The world has never seen such freezing heat
By Christopher Booker
Last Updated: 12:01am GMT 16/11/2008
A surreal scientific blunder last week raised a huge question mark about the temperature records that underpin the worldwide alarm over global warming. On Monday, Nasa's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), which is run by Al Gore's chief scientific ally, Dr James Hansen, and is one of four bodies responsible for monitoring global temperatures, announced that last month was the hottest October on record.
This was startling. Across the world there were reports of unseasonal snow and plummeting temperatures last month, from the American Great Plains to China, and from the Alps to New Zealand. China's official news agency reported that Tibet had suffered its "worst snowstorm ever". In the US, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration registered 63 local snowfall records and 115 lowest-ever temperatures for the month, and ranked it as only the 70th-warmest October in 114 years.
So what explained the anomaly? GISS's computerised temperature maps seemed to show readings across a large part of Russia had been up to 10 degrees higher than normal. But when expert readers of the two leading warming-sceptic blogs, Watts Up With That and Climate Audit, began detailed analysis of the GISS data they made an astonishing discovery. The reason for the freak figures was that scores of temperature records from Russia and elsewhere were not based on October readings at all. Figures from the previous month had simply been carried over and repeated two months running.
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The error was so glaring that when it was reported on the two blogs - run by the US meteorologist Anthony Watts and Steve McIntyre, the Canadian computer analyst who won fame for his expert debunking of the notorious "hockey stick" graph - GISS began hastily revising its figures. This only made the confusion worse because, to compensate for the lowered temperatures in Russia, GISS claimed to have discovered a new "hotspot" in the Arctic - in a month when satellite images were showing Arctic sea-ice recovering so fast from its summer melt that three weeks ago it was 30 per cent more extensive than at the same time last year.
A GISS spokesman lamely explained that the reason for the error in the Russian figures was that they were obtained from another body, and that GISS did not have resources to exercise proper quality control over the data it was supplied with. This is an astonishing admission: the figures published by Dr Hansen's institute are not only one of the four data sets that the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) relies on to promote its case for global warming, but they are the most widely quoted, since they consistently show higher temperatures than the others.
If there is one scientist more responsible than any other for the alarm over global warming it is Dr Hansen, who set the whole scare in train back in 1988 with his testimony to a US Senate committee chaired by Al Gore. Again and again, Dr Hansen has been to the fore in making extreme claims over the dangers of climate change. (He was recently in the news here for supporting the Greenpeace activists acquitted of criminally damaging a coal-fired power station in Kent, on the grounds that the harm done to the planet by a new power station would far outweigh any damage they had done themselves.)
Yet last week's latest episode is far from the first time Dr Hansen's methodology has been called in question. In 2007 he was forced by Mr Watts and Mr McIntyre to revise his published figures for US surface temperatures, to show that the hottest decade of the 20th century was not the 1990s, as he had claimed, but the 1930s.
Another of his close allies is Dr Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the IPCC, who recently startled a university audience in Australia by claiming that global temperatures have recently been rising "very much faster" than ever, in front of a graph showing them rising sharply in the past decade. In fact, as many of his audience were aware, they have not been rising in recent years and since 2007 have dropped.
Dr Pachauri, a former railway engineer with no qualifications in climate science, may believe what Dr Hansen tells him. But whether, on the basis of such evidence, it is wise for the world's governments to embark on some of the most costly economic measures ever proposed, to remedy a problem which may actually not exist, is a question which should give us all pause for thought.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2008/11/16/do1610.xml
Sunday, November 16, 2008
October Hot Records Global Warming Confirmation: Disproven
Friday, November 14, 2008
Majority of provisional ballots won't be counted in Fayette County
By The Tribune-Review
Friday, November 14, 2008
The Fayette County Election Board on Wednesday determined that 88 of 154 provisional ballots cast in the Nov. 4 general election would not be counted.
Laurie Lint, election bureau director, said the ballots were rejected because the voters either were not registered to vote, were registered in another county or failed to sign envelopes provided with the ballots.
Of the remaining 66 provisional ballots, the board counted 19 that were cast by registered voters in their correct precincts. For another 17, the board counted the full ballot because even though they were cast in the wrong precinct, legislative and Congressional candidates in each precinct were the same.
Of the remaining ballots, only partial ballots were counted because they were cast in the incorrect legislative or Congressional district, and the candidates in each district were different.
Provisional ballots are given out when election officials cannot determine whether a voter is registered, or when first-time voters cannot produce identification.
The inclusion of the approved provisional ballots will not change the outcome of any races, Lint said.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/news/fayette/s_598388.html
Elederly Housing Complex Wants Full Tax Freedom Too
Instead of screaming the tax freedom for some for ten years or 12 years is unfair to everybody else who has to pay at threat of fines, or loss of property, a Housing Authority Director, wants it too, for a residency rental complex.
Meanwhile, the rental complex itself received ten years of high subsidies from the federal government in Section *8 funding, and in the form of a county 'donation'.
These people have no idea where the money they want actually comes from.
Other taxpayers in the county or the city, school district, and county!
Yet our legislator from the 51st representative district who railed against tax freedom for his opponent, knowing of the unfairness of KOZs actually went ahead and voted for extending KOZs in the last session of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
On a recent talk show program, Let's Talk, (Pennsylvania) state Representative Timothy Mahoney (D-51st District), before the November 3 election, said in response to why he ok'd the expansion of the state-wide KOZ program, (another 10-15 years) - it's working?
He wasn't asked where in the state of PA the KOZs have worked as intended, or if the program of tax exemption for ten years was working anywhere in Fayette County.
Can you believe, the host of the program, who was listening to Mahoney rail against his opponent, (Gearing, mentioned in the following article), state the way his opponent was using the combo KOZ and federal Section 8 Housing vouchers was for his own gain, did not ask Mahoney, uh Tim, my friend, can you give us examples of how KOZ has been working in Fayette County?
If according to Mahoney, KOZ designation for Gearing's property wasn't working as the program intended, but the program is working, Mahoney at the least should have been asked point blank, where in Fayette County are KOZs working as intended?
Just a couple of examples?
Maybe Mahoney would have answered, the (Duke Energy) power plant.
Yep that one received tax freedom in KOZs designation for ten years,back in 2000, and is not only an energy plant - its ownership is a Fortune 500 Company. Nobody knows whether the Fortune 500 Company would have located in the county anyway because Fayette's taxes are historically low in relation to its neighbors and the rest of the country by virtue of its designation as perpetually distressed.
Still distressed after some 30 years and more of grants, low interest loans and other mechanisms to bolster so-called economic development.
So a Fortune 500 Company comes into these distressed areas, gets the tax freedom for some amount of time, employs a handful of people for that period of time, and voila, after the tax breaks lapse or time out, they usually historically have left the area, for good.
That might not happen with this one, but nobody knows for sure.
And with the state legislative action to renew and expand the KOZ program, the same company may find it can simply apply again using the threat it will be moving since the grass is always greener elsewhere.
What a sad game.
Sadder still is most people don't appear to care that they have to pay another's share of the taxation imposed on them because the government entities have yet to scale back operations.
In fact, the city of Uniontown is in near-bankruptcy and needs every dime it can scrape together. It's likely they'll raise taxes on everybody else except those located in Keystone Opportunity Zones, or receiving LERTA.
The county of Fayette needs to come up with at least a million sometime in the next year to pay for retirement fund benefits. And more. They may have to raise taxes as well.
Yet none of these officials see the lunacy of allowing the tax freedom for some at the same time they are about to raise taxes for everybody else? Especially property taxes which if a business owner or residential property owner doesn't pay up when due, the property is taken away from them.
Not so KOZ residents and businesses.
Therein is the unfairness. Instead of begging yet another housing establishment whether non-profit or profit receive tax freedom itself, the Housing Authority Director should request the KOZ program be denied from here on out.
so too should taxpayers revolt when their taxes go up in addition to having to pay their own share they'll have to pay for others located in the tax free zones or owning property in such zones.
Net the Truth Online
Meanwhile, the rental complex itself received ten years of high subsidies from the federal government in Section *8 funding, and in the form of a county 'donation'.
These people have no idea where the money they want actually comes from.
Other taxpayers in the county or the city, school district, and county!
Yet our legislator from the 51st representative district who railed against tax freedom for his opponent, knowing of the unfairness of KOZs actually went ahead and voted for extending KOZs in the last session of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
On a recent talk show program, Let's Talk, (Pennsylvania) state Representative Timothy Mahoney (D-51st District), before the November 3 election, said in response to why he ok'd the expansion of the state-wide KOZ program, (another 10-15 years) - it's working?
He wasn't asked where in the state of PA the KOZs have worked as intended, or if the program of tax exemption for ten years was working anywhere in Fayette County.
Can you believe, the host of the program, who was listening to Mahoney rail against his opponent, (Gearing, mentioned in the following article), state the way his opponent was using the combo KOZ and federal Section 8 Housing vouchers was for his own gain, did not ask Mahoney, uh Tim, my friend, can you give us examples of how KOZ has been working in Fayette County?
If according to Mahoney, KOZ designation for Gearing's property wasn't working as the program intended, but the program is working, Mahoney at the least should have been asked point blank, where in Fayette County are KOZs working as intended?
Just a couple of examples?
Maybe Mahoney would have answered, the (Duke Energy) power plant.
Yep that one received tax freedom in KOZs designation for ten years,back in 2000, and is not only an energy plant - its ownership is a Fortune 500 Company. Nobody knows whether the Fortune 500 Company would have located in the county anyway because Fayette's taxes are historically low in relation to its neighbors and the rest of the country by virtue of its designation as perpetually distressed.
Still distressed after some 30 years and more of grants, low interest loans and other mechanisms to bolster so-called economic development.
So a Fortune 500 Company comes into these distressed areas, gets the tax freedom for some amount of time, employs a handful of people for that period of time, and voila, after the tax breaks lapse or time out, they usually historically have left the area, for good.
That might not happen with this one, but nobody knows for sure.
And with the state legislative action to renew and expand the KOZ program, the same company may find it can simply apply again using the threat it will be moving since the grass is always greener elsewhere.
What a sad game.
Sadder still is most people don't appear to care that they have to pay another's share of the taxation imposed on them because the government entities have yet to scale back operations.
In fact, the city of Uniontown is in near-bankruptcy and needs every dime it can scrape together. It's likely they'll raise taxes on everybody else except those located in Keystone Opportunity Zones, or receiving LERTA.
The county of Fayette needs to come up with at least a million sometime in the next year to pay for retirement fund benefits. And more. They may have to raise taxes as well.
Yet none of these officials see the lunacy of allowing the tax freedom for some at the same time they are about to raise taxes for everybody else? Especially property taxes which if a business owner or residential property owner doesn't pay up when due, the property is taken away from them.
Not so KOZ residents and businesses.
Therein is the unfairness. Instead of begging yet another housing establishment whether non-profit or profit receive tax freedom itself, the Housing Authority Director should request the KOZ program be denied from here on out.
so too should taxpayers revolt when their taxes go up in addition to having to pay their own share they'll have to pay for others located in the tax free zones or owning property in such zones.
Net the Truth Online
Housing authority discusses Heritage apartments situation
By Amy Revak, Herald-Standard
11/14/2008
Updated 11/14/2008 12:15:29 AM EST
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The executive director of the Fayette County Housing Authority Thursday explained the housing authority's role in a proposal by The Heritage apartments to make payments to the city of Uniontown in lieu of real estate taxes, saying the housing authority didn't initiate the deal.
Authority Chairman Harry Fike broached the subject, saying he couldn't understand how the Fayette Building in downtown Uniontown has tax-free status and The Heritage must pay taxes when both buildings house people who utilize Section 8 vouchers.
Fike said he attended Wednesday's council meeting - not as a representative of the housing authority, but because his brother, Ed Fike, is the mayor of the city. Harry Fike said one of the council members accused the housing authority of trying to put the city out of business.
"We had nothing to do with The Heritage. They were asking for help," Harry Fike said.
On Wednesday, Uniontown City Council voted against a proposal for The Heritage to pay $5,000 to the city next year in lieu of the $17,000 in real estate taxes it would owe the city next year.
Thomas Harkless, executive director of the housing authority, said a nonprofit corporation owns The Heritage, which is home to 36 low to moderate income people 62 and older, and it was built using tax credits. He said because the building houses low to moderate income people, market rate can't be charged for rent, and the rental charge is 30 percent of the person's income. He said for the first 10 years after construction, the county paid an operating subsidy of $36,000 that was used for property taxes but the agreement is over and now there is a shortfall.
Harkless said because of the shortfall the nonprofit agency that manages The Heritage approached the housing authority to seek operating subsidy to help the property stay in business. He said all housing authority property is tax exempt, but money is provided in lieu of taxes.
Harkless said the housing authority agreed to pay $225 per unit per month and was also asked to sign a cooperation agreement that calls for a payment in lieu of taxes.
"The housing authority is trying to keep 36 elderly residents in apartments," Harkless said. He added that the housing authority heard the next year, which is seven weeks away, the building will default.
