November 6, 2012

Does OHIO Sec of State have a plan to give Ohio to Rmoney?? Will we have another Selection 2000?

Yesterday I posted about the Ohio Attorney General having untested software installed on equipment used to transmit vote counts to SoS's office. It is against OHIO law to install untested software on machincs that tabulate or transmit voting information. http://www.democraticunderground.com/101646975

I called the Ohio Sec of State's office a couple of hours ago and the young woman on the phone said the judge ruled that the software was okay(!). She may have been bullshitting me, since the law is clear - software cannot be installed without first being tested (I assume by qualified people). [font size="3"] But it could have been a Republican judge which means partisanship rules over legal, ethical or constitutional considerations.[/font]

Here is an excerpt from the FreePress article I posted yesterday:
(all emphases my own)
http://freepress.org/departments/display/19/2012/4779

Here is the latest I could find on this as of today: Ohio faces controversy over voting machines

* this indicates to me that the judge intends to let the SoS go ahead with his 'trick' software. Personally, I think the vote count in Ohio should be 'frozen' until the untested software is removed.

I called the Dept of Justice ((800) 253-3931) (civil rights division) and left a complaint about this 'trick' software. The woman who took my complaint, asked for the source of my information and said an attorney might get back to me if he needed more information. THey take these complaints about disinfranchisement of citizens seriously.

Anyone who feels inclined can call the same number. I figure, the more who call, the more impetus to check out this situation. I think this is most likely an attempt to throw OHIO into Rmoney's column and hope Obama will pull an 'Al Gore' on us, and just throw up his hands and forsake democracy to the wolves of totalitarianism.

I hope others will call the DoJ number (800 253-3931) with this complaint. Remember Selection 2000. We don't need to see democracy raped again.

November 5, 2012

Campaign 2012: The End of Political Truth? Will Rmoney be rewarded for extraordinary Truth twisting

....and patent, bald-faced lies.



http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/11/mitt-romney-barack-obama-end-political-truth


The most significant public statement from a presidential campaign this year did not pass through the lips of a candidate. It came during the Republican convention in Tampa when Mitt Romney's pollster, Neil Newhouse, declared at a breakfast panel organized by ABC News, "We're not going to let our campaign be dictated by fact-checkers." With these words, Romney's chief numbers guy was issuing a manifesto: This campaign is about saying whatever needs to be said to win, reality and facts be damned. It was an appropriate slogan, for the 2012 campaign has been profoundly shaped by Romney's willingness to obfuscate and dissemble far beyond the admittedly low norm of modern American politics. This election was not only about a clash of political civilizations; it was about the end of political truth.

All politicians shade the truth—or lie. Various fact-checking outfits have rapped President Barack Obama for making false statements. But Romney pushed the envelope this election cycle. He didn't merely shift shapes and flip-flop excessively—or, flip-flop-flip, considering his last-minute, dare-devilish swerve toward the middle on abortion, gay rights, and immigration. He didn't only hype his past history and qualifications (I created 100,000 jobs at Bain!) and issue grand and hollow promises about his proposed policies (my economic plan will lead to 12 million jobs). He didn't just mislead through the selective use of facts (the Benghazi raid was proof of Obama's foreign policy fecklessness). Romney engaged in foundational lying.

The Republican presidential candidate built much of his campaign on basic untruths about the president. Romney blasted Obama for breaking a "promise" to keep unemployment below 8 percent. He claimed the president was "apologizing for America abroad." He accused Obama of adding "nearly as much debt as all the previous presidents combined" and of cutting $500 million from Medicare. None of this was true. (See here, here, here, and here.)

