This is just like Hamas. "Let's have us some democracy...unless we don't like the results." Then democracy demands people of conscience to hack the vote and install the democracy people really want, even though they didn't vote for it. That's what keeps America great! The willingness to hack the vote and do what's best for the neo-cons.

This is, more accurately, just like the impeachment and the 2000 Selection: "We don't care what the people want, we are going to do whatever is necessary to take and hold onto power, and we are confident that the corporate press/media will back us up, and that no one will do anything about it."

And they are, sadly, right about all that.

Excellent questions, Steve.

(And I'm glad you've gone to the new commenting policy.)

Only in CA is it even remotely possible to counter this illegal voting rights scandal at this late date, now only eight months from the election. However I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for it to be rectified. We are witnessing the slow Fascist takeover of our election system.

Our only hope is absentee ballots, and even then these are literally in the hands of local ReThuglican County officials, who are hard to monitor and even LESS accountable.

The Dem.'s and other Progressives will once again be "shocked" when the ReThuglicans gain 2 Senate seats and 4-6 House seats in '06, thereby eliminating even the possibility of a filibuster. If enough votres can't be stolen, brace yourselves for the next terrorist attack and subsequent martial law with Bush retaining control. Al-Qaeda wants to keep Bush in power, since he's been the best recruiter they could possibly have.

Another possibility after martial law is lifted? The John McCain / Jeb Bush ticket wins in '08 (the Dem.'s will STILL not have addressed the electronic voting machine scandal), then McCain "mysteriously" dies soon after the inauguration and we have another Bush in the Oval Office for eight more years.

Having fun yet?

Thanks for the heads up, Steve.
This could be hugely important to those of us who would like to return John Doolittle to the private sector.

Thanks for the heads up, Steve.
This could be hugely important to those of us who would like to return John Doolittle to the private sector.

And California suddenly turns red.

At least it eliminates dead people from voting. There is that.

Where are the adults as of late in the U.S.? The FDRs....the Cronkites....the JFKs...the MLKs?

Can anyone give a satisfactory explanation for why the Democrats in the California lege, majority in Senate and Assembly, allowed the groper to nominate a Republican instead of a suitable Democrat, and then approved the toad?

The stupidity of the Democratic Leadership on even the simplest functions is pretty breathtaking, exceeded only by the venality of the GOP.

Here's a relelvant personal story:

My polling place is conveniently located across the street from my house. I used to go there happily on election day. It's run well, and the poll workers are friendly and helpful.

Then the Deibold machines came, and I signed up as a permanent absentee voter. I voted at home, and drove to my county registrar to submit my paper ballot in its signed envelope.

Sec. Shelley decertified the Diebold machines, but I remained an absentee voter anyway. As close as my polling place was, the ability to vote at home over a period of days was even more convenient.

In some cruel twist of events Arnold became my governor, Shelley had to leave office, and Arnold appointed his successor. As Arnold's farcical "special election," approached, I awaited the arrival of my absentee ballot. Instead, I received a notice informing me of my polling place, along with a form I could fill out to become and absentee voter if I wished.

A bureaucratic glitch, I figured (naively). It happens. Besides, my polling place is still across the street, and the Diebold machines are gone. I can forgive them a slip-up once, I suppose.

On "special" election day, I meandered across the street only to discover those diabolical Diebold machines awaiting me. "I thought these were decertified," I mentioned to the poll workers. "So did we," they replied.

This was the first time I had ever been:

(1) Thinking it might be better not to vote;

(2) Really glad that nobody else was in line at the polling place.

I did cast a ballot, never quite sure it was the right thing to do. Arnold's measures went down in flames regardless.

Yet here we are again. Anyone who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area who would like to join in an effort to get absentee ballots to as many people as possible (especially in Rep. Pombo's district), feel free to send me an e-mail: liveliest.crib@gmail.com

Re: The Republican Secretary of State pulling a FAST ONE last Friday regarding Diebold and their dubious voting machines.

I’m passing this on from "Rapid Response Network."
http://www.rapidresponsenetwork.org

Also: The place from which to take action is Senator Bowen’s Website:
http://www.debrabowen.com

Please read on and pass the word to all who may be affected.

We MUST have CLEAN VOTING to TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK!

Thanks!

______________________________________________________________________

"I just got this from State Senator Debra Bowen, who has been a tireless
leader in the fight to save CA from Diebold voting machines. She wrote:

"I have just learned that Secretary of State Bruce McPherson has
conditionally certified the use of Diebold electronic voting machines in
California's 2006 elections.

Secretary of State McPherson's release of bad news late on a Friday
afternoon before a holiday weekend is a blatant attempt to prevent us from
learning about this decision.

But, try as he might, Secretary of State McPherson is not going to
succeed in burying this story from the people of California -- this is too
critical an issue to go away quietly.

With the many problems that have plagued Diebold machines, as well as the
complete lack of transparency into this certification process, McPherson's
decision certainly does nothing to restore confidence in California's
elections."

"She has a page on her website (www.debrabowen.com) with a letter to write to show your support of protecting us from these machines. If you go there and
click on it, it gets sent to Secretary of State Bruce McPherson, the California Elections Division, and the CA Voting System Comments page.

I hope you take a moment to participate in
this important, no -- ESSENTIAL-- effort!"

I am a Democrat living in a voting district as red as Idaho - we send Doolittle to Congress every 6 years- and I don't expect my own vote to be stolen - they don't need to steal it. BUT there are many districts, especially in the central valley that are right on the cusp of going Republican and they are the ones who will suddenly see the votes not agree with the exit polls. Arnold needed the voting machines certified in time for the November elections. It's the only way he can win.