Editorial | The Difference Two Years Made | Published: November 5, 2006
On Tuesday, when this page runs the list of people it has endorsed for election, we will include no Republican Congressional candidates for the first time in our memory. Although Times editorials tend to agree with Democrats on national policy, we have proudly and consistently endorsed a long line of moderate Republicans, particularly for the House. Our only political loyalty is to making the two-party system as vital and responsible as possible.
That is why things are different this year.
To begin with, the Republican majority that has run the House — and for the most part, the Senate — during President Bush’s tenure has done a terrible job on the basics. Its tax-cutting-above-all-else has wrecked the budget, hobbled the middle class and endangered the long-term economy. It has refused to face up to global warming and done pathetically little about the country’s dependence on foreign oil.
Republican leaders, particularly in the House, have developed toxic symptoms of an overconfident majority that has been too long in power. They methodically shut the opposition — and even the more moderate members of their own party — out of any role in the legislative process. Their only mission seems to be self-perpetuation.
The current Republican majority managed to achieve that burned-out, brain-dead status in record time, and with a shocking disregard for the most minimal ethical standards. It was bad enough that a party that used to believe in fiscal austerity blew billions on pork-barrel projects. It is worse that many of the most expensive boondoggles were not even directed at their constituents, but at lobbyists who financed their campaigns and high-end lifestyles. ...
Monday, November 06, 2006
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Convicted Republican Ney resigns from House ... fourth House Republican to step down under pressure in the 109th Congress
Convicted Republican Ney resigns from House | Email this Story | Nov 3, 7:50 PM (ET) | By Thomas Ferraro
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Bob Ney of Ohio resigned from the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday, three weeks after pleading guilty in the Jack Abramoff political corruption scandal.
Ney submitted a letter of resignation, effective immediately, to House Speaker Dennis Hastert, an Illinois Republican who along with other lawmakers had urged him to step down immediately.
Ney had said in August he would not seek re-election to a seventh two-year term in the November 7 elections.
By staying on for a bit longer, he remained eligible to receive his paycheck and benefits, which drew widespread criticism.
Ney was the first lawmaker convicted in the Abramoff influence-peddling scandal, and the fourth House Republican to step down under pressure in the 109th Congress.
Their cases have rocked Republicans as they seek to retain control of the House on Tuesday. Democrats have accused Republicans of "a culture of corruption." ...
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Bob Ney of Ohio resigned from the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday, three weeks after pleading guilty in the Jack Abramoff political corruption scandal.
Ney submitted a letter of resignation, effective immediately, to House Speaker Dennis Hastert, an Illinois Republican who along with other lawmakers had urged him to step down immediately.
Ney had said in August he would not seek re-election to a seventh two-year term in the November 7 elections.
By staying on for a bit longer, he remained eligible to receive his paycheck and benefits, which drew widespread criticism.
Ney was the first lawmaker convicted in the Abramoff influence-peddling scandal, and the fourth House Republican to step down under pressure in the 109th Congress.
Their cases have rocked Republicans as they seek to retain control of the House on Tuesday. Democrats have accused Republicans of "a culture of corruption." ...
Saturday, October 28, 2006
The real fraud is the theft of our democracy, by deliberate suppression of the right to vote and to have one's vote counted
Hampering the vote | By Robert Kuttner | October 28, 2006
POLLS SHOW Democrats picking up between 20 and 30 House seats, enough to take control of the House. But brace yourself for a very long evening -- that could go on for days.
The Republicans' superior ground operation -- they spend more on targeting voters and getting out the vote -- has received some attention in the press. But far more ominous is the organized effort to suppress voter turnout, directed entirely against groups likely to vote for Democrats.
An exhaustive report, "Voting in 2006: Have We Solved the Problems of 2004?" by the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the Century Foundation, and Common Cause, catalogs new, sickening assaults on our democracy:
Hurdles to voter registration. Several states, led predictably by Florida and Ohio, have added criminal penalties for voter-registration efforts that violate deliberately complicated rules . In Florida, the Legislature added fines for nonpartisan groups that turn in registration materials late. This put League of Women Voters volunteer efforts in many minority areas out of business.
The Republicans' superior ground operation -- they spend more on targeting voters and getting out the vote -- has received some attention in the press. But far more ominous is the organized effort to suppress voter turnout, directed entirely against groups likely to vote for Democrats.
An exhaustive report, "Voting in 2006: Have We Solved the Problems of 2004?" by the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the Century Foundation, and Common Cause, catalogs new, sickening assaults on our democracy:
Hurdles to voter registration. Several states, led predictably by Florida and Ohio, have added criminal penalties for voter-registration efforts that violate deliberately complicated rules . In Florida, the Legislature added fines for nonpartisan groups that turn in registration materials late. This put League of Women Voters volunteer efforts in many minority areas out of business.
In Ohio, where the notorious secretary of state, Ken Blackwell, is also the Republican candidate for governor, technical violations of complex voter-registration laws are now felonies. Republicans even tried to disqualify Blackwell's opponent, Ted Strickland, from running, on the ground that he had voted in past years from two different Ohio addresses (where he lived).
Excessive ID requirements. In states that require voter ID, common-sense documentation such as a utility bill or tax receipt has long been accepted. Other states have accepted a signed affidavit or signature match, and experienced no fraud problems. But in several Republican-controlled states, such as Florida, Georgia, and Missouri, photo-ID requirements have been added, disqualifying people -- mostly poor, elderly, minority (and likely to vote for Democrats) -- who lack driver's licenses or passports or special voter cards. In Florida, the requirement could disqualify 300,000 voters.
Impediments to voting. In Arizona, an anti-immigrant ballot initiative passed in 2004 requires voters to bring proof of citizenship. In the first two months after the initiative passed, 70 percent of voter-registration applications in Maricopa County (Phoenix) were rejected for lack of adequate documentation. In Ohio, where voters in heavily Democratic and minority precincts waited for as long as 10 hours and countless gave up because of mysterious shortages of voting machines, the state belatedly required roughly equal allocation of voting machines. This remedy takes effect in 2013!
...
Republicans defend these vote-suppression measures as necessary to combat fraud. Once, big-city Democratic machines made sure people voted "early and often." But the right has been unable to produce evidence of deliberate ballot fraud today.