He said about eight residents of the Heritage use Section 8 vouchers, which provide more money for rent, but the determination about where people who have Section 8 vouchers live is at the discretion of those who hold the vouchers.
Harry Fike pointed out that Gary Gearing, the owner of the Fayette Building, which is in a Keystone Opportunity Zone, also received government money for having Section 8 apartments in the building.
Harry Fike pointed out that Gearing has received $152,000 and still doesn't pay taxes on the building.
Harkless said The Heritage would need all the residents of the building to utilize Section 8 funds to stay solvent, but there is a waiting list of two years for vouchers.
He said there are two buildings directly across the street from each other and one pays over $40,000 in taxes and is 100 percent residential and the other is commercial and residential and pays no taxes.
"The building that is for the community is getting crushed and the building that is for personal gain is doing just fine," Harry Fike said.
Harkless said he couldn't tell people with Section 8 vouchers where to live.
Harry Fike said Gearing made promises when he was granted the 10-year KOZ status that he never really carried out.
When Gearing obtained approval for the tax-free status from the city, county and school district, he said it was to attract businesses to the building.
"He is filling it full of HUD (U.S. Housing and Urban Development) people and that wasn't the promises made," Harry Fike said.
Harkless said this isn't a new issue, as the KOZ has been around for a while and the idea is to spur business.
Attorney Cara Davis said the city would have had to approve the KOZ status. She said, depending on the law, the city may have a remedy to go after tax money the city lost if the owner was non-compliant with the terms of obtaining the KOZ.
Harry Fike said it is ironic that the council member that yelled at him was on the board that approved the KOZ for the Fayette Building, "and I'm the one catching the heck."
"The housing authority didn't present this problem," Harry Fike said.
Harry Fike also mentioned that some Section 8 tenants have complained about conditions of the Fayette Building, and Harkless said inspectors could be sent to the site to ensure it meets specifications. ..
http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20197686&BRD=2280&PAG=461&dept_id=468520&rfi=6
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Shepard Smith Right Analysis
We have to agree with Shepard Smith. The mainstream media even though it consists reportedly of more liberal-leaning folk than not, reported the news, while the pundits and op-ed columnists slanted and twisted, first, for Hillary Clinton and John McCain then for John McCain, then as the public became enchanted with Barack Obama with McCain, and then bypassing McCain slanted for Obama.
It was all opinion people. Media reporters reported on functions, on events, on speeches by candidates, on email updates of candidates, on everything that either candidate said about the other. That's what media does. Reports.
Pundits don't have to report accurately. They can twist what was said to gain attention or for whatever reason.
We'd say Chris Matthews, Keith Olbermann, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Mika B. and Joe Scarborough all had their favorites and it showed.
Guests on those programs gave their opinions while on the program as they were asked to do. Most of those guests are not what are known as journalists. They are op-ed columnists with politics as a specialy. Many were analysts of the political goings-on.
Plus, anyone with access to the Internet could have obtained any number of articles from what are known as conservative leaning newspapers and liberal leaning newspapers. By now, everybody who reads any newspaper knows which is which.
That's one reason why Sarah Palin's non-answer to Katie Couric about what she reads up there in Alaska was so puzzling.
Why wouldn't Palin admit she reads the Goosey Gazette, for heaven's sakes.
Shepard Smith on media bias: 'Preposterous!'
Fox News anchor says blaming news coverage for Obama win is 'ridiculous'
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=80831
Shepard Smith on media bias: 'Preposterous!'
Fox News anchor says blaming news coverage for Obama win is 'ridiculous'
It was all opinion people. Media reporters reported on functions, on events, on speeches by candidates, on email updates of candidates, on everything that either candidate said about the other. That's what media does. Reports.
Pundits don't have to report accurately. They can twist what was said to gain attention or for whatever reason.
We'd say Chris Matthews, Keith Olbermann, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Mika B. and Joe Scarborough all had their favorites and it showed.
Guests on those programs gave their opinions while on the program as they were asked to do. Most of those guests are not what are known as journalists. They are op-ed columnists with politics as a specialy. Many were analysts of the political goings-on.
Plus, anyone with access to the Internet could have obtained any number of articles from what are known as conservative leaning newspapers and liberal leaning newspapers. By now, everybody who reads any newspaper knows which is which.
That's one reason why Sarah Palin's non-answer to Katie Couric about what she reads up there in Alaska was so puzzling.
Why wouldn't Palin admit she reads the Goosey Gazette, for heaven's sakes.
Shepard Smith on media bias: 'Preposterous!'
Fox News anchor says blaming news coverage for Obama win is 'ridiculous'
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=80831
Shepard Smith on media bias: 'Preposterous!'
Fox News anchor says blaming news coverage for Obama win is 'ridiculous'
Anne Coulter: right-wing Republicans never lose disproven
Well, the pair of them did lose. John McCain who specifically chose Sarah Palin as his running mate, lost the Presidential election bid because right-wing Republicans do lose.
they lose because they are as good at going down in the dirt as anybody else.
Had Obama planned some anti-government conspiracy with the likes of Bill Ayers, and there was proof of that, the Republican you're-a-bad-buy-too association-game would have been a valid one.
No such proof exists because there never was any such conspiracy. It never happened. So the Republicans ranting and raving like Coulter and Sean Hannity, and soon enough, O'Reilly and Greta van Susterin were called on their balloon-filled charges, and those charges had as much substance as the helium filled balloon. Which if you well, you know what happens, you get giddy...
Republicans lost key seats not because blacks registered and voted in larger numbers than historically ever before, or youth came out to vote for Obama and other Democrats, and all the usual excuses.
Republicans lost because their message was mired in mud-slinging. It all started out small then gained momentum and amount. Mailers in the final pre-Election weeks alone were enough to line the toilet stalls in Congress.
Filled with innuendo and proven falsehoods, emails circulated daily. One claimed a different father for Obama than recorded; others claimed Obama wasn't a natural born citizen of these United States.
Several used different methods to call Barack Obama himself a killer of innocent babies because he didn't support expanding a law already existing or new legislation that would have been duplicative and potentially reversed Roe v. Wade. Another purported Obama wanted to enable sex education for pre-schoolers.
while one can certainly find enough in Obama policy approaches to disagree with the Republican approach mishandled such issues as genuine Obama concerns about NAFTA and CAFTA and free trade agreements that have caused job losses and more illegal drug activity than ever imagined.
Republicans have had their own problems dealing with illegal aliens, and John McCain's positions were ever-changing.
Republicans lost the White House because Sarah Palin did attract the true base of the Republican Party, the evangelicals and right-wingers who believe and expect every body else to believe their way, too.
they weren't enough.
those who stuck with Palin throughout dismissed her own inattentiveness to details of the law and her lack of any kind of knowledge of foreign affairs.
We find that staffers may have been required to cover for her more unusual uneducated vocalizations in private.
Palin's Larry King Live interview is filled with attention getting comments. A must revisit in CNN archives.
though McCain disappointed, Palin herself was right wing enough. there just weren't enough of that mind to vote for that ticket.
We are all the better off for the loss. Even though we got a potential government-as-solution grower, a supporter of abortion choice, there are enough associations Obama has maintained over the course of his campaign to give hope of room for his own self-conversion.
Maybe he will really read Abraham Lincoln's words, and understand.
Net the Truth Online
they lose because they are as good at going down in the dirt as anybody else.
Had Obama planned some anti-government conspiracy with the likes of Bill Ayers, and there was proof of that, the Republican you're-a-bad-buy-too association-game would have been a valid one.
No such proof exists because there never was any such conspiracy. It never happened. So the Republicans ranting and raving like Coulter and Sean Hannity, and soon enough, O'Reilly and Greta van Susterin were called on their balloon-filled charges, and those charges had as much substance as the helium filled balloon. Which if you well, you know what happens, you get giddy...
Republicans lost key seats not because blacks registered and voted in larger numbers than historically ever before, or youth came out to vote for Obama and other Democrats, and all the usual excuses.
Republicans lost because their message was mired in mud-slinging. It all started out small then gained momentum and amount. Mailers in the final pre-Election weeks alone were enough to line the toilet stalls in Congress.
Filled with innuendo and proven falsehoods, emails circulated daily. One claimed a different father for Obama than recorded; others claimed Obama wasn't a natural born citizen of these United States.
Several used different methods to call Barack Obama himself a killer of innocent babies because he didn't support expanding a law already existing or new legislation that would have been duplicative and potentially reversed Roe v. Wade. Another purported Obama wanted to enable sex education for pre-schoolers.
while one can certainly find enough in Obama policy approaches to disagree with the Republican approach mishandled such issues as genuine Obama concerns about NAFTA and CAFTA and free trade agreements that have caused job losses and more illegal drug activity than ever imagined.
Republicans have had their own problems dealing with illegal aliens, and John McCain's positions were ever-changing.
Republicans lost the White House because Sarah Palin did attract the true base of the Republican Party, the evangelicals and right-wingers who believe and expect every body else to believe their way, too.
they weren't enough.
those who stuck with Palin throughout dismissed her own inattentiveness to details of the law and her lack of any kind of knowledge of foreign affairs.
We find that staffers may have been required to cover for her more unusual uneducated vocalizations in private.
Palin's Larry King Live interview is filled with attention getting comments. A must revisit in CNN archives.
though McCain disappointed, Palin herself was right wing enough. there just weren't enough of that mind to vote for that ticket.
We are all the better off for the loss. Even though we got a potential government-as-solution grower, a supporter of abortion choice, there are enough associations Obama has maintained over the course of his campaign to give hope of room for his own self-conversion.
Maybe he will really read Abraham Lincoln's words, and understand.
Net the Truth Online
The reign of lame falls mainly on McCain
Anne Coulter
Posted: November 05, 2008
I keep trying to get Democrats to take my advice (stop being so crazy), but they never listen to me. Why do Republicans take the advice of their enemies?
How many times do we have to run this experiment before Republican primary voters learn that "moderate," "independent," "maverick" Republicans never win, and right-wing Republicans never lose?
Indeed, the only good thing about McCain is that he gave us a genuine conservative, Sarah Palin. He's like one of those insects that lives just long enough to reproduce so that the species can survive. That's why a lot of us are referring to Sarah as "The One" these days.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=80215
PA: Over Half Fayette Provisional Ballots Discounted
Fayette Provisional Ballots (150) decided
Fayette County Election Board tosses out 88 provisional ballots6
By Amy Revak, Herald-Standard
11/13/2008
Updated 11/13/2008 12:15:47 AM EST
The Fayette County Election Board took action Wednesday to throw out 88 provisional ballots cast in the Nov. 4 general election because the voters were either not registered to vote or they were registered to vote in other Pennsylvania counties.
The board also voted to partially or completely count 66 ballots of registered county voters cast on Election Day that were either submitted by people whose names were not available at the polling book or that were submitted to the wrong voting precinct.
http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20196386&BRD=2280&PAG=461&dept_id=468520&rfi=
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Charges Potential Republican Fraud Minnesota
One thing is clear, there is a need to check the optical scanners time/stamps, and digital machine memory of paper ballot images against the actual paper ballots utilized.
should the officials be unable to produce those that 'match' with the date of the actual election, November 4, 2008, all should be suspect.
The writer of the following piece presents a potential scenario for scanners to misread paper ballots. But that misses the point that if this were the case, it only happened in 3 counties, wouldn't that alone be suspect.
One would expect Democrat votes for Franken, of course, but maybe he wasn't as popular as he and others thought.
Maybe Democrat voters simply didn't choose to vote in that race leaving blanks.
One immediate solution for subsequent elections wherein paper ballots are used - have a block for None of the Above or No Choice. That way, officials reviewing both the machine's memory of activity and the paper ballot records would be able to determine voter 'intent.' Without question.
That this hasn't been done is unconscionable. It's so simple a solution. So what if the voter has to go through one additional step per selection.
It's the least one can do to carry out the voter's responsibility.
Net the Truth Online
With optical scanners recording actions and digital images, it would be known what occurred and when.
Net the Truth Online
should the officials be unable to produce those that 'match' with the date of the actual election, November 4, 2008, all should be suspect.
The writer of the following piece presents a potential scenario for scanners to misread paper ballots. But that misses the point that if this were the case, it only happened in 3 counties, wouldn't that alone be suspect.
One would expect Democrat votes for Franken, of course, but maybe he wasn't as popular as he and others thought.
Maybe Democrat voters simply didn't choose to vote in that race leaving blanks.
One immediate solution for subsequent elections wherein paper ballots are used - have a block for None of the Above or No Choice. That way, officials reviewing both the machine's memory of activity and the paper ballot records would be able to determine voter 'intent.' Without question.
That this hasn't been done is unconscionable. It's so simple a solution. So what if the voter has to go through one additional step per selection.
It's the least one can do to carry out the voter's responsibility.
Net the Truth Online
With optical scanners recording actions and digital images, it would be known what occurred and when.
