Insane Musings

Virginia Governor's Race

2005-10-14T13:01:00.000-05:00

I'm typing this as I'm on a conference call. If it doens't make any sense, that's my excuse.

The VA Governor's race is getting tight. For those who don't know, the election is on November 8th - NOT the 1st. There are two good diaries up at Daily Kos.

This one talks about the latest polling between Tim Kaine (D) and Jerry Kilgore (R). It's a statistical dead heat. Kaine trails Kilgore by one percentage point, well within the margin of error. Further, Kilgore's well-funded smear machine has lauched a host of despicable swift-boat type ads against Kaine and is trying to close in the final weeks. In the diary you'll find a link to the Raising Kaine PAC to donate some money to help defeat the big money smear tactics of the Kilgore campaign. Kaine needs all the help he can get.

Another diary talks about google-bombing the despicable Jerry Kilgore and sending everyone who googles him to this site instead of to his campaign website. If you can, link back to the diary. It may not help, but it sure can't hurt.

Finally, on a personal note - you don't have to be a Virginia resident either to donate or to help Tim Kaine in the final push to defeat Jerry Kilgore. You can donate to the PAC which I link above, you can do the suggested google-bombing (which I've done liberally and annoyingly in this post), and you can volunteer in the 20 for Tim program to contact potential Kaine voters. We know for a fact that Kilgore's campaign is using out-of-state resources to contact voters - we need the same level of effort at a minimum.

Pictures I feel like posting

2005-05-11T22:16:00.000-05:00

No real point to this. Just some pictures I have lying around in my photobucket account that I want to post here. :-)

I spent the last weekend with my parents in Hilton Head, SC. They have a beautiful home there.

I spent part of the time poking around in their yard. The bottlebrush was in full bloom and was simply lovely.

The view from the room they had built for me is also breathtaking. In the background across the water you can see Paris Island.

I did my day at the beach and it was SO peaceful - I needed that relaxation.

Is everyone aware that the FDA has put out a new food pyramid? I find this version slightly more user-friendly than the official version.

I also found a picture of a grungy toilet that was just fascinating.

Finally, I love animal pictures. I don't know what this kitten did, but he sure looks guilty to me.

THIS is why having more than one cat is a joy.

My latest ShoeBlog

2005-05-11T22:13:00.000-05:00

A little frivolity is welcomed in these trying times... Posted originally at DailyKos.

So I'm a little late with ths week's shoe diary. Frankly, I thought that there would be only ONE shoe diary until the response was just... overwhelming!! It makes me realize that me and my 90 pair of shoes really aren't a bad thing.

So last week I realized that many Kossacks have a secret shoe passion. We're so busy being brilliant activists and serious thinkers that we supress our inner Shoe Goddesses and Shoe Gods. I'm aiming to rectify this aggregious supression.

Here is my dream shoe of the week:

Are those not awesome? I would wear those with my black power suit and express my individualistic side through Shoe Power... At a retail cost of $430, I better do more power meetings.

I have also concocted a little shoe haiku for you fine folks.

Oh summer sandals
I dream of you on the beach
Sand in toes, water warm

Not great, but not hideous.

Here's a neat site on the history of shoes in ancient Egypt. It's not enough to love shoes - you must learn of their history and partake of learning.

Finally, I'll feature a pair of my shoes (my favorites this week) and shoes of a few other family members. I wore these all weekend at the beach:

Purchased for $10.99, they raise me to about 6 feet tall and I just love 'em.

My mother generally scoffed at my Shoeblogging. She thought it was "silly". However, when asked if she would like a pair of her shoes featured, she couldn't rush to the closet soon enough, where she spent an hour agonizing over her favorite "funky" shoes. Here they are, courtesy of my mom and Bruno Magli:

NOTE: She keeps all of her shoes in little custom shoe bags. Wonder where my obsession came from, huh?

And hopefully this will give all of you a laugh. Here are a pair of MR. RenaRF's shoes:

I'm not making this up. I pulled them out of his closet, which is remarkable because he prefers them on his feet. He wears them all the time. Somehow I think that precludes him from chiding me about my shoe obsession.

I have also realized that shoes really do say something about their owner - the owner's personality, flamboyance, preferences, demeanor and what have you. So I perused my shoes and came to the conclusion that I am schitzophrenic. :-) Got some shoes that perfectly express who you are today? Fantasy shoes? Some shoe poetry or article about shoes? Share!

And the best new addition: SHOEBLOGGING

2005-05-03T14:48:00.000-05:00

A strange thing has happened on dKos. The subject of shoes, pictures of shoes, discussions of shoes, lamentations about shoes has popped up in the strangest of places. Cheers and Jeers seems to have been the first place that shoe fetishes snuck in to the otherwise topical posts (see related thread here). Most recently, lengthy discussions of shoes have appeared in Carnacki's Got a Happy Story? series (check here for the comment thread). It's time that we put shoes and things shoe-related into proper perspective. Shoes deserve their own diary and shoe-lovers deserve a place where they can share their podiatric passions. It's time for us shoe-lovers to put them on and come out of the closet with them.

So here you go. First, I'm going to feature a shoe that I desire, one that I would LOVE to acquire. This week it's:

AHHHH. Manolo Blahnik "Flower Bag" summer mules. At $300.00, it's a bargain and these are obviously a must-have. Note the reasonable heel size, the sleek lines, and the abundance of colors leaving a variety of coordinating outfit options. As far as I'm concerned, it's an investment worth making.

Check here for the shoe site of the week. Surprisingly, it's difficult to find a site dedicated to shoe lovers as opposed to shoe shoppers, but this one's a peach. It takes you through, well, a century of shoes!! Shoe history, fashions, examples, etc. It's a priceless shoe site!!

I also think that shoe poetry is approrpiate. I am NOT, however, adept at poetry just yet, although I am envisioning a bit of shoe haiku. While I get those poetic juices flowing, however, I HAVE found a shoe poem to contribute to this little diary:

GREEN SHOES
She took off her green pastel shoes,
Asked,
"What shall I do with them?"
She held her shoes in her hands.
I was wondering why this concern
Over a matter so commonplace.
I replied, "Throw your green shoes
On the white rug, green and white
Often make exciting combinations."
She looked at me, puzzled and perplexed.
I thought it might be something psychological,
Her giving all this attention to shoes.
So I suggested that if she did want
To confront the evidence that she was barefooted
To throw the shoes under the bed.
She said, "You do not understand."
I could not understand what she referred to,
What was it that I could not understand.
She threw the shoes into the air;
The green shoes stayed suspended in the air.
Then I knew I did not understand. I did not understand.
~ Duane Locke

And finally, I'm going to highlight a pair of my own personal shoes as a part of this diary. Extracted from Thursday's C&J post, I choose to feature these shoes:

These are 7" lucite platform shoes, bought in South Beach, Miami. I remember being down there for a conference, about a month before a band in which I sing was to premiere. The band is a funk band, so super retro platforms are oh-so-appropriate and I wanted to find a pair. Lo and behold, I'm walking by this store in Miami and the entire front window is wild platform shoes. I walk in - funky clothes are on the racks and the walls are lined with shoes. Now, my feet aren't small - depending on the shoe, I wear a 9 1/2 or a 10. Sometimes those are difficult sizes to locate. Well, this store had tons of 10s... and 11s... and 12s... and 13s... Plus all the funky hip dresses were too big. Didn't figure out until one the fellow conference-goers who took the walk with me pointed out that it was a drag queen store!! So I own drag queen shoes... AWESOME.