In Washington State, where Democrat Christine Gregoire won the governorship in 2004 by 133 votes, Republican litigators spent millions seeking improperly cast ballots. All they found were exactly five former felons who had unintentionally neglected the paperwork necessary to restore their franchise.
The real fraud is the theft of our democracy, by deliberate suppression of the right to vote and to have one's vote counted. ...Investigators Say Speaker’s Aide Hindered Inquiry of Hill Security Contracts
Two former House committee investigators who were examining Capitol Hill security upgrades said a senior aide to Speaker
The former Appropriations Committee investigators said Ted Van Der Meid, Hastert’s chief counsel, resisted from the start the inquiry, which began with concerns about mismanagement of a secret security office and later probed allegations of bid-rigging and kickbacks from contractors to a Defense Department employee.
Ronald Garant and a second Appropriations Committee investigator who asked not to be identified said Van Der Meid engaged in “screaming matches” with investigators and told at least one aide not to talk to them. Van Der Meid also prohibited investigators from visiting certain sites to check up on the effectiveness of the work, the investigators said.
Van Der Meid oversaw Capitol security upgrades for Hastert, R-Ill., and worked closely with the office that was charged with implementing them, the investigators said.
K. Lee Blalack, a lawyer for Van Der Meid, said Friday that neither he nor Van Der Meid would comment on the matter.
John Scofield, a spokesman for the Appropriations Committee, said the former investigators were taken off of the investigation, but denied that it was terminated. ...
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Blackwell purged Ohio Voter Rolls Oct 1st.- I am going to assume purge went to no-one registered GOP
ACTION ALERT: Blackwell purged Ohio Voter Rolls Oct 1st.- Vote Early. | by KStreetProjector | Wed Oct 18, 2006 at 05:59:14 AM PDT
A friend, in a position to be present at lunches of GOP insiders here in DC called me on Thursday, they know of my ongoing efforts to make hackable voting end.
My friend was present as a group of Moderate GOP members with Ohio ties lamented how far the party had strayed. There was consensus at the table there was no way they should retain control. The table conversation began with the assumption they party would lose control in this election. The moderates started planning how to take back control of the GOP from the extremists.
Then, one insider, probably an extremist, but certainly very close to Mr. Ken Mehlman abruptly stopped the conversation. He told table that it was impossible they would lose either house. He also predicts an Ohio GOP sweep.
He informed the group that over the last year, in four critical states the GOP needs to hold huge purges of the voter rolls have just been finished.
The insider did not say which four states, but did say Ohio was among them.
His claim was a new Diebold voter registry system had been installed over the last year. The last week of July and the first week of August a "test run" was made of the systems ability to purge ineligable voters. The purge generated names and test letters sent out to 1.2 million Ohio addresses with a focus on University's, Apartment addresses with high turnover. He claims they made the letters seem just functionary, but they have an action component to avoid being purged from the rolls.
The Insider warmed and said that Blackwell was brilliant in how he did this. The letter went on for a long time about changes in Ohio voting and security and suggested people who might have any concerns about their voting status could come by county offices and confirm their continued voting eligability before election day.
He further added, that since it was conducted as a "test" they only sent letters to a limited number of suspect addresses and "I suspect Blackwell chose criteria very very favorable for us."
Further the insider stated that Blackwell had only purged the lists after a full 60 days was given for people to respond. Which means even if a voter was on the "termination" list, they would still have been eligable to vote in the primary.
He told they table they believe the purge has probably caught up "hundreds of thousands of students, activists and wanderers with no real job" would show up at the polls and have to vote provisionally.
He predicted to the table that tens of thousands of voters will show up on election day, and once the provisionals are used up will simply not be able to at all.
He also said that this "operation" (The Insiders word, my friend was specific about this" had turned up a lot of additional fascinating information including a number of Democrats in elected office who are registered to vote in several places, and they may explore how to use this information against them.
I am going to assume, Mr. Blackwell's "test" purge went to no-one registered GOP. His criteria is something I am trying to get a copy of now.
Monday, October 16, 2006
probe will attempt to determine if Weldon used his influence to help secure $1 million in contracts for his lobbyist daughter
CNN confirms DOJ probing Rep. Curt Weldon | David Edwards | Published: Monday October 16, 2006
Rep. Curt Weldon (R-PA) is being investigated by the Bush Administration's Department of Justice, CNN has confirmed with two sources on Capitol Hill.
The probe will attempt to determine if Weldon used his influence to help secure $1 million in contracts for his lobbyist daughter, Karen Weldon.
Rep. Curt Weldon (R-PA) is being investigated by the Bush Administration's Department of Justice, CNN has confirmed with two sources on Capitol Hill.
The probe will attempt to determine if Weldon used his influence to help secure $1 million in contracts for his lobbyist daughter, Karen Weldon.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
The U.S. Congress has made a mockery of democracy with this incumbent protection racket
Thomas J. DiLorenzo: Our monopoly government | The Examiner | Oct 13, 2006 4:00 AM (19 hrs ago)
BALTIMORE - If the Sherman Antitrust Act applied to government, almost every member of the U.S. Congress would face millions in fines and possibly jail time. That’s because the U.S. Congress is a monopolist par excellence.
Consider the U.S. House of Representatives, where 99 percent of incumbents won re-election in 2004; 98 percent in 2000; and 96 percent in 1990. It’s been that way for at least the past four decades with a few brief exceptions, such as the 1994 “Republican Revolution.”
Politicians have created virtually insurmountable “barriers to entry” (to borrow a phrase from economics) that all but guarantee lifetime tenure to anyone elected to Congress ...
...
What are the barriers to entry? First, the 17,000 staffers for the 535 members of Congress — compare this figure to about 1,000 employees who assist the 650 members of the British Parliament. This army of “Hill Rats,” as they are called on Capitol Hill, constitutes a taxpayer-financed, full-time public relations/campaign staff for incumbents. Most challengers, by contrast, rely on unpaid, amateur volunteers (Sen. Barbara Mikulski employs 53 staffers, whereas Sen. Paul Sarbanes employs 44 of them).
In theory, staffers help to craft legislation. In reality, they spend most of their time campaigning for their boss’s re-election. Campaign managers are routinely picked from a congressman’s staff. ...
...
