Reply #227: All I know right now is what she's saying and it sounds good to me. [View All]

[autorank]

I was extremely upset by the Ohio 2004 report by DNC, although there were some very good things in it. Am I supposed to be angry because it got by Dean even though Dean has been saying things like this over and over again:

The Governor then went on to talk about voting machines saying, “We are also going to talk about the machines. I don’t think these machines work. If they do work, the public has no way to verify that they work, and I don’t understand why people in Washington aren’t more concerned. I believe that these things can not be relied on and we do need to spend time and energy on this.”
http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/06/governor_dean_a_3.php

So Dean got rolled by Brazile back when on the Ohio 2004 Report but Dean and Brazile are now saying the right things. It's a matter of positive reinforcement. Sure, it is late, more than a little as you said above. Better late than never or you're never late if you get there...

The Florida situation you described and the entire history in Florida is an outrage. In fact, it's illegal. You cannot have elections using computerized anything because you can't allow citizens to observe the vote counting and tabulating process. This garbage about recounts and access to ballots is also ridiculous. In my state there has to be less than a 0.25% difference between candidates to trigger a recount and the recount doesn't allow inspection of ballots, another outrage. The outrages are everywhere.

Brazile is talking the talk, lets help her walk the walk. If she does, that's great. I'm a Democrat and I want all Democratic leaders, key operatives to be on the same page - the system is both broken, in many cases, and rigged, in many others (or seemingly broken but rigged). They should fly in with lawyers, PR etc. and assist people like those you describe in Florida. That would be walking the walk. Let's see.

If you want someone, unrepentant, to focus on , take a look a this. Hoyer and Chris Dodd, the other D from CT co-sponsored this with the charming Ney (soon to be indicted I hope) of OH and Mitch McConnell, R, KY. They have not backed off one inch. It's the enabling legislating for the horrors you describe. Dodd and Hoyer need to wake up and smell the coffee, see what's been done in the name of the "Help America Vote Act." It's real ugly, as you know.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 17, 2003
HOYER, NEY ANNOUNCE ELECTION REFORM FUNDING EFFORT
Election Reform Leaders Request $1.86 Billion in Supplemental
http://tinyurl.com/qzcz9

by Stacey Farnen

WASHINGTON D.C. - House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer and House Administration Committee Chairman Bob Ney met today with the Honorable Mary Kiffmeyer, President of the National Association of Secretaries of State, to discuss their intention to seek $1.86 billion in funding for the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). Congressman Hoyer released the following statement following the meeting:

“Chairman Ney and I have sent a letter to Speaker Dennis Hastert and other Congressional leaders to request that $1.86 billion in election reform funding be included in one of the supplemental spending measures currently being considered by Congress .

“Although we were poised to make this request before the recent court ruling regarding the California recall election, that decision has added immediacy to an already urgent matter.

“It is imperative that Congress immediately provide full funding for the Help America Vote Act if we are going to guarantee voters that their votes will count. Full funding will allow states and localities to better plan and implement the improvements necessary to preventing another debacle like the 2000 presidential election. The very foundations of our democracy depend on Congress living up to the promise it made in this bill.”