So while everyone is learning about how Republicans manufactured a "crisis" in vote fraud (and were blatantly racist about it, I will add), can we please pay attention to a state-appointed panel of scientists on the real problems with how we vote? Anyone? Bueller?

One computer scientist who has closely reviewed the team's findings warned via email, "The FSU report revealed a serious security vulnerability in the iVotronic: it is vulnerable to viruses that could be introduced by a single outsider and that could spread throughout a county. This means that a single outsider in a county that uses the iVotronic Firmware version 8 could potentially steal all the votes in that county, without being detected."

This makes me sad. I've met the PFAW execs, and Brad, and they are all "good guys." I sincerely hope that they can work this out. To me, this is the problem with blogs- people often skim, make assumptions about them, don't really do the in-depth reading needed to properly contextualize what is written in them. Brad isn't a crazy person, and he's not "extreme" in his views nor does he make CT claims. He has a standard he wants enforced, as I suspect most would, if they understood what it is he avocates. PFAW should clarify and correct what they've said about him. He's a big heart, and wouldn't hold a grudge. Let's all just try to get along, shall we?

Palast slams another one out of the park. Posted in full, sickening detail:

Bush’s New US Attorney a Criminal?

BBC Television had exposed 2004 voter attack scheme by appointee Griffin, a Rove aide.
Black soldiers and the homeless targeted.

There’s only one thing worse than sacking an honest prosecutor. That’s replacing an honest prosecutor with a criminal.

There was one big hoohah in Washington yesterday as House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers pulled down the pants on George Bush’s firing of US Attorneys to expose a scheme to punish prosecutors who wouldn’t bend to political pressure.

But the Committee missed a big one: Timothy Griffin, Karl Rove’s assistant, the President’s pick as US Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. Griffin, according to BBC Television, was the hidden hand behind a scheme to wipe out the voting rights of 70,000 citizens prior to the 2004 election.

Key voters on Griffin’s hit list: Black soldiers and homeless men and women. Nice guy, eh? Naughty or nice, however, is not the issue. Targeting voters where race is a factor is a felony crime under the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Um, Hoss: Tell that to Jennings.

Democrat Christine Jennings lost to Republican Vern Buchanan by 368 votes, making it the second closest congressional race in the country.

More than 18,000 voters who showed up at the polls voted in other races but not the Buchanan-Jennings race.

That means nearly 13 percent of voters did not vote for either candidate -- a massive undercount compared with other counties, including Manatee, which reported a 2 percent undervote.

NY Times reports the fight is going to be in Missouri,
Tennessee, and Virginia.
Another stolen
election?  Read more…

This just makes me mad. I'm glad we have the new category of "what is wrong with these people," because this is just classic. Note to all Democratic candidates: make sure you ducks are in a row before running for office, for surely the Republicans are going to take advantage of every little potential conflict of interest, misconduct, and misrepresentation they can find on you. And you know, while you're making sure your tax returns and voter registration cards have the same address, you might want to think about looking into your Republican challenger's public records and see if they've given you any easy openings. Ricky is just one of a long list of Republicans who play loose with the rules, and most voters get pissed of when the find out that Republicans think and act like rules are only for us little people.

I know the most important thing in the world is to give ABC better ratings for it's interminable bore, but if you've got some time between the football game and your daily dose of Republican propaganda, you should check this out. Helen and Harry have this pithy commentary:

He was sworn in weeks before the election was certified, but his position in Congress cannot be questioned by a judge, or at least, that's this judge's ruling. The state's voters have no legal standing to challenge this — because Bilbray was sworn in.

They say "if" and "could" and "may" aplenty, but I'm still as happy as I can be with the report; it is TV we're talking about after all. Go watch the short video that Loud Obbs and his girl pal Kitty put together. Yeah, Brad! You look serious, sober, believable, and otherwise like the Champ you are. Good Job!

I'm just a little angry this morning, so it's time for me to get on the soap box. If you have recently done some of the things I'm going to suggest in this post, please understand I'm not angry with you.

What the christ is wrong with you people? The Kennedy article makes it beyond clear, democracy no longer functions in the republic. Do you think the Democrats are going to save you? The SCLM? Surveillance and probably more than that has emasculated both of those traditional bulwarks against tyranny, to say nothing of their own complicity. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?

I've been all over the blogosphere, today and yesterday, catching up and watching the Kennedy piece get posted everywhere. Which is great. What I'm not seeing: calls for action. Why the hell not? How much more proof do we need? Has everyone just put the knowledge that we're having elections in a couple of months in a little box and stashed it in some mental closet? Logic demands we act on this knowledge, today.

I don't want to hear any whining. "I'm just one person." "No one in power will listen to me." "It's too late to change out the machines." "Rolling Stone isn't respectable enough." "My neighbors don't care." "I work two jobs and don't have time." To that I say: Tough Shit.