3398 QuickLinks

Monday, October 6, 2008
British commander says war with Taliban cannot be won
"We're not going to win this war. It's about reducing it to a manageable level of insurgency that's not a strategic threat and can be managed by the Afghan army," he said.NATO commanders and diplomats have been saying for some time that the Taliban insurgency cannot be defeated by military means alone and that negotiations with the militants will ultimately be needed to bring an end to the conflict.

Monday, October 6, 2008
Canvassers Use Palin as "Magic Bullet" in Swaying N.J. and Pa. Undecideds
I have not talked to a single person who has a favorable opinion of her, not even among McCain supporters.In going door-to-door in PA(my weekend activity),bringing up Palin is always met with a furrowed brow and a troubled look.The typical comment I hear is,"How could he have picked her?She really worries me!"There is no better way to directly help influence a campaign than canvassing door to door or phone banking.

Monday, October 6, 2008
Ken Burns: This is Not the John McCain New Hampshire Once Loved
Surrounded and programmed by the lobbyists he once despised,the man who once effortlessly straddled the aisle and spoke from the heart now carefully hews to a prompter-read, soulless far-right agenda.The real maverick turns out to be Barack Obama, who bucked his party's establishment & whose once-lonely positions have been adopted by nearly everyone including even the Bush administration.Nearly everyone,that is,except McCain

Monday, October 6, 2008
Gotcha? You Betcha!
When they say "gotcha journalism," what they're really trying to do is to demonize journalism itself-to de-legitimize asking tough questions,& following up with more tough questions when the answers are mealy-mouth evasions,& holding politicians accountable when they inadvertently emit a truth.We certainly could have used more gotcha journalism during the decade leading to the worst economic debacle since the Great Depression

Monday, October 6, 2008
GOP Challenges 6,000 Montana Voters...Because They Moved Last Year
One of those challenged voters who may lose their right to vote is a former MT State Rep,& an Army Reservist,currently in NJ because he's about to leave for Iraq.Again.He won't be able to go to Montana to confirm his authenticity, unfortunately.1st Lt Kevin Furey released this statement:It is ironic that while I am about to return to Iraq to help build a democracy & my own right to vote is being challenged at home

Monday, October 6, 2008
False Flier Warns of Election Day Arrests in PA African-American Neighborhoods
This is an old,and venerable trick meant to scare Democrats,usually African-Americans,away from the the voting booth.We'll likely see much more of it---and the variation of it,fliers that "inform" voters that Democrats are supposed to vote on Wednesday--between now and November 4th.A few similar dirty tricks fliers that were circulated in 2004, in Wisconsin and Ohio, are reposted below as a reminder...

Monday, October 6, 2008
Cynthia Tucker: GOP Pinning Hopes on Keeping Democrats Away from the Polls
The GOP’s brand is in tatters, dragged down by an incompetent president,an unpopular war and a sickly economy.So the party seems to be pinning its hopes on keeping likely Democrats — people of color, the poor,college students — away from the polls....The stench of corruption and cynicism emanating from the effort to disenfranchise voters is finally too heavy to ignore. The GOP is just ensuring that the tarnish on its bran

Monday, October 6, 2008
OpEdNews: 'Murder, Spies & Voting Lies' is 'Most Explosive Documentary Produced in Recent Memory'
Rady Ananda at OpEdNews opens her review of Murder, Spies & Voting Lies: The Clint Curtis Story by declaring it "the most explosive documentary produced in recent memory, involving murder, espionage, cover-up, electoral cyber fraud and a United States Member of Congress with ties to the Bush Administration."

Monday, October 6, 2008
Hannity's Witness: "Exterminate Jew Power"
Martin "ran for the Republican nomination for governor of Florida against the incumbent,Bob Martinez, in 1990. The Florida Republican Party disavowed him because he previously ran for office as a Democrat and because of his anti-Semitic statements."This is Sean Hannity's idea of a source.Does Bill Kristol care? David Brooks?Abe Foxman?John McCain? Sarah Palin?

Monday, October 6, 2008
Exclusive: 2nd Mac-Style 'Paper Ballot v. Voting Machine' Campaign Ad Released by Jason Osgood
By the way,since we ran our initial article on Osgood,he has signed the StandingForVoters dot org pledge to not concede his election unless and until all votes are counted,counted accurately,and all serious election challenges have been adequately resolved.The BRAD BLOG,which is a co-founder of VelvetRevolution,the initial sponsor of the SFV campaign, thanks Osgood for his commitment to the voters.

Monday, October 6, 2008
Why the Debates Won't Matter (Hint: It's a Felony)
This election won't be won or lost at the debates nor determined by the two campaigns'"ground games" --their get-out-the-vote efforts.Nor, unfortunately,will its outcome even depend on how many Americans wake up on Election Day intending to vote for one candidate or the other.Instead,my fear is that the Electoral College results will hang on the swing state voting systems' vulnerability to sabotage.It's already happening.

Sunday, October 5, 2008
Announcing the Election Verification Exit Poll
(1 comments) Election Verification Exit Polls hold perhaps the greatest promise for impact of any technique.The Bush administration has testified that they helped fund exit polls abroad because it is one of the only ways to expose large-scale fraud. Indeed,discrepancies between exit polls and the official results have been used to successfully overturn election results in Serbia,Peru,the Republic of Georgia &,in November 2004,Ukraine.

Sunday, October 5, 2008
Exclusive Interview With Former Diebold Contractor
VR has an interview with former Diebold contractor Chris Hood that talks about many disturbing actions by Diebold during prior elections,including illegal, uncertified and unreported patches, and improper feeding of tabulation results by Diebold Chief Bob Urosevitch.This interview was prepared for a major news program special that was supposed to air two weeks before the 2006 midterm election.It was pulled at the last minute.

Saturday, October 4, 2008
Pitbull Palin Mauls McCain
But the debate reminded Republicans once again that it’s Palin, not McCain, who is their last hope for victory. You have to wonder how long it will be before they plead with him to think of his health, get out of the way and pull the ultimate stunt of flipping the ticket. Palin, we can be certain, wouldn’t even blink.

Saturday, October 4, 2008
The dumbing down of the GOP
The ultimate irony of Palin's rise is that it has occurred at a moment when Americans may finally have grown weary of pseudo-populism--when intelligence,judgment,diligence and seriousness are once again valued, simply because we are in such deep trouble.We got into this mess because we elected a man who professed to despise elitism,which he detected in everyone whose opinions differed from his prejudices.That was W,of course.

Friday, October 3, 2008
Why These Guys from Hollywood Want YOU to Vote
A four-minute video full of Hollywood stars urging fellow Americans to register to vote and pass this on. Pass it on!

Friday, October 3, 2008
Hockey Mom on Thin Ice
McCain found himself in a political hole and threw the dice with Palin. At the time of her selection, voters were often compared with "American Idol" watchers who put personality and stage presence above everything else. But it turns out that Americans take the presidency very seriously. And surviving 90 minutes on a stage with Biden did not transform Palin into a plausible president.

Friday, October 3, 2008
Edge of the Abyss
And while the election is only 32 days away, it will be almost four months until the next administration takes office. A lot can — and probably will — go wrong in those four months. One thing’s for sure: The next administration’s economic team had better be ready to hit the ground running, because from day one it will find itself dealing with the worst financial and economic crisis since the Great Depression.

Friday, October 3, 2008
The Vice-Presidential Debate
Palin’s primary tactic was simply to repeat the same thing over and over:John McCain is a maverick.So is she.To stay on that course,she had to indulge in some wildly circular logic.In the end,the debate did not change the essential truth of Palin’s candidacy:McCain made a wildly irresponsible choice that shattered the image he created for himself as the honest,seasoned,experienced man of principle and judgment.

Friday, October 3, 2008
Agency’s ’04 Rule Let Banks Pile Up New Debt, and Risk
In loosening the capital rules,which are supposed to provide a buffer in turbulent times,the agency also decided to rely on the firms’ own computer models for determining the riskiness of investments,essentially outsourcing the job of monitoring risk to the banks themselves.Over the following months & years,each of the firms would take advantage of the looser rules.At Bear Stearns,the leverage ratio rose sharply to 33 to 1.

Friday, October 3, 2008
Judge Suppresses Report on Voting Machine Security
The plaintiffs are deeply troubled by the Court's issuance of what is essentially a temporary restraining order restricting speech,without any motion or briefing whatsoever.Issuing such an order is an extreme measure, which should be done only in rare circumstances,& only if the moving party has satisfied its high burden of showing both imminent harm/ likelihood of success on the merits. Those 2 requirements have not been met.

