Improve The Vote

Inside the world of war profiteers: from prostitutes to Super Bowl tickets, a federal probe reveals how contractors in Iraq cheated the US

2008-02-23T15:10:00.001-08:00

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-kbr-war-profiteers-feb21,1,5231766.story

Why Hillary will lose

2008-02-13T16:26:00.001-08:00

http://thehill.com/dick-morris/why-hillary-will-lose-2008-02-12.html

This would have been a GREAT move by Hillary:

She could have waged a grassroots, small-donor, Internet campaign of change based on being the first woman running for president with a serious chance of victory. The charisma could have been hers, the excitement hers and the novelty hers.

Why It Was Called 'Water Torture'

2008-02-10T20:04:00.001-08:00

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/08/AR2008020803156.html?nav=rss_print/outlook

U.N. says waterboarding should be prosecuted as torture

2008-02-10T09:34:00.001-08:00

http://uk.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUKN0852061620080208?rpc=401

What's wrong with this picture? (hint: brown)

2008-02-09T21:38:00.001-08:00

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c5/WORLDHEALTH2.png

Would it be torture if Iran used waterboarding on Americans?

2008-02-09T10:57:00.001-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89cYbggdGVQ

Whoa - Lindsay Graham stepping up to the plate!

He shouldn't have let it drop there, he should have provided the Geneva Convention definitions of torture and then asked if Hartmann felt waterboarding passed that and then re-applied the Iran question - but still good spine.

Bush Declares That Cheney Is ‘The Best Vice President In History’

2008-02-09T10:25:00.001-08:00

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/02/08/bush-cheney-best/

This video is just stupefying, for several reasons...

Colbert: Ron Paul is insane

2008-02-05T21:05:00.001-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKsC_0fMjr0

This might be my favorite Colbert clip this year, though I'm guessing at least half the people who saw this probably thought Colbert was mocking Ron Paul.

CIA admits waterboarding inmates

2008-02-05T12:41:00.001-08:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7229169.stm

Military Donors Back Ron Paul & Obama

2008-02-04T21:31:00.001-08:00

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/02/military-donors.html

Bush Proposes Budget With $400B Deficit

2008-02-03T17:52:00.001-08:00

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/03/national/main3783425.shtml

If Iran Were America (And We Were Iran): A Timeline

2008-02-03T17:45:00.001-08:00

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig8/bryan2.html

Great read and alternate perspective.

Poll: Obama wipes out Clinton's lead

2008-02-03T11:23:00.001-08:00

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-02-03-candidatesspoll_N.htm

Barack Obama has crossed yet another social divide: Rural

2008-02-03T09:15:00.001-08:00

http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,2249501,00.html

So Obama's victory over Clinton in rural Nevada says something important about his ability as the apostle of national reconciliation. To win against Clinton in Elko County (black population: 0.8%), he had to convert not only white Democrats, but a large number of independents and people who had voted Republican until caucus day; a feat he pulled off with dazzling facility. Any Democrat nominee who can do that, deep in Republican country, is likely to gain the presidency; and Obama has proved that he can. Clinton, laden with the moral, cultural and political baggage of the 1990s, is likely to fare as badly in Elko County as Kerry did in 2004, when he collected just 20% of the vote

Democrats expect big Idaho caucus turnout

2008-02-03T06:53:00.001-08:00

http://www.idahostatesman.com/newsupdates/story/283059.html

Check out this panoramic Obama attendance picture from yesterday - 14,000 people, in a location where a small percentage are African-American, showing up... good news for curing voter apathy at least.

His opening ring-the-bell remarks: ""They told me there aren't any Democrats in Idaho!"

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2090/2237513684_576b50833f_o.jpg

Raw Politics: Superdelegates could be deciding factor

2008-02-02T20:05:00.001-08:00

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/02/02/foreman.raw.politics/index.html

Who are they? Democratic members of Congress, governors, big-shot party members: Bill Clinton, for example. The theory was that the superdelegates could help steer the party toward solid, competitive candidates, and away from Monday morning regrets.

I wonder what the excuse will be when Hillary gets buried in the general election?

If the superdelegates decide this race, there will certainly be a lot of heated debates within the party, and perhaps a very cold November awaiting the nominee.

Newsweek: Republicans defect to Obama

2008-02-02T19:38:00.001-08:00

http://www.newsweek.com/id/107476

Susan Eisenhower (Republican): Why I'm Backing Obama

2008-02-02T19:29:00.001-08:00

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/01/AR2008020102621.html?nav=hcmodule

It is in this great tradition of crossover voters that I support Barack Obama's candidacy for president. If the Democratic Party chooses Obama as its candidate, this lifelong Republican will work to get him elected and encourage him to seek strategic solutions to meet America's greatest challenges. To be successful, our president will need bipartisan help.

Hillary's Looming Electability Crisis

2008-02-02T19:00:00.001-08:00

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-pearce/hillarys-looming-electab_b_84549.html

Nails it.

