Election Reform, Fraud, & Updates Thread for Sunday

[Melissa G]

Election Reform, Fraud, & Updates Thread for Sunday

In order to organize and document MelissaB thought it would be a good idea to have a daily thread to place items related to reform, fraud, protests, and other items. This also make it easier to "catch up" when we are away from the computer for a while.

If you see something that isn't here post it with a link to the thread and a thanks to the author. MelissaB is busy for a while so I'm taking over and Need Lots of Help posting news items!
Thanks,
Melissa G

Link to previous thread
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x368856

[Melissa G]

1. Are we honest with ourselves about politics? Let's take a quiz

Opinions

Are we honest with ourselves about politics? Let's take a quiz

Saturday, May 14, 2005 9:23 PM CDT
It's been more than seven months since the 2004 general election. Things have calmed down enough to see plenty of articles and essays about how the Democrats failed again and how they aren't able to reach "the people."

But what do people really think:

snip
€ Did George W. Bush really win the election or did Diebold voting machines count enough votes to make it appear that way?

€ Are the Republicans successful in reaching the people or are they good at scaring people into voting because of fear?

snip
Mike Dougherty is the city editor of the Benton Courier. His column runs Sunday and Thursday.

Truth from the Heartland...

[Wilms]

15. Link

http://www.bentoncourier.com/articles/2005/05/15/opinions/64loped.txt

[Melissa G]

2. Mandate to replace voting machines raises concern

Mandate to replace voting machines raises concern

snip

Paula Pedicone, who supervises the Westmoreland County election office, said officials "have always felt the levered machines were very reliable. Unfortunately, the federal government has other ideas. We don't have much of a choice in the matter."

Pedicone said she would "like to see something this summer" from the state as to what exactly could be used to replace the levered voting machines, which have been in use since the early 1960s.

snip
The state recently decertified the Unilect electronic touch-screen voting system in use in Greene, Mercer and Beaver counties. A state testing official cited mechanical problems such as frozen screens
snip
"I'd rather keep our levered machines," Nicholson added.
http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/election/s_334449.html

[GuvWurld]

3. Voter Confidence Resolution Endorsed By Humboldt County Green Party

http://guvwurld.blogspot.com/2005/05/voter-confidence-resolution-endorsed.html

Voter Confidence Resolution Endorsed By Humboldt County Green Party

At a General Assembly held earlier today (Saturday), the Green Party of Humboldt County endorsed the Voter Confidence Resolution. Consensus was reached in less than 20 minutes, requiring only one word to be changed. The sixth item in the list of reforms now calls for equal time provisions to be "restored" by the media rather than "observed."

It is time to request an update from Bay Area Greens who professed interest in working on the resolution after participating in a workshop back in March.

[Melissa G]

4. Hypotheses of Fraud Remain Credible; New Scientific Study Released

Thanks to sunshinekathy for the post and thread
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=369091&mesg_id=369091

2004 Presidential Election: Hypotheses of Fraud Remain Credible; New Scientific Study Released

http://uscountvotes.org/ucvAnalysis/US/exit-polls/USCV_...

Contact: Kathy Dopp, US Count Votes, President

[phone] [e-mail] electionarchive.org

The persistence of credible hypotheses of election fraud, six months after the election, underscores the fragility of the U.S. electoral system. US Count Votes continues its systematic statistical study of the discrepancy between the Edison-Mitofsky exit polls and November's reported presidential election results.

Miami, FL. – Ron Baiman, Ph.D. of US Count Votes and the Institute of Government and Public Affairs of Chicago, will release the new results at the meeting of the American Association of Political Opinion Researchers today, Saturday at a 2:15 p.m. Press Conference in the Hotel Fontainebleau Hilton Resort lobby, 4441 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33140.

Peter Pekarsky, the lead attorney being sued by Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, will be available to talk about what has happened in Ohio, and why the election needs to be investigated.

Mitofsky, of the Edison/Mitofsky group who released an analysis on January 19th of their November 2nd exit poll that had predicted a strong win for Kerry, will also be in attendance at the AAPOR conference.

The National Election Data Archive (NEDA) today has released a new report, demonstrating that data from the Edison/Mitofsky analysis is consistent with the hypothesis of a corrupted vote count, and inconsistent with the competing idea that Bush voters were under-sampled in the poll. Using numerical modeling techniques to simulate the effect of polling bias, NEDA scientists are able to reproduce signature patterns in the Edison/Mitofsky data by incorporating a general shift in the official vote tally in the model.

Most telling is the fact that the highest participation rates and the peak disparity between poll and official returns both occurred in precincts where Bush made his strongest showing. This feature of the data is inconsistent with the Edison/Mitofsky assumption that polling
bias was responsible for the gap.