Then there’s the “franking privilege,” a euphemism for taxpayer-financed postage for incumbent campaign mailings. By law, there can be no spending limits on postage for congressional mailings.
The proliferation of committees and subcommittees constitutes an even higher barrier to political competition. The main function of committees and subcommittees is to distribute “pork,” not to carefully contemplate legislation. A member of congress from an agricultural region will want to sit on as many farm committees and subcommittees as possible, for example, in order to direct congressional farm pork to his constituents. A member from the city, on the other hand, will want to sit on all the “urban affairs” subcommittees for the same reason. Mikulski sits on 15 committees; Sarbanes is on eight.
...
The Department of Homeland Security has become a fountain of congressional pork-barrel spending, and is subsequently “supervised” by no fewer than 13 committees and 60 subcommittees. The DHS has been distributing so much pork that state and local governments can’t even spend it all.
North Carolina reportedly spent only about 30 percent of its homeland security money in a recent year, according to Professor James Bennett of George Mason University, author of the new book, “Homeland Security Scams.” Dick Cheney’s home state of Wyoming is probably the last place in America any terrorist would want to target, but it receives more DHS money per capita than any other state, according to Professor Bennett.
The U.S. Congress has made a mockery of democracy with this incumbent protection racket.
The only hope for a return to some semblance of real democracy — and genuine political competition or “federalism,” as the founding fathers called it — is in a massive devolution of power from Washington to the state and local levels, similar to what exists today in Switzerland. What is needed, in other words, is a second American revolution (a peaceful one this time) that would allow us to return to Jefferson’s vision of small and decentralized government. That’s the only way that Americans will ever be the masters, rather than the servants, of their own government.
Thomas J. DiLorenzo is professor of economics at Loyola College and author of “How Capitalism Saved America” (Crown Forum/Random House).
BALTIMORE - If the Sherman Antitrust Act applied to government, almost every member of the U.S. Congress would face millions in fines and possibly jail time. That’s because the U.S. Congress is a monopolist par excellence.
Consider the U.S. House of Representatives, where 99 percent of incumbents won re-election in 2004; 98 percent in 2000; and 96 percent in 1990. It’s been that way for at least the past four decades with a few brief exceptions, such as the 1994 “Republican Revolution.”
Politicians have created virtually insurmountable “barriers to entry” (to borrow a phrase from economics) that all but guarantee lifetime tenure to anyone elected to Congress ...
...
What are the barriers to entry? First, the 17,000 staffers for the 535 members of Congress — compare this figure to about 1,000 employees who assist the 650 members of the British Parliament. This army of “Hill Rats,” as they are called on Capitol Hill, constitutes a taxpayer-financed, full-time public relations/campaign staff for incumbents. Most challengers, by contrast, rely on unpaid, amateur volunteers (Sen. Barbara Mikulski employs 53 staffers, whereas Sen. Paul Sarbanes employs 44 of them).
In theory, staffers help to craft legislation. In reality, they spend most of their time campaigning for their boss’s re-election. Campaign managers are routinely picked from a congressman’s staff. ...
...
Then there’s the “franking privilege,” a euphemism for taxpayer-financed postage for incumbent campaign mailings. By law, there can be no spending limits on postage for congressional mailings.
The proliferation of committees and subcommittees constitutes an even higher barrier to political competition. The main function of committees and subcommittees is to distribute “pork,” not to carefully contemplate legislation. A member of congress from an agricultural region will want to sit on as many farm committees and subcommittees as possible, for example, in order to direct congressional farm pork to his constituents. A member from the city, on the other hand, will want to sit on all the “urban affairs” subcommittees for the same reason. Mikulski sits on 15 committees; Sarbanes is on eight.
...
The Department of Homeland Security has become a fountain of congressional pork-barrel spending, and is subsequently “supervised” by no fewer than 13 committees and 60 subcommittees. The DHS has been distributing so much pork that state and local governments can’t even spend it all.
North Carolina reportedly spent only about 30 percent of its homeland security money in a recent year, according to Professor James Bennett of George Mason University, author of the new book, “Homeland Security Scams.” Dick Cheney’s home state of Wyoming is probably the last place in America any terrorist would want to target, but it receives more DHS money per capita than any other state, according to Professor Bennett.
The U.S. Congress has made a mockery of democracy with this incumbent protection racket.
The only hope for a return to some semblance of real democracy — and genuine political competition or “federalism,” as the founding fathers called it — is in a massive devolution of power from Washington to the state and local levels, similar to what exists today in Switzerland. What is needed, in other words, is a second American revolution (a peaceful one this time) that would allow us to return to Jefferson’s vision of small and decentralized government. That’s the only way that Americans will ever be the masters, rather than the servants, of their own government.
Thomas J. DiLorenzo is professor of economics at Loyola College and author of “How Capitalism Saved America” (Crown Forum/Random House).
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
The only surprise in Washington now is that the Congressional Republicans managed to reach that point of decayed purpose so thoroughly, so fast.
The Foley Matter | Published: October 3, 2006
History suggests that once a political party achieves sweeping power, it will only be a matter of time before the power becomes the entire point. Policy, ideology, ethics all gradually fall away, replaced by a political machine that exists to win elections and dispense the goodies that come as a result. The only surprise in Washington now is that the Congressional Republicans managed to reach that point of decayed purpose so thoroughly, so fast.
That House leaders knew Representative Mark Foley had been sending inappropriate e-mail to Capitol pages and did little about it is terrible. It is also the latest in a long, depressing pattern: When there is a choice between the right thing to do and the easiest route to perpetuation of power, top Republicans always pick wrong.
The news about Mr. Foley should have set off alarm bells instantly, even if the messages the leaders saw were of the “inappropriate” variety rather than the flat-out salacious versions that surfaced last week. But there was certainly no sense of urgency in their response, which seemed directed at sweeping the matter under the rug rather than finding out precisely what was going on.
The obvious first step — notifying the bipartisan committee that oversees the page program — was never taken, presumably because that would have meant bringing a Democrat into the discussions. After Mr. Foley assured everyone that he was simply engaged in mentoring, whatever leadership inquiry there was ended with telling him to stop e-mailing the youth who got the inappropriate letter.
