Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News TUESDAY, 11/22/05

[autorank]

”You can corrupt some of the government some of the time but you cannot corrupt all of the government all of the time.”

Election Fraud Blog Listing Day

Never forget the pursuit of Truth.

Only the deluded & complicit accept election results on blind faith.

Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News TUESDAY, 11/22/05

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 "Election Fraud and Reform News Sources" listed here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x371233

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.

If you want to know how post "News Banners" or other images, go here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=203&topic_id=371233#371391



All previous daily threads are available here:
http://www.independentmediasource.com/DU_archives/du_2004erd_el_ref_fr_thr_calenders.htm

Please

"Recommend"

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

[autorank]

1. BradBlog: The Mack Daddy Election Blog – “Blogged by Brad”

He’s been there, he is there, he will continue to be therei—breaking the great stories, keeping the record for election fraud.


http://www.bradblog.com/

DoJ 'Signals' GOP Corruption Probe Could Be Huge, Says NY Times
'Biggest Scandal in Congress in Over a Century'?

I didn't get to read this NY Times article from Saturday until just now. Gentelmen...start your shredders...

The Justice Department has signaled for the first time in recent weeks that prominent members of Congress could be swept up in the corruption investigation of Jack Abramoff
...
The investigation by a federal grand jury, which began more than a year ago, has created alarm on Capitol Hill, especially with the announcement Friday of criminal charges against Michael Scanlon, Mr. Abramoff's former lobbying partner and a former top House aide to Representative Tom DeLay.
...
Scholars who specialize in the history and operations of Congress say that given the brazenness of Mr. Abramoff's lobbying efforts, as measured by the huge fees he charged clients and the extravagant gifts he showered on friends on Capitol Hill, almost all of them Republicans, the investigation could end up costing several lawmakers their careers, if not their freedom.
...
"I think this has the potential to be the biggest scandal in Congress in over a century," said Thomas E. Mann, a Congressional specialist at the Brookings Institution.


Though before anybody gets too excited about all of this remember, this word is coming out of Bush Justice Dept. which means it will all depend on who gets ahold of the case -- the crime-fighting career professionals or the Bush appointees. Notice this passage from the same article:

Richard Cullen, a lawyer for Mr. DeLay, said in an interview Friday that he was "glad that the Justice Department is looking into all aspects of the trip because I think that a thorough investigation will show that the trip was substantive and transparent."


Given just some of what we already know about the corruption and cronyism at DoJ and their willingness to follow the marching orders from above, it would be little surprise if Cullen's "prediction" comes to pass.

Blogged by Brad on 11/21/2005 @ 6:07pm PT...
<1 comment so far...>

[autorank]

12. Blog: GuvWurld - The Essential Blog-

GuvWurld is "the essential" blog. It provides a viable rational and solution for our problems with election integrity. It's on record, the first locality in the United States is on record with the truth about our election system.

GuvWurld

http://guvwurld.blogspot.com/

"There is no basis for confidence in the results reported from U.S. federal elections." --Voter Confidence Resolution (v6.1, 5/14/05)
Adopted by Arcata, CA 7/20/05

What's the big idea? Read A Blueprint For Peaceful Revolution (NEW 9/22/05)
Also see the Guide to the Voter Confidence Resolution for abbreviated talking points

What would be better?

Be the media you want to see.

Keep your mind open...the future's coming.

Identify the least you can do, and commit to doing at least that much.

VOTER CONFIDENCE RESOLUTION Conclusion:

The following is a comprehensive election reform platform likely to ensure conclusive election results and create a basis for confidence in U.S. federal elections:

1) voting processes owned and operated entirely in the public domain, and
2) clean money laws to keep all corporate funds out of campaign financing, and
3) a voter verified paper ballot for every vote cast and additional uniform standards determined by a non-partisan nationally recognized commission, and
4) declaring election day a national holiday, and
5) counting all votes publicly and locally in the presence of citizen witnesses and credentialed members of the media, and
6) equal time provisions to be restored by the media along with a measurable increase in local, public control of the airwaves, and
7) presidential debates containing a minimum of three candidates, run by a non-partisan commission comprised of representatives of publicly owned media outlets, and
8) preferential voting and proportional representation to replace the winner-take-all system for federal elections;

Be it further resolved:

When elections are conducted under conditions that prevent conclusive outcomes, the Consent of the Governed is not being sought. Absent this self-evident source of legitimacy, such Consent is not to be assumed or taken for granted.

