93crawler

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This is a rather lengthy article in Rolling Stone, about how Republican-lead efforts to block voting by minorities, younger people, elderly people and other groups that usually vote Democratic. Elderly people maybe not so much, but there is some mention of that group as well. It's written by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Greg Palast, so having a Kennedy behind the article will already tarnish the article in some of yours eyes I assume. Also, since the article is in Rolling Stone, I assume that will make some of you balk at it being controlled by the "liberal media," but hopefully you can look past this. It really is a thoughtful, and extremely well-written article. This really should be a non-partisan issue, because everyone deserves the right to vote, our Constitution says as much. Why either party would willingly try to block anyone from voting, or not count anyone's vote is beyond me. Our country is supposed to be the beacon of Democracy, but yet this sort of shit is still very much prevalent. Here's the link.

http://www.rollingstone.com/politic...lock_the_vote/2

joerockhead

Thoughtful and well written article?

"To purge registration rolls and discard ballots, partisan election officials used a wide range of pretexts, from "unreadability" to changes in a voter's signature. And this year, thanks to new provisions of the Help America Vote Act, the number of discounted votes could surge even higher"

Oh, so a Scribble may nto be allowed, and the key work is could



"To justify this battery of new voting impediments, Republicans cite an alleged upsurge in voting fraud."

And yet there is massive proof of this fact!!! Once again the Media (Rolling Stone) is saying nothing but Negative towards the McCain Campaign, while they never say anything negative about Obama.


Look at the other associated RS articles, all damn nice to Senator Obama.

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joerockhead

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93crawler

Well I mean he's on the cover, and it's really no secret that Rolling Stone is very, very pro-0bama. More than that even, an overwhelming number of musicians are pro-0bama as well...not that it matters really. Did you actually read the whole article? It clearly states that voter fraud has only happened like 24 times out of millions upon millions between 2002 and 2005. I'm not saying that it doesn't happen, but clearly not as much as Republicans, and you think it may happen. This in no way makes it somehow right to engage in trying to block the votes of millions of Americans.

I'm sure that both sides do this to some extent, but the Republicans are far, far more guilty in this respect than the Democrats. They've been busted numerous times, think of Jack Abramoff, how about Nixon? Doesn't this sort of thing outrage you? Regardless of political affiliation, everyone who wants to vote should be able to, and their vote should most certainly count! Point me in the direction of something that the Democrats have recently been guilty of, and I'll check it out. I doubt there is really much out there though, Democrats just aren't as dirty as Republicans. This article is undeniable proof of that. Later man.

ddoubleez

They do not have to block your vote, even if they do, and yes they definately do:




DELAND, Fla., Nov. 11 - Something very strange happened on election night to Deborah Tannenbaum, a Democratic Party official in Volusia County. At 10 p.m., she called the county elections department and learned that Al Gore was leading George W. Bush 83,000 votes to 62,000. But when she checked the county's Web site for an update half an hour later, she found a startling development: Gore's count had dropped by 16,000 votes, while an obscure Socialist candidate had picked up 10,000--all because of a single precinct with only 600 voters."
- Washington Post Sunday , November 12, 2000 ; Page A22




Leaked memos
In September 2003, a large number of internal Diebold memos, dating back to mid-2001, were posted to the Web by the website organizations Why War? and the Swarthmore Coalition for the Digital Commons, a group of student activists at Swarthmore College. U.S. Representative Dennis Kucinich, a Democrat from Ohio, has placed portions of the files on his websites.[27] Diebold's critics believe that these memos reflect badly on Diebold's voting machines and business practices. For example: "Do not to [sic] offer damaging opinions of our systems, even when their failings become obvious."[28] In December 2003, an internal Diebold memo was leaked to the press, sparking controversy in Maryland. Maryland officials requested that Diebold add the functionality of printing voting receipts. The leaked memo said, "As a business, I hope we're smart enough to charge them up the wazoo [for this feature]".