Share your shoes.

Catching up: Diary from April 25 (posted at dKos)

2005-05-03T14:29:00.000-05:00

Gulf War POWs get F'd.

This story has been low on the radar screen today.

It shouldn't be.

I remember where I was when I saw the Gulf War began. I was on a treadmill in a gym in my apartment complex and the TV was tuned to CNN. What ensued was a spectacular display of military pyrotechnics, and one which left the viewer with the impression that American service personnel were far from the action and largely out of harm's way.

Catching up: Diary from April 21 (posted at dKos)

2005-05-03T14:26:00.000-05:00

Children Better Off in a F**cking ORPHANAGE than w/Homosexuals

I was scanning recent diaries posted and was stunned to see that this item hasn't been written about yet. If I missed one, let me know and I'll delete this.

Today, under the umbrella legislation to revamp the Texas Child Protective Services (CPS) agency, Robert Talton (R-Pasadena) introduced legislation that will ban homosexuals and bisexuals from becoming foster parents.

Catching up: Diary from April 17 (posted @ dKos)

2005-05-03T14:16:00.000-05:00

ACTION ALERT: The Thematic Imperative

I am a firm believer in the idea that, when defeated, an initial post-mortem action should be to determine how you were defeated and then promptly steal the tactics of the winning side and adapt them to your cause.

As Democrats, we should be no different. I know there are a laundry-list of items that we could/should deal with in accord with my statement above. I'm only going to deal with one such issue and then I'm going to ask for participation from the Kossack community.

Throughout the '04 Presidential election you would constantly hear the talking heads comment on how disciplined the Republicans were in staying "on message". So much so that they put Kerry and other campaigning Democrats in the position of being continually poised in reactive mode. I am fully aware that the majority of the dKos community has borderline contempt for the media and the talking heads that front the media, but they're a reality. As we seek progressive change across institutions we must also deal realistically within institutions as they exist today. Therefore, what the talking heads say and the impressions that they plant in the minds of Joe and Jane America matters - they are a means to an end if we walk the talk.

With the '06 elections looming, can you (without looking) articulate the central organizing theme of the Democratic Party? What is the one, unified message that all Democratic candidates can use in their campaigning to add cohesion and organization to individual campaigns and the goals of Democrats and their constitutents while simultaneously hitting Republicans on their weaknesses? Do you think the DNC has a central organizing theme?

I asked myself that same question without going to the DNC website to see what (if anything) they were saying. I couldn't name the DNC's theme. I know what I think the theme should be, from my perspective:

Give Power Back to the People
tagline: Stop the Republican Abuse of Power
It's a theme that generally resonates across all areas where Democrats can hit Republicans hard. A few ideas:
Give power back to the people: protect individual choices for peope and their families
Give power back to the people: Ensure that ruling parties don't disenfranchise millions of Americans by eliminating the voice of the minority party
Give power back to the people: Guarantee that the real issues of real Americans have a voice in Congress
Give power back to the people: Stop the assault on your rights and those of your children
Give power back to the people: Protect your sacred right to vote and the integrity voting systems
Give power back to the people: Turn the tide of anti-individual pro-business legislation that erodes your ability to work and to be paid fairly for that work
Give power back to the people: Say "no" to those in Congress who feel it's all right to assault working class families
Give power back to the people: Ensure the free exercise of your morals and values without government interference or influence
Give power back to the people: Protect the air you and your children breathe, the food you eat and the water you drink from Corporate pollution

The theme sets the overarching strategy of the Democratic party as a whole. Tactics will specifically hit the Republicans on unpopular issues and stances, as follows:

Give power back to the people: protect individual choices for peope and their families
- Invoke Terri Schiavo and general disapproval of the American public at this extreme over-reach.
Give power back to the people: Ensure that ruling parties don't disenfranchise millions of Americans by eliminating the voice of the minority party
- Multiple purposes: The filibuster can be invoked here. So, too, can the issue of DeLay, ethics, and the rules committees that set the agenda for when Congresspeople are investigated.
Give power back to the people: Guarantee that the real issues of real Americans have a voice in Congress
- Invoke pocketbook issues: the price of gasoline; the rise in inflation; the stagnant growth of jobs and wages; outsourcing. Republicans have given little time to these issues while they have intervened in right-to-die legislation, nomination of judges, and Social Security privatization.
Give power back to the people: Stop the assault on your rights and those of your children
- This opens a discussion on the Patriot Act and a host of other legislative items that can be adapted to a candidate's individual needs.
Give power back to the people: Protect your sacred right to vote and the integrity voting systems
- This can be used to demand paper trails in electronic voting systems and can generally address disenfranchisement and voting reform.
Give power back to the people: Turn the tide of anti-individual pro-business legislation that erodes your ability to work and to be paid fairly for that work
- This is a catch-all which will allow Democrats to hit hard on the issue of tax reform, Corporate welfare and healthcare to name only a few.
Give power back to the people: Say "no" to those in Congress who feel it's all right to assault working class families
- This opens the door for discussion of taxation, Bankruptcy reform, and wages.
Give power back to the people: Ensure the free exercise of your morals and values without government interference or influence
- This one's tricky. The goal is to set the stage for a values/morals argument from the perspective of not allowing values and morals to be legislated.
Give power back to the people: Protect the air you and your children breathe, the food you eat and the water you drink from Corporate pollution
- It may be obvious, but it's a point that needs to be made over and over again. Our water supply has not be secured. Our air is being polluted by Corporate greed and has also not been secured from biological/chemical attacks. Our food is not being adequately secured and our children are being poisoned by pro-Corporation legislation that eases restrictions on food producers.

Those just kind of came off the top of my head. For every point, which I tried to frame positively at the strategic level, Democrats can cite real efforts on their part to deliver these powers and point out real intrusions on the part of Republicans at the tactical level. I tried to keep the list primarily to what I consider the "weak spots" in the current Republican regime.

The list is not exhaustive - I am not a PR person so chances are it's not even very good. That is where the ACTION ALERT part of my title kicks in.

I would welcome (hell - beg for!) input from the dKos community. What should the central theme of the Democratic party be as we move towards the '06 elections? The theme should be broadly applicable to the platforms of Democrats campaigning at the local, State, and national levels. Personally, I adhere to the 80/20 rule. 80% should be common to all National issues, it can be applied at State and local levels with very little effort while always having the national issue (which will be better-known) to fall back on for emphasis.

I would like to send this to Howard Dean and the DNC once (if) I get enough comments to make it worthwhile. I'm sure I'm not alone in the general eye-rolling every time a Republican mouthpiece comes on the TV and spews yet another litany of talking points. Often these points are only barely relevant to the questions they are being asked. But I'm big enough to recognize that it's an effective strategy, and would love for Republicans to be rolling their eyes at the degree to which Democratic candidates and mouthpieces are on-message.