[autorank]

2. Blog: ELECTION FRAUD IN 2004—Compendium of Amazing Resources

This blog is just amazing. Click on the link and take a look. It’s the history of election fraud 2004 and beyond.

http://www.betterworldlinks.org/book109h.htm

Politics - U.S. Presidential Election 2004
ELECTION FRAUD in 2004
Suggestions welcome via Email.

*
ELECTION FRAUD 2004 ! - Another Stolen Election ?

o
More Information
+ Ad CENSORED By GOOGLE: U.S. Election Fraud 2004 - "Rejected"
+ Over 3000 LINKS on the U.S. Presidential Election 2004
+ Presidential Election NEWS, BLOGS & POLLS
+ Our Links on the "STOLEN ELECTION" 2000
+ Suggestions & Help welcome !

o
Fraud LINKS
+ ELECTION FRAUD in 2004 ! - Better World Links
+ VOTE FRAUD LINKS - Link Crusader
+ Evidence of Possible Election Fraud - master list of thread links
+ 2004 U.S. Election Controversies and Irregularities - Wikipedia
+ Republican Election Theft Roundup - BOP
+ Steal Your Election
+ Google Search: Election Fraud 2004
+ Suggestions & Help welcome !

o
Fraud NEWS
+ Articles on VOTE FRAUD ! - WhatReallyHappened
+ John Kerry & Florida - Election 2004
+ November 2 Truth - Taking back our election and our country
+ Electronic Voting - Online Journal
+ Vote Watch 2004 - eRiposte
+ Ohio Voter Suppression News
+ VotersUnite! - Election Problems
+ VoteGate 2004
+ MSN Search: "Ohio Recount"
+ MSN Search: "Florida Recount"
+ MSN Search: "Election Fraud" News
+ MSN Search: "Election Fraud" Bush Kerry
+ The Free Press

o
General INFO
+ 2004 U.S. Presidential Election Controversy - Wikipedia
+ 2004 U.S. Election Controversies and Irregularities - Wikipedia
+ KERRY WON ! - by Greg Palast 04.11.04
+ Evidence Mounts That The VOTE Was HACKED ! (1) - by Thom Hartmann 06.11.04
+ Evidence Mounts That The VOTE Was HACKED ! (2) - by Thom Hartmann 06.11.04
+ Saudis, Enron money helped pay for US rigged election 25.11.04
+ Election 2004: SHOPLIFTING the PRESIDENCY? - Greg Palast 03.11.04
+ An ELECTION SPOILED ROTTEN ! - by Greg Palast 01.11.04

[autorank]

3. Blog: Election Fraud Blog—Organik!!!

This is an outstanding blog with intelligent commentary in real time.

http://electionfraudblog.com/

Election Fraud Blog
The conspiracy theory is that Bush won
.
URGENT CALL TO ACTION: CALIFORNIA RE. DIEBOLD CERTIFICATION
Posted in General, TAKE ACTION! on November 20th, 2005

BROADCAST WIDELY

November 20,2005
Sheri Myers, CitizensAct

MY FRIENDS,

Believe me, I really don’t want to ruin your day. But you need to hear this. This is an URGENT ACTION ALERT. The rally/protest is this Monday in Sacramento, we have ONLY next week to voice our concerns so they go on the record.

If you don’t read this and take action, you are allowing your vote to be stolen. California will turn red.

If you read this and do nothing, you are giving up your rights as a citizen. Do it for your country. Your children. Our future.

[autorank]

4. Blog: Ohio Election Fraud (Formerly "Fairness"

This is an amazing resource for all things Ohio, which is to say “ground zero in election fraud 2004.

Ohio Election Fraud (Formerly "Fairness")

Before the Ohio Election Fraud, this blog was entitled "Fairness". Since November 2, 2004, a day that will live in infamy, this blog has been devoted exclusively to fighting the crimes committed against the citizens of Ohio, and against our American way of life, in the 2004 "election".

November 16, 2005

Important Action Memo from Victoria Lovegren:

If you haven't made up your mind about electronic voting, or if you haven't yet contacted Cuyahoga County Commissioners to tell them you don't want privatized elections, the following story should help.