Thursday, October 2, 2008
Homer Simpson tries to Vote for Obama (Video)
(1 comments) This is a video about the trustworthiness of electronic voting machines. Certainly reminiscent of one that was circulating in 2004 and is in STEALING AMERICA: Vote By Vote and some of the other films.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008
CBS News: New Study Details Massive Voter Roll Purges Underway in At Least 19 States
he CBS story,(appx 2 mins) starts with an elderly New Jersey voter who was suddenly removed from the voting rolls after thirty years,for apparently no reason,before launching into findings from a new non-partisan Brennan Center for Justice study on "Voter Purges"notes 10,000 voters purged in Mississippi,21,000 in Louisiana and "to top it off,another new study discovered 19 states are ignoring federal law

Monday, September 29, 2008
Has Sarah Palin Been Picked as the Titular Head of the Coming Police State?
I am not telling you this because it's about my life. I am telling you this because it is about your life -- whoever you are, Conservative or Liberal, independent or evangelical. Your politics will not protect you in a police state. History shows that nothing protects you in a police state. This is not about my fear and anxiety: it is about what awaits you and everyone you love unless you see this for what it is:

Monday, September 29, 2008
Muslim Children Gassed at Dayton Mosque After "Obsession" DVD Hits Ohio
A "chemical irritant" was sprayed through a window of the Islamic Society of Greater Dayton,where 300 people were gathered for a Ramadan prayer service.The room that the chemical was sprayed into was the room where babies and children were being kept while their mothers were engaged in prayers.This,apparently, is what the scare tactic political campaigning of McCain's supporters has led to--perpetrating a terrorist attack vs.

Monday, September 29, 2008
Anne Lamott: A call to arms
Figure out one thing you can do every single day to be a part of the solution,concentrating on swing states.Money,walking precincts, registering voters,whatever.This is the only way miracles ever happen--left foot,right foot,left foot, breathe.EL Doctorow once said that writing a novel is like driving at night with the headlights on:You can only see a little ways in front of you,but you can make the whole journey this way. I

Monday, September 29, 2008
Trickle-Up: What a Progressive Bailout Would Look Like
Those would be longer-term projects for after the election. But for now, having the government spend those hundreds of billions of dollars buying up properties rather than dubious securities would be a bailout that keeps families in their homes and loosens the credit markets but doesn't reward Wall Street's wheeler-dealers for their recklessness.

Monday, September 29, 2008
The debates won’t matter
Joseph Stalin is reputed to have said,"Those who cast the votes decide nothing.Those who count the votes decide everything."I think he had it half right.Those who decide who cast the votes also decide everything.

Monday, September 29, 2008
Counting Every Vote
There are other ways that technology can complicate the election system. One big worry isn't the voting machines being used but the databases in which voter registration information is stored. A number of states recently introduced a requirement that names on drivers' licenses and voter registration records match exactly.This could unfairly disqualify some voters, because the software used often cannot account for typos.

Sunday, September 28, 2008
Newsweek: A Freddie Mac Money Trail Catches Up With McCain
One senior McCain adviser said the entire flap could have been avoided if the campaign had resisted attacking Barack Obama for his ties to two former Fannie Mae executives, which prompted the media to take a second look at Davis. "It was stupid," the adviser said. "A serious miscalculation and an amateurish move." Still, this adviser said, McCain's faith in his campaign manager remains unswerving.

Sunday, September 28, 2008
McCain’s Suspension Bridge to Nowhere
The man who puts his “country 1st� will take the country down with him if that’s what it takes to get to the WH.W has so little credibility he can govern only through surrogates(Paulson is the new Petraeus).That utter power vacuum gave McC the opening to pull his potentially catastrophic display of economic “leadership� last week.He may be the 1st prez candidate in our history to risk wrecking the country before

Sunday, September 28, 2008
White Privilege, White Entitlement and the 2008 Election
White privilege is the only thing that could possibly allow someone to become president when he has voted with Bush 90% of the time,even as unemployment is skyrocketing,people are losing their homes,inflation is rising,and the US is increasingly isolated from world opinion,just because white voters aren’t sure about that whole "change" thing.Ya know,it’s just too vague and ill-defined unlike,say,four more years of the same

Sunday, September 28, 2008
Exclusive: Washington SoS Candidate Unveils Mac-style 'Paper Ballot v. Touch-Screen' Ad Campaign
The Democratic candidate for Secretary of State in Washington state has released what he says will be the first of a series of campaign spots, satirizing the well-known "Mac v. PC" commercials, to highlight the differences between touch-screen voting machines and paper ballots.

Sunday, September 28, 2008
Laura Bush: Palin Lacks Foreign Policy Experience
If a similarly striking comment had been made by a powerful Democrat (or their spouse) about Barrack Obama or Joe Biden do you supposed it would have received a bit more coverage?

Sunday, September 28, 2008
Exclusive: Fox 'News' Spikes Story on Conservatives 'Questioning Palin Heft'
AP Article Detailing a Number of Criticisms of the Republican Veep Nominee Was 'Top Story' at FNC Website, Only to be Suddenly Disappeared; Copy of the Story, as Killed by the 'Fair and Balanced' Propagandists, Reposted as BRAD BLOG Courtesy, in Full, Below...

Friday, September 26, 2008
Election officials telling college students they can't vote
(1 comments) Kudos once again to McClatchy Newspapers for this coverage: Colorado Democrats accused a Republican county clerk Wednesday of falsely informing Colorado College that students from outside the state could not register to vote if their parents claimed them as a dependent on their tax returns.

Friday, September 26, 2008
McCain resurrects an old stunt
But as many Great Men come to learn, there is a colossal downside built into running a campaign on outsized personal virtue. The line between stoic, honorable service and showy moral vanity is oftentimes difficult to maintain.And when a candidate confuses his own political ambitions with the fortunes of his country, that's when Great Men turn into self- parodies...Don't say he didn't warn us.

Friday, September 26, 2008
Palin Problem
(7 comments) No one hates saying that more than I do.Like so many women,I’ve been pulling for Palin,wishing her the best,hoping she will perform brilliantly.I’ve also noticed that I watch her interviews with the held breath of an anxious parent,my finger poised over the mute button in case it gets too painful.Unfortunately,it often does.Only Palin can save McCain,her party,and the country she loves.She can bow out for personal reasons.

Thursday, September 25, 2008
One-On-One With Sarah Palin
(CBS) When CBS News anchor Katie Couric sat down for an exclusive interview with vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin Wednesday, she focused on the economy - but also addressed reports that the lobbying firm of Sen. John McCain's campaign manager received payments from the controversial mortgage giant Freddie Mac until last month. Couric asked for her reaction to that.

Thursday, September 25, 2008
Paulson cannot be allowed a blank cheque - by George Soros
Paulson’s $700bn rescue package has run into difficulty on Capitol Hill. Rightly so:it was ill-conceived. Congress would be abdicating its responsibility if it gave Paulson a blank cheque.The bill submitted to Congress even had language in it that would exempt the secretary’s decisions from review by any court/administrative agency–the ultimate fulfillment of the Bush administration’s dream of a unitary executive.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Let's Stop the Greatest Theft in the History of Humankind
America will give between US$700-$800 billion to the Treasury to buy any bank assets it wants,on any terms, with no possible legal recourse.It is an invitation to abuse of power unparalleled in American history,in which ill-paid civil servants will set prices on the portfolios of the banking system with no oversight and no threat of legal penalty.We can't let them get away with it.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008
How the Bush Administration Stopped the States From Stepping In to Help Consumers
This letter from Gov. Spitzer appeared in the Washington Post just three weeks before Bush/Cheney took him down.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008
House GOP rises up against Cheney
(1 comments) There was a time when Dick Cheney could turn back a Republican revolt on Capitol Hill.That time is gone.The VP traveled to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to silence a chorus of GOP complaints about Treasury Secy Henry Paulson’s $700 billion plan.But House Republicans who walked into a closed-door meeting with Cheney steaming over the plan walked out just as angry,& they described what happened in between as a "bloodbath"& disaster.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Diebold Keeps on Truckin' in Ohio for McCain
Diebold's former CEO O'Dell was a major Bush backer who,in a 2003 Repub fundraising letter wrote that he was "committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year."Some time after that mission was accomplished,O'Dell was jettisoned amidst several ongoing fraud investigations,the new regime claimed they would implement new regulations barring public support for political candidates.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Report: 'Army Unit to be Deployed for Domestic Operations'
(2 comments) The report from Army Times is certainly troubling,given the timing and the Constitution-hating evil-doers still allowed by Congress to continue holding the reins of our military.Back in 2005,an AP report headlined:"Bush: Boost military role in domestic emergencies" discussed the Constitutional issues that would block such domestic deployments of the U.S. military.Guess they got that all worked out?Or Bush just decided that

Tuesday, September 23, 2008
A Second Opinion?
Lobbyists,bankers and Wall St types are already hopping up and down like over-excited children,ready to burst into the government’s $700 billion piñata.This widespread eagerness is itself an indication that there is something too sweet about the Paulson plan.Paulson himself was telling us during the summer that the economy was sound,that its long-term fundamentals were “strong,”that growth would rebound by the end of the year

Monday, September 22, 2008
What Wall Street Should Be Required to Do, to Get A Blank Check From Taxpayers
And so the public is asking: Why should Wall Street get bailed out by me when I’m getting screwed? So if you are a member of Congress, you just might be in a position to demand from Wall Street certain conditions in return for the blank check.

Monday, September 22, 2008
Spitzer whacked for warning taxpayers of financial crisis
When history tells the story of the subprime lending crisis and recounts its devastating effects on the lives of so many innocent homeowners,the Bush administration will not be judged favorably.The tale is still unfolding,but when the dust settles, it will be judged as a willing accomplice to the lenders who went to any lengths in their quest for profits.So willing,in fact,that it used the power of the federal government to

Monday, September 22, 2008
A Closer Look at the NY Times/CBS News Poll
From now until the election, whenever desperate McCain surrogates and GOP water-carrying members of the media trot out this demonstrably false and racially coded talking point against Obama --- and they will --- responsible members of the media no longer have any excuse to entertain this wholly fabricated smear.