Yes We Can - Barack Obama music video

2008-02-02T17:30:00.001-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjXyqcx-mYY

What Counts as an "Issue" In the Clinton-Obama Race?

2008-02-02T16:48:00.001-08:00

This might be my article of the year nominee - and it was only January!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/george-lakoff/what-counts-as-an-issue_b_84177.html

News shocker: Ron Paul was biggest GOP fundraiser last quarter

2008-02-02T11:18:00.001-08:00

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/02/news-shocker-ro.html

Cheney Pushes For Telecom Immunity: ‘We Haven’t Violated Anybody’s Civil Liberties’

2008-02-02T05:20:00.001-08:00

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/01/31/cheney-rush-fisa/

"It's a program that's been very well managed. We haven't violated anybody's civil liberties."

They nail it right away in the comments - if that were the case, there wouldn't be a need for immunity, right?

Probably not the 'Change' candidate [photo]

2008-01-31T20:26:00.001-08:00

http://www.negative273.com/Images/bush-mccain.jpg

LAist Interview: Craig(slist) Newmark

2008-01-30T23:02:00.001-08:00

http://laist.com/2008/01/28/laist_interview_99.php

Highlight of the Republican debate tonight (it's a slice of the 6 minutes total that Ron Paul got out of 1 hour 22 minutes)

2008-01-30T22:19:00.001-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhAokoMgSDc

Time summary: http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/019030.html

Bush this week declared that he has the power to bypass four laws

2008-01-30T16:28:00.001-08:00

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/01/30/bush_asserts_authority_to_bypass_defense_act/

Does anyone think that's constitutionally acceptable?

What Our Top Spy Doesn't Get: Security and Privacy Aren't Opposites

2008-01-30T13:04:00.001-08:00

http://www.wired.com/politics/security/commentary/securitymatters/2008/01/securitymatters_0124?currentPage=all

Great article, with supporting hyperlinks that are equally interesting.

Study: False statements preceded war

2008-01-28T09:13:00.000-08:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080123/ap_on_go_pr_wh/misinformation_study_8

A study by two nonprofit journalism organizations found that President Bush and top administration officials issued hundreds of false statements about the national security threat from Iraq in the two years following the 2001 terrorist attacks.

The study concluded that the statements "were part of an orchestrated campaign that effectively galvanized public opinion and, in the process, led the nation to war under decidedly false pretenses."

New Hampshire Primary - Sham Chain of Custody

2008-01-27T19:09:00.001-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKQEQ7qHvgM

Despite the obvious concerns, this is still kind of funny, mostly the look when NH Sec of State Gardner and the other guy realize they're on video clearly showing the gap between how things are and how they're supposed to be... on a side note, Black Box Voting has been in the news several times over the last few years, and always for performing valuable activist services like this.

Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?

2008-01-27T17:49:00.001-08:00

http://film.guardian.co.uk/interview/interviewpages/0,,2245909,00.html

Interesting - I'll probably give it a watch.

Kennedy Plans to Back Obama Over Clinton

2008-01-27T14:14:00.001-08:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/us/politics/27cnd-campaign.html?em&ex=1201582800&en=35fceb900c8dfb95&ei=5087%0A

To which my first question was, "Do people really care that much what Ted Kennedy thinks?" Regardless, this was a good summary of recent events as I've reduced my political intake and this was a good brief.

Plus there's no way he'll win with that nervous tic evident in this video

2008-01-26T08:43:00.001-08:00

Proof Mitt Romney Cheats

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w166I1s6EM&NR=1

Dodd's continued leadership against warrantless wiretapping

2008-01-24T19:45:00.001-08:00

http://www.theseminal.com/2008/01/24/woke-up-it-was-a-fisa-morning/

The author calls out both Obama and Clinton too.

THE LEGACY OF GEORGE W. BUSH’S PRESIDENCY: The Country He Inherited, The Country He Leaves Behind

2008-01-23T20:35:00.001-08:00

http://www.dems.gov/index.asp?Type=B_PR&SEC=%7BD68CD0B2-1442-4804-9F6B-AF67DE7FF585%7D&DE=%7BFDD09C4F-E958-4E13-A92B-179C2FAC6FEA%7D&Design=PrintView

I'd prefer better footnoting and this could be intentionally misleading, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was all correct. The $1.39/gal gas price sticks out as questionable to me.

Fred Thompson drops out

2008-01-23T01:45:00.001-08:00

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/22/thompson.out/index.html

Thailand somehow re-establishes democracy without US invasion

2008-01-23T01:36:00.001-08:00

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/01/21/thai.parliament/

Bill and Hillary Clinton have lied brazenly about Obama's recent statement about Ronald Reagan.