Net the Truth Online
Headlined on 11/10/08:
Evidence of Republican Election Fraud in the Al Franken, Norm Coleman Senate Race?
by E. Nelson
...Could cyber-attacks and manipulation of transmitted vote tallies still have occurred in Minnesota - like what was described during Mike Connell's testimony the day before - altering vote tallies in the Presidential and Senate elections as they were tabulated throughout the early morning hours of November 5th? Of course the Presidential election turned out to be a landslide and so attempts at fraud would have been overwhelmed by the lopsided victory for Barack Obama. However, the Senate race between Republican incumbent Norm Coleman and Democratic challenger Al Franken was always expected to be very close. And these expectations did not disappoint. A neck and neck running vote tally occurred throughout the night with numerous lead changes and by Wednesday morning Norm Coleman had a slight lead of 762 votes in the uncertified results. This lead was however well within the guidelines of Minnesota election law dictating a recount by hand of the paper ballots if the final difference between candidates is within 0.5% of the total votes cast. In this case a 762 vote difference out of 2.9 million votes cast was a difference of only 0.01%, well within the designated 0.5% that would trigger an automatic recount...
...An Associated Press story over the weekend discovered there were as many as 25,000 "undervotes" where voters picked a President but apparently did not vote in the Senate race and many of these "undervotes" occurred in heavily democratic voting precincts. While some of these "undervotes" are expected to occur, especially in a bitter mud-slinging contest such as the Franken – Coleman race, it is also possible that many other ballots might have been incorrectly marked or were misread by the optical scanning machines. These are ballots that are expected to be discovered during a manual hand recount. It has also been reported that the error rate for the optical scanning machines can be as high as 2 ballots missed for every 1000 counted. This could mean an additional 6000 uncounted ballots could be discovered and counted during the hand recount...
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Evidence-of-Republican-Fra-by-E-Nelson-081110-788.html
Minnesota Vote Total Changes Tilting Democrat Franken Odd
We've said all along, the best paper ballot system is one with the optical scanners at the precinct. The voting system is also favored by ... Abel, who has appeared on CNN and other networks to demonstrate how to tamper with electronic touchscreens by removing the unit's protective backing and alter memory cards, etc. in under six minutes.
the potential for fraud exists still with paper ballots especially the 'undervoted' areas which a voter may choose to leave unselected portions.
The precinct optical scanner notifies the voter of overvotes, the voter can obtain a replacement ballot. An over-voted ballot is usually voided in hand counts unless an informal review by election officials shows obvious intent, such as if a voter circles or checks a block instead of shading in a square or oval.
Absentee ballot voters, provisional ballot voters, and emergency paper ballot voters do not have the opportunity to have 'machine' assistance to notify of over-votes.
Likewise with undervotes. However, the precinct voter who reviews for undervotes can choose to obtain a replacement ballot as well and make changes accordingly.
This notification should enable officials to determine that the intent of the voter was to not cast a vote for some selected offices. Theoretically, a totally blank ballot could be run through the optical scanner, the voter notified of unselected areas, each and every one, and the voter could still choose to cast a wholly blank ballot.
We have long called for a selection in each race such as None, or choose nobody.
This would be a preventative for any tampering of blank areas of ballots and potentially forestall any efforts to ballot stuffing fraud of paper ballots. A well-known activity in the olden days when paper ballots prevailed.
There is reason enough for use of paper ballots since they do provide a paper 'record.' But that should not be the only record. It is essential that a precinct optical scanner also be utilized since that device also enables a record, a digital memory-stored copy of the actual paper ballot record.
A comparison of the two should be produced in every single instance where paper ballots were utilized with optical scanners.
Net the Truth Online
Mischief in Minnesota?
Al Franken's recount isn't funny.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122644940271419147.html?mod=special_page_campaign2008_mostpop
the potential for fraud exists still with paper ballots especially the 'undervoted' areas which a voter may choose to leave unselected portions.
The precinct optical scanner notifies the voter of overvotes, the voter can obtain a replacement ballot. An over-voted ballot is usually voided in hand counts unless an informal review by election officials shows obvious intent, such as if a voter circles or checks a block instead of shading in a square or oval.
Absentee ballot voters, provisional ballot voters, and emergency paper ballot voters do not have the opportunity to have 'machine' assistance to notify of over-votes.
Likewise with undervotes. However, the precinct voter who reviews for undervotes can choose to obtain a replacement ballot as well and make changes accordingly.
This notification should enable officials to determine that the intent of the voter was to not cast a vote for some selected offices. Theoretically, a totally blank ballot could be run through the optical scanner, the voter notified of unselected areas, each and every one, and the voter could still choose to cast a wholly blank ballot.
We have long called for a selection in each race such as None, or choose nobody.
This would be a preventative for any tampering of blank areas of ballots and potentially forestall any efforts to ballot stuffing fraud of paper ballots. A well-known activity in the olden days when paper ballots prevailed.
There is reason enough for use of paper ballots since they do provide a paper 'record.' But that should not be the only record. It is essential that a precinct optical scanner also be utilized since that device also enables a record, a digital memory-stored copy of the actual paper ballot record.
A comparison of the two should be produced in every single instance where paper ballots were utilized with optical scanners.
Net the Truth Online
Mischief in Minnesota?
Al Franken's recount isn't funny.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122644940271419147.html?mod=special_page_campaign2008_mostpop
Minnesota is becoming to 2008 politics what Florida was in 2000 or Washington State in 2004 -- a real mess. The outcome will determine whether Democrats get 58 members of the U.S. Senate, giving them an effective filibuster-proof vote on many issues.
When voters woke up on Wednesday morning after the election, Senator Norm Coleman led Al Franken by what seemed like a relatively comfortable 725 votes. By Wednesday night, that lead had shrunk to 477. By Thursday night, it was down to 336. By Friday, it was 239. Late Sunday night, the difference had gone down to just 221 -- a total change over 4 days of 504 votes.
Amazingly, this all has occurred even though there hasn’t even yet been a recount. Just local election officials correcting claimed typos in how the numbers were reported. Counties will certify their results today, and their final results will be sent to the secretary of state by Friday. The actual recount won’t even start until November 19.
Correcting these typos was claimed to add 435 votes to Franken and take 69 votes from Coleman. Corrections were posted in other races, but they were only a fraction of those for the Senate. The Senate gains for Franken were 2.5 times the gain for Obama in the presidential race count, 2.9 times the total gain that Democrats got across all Minnesota congressional races, and 5 times the net loss that Democrats suffered for all state House races.
Virtually all of Franken’s new votes came from just three out of 4130 precincts, and almost half the gain (246 votes) occurred in one precinct -- Two Harbors, a small town north of Duluth along Lake Superior -- a heavily Democratic precinct where Obama received 64 percent of the vote. None of the other races had any changes in their vote totals in that precinct.
To put this change in perspective, that single precinct’s corrections accounted for a significantly larger net swing in votes between the parties than occurred for all the precincts in the entire state for the presidential, congressional, or state house races.
The two other precincts (Mountain Iron in St. Louis county and Partridge Township in Pine county) accounted for another 100 votes each. The change in each precinct was half as large as the pickup for Obama from the corrections for the entire state.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune attributed these types of mistakes to “exhausted county officials,” and that indeed might be true, but the sizes of the errors in these three precincts are surprisingly large.
Indeed, the 504 total new votes for Franken from all the precincts is greater than adding together all the changes for all the precincts in the entire state for the presidential, congressional, and state house races combined (a sum of 482). It was also true that precincts that gave Obama a larger percentage of the vote were statistically more likely to make a correction that helped Franken.
The recent Washington State 2006 gubernatorial recount is probably most famous for the discovery of ballots in heavily Democratic areas that had somehow missed being counted the first and even second time around. Minnesota is already copying that, though thus far on a much smaller scale, with 32 absentee ballots being discovered in Democratic Hennepin County after all the votes had already been counted. When those votes are added in, they seemed destined to cut Coleman's lead further.
Indeed, it is probably through the discovery of new votes that Franken has his best shot of picking up new votes. Despite the press pushing a possible replay of election judges divining voters’ intentions by looking at “hanging chads” to see if voters meant to punch a hole, that shouldn’t be an issue in Minnesota. The reason is simple: optical scan vote counting machines return ballots to voters if no vote is recorded for a contested race.
The Associated Press piece with the title “Most Minn. Senate ‘undervotes’ are from Obama turf” misinformed readers about what undervotes really imply. The Minneapolis Star Tribune headline similarly claimed "An analysis of ballots that had a vote for president but no vote for U.S. senator could have recount implications."
Voters themselves insert their ballot into the machine that reads and records their votes, and if the machine finds that a vote isn’t recorded, voters can either mark the race that they forgot to mark or didn’t mark clearly. Or if voters “overvoted” and accidentally marked too many candidates, voters can also get a fresh ballot. There should be no role to divine voters’ intentions. If a voter wanted a vote recorded for a particular race, the machine tells him whether his vote in all the races was counted.
But voters also have the right not to vote in particular races. In this election, 0.4 percent of Minnesotans didn’t want to vote for president. The number for the Senate race was only slightly higher at 0.8 percent. For congressional and state House races, the rates were 3 and 3.5 percent.
This pattern of fewer people voting in less important elections has been observed as long as people have studied elections. There are always at least a few people who don’t vote for even the most closely contested races at the top of the ballot and fewer people follow and vote for races the farther down the ballot that you go. But this is not evidence of mistakes, quite the contrary.
With ACORN filing more than 43,000 registration forms this year, 75 percent of all new registrations in the state, Minnesota was facing vote fraud problems even before the election. Even a small percentage of those registrations resulting in fraudulent votes could tip this election.
To many, it just seems like too much of a coincidence that Minnesota's one tight race just happens to be the race with the most "corrected" votes by far. But the real travesty will be to start letting election officials divine voter's intent. If you want to discourage people from voting, election fraud is one sure way of doing it.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,449334,00.html
No Automatic Investigation Campaign: More Reason Obama-like Grassroots Fundraising
Need another good reason to accomplish what Barack Obama has accomlished with his approach to 'grassroots' small donation campaign fundraising?
An automatic audit of such is not required when the presidential candidate does not participate in the public financing program.
On the other hand, no wonder John McCain might have been complaining when Obama didn't negotiate further after his coffers swelled into the millions upon millions shortly after the Primaries.
Note: the article's title is unfortunately misleading. Obama doesn't 'escape' an audit, one isn't automatically triggered if public funds aren't used.
Net the Truth Online
An automatic audit of such is not required when the presidential candidate does not participate in the public financing program.
On the other hand, no wonder John McCain might have been complaining when Obama didn't negotiate further after his coffers swelled into the millions upon millions shortly after the Primaries.
Note: the article's title is unfortunately misleading. Obama doesn't 'escape' an audit, one isn't automatically triggered if public funds aren't used.
Net the Truth Online
Obama likely to escape campaign audithtml
By KENNETH P. VOGEL | 11/11/08 11:14 AM EST
Obama is expected to escape that level of scrutiny mostly because he declined an $84 million public grant for his campaign that automatically triggers an audit and because the sheer volume of cash he raised and spent minimizes the significance of his errors. Another factor: The FEC, which would have to vote to launch an audit, is prone to deadlocking on issues that inordinately impact one party or the other – like approving a messy and high-profile probe of a sitting president.
McCain, on the other hand, accepted the $84 million in taxpayer money, which not only barred him from raising or spending more – allowing Obama to fund many times more ads and ground operations – but also will keep his lawyers busy for a couple years explaining how every penny was spent.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15497.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Allegheny County Outstanding - Ballots Uncounted Yet
Allegheny County Few Problems Reported
But who's doing the report? Election officials who might not want to reveal glitches in absentee ballot scanning, perhaps?
Those are paper ballots that may not be subject to precinct scanning, but rather central scanning without the ability of the voter to make corrections or changes before the ballot is cast. If there are stray marks, even potentially creases, or over-votes, mismarking for instance both the straight party block and the block for the candidate.
That action may create an over-vote, and would need reviewed by hand to attempt to determine intent.
With some 3,000 military absentee ballots to determine, it is of urgency to make sure those absentees are counted accurately, and not outright rejected if over-votes or other errors show as such by a solely machine count.
Net the Truth Online
Mercer More Ballots to be Counted Outcome Could Change Again
But who's doing the report? Election officials who might not want to reveal glitches in absentee ballot scanning, perhaps?
Those are paper ballots that may not be subject to precinct scanning, but rather central scanning without the ability of the voter to make corrections or changes before the ballot is cast. If there are stray marks, even potentially creases, or over-votes, mismarking for instance both the straight party block and the block for the candidate.
That action may create an over-vote, and would need reviewed by hand to attempt to determine intent.
With some 3,000 military absentee ballots to determine, it is of urgency to make sure those absentees are counted accurately, and not outright rejected if over-votes or other errors show as such by a solely machine count.
Net the Truth Online
Mercer More Ballots to be Counted Outcome Could Change Again
Absentee ballots elevate McCain in Mercer County
By Matt Snyder
Herald Staff Writer
http://www.sharonherald.com/local/local_story_312211208.html
Voter turnout hit 70 percent; few problems reported
Considering that nearly three out of four registered voters cast a ballot in Allegheny County last week, elections officials reported Monday that few problems occurred.
"It was very smooth," said Mark Wolosik, head of the county Elections Division.
