If that was the motive, it could constitute obstruction of justice.

For that reason alone, a thorough congressional inquiry, complete with sworn testimony, is warranted. But there's another reason as well. The fact is, Mr. Bush's credibility is shattered beyond repair, largely because so many of his statements about the Iraq war have been proven unfounded. Thus, he can hardly be surprised that Congress isn't taking him at his word that the White House acted within the law in regard to the prosecutors. Mr. Bush's claim to executive privilege isn't persuasive, either. Other presidents have allowed their top aides to give sworn testimony. Why can't Mr. Bush?

No, this time around, Congress cannot trust. It must verify -- by demanding testimony under oath.

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=574213&category=OPINION&newsdate=3/22/2007

[livvy]

4. The Murk and Dirt of the White House (Lam, Foggo, Cunningham,etc.)

The murk and dirt of the White House

Andrew Stephen

Published 26 March 2007

At last, the everyday corruption of the Bush administration is gradually being brought out into the daylight.

>snip

It's hard to know which is more dangerous: the Bush administration's arrogance, or its ignorance. I will start explaining Attorneygate with an email sent by Sampson. It is about Carol Lam, the attorney who successfully prosecuted the Republican congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham, whose egregiously flagrant corruption I outlined in that 12 December article.

Lam, a ferociously determined 47-year-old who specialises in fraud investigations, subsequently put Cunningham behind bars for eight years and had him fined $1.8m - but was not content to leave it there. She knew that Cunningham's corruption was only the tip of an iceberg which had myriad interconnections between politicians and lobbyists - and involved huge Pentagon contracts for the purchase of military equipment from various defence contractors, represented, inevitably, by lobbyists.

All of which meant that she was also actively investigating links between the Republican representative Jerry Lewis - chairman of the hugely powerful House appropriations committee until the party switchover in January - and his close friend Bill Lowery, a former Republican congressman who became a Washington lobbyist after leaving Congress amid rumours of corruption in 1992. Lam, was at the same time investigating the connections between Kyle "Dusty" Foggo, then the CIA's third most important officer, but who is now under criminal indictment for fraud and other corruption - and his close friend, a military contractor called Brent Wilkes. Lam believed that Foggo was using his position to push large contracts the way of Wilkes - in return for which he would be given, among other things, a lucrative post in Wilkes's firm after his retirement from the CIA.

>more



http://www.newstatesman.com/200703260029

[livvy]

5. That's all from me, this morning....

Now I have to get ready to go teach 26 ten-year-olds how to be responsible citizens, critical thinkers, and lovers of the Constitution. In other words little, lovable, liberal, Dems. Not an easy task in a conservative, Republican area. :evilgrin: But then, I love a challenge.

[rumpel]

7. HuffPo: The White House's "Voter Fraud" Fraud

The Huffington Post

03.22.2007

Francis Wilkinson


I've had some experience with the Bush administration's pursuit of election fraud. So I was intrigued, way back on March 14, 2007, when the number of White House rationales for the U.S. Attorney purge was still in single digits, "election fraud" was revealed as the source of all the trouble. In the Washington Post, White House counselor Dan Bartlett declared that "over the course of several years, we have received complaints about U.S. attorneys, particularly when it comes to election-fraud cases."

In the week or so since Bartlett's declaration, the "election fraud" rationale has remained one of the few consistent talking points in the Buster Keaton/Harold Lloyd production that has overtaken Bush's presidency. We've heard the case of John McKay in Washington State, who mismanaged the close gubernatorial election won by Democrat Christine Gregoire, failing to indict a single Democrat. Similarly, David Iglesias in New Mexico famously failed to produce election fraud charges in a timely and responsible manner -- a case of prosecutorial foot-dragging that so infuriated Republican Senator Pete Domenici that he phoned Iglesias before the November, 2006 election to determine whether indictments of Democrats would be coming in time to achieve the desired result.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/francis-wilkinson/the-white-houses-voter-_b_44019.html

[rumpel]

8. Appeals court dismisses challenge to Bilbray election

North County Times

By: SCOTT MARSHALL - Staff Writer

SAN DIEGO -- The appeal of a lawsuit that challenged the June 2006 election of Rep. Brian Bilbray, R-Solana Beach, to fill the remaining six months of disgraced former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham's term in office was dismissed Tuesday because Bilbray already has completed that term.

Bilbray won the election in November 2006 to his own full, two-year term in office.

A state appeals court in San Diego ruled Tuesday that the appeal of a judge's dismissal of the lawsuit was moot.

Bilbray's spokesman, Kurt Bardella, said the congressman was glad the court ruled as it did.

"It was a frivolous lawsuit to begin with, and we're glad we can put this behind us and continue working for the people of the 50th Congressional district," Bardella said.

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/03/22/news/sandiego/12_01_513_21_07.txt

[rumpel]

9. E-Vote Memo Is a 'Smoking Gun'

Wired News

By Kim Zetter
05:00 AM Mar, 22, 2007

A memo sent last year by a voting machine maker to election officials in Florida has reignited controversy over the reliability and accuracy of the company's machines. Voting activists are now renewing calls to examine source code used in the Election Systems & Software machines during a close election last November.

Activists say the memo, which was uncovered last September but only came to prominence last week, proves that ES&S and Florida election officials knew about problems with the company's iVotronic touch-screen machines before the election, yet withheld the information from a court to prevent activists from examining the voting software.

The software, activists say, is crucial to a dispute over the 13th Congressional District race in November, in which Democrat Christine Jennings lost by fewer than 400 votes to Republican Vern Buchanan. Jennings and groups of voters filed separate lawsuits contending that the results were questionable because more than 18,000 ballots cast in Sarasota County mysteriously recorded no vote in the congressional race.