I did wind up visiting the DNC website to see if I could find a theme. Ironically, "Stop the Abuse of Power" is one of the headlines on the DNC front page, but only as it pertains to the filibuster. As far as an over-arching theme is concerned, I didn't find one.

Our adversaries have given us plenty of winning tactics which we can steal and then adapt. I think the theme, being consistently on-message across all Democratic campaigns is a good one that we can easily 1) identify; 2) adapt; and 3) turn against the Republicans and build a winning strategy.

Your turn. I would appreciate ideas as to theme/strategy and, if you so choose, associated tactics.

I've been cheating with another blog

2005-03-08T16:58:00.000-05:00

I've been posting over at Daily Kos. I figured I'd summarize and link to my Kos diary entries here, if anyone's interested.

3-07-05:
Mr. Blogger Goes to the White House

3-05-05:
How Bologna Changed My Life: Or, Why Your Food is Killing You

3-02-05:
Bush Administration: A Culture of Contradiction

2-27-05:
Propagannon: My Letter to the Editor

2-25-05:
A Letter to Keith Olbermann. I Couldn't Stand It Anymore

2-21-05:
Religious Encroachment & Public Power
The Bush Tapes: Let the Spin Begin

2-19-05:
Bill Maher & Compelling Thoughts
Democratic Reform & Special Interests

Talk about some mis-spent time. ;-)

This Has Been Bugging Me

2005-02-19T00:34:00.000-05:00

A Free Press
Thomas Jefferson said,

"Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost."

Indeed, throughout history and strictly before what we today consider Democracy, great thinkers, philosphers and statesmen were adamant on their opinions of the importance of a free press. Take this quote from Junius (I can't find an approximation of its date),

"Let it be impressed upon your minds, let it be instilled into your children, that the liberty of the press is the palladium of all the civil, political, and religious rights."

I agree. Say what you will about the press - that it's overly-liberal; that it's overly-conservative; that it's overly-commercial. But a free press and the struggle for freedom to report, discover and account has been at the heart of many a revolution and movement and has signaled great changes throughout the history of the available printed word. It causes accountability across the board. A reporter may hold a public official accountable through the press. The reporter herself may be held accountable for incorrect or unsubstantiated reporting. But an accounting is demanded and met through a free and unfettered press.

Our founding fathers understood this. They had seen and experienced repressions and controls that taught them what was non-negotiable, and freedom of the press was one of these. I am deeply troubled by the juxtaposition of a variety of seeming smaller issues occurring today. The first would be the possibility that two reporters, Judith Miller of The New York Times and Matthew Cooper of Time Magazine, will be forced to reveal their sources in the Valerie Plame issue or face jail time. A reporter's source is their stock-in-trade. The Watergate scandal would have never been brought to light without confidential sources. It doesn't matter that we don't like what we find - the point is that, through the press, we can peel back the layers and find what we don't like. To compel journalists, legitimate journalists, to reveal their sources or face jail time is a deliberate attempt to erode the power of a free press.

The second issue I raised in my earlier post and it regards Jeff Gannon, the White House Correspondent to the newly-created Talon News. The real issue with that is the security breach. But an equally important issue is the question of whether or not Mr. Gannon was planted, or at least allowed access that should have been denied due to his likelihood to ask "softball" questions. Now think about the President's capaign events throughout the 2004 Presidential campaign: tightly controlled as to access, structure, who would ask questions, whether or not questions would be approved prior to their asking, etc. All carefully controlled and staged. Add to that revelations that radio talk show host Armstrong Williams acknowledges having accepted money from the Department of Education to promote "No Child Left Behind".

It seems to me that this Administration sees the free press as a nuisance, not a treasure. They miss the larger point, I think, in being hesitant to allow uncomfortable questions to be posed. There would be no Presidency or Democracy without the integral role of those who told the truth and spread it through reporting. It keeps people honest and accountable and, although there's a lot of trash out there, any one of us can check for ourselves and form our own opinions, thanks to our free press.

I don't know what worries me more - the Administration's seeming willingness to cast this aside, or the press' relative lack of outrage at these increasingly regular attempts at manipulation, control, and supression.

Things on my mind

2005-02-18T16:37:00.000-05:00

National Sales Tax
This is a pseudo-response to Appalachian Intellectual, who pointed me to information on a National Sales Tax. I appreciate the reference information and have skimmed it (can't profess to have read it in-depth just yet).

I understand the benefits of a national sales tax strategy, and I understand as well the poverty-level adjustment to address the regressivity of most sales taxes. My concerns are really outside of the letter of the national sales tax as laid out in the link you provided (and which I have re-linked above for anyone else who wants to check it out). First, I don't buy the (in my opinion) secondary point that the site makes that income taxes somehow lead to exports on jobs. The exporting of jobs is a complicated issue and eliminating income tax would in no way eliminate job exportation. Our trade policies (for example, a willingness to import goods from countries where human rights abuses occur in the workforce) as well as our internal wage and worked policies (unions, minimum wage, etc.) and our lack of willingness to control the cost of benefits contribute much more to the average cost of workers in the US vs. overseas. Eliminating an income tax isn't going to keep jobs in the US - if only it were that simple.

Another issue I have is with the very consumption-orientation of a national sales tax as the sole means of financing the Federal government. Understand before I say this that my educational background is economics, so I think like an economist when these issues arise. Economies are, by their nature, cyclical. We'll have cycles where consumption is high and not very price-sensitive and we'll have other cycles where consumer confidence and therefore consumption is relatively low even as prices and employment remain stable. That puts the government is a position of being dependent on the consuming (and not saving) nature of the average American - makes them almost invested in the idea. The US government should not be as volatile as the average consumer goods markets - it would create havoc and instability and would dramatically affect our ability to compete economically with other nations as well as secure credit when required in more difficult times. It's just too narrow an approach with too much exposure from my perspective. Sorry to disagree so strongly, but there's so much about it that is wrong that I can't possibly put myself behind it - though I do appreciate the opportunity to learn about it, and thank you for that.

The "Jeff Gannon" Files
Is it only me who is watching the Jeff Gannon issue with such shock? I'm stunned in some respects that the MSM hasn't grabbed ALL the details of "Jeff Gannon" more feverishly. For those who don't know, quick overview:

"Jeff Gannon" (this turned out to not be his real name) was getting daily White House press passes to attend White House press briefings. The White House exclusively vets who receives any kind of pass, permanent ("hard") or daily. The guy worked for Talon News, and online news service now known to be underwritten and directed by the founder and financier of GOP USA. Further, talon News hadn't been in existence for more than 90 hours prior to "Jeff Gannon" receiving his credentials. That's an eyebrow-raiser right there. Then "Jeff Gannon" lobs his very softball question at the President of the United States and the gloves are off - as near as I can tell the reason why it drew such attention was because it was factually incorrect. One thing leads to another and it's discovered that "Jeff Gannon" is a pseudonym, that his news organization is a GOP mouthpiece, and the humdinger: "Jeff Gannon", aka Bulldog2, was, as recently as 2003, an gay prostitute. Here's the best part: some bloggers out there have diligently searched and discovered archives of his "escort" ads and associated pictures.