Wolosik reported to the county Board of Elections that 42,486 new voters registered for last week's election, although the tally of how many of them cast ballots is not yet known, he said.
Overall turnout in the county was about 70 percent, with 653,000 ballots cast, Wolosik said. About 3,000 military ballots remain uncounted, but Wolosik said they most likely would not affect any races.
The closest contest in the county, the race for the 33rd Legislative District between state Rep. Democrat Frank Dermody, D-Oakmont, and Republican challenger Jason Davidek, had Dermody leading by 577 votes, a 2-percentage point lead.
The 2,920 provisional ballots used represented a sharp decline from the 2004 election, when voters used about 8,000. The ballots are used by voters not immediately cleared by election judges to vote on electronic machines. If it is determined those votes are cast by properly registered voters, they will be counted.
The county Board of Elections, whose members are county Executive Dan Onorato and council at-large members John DeFazio and Chuck McCullough, will certify the results Nov. 24.
Complaints on Election Day included long lines, problems with machines and at least one precinct that wheelchair-users had trouble navigating.
Richard King and Colin Lynch, both from the group VotePA, told the elections board that while no apparent glitches affected the election, county voting machines remained vulnerable to fraud and malfunction because no paper trail exists to double-check the machines' count.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/news/election/s_597824.html
Who's U.S. Unelected Dictator
Need we even ask? We all know the answer. The Treasury Secretary! That's who. Bush has allowed it, and so has Congress looked the other way. Even though Congress was assured there would be 'transparency' in how the $700 billion rescue plan AKA bailout was going to be handled, guess what, there is no such look and see what's happened.
Will there be once Barack Obama takes the oath of office? Wait and see.
Net the Truth Online
Related Protestors at RNC Rally Arrested
http://noworldsystem.com/category/demonstration/
Will there be once Barack Obama takes the oath of office? Wait and see.
Net the Truth Online
Fed Defies Transparency Aim in Refusal to Disclose (Update2)
By Mark Pittman, Bob Ivry and Alison Fitzgerald
Nov. 10 (Bloomberg) -- The Federal Reserve is refusing to identify the recipients of almost $2 trillion of emergency loans from American taxpayers or the troubled assets the central bank is accepting as collateral.
Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said in September they would comply with congressional demands for transparency in a $700 billion bailout of the banking system. Two months later, as the Fed lends far more than that in separate rescue programs that didn't require approval by Congress, Americans have no idea where their money is going or what securities the banks are pledging in return.
``The collateral is not being adequately disclosed, and that's a big problem,'' said Dan Fuss, vice chairman of Boston- based Loomis Sayles & Co., where he co-manages $17 billion in bonds. ``In a liquid market, this wouldn't matter, but we're not. The market is very nervous and very thin.''
Bloomberg News has requested details of the Fed lending under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act and filed a federal lawsuit Nov. 7 seeking to force disclosure.
The Fed made the loans under terms of 11 programs, eight of them created in the past 15 months, in the midst of the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression.
``It's your money; it's not the Fed's money,'' said billionaire Ted Forstmann, senior partner of Forstmann Little & Co. in New York. ``Of course there should be transparency.''
Treasury, Fed, Obama
Federal Reserve spokeswoman Michelle Smith declined to comment on the loans or the Bloomberg lawsuit. Treasury spokeswoman Michele Davis didn't respond to a phone call and an e-mail seeking comment.
President-elect Barack Obama's economic adviser, Jason Furman, also didn't respond to an e-mail and a phone call seeking comment from Obama. In a Sept. 22 campaign speech, Obama promised to ``make our government open and transparent so that anyone can ensure that our business is the people's business.''
The Fed's lending is significant because the central bank has stepped into a rescue role that was also the purpose of the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, bailout plan -- without safeguards put into the TARP legislation by Congress.
Total Fed lending topped $2 trillion for the first time last week and has risen by 140 percent, or $1.172 trillion, in the seven weeks since Fed governors relaxed the collateral standards on Sept. 14. The difference includes a $788 billion increase in loans to banks through the Fed and $474 billion in other lending, mostly through the central bank's purchase of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac bonds.
Sept. 14 Decision
Before Sept. 14, the Fed accepted mostly top-rated government and asset-backed securities as collateral. After that date, the central bank widened standards to accept other kinds of securities, some with lower ratings. The Fed collects interest on all its loans.
The plan to purchase distressed securities through TARP called for buying at the ``lowest price that the secretary (of the Treasury) determines to be consistent with the purposes of this Act,'' according to the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, the law that covers TARP.
The legislation didn't require any specific method for the purchases beyond saying mechanisms such as auctions or reverse auctions should be used ``when appropriate.'' In a reverse auction, bidders offer to sell securities at successively lower prices, helping to ensure that the Fed would pay less. The measure also included a five-member oversight board that includes Paulson and Bernanke.
At a Sept. 23 Senate Banking Committee hearing in Washington, Paulson called for transparency in the purchase of distressed assets under the TARP program.
`We Need Transparency'
``We need oversight,'' Paulson told lawmakers. ``We need protection. We need transparency. I want it. We all want it.''
At a joint House-Senate hearing the next day, Bernanke also stressed the importance of openness in the program. ``Transparency is a big issue,'' he said.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aatlky_cH.tY&refer=worldwide
Related Protestors at RNC Rally Arrested
http://noworldsystem.com/category/demonstration/
Monday, November 10, 2008
Minnesota Paper Ballots Used Optical Scanner Readers
Were there any optical scan machine breakdowns?
It isn't so unusual for voters to skip some races in a Presidential contest which features Senate and House races. Some voters might not like either candidate. What should happen with the absentee paper ballots and other paper ballots in all states there should be a selection for None of the Above or No Candidate Preference. That way the person should be instructed to make selections of some sort. Not leave anything blank.
What's disturbing there already, at least so far in the Coleman Franken Senate race, 100 so-called 'missing' votes were newly discovered! somebody needs to check digital scanner memory against paper ballots, but it is possible is it not to fix both to reflect whatever one wants. Just create a new batch of ballots, and match to a new memory card. It could happen.
Wait and See.
Net the Truth Online
It isn't so unusual for voters to skip some races in a Presidential contest which features Senate and House races. Some voters might not like either candidate. What should happen with the absentee paper ballots and other paper ballots in all states there should be a selection for None of the Above or No Candidate Preference. That way the person should be instructed to make selections of some sort. Not leave anything blank.
What's disturbing there already, at least so far in the Coleman Franken Senate race, 100 so-called 'missing' votes were newly discovered! somebody needs to check digital scanner memory against paper ballots, but it is possible is it not to fix both to reflect whatever one wants. Just create a new batch of ballots, and match to a new memory card. It could happen.
Wait and See.
Net the Truth Online
What's Happening In Minnesota?
Powerline ^ | November 7, 2008 | John Hinderaker
Posted on Friday, November 07, 2008 5:47:02 PM by Caleb1411
When the polls closed Tuesday evening, Minnesota's Secretary of State's office showed that Norm Coleman had a 725-vote win in his closely contested race against Al Franken. By the next morning, however, Coleman's victory was already shrinking. As various precincts and county auditors have "corrected" their totals, Coleman's lead has dropped to a mere 237 votes. Minnesota Republicans are concerned that the fix may be in.
An example of the kind of thing now going on was reported in today's Minneapolis Star Tribune:
Just as Secretary of State Mark Ritchie was explaining to reporters the recount process in one of the narrowest elections in Minnesota history, an aide rushed in with news: Pine County's Partridge Township had revised its vote total upward -- another 100 votes for Democratic candidate Al Franken, putting him within .011 percentage points of Republican U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman.
The reason for the change? Exhausted county officials had accidentally entered 24 for Franken instead of 124 when the county's final votes were tallied at 5:25 Wednesday morning.
Currently, the Minnesota Secretary of State's office shows the Franken's total in Partridge Township as 129, not 124. Still, the Partridge story is the most coherent explanation we've gotten so far as to why vote totals have repeatedly been adjusted to Franken's advantage.
Optical scan ballots are used nearly everywhere in Minnesota. The system is simple: once the polls close, absentee ballots are run through the machines with Republican and Democratic poll watchers both present. The machines are then locked down. The machine prints a tape that looks like a grocery store printout that summarizes the number of votes cast for each candidate in each race. At the same time, the totals are uploaded electronically, via a secure phone line connected to the box, to the county where the precinct is located; from there, they are reported to the Secretary of State. The tape showing the precinct's vote totals is signed by the precinct's election judge and is required to be publicly displayed...
UPDATE: Hot off the press, the first apparent evidence of fraud. Last night at around 7:30, a precinct in Mountain Iron, St. Louis County, mysteriously updated its vote total to add 100 new votes--all 100 for Barack Obama and Al Franken.
Mountain Iron uses optical scanning, so the Coleman campaign asked for a copy of the tape documenting the ballots cast on election night. St. Louis County responded by providing a tape that includes the newly-added 100 votes, and is dated November 2--the Sunday before the election. St. Louis County reportedly denies being able to produce the genuine tape from election night, even though Minnesota law, as I understand it, requires that tape to be signed by the election judges and publicly displayed.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2128205/posts
Nov 7, 2008 6:21 pm US/Central
Most Senate Undervote In Ballots From Obama Turf
ST. PAUL (AP) ― An Associated Press analysis of the nearly 25,000-vote difference in presidential and Senate race tallies shows that most ballots lacking a recorded Minnesota Senate vote were cast in counties won by Democrat Barack Obama.
The finding could have implications for Republican Sen. Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken, who are headed for a recount separated by the thinnest of margins -- a couple hundred votes, or about 0.01 percent.
Though some voters may have intentionally bypassed the race, others may have mismarked their ballot or optical scanning machines may have misread them. A recount due to begin Nov. 19 will use manual inspection to detect such ballots.
Three counties -- Hennepin, Ramsey and St. Louis -- account for 10,540 votes in the dropoff between the two races. Each saw Obama win with 63 percent or more...
...There's one more critical statistic: About 8,900 people weren't recorded as voting for president, according to county-by-county turnout estimates kept by the Secretary of State. That nearly 9,000 people would skip the closely watched race is questionable, raising the possibility that as many as 33,700 ballots might be subject to change in a hand recount.
Minnesota ballots are fed into optical scanners, which depend on voters filling in ovals to make their choice.
Kim Brace, president of the consulting firm Election Data Services Inc., said there's no reason a ballot without a vote for a particular race would be rejected.
"Usually they're set to kick back to the voter if there is an overvote," said Brace, who has been an expert witness in court cases stemming from disputed elections. "But in most instances they're not set to kick back to the voter if there is an undervote. After all, the public has a right to not vote for somebody for a particular office."
What recount teams will be looking for is whether stray or light marks on ballots signaled a voters' preference.
Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, a Democrat, said any process involving humans and machines is subject to error.
"Humans are marking ballots and some humans may not have pressed hard enough in the oval so the machine may not have caught their ballot's intention," Ritchie said. "The recount is designed to make sure every eligible ballot is included."
Michael Shamos, a Carnegie Mellon University computer science professor who studies election systems, said the dropoff didn't strike him as suspiciously large.
"All that means to me is they consider the presidential race more important than the Senate race," he said. "They either didn't make up their mind. They didn't care. They didn't make a mark in that race."
To be sure, similar dropoffs have happened in the past.
In 2000, the last year with both races on Minnesota's ballot, about 19,000 presidential voters were not recorded as casting a Senate vote. Fewer people voted that year, making the dropout rate similar to this year's.
http://wcco.com/politics/recount.senate.race.2.859286.html
Real Country First Party Movement Recommended
Analysis of Joe Scarborough is just simply aggravating. The Republicans are not in disarray after this election, Scarborough says on his program Morning Joe. We'd prefer a more balanced Republican on that program, plus, we can't take Joe's stare when he speaks about Republicans, exonerating them for their behavior this election.
There they were, the national RNC sending out fliers in the last two weeks of the election to those who happened to still be registered Republicans during the unconscionable treatment of Barack Obama by the top of the ticket, John McCain and Sarah Palin.
Obviously, Palin's appearance by McCain's side raised the energy level of Republicans who saw little in McCain and were in threat of turning away from the polls.
Her popularity in Alaska was said to be at a high level, some 80 percent. Just after the Republican Convention where she was introduced to the nation, she enjoyed a similar boost in polls as an unknown.
But as soon as Palin engaged in just a handful of national network interviews, and those details became known, her poll numbers decreased.
After the Vice Presidential Debate, Palin again enjoyed a renewed increase in poll numbers. A McCain/Palin ticket rejuvenated support among conservative Republicans.
Then came Palin's subsequent several misstatements, repeated. Particularly her unfamiliarity with foreign affairs, and a Vice President's constitutional duties.
Not duties a VP would like to enjoy, but actually must abide by performing.
Those are limited.
Conservatives noticed. Just 2 weeks out from the Nov. 4 election, some 60 percent of those polled did not believe Palin qualified to be President of the U.S.
It's yet to be revealed whether her Alaska poll numbers have decreased since the election.
Scarborough was among the many who simply gave Palin a pass = because she was a Republican and because she was a woman.
It almost seemed as if they were using reverse psychology on the rest of us.