Monday, September 22, 2008
Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner: "We Will Be Ready."
Ohio's top election official describes how she is planning for a fair presidential election in an exclusive interview with Brad Friedman.

Sunday, September 21, 2008
Republican Mailing Leaves Florida Voters Confused by Pam Fessler
And indeed, Florida election officials have reported dozens of worried calls from voters. A copy of the mailing obtained by NPR shows that it includes an official-looking card, listing the recipient's name, address, congressional district, party affiliation and something called a voter ID number. In an attached letter, McCain asks recipients to update the enclosed card — and to contribute to his campaign.

Friday, September 19, 2008
The wife U.S. Republican John McCain callously left behind
Ross Perot,who paid her medical bills all those years ago,now believes that both Carol McCain and the American people have been taken in by a man who is unusually slick & cruel–even by the standards of modern politics.‘McCain is the classic opportunist.He’s always reaching for attention & glory,’he said.‘After he came home,Carol walked with a limp. So he threw her over for a poster girl with big money from Arizona.

Thursday, September 18, 2008
The Politics of Lying, by Michael A Cohen (NYTimes blog)
(1 comments) For better or for worse, being seen as dishonest or lying is the one line that no politician ever wants to cross. Until now, it seems. For the first time in modern political history, a presidential campaign, its candidate and running mate have engaged in a repeated pattern of lies and misstatements and seemingly done so without pause. The greatest surprise in all of this is that Mr. McCain is the one responsible.

Thursday, September 18, 2008
Hagel doubts Palin's ready
(1 comments) Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska is the nation's most prominent Republican officeholder to publicly question whether Sarah Palin has the experience to serve as president. "She doesn't have any foreign policy credentials," Hagel said Wednesday in an interview. "You get a passport for the first time in your life last year?

Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Jewish Florida voters targeted by Republican fake polls
She was then asked if her opinion of Barack Obama would change if she knew that Obama had given lots and lots of money to the PLO. Joelna told me the caller admitted that the calls were meant for Jews only. And the firm sending the calls, Research Strategies, has a history of working for Republican candidates. This is just the beginning, and it will only get worse.

Sunday, September 14, 2008
Palin Met By Over A Thousand Protesters In Anchorage (VIDEO)
(1 comments) Despite overcast skies and a forecast for rain, there was a rally here today. Oh man, was there! In fact, it was by most accounts the largest protest rally in the history of Alaska. The Anchorage Daily News wrote that the rally drew an "estimated" 1500 people. Let me be clear: the organizers used a hand-clicker and counted at least 1,483 Alaskans, mostly women, who showed up to say that Sarah Palin does not speak for them.

Sunday, September 14, 2008
YouTube censors documentary on Palin's churches
If Sarah Palin holds apocalyptic end-time beliefs or believes that she has a divine mandate to initiate an end-time conflict,American voters have the right to know about the doctrines taught in Palin's Alaska churches.These churches are closely associated with a movement,called the Third Wave or New Apostolic Reformation,which holds views that are highly controversial,particularly among other conservative Christians.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Ten Ways the GOP Is Now Stealing the Ohio Vote
(1 comments) Freepress.org's conference on election protection 9/26-28 will reinforce the positive steps Brunner has taken,& will help train poll workers & judges to safeguard the vote in Ohio & around the nation.But much of the electoral apparatus remains beyond public control.Serious questions remain about how reliable the final vote count will be,& how much of it the Repubs will cage,confuse & steal in crusade to put McC/Palin in the WH

Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Poll Madness: McCain Takes Lead Even As Democrats Out-Register Republicans?
(2 comments) Gallup's tracking poll, USA Today and CBS News all show the Republicans with some kind of lead over the Democratic ticket. But, interestingly, all three polls were also conducted using a higher sampling of Republican voters than in July, raising a question of methodology.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008
UC Computer Scientists Release Video on How to Hack a Sequoia Touch-Screen Voting Machine in 3 seconds for $10
CA 'Top-to-Bottom Review' of E-Voting Systems Demonstrate How to Insert Virus,Access Machines Without Disturbing'Security Seals'in Hack Which Would Not Be Discovered Even in 100% Audit of 'Paper Trails.In the UCSB video,the hack of Sequoia voting system being prepared for use in an entire county,is done in approx 3 seconds,by a single person with simple insider access&$10 USB thumb drive.Every machine used in county affected.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Lose your house, lose your vote (Michigan disenfranchisement)
“You would think they would think, ‘This is going to look too heartless,’� said Lagstein, whose group has registered 200,000 new voters statewide this year and also runs a foreclosure avoidance program. “The Republican-led state Senate has not moved on the anti-predatory lending bill for over a year and yet [Republicans] have time to prey on those who have fallen victim to foreclosure to suppress the vote.�

Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Dionne: DonÂ’t dare question Princess Sarah
Nonetheless, what matters is not Palin's personal life, but whether she is prepared to assume the presidency if called upon. The actions of McCain's lieutenants suggest that they know the answer. And they are doing everything they can to keep the media from finding it.

Monday, September 8, 2008
Women Against Sarah Palin
(2 comments) On Wednesday, September 3, we sent out an email to 40 friends and colleagues asking them to respond to Sarah Palin’s candidacy as Vice President of the United States. They forwarded the letter to their friends across America. By Sunday, we had received more than 6,000 responses from women of all ages and backgrounds. Below are their voices.

Friday, August 29, 2008
Proposed Mitigation for GEMS (and other EMS) Vote Deletion
Updated August 29, 2008, to emphasize the point that this is NOT just about "electronic voting machines", undisclosed software or paper ballots, as some have suggested. It's about Election Management Systems, software bugs (disclosed or otherwise), checks and balances, and good old common sense.

Friday, August 22, 2008
He's Baaaack: Civil Rights Commission Hires Spakovsky to Work on Voting Rights
Among Spakovsky's duties will be overseeing the USCCR's report on the DOJ's monitoring of the 2008 presidential elections,a source inside the USCCR told TPMmuckraker.And it seems that Gaziano may not have been exactly excited to make his selection of Spakovsky public knowledge.At a 7/28 meeting where the commissioners approved the hiring of the "special assistants," the new hires identities were kept confidential.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Why I will not vote for McCain, by Phillip Butler
(5 comments) As some of you might know, John McCain is a long-time acquaintance of mine that goes way back to our time together at the U.S. Naval Academy and as Prisoners of War in Vietnam. He is a man I respect and admire in some ways. But there are a number of reasons why I will not vote for him for President of the United States.

Monday, August 18, 2008
Did Washington waste millions on faulty voting machines?
(2 comments) Meantime, computer scientists at several universities, some of whom had been hired to test voting machines for the states of California, Ohio, Connecticut and New York, reported finding security and performance flaws in virtually every system, spurring the push for a paper audit trail.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Blackwell, Von Spakovsky Set to Testify in House on 'Lessons Learned from 2004 Election'
Matthew Segal,Exec Dir of the Student Association for Voter Empowerment(SAVE),told BRADBLOG that he was disappointed that nobody [was]invited to this perhaps final hearing prior to the '08 election to speak on either e-voting or youth voting issues."There is no one on electronic voting,no one on student voter access,and,basically,no one from any groups or organizations that really represent any grass roots constituencies."

Tuesday, July 22, 2008
GOP Tech Guru Mike Connell 'High IQ Forrest Gump...At Scene of Every Single Crime' Say Ohio Attorneys
(1 comments) 'Whether He's Pulling the Gun or Not..He's the Guy Who Made the Gun,' Allege OH Lawyers About Man Said to Have Been Behind Florida '00,Ohio '04,RNC Emails,Congressional Computer Networks & More..Then you put him in charge of building the security and firewall for the US Congress?Dealing with the most sensitive matters?All of the emails and communications of the party that he hates?How can you do that?It's an invitation to spy.

Monday, July 14, 2008
Can you hear me now? Obama's missing 2 percent
(1 comments) By failing to survey cellphone-only voters, pollsters could be undercounting Barack Obama's support by millions of voters.

Thursday, July 10, 2008
Study: Electronic Voting Increased Counting Errors in France
Polling stations using electronic voting systems suffered more voting discrepancies than polling stations using traditional paper votes in four recent French elections, according to a study sponsored by two groups campaigning for free and transparent elections.

Monday, July 7, 2008
The political establishment and telecom immunity -- why it matters
Our Congress, with the political and media elite cheering, is about to violate every one of these principles. They are taking away from the judiciary the power to adjudicate allegations of lawbreaking. They are creating a two-tiered system of justice in which our most powerful corporations can break the law with impunity and government officials remain immune from consequences.

Sunday, July 6, 2008
Foreclosed-on voters using old addresses could snag election
If there's Election Day disorder brewing for 2008, it might well be rooted in the nation's mortgage-foreclosure crisis. In Columbus, across Ohio and in other key presidential battlegrounds, more people losing their homes means more registered to vote from addresses where they no longer live.