2008-01-23T01:30:00.001-08:00

http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/2008/01/obamareagan.html

Obama v Clinton/Clinton

2008-01-23T01:23:00.001-08:00

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/01/obama-v-clinton.html

Obama Takes on Homophobia, Anti-Semitism and Xenophobia in Speech at MLK's Church

2008-01-21T19:30:00.001-08:00

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/74424/

Jeez, Obama's right on a lot of issues not covered here - but what is impressive is (again) just what a strong orator he is. I love the whole section about him being accused of being a "hopemonger."

Powerful speech - which I think is a necessary part of what a president needs to be capable of (much like a CEO providing vision across the needs of the company, and an area where I feel Obama wins against Ron Paul). I'm not sure Hillary has it - and further, at risk of sounding like Giuliani, I think back to the most important historical event of my lifetime (9/11), and the complete lack of any such memorable speeches by George W Bush (this is instead what sticks out to me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QG0yEu6UUBE&feature=related).

I guess what I'm saying is, while I support both him and Ron Paul, Barack Obama's ultimately the person I want next leading our country and providing the leadership in these moments that future generations will look back on. Now if only he'd shut up about universal healthcare... ;-)

Martin Luther King: More than a dream (worth a read in today's environment as well)

2008-01-21T18:51:00.001-08:00

http://www.ablogistan.com/archives/2008/01/martin_luther_k.html

As we're mired in a very similar unpopular quagmire today, it's worth pondering what King would have said about the war in Iraq were he alive in 2003 and how his likely opposition to it would have been handled by the public and the press. Odds are, he would have been marginalized and slandered by many of the same people who will invoke his name today.

Frontline (PBS): Cheney's Law series

2008-01-20T21:42:00.001-08:00

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/cheney/etc/synopsis.html

Wow - this looks like it a fantastic series, though watched by maybe 1000 people. Hopefully at least 4 more now. :-)

FBI denies file exposing nuclear secrets theft

2008-01-20T21:30:00.001-08:00

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article3216737.ece

Edmonds, a 37-year-old former Turkish language translator, listened into hundreds of sensitive intercepted conversations while based at the agency's Washington field office.

She says the FBI was investigating a Turkish and Israeli-run network that paid high-ranking American officials to steal nuclear weapons secrets. These were then sold on the international black market to countries such as Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

One of the documents relating to the case was marked 203A-WF-210023. Last week, however, the FBI responded to a freedom of information request for a file of exactly the same number by claiming that it did not exist. But The Sunday Times has obtained a document signed by an FBI official showing the existence of the file.

Oh, man, doesn't look good for the FBI (or our national security from the inside) - sounds like Sibel Edmond's wasn't just making it all up or anything. Good thing American Idol season 7's on so this will be a non-story...

Important milestone today

2008-01-20T19:43:00.001-08:00

I just realized, as of today George W Bush only has 1 year left as President of the United States (less if I had my say)...

Fox affiliate interview with Ron Paul - not bad for once

2008-01-20T14:13:00.001-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_nHlsjqpMU

Until the Ron Paul Zombie Army gets mentioned at least, then it's all downhill from there ;-)

Widespread Electronic Voting Machine Problems in South Carolina

2008-01-19T17:38:00.001-08:00

http://www.time-blog.com/swampland/2008/01/electronic_voting_machine_prob.html

This reported from TIME magazine - why does this feel like our voting setup is running like a 3rd-world country's would, and there's not general concern for taking corrective action? Is anyone looking forward to another contested election?

Democracy Now! Re-Hosts NBC Las Vegas Debate to Include Kucinich After NBC Wins Appeal to Exclude Him

2008-01-18T10:52:00.001-08:00

http://www.democracynow.org/2008/1/16/breaking_the_sound_barrier_democracy_now

This is an interesting concept, and once again Kucinich adds valuable considerations to the discussion (as he should have been able to in the NBC debate that many more people would have seen that way) - kudos to Democracy Now for this. I hate Real Player media, which appears to be their only mainstream option for video, but the written transcript is included as well.

Skip down to where it's indented if you don't care much about what Kucinich's perspective is on suing based on being excluded. Also in that initial section, his discussion of the defense authorization bill is worth noting mostly in highlighting that he's very detail oriented and wants to make sure people understand what they're voting on, an admirable trait that by itself can instigate change. You can tell he's pissed at NBC in his answers, I would say "overly" except for the magnitude of their decision, but other than that it's a good read.

He's also constantly challenging people to learn more about things like this (he wants to overturn it), one of the reasons I enjoy listening to him whenever he's got a chance to speak these days: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckley_v._Valeo

New Hampshire recount differences

2008-01-17T21:26:00.001-08:00

http://www.sos.nh.gov/recountresults.htm

Man, that's concerning - regardless of who the outcome ends up in favor of. 17 out of 20 districts didn't match the original count the second time around for Clinton, and 17 out of 20 districts didn't match the original count the second time around for Obama... calls into question "a vote cast is a vote counted"...

On a random note, I did a quick search on the phrase "a vote cast is a vote counted" to see where it came from - but my blog emails show up as the #2 result. :-P
http://www.google.com/search?q=%22a+vote+cast+is+a+vote+counted%22

Artificial Intelligence: President Bush's cavalier dismissal of the NIE undermines our credibility, again.