I don't have an issue with his being gay or even with his having been (being?) a prostitute. I do have an issue with his having so easily made it through the credentialing process. It smacks of "shill" and at least begs the question as to whether or not the White House is seeding its briefings with "friendlies". When you add to this the other recent information about radio personalities and others being paid by the administration to advocate certain programs, you have to wonder how deeply they are manipulating the press and whether or not this is ethical. I've never much respected their willingness to speak when they feel like it and fall mute when they don't, but if they're deliberately skewing news coverage and attempting to make it look legitimate, it's a whole new level of abuse.

It will be interesting how this plays out. My prediction is that it will continue to pick up steam - blogs like Daily Kos and others have gotten hold of it and continue to turn over new information on "Jeff Gannon". The White House and others will, when they feel the time is right, vilify the liberals for persecuting "Jeff Gannon" because he is gay. They'll try to take the gay issue and (seemingly) gay advocacy for themselves in an effort to try to baffle us with bullshit and get our attention away from other more potentially costly questions - who gave this guy credentials and why? Why would you give a gay prostitute access to classified information on the Valerie Plame case? Don't lose sight of these real questions no matter how deep the BS becomes.

The DNC my response to a fellow blogger's comments on a national sales tax

2005-02-11T16:06:00.000-05:00

Well, it would appear that my blog has been discovered by at least one other blogger on this site and we are in a politically friendly (albeit generally oppositional) discussion on a few subjects. Check out his blog here. Since I'm using really good stuff to reply on his site, I figured I'd post over here for a bit. ;-)

The DNC and Howard Dean
I'm not in a discussion with anyone on this issue, just wanted to editorialize a bit while it was fresh on my mind. I am a Democrat and would characterize myself as a liberal (proudly). I was not, however, a Deaniac. I think he's smart, I think he's interesting, and I think people of a variety of political bents listen to him because he doesn't pull any punches. I do think, however, that he's left of my viewpoints. I was not in support of our invasion of Iraq. Having gone through the process, however, and thusly invaded, I don't think it's right on either a moral or political basis to "pull out". I never thought that message would resonate in the 2004 campaign. Most Americans recognize that a course taken cannot be untaken. On a personal level, I don't confuse the "war effort" with the "warfighters". Persons in service to our country, following orders and potentially paying the highest price are to be revered and respected. Always. Period. They didn't choose to invade Iraq. That responsibility lies with the Administration and the Legislature. I won't go into that angle in this post - suffice it to say that summarily pulling out of Iraq, leaving a country we turned on its head with no assistance and in chaos would be repulsive and decidedly unAmerican.

Having said that, I think the choice of Howard Dean to lead the DNC is both surprising and potentially invigorating. Now is the time for Democrats to stand for their values - to draw a line in the sand and not compromise and not abandon Democratic principles. If nothing else, Howard Dean won't shy away from a fight and Democrats are standing together as they seek to recapture, election by election, the hearts and minds of Americans. While I may disagree point by point with some of Mr. Dean's views, I can't argue that he has them and will defend them. I hope the same for his abilities when defending those of the larger Democratic party.

Tax Reform
Every time we, as a nation, start discussing "tax reform" and "tax simplification", the specter of a national sales tax arises in some quarters. I am not an advocate of excess on any front. Excessive taxes are bad. Excessive tax cuts are bad. Excessive protectionism is bad. Need I go on? I don't believe that the wealthy in this country should bear an excessive tax burden. However, I do believe that those who benefit most, financially, from being an American owe a fair share back to the system which enabled their success. A national sales tax works in complete opposition to that basic belief in that it is wholly regressive. If, as some espouse, a national sales tax would simplify the tax code, then the logical conclusion is that there are NO exceptions to the sales tax. Use as an example two identical people. They live in the same area, are the same gender, and buy the same amount of products. They both have the same basic needs (ala Maslow's Hierarchy) - food, clothing, shelter, safety, etc. The only difference between these two individuals is their income. One makes four times as much as the other. Yet, by this example, they pay EXACTLY the same amount of taxes. The person with lower income has less disposable income left to save, to send their children to college, to pay for healthcare and for anything unanticipated which comes their way. They can't realistically stop eating to save that money. They can't realistically wear fewer clothes to save that money. The person with the higher income effectively gets a tax break with this example that allows them to get further and further ahead while the person with the lower income can't ever seem to come out on top, widening the class and income gap.

Why should someone who makes $37,500 a year pay roughly the same in taxes as the person who makes $150,000 a year?? If you say, then, that the solution is to exempt necessities, then you have to legislate what constitutes a "necessity". Is ground beef a necessity but steak not? Are bananas a necessity but kiwis not? Is a car a necessity vs. a luxury? If you buy your clothes at Wal Mart are they tax-exempt vs. buying them at The Gap? Is a home made out of brick a luxury compared to one with aluminum siding? You get the point - it's trading one series of complications for another in an effort to keep the system fair. And that, by its nature, is essentially unfair.

We are a nation of optimists. People come here because they believe that if they work hard they can secure a better future for their children and generationally improve ownership, investorship, and entrepreneurship. Not true with a regressive tax system, though. A more reasonable approach is a flat tax on income. The percentage would be the same, no exceptions, no credits, no exemptions for individuals or corporations. That would be simple, and proportionate. There are even models out there that show how it could work. You might think that it requires a high percentage that disproportionately burdens the lower income brackets, but that doesn't need to be the case with the closure of high-income and corporate tax loopholes and shelters. I'm not a fan of the "loophole pander" - there are a lot of credits and incentives, both corporate and individual, that are frivolous and frankly unethical. But there are others intended to stimulate very noble items: fuel efficient cars, for one. Energy-efficient corporate innovation, for another. Volunteerism and charitable giving.

The net result is that a national sales tax is regressive and unfair and therefore unconscionable. A flat tax rate, while simpler, is trading simplicity against innovation, inventiveness, and giving. The tax code can be simplified but it will never be simple. And, as long as we allow lobbyists and special interests to corrupt our political system, it will never happen. The answer to a great deal of our ills is to rid the political system of special interest money and let public servants return to that for which they were elected - to serve the public.

New Year, New Threats, New Reasons Why Bush Must Go

2005-02-09T17:47:00.000-05:00

We've all figured by now that I was a John Kerry supporter. I genuinely liked the man - call me crazy, but studious and detailed are qualities I admire in a leader (arguably) of the Free World. I also still believe that there were widespread election problems, though not rising to the level of fraud or deliberate manipulation. Rather, voting in the US is riddled with problems and has been for as long as we, the public, have failed to make accountability and reform an issue. This works in the favor of any victor in a political race - Republican, Democrat, or Other. The 2000 election and, to me, the 2004 election represented an opportunity to get these issues addressed - plus, my guy lost so why not amplify the opportunity?? :-)

I've entitled this blog 'Insane Musings' for a reason: its intent is to follow the rather random pattern of my thoughts without very much cohesion. There's a lot I can cover now that we're post-inauguration and the new "agenda" has been laid out (sort of).