It’s astonishing behavior for a party that sold itself as the champion of conservative social values. But then so was the fact that a party that prides itself on fiscal conservatism managed to roll up record-breaking deficits, featuring large amounts of wasteful pork earmarked to the districts of powerful legislators or the profit sheets of generous campaign contributors. So was the speed with which the party that billed itself as the voice of grass-roots exurban and suburban America turned itself into the partner of every special-interest lobbyist with a checkbook. ...
History suggests that once a political party achieves sweeping power, it will only be a matter of time before the power becomes the entire point. Policy, ideology, ethics all gradually fall away, replaced by a political machine that exists to win elections and dispense the goodies that come as a result. The only surprise in Washington now is that the Congressional Republicans managed to reach that point of decayed purpose so thoroughly, so fast.
That House leaders knew Representative Mark Foley had been sending inappropriate e-mail to Capitol pages and did little about it is terrible. It is also the latest in a long, depressing pattern: When there is a choice between the right thing to do and the easiest route to perpetuation of power, top Republicans always pick wrong.
The news about Mr. Foley should have set off alarm bells instantly, even if the messages the leaders saw were of the “inappropriate” variety rather than the flat-out salacious versions that surfaced last week. But there was certainly no sense of urgency in their response, which seemed directed at sweeping the matter under the rug rather than finding out precisely what was going on.
The obvious first step — notifying the bipartisan committee that oversees the page program — was never taken, presumably because that would have meant bringing a Democrat into the discussions. After Mr. Foley assured everyone that he was simply engaged in mentoring, whatever leadership inquiry there was ended with telling him to stop e-mailing the youth who got the inappropriate letter.
It’s astonishing behavior for a party that sold itself as the champion of conservative social values. But then so was the fact that a party that prides itself on fiscal conservatism managed to roll up record-breaking deficits, featuring large amounts of wasteful pork earmarked to the districts of powerful legislators or the profit sheets of generous campaign contributors. So was the speed with which the party that billed itself as the voice of grass-roots exurban and suburban America turned itself into the partner of every special-interest lobbyist with a checkbook. ...
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Foley resigned from Congress earlier today after inappropriate and potentially illegal contacts with an underaged male page
Pelosi leads House to pass resolution ordering immediate ethics probe over Foley | RAW STORY \ Published: Friday September 29, 2006
The US House of Representatives has approved a resolution ordering an immediate ethics probe into the behavior of Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL), Roll Call is reporting. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) offered the resolution, which was passed 410-0 in a late Friday session.
Foley resigned from Congress earlier today after inappropriate and potentially illegal contacts with an underaged male page were revealed. ...
...
Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.), who chairs the page board, ... released a detailed statement Friday night.
"Congressman Foley told the Clerk and me [in 2005?!] that he was simply acting as a mentor to this former House Page and that nothing inappropriate had occurred. Nevertheless, we ordered Congressman Foley to cease all contact with this former House Page to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. We also advised him to be especially mindful of his conduct with respect to current and former House Pages, and he assured us he would do so. I received no subsequent complaints about his behavior nor was I ever made aware of any additional emails.
"It has become clear to me today, based on information I only now have learned, that Congressman Foley was not honest about his conduct." ...
The US House of Representatives has approved a resolution ordering an immediate ethics probe into the behavior of Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL), Roll Call is reporting. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) offered the resolution, which was passed 410-0 in a late Friday session.
Foley resigned from Congress earlier today after inappropriate and potentially illegal contacts with an underaged male page were revealed. ...
...
Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.), who chairs the page board, ... released a detailed statement Friday night.
"Congressman Foley told the Clerk and me [in 2005?!] that he was simply acting as a mentor to this former House Page and that nothing inappropriate had occurred. Nevertheless, we ordered Congressman Foley to cease all contact with this former House Page to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. We also advised him to be especially mindful of his conduct with respect to current and former House Pages, and he assured us he would do so. I received no subsequent complaints about his behavior nor was I ever made aware of any additional emails.
"It has become clear to me today, based on information I only now have learned, that Congressman Foley was not honest about his conduct." ...
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
FBI has had to triple the number of squads investigating lobbyists, lawmakers and influence peddlers
D.C. corruption eruption | Daily News Exclusive | FBI forced to triple fraud probe squads to keep up | BY JAMES GORDON MEEK | DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU
WASHINGTON - There is so much political corruption on Capitol Hill that the FBI has had to triple the number of squads investigating lobbyists, lawmakers and influence peddlers, the Daily News has learned.
For decades, only one squad in Washington handled corruption cases because the crimes were seen as local offenses handled by FBI field offices in lawmakers' home districts.
But in recent years, the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal and other abuses of power and privilege have prompted the FBI to assign 37 agents full-time to three new squads in an office near Capitol Hill.
FBI Assistant Director Chip Burrus told The News yesterday that he wants to detail even more agents to the Washington field office for a fourth corruption squad because so much wrongdoing is being uncovered.
"Traditionally, a congressional bribery case might be conducted on Main Street U.S.A., but a lot of the stuff we're finding these days is here in Washington," said Burrus, who heads the FBI's criminal division. ...
WASHINGTON - There is so much political corruption on Capitol Hill that the FBI has had to triple the number of squads investigating lobbyists, lawmakers and influence peddlers, the Daily News has learned.
For decades, only one squad in Washington handled corruption cases because the crimes were seen as local offenses handled by FBI field offices in lawmakers' home districts.
But in recent years, the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal and other abuses of power and privilege have prompted the FBI to assign 37 agents full-time to three new squads in an office near Capitol Hill.
FBI Assistant Director Chip Burrus told The News yesterday that he wants to detail even more agents to the Washington field office for a fourth corruption squad because so much wrongdoing is being uncovered.
"Traditionally, a congressional bribery case might be conducted on Main Street U.S.A., but a lot of the stuff we're finding these days is here in Washington," said Burrus, who heads the FBI's criminal division. ...
Friday, September 15, 2006
Noe gets 27 months in prison; ex-coin dealer says he was pressured by Bush campaign ... Bush "Pioneer"
Noe gets 27 months in prison; ex-coin dealer says he was pressured by Bush campaign |
Tom Noe, the GOP fund-raiser at the heart of Ohio’s biggest political scandal in a generation, claimed that pressure from the Bush-Cheney campaign led him to commit the campaign-finance crimes for which he was sentenced yesterday to federal prison.
...