Activists say the ES&S memo points to a possible reason for the high "undervote" rate.

http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,73048-0.html?tw=wn_technology_3

[rumpel]

10. Judge extends briefs deadline in voting rights case

March 22, 2007

The Associated Press

A federal judge has extended until April 9 the deadline for attorneys to file final briefs in a government lawsuit in which a black Democratic Party official in Noxubee County is accused of trying to limit white voters' participation in local elections.

U.S. District Judge Tom Lee, in an order filed Monday, gave attorneys for Ike Brown and the Justice Department an extra two weeks to file briefs in the case. The deadline had been March 26.

Brown, the chairman of Noxubee County's Democratic Executive Committee, is accused of violating the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which was written to protect racial minorities when Southern states strictly enforced segregation.

It is the first use of the act to allege discrimination against whites.

http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070322/NEWS/703220366/1001/NEWS

[rumpel]

11. Iowa House OKs Election Day voter registration

Sioux City Journal

By Dan Gearino Journal Des Moines Bureau

DES MOINES -- Iowa would join seven states that allow voter registration on Election Day under a bill passed Tuesday by the Iowa House.

The bill, which passed 54-45, would replace a system in which voters must register within 10 days of an election. "It is time to remove arbitrary barriers to voting. Democracy in our country is dependent on the ability of all our citizens to participate in free and open elections," said the lead sponsor, Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, D-Ames.

Republican opponents said the bill makes elections more vulnerable to illegal practices, such as college students voting multiple times. "I have a worry that there is extreme potential for fraud with same-day voting," said Rep. Clel Baudler, R-Greenfield.

http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2007/03/21/news/legislature/aaefaeec6469f97f862572a500093ff6.txt

[rumpel]

12. TX: Public invited to discuss electronic voting

Seguin Gazette Enterprise

By David DeKunder
The Gazette-Enterprise

Published March 22, 2007
SEGUIN — People will have the opportunity to ask questions and express their concerns about how voting is conducted in the county at a community forum today.

The forum — “Verifying Electronic Ballots” — will be held at Texas Lutheran University’s Ayers Recital Hall in the Schuech Fine Arts Center from 7-9 p.m.

The Guadalupe County Democratic Club and the TLU Young Democrats are putting on the forum.

Everyone, regardless of party affiliation, is invited to attend.

http://seguingazette.com/story.lasso?ewcd=08208851ce7b18e8

[rumpel]

13. One Cuyahoga County election board member quits, others defiant

The Columbus Dispatch

Wednesday, March 21, 2007 10:56 PM
By Thomas J. Sheeran
Associated Press

CLEVELAND—One of four elections board members from the state's most populous county quit today but the others defied a demand by Ohio's chief election officer that they resign by the end of the business day.

Edward C. Coaxum Jr., a Democrat, resigned from the Cuyahoga County board in compliance with Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner's demand that they step down over persistent voting problems.

Republicans Robert Bennett, the board chairman and head of the GOP in Ohio, and Sally Florkiewicz said at a board meeting that they wouldn't resign. Democrat Loree K. Soggs said after the meeting that he also would stay on the board.

http://www.columbusdispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/03/21/cuyahoga_elections.html

[rumpel]

14. CO: Coffman unveils new vote machine rules

Daily Press News Editor

DENVER — Manufacturers of electronic voting machines will be forced under a new rule to meet state certification standards.

In response to a lawsuit last year, the Colorado Secretary of State developed new procedures and guidelines under Rule 45. Under these, his office must review all federal certification documentation, test machines and establish security procedures relating to the transfer of the chain of evidence.

Each of Colorado’s four electronic voting equipment vendors — Hart InterCivic, Diebold, Sequoia and Election Systems and Software — must submit to recertification, or counties will not be allowed to use their machinery in elections. The rule took effect provisionally March 16 and is expected to become permanent May 20.


“It’s about improving the integrity of the system and making sure machines in use in Colorado are secure and can count every vote accurately, and in a verifiable manner,” Jonathan Tee, spokesman for Secretary of State Mike Coffman, said Wednesday.

http://www.montrosepress.com/articles/2007/03/22/local_news/2.txt

[livvy]

16. Great pick up, rumpel!

Woot! Woot for teamwork!

[rumpel]

17. aarrr woof

:)

love your pictures...

[Land Shark]

18. Michigan Convictions for Election Fraud in Recall Race

ELECTION FRAUD CONVICTIONS: A political activist faces up to five years in prison on three felony counts of improper possession of absentee ballots, one felony count of influencing voters while voting absentee and a misdemeanor influencing voters with money charge.
http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-42/117467155099230.xml&storylist=newsmichigan

[L. Coyote]

19. MSM: "Secretary of State tightens screws on Elections Board"

BIG NEWS in that the complaint includes 2004.

Secretary of State tightens screws on Elections Board
Friday, March 23, 2007
Joan Mazzolini - Plain Dealer Reporter
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1174639719208580.xml&coll=2

Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner on Thursday accused two holdouts on the Cuyahoga County Elections Board of violating state election law as part of her move to oust them.

Brunner filed a complaint that also accuses board Chairman Bob Bennett and board member Sally Florkiewicz, both Republicans, of misfeasance and nonfeasance. The 18-page document specifically charges the pair with failing to:

Adopt adequate procedures for election recounts, resulting in the felony convictions of two board employees on charges of rigging a recount.

...Ensure the efficient administration of elections from 2004 through 2006.....

=========

Are they ready for this yet?
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