First, if the Democrats run Hillary Clinton, I'll have to have a meltdown. I do NOT like her, which is unfortunate given that I would love to see a woman make a viable White House run. Just not any woman, and certainly not Hillary Clinton. I was discussing this issue with a mixed-political friend; Republican-leaning, but also likely to swing to a Democrat where it makes sense. I couldn't put my finger on why I don't like her; couldn't find a word or a phrase with encapsulated my distaste; he said, "she's disgusting". That summed it up perfectly. She stands for nothing, as far as I can tell, except whatever is expedient to get her to the next level in her political career. Rather than see her as a woman who loves her husband and chose to stand by her man throughout his indiscretions, I see her as a woman with nothing but contempt for her husband who bore up because of the political advantage the Clinton name provided. She went state-shopping when she set her eyes on the Senate, and has repeatedly waffled at every controversial issue commensurate with the polls. A recent example: at a speech in New York, she gave a very pablum answer to the issue of Roe v. Wade and choice. Choice is an issue she has always held firm on until she sensed some softening in the electorate in their opinions towards the issue. In an effort to appeal less "left-liberal" to the red states (and in preparation, presumably, for a 2008 Presidential run) she abandoned a woman's right to choose in her language and posture. She doesn't stand for anything and for that, she is simply disgusting.

What I also don't understand is why the Democrats repeatedly fail to learn from the success of its opponents. The Republicans have shown the efficacy of choosing a candidate early and backing that person straight through to election season. This is what Democrats should be doing now, and if I had my druthers, I would get behind Evan Bayh, a moderate red-state Democratic senator with all the right experience to make a credible run. I'd choose Virginia's Mark Warner as a running-mate, an astute business man with a track record on budgets and domestic issues. Barack Obama is a compelling figure and masterful speaker, but I think any upping of his status with such limited experience (ala John Edwards) prior to 2012 would be foolhardy.

I have more more more on my mind these days. Condoleeza Rice's language and invective when discussing Iran, general plans to combat terrorism, the disaster that is the "domestic agenda", and the persistent lies that continually emerge as the President and his executives speak about the agenda and the facts upon which it is based.

The uninitiated may get the idea that I hate the President, think he's a liar or dishonest or what have you. That's quite inaccurate. On the contrary, I think Mr. Bush has integrity on the level of Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. I don't think he says or does anything he doesn't believe in deeply - I would never label him as bowing to political expediency. My issue with him (in a severely abridged fashion) is that he lacks intellectual curiosity. What they tell him is what he takes to the bank with very little in-depth questioning or intellectual gamesmanship. This makes him a convicted, respectable myopic in my book, and it means that any decision he makes or path he undertakes runs the risk of being entirely the wrong thing to do without any contemplation of alternatives, downsides, or upsides. I'll take a person who enjoys a bit of mindplay in his/her own decision-making because that's roughly the way I approach the important things in life - define the best outcome, anticipate the worst outcome, set a minimum acceptable outcome and manage towards the best knowing that falling somewhere slightly short of that is still not disastrous and an overall favorable outcome has been achieved. This requires some mental gymnastics and does not have to take inordinate amounts of time. It's a way to avoid tunnel-vision and to anticipate at least pieces of the unexpected and not be caught flat-footed. Finally, being a Democrat does not equate to valuelessness. I am a good neighbor, a volunteer, a person who believes strongly in public service for the sake of the greater good, a responsible homeowner, investor, employee and friend. I am also pro-choice, I believe in balanced budgets both for myself and for my government, and I think it's the responsibility of government to realize that economies, and therefore the fortunes/misfortunes of citizens are cyclical - the government's role is to care about all of its citizens and remain vigilant in helping those in need and demand more of those who prosper. I don't want to give frivolous dollars to that fringe that is simply not deserving; but I also don't want to kick aside those who are in an effort at smaller government. Finally, I want a government that doesn't spin or gloss over facts to me and my fellow citizens to achieve some end that they have determined is required. I can evaluate what I think is good for me; I don't need my government mandating it. And that's today's musing.

Write Your Senator - Write ANY Senator

2005-01-04T13:58:00.000-05:00

There's a reason I haven't posted since before the New Year. Actually, there are two reasons, one harmless and one alarming. They are as follows:

With the holidays and family in town I simply didn't have time; and
The entire issue has really melted from the MSM (Main Stream Media)

Without coverage the issue will die. It seems that it's not enough to simply know and then stand for principle any longer - there as to be a reason to publicly fight for principle. That reason would be in response to a public outrage that demands action and answers. Portions of the public are outraged, but not loud, widespread portions. The outrage simply hasn't achieved enough volume.

A few brave souls in the House of Representatives (much respect is due to John Conyers - see his page on election irregularities and calls for investigations) are willing to and will step forward in the Senate tommorrow, January 6, as the electoral college vote is to be certified. An investigation can be compelled with a measly one Representative and one Senator contesting. A lot of people don't realize, but Representatives, on behalf of their disenfranchised constituents, stepped forward in the Senate and pleaded for a Senator to join the contest. Not one, not even Al Gore who, as Vice President, presided over the Senate, joined the call. It was a contagious act of cowardice.

Don't let your opportunity pass to make your voice heard. Below is a list of Democratic Senators with links to their email contact forms. Write each of them and demand that the right of voting be protected.

Akaka, Daniel - (D - HI) (202) 224-6361
E-mail: senator@akaka.senate.gov

Baucus, Max - (D - MT) (202) 224-2651
Web Form: baucus.senate.gov/emailmax.html

Bayh, Evan - (D - IN) (202) 224-5623
Web Form: bayh.senate.gov/WebMail1.htm

Biden, Joseph - (D - DE) (202) 224-5042
E-mail: senator@biden.senate.gov

Bingaman, Jeff - (D - NM) (202) 224-5521
E-mail: senator_bingaman@bingaman.senate.gov

Boxer, Barbara - (D - CA) (202) 224-3553
Web Form: boxer.senate.gov/contact

Byrd, Robert - (D - WV) (202) 224-3954
Web Form: byrd.senate.gov/byrd_email.html

Cantwell, Maria - (D - WA) (202) 224-3441
Web Form: cantwell.senate.gov/contact/index.html

Carper, Thomas - (D - DE) (202) 224-2441
Web Form: carper.senate.gov/email-form.html

Clinton, Hillary - (D - NY) (202) 224-4451
Web Form: clinton.senate.gov/email_form.html

Conrad, Kent - (D - ND) (202) 224-2043
Web Form: conrad.senate.gov/webform.html

Corzine, Jon - (D - NJ) (202) 224-4744
Web Form: corzine.senate.gov/contact.cfm

Dayton, Mark - (D - MN) (202) 224-3244
Web Form: dayton.senate.gov/webform.html

Dodd, Christopher - (D - CT) (202) 224-2823
Web Form: dodd.senate.gov/webmail/

Dorgan, Byron - (D - ND) (202) 224-2551
E-mail: senator@dorgan.senate.gov

Durbin, Richard - (D - IL) (202) 224-2152
Web Form: durbin.senate.gov/sitepages/contact.htm

Feingold, Russell - (D - WI) (202) 224-5323
E-mail: russell_feingold@feingold.senate.gov

Feinstein, Dianne - (D - CA) (202) 224-3841
Web Form: feinstein.senate.gov/email.html