Judge Katz allowed Noe to remain free on bail because he still faces an Oct. 10 trial in Lucas County Common Pleas Court on charges he embezzled more than $3 million from coin funds he managed for the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation.
Yesterday, however, Noe was punished for using friends and associates — including several current and former local Republican elected officials — to back his candidate for President. He would later become a Bush “Pioneer,” someone who raised more than $100,000 for the President. ...
Tom Noe, the GOP fund-raiser at the heart of Ohio’s biggest political scandal in a generation, claimed that pressure from the Bush-Cheney campaign led him to commit the campaign-finance crimes for which he was sentenced yesterday to federal prison.
...
Judge Katz allowed Noe to remain free on bail because he still faces an Oct. 10 trial in Lucas County Common Pleas Court on charges he embezzled more than $3 million from coin funds he managed for the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation.
Yesterday, however, Noe was punished for using friends and associates — including several current and former local Republican elected officials — to back his candidate for President. He would later become a Bush “Pioneer,” someone who raised more than $100,000 for the President. ...
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Despite Pledges, Congress Clings to Pet Projects ... “It has been a very pathetic showing,”
Despite Pledges, Congress Clings to Pet Projects
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK |WASHINGTON, Sept. 13 — Nine months after Congressional leaders vowed to respond to several bribery scandals with comprehensive reforms, their pledges have come to next to nothing.
On Wednesday, leaders of the House prepared to take up a rule requiring individual lawmakers to sign their names to some of the pet projects they tuck into major tax and spending bills. As an internal House rule, the requirement would be in effect only until the end of the session, just a few weeks away.
While reform advocates denounced the proposal as nearly toothless, its bite was still too sharp for many in Congress. By Wednesday night the resolution appeared to be bogged down in a three-way squabble among Republicans, Democrats and the powerful members of the House Appropriations Committee.
“It has been a very pathetic showing,” said Mary Boyle, a spokeswoman for the reform group Common Cause. Even with one congressman in jail, a well-known lobbyist on the way and several other members and staff members still under investigation, she said: “The response to this has been nothing. It has been silence.” ...
Interior Official Assails Agency for Ethics Slide
Interior Official Assails Agency for Ethics Slide
WASHINGTON, Sept. 13 — The Interior Department’s chief official responsible for investigating abuses and overseeing operations accused the top officials at the agency on Wednesday of tolerating widespread ethical failures, from cronyism to cover-ups of incompetence.“Simply stated, short of a crime, anything goes at the highest levels of the Department of the Interior,” charged Earl E. Devaney, the Interior Department’s inspector general, at a hearing of the House Government Reform subcommittee on energy.
“I have observed one instance after another when the good work of my office has been disregarded by the department,” he continued. “Ethics failures on the part of senior department officials — taking the form of appearances of impropriety, favoritism and bias — have been routinely dismissed with a promise ‘not to do it again.’ ”
The blistering attack was part of Mr. Devaney’s report on what he called the Interior Department’s “bureaucratic bungling” of oil and gas leases signed in the late 1990’s, mistakes that are now expected to cost the government billions of dollars but were covered up for six years. ...
Friday, September 01, 2006
instances in which American marines involved in the episode appear to have destroyed or withheld evidence
Inquiry Suggests Marines Excised Files on Killings - New York Times: "By DAVID S. CLOUD | Published: August 18, 2006
WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 — A high-level military investigation into the killings of 24 Iraqis in Haditha last November has uncovered instances in which American marines involved in the episode appear to have destroyed or withheld evidence, according to two Defense Department officials briefed on the case. ...
Nicotine Up Sharply In Many Cigarettes ... [is an free and open market always best?]
Nicotine Up Sharply In Many Cigarettes: "Some Brands More Than 30% Stronger | By David Brown | Washington Post Staff Writer | Thursday, August 31, 2006; Page A01
The amount of nicotine in most cigarettes rose an average of almost 10 percent from 1998 to 2004, with brands most popular with young people and minorities registering the biggest increases and highest nicotine content, according to a new study.
Nicotine is highly addictive, and while no one has studied the effect of the increases on smokers, the higher levels theoretically could make new smokers more easily addicted and make it harder for established smokers to quit. ...
The amount of nicotine in most cigarettes rose an average of almost 10 percent from 1998 to 2004, with brands most popular with young people and minorities registering the biggest increases and highest nicotine content, according to a new study.
Nicotine is highly addictive, and while no one has studied the effect of the increases on smokers, the higher levels theoretically could make new smokers more easily addicted and make it harder for established smokers to quit. ...
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
new Florida voter registration law unconstitutional, ruling that its stiff penalties for violations threaten free speech rights and that political par
Print Story: Judge blocks Fla. voter registration law on Yahoo! News: "By CURT ANDERSON, Associated Press WriterMon Aug 28, 1:29 PM ET
A federal judge on Monday declared a new Florida voter registration law unconstitutional, ruling that its stiff penalties for violations threaten free speech rights and that political parties were improperly exempted.
A federal judge on Monday declared a new Florida voter registration law unconstitutional, ruling that its stiff penalties for violations threaten free speech rights and that political parties were improperly exempted.
The 48-page ruling by U.S. District Judge Patricia Seitz means that state authorities cannot enforce the provisions of the law. It took effect Jan. 1 and has been blamed by several labor unions and nonprofit groups for effectively blocking voter registration drives across the state because of the financial risk.
"If third-party voter registration organizations permanently cease their voter registration efforts, Florida citizens will be stripped of an important means and choice of registering to vote and of associating with one another," Seitz wrote.
The law also "unconstitutionally discriminates" against third-party registration groups because it does not apply to political parties, Seitz added. ...
"The lie was that we were ready and that everything was working as a team. Behind the scenes, it wasn't working at all,"
Brown says White House wanted him to lie: "Brown says White House wanted him to lie
WASHINGTON, Aug. 27 (UPI) -- The ousted head of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency says the White House wanted him to lie about the response to Hurricane Katrina.
Former Director Michael Brown told ABC News' "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" Sunday he stood by comments in a Playboy interview, and President Bush wanted him to take the heat for the bungling.
"The lie was that we were ready and that everything was working as a team. Behind the scenes, it wasn't working at all," Brown said. "There were political considerations going into all the discussions. There was the fact that New Orleans did not evacuate and the mayor (Ray Nagin) had no plan." ...