Ohio: Alarming Comparisons of Pre-Election Polls and Official Results for Reform Ohio Now Initiatives
by Warren Stewart, Director of Legislative Issues and Policy VoteTrustUSA

In their article "Has American Democracy Died an Electronic Death in Ohio 2005's Referenda Defeats?", Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman point out alarming statistical anomalies in last Tuesday's official results on five statewide ballot initiatives. One of the initiatives was a proposition for state programs to create jobs and promote high tech industry, while the other four were election reform measures referred to collectively as Reform Ohio Now (RON).

Fitrakis and Wasserman note that while the historically reliable pre-election poll conducted by the Columbus Dispatch was typically accurate in predicting the official results for the first ballot initiative it was radically off in predicting easy victories for three of the four RON initiatives. The paper's last poll published on Sunday, November 6, the Dispatch showed Issue One passing with 53% of the vote and the initiative passé

[autorank]

5. Blog: Black Voter Network

This blog is comprehensive and should be on everybody’s book mark list. The issues are compelling and the element of race is at the bottom of much of election fraud.

http://blackvoternetwork.com/votefraud.htm

Black Voter Network

Voting Fraud News

Friday 11/18/2005

Voter ID memo stirs tension - Sponsor of disputed Georgia legislation told feds that blacks in her district only vote if they are paid to do so. 11/18/2005 Atlanta Journal Constitution: "The chief sponsor of Georgia's voter identification law told the Justice Department that if black people in her district "are not paid to vote, they don't go to the polls," and that if fewer blacks vote as a result of the new law, it is only because it would end such voting fraud. The newly released Justice Department memo quoting state Rep. Sue Burmeister (R-Augusta) was prepared by department lawyers as the federal government considered whether to approve the new law. It also says that despite Republican assurances the law would not disenfranchise elderly, poor and black voters, Susan Laccetti Meyers, the staff adviser for the Georgia House of Representatives, told the Justice Department "the Legislature did not conduct any statistical analysis of the effect of the photo ID requirement on minority voters." "


Thursday 11/17/2005

Fasten your seatbelts - It's time to bring this thing in for a landing 11/17/2005 Black Box Voting: "Two testing labs in Huntsville, Alabama need to be visited by people with badges, guns and search warrants. The small offshoot office of Ciber Labs, run by Shawn Southworth, and the Wyle Labs office which has been supervised by Jim Dearman, are responsible for repeatedly certifying defective voting machines that violate Federal Election Commission standards."

Criticism of Voting Law Was Overruled - Justice Dept. Backed Georgia Measure Despite Fears of Discrimination 11/17/2005 Washington Post: "But an Aug. 25 staff memo obtained by The Washington Post recommended blocking the program because Georgia failed to show that the measure would not dilute the votes of minority residents, as required under the Voting Rights Act. The memo, endorsed by four of the team's five members, also said the state had provided flawed and incomplete data. The team found significant evidence that the plan would be "retrogressive," meaning that it would reduce blacks' access to the polls."

[autorank]

6. Blog: VoteLaw.com – The resource for legal issues in election fraud.

Attorney Still has a great background in voting rights law and he writes one heck of a blog. Bookmarked!



http://www.votelaw.com/blog/

November 21, 2005
Arizona: IRC opposes fast-track appeal

AP reports: The state's redistricting commission is opposing a Democratic group's request that the Arizona Supreme Court conduct an accelerated review of the Democrats' appeal of a lower court's ruling upholding current congressional and legislative district maps.

The Democrats say accelerated review by the Supreme Court still could allow their appeal of the Court of Appeals ruling to be decided in time to allow new legislative districts to be used in the 2006 elections. -- Welcome to the Tucson Citizen
This entry was posted by Edward at 08:52 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Categories: Election litigation/prosecutions , Redistricting
Georgia: a different take on Burmeister

Jay Bookman opines in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: State Rep. Sue Burmeister, an Augusta Republican and author of the state's controversial voter ID law, told investigators for the Justice Department that the law isn't a threat since black voters in her area vote only if they're paid to vote anyway.

Ladies and gentlemen, that's racism, pure and ugly.

I know that sounds harsh — the racism charge gets tossed around a lot these days — but it's hard to describe this any other way.