Stereotypically, women have been perceived as dumb. Especially if their hair is blonde. So it is sexist to stereotype without having the benefit of knowing the individual woman, or seeing a woman's actions before making that determination.
But in Palin's case, it was almost as if she were planting in our minds - dumb, stupid remarks, or failure to answer questions adequately.
Then she would rebound at least it appeared to be the case during the VP debate.
A close analysis of that debate showed her unfamiliarity with the Constitution. And Palin stated she wasn't going to answer a question, instead she was going to speak directly to the American people and tell them how she handled energy-related issues and issues that affected lives.
Well, that was suitable to many Republicans who don't like questions from anybody who isn't a card carrying Republican or Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity.
But her refusal to answer backfired when she continued to answer incorrectly about a VP's duties.
Again, Scarborough misses the entire point of the McCain/Palin approach. Paling around with terrorists; Obama is a socialist. Obama is a Marxist.
What was the bailout all about? Bailing out somebody with taxpayers' money.
Are we to believe that only when the well-heeled investment bankers, etc receive taxpayers money, only when tax freedom or exemptions are given to Fortune 500 companies and CEO's of those companies, well that's ok that's not socialistic.
When the middle class receives help that's socialistic.
Not that we agree with either approach. We're of the libertarian philosophy on ecomonic issues, with the exception of unfair free trade.
but the Republican approach this election was as Orwellian as Orwellian could get.
And that's what Scarborough completely missed or doesn't want to accept.
Not in disarray? Only in their own minds.
Hopefully, a third party movement will begin out of the rubble of the top of the ticket which used every trick in the book to win.
How about the Real Country First Party
There they were, the national RNC sending out fliers in the last two weeks of the election to those who happened to still be registered Republicans during the unconscionable treatment of Barack Obama by the top of the ticket, John McCain and Sarah Palin.
Obviously, Palin's appearance by McCain's side raised the energy level of Republicans who saw little in McCain and were in threat of turning away from the polls.
Her popularity in Alaska was said to be at a high level, some 80 percent. Just after the Republican Convention where she was introduced to the nation, she enjoyed a similar boost in polls as an unknown.
But as soon as Palin engaged in just a handful of national network interviews, and those details became known, her poll numbers decreased.
After the Vice Presidential Debate, Palin again enjoyed a renewed increase in poll numbers. A McCain/Palin ticket rejuvenated support among conservative Republicans.
Then came Palin's subsequent several misstatements, repeated. Particularly her unfamiliarity with foreign affairs, and a Vice President's constitutional duties.
Not duties a VP would like to enjoy, but actually must abide by performing.
Those are limited.
Conservatives noticed. Just 2 weeks out from the Nov. 4 election, some 60 percent of those polled did not believe Palin qualified to be President of the U.S.
It's yet to be revealed whether her Alaska poll numbers have decreased since the election.
Scarborough was among the many who simply gave Palin a pass = because she was a Republican and because she was a woman.
It almost seemed as if they were using reverse psychology on the rest of us.
Stereotypically, women have been perceived as dumb. Especially if their hair is blonde. So it is sexist to stereotype without having the benefit of knowing the individual woman, or seeing a woman's actions before making that determination.
But in Palin's case, it was almost as if she were planting in our minds - dumb, stupid remarks, or failure to answer questions adequately.
Then she would rebound at least it appeared to be the case during the VP debate.
A close analysis of that debate showed her unfamiliarity with the Constitution. And Palin stated she wasn't going to answer a question, instead she was going to speak directly to the American people and tell them how she handled energy-related issues and issues that affected lives.
Well, that was suitable to many Republicans who don't like questions from anybody who isn't a card carrying Republican or Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity.
But her refusal to answer backfired when she continued to answer incorrectly about a VP's duties.
Again, Scarborough misses the entire point of the McCain/Palin approach. Paling around with terrorists; Obama is a socialist. Obama is a Marxist.
What was the bailout all about? Bailing out somebody with taxpayers' money.
Are we to believe that only when the well-heeled investment bankers, etc receive taxpayers money, only when tax freedom or exemptions are given to Fortune 500 companies and CEO's of those companies, well that's ok that's not socialistic.
When the middle class receives help that's socialistic.
Not that we agree with either approach. We're of the libertarian philosophy on ecomonic issues, with the exception of unfair free trade.
but the Republican approach this election was as Orwellian as Orwellian could get.
And that's what Scarborough completely missed or doesn't want to accept.
Not in disarray? Only in their own minds.
Hopefully, a third party movement will begin out of the rubble of the top of the ticket which used every trick in the book to win.
How about the Real Country First Party
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Fayette Poll Site Voting situation
Dunbar Twp. polling site loses power
By Rebekah Sungala, Herald-Standard
11/05/2008
Updated 11/04/2008 08:03:55 PM EST
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A Dunbar Township polling place was temporarily without power Tuesday after a vehicle crashed into a utility pole, knocking out electricity to the site.
Mark Nitowski, a spokesman for Allegheny Power, said Divito Park on Frankie Lane in Leisenring lost partial power around 3 p.m. as a result of the crash.
Voters living in the township's third precinct vote at the park.
Nitowski said that because the power outage affected a polling location, the state Public Utility Commission (PUC) was notified and responded.
According to officials, an emergency preparedness coordinator with the PUC was able to arrange for a generator to be brought in and hooked up so that voting could continue at the site.
In addition to the polling place, the power outage also affected about 400 residences in the Dunbar and Leisenring area.
Nitowski said crews had to replace the sheared pole. Electricity was restored late Tuesday.
A spokeswoman for the Fayette County Election Bureau said everything was running smoothly at Divito Park early Tuesday evening.
The spokeswoman confirmed that a generator had been brought to the site.
http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20187935&BRD=2280&PAG=461&dept_id=468520&rfi=6
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Doris Kearns Goodwin: Obama Speech Echoes of Lincoln
in his acceptance speech.
His acceptance speech? Pundits couldn't come up with something better than that?
His first speech as President elect... of the United States of America
His acceptance speech? Pundits couldn't come up with something better than that?
His first speech as President elect... of the United States of America
President-Elect Barack Obama to Us
Obama wins; elected 44th US President
Published on Wed, Nov 05, 2008 at 09:25 , Updated at Wed, Nov 05, 2008 at 09:36
Source : www.ibnlive.com
http://news.moneycontrol.com/india/news/politics/obama-moves-toward-winmccain-s-hopes-dim/10/58/364605
Speaking to us all
Obama... not a collection of red states and blue states but the United States of America... arc of history bend it a different way... what we have done in this moment... this day... change has come to America...
Here it is
Obama tells hometown: 'Change has come'
Thousands gather to hear Democrat make first speech as president-elect
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27544681/
http://www.rocketnews.com/topic/world/grant-park/
Published on Wed, Nov 05, 2008 at 09:25 , Updated at Wed, Nov 05, 2008 at 09:36
Source : www.ibnlive.com
http://news.moneycontrol.com/india/news/politics/obama-moves-toward-winmccain-s-hopes-dim/10/58/364605
Speaking to us all
Obama... not a collection of red states and blue states but the United States of America... arc of history bend it a different way... what we have done in this moment... this day... change has come to America...
Here it is
Obama tells hometown: 'Change has come'
Thousands gather to hear Democrat make first speech as president-elect
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27544681/
http://www.rocketnews.com/topic/world/grant-park/
inventor behind CNN's election 'Magic Wall'
What one finds
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/11/04/magic.wall/?iref=mpstoryview
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/11/04/magic.wall/?iref=mpstoryview
John Lewis: Transformation of America Politics
To say the least.
That was my hope for the United States of America, too, heartily so. I had to vote with my radical libertarian agnostic philosophical and secular humanism convictions, however. With respect, to all others who voted along different lines.
May we all accept each other with all our differences forever more.
Grant Park Chicago Illinois
125,000 and standing no 200,000 and standing no 240,000
...... million voters standing and cheering
Washington DC yes right in front of the White House, the new home of the Obama family, and a new pet dog, coming soon.
That was my hope for the United States of America, too, heartily so. I had to vote with my radical libertarian agnostic philosophical and secular humanism convictions, however. With respect, to all others who voted along different lines.
May we all accept each other with all our differences forever more.
Grant Park Chicago Illinois
125,000 and standing no 200,000 and standing no 240,000
...... million voters standing and cheering
Washington DC yes right in front of the White House, the new home of the Obama family, and a new pet dog, coming soon.
Not One Network Called Election Before Close of Nation's Last Poll
Networks deserve credit for restraining themselves in the last hour remaining before polls closed in the state of California.
thank you.
thank you.
McCain Congratulates Obama who inspires Americans
Barack Obama the next President of the United States of America
Congratulations
Congratulations
OBAMA 51 percent
News 338 Electoral College votes
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/calculator/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032553/
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/calculator/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032553/
Pennsylvania & Ohio Called for Obama
Obama wins Ohio, Pennsylvania, NBC projects
McCain takes Texas, but home state of Arizona remains too close to call
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27531033/?GT1=43001
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/calculator/
PA Returns
http://www.electionreturns.state.pa.us/
McCain takes Texas, but home state of Arizona remains too close to call
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27531033/?GT1=43001
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/calculator/
PA Returns
http://www.electionreturns.state.pa.us/
Obama Cling Guns Religion Spread Wealth McCain: Fellow Prisoners Joe the Bomb...
That's the choice. Mis-peaking Barack Obama, less than accurate words, misstated ideas and positions.
Barack Obama: cling to their guns, and religion
John McCain: Bomb, bomb, bomb Iraq; my fellow prisoners; Joe, the Bomb... Plumber
In responding to Obama's remarks, John McCain offers the explanation Obama is 'elitist.' socialist Obama refrain is based on a sliver of a segment of an exchange between Obama and Joe Wurlebacher, where Obama uttered the phrasing 'spread the wealth...'
To John McCain's flubs, Obama has said virtually nothing with the exception of bomb, bomb, bomb Iran during the Presidential Debates.
Obama has not referenced McCain's calling a rally audience, "my fellow prisoners," nor has Obama referenced McCain's slip of the tongue, Joe the Bomb... the Plumber...
You decide. There are other Presidential candidates in many states the Constitution Party is on the ballot, as is the Libertarian Party candidates.
Let your principles be your guide.
Net the Truth Online
John McCain Bomb Bomb Bomb Iran
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAzBxFaio1I
McCain: Obama Guns, Religion Remark 'Elitist'
April 14, 2008 12:15 PM
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/04/mccain-obama-gu.html
John McCain My Fellow Prisoners
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYFm5kK4f1k
McCain Nearly Credits Joe the Bomber
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAA76DJyZpE
Barack Obama: cling to their guns, and religion
John McCain: Bomb, bomb, bomb Iraq; my fellow prisoners; Joe, the Bomb... Plumber
In responding to Obama's remarks, John McCain offers the explanation Obama is 'elitist.' socialist Obama refrain is based on a sliver of a segment of an exchange between Obama and Joe Wurlebacher, where Obama uttered the phrasing 'spread the wealth...'
To John McCain's flubs, Obama has said virtually nothing with the exception of bomb, bomb, bomb Iran during the Presidential Debates.
Obama has not referenced McCain's calling a rally audience, "my fellow prisoners," nor has Obama referenced McCain's slip of the tongue, Joe the Bomb... the Plumber...
You decide. There are other Presidential candidates in many states the Constitution Party is on the ballot, as is the Libertarian Party candidates.
Let your principles be your guide.
Net the Truth Online
John McCain Bomb Bomb Bomb Iran
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAzBxFaio1I
McCain: Obama Guns, Religion Remark 'Elitist'
April 14, 2008 12:15 PM
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/04/mccain-obama-gu.html
John McCain My Fellow Prisoners
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYFm5kK4f1k
McCain Nearly Credits Joe the Bomber
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAA76DJyZpE
Fox News Cameron: Fewer tahn expected for McCain Rally
If accurate, the same was true of Moon Township, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania stop for John McCain.
That rally expected a wider turnout, but ratcheted down preparations after determining far fewer 'tickets' were given out than were available.
That rally expected a wider turnout, but ratcheted down preparations after determining far fewer 'tickets' were given out than were available.
Monday, November 03, 2008
McCain Supporters Quinn and Rose War room: Let Scripture Guide You
On their radio program today, Quinn and Rose discussed the McCain campaign to date and McCain's chances of winning the Presidency. the pair obviously support McCain strongly.
Rose read a few emails she'd recently received, possibly in response to what she'd said during an earlier program in early October, "I don't think you can be a Christian and vote for Obama."
From the October 6 edition of Clear Channel's The War Room with Quinn & Rose:
On today's program, after reading the emails which were critical of Rose's viewpoints on Obama, Rose recommended to Christian voters:
Let the Scriptures guide you.
She made reference to Bible passages she said acknowledged the "righteousness of judges," and equated that to Supreme Court Justices to potentially be appointed by the next President.
Rose also referenced the "law of God," (Ezra 7:25) and the "law of Fear..." (Eliza)
While Rose never said, God's choice would be John McCain, she continued to press Christians to let the Scripture guide you.
She didn't veer from recommending John McCain.