WASHINGTON, Aug. 27 (UPI) -- The ousted head of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency says the White House wanted him to lie about the response to Hurricane Katrina.
Former Director Michael Brown told ABC News' "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" Sunday he stood by comments in a Playboy interview, and President Bush wanted him to take the heat for the bungling.
"The lie was that we were ready and that everything was working as a team. Behind the scenes, it wasn't working at all," Brown said. "There were political considerations going into all the discussions. There was the fact that New Orleans did not evacuate and the mayor (Ray Nagin) had no plan." ...
Friday, July 28, 2006
Wife, Friend Tie Congressman to Consulting Firm ... Clients Say They Get Access to Va. Republican ... firms seeking government contracts.
Wife, Friend Tie Congressman to Consulting Firm: "Wife, Friend Tie Congressman to Consulting Firm | Company's Clients Say They Get Access to Va. Republican | By Robert O'Harrow Jr. and Scott Higham | Washington Post Staff Writers | Friday, July 28, 2006; Page A01
Two months before Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.) became chairman of the powerful House Government Reform Committee in January 2003, one of his close friends formed ICG Government, a consulting company for technology firms seeking government contracts.
Donald W. Upson had risen with Davis through the burgeoning Northern Virginia technology community, where they worked side by side as executives at a company that sold computer systems to the government."
...
Two months before Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.) became chairman of the powerful House Government Reform Committee in January 2003, one of his close friends formed ICG Government, a consulting company for technology firms seeking government contracts.
Donald W. Upson had risen with Davis through the burgeoning Northern Virginia technology community, where they worked side by side as executives at a company that sold computer systems to the government."
...
From the beginning, Upson worked with Davis and his staff as he built his consulting business, which holds seminars on procurement and advises clients on winning government technology contracts worth billions of dollars. Those contracts often came under the oversight of Davis's committee. One of Upson's first hires was Jeannemarie Devolites, a Virginia politician who later married the congressman.
ICG has a record of satisfied clients, who say the firm has provided them with access to the congressman and his staff.
In an opinion issued this week, the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct told the congressman that his wife can work for the consulting firm as long as the couple does not personally benefit from any official acts by the congressman. The committee told them to take care to "avoid a claim that you are allowing your official title to be used for private gain." ...
Monday, July 24, 2006
Secret bills aided Cunningham -- slip items into classified bills that would benefit him
CNN.com - Inquiry: Secret bills aided Cunningham - Jul 23, 2006: "House looks to outside investigator to help fix vulnerabilities | Sunday, July 23, 2006; Posted: 8:49 p.m. EDT (00:49 GMT)"
WASHINGTON (AP) -- An independent investigation has found that imprisoned former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham took advantage of secrecy and badgered congressional aides to help slip items into classified bills that would benefit him and his associates.
...
Cunningham's case has put a stark spotlight on the oversight of classified -- or "black" -- budgets. Unlike legislation dealing with social and economic issues, intelligence bills and parts of defense bills are written in private, in the name of national security.
That means it is up to members of Congress and select aides with security clearances to ensure that legislation is appropriate.
The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Peter Hoekstra, R-Michigan, and the top Democrat, Rep. Jane Harman of California, took the unusual step of hiring Stern to investigate how Cunningham used his seat on the committee to influence legislation for his own enrichment. ...
WASHINGTON (AP) -- An independent investigation has found that imprisoned former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham took advantage of secrecy and badgered congressional aides to help slip items into classified bills that would benefit him and his associates.
...
Cunningham's case has put a stark spotlight on the oversight of classified -- or "black" -- budgets. Unlike legislation dealing with social and economic issues, intelligence bills and parts of defense bills are written in private, in the name of national security.
That means it is up to members of Congress and select aides with security clearances to ensure that legislation is appropriate.
The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Peter Hoekstra, R-Michigan, and the top Democrat, Rep. Jane Harman of California, took the unusual step of hiring Stern to investigate how Cunningham used his seat on the committee to influence legislation for his own enrichment. ...
Sunday, July 23, 2006
I.R.S. to Cut Tax Auditors - back-door way for the Bush administration ...to ... repeal of the estate tax.
I.R.S. to Cut Tax Auditors - New York Times: By DAVID CAY JOHNSTON | Published: July 23, 2006
The federal government is moving to eliminate the jobs of nearly half of the lawyers at the Internal Revenue Service who audit tax returns of some of the wealthiest Americans, specifically those who are subject to gift and estate taxes when they transfer parts of their fortunes to their children and others.
The administration plans to cut the jobs of 157 of the agency’s 345 estate tax lawyers, plus 17 support personnel, in less than 70 days. Kevin Brown, an I.R.S. deputy commissioner, confirmed the cuts after The New York Times was given internal documents by people inside the I.R.S. who oppose them.
The Bush administration has passed measures that reduce the number of Americans who are subject to the estate tax — which opponents refer to as the “death tax” — but has failed in its efforts to eliminate the tax entirely. Mr. Brown said in a telephone interview Friday that he had ordered the staff cuts because far fewer people were obliged to pay estate taxes under President Bush’s legislation.
But six I.R.S. estate tax lawyers whose jobs are likely to be eliminated said in interviews that the cuts were just the latest moves behind the scenes at the I.R.S. to shield people with political connections and complex tax-avoidance devices from thorough audits.
Sharyn Phillips, a veteran I.R.S. estate tax lawyer in Manhattan, called the cuts a “back-door way for the Bush administration to achieve what it cannot get from Congress, which is repeal of the estate tax.” ..
The federal government is moving to eliminate the jobs of nearly half of the lawyers at the Internal Revenue Service who audit tax returns of some of the wealthiest Americans, specifically those who are subject to gift and estate taxes when they transfer parts of their fortunes to their children and others.
The administration plans to cut the jobs of 157 of the agency’s 345 estate tax lawyers, plus 17 support personnel, in less than 70 days. Kevin Brown, an I.R.S. deputy commissioner, confirmed the cuts after The New York Times was given internal documents by people inside the I.R.S. who oppose them.
The Bush administration has passed measures that reduce the number of Americans who are subject to the estate tax — which opponents refer to as the “death tax” — but has failed in its efforts to eliminate the tax entirely. Mr. Brown said in a telephone interview Friday that he had ordered the staff cuts because far fewer people were obliged to pay estate taxes under President Bush’s legislation.