All of these apocryphal statements have been essential parts of Romney's fundamental case against Obama: He's failed to revive the economy and he's placed the nation at risk. Rather than stick to a discourse premised on actual differences (he believes in government investments and would raise taxes on the wealthy to fund them; I want to shrink government and cut taxes)—and bend the truth within acceptable boundaries to bolster the argument—Romney has repeatedly relied on elemental falsehoods, with no regard, as Newhouse noted, for being called out on any of them. He has insisted that under Obama "government will come to control half the economy." (Not so.) That Obama told small business owners that they didn't build their own businesses. (Again, not so.) That the Obama administration appeases and sides with terrorists and enemies of the United States. (Also not so.) That Obama weakened welfare rules to win votes—wink, wink—from "his base." (Really not so.) It was objections to Romney's arguably race-tinged welfare assault—raised by mainstream media journalists—that prompted Newhouse to declare the Romney crew's disdain for fact-checking.
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November 5, 2012

Bob Fitrakis files lawsuit in Ohio re untested software inserted into voting machines

Looks like the GOP is planning another counterfeit election. They need Ohio. so if you can't win it in a real election, just scramble the votes a bit and voila! Ohio goes for Rmoney!!

Democracy, it's been good to know ya.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014291694

November 4, 2012

What genetic modification would women ask for first?

as a diversion from all the disgusting news aabout the Romney campaign of lies and GOP voter suppression intiatives - I offer this frivolous game.

What genetic modification would women first want. Now, if you are asking: "Well, why just women. How about 'what genetic modification will MEN first ask for?' ? IF you ask that question, you are female. All men know what the first genetic modification men would ask for. (the old adage that we feel 'there's no such thing as too much of a good thing' - should serve as a hint to the female gender).

Another wrinkle on this game is what genetic modification would various people think women (or men) would want first.

Just thought of this as way to relieve the tension of the campaign wars.

November 4, 2012

Ohio’s GOP Secretary of State Pulls More Voter Suppression Out of His …. Hat

http://www.politicususa.com/ohios-republican-secretary-street-pulls-voter-suppression-hat.html



Just when you thought we knew all the Republican tricks to make voting more complicated, more bureaucratic and more exclusive, Jon Husted came up with an additional step.

Four days before the election, Ohio’s Secretary of State decided to add an extra step to the process for people who are voting with provisional ballots.


Under the previous rules, Election Officials had to complete all the paperwork that goes with a provisional ballot. But not in Jon Husted’s Ohio. He suddenly decided late Friday afternoon, to put the onus on voters to complete the paper work.

According to a report by Brandon Blackwell, Husted ordered county officials to discount provisional ballots if the accompanying paperwork is not filled out properly. According to the same report, voter advocacy groups challenged this latest stunt by Husted in court. Fingers crossed that the Courts will smack down this latest stunt by a Secretary of State who has put partisan politics above his responsibilities to the voters of Ohio.
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November 2, 2012

Elephant Speaks Korean Out Loud

http://news.yahoo.com/elephant-speaks-korean-loud-160938995.html

A zoo elephant in South Korea, can speak Korean out loud, researchers say. The pachyderm is capable of saying "hello," "good," "no," "sit down" and "lie down" — all by using its trunk to do the work of lips in a process scientists don’t fully understand.

The elephant likely does not understand the actual meaning of what he says, researchers said.

Past reports have suggested both African and Asian elephants were capable of vocal mimicry like parrots. African elephants have been known to imitate the sound of truck engines, and a male Asian elephant living in a Kazakhstan zoo was said to utter sounds resembling Russian and Kazakh, but that case was never investigated scientifically.

Scientists investigating an Asian elephant known as Koshik say the beast can imitate human speech, pronouncing words in Korean, and those who know the language can readily understand Koshik. He accomplished this in a very unusual way — using his trunk stuck inside his mouth. [Watch Koshik Speak Korean
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November 2, 2012

A great article exposing Ryan's Budget priorities - WaPo Ezra Klein's WonkBlog

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/paul-ryan-betrays-his-own-views-on-income-inequality/2012/04/03/gIQAJCv2sS_blog.html



Ryan's Budget Priorities in two Graphs

November 2, 2012

Ralph Gilles, Chrysler Executive, to Donald Trump: "Your full of Shit!"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/01/ralph-gilles-donald-trump-chrysler_n_2060531.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

DETROIT, Nov 1 (Reuters) - A Chrysler executive told Donald Trump in a Tweet on Thursday that the real estate executive and television personality was "full of shit" for repeating a notion that Chrysler is shipping U.S. Jeep production to China, which the automaker refutes.