Quinn and Rose attendees? McCain rally
http://ourliberty1776.blogspot.com/2008/11/mccainpalin-road-to-victory-rally.html
Listen to Quinn and Rose on XM Satellite Radio, Channel 158, 6am - 10am EST, or on any of these stations: http://www.warroom.com/affiliates.php
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2123299/posts
http://www.warroom.com/
Obviously, the pair discussed their take on our past less than stirling history on the franchiss, too, but
Jim Quinn declared: "Originally, if you didn't own land, you didn't vote, and there was a good reason for it: because those without property will always vote away the property of other people unto themselves, and that's the beginning of the end."
http://patrickhenrypress.info/?p=170906
More coverage
http://mediamatters.org/?default_tab=clips
Law of God
http://bible.cc/ezra/7-26.htm
Rose read a few emails she'd recently received, possibly in response to what she'd said during an earlier program in early October, "I don't think you can be a Christian and vote for Obama."
From the October 6 edition of Clear Channel's The War Room with Quinn & Rose:
TENNENT: You know, the other thing I don't understand is, like when we were talking earlier about where these contributions are coming from, why isn't the federal government looking into this? Why is this guy getting a free pass on everything? I can't even look at him anymore. I mean, it's on my screen right now. I gotta -- I can't take it. Now, I'm gonna tell you something else, too. A couple of times now, I've run into people who are voting -- who are Christians, and they're voting for Barack Obama. I'm going to say this. I don't think you can be a Christian and vote for Barack Obama. OK?
http://mediamatters.org/items/200810070017
Video clip
http://thevirginvote.blogspot.com/2008/10/can-christians-vote-for-candidate-thats.html
On today's program, after reading the emails which were critical of Rose's viewpoints on Obama, Rose recommended to Christian voters:
Let the Scriptures guide you.
She made reference to Bible passages she said acknowledged the "righteousness of judges," and equated that to Supreme Court Justices to potentially be appointed by the next President.
Rose also referenced the "law of God," (Ezra 7:25) and the "law of Fear..." (Eliza)
While Rose never said, God's choice would be John McCain, she continued to press Christians to let the Scripture guide you.
She didn't veer from recommending John McCain.
Quinn and Rose attendees? McCain rally
http://ourliberty1776.blogspot.com/2008/11/mccainpalin-road-to-victory-rally.html
Listen to Quinn and Rose on XM Satellite Radio, Channel 158, 6am - 10am EST, or on any of these stations: http://www.warroom.com/affiliates.php
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2123299/posts
http://www.warroom.com/
Obviously, the pair discussed their take on our past less than stirling history on the franchiss, too, but
Jim Quinn declared: "Originally, if you didn't own land, you didn't vote, and there was a good reason for it: because those without property will always vote away the property of other people unto themselves, and that's the beginning of the end."
http://patrickhenrypress.info/?p=170906
More coverage
http://mediamatters.org/?default_tab=clips
Law of God
http://bible.cc/ezra/7-26.htm
7:25-26 Appoint Judges
The king also instructed Ezra that he was to appoint magistrates and judges to govern everyone west of the Euphrates River. In other words, he was supposed to set up a police force and judicial system. How could a priest possibly know how to do this? Might I suggest that a priest is one person who should know how to do it best of all.
Artaxerxes knew this, for he told Ezra to establish these magistrates and judges, "according to the wisdom of God which is in your hand." Ezra was carrying a copy of God's Law, which outlined what justice was, how it was to be administered, and who was qualified to be put in those positions of authority.
http://www.rondaniel.com/library/15-Ezra/Ezra0701.html
CNN John King: Scenario 269 to 269 Electoral College Tie
John King moved around numbers on his exclusive map setting a scenario that would make Florida 2000 look like, well, a blip on the historical radar.
Who knows, the polls were certainly watched this past week to a strange level. In fact one Zogby poll put McCain ahead of Obama by one point on Friday's report.
That led Zogby to claim Obama's 30-minute Prime Time ad on many networks had no effect on Obama's numbers immediately afterwards.
Conservative bloggers highlighted the Zogby analysis over the weekend into today. Quinn and Rose discussed the 1-point edge McCain had over the weekend, they said.
Meanwhile some pundits had commented a one-day sliver is not a trend, and the usual routine is to continue to a 3-day slice of time to determine any trend or lack thereof.
November 01, 2008
Zogby Poll McCain 1 point ahead Loony
http://netthetruthonline.blogspot.com/2008/11/zogby-poll-mccain-1-point-ahead-loony.html
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Zogby slams cheering & jeering Bloggers Needs Help
http://netthetruthonline.blogspot.com/2008/11/zogby-slams-cheering-jeering-bloggers.html
Who knows, the polls were certainly watched this past week to a strange level. In fact one Zogby poll put McCain ahead of Obama by one point on Friday's report.
That led Zogby to claim Obama's 30-minute Prime Time ad on many networks had no effect on Obama's numbers immediately afterwards.
Conservative bloggers highlighted the Zogby analysis over the weekend into today. Quinn and Rose discussed the 1-point edge McCain had over the weekend, they said.
Meanwhile some pundits had commented a one-day sliver is not a trend, and the usual routine is to continue to a 3-day slice of time to determine any trend or lack thereof.
November 01, 2008
Zogby Poll McCain 1 point ahead Loony
http://netthetruthonline.blogspot.com/2008/11/zogby-poll-mccain-1-point-ahead-loony.html
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Zogby slams cheering & jeering Bloggers Needs Help
http://netthetruthonline.blogspot.com/2008/11/zogby-slams-cheering-jeering-bloggers.html
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Leak On Obama's Aunt Violates ICE
Leak On Obama's Aunt Violates ICE Guidelines
By Zachary Roth - November 1, 2008, 5:46PM
The leaking of information about the immigration status of Barack Obama's aunt appears to directly violate guidelines for confidentiality laid out in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement memo obtained by TPMmuckraker.
As we reported earlier, ICE has begun an internal probe into the leak to the Associated Press, which revealed early this morning that Obama's aunt "is in the United States illegally after an immigration judge rejected her request for asylum four years ago."
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/11/leak_on_obamas_aunt_violates_i.php
More
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=obama+aunt+leak&btnG=Search
Clinton Stop Murtha Supportive
Sen. John McCain and Former President Bill Clinton will return to southwestern Pennsylvania in tight races.
The McCain campaign has confirmed to WTAE Channel 4 Action News that the Republican Arizona senator will hold a rally in a hangar at Atlantic Aviation in Moon Township on Monday morning. The doors are scheduled to open at 10:45 a.m. and the rally is scheduled for 12:45 p.m. McCain recently visited Robert Morris University in Moon Township for a rally on energy and the economy.
Clinton is scheduled to return to the state on Monday in support of Rep. Jack Murtha, a 34-year congressional veteran in a tight race for re-election in the 12th District. Murtha faces a political newcomer in Republican William Russell, who is using Murtha's recent controversial comments to gain support.
Murtha has made headlines recently for using words like "racist" and "redneck" to describe western Pennsylvania. Issues such as the economy, specifically job creation, are what Murtha said are his biggest accomplishments after the steel industry went south. That's why union leaders say they support him. Russell said if elected, he could create more growth.
Polls show the race is within 4 points, the closest election Murtha has had since his first run for office in 1974 when he won by just 120 votes.
Murtha campaign officials said Clinton's visit will focus on Murtha's leadership, experience and continued fight on behalf of the 12th District.
http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/politics/17865469/detail.html?rss=pit&psp=news
Hillary Clinton News headlines
http://www.1stheadlines.com/clinton.htm
Obama rally Virginia
Manassas at 9:00 p.m. ET at the Prince William Co. Fairgrounds.
http://fakevirginia.wordpress.com/2008/11/01/more-details-on-monday-night-obama-rally-in-manassas-park/
Schedules
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/tracker/dates/
http://www.raisingkaine.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=17015
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/tracker/candidates/barack-obama/
Zogby slams cheering & jeering Bloggers Needs Help
In our opinion, Zogby needs the help, not bloggers who on the conservative side, (OK they went a bit overboard jubilant) cheered his one day poll 'results' and on the liberal side jeered (OK a bit snidely) those results which showed, according to Zogby, McCain one percentage point ahead of Obama.
McCain 48% Obama 47%
Zogby's day later report is not a retraction of his results, but he should issue an apology for his misleading if not wildly inaccurate analysis.
Zogby's poll revealed a so called one point advantage to John McCain and Zogby's report actually analyzed and generalized from that
Barack Obama's 30-minute television special had virtually no effect on potential voters. (that day)(implied as longer than one day)
We'd have put exclamation marks after our original analysis Loony but why push it.
We'll put in the exclamations now - Looney Biz Zogby!
No evidence a multimillion dollar ad run on numerous network channels and watched by some 34 million viewers had an 'effect' on those viewers? Among those viewers those who would vote? Or maybe Zogby as we posed before polled the Sisters of St. Basil.
Get real. Or not.
Calm it down, bloggers, calm it down... Zogby advises.
OK - we won't. Not when you state in your own poll results there's no evidence the Obama 30-minute ad Wednesday night had an effect when you knew the three-day stats would be more revealing of a trend than a single one-day snapshot! Or a half day plus a half day snapshot, however you want to do it.
Because however you did it, you analyzed it wrong.
Plus, the chart on the page shows no one-day 48 % for John McCain, (47% Obama) which according to Zogby would have been shown for Friday, October 31, so where'd that come from?
http://www.zogby.com/main.htm
A day later, Zogby confuses further...
"So what happened to give McCain a one-point lead in the one-day polling on Friday?...
Notice Zogby doesn't exactly answer the question posed.
We can speculate as well as the next guy. What happened was a blip on the radar that other experts tag as negligible noise when looked at in one moment of time rather than the routine more established 3-day snapshot which is more indicative of 'trends.'
Net the Truth Online
McCain 48% Obama 47%
Zogby's day later report is not a retraction of his results, but he should issue an apology for his misleading if not wildly inaccurate analysis.
Zogby's poll revealed a so called one point advantage to John McCain and Zogby's report actually analyzed and generalized from that
Barack Obama's 30-minute television special had virtually no effect on potential voters. (that day)(implied as longer than one day)
We'd have put exclamation marks after our original analysis Loony but why push it.
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Zogby Poll McCain 1 point ahead Loony
http://netthetruthonline.blogspot.com/2008/11/zogby-poll-mccain-1-point-ahead-loony.html
We'll put in the exclamations now - Looney Biz Zogby!
What Zogby said:
Almost two days worth of the polling—or about half of the current sample in the three-day rolling poll of likely voters nationwide, was conducted after Obama's 30-minute commercial aired Wednesday evening. There is no evidence it helped him, as he has dropped 1.1 points in the last two days, while McCain has gained 0.8 points during the same period...
No evidence a multimillion dollar ad run on numerous network channels and watched by some 34 million viewers had an 'effect' on those viewers? Among those viewers those who would vote? Or maybe Zogby as we posed before polled the Sisters of St. Basil.
Get real. Or not.
Calm it down, bloggers, calm it down... Zogby advises.
OK - we won't. Not when you state in your own poll results there's no evidence the Obama 30-minute ad Wednesday night had an effect when you knew the three-day stats would be more revealing of a trend than a single one-day snapshot! Or a half day plus a half day snapshot, however you want to do it.
Because however you did it, you analyzed it wrong.
Plus, the chart on the page shows no one-day 48 % for John McCain, (47% Obama) which according to Zogby would have been shown for Friday, October 31, so where'd that come from?
http://www.zogby.com/main.htm
A day later, Zogby confuses further...
"So what happened to give McCain a one-point lead in the one-day polling on Friday?...
Notice Zogby doesn't exactly answer the question posed.
We can speculate as well as the next guy. What happened was a blip on the radar that other experts tag as negligible noise when looked at in one moment of time rather than the routine more established 3-day snapshot which is more indicative of 'trends.'
Net the Truth Online
Zogby to Bloggers: "Calm It Down .... Look at Your Baseball Cards"
By Tom Blumer | November 2, 2008 - 09:08
It's hard to tell whether this is a reaction to "It's about time!" complaints that would tend to come from the center-right, or to "How dare you!" protests from the left (my money is on the latter), but pollster John Zogby took an unprofessional turn in his Saturday report (to be replaced in 24-48 hours) that was released in the wee hours this morning.
The substantive news is that Barack Obama is ahead 5.7% in Zogby's three-day rolling average. Obama came in 10 points ahead in one-day Saturday polling (52-42, after trailing John McCain 48-47 on Friday (weekend polling bias, anyone?).
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tom-blumer/2008/11/02/zogby-bloggers-calm-it-down-look-your-baseball-cards
Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby Poll: One Day Is Not A Trend: Obama Holds His Lead
Obama 49.5%, McCain 43.8%
Released: 11-02-2008
Subscribers can login here: https://interactive.zogby.com/clickon/index2.cfm
Next Release: 11-03-08, 1:00AM
UTICA, New York -- After a strong day of polling for Republican presidential candidate John McCain on Friday, Democrat Barack Obama experienced a strong single day of polling on Saturday, retaining a 5.7 point advantage that is right at the edge of the margin of error of the Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby daily tracking poll. The race has remained remarkably stable down the stretch, this three-day rolling average poll shows.
http://www.zogby.com/main.htm
Media Bias Reality or Study Bias?