But six I.R.S. estate tax lawyers whose jobs are likely to be eliminated said in interviews that the cuts were just the latest moves behind the scenes at the I.R.S. to shield people with political connections and complex tax-avoidance devices from thorough audits.
Sharyn Phillips, a veteran I.R.S. estate tax lawyer in Manhattan, called the cuts a “back-door way for the Bush administration to achieve what it cannot get from Congress, which is repeal of the estate tax.” ..
Thursday, July 20, 2006
CREW FEC COMPLAINT AGAINST REP. DELAY PAC – ARMPAC – RESULTS IN $115,000 FINE - CREW
CREW FEC COMPLAINT AGAINST REP. DELAY PAC – ARMPAC – RESULTS IN $115,000 FINE - CREW: "One of Largest Fines in FEC History
Washington, DC – Last night, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) released a conciliation agreement reached with Americans for a Republican Majority political action committee (ARMPAC) stemming from a complaint Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed against the PAC last August. As a result of CREW's FEC complaint, ARMPAC has agreed to pay a $115,000 civil penalty and go out of business. ARMPAC was created and led by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX).
This is one of the 50 largest fines ever obtained by the FEC in its 30-year history.
The FEC found that:
--ARMPAC failed to report accurately nearly a quarter million dollars in contributions and expenditures during the 2001-2002 election cycle.
--ARMPAC failed to report nearly $325,000 in debts owed to 25 campaign vendors.
--ARMPAC improperly used over $200,000 in soft money to pay for federal election activity. In particular, ARMPAC improperly used over $120,000 in soft money to pay for GOTV activities in Texas immediately before the 2002 general election.
CREW’s executive director, Melanie Sloan, stated, “the conciliation agreement reached between the FEC and ARMPAC shows a clear pattern of abuse of campaign finance laws.” Sloan continued, “on a disturbingly regular basis we learn that former House Majority Leader DeLay violated the law. From the Jack Abramoff scandal to the violations of Texas campaign finance laws, to Rep. DeLay’s misuse of charitable organizations, the list seems endless. It is time for federal investigators to step in and undertake a thorough investigation of Rep. DeLay’s financial dealings so that the public can learn the true extent of Rep. DeLay’s illegal activities and he can be held accountable.” " ...
Washington, DC – Last night, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) released a conciliation agreement reached with Americans for a Republican Majority political action committee (ARMPAC) stemming from a complaint Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed against the PAC last August. As a result of CREW's FEC complaint, ARMPAC has agreed to pay a $115,000 civil penalty and go out of business. ARMPAC was created and led by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX).
This is one of the 50 largest fines ever obtained by the FEC in its 30-year history.
The FEC found that:
--ARMPAC failed to report accurately nearly a quarter million dollars in contributions and expenditures during the 2001-2002 election cycle.
--ARMPAC failed to report nearly $325,000 in debts owed to 25 campaign vendors.
--ARMPAC improperly used over $200,000 in soft money to pay for federal election activity. In particular, ARMPAC improperly used over $120,000 in soft money to pay for GOTV activities in Texas immediately before the 2002 general election.
CREW’s executive director, Melanie Sloan, stated, “the conciliation agreement reached between the FEC and ARMPAC shows a clear pattern of abuse of campaign finance laws.” Sloan continued, “on a disturbingly regular basis we learn that former House Majority Leader DeLay violated the law. From the Jack Abramoff scandal to the violations of Texas campaign finance laws, to Rep. DeLay’s misuse of charitable organizations, the list seems endless. It is time for federal investigators to step in and undertake a thorough investigation of Rep. DeLay’s financial dealings so that the public can learn the true extent of Rep. DeLay’s illegal activities and he can be held accountable.” " ...
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
... highest-ranking Arabic speaker for complaining that he was cut out of terrorism cases despite his expertise ...
Retaliation Case Of Arab Specialist At FBI Advances: "By Dan Eggen | Washington Post Staff Writer | Tuesday, July 18, 2006; Page A03
The Justice Department has concluded there is 'reasonable cause' to believe that senior FBI officials retaliated against the bureau's highest-ranking Arabic speaker for complaining that he was cut out of terrorism cases despite his expertise.
An internal investigation by the department's Office of Professional Responsibility found 'sufficient circumstantial evidence' that Special Agent Bassem Youssef was blocked from a counterterrorism assignment in 2002 after he and U.S. Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.) met with FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III to discuss Youssef's complaints." ...
The Justice Department has concluded there is 'reasonable cause' to believe that senior FBI officials retaliated against the bureau's highest-ranking Arabic speaker for complaining that he was cut out of terrorism cases despite his expertise.
An internal investigation by the department's Office of Professional Responsibility found 'sufficient circumstantial evidence' that Special Agent Bassem Youssef was blocked from a counterterrorism assignment in 2002 after he and U.S. Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.) met with FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III to discuss Youssef's complaints." ...
Saturday, July 08, 2006
CIA agent who led Bin Laden hunt ... unit dismantled because of bureaucratic jealousies
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | CIA attacked by agent who led Bin Laden hunt: "Agent who led Bin Laden hunt criticises CIA | Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington | Saturday July 8, 2006 | The Guardian
� Closure of unit 'wasted 10 years' experience' .... � Al-Qaida reasserting its influence, says ex-chief
The man who led America's hunt for Osama bin Laden has said the CIA was wrong to disband the only unit devoted entirely to the terrorist leader's pursuit - just at a time when al-Qaida is reasserting its influence over global jihad.
Shutting down the Bin Laden unit squandered 10 years of expertise in the war on terror, said Michael Scheuer, who founded the unit in 1995 and arguably knows more about Bin Laden than any other western intelligence official. He believes the unit was dismantled because of bureaucratic jealousies within the CIA, and that the closure delivers a further setback to a pursuit that has been squeezed for resources for the past two years.
'What it robs you of is a critical mass of officers who have been working on this together for a decade,' he told the Guardian. 'We had a breed of specialists rare in an intelligence community that prides itself on generalists. It provided a base from which to build a cadre of people specialising in attacking Sunni extremist operations, who sacrificed promotions and other emoluments in their employment in the clandestine service, where specialists were looked on as nerds.'" ...