For the complete report, see
http://uscountvotes.org/ucvAnalysis/US/exit-polls/USCV_...

This paper follows an earlier study released on March 31, 2005, by a group of statisticians for the National Election Data Archive Project, Analysis of the 2004 Presidential Election Exit Poll Discrepancies.

[Melissa G]

5. Better Interviews Said Key to Exit Polls

Thanks to MelissaB for the post and thread
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x369163


Better Interviews Said Key to Exit Polls

By WILL LESTER, Associated Press Writer
2 hours, 33 minutes ago


MIAMI BEACH, Fla. - Better training of interviewers to get a proper sample of voters after they cast ballots will be key to improving the performance of exit polls, one pollster who handled the 2004 election surveys said Saturday.

Exit polls on Election Day 2004 overstated support for Democrat John Kerry overall and in many key states, which led to widespread confusion that day about the election eventually won by President Bush.

The exit polls contacted more supporters of Kerry than of Bush because of "the failure of interviewers to follow the selection rate," said Warren Mitofsky, who conducted the exit polls along with Joe Lenski of Edison Media Research.

snip
Mitofsky has said the discrepancy between exit polls and the vote count was caused by several problems with the polls done for the television networks and The Associated Press.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050514/ap_on_el_pr/exit_polls

[Melissa G]

6. Justice Dept. observers sought for June 7 vote

Justice Dept. observers sought for June 7 vote
The Associated Press

A Democratic activist is asking the U.S. Justice Department to send observers for the June 7 Columbus general election.

Justice spokesman Eric Holland said officials in the department are considering the request and will make a decision soon.

The Rev. James Banana said he had contacted the Justice Department even before some ballots were hand-counted in the May 3 party primaries.

Banana said he contacted the Justice Department because City Chief Operations Officer Gregg Mims was running the election.

Banana said according to City Council records, Deana Vernon had been chosen as the registrar.

snip

http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050514/NEWS0103/505140376/1002

[Melissa G]

7. Schwarzenegger's public campaign for a November special election

CALIFORNIA
Governor sees way to buff up his image
Budget maneuvers may give him boost in eyes of electorate
Carla Marinucci and Mark Martin, Chronicle Political Writers

Sunday, May 15, 2005


snip
Significantly complicating the budget drama is a subplot that Schwarzenegger himself introduced: his public campaign for a November special election, estimated to cost upward of $70 million. It could put before the voters proposals for, among other things, a budget cap, redistricting of legislative boundaries, and so-called paycheck protection to keep unions from using members' dues for political purposes.

Democrats, incensed by Schwarzenegger's special election agenda, say they are prepared to argue that he has papered over cuts in education, tax increases on the middle class in the form of increased fees for community colleges and child care, and hands-off handling of corporate interests. And they're openly combative and impatient with what they say has been his penchant for public theatrics instead of attention to the bottom line.

snip
Democratic state Treasurer Phil Angelides, the only declared candidate for governor in 2006, said Schwarzenegger's latest budget shows him to be "the master of dishonesty and deception.''

"He said he wouldn't raise taxes ... he said he would tear up the state's credit cards, and he said he would protect education,'' said Angelides, arguing the governor has broken all three promises.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/05/15/BAG1UCPJ0A1.DTL

[Melissa G]

8. Blair to defy rebels with raft of legislation

Blair to defy rebels with raft of legislation
By Katherine Baldwin

Blair to defy rebels with raft of legislation
LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Tony Blair will defy party rebels this week when he unveils plans for public service reforms and contentious anti-terrorism measures to parliament after an election in which his majority was slashed.

But ministers signalled on Sunday they would seek compromise on at least one key piece of controversial legislation -- the introduction of identity cards -- to ensure it succeeds.

Defeat or a narrow win in parliament could further erode the power of a prime minister who already risks becoming a lame duck after he said he would not stand for re-election, analysts say.

snip
"Within a day or two we'll have a Queen's speech setting out a radical programme of reform," new Northern Ireland secretary Peter Hain told BBC Television.

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2005-05-15T134006Z_01_MOL549078_RTRUKOC_0_BRITAIN-BLAIR.xml

[Melissa G]

9. Embarrassing disclosure from Americans for Tax Reform

Embarrassing disclosure
Sunday, May 15, 2005
The Boston Globe disclosed Friday that the anti-tax group Americans for Tax Reform sent $1.15 million from an Indian tribe that runs a casino in Mississippi to two groups that oppose gambling in Alabama. In 2000, the Christian Coalition of Alabama received $850,000 and the Citizens Against Legalized Lottery got $300,000, according to ATR's Grover Norquist.