Diebold attempted to stop the publication of these internal memos by sending cease-and-desist letters to sites hosting these documents, demanding that they be removed. Diebold claimed the memos as their copyrighted material, and asserted that anyone who published the memos online was in violation of the Online Copyright Infringement Liability Limitation Act provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act found in § 512 of the United States Copyright Act. When it turned out that some of the challenged groups would not back down, Diebold retracted their threat. Those who had been threatened by Diebold then sued for court costs and damages, in OPG v. Diebold. This suit eventually led to a victory for the plaintiffs against Diebold, when in October 2004 Judge Jeremy Fogel ruled that Diebold had abused its copyrights in its efforts to suppress the embarrassing memos.




Voting Machine Controversy
by Julie Carr Smyth

COLUMBUS - The head of a company vying to sell voting machines in Ohio told Republicans in a recent fund-raising letter that he is "committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year."

The Aug. 14 letter from Walden O'Dell, chief executive of Diebold Inc. - who has become active in the re-election effort of President Bush - prompted Democrats this week to question the propriety of allowing O'Dell's company to calculate votes in the 2004 presidential election.

O'Dell attended a strategy pow-wow with wealthy Bush benefactors - known as Rangers and Pioneers - at the president's Crawford, Texas, ranch earlier this month. The next week, he penned invitations to a $1,000-a-plate fund-raiser to benefit the Ohio Republican Party's federal campaign fund - partially benefiting Bush - at his mansion in the Columbus suburb of Upper Arlington.

The letter went out the day before Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, also a Republican, was set to qualify Diebold as one of three firms eligible to sell upgraded electronic voting machines to Ohio counties in time for the 2004 election.

Blackwell's announcement is still in limbo because of a court challenge over the fairness of the selection process by a disqualified bidder, Sequoia Voting Systems.

In his invitation letter, O'Dell asked guests to consider donating or raising up to $10,000 each for the federal account that the state GOP will use to help Bush and other federal candidates - money that legislative Democratic leaders charged could come back to benefit Blackwell.

They urged Blackwell to remove Diebold from the field of voting-machine companies eligible to sell to Ohio counties.

This is the second such request in as many months. State Sen. Jeff Jacobson, a Dayton-area Republican, asked Blackwell in July to disqualify Diebold after security concerns arose over its equipment.

"Ordinary Ohioans may infer that Blackwell's office is looking past Diebold's security issues because its CEO is seeking $10,000 donations for Blackwell's party - donations that could be made with statewide elected officials right there in the same room," said Senate Democratic Leader Greg DiDonato.

Diebold spokeswoman Michelle Griggy said O'Dell - who was unavailable to comment personally - has held fund-raisers in his home for many causes, including the Columbus Zoo, Op era Columbus, Catholic Social Services and Ohio State University.

Ohio GOP spokesman Jason Mauk said the party approached O'Dell about hosting the event at his home, the historic Cotswold Manor, and not the other way around. Mauk said that under federal campaign finance rules, the party cannot use any money from its federal account for state- level candidates.

"To think that Diebold is somehow tainted because they have a couple folks on their board who support the president is just unfair," Mauk said.

Griggy said in an e-mail statement that Diebold could not comment on the political contributions of individual company employees.

Blackwell said Diebold is not the only company with political connections - noting that lobbyists for voting-machine makers read like a who's who of Columbus' powerful and politically connected.

"Let me put it to you this way: If there was one person uniquely involved in the political process, that might be troubling," he said. "But there's no one that hasn't used every legitimate avenue and bit of leverage that they could legally use to get their product looked at. Believe me, if there is a political lever to be pulled, all of them have pulled it."

Blackwell said he stands by the process used for selecting voting machine vendors as fair, thorough and impartial.

As of yesterday, however, that determination lay with Ohio Court of Claims Judge Fred Shoemaker.

He heard closing arguments yesterday over whether Sequoia was unfairly eliminated by Blackwell midway through the final phase of negotiations.

Shoemaker extended a temporary restraining order in the case for 14 days, but said he hopes to issue his opinion sooner than that.

joerockhead

Yes, the Republicans probably did cheat, I will not deny it.

So this makes it right for the ACORN to Lie and Cheat??? NO!!!

DO not try to justify the BS!!! It is wrong, and you know it!

Both of you!!!