Thursday, July 3, 2008
In Pledging to Work to Remove Retroactive Immunity for FISA Violations, What Kind of Action Is Obama Contemplating?
What better way for Obama to make clear that he will do what he said to protect the rights & liberties of all Americans,& to keep government officials & those who assist them fully accountable,than by making clear that those who violate the criminal laws that protect Americans’ freedoms will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.What better time than this issue, as well,to learn if Barack Obama is a standup leader or...

Wednesday, July 2, 2008
A Backlog Of Cases Alleging Fraud - Whistleblower Suits Languish at Justice
The issue is drawing renewed interest among lawmakers&nonprofit groups because many of the cases involve war,rising health-care payouts,& privatization of government functions --all of which offer rich new opportunities to swindle taxpayers.Even when older cases are pushed into the open,the passage of time can present courtroom challenges.The delays meant "loss of evidence,fading memories,disappearance of documents."

Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Would the White House be Able to Eavesdrop on Obama Under the FISA Bill Barack Supports? You Bet.
Electronic voting is essentially tied to the phone lines because all votes cast in individual precincts must pass through the phone lines on their way to be tabulated at the main tabulation center.This makes it possible to electronically reconfigure votes before they even arrive at a central tabulation point by embedding the appropriate software in the lines, thereby destroying the prospect of a fair election outcome.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008
G.I. Bill hypocrisy reaches new depths
(1 comments) Indeed, Bush praised five senators this morning for their leadership. One (McCain) fought against the bill and then didn't bother to vote on it. Two (Graham and Burr) fought against the bill and voted against it. Chuck Hagel was an original sponsor of the bill, but the president ignored him altogether. (Talk about a slap in the face ...)

Sunday, June 29, 2008
Justice Antonin Scalia: Al Gore to blame for 2000 US election mess
(4 comments) The 2000 presidential election debacle was the fault of Al Gore, who should have followed Richard Nixon's 1960 example and conceded without legal action, according to the Supreme Court's leading conservative judge.

Friday, June 27, 2008
No more whistleblowing? Federal Fraud Suit Against Voting Machine Company Withdrawn
(3 comments) The whistleblower lawsuit against voting machine company Hart InterCivic,filed in federal court on behalf of former employee William Singer,has been withdrawn following a decision by the Supreme Court that makes pursuing the case nearly impossible,according to the law firm who originally filed the complaint.Unfortunately,given the recent decision,Singer's scores of detailed allegations may never be examined by a court of law.

Friday, June 27, 2008
VIDEO: BUSHED! Rigging The Election-Gate
Keith Olbermann and how the Supreme Court made yet another democracy-denying ruling regarding elections.

Friday, June 27, 2008
Report: 'GOP Prepares To Scale Back Aggressive Anti-Voter Fraud Campaigns'
And if you believe the GOP has any intention of scaling back any such thing in 2008,we've got a swell bridge,beautifully located near Manhattan,to sell ya.But just to drive home the point that we're equal opportunity disbelievers,there's this old standby from the Obama camp,later in the article.Of course, this item was originally supposed to about the Republicans' bullshit.Don't blame us if there's just too much bullshit to go

Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Report Sees Illegal Hiring Practices at Justice Department
The blistering report,prepared by the Justice Department’s inspector general, is the first in what will be a series of investigations growing out of last year’s scandal over the firings of nine United States attorneys. It appeared to confirm for the first time in an official examination many of the allegations from critics who charged that the Justice Department had become overly politicized during the Bush administration.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008
“One of the Greatest Intrusions, Potentially, on the Rights of Americans Protected Under the 4th Amendment�–Sen. F
Described as the most significant revision of the nation’s surveillance law in three decades,the Senate is preparing to vote on rewriting the nation’s FISA and giving immunity to phone companies involved in Pres Bush’s secret domestic spy program.We speak with Sen.Feingold(D–WI),who has been the leading congressional voice against the Bush administration’s warrantless spy program for 3 years.

Thursday, June 19, 2008
Stunning photos of Iowa floods
The rising Mississippi has broken high-water records up and down the Iowa and Illinois shore,cresting as high as 12'above flood stage in some places.Estimates place the cost of the damage at over $1 billion dollars,and concerns are rising over crop damage,toxic remnants washed into neighborhoods,future mosquito invasions,and maintaining supplies of clean drinking water.Communities further downstream brace for possible flooding

Thursday, June 12, 2008
FEMA gives away $85 million of supplies for Katrina victims
(2 comments) The material,from basic kitchen goods to sleeping necessities,sat in warehouses for 2 years before FEMA's giveaway to federal & state agencies this year."An honest person like me didn't get nothing,"said Reed,54,who recently moved from a tent beneath a New Orleans bridge to a home with the help of Kegel's group."I fought to get my money but they wouldn't give it to me.So I ended up going under the bridge."

Thursday, May 29, 2008
Arkansas County to investigate latest election snafu
(1 comments) "Let me tell you,those are very, very complex machines,"he said.He is puzzled as to why cheaper,more complex electronic devices such as cell phones seem more reliable and user-friendly than voting machines.Lisa Burks of Conway,an advocate for election accuracy and long-time critic of electronic voting machines,said the error represents the 2nd time that an electronic voting machine has recorded votes cast in one race as having

Thursday, May 29, 2008
McClellan: Bush Admitted He Authorized Betrayal of Secret CIA Terror Weapons Program
(2 comments) This has never been about[the Wilsons].It is about a power-crazed cabal in the White House who abused their power to go after their political enemies without giving a thought to the potentially catastrophic results of their actions.We’ll never know whether the next terror attack could have been prevented if Plame’s program had not been exposed.If there ever was an act by a pres. that was prima fascie impeachable,this is it.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008
The Politico's John Harris admits now what he denied last year
The real harm inflicted by this behavior isn't that we're all subjected to an endless stream of worthless gossip from our political journalists.It's that the trashy gossip completely crowds out any discussion of anything that actually matters, allowing our government and political class generally to get away with the most extreme acts of corruption,lawbreaking and destruction ...

Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Corrections: In Which the New York Times Perpetuates the Myth It Created -- That Bush Won Florida in 2000
(1 comments) The largest,most prestigious news organizations in the US discovered a great and exciting story--the wrong guy was president of the United States.Also,that the Supreme Court had interfered in an election to frustrate the actual will of the voters.(Justice Scalia wants us to get over it.)Why did they so distort the story with misleading headlines,by burying the lead,by blowing so much fog around it, that almost everybody who

Friday, May 23, 2008
Massive (And Wholly Predictable) ES&S Touch-screen Failures in Arkansas and West Virginia
prepare to be amazed by the end,as we wend through the massive failures in Arkansas last Tuesday,through mind-blowing new (disastrous) federal "Electronic Voting Reform" legislation just announced by Sen.Feinstein(D-CA) with Sen. Bennett (R-UT),before landing in WVA, where a candidate on last week's ballot assures us everything is just fine because the guy spotted by voters opening up the voting machine was him.

Friday, May 23, 2008
Recounting the Recount and Counting the Uncounted
HBO's Retelling of the 2000 Florida Election Debacle on Sunday Raises Interesting Questions about 2008 Certain to be Ignored as Quickly as Possible by the American Corporate Mainstream Media...

Friday, May 23, 2008
What is McCain hiding in his medical records?
(1 comments) I just read that there are 1,173 pages of documents.In the 3 hours alloted,that's a whopping 10 seconds a page the reporters can spend.Yes,for three straight hours,imagine flipping a page every ten seconds,non-stop. Assuming they're taking notes,the time would double,conservatively,so they'd have 5 seconds/page.Yeah,real full disclosure.Who the hell does he think he is?It's Bush&Cheney all again.The arrogance is astonishing.

Thursday, May 22, 2008
KARL ROVE SUBPOENAED BY HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE IN SIEGELMAN CASE
ALSO: DoJ Office of Professional Responsibility Opens Investigation into 'Selective Prosecution' of Siegelman 'and Others', According to Announcement from John Conyers

Thursday, May 22, 2008
A Pretend “Milestone”: More Creative Spin from Obama’s Campaign
It’s all about creating vague impressions,which is why(I suspect) that the email doesn’t talk about winning a "majority of pledged delegates"—but instead talks about winning a "majority of all the delegates chosen by the people."This gives the impression that the will of the majority of voters is to name Obama as the nominee.Actually,the popular vote is the best indicator of the "will of the people,"& we won’t know until 6/3.

Thursday, May 22, 2008
RNC Hiring Rove Protege To Dig Oppo Research On Obama
"Griffin is basically going to consult for the Republican National Committee on working out Obama's vulnerabilities,"the senior Republican said,somewhat euphemistically."The hope is to do to Obama what folks successfully did with John Kerry."Griffin tends to describe his own work in fairly bellicose terms. "We think of ourselves as the creators of ammunition in a war," Griffin once said. "We make the bullets."

Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Why 'Vote-by-Mail' Elections are a Terrible Idea for Democracy
Voters believe such systems offer a "paper trail" not available to voters using touch-screen systems at the polling place.Many are unaware that their mailed-in ballots will be scanned by the same error-prone, easily manipulated optical-scan machines which handle paper ballots for precinct-based voting.But even worse, ballots mailed in,if they arrive safely,and are counted at all, are usually counted "in the dark" or

Monday, May 19, 2008
Not now, not ever – A repudiation of Obama and the New Bolsheviks and an Interesting Possibility
(2 comments) His is a true pathology,much like that of W.,remarkably similar in fact.Obama and GWB also have much in common with other historical tyrants:complete and adamantine belief in their ability to surmount any obstacle,appease any enemy,attain any objective without the slightest knowledge of the subject & in the absence of a plan of any kind.This is magical thinking of the worst sort & always,always ends in catastrophe for anyone

Monday, May 19, 2008
The GOP War on (Democrats) Voting
Two years ago TX' Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott declared war on what he claimed was rampant vote fraud in TX.He set up a special vote fraud unit and got a $1.4 million grant from the feds for the work.Now,two years on,courtesy of the Dallas Morning News,we have a run-down of what Abbot came up with -- 26 cases.The details tell the story: All 26 cases involved Democrats, and almost all were either blacks or Hispanics.

Sunday, May 18, 2008
SEVERAL BIG VOTING RIGHTS VICTORIES ON FRIDAY!
'We the People' Win, as Thor Hearne's MO Voter Suppression Attempt Fails; von Spakovsky Withdraws FEC Nomination; TN to Require Paper Ballots; AZ Agrees to Follow Law, Perform Voter Registration at Public Facilities...

Sunday, May 18, 2008
Q&A with Don Siegelman: I think this will make Watergate look like child's play!
(1 comments) This will make Watergate look like child's play when it's fully investigated,not so much this case because certainly it's not about me. It's about restoring justice & protecting our democracy &,because this case shows the lengths to which those who are obsessed with power will go in order to gain power or retain power,it has attracted the attention of the national press,the only case that has led Congress directly to the WH.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Rove refuses call to testify under oath
In his latest offer to settle the matter, Rove sent the panel a letter offering to respond to questions in writing, according to his attorney. But he reiterated that he would not testify publicly and under oath.The White House has balked at requests for staff testimony, arguing that the administration has no obligation to respond to congressional demands for the details of internal deliberations.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008
TAKE ACTION: Thor Hearne and MO GOP Attempt to Rewrite Constitution to Allow Voter Disenfranchisement
(1 comments) For the record,MO already has a Voter ID requirement,so this new restriction is meant to do nothing more than keep Democratic-leaning voters from being able to vote.Period.An urgent call has been put out for MO residents to call their Senators immediately to vote against HJR 48,Thor's latest move,the Constitutional amendment to require incredibly draconian proof of citizenship and state residency with Photo ID before voting

Tuesday, May 13, 2008
'Hello,' They Lied: NH, TX Sec. of State Officials Continue to Deceive Voters
Despite a few small-ish errors, Rosenfeld succeeds where so many before him have been unable: Properly quoting both the scientists and Election Integrity experts who know what they're talking about, while giving fair opportunity to respond from voting machine company and elected officials who are either in denial, uninformed, or simply willing to lie.

Monday, May 12, 2008
New Front in Republican War on Voting: Disabled American Veterans
(1 comments) An attorney who has been taking on the VA points out that the Administration got caught allowing paid campaign workers from the Rep. Party to register voters at their facilities while they disallowed nonpartisan groups from the same places."They've been forced to admit under oath that they told the League of Women Voters that if they took a position on Iraq,they'd lose their access.The court told them they can't do that...

Monday, May 12, 2008
Faulty Machines Ready to Count Your Vote
Based on scientific research, we have a clearer picture of just how vulnerable our American voting system really is."The main issue is turning over the counting of our elections to corporations and government insiders," Harris said. "It's actually a transfer of power that was never designed in our democracy. These machines are quite literally having big brother count our votes."

Monday, May 12, 2008
GOP Vote-Suppressor-in-Chief Thor Hearne Deserves a Raise, Gets a Boost from the NYTimes and Continues His Unapologetic
"The state is a presidential battleground state where recent gubernatorial and Senate races have been decided by margins as little as 21,000 votes," writes Levine before quoting Missouri Progressive Vote Coalition's John Hickey who says, "If you exclude 240,000 people from the

Sunday, May 11, 2008
Memo Shows Frustration With Special Counsel
(1 comments) The career investigators also wrote of their long-standing desire to open a probe into allegations that certain DoJ officials considered political affiliation in their hiring & promotion decisions."This document is just the most amazing thing I've ever seen,"said Beverley Lumpkin,an investigator for POGO."He creates a special task force to deal with these high-profile & complicated investigations,& then he doesn't listen to...

Friday, May 9, 2008
What John McCain Told Me, and What it Says About How Far He's Fallen
The McCain the media fell in love with in 2000 isn't on the ballot in 2008. And the proof has all but jumped up and grabbed the media by the throat: the ring-kiss of "agents of intolerance" Falwell and Robertson;the decision to make permanent tax cuts he twice voted against,saying he could not "in good conscience support" them..What will it take for the Swift Boat Media to realize that John McCain jumped the shark long ago?

Thursday, May 8, 2008
Howard Dean speaks of voter suppression on CNN today..anchor squirms.
Howard Dean, looking and sounding good, speaks about McCain's major shortcomings and the voter suppression upheld in the recent Supreme Court decision One minute YouTube. Go, Howard!

Thursday, May 8, 2008
FL SoS Browning, Sarasota County's Dent Fight Against Election Integrity in Sunshine State
"Why in the world would either the Legislature or the secretary of state or anybody object to local elections officials trying to ensure that their system operates as intended and that they get it right?," asked FL Supreme Court Justice Harry Lee Anstead as he crawled out of his cave to officiate at a hearing yesterday in Tallahassee.

Thursday, May 8, 2008
Brad Friedman Hosting 'Election Year Special Coverage' Today on KPFK with Special Guest: MO SoS Robin Carnahan
And, once again, we'll be looking less at the election "horse race" and much more at the "track conditions," with a special eye on the Supreme Court's unconstitutional support of polling place Photo ID restrictions such as the one that disenfranchised a bunch of 80 & 90 year-old nuns (along with many others) yesterday in Indiana.

Thursday, May 8, 2008
Special Counsel shut down probe of Siegelman case last year
(1 comments) The investigation was being conducted by a task force formed at the agency a year ago to pursue high-profile political investigations in Washington,most notably whether the White House played politics in firing U.S. attorneys.It began gathering information on the Siegelman case in September and was planning to request documents from the Justice Department in October before Special Counsel Scott Bloch ordered the case closed.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Students, Nuns, Denied RIGHT to Vote in Indiana Today Following Supreme Court Approval of State Photo ID Restrictions, S
Remember, the law was upheld by the Supremes just last week, despite Indiana's inability to point to a single instance of in-person, polling place, voter impersonation fraud (the type of "voter fraud" the law was purportedly meant to deter) in the entire history of the state.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Report: 12 of First 15 Voters at NC Precinct Not Found in Pollbooks
Anectodal for the moment.But a sign of a larger problem?We're doing our best to keep an eye on this,and related incidents today,as you may suspect.I was just contacted by a good friend in Granville County about what is turning into, at best a problem, but most likely IMO, a concerted effort to supress Democrats from voting in Granville County [North Carolina].

Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Austin Plans 'Point-by-Point' Review of Hart InterCivic E-Vote System in Light of Federal Fraud Lawsuit
Hart technician William Singer's lawsuit alleges that Hart stretched reports of the performance of the eSlate in Ohio in order to secure its share of the $4 billion set aside in the Help America Vote Act.Singer's futile July 2004 efforts, attempting to notify the Secretaries of State in both Texas and Ohio, were originally reported in exclusive detail by The BRAD BLOG in March of 2006.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Democratic Congress to Voters: What Election Problems?
Unfortunately, without meaningful reforms from Congress, the national picture is almost as grim. As Robert Fitrakis observes, "The system is still broken and instead of voting being a universally guaranteed federal right, it lingers under the shadow of Jim Crow and states' rights."

Tuesday, May 6, 2008
How many Joses can you see? A lot.
Jose A. Reyes moved to Portage from IL about three years ago.With his IL driver's license about to expire,Reyes went to the Portage License Branch the first week of January to get an Indiana license.He provided all the necessary IDs,passed all the tests and waited while they made sure his license photo made him look as deranged as possible,as is required by law.That's when things entered the bureaucratic twilight zone...

Monday, May 5, 2008
GOP Polling Place Photo ID Restrictions: Keeping Vets (and So Many More) From Voting in America
(1 comments) All of this,despite IN's own admission during the SCOTUS hearing,that there has never been,in the state's entire history,a single known instance of polling place voter impersonation fraud of the type this law is supposedly meant to keep from happening.Please join me in helping folks understand what's going on here.This is not about "voter fraud,"this is about nothing more than voter suppression.Period.It's gonna get worse...

Sunday, May 4, 2008
San Diego GOP chairman co-founded international piracy ring
(3 comments) Any job applicant knows that background checks are routine – especially for jobs involving authority or oversight of money. So why didn’t the San Diego Republican Party do a simple Google search before naming Tony Krvaric as its chairman?

Sunday, May 4, 2008
RAW STORY: San Diego GOP Chair Revealed as Infamous International Software Hacker
That skill set should come in very handy down there in, of all places, San Diego,where the far-right Republican Board of Supes,and the far-right Republican Registrar of Voters office,have never met a hackable Diebold electronic voting system they didn't love.He,and the other incredibly competitive pirate crews,could crack anything,anytime, usually within minutes after a new piece of software hit the market (and often before!)