2008-01-17T21:15:00.001-08:00

http://www.slate.com/id/2182071/

Slick tool: money and politics

2008-01-17T19:40:00.001-08:00

http://www.maplight.org/

The 6-minute video is kind of a hoot to watch too... justice, web2.0 style ;-)

Wexler formally calls for impeachment hearings against Cheney

2008-01-17T08:19:00.001-08:00

http://www.wexlerforcongress.com/news.asp?ItemID=229

Kucinich is better at making the case, but it's still compelling no matter what. The line at the end of the video is classic.

Bernanke Aims to Avoid Greenspan's Stimulus `Regret' (Update1)

2008-01-17T07:14:00.001-08:00

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=axNV4KGulqxI&refer=home

Wonderful - so instead of providing leadership in a time of need (and his leadership should be "I'm not going to bail out companies or individuals who took risks and now don't want to face the consequences, but I'll propose measures to contain the damage beyond that"), he's instead following the lead of Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer, because they've certainly done a bang-up job so far...

The New York Times follows the rest of the MSM in the slide toward irrelevancy (one can hope...)

2008-01-16T11:29:00.001-08:00

Long a journalistic standard of integrity (or so I'm told), even THEY now make room for the range of "chosen" candidates (despite Ron Paul winning more votes than either Giuliani or Thompson, almost combined!). This is really sickening.

http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/results/votes/index.html#1

A friend sent a recent email with the word "media-ocrity" complaining about the media in general and their obscuring of issues, but I think instead we may be headed toward a media-ocracy where our corporate media does the deciding, and we just vote like we're told...

Romney dominates big in Michigan, Ron Paul almost scores higher than two "chosen" candidates combined

2008-01-16T06:36:00.001-08:00

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/15/michigan.primary/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Though Ron Paul's actual numbers of votes are now starting to seep away, I'm sure much to many people's pleasure.

ACLU Sues Law Enforcement for Shielding President Bush From Protestors

2008-01-16T06:15:00.001-08:00

http://www.aclu.org/freespeech/protest/33657prs20080115.html

Huckabee: Amend Constitution to be in 'God's standards' (with video)

2008-01-15T12:50:00.001-08:00

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Huckabee_Amend_Constitution_to_meet_Gods_0115.html

As Florida's primary approaches, there are already reported problems concerning ballots in Central Florida

2008-01-14T21:03:00.001-08:00

http://www.local6.com/politics/15040675/detail.html

Wonderful... granted, it's pretty obvious who the vote's for in this case, and they already said these votes wouldn't be invalidated - but seriously, how can the quality standards around our entire voting process still have so many predictable quality flaws?

McCain: “The issue of economics is not something I’ve understood as well as I should”

2008-01-14T19:56:00.001-08:00

http://www.nytimes.com/glogin?URI=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/14/opinion/14krugman.html&OP=e31b3d4Q2FINQ7CQ7EIVgT6Q3BggZWIWJJQ2FIJEIElIgaQ25Q7DQ25gQ7DIElQ27Q3BhPQ60Q23Q7DB_ZQ60f

Contrast with this quote: "How can you solve the problems of inflation with more inflation?"

Simple message, straight to the point. I can't quite remember who said it, but I'm pretty sure he's a presidential candidate who's nonetheless trailing McCain...

Las Vegas Judge Rules in Favor of Dennis Kucinich Lawsuit

2008-01-14T19:06:00.001-08:00

http://www.lasvegasnow.com/global/story.asp?s=7622444

Nice!! And by the way, screw NBC/MSNBC for the way they've handled this (including continuing to fight it).

Fraud claims emerge in US presidential race

2008-01-14T17:12:00.001-08:00

Getting what should be mainstream news here - from Russia (albeit with crappy CAP interview)...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzBFIH-96O4

To Blunt a Recession

2008-01-14T12:59:00.001-08:00

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/10/AR2008011003243.html

Great article

(with the obvious exception to this workaround: "Congress does not usually work with this degree of precision, which is why it's preferable to rely on the fast-acting Fed and its independent experts." I like the final solution though, with the note that the same could be applied through Congress if structured in advance of fire-fighting mode.)

Joint Chiefs Chairman: Close Guantanamo

2008-01-14T12:33:00.001-08:00

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20080113/guantanamo-joint-chiefs/

He believes negative publicity worldwide about treatment of terrorist suspects has been "pretty damaging" to the image of the United States.

Almost right - it's not the negative publicity that has been pretty damaging, but the FACTS that caused that negative publicity in the first place.

I was thinking the other day that it would be very strategic for any presidential candidate who doesn't back torture to close Guantanamo (or more specifically, Camp Six in order to keep the strategic location viable) immediately upon assuming the presidency. Granted, that pretty much narrows it to the Democrats, Ron Paul, and John McCain (per http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2007-06-18-gitmo-candidates_N.htm), but just a thought that it would a smart move and a good immediate signal to the rest of the world.