Ralph Gilles, the head of product design for Chrysler, became the second top Chrysler executive in three days to strongly deny the claim, which was first made by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney last week to a crowd in Ohio.

Trump, from his Twitter account, said, "Obama is a terrible negotiator. He bails out Chrysler and now Chrysler wants to send all Jeep manufacturing to China--and will!"

To which Gilles, from his Twitter account, responded to Trump: "You are full of shit!"
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November 2, 2012

CRS Economist Stands By Tax Cut Study After GOP Successfully Demands Its Withdrawal

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/11/crs-withdraws-study-taxes-growth-mcconnell-hatch.php?ref=fpnewsfeed

The author of a Congressional Research Service study, who found no evidence that tax cuts for high income earners lead to economic growth, is standing by his work, after the legislative branch’s nonpartisan research arm withdrew the report under pressure from Republican leaders. And Democratic principals are demanding to know why CRS caved to GOP pressure.

CRS quietly and quickly pulled the six-week old report, despite the wishes of the research arm’s economic team, the New York Times reported Thursday.

“I wasn’t involved in the decision, as a matter of fact I was on vacation when the decision was made, so I can’t really add anything to what was reported in the NY Times,” Thomas Hungerford, the author of the study, told TPM in an email Thursday afternoon. “However, I certainly stand behind my work.”

Rep. Sander Levin (D-MI) — the top tax writing Democrat in the House — wants CRS to answer for its decision.

“I was deeply disturbed to hear that Mr. Hungerford’s report was taken down in response to political pressure from Congressional Republicans who had ideological objections to the report’s factual findings and conclusion,” Levin wrote in a letter (PDF) to CRS Director Mary Mazanec. “It would be completely inappropriate for CRS to censor one of its analysts simply because participants in the political process found his or her conclusion in conflict with their partisan position. I would like your explanation as to why this report was removed from the CRS website, who made that decision and what considerations led to it.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Orrin Hatch (R-UT) voiced concerns with the study. McConnell’s spokesman Don Stewart told the Times that his boss “raised concerns about the methodology and other flaws” and said CRS “decided, on their own, to pull the study pending further review.” The Times reported that McConnell objected to CRS’ use of the phrases “Bush tax cuts” and “tax cuts for the rich,” noting their political connotations. Stewart didn’t immediately respond to a request to elaborate on the concerns about the study’s methodology.
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Democrats have made the report available to interested parties. (go down-load now before Repubs burn the server it's on)

November 2, 2012

Unions Boost Economic (Upward) Mobility in U.S. States - Center for American Progress

http://www.americanprogressaction.org/issues/labor/report/2012/09/20/38624/unions-boost-economic-mobility-in-u-s-states/

... some U.S. states have more economic mobility than others. According to data from the Pew Center on the States, a handful of states—among them Maryland and New Jersey—do much better on a range of mobility measures than the national average, and are almost twice as mobile as some of the worst performing states such as Louisiana, Oklahoma, and South Carolina.

But what makes a state more or less mobile? Gov. Daniels and other conservatives may be interested to learn that strengthening labor unions—a group that they have often attacked—would help increase economic mobility.

Even a cursory review of the Pew mobility list indicates that union membership seems to affect mobility significantly: Six of the eight most mobile states have high unionization rates—Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Utah, Massachusetts, Colorado, and Maryland—and all but 1 of the 10 least mobile states—South Carolina, North Carolina, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, West Virginia, Georgia, and Oklahoma—have low unionization rates and laws that discourage unionization.

Indeed, the 10 states with the highest unionization rates—New York, Hawaii, Michigan, New Jersey, Washington, Minnesota, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Oregon—perform considerably better on a range of measures of mobility than the 10 states with the lowest levels of unionization —South Carolina, North Carolina, Texas, Arizona, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, Virginia, New Mexico, and Arkansas. As the charts in this brief highlight, states with high rates of unionization have greater absolute and upward mobility and lower rates of downward mobility than states with lower unionization rates.




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