Wednesday, April 30, 2008
How to Cast a Ballot in Indiana if You Don't Have State-Issued Photo ID...
(1 comments) It doesn't matter if you've voted in every single election for the last 40 or 50 years at the same polling place. Nor does it matter, as Justice Souter pointed out his dissent yesterday, "that the State has not come across a single instance of in-person voter impersonation fraud in all of Indiana’s history." You'll still need to do the following if you don't happen to have an IN drivers license!

Wednesday, April 30, 2008
After Records Reveal E-Voting Glitches, Election Official Jokes She'll Stop Keeping Records
Documents that Wired.com obtained through a records request last year showed that voters in 19 precincts reported problems with the machines on Election Day,complaining that they had to press the ES&S screens repeatedly to cast their vote or that even after a machine registered their vote for Jennings on the ballot page,the vote had disappeared by the time they reached the review screen at the end of the ballot.

Monday, April 28, 2008
Voter Advocate Rush Limbaugh Applauds Supreme Court's 'Huge, Huge, Huge Move to Undercut Democrat Voter Fraud'
(1 comments) Polling Place Photo ID Restrictions in Indiana Upheld by SCOTUS in Courageous and Historic Dredd Scott-like Decision By Why Stop at Keeping Black and Elderly Fraudsters from Stealing Elections?...

Monday, April 28, 2008
Election Day in Florida May Look Familiar
Three laws in particular are at issue, including a “no match, no vote” measure; the provision managing voter registration drives conducted by third parties, like the League of Women Voters; and a law that would keep a voter from correcting mistakes or omissions on a registration form in the final month before an election and would bar that person from having his or her vote counted.

Friday, April 25, 2008
Exclusive: PA's Primary Results Website Listed Obama Three Times, With Three Differing Totals on Election Night
With mountains of documented "problems with voting machines and inaccurate voter registration rolls" which occurred across the state on Tuesday, resulting in "countless eligible voters...needlessly refused the right to vote," as a local consortium of watchdog groups reported [WORD], Hillary Clinton was named the winner over Barack Obama by 9.2 points in the fully faith-based election.

Friday, April 25, 2008
Brad Friedman Statement for the U.S. Election Assistance Commission's 'Voter Advocate' Roundtable...
In eight simple words,we defined the heart of the mission I challenge all Americans–whether public servant, advocate,vendor or elected official – to join.The mission,officially adopted as “The Creekside Declaration” on March 22,2008,as reported by both Robert Koehler in his syndicated Tribune Media Services column,and by myself at BRAD BLOG,is simply: “To encourage citizen ownership of transparent,participatory democracy."

Friday, April 25, 2008
BREAKING: NJ Judge Gives Go Ahead to Independent Review of Sequoia's Failed Touch-Screen Voting Machines
UPDATED WITH EXCLUSIVE NEW DETAILS: Sequoia CEO Jack Blaine Admits Company Does Not Control the Intellectual Property Rights for Sequoia's Voting Machines!

Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Pennsylvania Primary: Polling Place, E-Voting Problem Wire...
Problem reports from polling places in PA, including voting machine malfunctions and long lines, began coming in early this morning. That could be an ominous sign, given that on most Election Days, the real extent of problems, at least with voting systems, aren't full revealed until later, and often in the days after the election.

Friday, April 18, 2008
'Why Tuesday?' Video: 'No Trouble with Touch-screens' Say Your Clueless Democratic Public Officials in PA
The above video --- including Nutter's comments that there have been "no problems" with the machines, since, after all, they got him elected, and Rendell's admission that he "knows nothing about them", but that they are "all HAVA approved machines" --- underscores how unbelievably difficult this fight is, and how clueless the very folks needed to help make a change actually are, in this entire fine mess.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Paul Minor, the Don Siegelman of Mississippi
(1 comments) His wife has brain cancer,apparently deteriorating & she has not been able to visit her husband.Her husband,a Miss.trial lawyer,former judge on the state Supreme Court,& former prez of the Miss. Trial Lawyers Association,is in prison,convicted in September last year of ‘honest services mail fraud’ and given an eleven-year sentence.He argued the government“singled him out for prosecution for political reasons."

Monday, April 14, 2008
New voters flood upcoming primaries
Andrew Reynolds, a political science professor at the University of North Carolina, said he wonders whether all these new voters will stay engaged in politics after 2008. "Let's say the outcome of the presidential election is not what they expect or hope for," he said. "Are they just going to be alienated and drip away again?"

Monday, April 14, 2008
What’s Easier to Rig—the U.S. Presidential Elections or a Slot Machine?
(1 comments) Steve Freeman, a visiting professor at the University of Pennsylvania, compared the vulnerabilities of the two in his book, with some pretty alarming results.

Sunday, April 13, 2008
Former AL Gov. Don Siegelman Says Media Ignoring Details of His 'Electronically Stolen' 2002 Election
So,um,yeah...what's the holdup these media outlets have in reporting on this? This is a state Governor, for crying out loud, making these allegations,about his own 2002 election.Isn't that newsworthy enough? Particularly given all the evidence to suggest he was later seriously railroaded,framed and sent to prison in AL by his opponents?

Sunday, April 13, 2008
Former Ala. Governor Turns Tables on Justice Department
In the two weeks since his release from prison pending an appeal, Siegelman has sharply increased the volume of his assertions that he was railroaded. He says that Karl Rove, who was a White House adviser, targeted him for prosecution to ensure he did not win reelection to the governor's office and displace a Republican there.

Saturday, April 12, 2008
Computer Scientists: '2008 U.S. Presidential Election Can Be Hacked'
Systems Made by Diebold,Sequoia and Hart InterCivic Are 'Still Going to Have Same Viral Vulnerabilities Found' During California's 2007 Study...A bunch of world-class computer scientists testified publicly this week that "U.S. Presidential Election Can Be Hacked".As stunning as that sounds,there's nothing new here necessarily to readers of The BRAD BLOG, other than the fact that outlets like the IDG News Service and PCWorld

Thursday, April 10, 2008
Vote Counting Failures in Ohio and New Jersey Violate Federal Law, Accuracy Mandates
While it's important for every citizen, disabled or not, to be able to vote privately, a private vote is meaningless if that vote is not counted accurately. Despite the equal weight HAVA gave to both important mandates, the federal requirement for accurate vote-counting is being wholly ignored by the states, and even the federal government.

Thursday, April 10, 2008
Report: E-voting firms in hostile-takeover tussle
A flurry of attempts by Sequoia Voting Systems Inc. to avoid a hostile takeover by electronic-voting competitor Hart InterCivic Inc. has not only failed to stave off the acquisition, according to reports, but also led to a series of legal maneuvers that a Delaware judge has described in terms such as "too outlandish to survive summary judgment."

Tuesday, April 8, 2008
BREAKING: Sequoia Touch-Screen Voting Machines Subpoenaed in NJ
Please note: The same failed Sequoia AVC Advantage touch-screens are scheduled for use in Pennsylvania in the important upcoming Democratic Primary!...Activists trying to persuade Superior Court Judge Linda Feinberg that electronic voting machines should be discarded succeeded in convincing her that examining these counties' machines is critical to their case.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Failed Again: Widely-Used Diebold Touch-Screens Systems Dropped Votes in Recent Ohio Primary
(2 comments) So with just a few months left before what is likely to be the largest election in the history of the United States, in addition to the possibility of memory card totals showing as having been uploaded --- when they haven't been --- we learn that there is also a size limit that could effect the proper tabulation of election results on Diebold's widely used GEMS central tabulator. Not good.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Spitzer v. Schwarzman: NYC and the fleeting nature of fame
Both men made their name on Wall Street: Schwarzman rose from his first job in investment banking at Lehman Brothers to run the Blackstone Group, a private equity firm, that has allowed him to stash away an estimated $4 billion today, while Spitzer got corporations from Samsung to investment bankers like Lehman Brothers to return almost the same amount to the public trust.

Sunday, March 23, 2008
New York Times Editorial: Unreliable Voting in New Jersey
(2 comments) Voters nationwide have seen that electronic voting cannot be trusted, and NJ is the latest to learn this unfortunate lesson.Rather than working to put doubts to rest,the machines’ manufacturer is resisting a proper inquiry.NJ needs to quickly get to the bottom of the problem to ensure voters that in November their ballots will be counted accurately.If she is unwilling to order an impartial investigation, Gov. Corzine should

Sunday, March 23, 2008
GOPer who shut down FL recount leaked news that led to Spitzer's downfall
Almost four months before Gov. Spitzer resigned in a sex scandal,a lawyer for R. political operative Roger Stone sent a letter to the FBI alleging that Spitzer ''used the services of high-priced call girls'' while in FL.After allegations were leveled at Stone that he had left a threatening phone message at the office of Bernard Spitzer,the ex-gov's father,regarding ''phony'' campaign loans during his 1994 bid for NY AG.

Friday, March 21, 2008
Sequoia Voting Systems Website Hacked
A section of Sequoia's Website was hacked overnight, and when the company realized what had happened,it took the site down and removed the "intrusive content."n the wake of this latest PR nightmare for the company, as John Gideon pointed out last night,they've decided to mount a Campaign of Lies instead of simply allowing their "tamperproof" e-voting systems to be examined by a third party.Brilliant strategy guys, as usual.