The New York Times' public editor, Clark Hoyt, has called the controversial hiring of William Kristol as an op-ed columnist a "mistake."

2008-01-14T11:40:00.001-08:00

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003695900

Good call - I'm all for opposing points of view, but that William Kristol is pure BS and has a sordid history. They should replace him with someone who can provide an additional objective, devoted-to-reason perspective from a conservative angle.

"Mischievous 'Filipino Monkey' could have triggered latest US-Iran row" (certainly not any propaganda efforts within our gov't!)

2008-01-14T10:37:00.000-08:00

http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,,2240533,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront

This is amazing, and almost laughable to me if it didn't risk such tragic ramifications. What most people will remember, I practically guarantee, will be something like "oh yeah, I remember that voice turned out to be a prankster" - instead of this:

The Pentagon said it recorded the film and the sound separately and then edited them together to give a "better idea of what is happening".

How does this not get further scrutiny?? That's a priceless line right there!

I was just thinking about this last night. The mainstream media is no longer remotely trustworthy (if it ever was). The Internet has a notable risk of people going down their own paths without counter-balancing information. I don't know what the right solution is, but I know at least one person who might be a good choice to start putting things right:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6d8MIENVtKw
(Congressman Ron Paul warns of a contrived incident to provoke war with Iran, a "Gulf of Tonkin" type incident, January 11, 2006... start at 1:25 if you want to only spend 25 seconds evaluating Ron Paul instead of a full 2 minutes)

We've got to figure out what to do here, or it will be on with Bush's litany: "We must confront Iran!", "We must prevail in this world war!", etc etc...

Bush: Iran threatens world security (pot, kettle - kettle, pot)

2008-01-13T19:23:00.001-08:00

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/13/bush.mideast.ap/index.html

Iran ... seeks to intimidate its neighbors with alarming rhetoric, defies the United Nations and destabilizes the entire region

"You cannot expect people to believe in the promise of a better future when they are jailed for peacefully petitioning their government," Bush said. "And you cannot stand up a modern, confident nation when you do not allow people to voice their legitimate criticisms."

"Iran's actions threaten the security of nations everywhere"

Yet he was speaking about democracy in a deeply undemocratic country, the Emirates, where an elite of royal rulers makes virtually all the decisions. Large numbers of foreign resident workers have few legal or human rights, including no right to citizenship and no right to protest working conditions.

Wow. The irony hurts.

CNN: Huckabee only guy wanting to eliminate the IRS (More lies for you all)

2008-01-13T18:02:00.001-08:00

http://www.ronpaulwarroom.com/?p=1364

Regardless of whether you agree with the idea, can we all agree that this statement about Huckabee is patently untrue?

This highlights the further degradation of CNN to me, before I can even consider their "issue" presented therein.

Diebold Voting Machine Failures Found Across State During New Hampshire Primary

2008-01-13T17:23:00.001-08:00

http://www.bradblog.com/?p=5553

When I asked the Rochester Clerk of the Election, Cheryl Eisenberg, to go over the voting machine security protocols that would apply to LHS staffers she said, "I don't think there is anything in writing as to how the situation would be handled. We rely on them, we trust them". Her remark typifies the way Town Clerks described their relationship with LHS during my initial interviews.

Of five of the towns called over two days, four had problems with their machines.

Late last year, I reported on a recorded interview I'd had with LHS's director of Sales and Marketing, Ken Hajjar, who admitted that the company routinely replaces both voting machines, and vulnerable memory cards, during elections.
Despite such replacements against strict laws in Connecticut, Hajjar told me, "I mean, I don't pay attention to every little law. It's just, it's up to the Registrars."

Hajjar was recently barred from working on elections in the state of Connecticut by the Secretary of State, after objectionable and profane remarks he had made publicly in the comments section of The BRAD BLOG.
More recently, a public records request made by BlackBoxVoting.org revealed that Hajjar had plead guilty to narcotics trafficking in the state of New Hampshire in 1990.

This man predicted the 1987 economic recession in 1983.

2008-01-13T17:09:00.001-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GzRWSof8uQ&feature=related

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_1980s_recession

Just to be clear what's on the line in the "Is it torture?" debates

2008-01-13T08:32:00.001-08:00

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/casecode/uscodes/18/parts/i/chapters/113c/sections/section_2340a.html

United States Code
TITLE 18 - CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I - CRIMES
CHAPTER 113C - TORTURE
U.S. Code as of: 01/19/04
Section 2340A. Torture

(a) Offense. - Whoever outside the United States commits or
attempts to commit torture shall be fined under this title or
imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both, and if death results to
any person from conduct prohibited by this subsection, shall be
punished by death or imprisoned for any term of years or for life.
(b) Jurisdiction. - There is jurisdiction over the activity
prohibited in subsection (a) if -
(1) the alleged offender is a national of the United States; or
(2) the alleged offender is present in the United States,
irrespective of the nationality of the victim or alleged
offender.