A study showed a 65 percent media bias in favor of positive for Obama reports and coverage?
Who conducted the study?
Center for Media and Public Affairs.
Just think, critically so.
And think this way, if the study were conducted of the Internet and the way news reports were dissected or supported by liberal leaning or conservative leaning websites and blogs, what would the study reveal?
It would reveal whatever it would reveal, but at the base of the analysis is this:
every consumer of news has the same opportunity as everyone in this country to read a wide wide wide variety of resources to attempt to gather information to make an informed decision.
If consumers want to be swayed by one newspaper or another, that's their problem.
The information is out there, and it can be found.
Whether the truth is out there or not is left to the individual to determine.
Net the Truth Online
Who conducted the study?
Center for Media and Public Affairs.
Just think, critically so.
And think this way, if the study were conducted of the Internet and the way news reports were dissected or supported by liberal leaning or conservative leaning websites and blogs, what would the study reveal?
It would reveal whatever it would reveal, but at the base of the analysis is this:
every consumer of news has the same opportunity as everyone in this country to read a wide wide wide variety of resources to attempt to gather information to make an informed decision.
If consumers want to be swayed by one newspaper or another, that's their problem.
The information is out there, and it can be found.
Whether the truth is out there or not is left to the individual to determine.
Net the Truth Online
Study: Media coverage has favored Obama campaign
By DAVID BAUDER
AP Photo
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., throws a bottle of water to a supporter in the crowd who had passed out during a rally at Wicker Memorial Park in Highland Ind., Friday, Oct. 31, 2008.
NEW YORK John McCain supporters who believe they haven't gotten a fair shake from the media during the Republican's candidacy against Barack Obama have a new study to point to.
Comments made by sources, voters, reporters and anchors that aired on ABC, CBS and NBC evening newscasts over the past two months reflected positively on Obama in 65 percent of cases, compared to 31 percent of cases with regards to McCain, according to the Center for Media and Public Affairs.
ABC's "World News" had more balance than NBC's "Nightly News" or the "CBS Evening News," the group said.
Meanwhile, the first half of Fox News Channel's "Special Report" with Brit Hume showed more balance than any of the network broadcasters, although it was dominated by negative evaluations of both campaigns. The center didn't evaluate programs on CNN or MSNBC.
"For whatever reason, the media are portraying Barack Obama as a better choice for president than John McCain," said Robert Lichter, a George Mason University professor and head of the center. "If you watch the evening news, you'd think you should vote for Obama."
The center analyzed 979 separate news stories shown between Aug. 23 and Oct. 24, and excluded evaluations based on the campaign horse race, including mention of how the candidates were doing in polls. For instance, when a voter was interviewed on CBS Oct. 14 saying he thought Obama brought a freshness to Washington, that was chalked up as a pro-Obama comment.
When NBC's Andrea Mitchell reported Oct. 1 that some conservatives say that Sarah Palin is not ready for prime-time, that's marked in the negative column for McCain.
ABC recorded 57 percent favorable comments toward the Democrats, and 42 percent positive for the Republicans. NBC had 56 percent positive for the Democrats, 16 percent for the Republicans. CBS had 73 percent positive (Obama), versus 31 percent (McCain).
Hume's telecast had 39 percent favorable comments for McCain and 28 percent positive for the Democratic ticket.
It was the second study in two weeks to remark upon negative coverage for the McCain-Palin ticket. The Project for Excellence in Journalism concluded last week that McCain's coverage has been overwhelmingly negative since the conventions ended, while Obama's has been more mixed.
Meanwhile, another survey issued Friday by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press showed that television continues to be Americans' main source for campaign news, particularly the cable news networks.
http://community.tri-cityherald.com/?q=node/1180
“Scholars hate the word ‘bias’ because they feel like they’re entering the ideological fray,” says S. Robert Lichter, head of the Center for Media and Public Affairs (CMPA) at George Mason University, who prefers the term “tone.” Despite his efforts, Lichter himself got sucked into that fray. His content analysis of the transcripts of TV news broadcasts at the statement level is a respected and widely adopted methodology. This past summer, just as the view that journalists were going softer on Barack Obama than on John McCain was becoming widely accepted, CMPA issued a report showing that 72 percent of the statements in TV news reports about Obama in late spring and early summer were negative, whereas 57 percent of the statements about McCain were negative. When Fox News commentator Bill O’Reilly attacked Lichter’s method during a radio interview, saying it would embolden liberal bias, Lichter responded, “You can take all my studies or none of my studies”—an allusion to past uses of his work to support conservative views.
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=media-bias-presidential-election
In study, evidence of liberal-bias bias
Cable talking heads accuse broadcast networks of liberal bias -- but a think tank finds that ABC, NBC and CBS were tougher on Barack Obama than on John McCain in recent weeks.
By James Rainey, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
July 27, 2008
Haters of the mainstream media reheated a bit of conventional wisdom last week.
Barack Obama, they said, was getting a free ride from those insufferable liberals.
Such pronouncements, sorry to say, tend to be wrong since they describe a monolithic media that no longer exists. Information today cascades from countless outlets and channels, from the Huffington Post to Politico.com to CBS News and beyond.
But now there's additional evidence that casts doubt on the bias claims aimed -- with particular venom -- at three broadcast networks.
The Center for Media and Public Affairs at George Mason University, where researchers have tracked network news content for two decades, found that ABC, NBC and CBS were tougher on Obama than on Republican John McCain during the first six weeks of the general-election campaign.
You read it right: tougher on the Democrat.
During the evening news, the majority of statements from reporters and anchors on all three networks are neutral, the center found. And when network news people ventured opinions in recent weeks, 28% of the statements were positive for Obama and 72% negative.
Network reporting also tilted against McCain, but far less dramatically, with 43% of the statements positive and 57% negative, according to the Washington-based media center.
Conservatives have been snarling about the grotesque disparity revealed by another study, the online Tyndall Report, which showed Obama receiving more than twice as much network air time as McCain in the last month and a half. Obama got 166 minutes of coverage in the seven weeks after the end of the primary season, compared with 67 minutes for McCain, according to longtime network-news observer Andrew Tyndall.
I wrote last week that the networks should do more to better balance the air time. But I also suggested that much of the attention to Obama was far from glowing.
That earned a spasm of e-mails that described me as irrational, unpatriotic and . . . somehow . . . French.
But the center's director, RobertLichter, who has won conservative hearts with several of his previous studies, told me the facts were the facts.
"This information should blow away this silly assumption that more coverage is always better coverage," he said.
Here's a bit more on the research, so you'll understand how the communications professor and his researchers arrived at their conclusions.
The center reviews and "codes" statements on the evening news as positive or negative toward the candidates. For example, when NBC reporter Andrea Mitchell said in June that Obama "has problems" with white men and suburban women, the media center deemed that a negative.
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-onthemedia27-2008jul27,0,712999.story
The Center for Media and Public Affairs (CMPA) is a self-described nonpartisan and nonprofit research and educational organization that is affiliated with George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. It was founded in 1985 by Fox News contributor Dr. S. Robert Lichter and his now ex-wife Dr. Linda Lichter. It publishes a bi-monthly newsletter called Media Monitor...
The organization has been criticized for advancing a notion of objectivity thought to be ideologically consistent with the values of liberal democracy. Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky argue that the CMPA is organized around the creation of "flak," which they define as "negative responses to a media statement or program" and which they maintain is part of a project of "disciplining the media." [17]
The media watchdog group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) has challenged CMPA's non-partisan claim, based on the argument that much of its funding has come from conservative sources, and that its founder, Dr. S. Robert Lichter, once held a chair in mass communications at the American Enterprise Institute and was a Fox News contributor.[18][19] After a Washington Post article referred to CMPA as "conservative," the Post published a "Clarification," which concluded, "The Center describes itself as nonpartisan, and its studies have been cited by both conservative and liberal commentators."[20]
according to Salon.com, their seed money [was] solicited by the likes of Pat Buchanan and Pat Robertson. [ 3.0 3.1 Joe Conason, "Letter: A question of bias", Salon, January 15, 2003.]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_for_Media_and_Public_Affairs
Saturday, November 01, 2008
CNN Hughley Interview Voting Problems
CNN's D.L. Hughley interviewing Andrew Apel?... programming a voting machine to cheat..
Recommends optical scanners with paper ballots...
Recommends optical scanners with paper ballots...
Zogby Poll McCain 1 point ahead Loony
Sure we believe 34 million people watched Barack Obama's 30-minute ad, Wednesday, yet a couple of days later, Friday, a one day result for polling, Obama not only loses ground in a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby Poll: Is McCain Making a Move?... but McCain overtakes him to pull into the lead by one percentage point.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=zogby+poll+mccain+48%25+fraud&btnG=Search
Yep, what was the the error percentage, 50%?
For that to happen, those polled either weren't aware Obama had made a 30-minute ad, didn't watch or show any interest in any report that 34 million Americans watched, or those polled were in a coma and woke up to questions who would you vote for if the election were held today?
Obama who?
That's who had to have been polled for McCain to make a one point gain over Obama after Obama's walloping of an ad to McCain's ad which we analyzed earlier.
Zogby says:
Yep. Maybe those polled were all the Sisters of St. Basil or something...
The ten point spread is much more realistic especially after the unparalleled amount of time Obama spent meeting and greeting 34 million people for thirty minutes.
Plus, look at the graph and chart stats, and look closely. Just what day was McCain ahead? A split between 5 PM Thursday and 5 PM Friday, or just when exactly?
http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1623
So maybe Zogby used the margin of error to calculate McCain was maybe ahead if the margin of error were in McCain's favor and not the reverse?
Read closely.
What methodology?
Zogby Poll Showing McCain Lead Interviews Fewer Democrats Than All Other Surveys
stumble digg reddit del.ico.us news trust mixx.com
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/01/zogby-poll-showing-mccain_n_139968.html
Net the Truth Online
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=zogby+poll+mccain+48%25+fraud&btnG=Search
Yep, what was the the error percentage, 50%?
For that to happen, those polled either weren't aware Obama had made a 30-minute ad, didn't watch or show any interest in any report that 34 million Americans watched, or those polled were in a coma and woke up to questions who would you vote for if the election were held today?
Obama who?
That's who had to have been polled for McCain to make a one point gain over Obama after Obama's walloping of an ad to McCain's ad which we analyzed earlier.
Zogby says:
Almost two days worth of the polling—or about half of the current sample in the three-day rolling poll of likely voters nationwide, was conducted after Obama's 30-minute commercial aired Wednesday evening. There is no evidence it helped him, as he has dropped 1.1 points in the last two days, while McCain has gained 0.8 points during the same period.
Yep. Maybe those polled were all the Sisters of St. Basil or something...
The ten point spread is much more realistic especially after the unparalleled amount of time Obama spent meeting and greeting 34 million people for thirty minutes.
Plus, look at the graph and chart stats, and look closely. Just what day was McCain ahead? A split between 5 PM Thursday and 5 PM Friday, or just when exactly?
http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1623
So maybe Zogby used the margin of error to calculate McCain was maybe ahead if the margin of error were in McCain's favor and not the reverse?
Read closely.
Released: November 01, 2008
Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby Poll: Is McCain Making a Move?
Republican John McCain made a small gain against Democrat Barack Obama and has pulled back within the margin of error, now trailing Obama by five points, 49.1% to 44.1%, the latest Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby daily tracking telephone poll shows.
Almost two days worth of the polling—or about half of the current sample in the three-day rolling poll of likely voters nationwide, was conducted after Obama's 30-minute commercial aired Wednesday evening. There is no evidence it helped him, as he has dropped 1.1 points in the last two days, while McCain has gained 0.8 points during the same period.
Pollster John Zogby: "Is McCain making a move? The three-day average holds steady, but McCain outpolled Obama today, 48% to 47%. He is beginning to cut into Obama's lead among independents, is now leading among blue collar voters, has strengthened his lead among investors and among men, and is walloping Obama among NASCAR voters. Joe the Plumber may get his license after all. "Obama's lead among women declined, and it looks like it is occurring because McCain is solidifying the support of conservative women, which is something we saw last time McCain picked up in the polls. If McCain has a good day tomorrow, we will eliminate Obama's good day three days ago, and we could really see some tightening in this rolling average. But for now, hold on."
The three-day rolling tracking poll included 1,200 likely voters—about 400 interviews per 24-hour polling period (each polling period begins and ends at 5 p.m. daily)—and was conducted Oct. 29-31, 2008. It carries a margin of error of +/- 2.9 percentage points. Interviews were conducted using live telephone interviewers in Zogby's in-house call center in Upstate New York.
http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1623
http://www.zogby.com/methodology/readmeth.dbm?ID=1370
What methodology?
Zogby Poll Showing McCain Lead Interviews Fewer Democrats Than All Other Surveys
stumble digg reddit del.ico.us news trust mixx.com
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/01/zogby-poll-showing-mccain_n_139968.html
Trick or Treat
Do you spook easily?