In fact, this has really made me angry. I'm a white guy, and I've voted lots of times. Now, after all these years of standing in lines and punching ballots, I discover that I've been voting for free while black people have been getting paid to do it?

It's blatant discrimination against white people, that's what it is. If black people get paid to vote, I should be paid to vote. Equal pay for equal say! -- White people! Don't just cast a vote; sell it | ajc.com
This entry was posted by Edward at 08:48 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) |

Categories: Voting procedures
November 20, 2005
Nathan Newman on "a political rightwing dinosaur"

Nathan Newman discusses the connection between organized labor and the reapportionment decisions of the 1960's and concludes: In opposing the reapportionment decisions, Sam Alito made it clear that this was not merely an abstract legal position but part of his more general alignment with the rightwing politics of the 1960s, including an allegiance to the National Review , which opposed civil rights and democratic equality in the states with all its intellectual vigor in that period.

So how any Democrat could even consider voting for a political rightwing dinosaur of that era is beyond me. -- Labor Blog

This entry was posted by Edward at 05:02 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Categories: Redistricting , Supreme Court nominations

Nathan Newman discusses the connection between organized labor and the reapportionment decisions of the 1960's and concludes: In opposing the reapportionment decisions, Sam Alito made it clear that this was not merely an abstract legal position but part of his more general alignment with the rightwing politics of the 1960s, including an allegiance to the National Review , which opposed civil rights and democratic equality in the states with all its intellectual vigor in that period.

So how any Democrat could even consider voting for a political rightwing dinosaur of that era is beyond me. -- Labor Blog

[autorank]

7. OH: Mystery Pollster Tells Us How Colombus Dispatch was Off in Ohio

This is the same Columbus Dispatch Polling group that has a reputation of being right on target. The Ohio special election saw Issue # go from 61% YES to 33% YES. Wonder how that happened. Didn’t this guy work for the Democrats at one time?



http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00002052.htm

'Mystery Pollster' Blumenthal Analyzes Columbus Dispatch Polling of Ohio '05 Election (While Election Results Themselves Continue Un-Investigated)

ISSUE 3 (Revise campaign contribution limits)
PRE-POLLING: 61% Yes, 25% No, 14% Undecided
FINAL RESULT: 33% Yes, 66% No

Blumenthal deserves kudos for his serious and detailed investigation into both the Dispatch survey's "long and remarkable history of success," as he describes it, and where he feels they might have gone so astoundingly wrong this year for the very first time. He points to a few changes in the methodology for the poll; the Dispatch didn’t use the precise text of the initiatives in its survey; included an "Undecided" option for the first time; an examination of the data seems to show the poll occurred at a time that the electorate was in the process of changing its opinions on the issues; and finally that many voters found the text of the actual ballot initiatives to be long and confusing leading them to take the safer vote of "No" when they were not clear about what they were actually voting for.

Where he doesn't deserve credit is in his approach which presumes from the start that there must be something wrong with the polling itself -- but not the Election Results -- to explain the unprecedented disparity between the polling and the final results of the actual election.

As a pollster himself, he surely knows that it's quite simple to construct a poll in such a way that one can get back results which match just about any pre-determined outcome an unscrupulous pollster may hope for. Similarly, as with Blumenthal's earlier efforts to examine the disparity of Exit Poll Results vs. Final Election Results in last November's
Presidential Election, his approach presumes from the get-go that the polling, not the results, are incorrect...and now we just need to figure out why

[autorank]

8. UKRAINE: Yuschenko Will Try Harder after Orange Revolution Win.

http://www.rferl.org/default.aspx

http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/11/00E2992F-7BAA-4432-BF0F-4B1397FBBE1C.html

21 November 2005 –

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko promised today to build on economic and diplomatic successes to win a parliamentary election next year.

Yushchenko said his allies would regain public confidence enough to win the March 2006 election and hold talks on putting together a new parliamentary majority and government.

"We have to win the election," he said. "A victory in parliament will be the second victory for democracy after winning last year. After last year's victory, the next task is to win in parliament. There is still time for us to learn the lessons of what happened and achieve understanding."

He dismissed speculation that a reduction in his powers due to take effect in the New Year could ruin his plans to revitalize the economy and move closer to Europe.

Earlier today, Yushchenko has signed a decree making the anniversary of the country's Orange Revolution a new state holiday.