(c) Conspiracy. - A person who conspires to commit an offense
under this section shall be subject to the same penalties (other
than the penalty of death) as the penalties prescribed for the
offense, the commission of which was the object of the conspiracy.

Intelligence Chief Couches Reference to Waterboarding as 'Torture'

2008-01-13T08:23:00.001-08:00

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/12/AR2008011202286.html

Yet another layout of corruption...

2008-01-13T07:40:00.001-08:00

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10230718

Easily reduced through the elimination of earmarks, though...

Voting on the Strip a no-no, suit says

2008-01-13T06:30:00.001-08:00

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/jan/12/voting-stripa-no-no-suit-says/

A lawsuit filed late Friday in federal court seeks to stop the Democratic Party from holding caucus meetings at nine Strip hotels, which would diminish the influence of casino workers and hamper Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's campaign.

"This has been a fully transparent process," party spokeswoman Kirsten Searer said. "These rules have been approved by the Democratic National Committee and the campaigns have been fully informed throughout this process, which started in May."

Warne acknowledged that she did not approach the state party about the problem. "We're approaching them now," she said.

Add this to my list of voting shenanigans that need to change (though I'm not sure how you'd do this one) - you can bet that if Clinton had won, they would have stayed conveniently silent, but now it's all outrage because Obama could benefit. This is nothing against Hillary herself, but just shady tactics.

The REAL ID is back in the news.

2008-01-12T22:42:00.001-08:00

Back in February 2005, Ron Paul spoke powerfully on the House floor about why the REAL ID program should not be implemented:

http://people.ronpaul2008.com/campaign-updates/2008/01/12/papers-please

Glenn Beck, David Walker (Comptroller General of the United States) and economics

2008-01-12T22:18:00.001-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-16u9x3tfE

I almost always switch the channel from Glenn Beck (or Headline News in general, to be honest), but this was a great interview on the upcoming Social Security and related challenges. Obligatory Ron Paul reference halfway through.

Ron Paul COMPLETELY edited out of South Carolina debate recap!

2008-01-12T19:16:00.001-08:00

Take note of the powerful and coverage-worthy appearances here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKjhNa6PGLk

See if you can tell what's missing here:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-080110michigan,1,7265490.story?ctrack=1&cset=true
(I almost didn't want to provide this link because it's driving traffic, all of maybe 4 people, to the site)

Ron Paul talks about "Arab nations", but all John McCain hears is "al-Qaeda"

2008-01-12T18:37:00.001-08:00

http://theoneeyelies.blogspot.com/2008/01/ron-paul-talks-about-arab-nations-but.html
(NOTE: there's an Amnesty International ad at the bottom that starts playing right away and has grunting and groaning sounds - turn your sound off at first to avoid embarrassment, but I recommend going back and watching/listening to it also, it's pretty good.)

This blog's analysis is pretty spot on, and the Ron Paul debate video is outstanding - wish I'd watched it after all (I thought Fox News would marginalize Paul - who is my only reason for watching). He hits home run after home run in this debate, and the McCain example is an example of the value Ron Paul provides in exposing the insanity and/or hypocrisy and/or idiocy of the other Republican candidates.

Every Democrat should be fighting to make sure Ron Paul's voice is heard early and often, to continue exposing his fellow candidates' fundamental weaknesses that can be used in the general election.

Guantanamo detainees are not human beings - US judges

2008-01-12T17:24:00.001-08:00

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jODMMyRuK4Vc7kFu3inwmpxYXPrAD8U3TDM81

"Because the plaintiffs are aliens and were located outside sovereign United States territory at the time their alleged RFRA claim arose, they do not fall with the definition of 'person,'" the court ruled.

So, people aren't people and torture isn't torture - this slope's getting awfully slippery. Which presidential candidate(s) do you think would reverse this trend?

Remember, this is about people (yes, people) who have been detained for years, not even given a fair trial yet (you know, the "innocent until proven guilty" and "right to a speedy trial" parts).

UN Inspector Scott Ritter: Fools would Bomb Iran

2008-01-12T16:47:00.001-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XQan1qo8T4

Outstanding video - this guy seems like he nails it a lot of the time too:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Ritter#Opinions_on_US_policy_toward_Iraq

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O125hGt9qt4

Consider me a fan.

A US General has thrown out the conviction of the sole US officer charged over the abuse at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib jail

2008-01-12T16:32:00.001-08:00

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/11/2136868.htm

Hopefully picture reminders aren't needed of the scandal that exemplifies one of the things our nation shouldn't be about.

New Hampshire announces hand recount of all primary votes

2008-01-12T15:55:00.001-08:00

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/11/candidates-push-for-a-nh-recount/

This would good news if I had faith in my fellow citizens - which I don't (I think we'll already fail at 1a below).