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ravenshrike

Fuck getting everybody to vote. Along with the 17th amendment it leads directly to this




No, no voting fraud going on Here

93crawler

I like how you transitioned into ACORN, I thought you would bring that up. ACORN itself isn't responsible for the fraud, the volunteers that committed the fraud are the ones responsible. I think you somehow are indirectly trying to bring up the supposed Obama connection between him and ACORN? It's funny how representing a client makes you guilty of voter fraud, even though ACORN itself isn't guilty. Would you like to bring up William Ayers as well?

I never said that fraud doesn't occur, although it's not even to the extent that you think it may happen. What exactly am I trying to justify? I want everyone's vote to count, regardless of who or what they are voting for. The only reason that Republicans are getting so butt-hurt about ACORN, is that those people overwhelmingly vote Democratic. If they were voting Republican in huge numbers, they wouldn't care if fraud occurred.

I think it's outrageous that it's become almost acceptable to disenfranchise minority voters to such a large extent. This sort of voter suppression receives little to no attention from any media sources.

Face it, Republicans are very, very guilty of suppressing large numbers of the public simply because they know that they won't vote for their party. And "ravenshrike," I honestly can't believe you are in favor of suppressing large numbers of the population, I guess you fit right in with the Republican party mantra. As far as the 17th Amendment, why is it a bad idea to have the people of the state actually vote for their Representatives and Senators?

fmb

I think the group is addressing two issues: voter fraud and improper or illegal registering of voters. There isn't a fraudulent vote until a vote is cast; however, you have to question the system when an individual registers to vote over seventy times (aka ACORN).

ACORN is dodging the responsibility concerning management and oversight of those leading the registration efforts. No matter who you work for, everyone is responsible and accountable to a person higher up the organizational food chain. For ACORN to casually dodge holding their staff acountable is BS. I wouldn't bat an eye at ACORN if the organization held a press conference and announced they had identified some supervisors/managers that had failed to uphold the organizations standards and these persons were disciplined. Unfortunately, they passed the buck and have lost any respect or belief in the good their efforts may have.

BTW, any group doing anything to suppress, block, or swindle voters deserves a serious ass whipping. Voter suppression is the least American thing any person or organization can do.

I'm fmb and I approved this message!

ravenshrike

Here

After you're done reading that you can go dig your balls out with a rusty spork for attempting to insinuate that I'm a puppet.


Why in the name of all that's sacred to Nuggin do these forums replace b l o g s p o t . c o m with % signs? *sniffs* Replace the % in the link to get the website.

Since the forums are being gay, I'll quote the piece.

fmb

Wow..... I wished the senators would go back to election from the state governments. Looking at it from a larger standpoint, it seems like an even better idea. What are the chances it'll happen??

joerockhead

No, I was not bringing up Senator Obama's affiliation with the corrupt organization known as ACORN. Nor was I going bring Ayers into this thread.

However, when you have loads of people in your circle that are corrupt, then that makes you questionable.

And if you really really believe that ACRON organization is not corrupt and it is just the volunteers, then your fundamentally following the fundamentally challenged fundamentalist. Also known as Senator Obama. Fundamentally speaking. (just using his fundamentally favorite word)



Well, if ACORN was a Republican entity, it would not be committing fraud. And if they where, I would be pretty upset that they where doing that.
You only want everyone's vote to count, as long as they vote for your Sheep herder Senator Obama.


I never said anything about minorities. You are the one using that to justify your rampage and attacks.


I bet they are. Both Parties are cheaters. Democrats are liars and Cheaters and stealing votes too. And those individuals should be prosecuted. Republican or Democrat. Lets get both parties to play fair. Can you?

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Krasch

Of course both sides cheat and lie. I well remember AlGore wanting only specifically Democrat-laden districts recounted in Florida while Dubya was making the point (all but ignored by the major press mind you)that he wasn't against a recount per se, but if they were going to recount some of the districts, do ALL of them, Republican strongholds and Democrat bastions alike. (I also well recall some newspaper doing exactly that after the election was all over and done with only to find that Bush roughly tripled his lead in Florida.)

Lying and cheating are just part of politics, period.

BTW The American Republic is long dead, Congress figured out it can bribe the people with their own money a LONG LONG time ago.