� Closure of unit 'wasted 10 years' experience' .... � Al-Qaida reasserting its influence, says ex-chief
The man who led America's hunt for Osama bin Laden has said the CIA was wrong to disband the only unit devoted entirely to the terrorist leader's pursuit - just at a time when al-Qaida is reasserting its influence over global jihad.
Shutting down the Bin Laden unit squandered 10 years of expertise in the war on terror, said Michael Scheuer, who founded the unit in 1995 and arguably knows more about Bin Laden than any other western intelligence official. He believes the unit was dismantled because of bureaucratic jealousies within the CIA, and that the closure delivers a further setback to a pursuit that has been squeezed for resources for the past two years.
'What it robs you of is a critical mass of officers who have been working on this together for a decade,' he told the Guardian. 'We had a breed of specialists rare in an intelligence community that prides itself on generalists. It provided a base from which to build a cadre of people specialising in attacking Sunni extremist operations, who sacrificed promotions and other emoluments in their employment in the clandestine service, where specialists were looked on as nerds.'" ...
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
20 Amazing Facts About Voting in the USA
20 Amazing Facts About Voting in the USA: "by Angry Girl | Nightweed.com
1. 80% of all votes in America are counted by only two companies: Diebold and ES&S.
http://www.onlinejournal.com/evoting/042804Landes/042804landes.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diebold
1. 80% of all votes in America are counted by only two companies: Diebold and ES&S.
http://www.onlinejournal.com/evoting/042804Landes/042804landes.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diebold
2. There is no federal agency with regulatory authority or oversight of the U.S. voting machine industry.
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0916-04.htm
http://www.onlinejournal.com/evoting/042804Landes/042804landes.html
3. The vice-president of Diebold and the president of ES&S are brothers.
http://www.americanfreepress.net/html/private_company.html
http://www.onlinejournal.com/evoting/042804Landes/042804landes.html
4. The chairman and CEO of Diebold is a major Bush campaign organizer and donor who wrote in 2003 that he was "committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year."
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/07/28/sunday/main632436.shtml
http://www.wishtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=1647886
5. Republican Senator Chuck Hagel used to be chairman of ES&S. He became Senator based on votes counted by ES&S machines.
http://www.motherjones.com/commentary/columns/2004/03/03_200.html
http://www.onlinejournal.com/evoting/031004Fitrakis/031004fitrakis.html
6. Republican Senator Chuck Hagel, long-connected with the Bush family, was recently caught lying about his ownership of ES&S by the Senate Ethics Committee.
http://www.blackboxvoting.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=26
http://www.hillnews.com/news/012903/hagel.aspx
http://www.onlisareinsradar.com/archives/000896.php
7. Senator Chuck Hagel was on a short list of George W. Bush's vice-presidential candidates.
http://www.businessweek.com/2000/00_28/b3689130.htm
http://theindependent.com/stories/052700/new_hagel27.html
8. ES&S is the largest voting machine manufacturer in the U.S. and counts almost 60% of all U.S. votes.
http://www.essvote.com/HTML/about/about.html
http://www.onlinejournal.com/evoting/042804Landes/042804landes.html
9. Diebold's new touch screen voting machines have no paper trail of any votes. In other words, there is no way to verify that the data coming out of the machine is the same as what was legitimately put in by voters.
http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0225-05.htm
http://www.itworld.com/Tech/2987/041020evotestates/pfindex.html
10. Diebold also makes ATMs, checkout scanners, and ticket machines, all of which log each transaction and can generate a paper trail.
http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0225-05.htm
http://www.diebold.com/solutions/default.htm
11. Diebold is based in Ohio.
http://www.diebold.com/aboutus/ataglance/default.htm
12. Diebold employed 5 convicted felons as consultants and developers to help write the central compiler computer code that counted 50% of the votes in 30 states.
http://www.wired.com/news/evote/0,2645,61640,00.html
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2004/10/301469.shtml
13. Jeff Dean was Senior Vice-President of Global Election Systems when it was bought by Diebold. Even though he had been convicted of 23 counts of felony theft in the first degree, Jeff Dean was retained as a consultant by Diebold and was largely responsible for programming the optical scanning software now used in most of the United States.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0312/S00191.htm
http://www.chuckherrin.com/HackthevoteFAQ.htm#how
http://www.blackboxvoting.org/bbv_chapter-8.pdf
14. Diebold consultant Jeff Dean was convicted of planting back doors in his software and using a "high degree of sophistication" to evade detection over a period of 2 years.
http://www.chuckherrin.com/HackthevoteFAQ.htm#how
http://www.blackboxvoting.org/bbv_chapter-8.pdf
15. None of the international election observers were allowed in the polls in Ohio.
http://www.globalexchange.org/update/press/2638.html
http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2004/10/26/loc_elexoh.html
16. California banned the use of Diebold machines because the security was so bad. Despite Diebold's claims that the audit logs could not be hacked, a chimpanzee was able to do it! (See the movie here: http://blackboxvoting.org/baxter/baxterVPR.mov.)
http://wired.com/news/evote/0,2645,63298,00.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4874190
17. 30% of all U.S. votes are carried out on unverifiable touch screen voting machines with no paper trail.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/07/28/sunday/main632436.shtml
18. All -- not some -- but all the voting machine errors detected and reported in Florida went in favor of Bush or Republican candidates.
http://www.wired.com/news/evote/0,2645,65757,00.html
http://www.yuricareport.com/ElectionAftermath04/ThreeResearchStudiesBushIsOut.htm
http://www.rise4news.net/extravotes.html
http://www.ilcaonline.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=950
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0411/S00227.htm
19. The governor of the state of Florida, Jeb Bush, is the President's brother.
http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/tallahassee/news/local/7628725.htm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10544-2004Oct29.html
20. Serious voting anomalies in Florida -- again always favoring Bush -- have been mathematically demonstrated and experts are recommending further investigation.
http://www.yuricareport.com/ElectionAftermath04/ThreeResearchStudiesBushIsOut.htm
http://www.computerworld.com/governmenttopics/government/policy/story/0,10801,97614,00.html
http://www.americanfreepress.net/html/tens_of_thousands.html
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/1106-30.htm
http://www.consortiumnews.com/2004/110904.html
http://uscountvotes.org/
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