Clinton and Obama came away with the same amount of delegates, which hopefully takes away some of the "sour grapes" argument (and also since Obama didn't even have anything to do with the recount request), but this is just a first step. Regardless of the outcome, I expect the major story would be that we are currently not remotely sure that a vote cast is a vote counted, and we should be.

Next on the list now that this is underway:

1) Hand recount and compare with Diebold scanning machines - by a DIFFERENT entity than handled it the first time.
1a) If they match, note that this is an acceptable part of the process and should not be frowned upon if future instances point toward a mismatch.
1b) If they don't match, do a THOROUGH analysis of why and FIX the problems.

2) Either way, evaluate the numerous "Diebolds can be hacked" claims and FIX those too.

3) Provide the voter with a RECEIPT that can be matched to the vote, but not in a way that would allow a buyer to "purchase" voters' votes (say, for $10 each) by simply demanding to see the receipts after voting.

4) Protect against exclusion of minorities/caging.

5) Don't switch to touchscreen voting UNTIL they have proven verifiable and reliable (this part New Hampshire did right).

6) Put results ONLINE in a PRECINT-BY-PRECINCT method so that voters can validate their portion of the totals. Government should be doing everything possible to empower its citizens in doing their civic duty.

Anything I'm missing? I can't believe this is still an issue (catching the caging, maybe, but none of the actual counting of votes part).

Ron Paul---Actual Republican

2008-01-12T14:21:00.001-08:00

http://youtube.com/watch?v=pZ_Z_XG0L2c

I know I posted it before, but Fox made YouTube/Google pull that version. Plus I love watching this clip. :-D

Ron Paul: McCain's Reckless '100 years in Iraq' Comment Endangers Americans

2008-01-12T10:46:00.001-08:00

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/080107/20080107006425.html?.v=1

Bush new deal with Iraq will become sworn 2009 obligation

2008-01-12T10:41:00.001-08:00

http://www.newsweek.com/id/91651

The new partnership deal with Iraq, including a status of forces agreement that would then replace the existing Security Council mandate authorizing the presence of the U.S.-led multinational forces in Iraq, will become a sworn obligation for the next president.

This is ridiculous, and very saddening (NBC rewrites its own rules to exclude Kucinich)

2008-01-12T08:41:00.001-08:00

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/080111/20080111005637.html?.v=1

Good email sent by the site I first saw it on:

I'm writing to express my dismay about NBC's decision to re-write its own previously announced criteria in order — specifically, it seems — to exclude Dennis Kucinich, the fourth-place finisher in at least one major national poll, from the Las Vegas debate.

I am not of the belief that Rep. Kucinich has a chance to win the nomination, but that's beside the point. It appears to me that our political press corps, yourself included, are simply blind to the intense feelings of frustration among many of us "out here" in America every time the media tries to narrow the ideological spectrum and limit our political debates. I am among almost 300 million people who have not had an opportunity to cast my vote in the primary, and it is the height of arrogance for you and NBC to tell me, in effect, that only 3 of the 4 candidates who met your announced criteria are acceptable choices, or that only the views of 3 of the 4 are acceptably "mainstream."

His "viability" is not an issue; Kucinich is not in this race to win. He's in it to influence the political discourse within the Democratic party, and as a Democratic-leaning independent, I would like to see the full spectrum of Democratic opinions aired and debated. It is maddening to have NBC deny us that process, especially so many months before the convention and with only a few small states having gone to the polls.

But even that isn't nearly as infuriating as the egregious disrespect shown to a member of the House of Representatives who's been sent back to Washington by his constituents five times. I'll be frank: to extend the invitation, and then rewrite your own rules in order to withdraw it makes it difficult for me to even maintain a civil tone.

I won't be watching your debate — it will be the first one I skip — because I don't want to support the idea that the media decides these elections and the voters are merely an afterthought. I will also write about your network's hubris on my blog and urge my friends and acquaintances to boycott the debate as well. Hopefully, General Electric will receive a lot of correspondence like this one, see a smaller-than-expected audience and finally figure out that while it has its hands in many businesses, electing a president isn't one that We the People will accept.

Countrywide CEO will get $110 million severance for helping create subprime mess, dumping $400 million in stock before CFC fell 80%

2008-01-12T08:27:00.001-08:00

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/laland/2008/01/mozilo-severanc.html

His contract agreement, which extended the 69-year-old's employment contract through 2009, Mozilo was guaranteed three times his base salary, plus a cash payment equal to three times the greater of his average bonus or the incentive bonus paid the previous year. Net value: $87.8 million.

Mozilo would receive continuing health benefits for life for himself and his spouse, three years of life and financial planning benefits, and "tax-gross-up payments" to compensate him for any penalties he'd have to pay for receiving payments the IRS might consider excessive.

Moody's: US might lose triple A Credit Rating, first time since 1917

2008-01-12T08:16:00.001-08:00

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/40f3a2be-bfa9-11dc-8052-0000779fd2ac,Authorised=false.html

If there were one candidate I would put my faith in to get us out of this economic mess...