Harkin, Tom - (D - IA) (202) 224-3254
Web Form: harkin.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm

Inouye, Daniel - (D - HI) (202) 224-3934
Web Form: inouye.senate.gov/webform.html

Jeffords, James - (I - VT) (202) 224-5141
Web Form: jeffords.senate.gov/contact-form.html

Johnson, Tim - (D - SD) (202) 224-5842
Web Form: johnson.senate.gov/ContactPage/emailform.htm

Kennedy, Edward - (D - MA) (202) 224-4543
Web Form: kennedy.senate.gov/contact.html

Kerry, John - (D - MA) (202) 224-2742
Web Form: kerry.senate.gov/bandwidth/contact/email.html

Kohl, Herb - (D - WI) (202) 224-5653
Web Form: kohl.senate.gov/gen_contact.html

Landrieu, Mary - (D - LA) (202) 224-5824
Web Form: landrieu.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm

Lautenberg, Frank - (D - NJ) (202) 224-3224
Web Form: lautenberg.senate.gov/webform.html

Leahy, Patrick - (D - VT) (202) 224-4242
E-mail: senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov

Levin, Carl - (D - MI) (202) 224-6221
Web Form: levin.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm

Lieberman, Joseph - (D - CT) (202) 224-4041
Web Form: lieberman.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm?regarding=issue

Lincoln, Blanche - (D - AR) (202) 224-4843
Web Form: lincoln.senate.gov/webform.html

Mikulski, Barbara - (D - MD) (202) 224-4654
Web Form: mikulski.senate.gov/mailform.html

Murray, Patty - (D - WA) (202) 224-2621
Web Form: murray.senate.gov/email/index.cfm

Nelson, Bill - (D - FL) (202) 224-5274
Web Form: billnelson.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm#email

Nelson, Ben - (D - NE) (202) 224-6551
Web Form: bennelson.senate.gov/email.html

Obama, Barack - (D - IL) (202) 224-2854

Pryor, Mark - (D - AR) (202) 224-2353
Web Form: pryor.senate.gov/email_webform.htm

Reed, Jack - (D - RI) (202) 224-4642
Web Form: reed.senate.gov/form-opinion.htm

Reid, Harry - (D - NV) (202) 224-3542
Web Form: reid.senate.gov/email_form.cfm

Rockefeller, John - (D - WV) (202) 224-6472
E-mail: senator@rockefeller.senate.gov

Salazar, Ken - (D - CO) (202) 224-5852

Sarbanes, Paul - (D - MD) (202) 224-4524
Web Form: sarbanes.senate.gov/pages/email.html

Schumer, Charles - (D - NY) (202) 224-6542
Web Form: schumer.senate.gov/webform.html

Stabenow, Debbie - (D - MI) (202) 224-4822
Web Form: stabenow.senate.gov/email.htm

Wyden, Ron - (D - OR) (202) 224-5244
Web Form: wyden.senate.gov/contact.html

I Took Christmas Off!!

2004-12-27T13:42:00.000-05:00

Ok. Back at it.

Sunday, December 26, 2004

The Boston Globe
Washington governor's race may not be over

The New York Times
Recounts and Partisan Bickering Tire Washington Voters

Saturday, December 25, 2004

The Detroit News
The Washington governor's race drags on and on; is this good for democracy?

Friday, December 24, 2004

The New York Times
Voting Problems in Ohio Spur Call for Overhaul
Opinion: The Vote Count Goes On

Chicago Sun-Times
Democrat firmly on top after Wash. recount

Thursday, December 23, 2004

The Cleveland Plain Dealer
Kerry backer questions Cuyahoga recount

**NOTE: Every major newspaper carried some combination of reporting on the Washington State governor's race recount, most typcially an article detailing the 130-vote margin for Gregoire and then a follow-up indicating that the race itself is not yet over pending Republican challenges. There were just too many of the same article for me to recount (nyuk) all of it here.

2004-12-20T13:06:00.000-05:00

Monday, December 20, 2004

The New York Times
Opinion: Count Every Vote

The Cleveland Plain Dealer
Opinion: Why deny that Ohio's election was flawed?

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
GOP chief accuses election office of misleading public on absentees at issue

Sunday, December 19, 2004

The Los Angeles Times
Governor's Race So Close, Yet So Divisive

The Philadelphia Enquirer
Many factors get the blame for Election Day problems

Saturday, December 18, 2004

The Cleveland Plain Dealer
Recount confirms Kerry's Cuyahoga win

Raleigh News Observer
Newfound Wash. votes won't be counted

The Minneapolis Star Tribune
Ohio Voters Refile Election Challenge

The Cincinnati Post
Ohio court asked to overturn election

Catching Up - Two Day's Worth!!

2004-12-17T13:25:00.000-05:00

Friday, December 17, 2004

The Boston Globe
The New York Times
Ohio judge rejects vote tally challenge
((AP Article))

The Cleveland Plain Dealer
Still counting
Democrats challenge Householder's victory

The San Francisco Chronicle
King County looks for more misplaced ballots in Wash gov's race
King County finds 162 more misplaced ballots in Wash gov's race

The Seattle Times
Former Secretary of State pushes for new vote
Opinion: Neverending count

Thursday, December 16, 2004

The Boston Globe
The Chicago Tribune
Minneapolis Star Tribune
The San Francisco Chronicle
Ohio justice throws out election challenge
((AP Article))

The Boston Globe
The New York Time
The Minneapolis Star Tribune
Hanging chads make reappearance in Ohio
((AP Article))

The Houston Chronicle
Ohio vote tabulation challenge dismissed

The Los Angeles Times
Scrutiny of Ohio Ballots Begins

The Santa Fe New Mexican
Editorial: 12/16/2004 - Recount's true cost upheld, right or wrong

The San Francisco Chronicle
GOP to sue over 573 newly discovered ballots that could change Wash. governor's race

FINALLY.

2004-12-15T22:34:00.000-05:00

December 15, 2004

The Washington Post
Several Factors Contributed to 'Lost' Voters in Ohio
Front page story on Ohio. It's about time.

The New York Times
Ohio Recount Resembles Florida in 2000

The New York Times
The Chicago Tribune
The Minneapolis Star Tribune
Ohio Judge Rules Punch - Card Voting Fair
((AP Article))

The Cleveland Plain Dealer
Washington court rejects Democrat recount lawsuit

The San Francisco Chronicle
As Washington recount drags on, conspiracy theories multiply

The Seattle Times
King County board votes to move forward with 573 ballots

The Arizona Republic
Seattle finds uncounted votes as state court rejects Demo lawsuit

Promising to be a busy day...

2004-12-13T14:52:00.000-05:00

I have a few updates to provide. For the record, when I search the internet MSM to find articles in major print newspapers, sometimes the articles have posted and sometimes they have not. In other words, even though I searched yesterday, it is only TODAY that articles from yesterday are appearing in my search results. Better late than never!

December 14, 2004

The New York Times
National Briefings
A few mentions of both Washington State and Ohio.

The Chicago Tribune
Ohio electors brush aside allegations, vote Bush
Yeah - no kidding.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer
Ohio's electors officially back Bush; group sues
IMHO, thank goodness - it's about time.