Norquist said he sent the money because the tribe wanted to block gambling competition in Alabama, The Globe reported. He declined to name the tribe that gave his group the money, but did say he has worked closely with the Choctaws, who have a casino in Mississippi.

snip

This is the same Christian Coalition that already has been the subject of an embarrassing disclosure tying the group to gambling money. Last fall, several news organizations reported that out-of-state Indian tribes that operate casinos gave money to Washington, D.C., lobbyists who paid as much as $4 million to Ralph Reed, the former head of the national Christian Coalition. Reed helped the Christian Coalition of Alabama successfully fight bills that would allow video gambling at Alabama's four dog tracks.

This is the same Christian Coalition that in a 1993 resolution of its board said the group "will not (emphasis theirs) be the recipient of any funds, direct or indirect, or any in-kind services, direct or indirect, from gambling interests."

http://www.al.com/opinion/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1116148940148940.xml&coll=2

[Melissa G]

10. It's Clinton vs. Allen in 2008 SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST

It's Clinton vs. Allen in 2008

May 15, 2005

BY ROBERT NOVAK SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST
Members of the inner circle of high-ranking House Republicans privately agree that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York is an absolute lock for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination and will not be easy to defeat in the general election.


The same lawmakers believe the Republican race to oppose Clinton is wide open but regard Sen. George Allen of Virginia as having the edge over Sen. Bill Frist of Tennessee. The consensus among them is that Allen is a better candidate than Frist and will have the advantage over him in GOP primaries. The House members see little or no prospect for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Sen. John McCain of Arizona or Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

The Clinton-vs.-Allen forecast by the leading House members duplicates the National Journal's poll of insiders from both parties.

snip
Lott was trying to show that every effort had been made to negotiate a settlement before Republicans attempted to use the ''nuclear option'' (a phrase coined by Lott) to force a majority vote on judicial confirmations. Nelson, who is up for re-election next year in conservative Nebraska, wants to separate himself from other Democrats.

http://www.suntimes.com/output/novak/cst-edt-novak15.html

[MelissaB]

11. Boxer's hold another hitch in Bolton vote

Boxer's hold another hitch in Bolton vote
Senator seeks access to papers, calls White House uncooperative

Washington -- Sen. Barbara Boxer of California has erected a roadblock against John Bolton, President Bush's embattled nominee for U.N. ambassador, in a fight with the administration over access to documents.
>>>snip

Boxer's move is the latest high-profile jab she has thrown at the Bush administration since she was re-elected last November to a third six-year term. In January, she held up Bush's formal re-election by a joint meeting of Congress for several hours when she objected to certifying the disputed election results from Ohio.

Later in January, she tangled with Rice at the secretary of state's Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing, and in April she sparred with Johnson.

Boxer said she wasn't going out of her way to take a more confrontational approach as Bush launched his second term.

"I haven't changed at all," she said. "These issues just cry out for attention. It's my job. It's what I get paid to do.

Link: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/05/14/MNGE8CP85U1.DTL

(I'm an Alabama girl who loves this California woman.)

[Melissa G]

12. Ohio Exit Polls 'Not a Smoking Gun' for Fraud, Study Says . (gag)

DU thread Thanks to Eomer and MelissaB!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x369344


Ohio Exit Polls 'Not a Smoking Gun' for Fraud, Study Says


MIAMI, May 14 /PRNewswire/ -- A just released analysis confirms pollster
Warren Mitofsky's assertion that the exit polls that put John Kerry ahead of
George Bush in Ohio on Election Day 2004 do not necessarily indicate that
there was fraud in the Ohio election.

Exit polls estimated that Senator John Kerry was leading for Ohio's
electoral votes, but not by a large enough margin to be called the winner. Had
he won Ohio, he would have won the Presidency. However, the official result
was a victory for President George W. Bush. The discrepancy between the polls
and the results gave rise to widespread accusations of systematic election
fraud.

The new study, commissioned by the Election Science Institute (ESI), was
presented on Saturday at the annual conference of the American Association for
Public Opinion Research in Miami. It looked at the results of the exit polls,
which were conducted by Edison Media Research and Mitofsky International, and
compared them to official results from 2004 and 2000.