Re: Clinton upstages Republicans with stimulus plan

2008-01-12T07:54:00.001-08:00

Okay, sure most of the previous post was about voting irregularities instead of the economic piece - but I'm so desparate to find something, anything positive to say about Hillary that I think I jumped the gun here and am rethinking after sending. :-P

Maybe not - but I would have no problem with a plan that lets people who made bad decisions implode, but protects the overall economy. I think most people either say "avoid recession!" or "let recession occur!", but I say localize it to where it's deserved, but keep the general system healthy. What do you guys think?

Also, I'm not sure if Clinton's plan would accomplish this goal or amount to a bailout.

Clinton upstages Republicans with stimulus plan

2008-01-12T07:15:00.001-08:00

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN0264367920080112

Outstanding proactive move by Hillary.

Just yesterday I was thinking about how powerful it would be for her, as the Dem winner of the New Hampshire primary, to call for an evaluation of the voting irregularities there to head off future concerns. I don't think that will happen at this point, but good to see her providing concrete, describable value on other fronts. (next up: doing so in ways that save money instead of spend it :-)

On another note, McCain is pretty much ridiculous (as is Romney for his belief that the same jobs will always exist and deserve fighting for regardless).

For more on voting irregularities, I provide one article from the NY times, and one from a source where they/editors both don't know how to spell chauffeur, and organize the article in a ridiculously confusing way:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/magazine/06Vote-t.html

http://blog.mlive.com/annarbornews/2008/01/ann_arbor_chauffuer_challenges.html

Ten Recurring Economic Fallacies, 1774–2004

2008-01-11T16:43:00.001-08:00

The Ron Paul video was my favorite Internet video moment of this week, maybe this month. This is my favorite article - outstanding read. (and great debate material :-)

http://www.mises.org/story/1568

Sorry, but I still love Ron Paul

2008-01-11T15:58:00.001-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLjRXoH2nbc

Can You Count on Voting Machines?

2008-01-11T12:52:00.001-08:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/magazine/06Vote-t.html

8 YEARS after it's known to be an important, mainstream problem with solutions available...

FBI Wiretaps Dropped Due to Unpaid Bills

2008-01-11T12:12:00.001-08:00

http://apnews.myway.com//article/20080110/D8U35C500.html

One time I'm glad to see government inefficiency!

(as is true in the case of all other impeachable offenses)

U.S.: Voices on Recording May Not Have Been From Iranian Speedboats

2008-01-11T11:56:00.001-08:00

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4115702&page=1

What a ridiculous excuse by the U.S. Navy. Propoganda like this gets in the way of true assessment of legitimate threats.

Best of Craigslist: Star Wars Guide to the Candidates

2008-01-11T11:24:00.001-08:00

http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/sfo/526482501.html

Just about perfect (Kucinich got shafted, and Clinton's should have been left at halfway through the first paragraph).

Kucinich Asks for New Hampshire Recount in the Interest of Election Integrity

2008-01-11T09:51:00.001-08:00

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080110006236&newsLang=en

Reminds me of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moay6TFSVGg

(I find it really hard to listen to Alex Jones, but he's right that this needs more attention. If you make it to the 7 minute mark though, let me save you 2 minutes - stop watching there, the rest is just YouTube ridiculosity)

Giuliani ad

2008-01-10T14:57:00.001-08:00

I am just stunned at this ad - this is ridiculous. If you listen to just the audio afterward, I'm guessing that's what America would continue to become under Rudy Giuliani.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2iFhGtKO-Q

Good God, have I missed Jon Stewart

2008-01-10T14:43:00.001-08:00

Though he didn't play the actual part the media has focused on, he could have and the message would still be exactly the same. The ending is the best part by far.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/01/09/thats-it-jon-stewart-_n_80749.html

70,000 former insurgents are now being paid $10 a day by the U.S. military. It costs about a quarter billion dollars a year.

2008-01-08T17:19:00.001-08:00

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17899543

Some 70,000 former insurgents are now being paid $10 a day by the U.S. military. It costs about a quarter billion dollars a year.

It's a controversial strategy, and Macgregor warns that it's creating a parallel military force in Iraq that is made up almost entirely of Sunni Muslims.

"We need to understand that buying off your enemy is a good short-term solution to gain a respite from violence," he says, "but it's not a long-term solution to creating a legitimate political order inside a country that, quite frankly, is recovering from the worst sort of civil war."

That civil war has subsided, for now. It's diminished because of massive, internal migration, a movement of populations that has created de-facto ethnic cantons.

Portrait in Cynicism: Hillary Attacks Obama from Every Angle

2008-01-08T17:08:00.001-08:00

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/portrait-in-cynicism-hil_b_80289.html

Musharraf: "We Are Not Looking" for Bin Laden

2008-01-08T16:52:00.001-08:00

http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/01/what-exactly-is.html