The Detroit News
Blogs hit war, politics and 'ugly Europeans'
Scroll down for a bit about Ohio

The Raleigh News Observer
The Minneapolis Star Tribune
Ohio electors vote despite challenges
(AP Article)

The Minneapolis Star Tribune
Vote for Edwards instead of Kerry shocks Minnesota electors

The Cincinnati Enquirer
Hamilton Co. recount under way

The San Francisco Chronicle
In tight Washington governor's race, tide may be turning to Democrat in recount

The Seattle Times
Democrats' lawsuit unanimously rejected by the state Supreme Court
Regarding the Washington State Governor's race.

December 13, 2004

The Cleveland Plain Dealer
Ohio presidential vote recount set to begin

The San Francisco Chronicle
Election official says 561 ballots wrongly rejected in Washington governor's race

The Washington Post
In Ohio, Activists Push for Delay In Electoral Vote Until After Recount

Late December 12, 2004

The Los Angeles Times
For Some, the Race Remains Far From Over

And They Keep Coming....

2004-12-12T08:58:00.000-05:00

Sunday, December 12, 2004

The Cleveland Plain Dealer
Election glitches spur many to call for investigations

The Los Angeles Times
For Some, the Race Remains Far From Over

Raleigh News Observer
What can you believe?
Not a perfect election, but no proof of fraud

The Seattle Times
Recount rouses donors, spinners

Later Saturday, December 11, 2004

The Houston Chronicle
Text of Democratic response by Donna Brazile

I Got Up Early Today!

2004-12-11T09:04:00.000-05:00

December 11, 2004

The Cleveland Plain Dealer
Election costs could hit $3 million in Cuyahoga
Whoops. My guess is that after all this is over they re-vamp the laws that establish funds necessary to recount.

The Detroit News
Doubts persist about integrity of Nov. 2 election

The Arizona Republic
Dems say GOP made deceptive voter calls

The Washington Post
Puerto Rico Is Caught In Throes of Recount
This actually qualifies as totally new information!

An Update at the Week's End

2004-12-10T22:45:00.000-05:00

Friday, December 10, 2004

The New York Times
Doubts Persist About Election Results

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Observers watch closely as King County's recount starts

The Minneapolis Star Tribune
Doubts Persist About Election Results

The San Francisco Chronicle
On the eve of certification, doubts persist about integrity of Nov. 2 election
Observers watch closely as recount in Washington's largest county starts
Former North Coast congressman jailed in Ohio after protesting

The Seattle Times
New votes emerge in recount
Specific to the Washington State Governor's race, but yet another reason to count the votes.

Thursday, December 9, 2004

The Chicago Tribune
Vote counts far from uniform - Provisional ballot rules varied a lot
Jackson Vows to Continue Ohio Vote Probe

The Chicago Sun Times
Electronic Voting Doesn't Pass the Trust Test

The Orlando Sentinel
And Counting Your Own Vote
Article on Florida voter's preference for having a paper trail and official resistance.

The San Francisco Chronicle
Election fraud or just suspicions?

A Few Other Interesting Tidbits

2004-12-08T21:52:00.000-05:00

Extracted from a Los Angeles Times article, a few of these sites are worth visiting:

Common Cause
Their entire front page is dedicated to the voting issue.

The Century Foundation
One article in particular is interesting, where the author talks about reconsidering the conventional wisdom in Ohio.

Also, a revisit of Wikipedia and it's living encyclopedic article on the 2004 U.S. presidential election controversy and irregularities (mentioned in an earlier post). Wikipedia has received a request from Wikipedians to delete the article, essentially, because it has become a forum for personal opinions and is not an encyclopedic entry. Wikipedia has a process for reviewing deletion requests, whereby Wikipedians can vote on whether to keep or delete it. The response to keep it, due to its vast referential and encyclopedic relevance and value, has been overwhelming. If you haven't checked out the entry already, follow the link above - it's good reading.

Catching Up

2004-12-08T20:34:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry - I've been beyond busy for the past two days and skipped a December 7th update. I'll correct this oversight forthwith.

Tuesday, December 7, 2004

The New York Times
As Questions Keep Coming, Ohio Certifies Its Vote Count

The Chicago Sun-Times
Bush officially wins Ohio

The Chicago Tribune
State certifies Bush win by 119,000 votes

The Cleveland Plain Dealer
Blackwell certifies Ohio election results

The Detroit Free Press
Battleground Ohio makes Bush win in state official

The Houston Chronicle
Bush's Ohio victory margin 119,000 votes

The Los Angeles Times
Voting-Rights Advocates Cite Election Problems

The Los Angeles Times
Ohio Certifies Bush Victory, but Recount Push Continues

The Philadelphia Inquirer
Bush is certified the victor in Ohio

Minneapolis Star Tribune
Ohio certifies vote; DNC announces probe

Minneapolis Star Tribune
Candidates Officially Request Ohio Recount

The Cincinnati Post
Hamilton Co. Among The First To Receive Recount Requests

The San Francisco Chronicle
Recounts pending as state certifies presidential election
Recount requested in Ohio; third-party candidates allege irregularities
DNC leader plans investigation of Ohio voting irregularities

The Washington Post
DNC to Investigate Ohio Voting Irregularities

Wednesday, December 8, 2004

The New York Times
The Chicago Tribune
The Minneapolis Star Tribune
The San Francisco Chronicle
Jackson Vow to Continue Ohio Vote Probe

The Los Angeles Times
Activists Hold Forum Spotlighting Voting Issues in Presidential Election

The Philadelphia Inquirer
3d parties make it official, seek Ohio recount

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Hand recount starts in Washington governor's race

The San Francisco Chronicle
Hand recount starts in Washington governor's race

A comment - I DO realize that a lot of the articles and posts I have reiterated here are fundamentally similar if not completely the same content. My purpose in tracking them is to get a sense of the momentum of coverage of these issues - who is reading about the recount efforts and how heavily is it being covered? It's essential that this issue remains alive in the press for the issue to be dealt with in reality.

Keeping the Information Flowing

2004-12-06T13:39:00.000-05:00

Monday, December 6, 2004

The New York Times
Challenges Likely As Ohio Certifies Vote
((AP Article))
Variations also in:
The Chicago Sun Times
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The Minneapolis Star Tribune
USA Today

The San Francisco Chronicle
Democrats launch investigation of voting problems in Ohio
Some retreading of old ground but different as well...

The Washington Post
Challenges Planned to Ohio's Presidential Vote Totals

Yes, I Work Weekends

2004-12-04T23:22:00.000-05:00

Saturday, December 4, 2004

The New York Times
400 Demand Recount at Ohio Statehouse
Where can I sign up?

The Chicago Tribune
Dead voters on rolls, other glitches found in 6 key states
The Trib requires registration - it's worth it. Here are a few key passages:

"A Tribune analysis of voter records suggests that more than 5,000 dead people remained on the rolls on Election Day in New Mexico. The presidential election there was decided by 6,000 votes."

"And New Mexico is not alone. The Tribune's review of voter data there and in five other key states--Florida, Iowa, Ohio, Michigan and Minnesota--found widespread flaws in the integrity of voter rolls."