The research team, led by Dr. Fritz Scheuren, used more detailed
information from the exit polls than previous studies. The team was able to
use this precinct-level information while preserving ballot secrecy at a local
level. "The more detailed information allowed us to see that voting patterns were
consistent with past results and consistent with exit poll results across
precincts. It looks more like Bush voters were refusing to participate and
less like systematic fraud," Dr. Scheuren said.

snip
The paper is being presented at AAPOR 2005's Saturday lunch plenary. The
conference is at the Fontainebleau Hilton Resort, 4441 Collins Ave, Miami. See
http://www.aapor.org.
For more information on the Election Science Institute, see
http://www.electionscience.org.


http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/05-14-2005/0003610125&EDATE=

[Columbus]

13. Columbus, Ohio: Grassroots Appeal At Dem Party Fundraiser

See this event listing at: http://www.ohiohonestelections.org/index.php?p=events


Grassroots to Democrats:
Hear Us Now, Get A Spine


Sick and Tired of Democratic Party spinelessness? Sick and Tired of the Democratic Party Not Hearing You? Help deliver the backbone the Democratic Party needs.

Grassroots Appeal to Democratic Party On May 21, 2005

On May 21, 2005 the Ohio Democratic Party will hold a major fundraiser. We will greet the fundraisers and Democratic Party officials with a symbolic ear and spine asking Democrats to listen to the grassroots and fight forcefully for progressive values.

· Where: Renaissance Hotel, 50 North Third Street
· When: Saturday, May 21, 2005
· Time: 5:00 p.m.

We will rally at the Statehouse on High and Broad Streets at 5:00 and walk the short distance to the Renaissance Hotel.
Before the event we will host a grassroots social potluck, 2:00 – 4:30 p.m. at Goodale Park near the gazebo. Bring a covered dish, dinnerware, drinks, lawn chairs, Frisbees, games, etc. Tables will be available. Families are welcome.
We hope to see you there.
If you are tired of the Democratic Party not acting forcefully to represent our values please help us deliver the ear and spine the party needs to Party officials at the May 21 Democratic Party Fundraiser.

For more information or to volunteer contact [e-mail]
http://www.ohiohonestelections.org/index.php?p=events

call: 614-224-6954

[Melissa G]

14. U.S., U.K. Voters Don't Care About Credibility - Helen Thomas

Thanks to ashling for the post and thread!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x125490
U.S., U.K. Voters Don't Care About Credibility - Helen Thomas


U.S., U.K. Voters Don't Care About Credibility
Times Change, So Do Values
Helen Thomas, Hearst White House columnist

POSTED: 11:03 am CDT May 12, 2005

***

I'm talking about the fact that the leaders of both nations chose to invade Iraq for flimsy reasons that were deliberately drummed up to convince their people that a third-world country was a threat to them. Didn't the Brits say Saddam Hussein could attack in 45 minutes?
***
In the case of Bush, the ill-advised war against Iraq did not take center stage in the presidential election last November. His opponent, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., had voted for the war and delivered a coup de grace to himself by saying he would have done the same thing­ -- invade Iraq, even after it had become apparent to all that the pretext for the invasion (Saddam Hussein's imaginary weapons of mass destruction) was a mirage. Kerry blew it big time.

The war issue became irrelevant at that point, not that it was highlighted in any major way by the timid Democrats, who should have knocked it out of the park.
***
The Democrats also should have rejected the Bush policy of preemptive war, which is illegal under international law.
****
I am not surprised at the duplicity. But I am astonished at the acceptance of this deception by voters in the U.S. and the U.K.


More @ http://www.thejacksonchannel.com/helenthomas/4481363/de...


I was pleased to see this editorial on a link from Jackson, MS!

[Melissa G]

16. Downing Street Memo: Time To Deluge WashPost's Gettler With Praise

Thanks to althecat for post and thread
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3662159#3662851
Original message
Downing Street Memo: Time To Deluge WashPost's Gettler With Praise


TO: [e-mail]

Dear Michael,

I figure your inbox is probably now full of glowing reports of your insight and wisdom. So let me add mine....

Your latest column was as fine an example of an honest reflection on a media failure as I have ever seen, and I commend you for it.

regards
Alastair Thompson
Editor
Scoop.co.nz


****


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...

News Over There, but Not Here

By Michael Getler

Sunday, May 15, 2005; Page B06

My e-mail in-box was once again inundated last week by write-in campaigns provoked by two self-described media watchdog organizations, both on the liberal side of things. The first critic out of its box and into mine is called Media Matters for America. The second one was FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting), an organization that I wrote about last month.

....

I've said in earlier columns that I don't like massive e-mail campaigns. But I've always made clear that the points these challenges raise can often be legitimate, and that's the case here. I don't know how to say this without seeming defensive, but I do think the case against the paper is a lot stronger than the case against me.

....

How significant this memo may turn out to be is still to be determined. But the reaction to the failure to cover it, even with the hyperbole and worst assumptions about journalistic motives by some of the e-mailers, is understandable. It is a reminder of how powerfully the circumstances leading up to this war still reverberate within a sizable chunk of the population and why the press should not let go of any loose ends that may shed light on how this happened.