Judging by the response in my inbox, some of you do.
Matt Drudge is touting the results of a one-day sample in a Zogby poll, which apparently showed John McCain ahead by 1 point.
There are a couple of significant problems with this.
http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/10/trick-or-treat.html
Net the Truth Online
Friday, October 31, 2008
One Day Zogby Poll Shows McCain Lead, Four Days Before the Election
Normally I wouldn't even consider a Zogby poll. During the last Presidential election they were so inaccurate that many poll aggregation sites dropped them for obvious bias. Perhaps trying to grab headlines again, Zobgy announced the results of one day poll, showing a 48-47 statistical tie.
If they were going for attention it worked. Zogby's site is giving "Service Unavailable" at the moment. Whether they were shut down by heavy traffic or angry Obamacons is impossible to say. The Drudge Report goes the subtle route with a nice headline in 36 pt font. Since you can't link to a specific Drudge headline, here's a screen capture...
http://ifreedomtrail.blogspot.com/2008/10/one-day-zogby-poll-shows-mccain-lead.html
By any Gallup measure, Obama's lead is 10 points
Gallup just released new national tracking results that may calm Democrats who got jittery this morning about a new Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll and whose jitters were front-paged today in The New York Times.
Gallup's latest numbers show Democrat Barack Obama leading Republican John McCain 52%-42% based on both the traditional definition of likely voters and a new one that includes more first-time and infrequent voters.
The margin is "the largest Obama lead among likely voters to date" in the traditional model and it matches the largest in the expanded model. Gallup also says today is the first time the two likely-voter numbers have been the same.
Gallup also says that as of Friday, 27% of registered voters had already voted and another 8% said they intended to vote early.
As for the rest of the trackers, here they are. Click on each poll for details on methodology.
Rasmussen Reports: Obama 51%, McCain 46%
Diageo/Hotline: Obama 51%, McCain 44%
Research 2000/DailyKos: Obama 51%, McCain 44%
Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby: Obama 49%, McCain 44%. Zogby says the three-day average held steady but McCain outpolled Obama by 1 point yesterday, the third day.That led Zogby to ask, "Is McCain making a move?"
http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2008/11/
Zogby Poll: McCain Moving Up
Saturday, November 1, 2008 11:18 AM
Republican John McCain made a small gain against Democrat Barack Obama and has pulled back within the margin of error, now trailing Obama by five points, 49.1 percent to 44.1 percent, the latest Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby daily tracking telephone poll shows.
Almost two days worth of the pollingor about half of the current sample in the three-day rolling poll of likely voters nationwide, was conducted after Obama's 30-minute commercial aired Wednesday evening. There is no evidence it helped him, as he has dropped 1.1 points in the last two days, while McCain has gained 0.8 points during the same period.
Pollster John Zogby: "Is McCain making a move? The three-day average holds steady, but McCain outpolled Obama today, 48 percent to 47 percent. He is beginning to cut into Obama's lead among independents, is now leading among blue collar voters, has strengthened his lead among investors and among men, and is walloping Obama among NASCAR voters. Joe the Plumber may get his license after all.
http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/Zogby_Poll_McCain/2008/11/01/146627.html
CNN Electoral Map
CNN Electoral Map: Obama would win if election held today
http://article.wn.com/view/2008/10/15/CNN_Electoral_Map_Obama_would_win_if_election_held_today/
http://article.wn.com/view/2008/10/15/CNN_Electoral_Map_Obama_would_win_if_election_held_today/
Early Voting Lines Forming Too Few County Polling Places Open
CNN SATURDAY MORNING NEWS
It's the Last Weekend for Candidates to Campaign; Following the Asian Vote; Where the Candidates Stand on Foreign Policy; Some People are Choosing to Vote Early
Aired November 1, 2008
Here in Broward County, on November 4th, there will be 300 polling sites open. Right now, there are only 17. So, that's the reason we're seeing such long lines here.
We heard Dan talked about the poll numbers where he is. Here, they've got somewhat more tight. The most recent one that I saw showed between three and four percentage points...
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0811/01/smn.01.html
We apologize for an earlier post which presented numbers for the entire state. We heard only part of the CNN report, missing the reference to one county, and thought possibly Florida had consolidated county-wide but should have realized there were over 60 counties to begin with.
We questioned why Governor Crist by executive order didn't issue a directive for all polling sites to open for early voting as he did enable extended voting hours across the state.
We continue to question why Early Voting states were not prepared in the event the predictions of high voter turnout proved accurate.
Which has happened.
It had been reported going into early voting that one-third of the electorate across the United States could vote early. That percentage to our understanding includes absentee balloting.
Net the Truth Online
More
Kirk Kerkorian to Sell Ford Stakes; Federal Reserve Announcing Another Emergency Program; Early Voting in Florida; New Study Shows Men More Likely to Take Risks with Money; Saving Lives in Congo
Aired October 21, 2008
...Early voting is under way across the country. Tens of thousands of people casting ballots already. Here's a scene in Denver, Colorado. People able to drive up, dropping off their absentee ballots.
Long lines in Dallas, Texas. At least 31 states are offering some sort of early voting there. Many allow you to vote in person, like in Texas.
It's the same story in Florida. The first day of early voting there saw some problems with broken machines. The wait time for some voters around three hours...
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0810/21/cnr.01.html
Ineligible Voters Go Unchecked in PA?
Sad situation. 4,000 plus voter registrations may be bogus, in one county.
Part of the problem at the local level, election registration commission (made up of county commissioners) do not do their own duty to ensure an accurate voter registry by means enabled to do so, locally. Even after a check of voter residency may reveal eligibility, if a formal voter registration card is not mailed out in the first place, there is nothing to either be returned to confirm the address and name, or to be rejected as not at this address.
It is unacceptable for election officials to hand out at the election bureau 'new' applicants a voter registration card.
That's where another potential for abuse remains.
At least by being forced to mail out the voter registration card, there would be a record of whether or not the card was accepted at the mailing address and returned to confirm the residency status, or whether the mailing is undeliverable.
Concerned citizens would then have an opportunity to file a challenge in the event such 'undeliverables' actually show up at the precinct to vote or vote absentee.
The challenge would then have to be sorted out with full opportunity for the eligible voter to clear things up.
Importantly, with provisional ballots, nobody is turned away from voting at the precinct level.
The eligible voter has the opportunity to make sure eligibility status is verified by calling and determining that status.
Net the Truth Online
Posted on Fri, Oct. 31, 2008
Delaware County rejects 250 voter applications
By Kathleen Brady Shea
Inquirer Staff Writer
Meeting for the first time in at least 15 years, the Delaware County Voter Registration Commission yesterday raised concerns about more than 4,000 voter-registration cards that may have been issued in error and, in another action, rejected 250 voter-registration applications.
Hugh A. Donaghue, the commission's solicitor, said publicity about irregularities in the voter-registration drive of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), an advocacy group for low-income and minority citizens, prompted him to check Delaware County's procedures regarding bulk registrations a couple of weeks ago.
"I was shocked" to learn that election officials were issuing cards even when verification procedures failed, a possible violation of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002, Donaghue said.
HAVA requires applicants to submit the last four digits of their Social Security number or their driver's license number, which are doublechecked through the respective databases. When the information does not match, a first-class letter is sent to the applicant requesting them to contact the Bureau of Elections, Donaghue said.
If the letters come back with "addressee unknown" or applicants do not respond, cards should not be issued but were - as many as 5,000, he said.
When he questioned Delaware County election officials, Donaghue said they cited an August 2006 "clarification" memo from the Pennsylvania Department of State, which encouraged election officials to "override" the requirement that numbers match, he said.
The memo says that "rejecting voter registration applications solely on" mismatched numbers is not required by HAVA or Pennsylvania law and could serve to disenfranchise eligible voters. Often, when numbers can't be verified, they have just been transposed or misread, the memo said.
The memo recommends that election officials seek counsel from solicitors and the Voter Registration Commission.
Rebecca Halton, deputy press secretary for the state department, said yesterday that she had no information that any other county had interpreted the memo the way that Delaware County did.
"The department does not encourage, recommend or condone registering ineligible or unverifiable voter registration applications, by any county, organization or individual," said Halton.
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20081031_Delaware_County_rejects_250_voter_applications.html
Part of the problem at the local level, election registration commission (made up of county commissioners) do not do their own duty to ensure an accurate voter registry by means enabled to do so, locally. Even after a check of voter residency may reveal eligibility, if a formal voter registration card is not mailed out in the first place, there is nothing to either be returned to confirm the address and name, or to be rejected as not at this address.
It is unacceptable for election officials to hand out at the election bureau 'new' applicants a voter registration card.
That's where another potential for abuse remains.
At least by being forced to mail out the voter registration card, there would be a record of whether or not the card was accepted at the mailing address and returned to confirm the residency status, or whether the mailing is undeliverable.
Concerned citizens would then have an opportunity to file a challenge in the event such 'undeliverables' actually show up at the precinct to vote or vote absentee.
The challenge would then have to be sorted out with full opportunity for the eligible voter to clear things up.
Importantly, with provisional ballots, nobody is turned away from voting at the precinct level.
The eligible voter has the opportunity to make sure eligibility status is verified by calling and determining that status.
Net the Truth Online
Posted on Fri, Oct. 31, 2008
Delaware County rejects 250 voter applications
By Kathleen Brady Shea
Inquirer Staff Writer
Meeting for the first time in at least 15 years, the Delaware County Voter Registration Commission yesterday raised concerns about more than 4,000 voter-registration cards that may have been issued in error and, in another action, rejected 250 voter-registration applications.
Hugh A. Donaghue, the commission's solicitor, said publicity about irregularities in the voter-registration drive of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), an advocacy group for low-income and minority citizens, prompted him to check Delaware County's procedures regarding bulk registrations a couple of weeks ago.
"I was shocked" to learn that election officials were issuing cards even when verification procedures failed, a possible violation of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002, Donaghue said.
HAVA requires applicants to submit the last four digits of their Social Security number or their driver's license number, which are doublechecked through the respective databases. When the information does not match, a first-class letter is sent to the applicant requesting them to contact the Bureau of Elections, Donaghue said.
If the letters come back with "addressee unknown" or applicants do not respond, cards should not be issued but were - as many as 5,000, he said.
When he questioned Delaware County election officials, Donaghue said they cited an August 2006 "clarification" memo from the Pennsylvania Department of State, which encouraged election officials to "override" the requirement that numbers match, he said.
The memo says that "rejecting voter registration applications solely on" mismatched numbers is not required by HAVA or Pennsylvania law and could serve to disenfranchise eligible voters. Often, when numbers can't be verified, they have just been transposed or misread, the memo said.
The memo recommends that election officials seek counsel from solicitors and the Voter Registration Commission.
Rebecca Halton, deputy press secretary for the state department, said yesterday that she had no information that any other county had interpreted the memo the way that Delaware County did.
"The department does not encourage, recommend or condone registering ineligible or unverifiable voter registration applications, by any county, organization or individual," said Halton.
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20081031_Delaware_County_rejects_250_voter_applications.html
Posted on Fri, Oct. 31, 2008
Delaware County board address state memo that OKs voters without proper verification
By WILLIAM BENDER
Philadelphia Daily News
benderw@phillynews.com 215-854-5255
The flood of voter-registration applications this year caused a bizarre scene yesterday in the shadows of Delaware County politics.
A Republican lawyer appeared before an obscure three-person county board - it has existed for decades without convening a single meeting - to file a complaint about a controversial legal memo that the board hadn't even known about.
Carmen Belefonte, chairman of the county's bipartisan voter-registration commission - which he said met yesterday for the first time because there was "no need to" in previous years - said that he hadn't known about the August 2006 memo from the Pennsylvania Department of State, which advises counties on handling suspicious applications.
It was a minor issue - until tens of thousands of applications, some of them fraudulent, began streaming in this year.
The state document tells county election officials that even though the Help America Vote Act requires them to cross-reference applications with a database of driver's licenses or Social Security numbers, they don't have to "successfully verify" the information through those databases before issuing a valid voter-identification card.
As a result, about 4,000 questionable applications have been approved since January, even though the applicants' identities were never confirmed, according to Mary Jo Headley, director of Delaware County's Department of Voter Registration.
"That's what the Department of State said to do," Headley said, adding that the information those applicants provided didn't match state or federal databases, nor did they respond to mail from county election officials.
Hugh Donaghue, the Chadds Ford lawyer who brought the memo to the attention of the voter-registration commission yesterday, said that the practice is a recipe for fraud. A person could vote more than once using multiple voter-ID cards, he said.
"It's absolutely insane," said Donaghue, former chairman of the Haverford GOP. "Essentially, the state is perpetrating a fraud, are they not?"
Department of State spokeswoman Rebecca Halton said that the department doesn't condone registering ineligible or unverifiable voters. The memo, she said, was intended to explain to counties that the determination to approve or reject the applications should not be based solely on whether the applicant's information matches driver's-license and Social-Security numbers in the databases.
http://www.philly.com/dailynews/local/20081031_Delaware_County_board_address_state_memo_that_OKs_voters_without_proper_verification.html
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