"Further, more than 90,000 voters in Ohio cast ballots without a valid presidential choice. Either they decided not to choose a candidate, the machine failed to register their choice, or they mistakenly voted for more than one candidate."

"And the FBI is investigating allegations that Republicans in Florida mounted a large-scale campaign to tamper with ballots."

FINALLY.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer
Law and Order - Judge Denies Bid to Stop Recount

The Miami Herald
The Houston Chronicle
The LA Times
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Minneapolis Star Tribune
The Arizona Republic
TOLEDO - Bush's victory margin narrows a little bit
Under different titles, all are running this AP wire story.

The San Francisco Chronicle
Protesters gather at Ohio statehouse to call for recount, investigation

This remains in the mainstream press - I thought the Chicago Tribune article was outstanding - pass it along to anyone who might pass it along. :-)

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Late Night Update

2004-12-04T01:06:00.000-05:00

LATE December 3, 2004/EARLY December 4, 2004

The New York Times
Bush's Ohio Win Was Closer Than Thought
Yeah - no kidding.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer
Cheers and Jeers
[specific jeer] "JEERS . . . to the tiresome and certain-to-be-futile efforts of those who would recount Ohio's presidential votes until the punch cards are worn to shreds. Attention Jesse Jackson, the Green Party, the Libertarian Party, People for the American Way, et al: George W. Bush won, John Kerry lost. The next presidential election will be in 2008. This one is over. " Methinks the lady doth protest too much...

The Houston Chronicle
Bush victory in Ohio closer than previously thought

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Bush's victory in Ohio was a little closer than originally thought, won't trigger recount
Huh? Should that be "...won't trigger automatic recount"? Last time I checked, by the laws of the state of Ohio, the criteria for a state-wide recount had been met.
The San Francisco Chronicle ran this story also.

The Santa Fe New Mexican
Recount to test state's voting process still uncertain

The Seattle Times
Democrats will finance a statewide hand recount
Article on Gregoire's recount efforts.

Rotten Denmark has some good information on political involvement in the controversy over voting irregularities also - check it out.

Now, finally, I can go to bed.

Some Updates

2004-12-03T10:16:00.000-05:00

Friday, December 3, 2004

The Cleveland Plain Dealer
Final count in Ohio gives Kerry 18,000 more votes
We knew this, but there it is.

The Philadelphia Inquirer
Bush's gain with Hispanics revised
Wonder why that had to revise it to nearly half of what they originally projected?? Somewhat off the main recount topic, but certainly germane to the subject of exit poll discrepancies and the like.

The Seattle Times
Gregoire wants full recount — or none
Why is this a difficult request?

And that's all she wrote since last night. Taken from Wikipedia, a few interesting links:

See what Joe Lieberman had to say about the recounts.

See what this Las Vegas local news source had to say about recounts.

Finally, see this press release about David Cobb and his lawsuit against Kenneth Blackwell (Ohio).

The Evening Update

2004-12-02T20:28:00.000-05:00

Let's see if we can't find some mainstream media (referred to, again, by Keith Olbermann as "MSM") coverage at the end of the day...

Thursday, December 2, 2004

The New York Times
Kerry Campaign Keeping Eye on Ohio Cases
((AP article))

The Minneapolis Star Tribune and The San Francisco Chronicle
Have also picked up the AP article...

The Houston Chronicle
Vo victory grows by one vote
Off the Presidential subject but interesting nonetheless...

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A site that kept turning up on 'related links' when I search is Audit the Vote. Kinda interesting.

Cheers!

Wiki Wiki Wiki Wikipedia

2004-12-02T13:12:00.000-05:00

At the risk of really embarrassing myself, I have to say that I've just discovered the power of the Wikipedia. I had visited the site before, but didn't realize how comprehensive the information could be. Follow the link below to see what Wikipedia says about the 2004 Presidential election controversy.

2004 Presidential Election Controversy and Irregularities

Another comment - Wikipedia is a free encyclopedia with active content - anyone can edit an unprotected page, adding content and the like. In reading over the 2004 election controversy entry, I'm amazed at how much substantive content people have added - this is an invaluable resource and I encourage everyone to at least check it out.

Cheers!

More Mainstream Stuff

2004-12-02T10:27:00.000-05:00

Thursday, December 2, 2004

The Miami Herald
Nation Briefs
Interesting excerpt:
"One coalition of disgruntled voters and interest groups plans to seek a recount of the vote. Another plans to file a lawsuit with the state Supreme Court today contesting Bush's victory."

Consider me disgruntled - I realize this may be a novel concept to conservatives and Republicans, but disgruntlement is probably a normal reaction when voters may have been disenfranchised.

The Philadelphia Inquirer
Groups still fighting Ohio election results
This site requires registration and login - here's an excerpt:
"Alleging errors and fraud, one group wants a recount, another will sue to overturn. State officials say the critics are tilting at windmills."

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Kerry backs recount effort in governor's race
Not about Ohio, but about Kerry releasing funds to help the Democratic gubernatorial candidate - reinforces the "count every vote" theme, no doubt.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune
David Cobb: Greens had good reason to ask for this recount
By David Cobb himself. A good read.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer
1,665 ballots invalid, Summit board rules

Not bad additions considering my last update was about 12 hours ago... Also, as I'm sure Rotten Denmark points out, the recount and news of recounts made both Hardball and Countdown coverage last night on MSNBC.

Cheers!

A Note from the Blogowner

2004-12-02T10:10:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Rotten Denmark for providing a link to this - I'll do my best to keep it updated as time permits.

Grady is my cat (I'm sure most of you figured that out). When I was creating this blog, I kept choosing clever political names and phrases and continually found they were already claimed. I looked at my cat in frustration and finally settled on 'Grady The Cat' as the address for this blog.

Mystery solved. Grady thanks you. When I get a chance I'll post a picture of Grady himself.

COUNT THE VOTES!

2004-12-01T20:22:00.000-05:00

It's been very interesting to be a mere consumer of information from other blogs (thanks to Something's Rotten in Denmark for being a role model). I don't have much to add to the intelligent and quite thorough blogging of others both here and on Kos... BUT - what I can add is a summary of major newpaper outlet reporting on the subject of recounts, voting irregularities, and voter protections across the nation. I'll do my best to be reasonably up-to-date.

Wednesday, December 1, 2004

The Boston Globe
Voting Errors Tallied Nationwide

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
About Half of Allegheny County Provisional Ballots Found to be Invalid

The Cincinnati Post
County Certifies Election Tally

The Washington Post
Kerry Team Seeks to Join Fight to Get Ohio County to Recount

The Miami Herald
Groups plan to contest Ohio election results

The Minneapolis Star Tribune
A smell test in Ohio

Las Vegas Sun
Candidates Want Nevada Recount

The Los Angeles Times
Let's Not be Too Quick to Lecture Ukraine

The San Francisco Chronicle (published online at www.sfgate.com)
Reount Sought in Nevada Presidential Election

When I first started looking for information on voting irregularities and recounts on November 8th, I couldn't find any mention with the exception of the blogs. Now I'm hard pressed not to find something and, it should be obvious, from respected newspapers across the nation.

Enjoy - I'll update several times a week.