Friday, March 21, 2008
Sequoia Voting Systems’ Claims About Third Party Reviews and Testing of Its Election Equipment – Their Misleading Half-T
(1 comments) After a state association of NJ county election officials voted unanimously to ask the state AG to commission an independent study of the Sequoia AVC Advantage touch-screens that failed in their recent primary,Sequoia threatened legal action against two Princeton professors likely to lead such a technical review.One county backed down earlier this week from plans to independently test the systems due to the strong arm tactics

Friday, March 21, 2008
Pennsylvania's Online Voter Registration Data Found Vulnerable
In the '06 summer when citizen Election Integrity advocates from the Illinois Ballot Integrity Project discovered that Chicago's voter registration system was hackable,& allowed for access to voters' private information,such as Social Security number etc?Looks like similar has now been discovered in PA,where online voter registration system has now been taken offline after it was found that anyone has access others'info.

Friday, March 21, 2008
State GOP/Rep. Heather Wilson 'Vote-Buying' Scandal Finally Covered by New Mexico's Largest Newspaper...Two Weeks After
Article Vindicates Radio Journalist Whose Stories Were Spiked,But Front Page Albuquerque Journal Coverage Otherwise Fails Miserably Key Legal Point,Reported by Blog Long Ago, Entirely Ignored by Paper..Real coverage-far more in-depth & accurate & useful & timely than anything offered by the Journal--has been appearing for weeks both at The BRAD BLOG & at f-brilliant.And,unlike "coverage"at the Journal,you won't even have to

Thursday, March 20, 2008
Veterans Administration Won't Help Soldiers Register to Vote
(1 comments) For at least four years,since the '04 presidential election when a veteran, Sen.Kerry,was the Dem Party nominee,the Department of Veterans Affairs has blocked efforts to help U.S. soldiers register to vote at its facilities in all 50 states.the VA-whose public affairs office did not answer telephone calls nor return requests to comment Monday-apparently has also stonewalled requests by US senators for an explanation.

Thursday, March 20, 2008
Bear Stearns in Bankruptcy: Can You Feel Their Pain?
(2 comments) Why is the Fed, an agency of the government,using our tax dollars to keep Bear Stearns and its rich managers & shareholders above water? After all,the government supposedly doesn't have enough money to provide kids with health care and childcare, to guarantee families decent housing or to meet a long list of other needs. Why do we have the money to lend tens of billions of dollars to Bear Stearns at below market interest rates

Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Voting Machine Company Strong-Arm Tactics Succeed in Blocking New Jersey Investigation (So Far)
(1 comments) Legal Threats from Sequoia Voting Systems Force County to Cancel Plans for Independent Analysis of the State's Own Voting System Livermore Labs Scientist Urges Readers to Contact NJ AG to Ask for Technical Review of Same Flawed Machines Set to be Used Next Month in PA...

Tuesday, March 18, 2008
U. of Conn. Study Reveals Still More Vulnerabilities in Diebold Optical Scan Voting System
(1 comments) Voting Technology Research Center Warns Votes can be Switched Without Detection Vermont Election Officials Pay No Attention...

Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Ex-US Attorney Cites GOP Voter Abuse
The Justice Department issued a directive to every U.S. Attorney in the country to find and prosecute cases of voter fraud in their states during the height of hotly contested elections in 2002, 2004, and 2006, even though evidence of such abuses was extremely thin or non-existent, a former federal prosecutor says in a new book.

Friday, March 14, 2008
Colorado: Paper Ballots Way to Go
(2 comments) Colorado county clerks do not know best. Their job has changed.Election system activists do not know everything about election law, but they do know some. And they know a great deal about computers, software and systems.It is time for Colorado's clerks to acknowledge their limitations and to work toward a transparent and verifiable election system.People should trust their clerk,but independently verify their elections.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Some Questions About the Spitzer Incident
(1 comments) There are all kinds of things about this that just don't pass the smell test.How did Spitzer's name get leaked to the media,and who did it?Didn't happen to Dave Vitter.Why did Bloomberg suddenly start talking about running for gov recently?And why did he give $500,000 to Joe Bruno?He's good buddies with Mike Mukasey. What did he know and how did he know it?The Mann Act? Are you kidding?Spitzer's been in the GOP line of fire...

Wednesday, March 12, 2008
'Very Odd': NM Sec. of State Investigates, Questions Rep. Heather Wilson/NM GOP 'Vote-Buying' Allegations
In Exclusive Interview, SoS Mary Harrera, Says She's Never Heard of Campaigns Paying People to Show up to Vote Former Republican Governor Vindicated as Checks Made out by Wilson Campaign Scrutinized by State Attorney General, as Confirmed by Local GOP Chair...

Tuesday, March 11, 2008
NM GOP 'Vote-Buying' Scandal: Unapologetic Republican Operative Pat Rogers Caught in Two Lies
there have been a number of notable developements over the last several days as the state Republican party tries to deflect from the allegations made by a number of elected Republican officials...

Tuesday, March 11, 2008
New Mexico's Corporate Media Covers Up the Coverage of GOP/Heather Wilson 'Vote Buying' Scandal
A Week After it Broke, the Albuquerque Journal Reports and Buries the Laura MacCallum Story, Demonstrating Again Why the Blogosphere is so Crucial..

Monday, March 10, 2008
"Myth" of Voter Fraud Focus of Senate Hearing
There is no concrete evidence of voter fraud in the US.Many election integrity experts believe voter fraud is a ploy by Repubs to suppress minorities and poor people from voting.Historically,those groups tend to vote for Dem candidates.Raising red flags about the integrity of the ballots,experts believe,is an attempt by GOP operatives to swing elections to their candidates as well as an attempt to use the fear of criminal

Monday, March 10, 2008
'Mashed Into Bits': Florida Touch-Screen Voting Machines - 28,000 of them - to be Crushed, Recycled, Repurposed...
Hillsborough County's Supervisor of Elections,Buddy Johnson,offers the best use of the machines--he says in the article that "he wanted to donate one to the county's history museum" --but beware, while some are to be scrapped, some of these bad machines may show up at an election near you... The first step for the recycling company is to try selling the machines to states that still allow touch-screen voting.Then...

Sunday, March 9, 2008
A Picture Worth a Thousand Words
(1 comments) This picture speaks for itself. It's the marquee of the Grand Lake Theatre in San Francisco.

Saturday, March 8, 2008
'Double Bubble' Hearing: Logan Runs and Conny Gets Called on the Carpet
(1 comments) An independent investigation needs to be launched, Kim Alexander said, specifically into the fact that McCormack knew full well that thousands would be disenfranchised by her ridiculous ballot design,since it had happened in several previous elections,as she did nothing about it prior to her quitting her job just one month before the largest primary in recent history, in the country's largest voting jurisdiction.

Saturday, March 8, 2008
Reporter Issues Full Statement Blasting New Mexico's KKOB for Ethical Violations in Spiking Republican Vote-Buying Stori
As I wrote in my letter of resignation to KKOB-AM last week after my pieces on alleged delegate-buying were canned by News Dir.Pat Allen:This is not journalism.It is extortion.Honesty and guts in journalism, print or broadcast, is becoming a thing of the past.Here in Albuquerque,the city's now-only newspaper has refused to cover this story.I must wonder why.My conscience is clear.

Saturday, March 8, 2008
'Vote-Buying' Congresswoman's Campaign Rep Worked for Blogger Who Mercilessly Slammed Story
But that you do not seem to understand that such a conflict of interest should be fully and transparently disclosed, so readers can be fully informed in order to form their own opinions, is simply astounding --- particularly for a blogger indignantly claiming to be "a journalist...working hard to try to bring some integrity to the blogosphere."To quote your own article, sir: "This is why blogging doesn’t get any respect."

Friday, March 7, 2008
Bamboozling the American electorate again
(1 comments) Evidence of a covert campaign to undermine the presidential primaries is rife,so it's curious that the Dem Party and even some within the G.O.P. have ignored the actual elephant in the room this year.That would be Karl Rove.Long accused of rigging the two previous presidential elections, this master of deceit would have us believe that he's gone off to sit in a corner and write op-eds.Not so.According to an article in Time

Thursday, March 6, 2008
xclusive: Former Repub. Guv Says NM State Officials Investigating Rep. Heather Wilson Vote-Buying Charges; Says Repub. U
Moreover, during our exclusive interview with NM's former Gov. Cargo, he added a number of details to his allegations of felony vote-buying, and says they are now under investigation by both the Secretary of State and the state Attorney General.Further, he told us of his confrontation with Wilson about the allegations some weeks ago. Her response to the charges left the former Governor "stunned"...

Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Don Siegelman for Wings of Justice Award
Termed,rightly,by Scott Horton of Harper's Magazine as 'the Man in the Iron Mask,'Siegelman deserves this special recognition,not only for his long ordeal,which he has suffered bravely,but for his consistent openness in speaking publicly about his treatment by the Bush machine.It is also to be hoped that this honor will,in however small a way,help focus national attention on his plight,&thereby help to bring it to an end...

Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Rep. Heather Wilson Accused of Felony Vote-Buying in New Mexico; Reporter Quits After News Director Scrubs Story
You'll also recall that both Wilson & Domenici both have a standing record of inappropriately applying pressure.They each are alleged to have done the same in the case of NM's former Republ US Atty David Iglesias who was fired as part of the US Attorney Purge Scandal,after refusing to bring phony "voter fraud" indictments just prior to the 2006 Election, despite inappropriate phone calls calls from both Wilson & Domenici.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008
L.A. County Registrar Chooses to Disenfranchise 12,000 Voters in Final 'Double Bubble' Ballot Tally
In American elections it seems that final horse race results-whatever officials decide they are allowed to be-are far more important than ensuring that every voice in an allegedly democratic system, has actually been heard.Former Registrar McCormack,who quit her job just one month before the election, then claimed disingenuously after the election that this was all "an unfortunate,unanticipated result," which "noone could have

Tuesday, March 4, 2008
A Wave of the Watch List, and Speech Disappears
Marshall’s case does not appear to be one of mistaken identity.The government quite specifically intended to interfere with his business.That, Professor Crawford said, is a scandal. “The way we communicate these days is through domain names, and the Treasury Department should not be interfering with domain names just as it does not interfere with telecommunications lines.”

Monday, March 3, 2008
Clinton trails in Texas, deadlocked in Ohio
Clinton faces heavy pressure to win in both big states on Tuesday and halt the Illinois senator's momentum after his 11 consecutive victories in their battle to become the Democratic nominee in November's presidential election

Monday, March 3, 2008
Noam Chomsky: Why Isn't Iraq in the 2008 Election?
(1 comments) The public is massively against the war, and the Dems are debating over tactics in Iraq -- here's why.

Monday, March 3, 2008
Diebold Stock Soars After $3 Billion Takeover Bid by Defense Contractor Conglomerate United Technologies
Mark Crispin Miller, author of FOOLED AGAIN, which chronicles an alleged Rightwing takeover of America's electoral system, wrote: "Considering the Framers powerful aversion to the notion of a 'standing army' in the new Republic, and Eisenhower's last speech warning us against the toxic influence of 'the military-industrial complex,' this disastrous bid should [be] forbidden by an Act of Congress."

Monday, March 3, 2008
'Perceived' Problems Part of Reason for National Move to Paper Ballots Says USA TODAY
(1 comments) So I'm just curious.Which of the myriad,scientifically demonstrated problems with the security and transparency of electronic voting are the "perceived" ones,versus the "real" ones? Or are there some other "perceived" problems which have prompted the trend?If your own personal house has never been robbed, yet you turn on an alarm system and/or lock the doors when you leave it,is that due to a perceived concern or a real one?

Monday, March 3, 2008
Diebold Rejects $2.63B Buyout Bid
(Editor's note: Lest you were worried that the deal might fall through due to some sort of moral grounds, think again. We still could end up with a military contractor controlling our voting machines...) ATM and ballot machine maker Diebold rejected on Monday a $2.63 billion takeover bid from United Technologies, saying the offer was inadequate.

Monday, March 3, 2008
FCC official wants probe of "60 Minutes" Alabama Black-out
FCC Commissioner Michael Copps said on Monday the FCC should move quickly to "determine the facts" surrounding the incident."If the decision was intentional, who made the decision and why? The FCC needs to get to the bottom of this," Copps said.

Sunday, March 2, 2008
Electronic Elections Mashup: Vote Fraud In The 21st Century
(1 comments) A nine-minute video on why you should be focusing on something beyond the candidates and their platforms -the electronic voting machines which secretly count your vote, without your ability to confirm their 'official' results.How confident are you that the declared winner in this election will actually be chosen by a majority of the voters?What do you base that confidence on?See what experts in the field have to say on this.

Sunday, March 2, 2008
GOP frets over Democratic fundraising
(1 comments) "Since the midterm election of 2006, Democrats have had an enthusiasm gap with Republicans," said GOP strategist Scott Reed. "They have big crowds, raise more money and appear to have more excitement on the campaign trail. Couple this with turnout numbers, which are off the charts, and Republicans are going to have a big challenge in the fall."

Sunday, March 2, 2008
Why we sued the phone company
(1 comments) Congress is supposed to act to protect the rights of American citizens, not sacrifice those rights to large corporate entities. The House and Senate should resist the bullying tactics of the Bush White House and ensure that we have our day in court to vindicate our rights and reveal any illegality engaged in by the telecoms. We need to know about the Bush White House's secret program.

Friday, February 29, 2008
Karl Rove's attack dogs continue...(Siegelman, continued)
It is as though every major and minor publication in Alabama is running to declare itself a propaganda outlet for the Alabama GOP.So far,only the Tuscaloosa News is showing itself to be actual journalism.The latest propaganda piece comes by way of the The Press Register,& their editorial attacking 60 Minutes & defending corruption by way of disinformation & dishonesty.Below are some examples from this latest hit piece...

Friday, February 29, 2008
VIDEO: MSNBC's Abrams Re-Iterates Call for Release, Pending Appeal, of Siegelman; Details Chief Concerns About Case
In this rarely seen,2004 video interview with Siegelman,he alleges:"Somebody electronically manipulated the election results…This election was stolen…There is no other kind, or sugar-coated way to say it.""I hope everybody, Republican or Democrat,will just rally around the principle that we gotta do the right thing in this country,and not allow this thing to happen."-AZ former Attorney General Grant Woods.

Thursday, February 28, 2008
The changing of the guards: Bay Minette, election night, 2002 Alabama
This article sheds a little light on the circumstances that led to Siegelman's narrow defeat and the Catch-22 set by Rep. Attorney Gen. Pryor to make sure that the votes were not counted. And, in fact, they remain uncounted to this day. That's democracy for ya!

Thursday, February 28, 2008
CBS bosses hiding truth - Dan Rather
Dan Rather slammed CBS Tuesday for trying to keep his court fight with the network out of the public eye.The newsman - who has filed a $70 million lawsuit against the Tiffany network, where he anchored the "CBS Evening News" for 24 years-said "corporate overlords" are conspiring to withhold several key documents.The documents that Rather wants to see include a CBS-commissioned P.I.'s report on W's national guard stint.

Thursday, February 28, 2008
Video: Comcast Pays to Push Public out of Internet Debate
SavetheInternet.com caught cable giant stacking a FCC hearing with paid (and apparently sleepy) seat fillers.The hearing was set up to investigate Comcast's recent blocking of the Internet.But the cable giant filled the room with paid sitters so that the public couldn't get in to voice their support for a free-flowing Internet.Check out the video for yourself!

Thursday, February 28, 2008
NY board approves voting machine panned by disability advocates
These are the machines, made in the Netherlands, that were banned in Europe because they could be programmed to play chess and do other manipulations not geared to engendering confidence in their use. Those considerations, apparently, were not serious enough for the NY State Board of Elections to disqualify the machines.

Thursday, February 28, 2008
1 in 100 Americans in prison: study
(4 comments) The report, released Thursday by the Pew Center on the States, said the 50 states spent more than $49 billion on corrections last year, up from less than $11 billion 20 years earlier. The rate of increase for prison costs was six times greater than for higher education spending, the report said.

Thursday, February 28, 2008
Chairman Conyers Releases Jill Simpson Transcript on the Prosecution of former Alabama Governor Siegelman
Today,Judiciary Committee Chairman Conyers released the transcript from the sworn testimony of Dana Jill Simpson, the Alabama attorney who earlier this year executed an affadavit that has stirred renewed interest in the prosecution and subsequent conviction of former Alabama Gov.Siegelman.In the affadavit and the closed-door interview with committee staff,she cites conversations that allege Karl Rove’s involvement in the

Thursday, February 28, 2008
VIDEO: 'Bush League Justice' Series Continues On MSNBC With Dan Abrams Now Calling For Gov. Don Siegelman's Release From
Siegelman's Daughter States That Her Father Knows Karl Rove Is Behind His Prosecution. Says Judge 'Trying To Keep Her Dad Hushed As Long As He Possibly Can.'Dan Abrams once again tackles the Don Siegelman case in his stellar "Bush League Justice" series on MSNBC. Tonight's guests included Scott Horton of Harper's, former Alabama GOP operative Dana Jill Simpson,and Governor Siegelman's daughter,Dana Siegelman.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008
L.A. County Registrar Prepares to NOT Count Thousands of 'Double Bubble' Ballots from Super Tuesday's Democratic Primary
In addition to still disenfranchising thousands of voters,and inaccurately offering an undeserved margin of victory to some candidates in various precincts through his planned scheme, he is also setting a horrible precedent for counting ballots---or in this case, not counting them--in the state in the future.That,even though there is a perfectly accurate and simple way to count almost every single ballot cast in the election

Wednesday, February 27, 2008
WHNT’s Technical Glitches
In 1969,the FCC revoked the license of WLBT in Jackson after the commission established a systematic effort by the broadcaster to suppress information about the civil rights movement.In this case,if the blackout was intentional,it may also have been counterproductive.Rather than take attention away from allegations that Mr. Siegelman was the victim of a partisan campaign,WHNT’s technical glitch seems to lend support to charge

Wednesday, February 27, 2008
FactCheck.org: Cleveland Clinkers:Clinton and Obama hit sour notes in the Cleveland debate
The Clinton-Obama showdown debate in