[autorank]

9. UKRAINE: Celegrating the Orange Revolution for Election Integrity

It wasn’t about one politician, Yuschenko, it was about free and fair elections. Congratulations.



http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/11/21/ap/world/mainD8E13E800.shtml

Ukraine Marks Orange Revolution
KIEV, Ukraine, Nov. 21, 2005

(AP) Supporters and critics of President Viktor Yushchenko began descending Monday on the Ukrainian capital to mark the first anniversary of the Orange Revolution amid complaints that he has not kept his promises.




Festivities were due to begin on Tuesday, but as workers put the finishing touches on a giant stage on Independence Square, the curious, the supportive and the angry began to gather.

"Last year's revolution was about freedom, about standing up and being proud of who we are," said Oleksandr Samulyn, 35, who came with a large group from western Ukraine, a pro-Yushchenko stronghold.

However, results from an opinion poll released Monday showed that 55 percent of Ukrainians did not support having a big celebration to mark the start of the massive protests of election fraud that helped usher Yushchenko into power and became known as the Orange Revolution.

Disappointment has taken hold, and many complain that Yushchenko has not lived up to his Independence Square pledges to fight corruption, restore trust in the government and improve living standards after the decade-long rule of his predecessor, Leonid Kuchma.

Petro Poroshenko, a tycoon who was one of Yushchenko's closest aides, told The Associated Press on Monday that he understood the disappointment, but insisted the Orange Revolution had resulted in some great achievements.

[autorank]

10. DC: DeLay Aid Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy

Yes, conspiracies do take place. DeLay is awaiting trial for election law violations. The intersection of conspiracy and election problems is on the way.


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/22/politics/22scanlon.html?pagewanted=print

November 22, 2005

Former DeLay Aide Pleads Guilty toConspiracy

By PHILIP SHENON

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 - Michael Scanlon, a former business partner of the lobbyist Jack Abramoff and a former top aide to Representative Tom DeLay, pleaded guilty on Monday to conspiring to bribe a member of Congress and other public officials.

Mr. Scanlon also agreed to repay $19.6 million to his former Indian tribe lobbying clients.

He acknowledged in a plea agreement that he and Mr. Abramoff, identified in the court papers as "Lobbyist A," agreed to make lavish gifts to public officials, including all-expense-paid trips to Europe and the Super Bowl, in exchange for official actions.

Federal law enforcement officials portrayed the plea bargain, under which Mr. Scanlon faces up to five years in prison, as an important development in the larger criminal investigation of Mr. Abramoff, who has been under scrutiny by a grand jury here for more than a year.

The investigation, which initially centered on accusations that Mr. Abramoff had defrauded tribal casinos of tens of millions of dollars in lobbying fees, has created alarm on Capitol Hill, where the lobbyist and his junior partner, Mr. Scanlon, claimed friendships among the Republican leaders of Congress.

<snip>

Before turning to lobbying in 2000, Mr. Scanlon was press secretary to Mr. DeLay, the former House majority leader, who is under indictment in Texas on unrelated charges of violating state election laws.

[autorank]

11. NC: County has to Dump ESS Voting Machines

Please read the paragraph in bold below. It says it all.


http://www.herald-sun.com/person/12-670869.html

Person may need new vote machines

BY WILLIAM F. WEST, The Herald-Sun
November 21, 2005 10:37 pm

ROXBORO -- Person County taxpayers could be paying six figures for new voting machines, an official said.

County Manager Steve Carpenter said he received a notice late last week from the N.C. Board of Elections saying the county's ballot-counting devices could be decertified, which would not be good with 2006 elections around the corner.

The manager said in an interview Monday that the county currently has about $200,000 invested in the present machines plus backup equipment.

Carpenter said the problem with Person County's machines stems from countywide and presidential elections, during which voters who will be outside their home districts may vote at another polling place. The machines are not able to break down votes by individual districts, he said. So it is impossible to pinpoint where each vote came from.

Carpenter believes the reason that shortcoming in the machines has become an issue is because some candidates want to be able to track how they fared in a neighborhood or section of the county.

He said the county would have to wait to purchase new machines because the state board is going to meet later in December to decide what kinds would be acceptable. Attempts to reach a board spokesman for comment were unsuccessful Monday afternoon.