These Computer/Election Machine Providers are backing this man into a corner,.. they all want this man gone.

So does Jeb Bush.

Nice to see Mr Ion Sancho make a move to file a Federal Court Case against these electronic voting machine junk boxes.

This issue is long overdue for serious attention,...
and the glaring spotlight of court review.

I have an interesting question: Can the families of fallen soldiers thank DIEBOLD for delivering a Bush victory? And then, can the families of fallen soldiers subsequently thank the MSM? If it wasn't for DIEBOLD & the MSM, we wouldn't be in Iraq.

What DIEBOLD & the MSM did to our great country, was surely no "game" to the families of fallen American soldiers and Iraqi "collateral damage."

FINALLY! Go Sancho-NO MORE WAITING!!

And one last question: What will the MSM say about the supposed "conspiracy theorists" who said for years that elections were being stolen by DIEBOLD? We were all crazy conspiracy theorists, right? So will the MSM headlines be, "DIEBOLD has been stealing our democracy for 5 or 6 years, and we haven't been reporting on it."? Or maybe they just won't report on it when DIEBOLD goes down, as if it never happened?

So Republicans believe it's appropriate for a politician to be removed from office for not allowing a hackable voting machine, but they should remain in office for violating the constitution, spying on americans, falsifying evidence to congress and going to war based on fabrications?

Republicans are idiots and fools, and it seems to be almost unanimously so.

Good for him. Keep following up on this, Brad. People eventually have to start putting the dots together.

I have two new posts up, for those of you tuning in late. First, MoDo's shorts sabbatical is over and not a moment too soon since she's back giving the Bush madministration hell from the NY Times. I have her newest up at my place, for those of you who also loathe the NY Times' Select bullshit.

Seondly, I have some original material of my own up about the unrest in Iraq and how it all seems to devolve on Bush’s idiosyncratic definition of “civil war.” It may appear to mirror the Dowd screed but the truth is I didn’t even read her article before I’d posted it until after I’d posted my take.

Anyway, enjoy and stayed tuned tomorrow as I’ll have a kick-ass post out by early tomorrow night that draws a parallel between the Cheney Bush administration and McHale’s Navy, with photoshopped pics by none other than the incredible Dood Abides of My Left Wing/DKos fame! Ciao!

Way to go, Ion Sancho!

Brad, will update the Ion Sancho story on our page with link to your story. As usual, you are doing a great job getting breaking important news.

Bev Harris
Black Box Voting

Do counties necessarily need *electronic* voting machines in order to satisfy HAVA? Could HAVA requirements be satisfied by a combination of optical scanners and those laminated, tabbed flip-books Brad reported on (perhaps a month ago) ? Or would the company that sells those have to have been certified previously to sell in each state and county?

What I'm getting at is this: as we hear about more and more counties waking up to the flaws in Diebold/Seqouia/ES&S machines, couldn't several election fairness non-profits take up a campaign of connecting them with better options?

Great job as usual Brad. Good work, Mr. Sancho; keep it up.

Don't states have the right to run there own elections with no federal mandates? How is HAVA even constitutional?
Amendment 10:
The powers not delegated to the United States by the constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

Thanks Brad and Mr Sancho. You both are courageous people . Can we help? I don't have any money but will pray.

JoeFass #9 -
HAVA does not mandate the use of electronic voting machines. That is disinformation that is being spread by the vendors. In fact, Section 301(a)(1)(B) of HAVA even allows the use of punch-card voting.

It is up to the state to decide on what their counties can and cannot use as long as HAVA mandates are followed. Vote-PAD, the 'flip-book', is not a voting system so it does not require federal certification and can be used in any state that wants to approve it for use.

Roger #10 -
States only have the right to run state and local elections. Federal elections must meet federal mandates.

{Ed note: Comment deleted. Disinformation.}

This man, Ian Sancho, deserves a lot of support, as does Clint Curtis, if we are ever going to conquer this crooked privatization of the American voting process.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
**'Expose Tom Feeney'**
"SUPPORT CLINT CURTIS!"
__www.clintcurtis.com__
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

I've been doing a little reading of the Federalist papers and it's kind of ironic to look at the things that are going on. It's very ironic to consider what our Founding Fathers said about the Constitution, states' rights, the Executive, voting and the role of the people. After reading what these men had to say, I laugh when I hear Republicans say that they believe in a "strict" interpretation of the Constitution. They are so clueless.

The Federalist Papers were obviously intended as a companion piece to the Constitution so that we, their descendants, could be clear on the intentions that they had. There was a four-tiered structure of power in the minds of our Founders. It was at the top---THE PEOPLE from whom the Government (when it was deemed just and suitable by those people) received its right to govern, then there was the Executive. He was OUR surrogate while in office and although he had been given the authority to make certain decisions, ultimately, he answered to us.

The legislature balanced out the power to spend and the power to make laws in two different houses. Their role was to help create laws that SAFEGUARDED THE PEOPLE'S RIGHTS TO LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. The judiciary was there to assess and make determinations as to who had broken the law and so forth. They were to interpret but within the framework that I just wrote about. That means that our Founding Fathers more than likely WOULD NEVER HAVE COUNTENANCED COMPANIES HAVING THE RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUALS.

Finally, OUR VOTES WERE THE FIRST STEP IN WE THE PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO EXPRESS OUR WILL. We could use our votes to remove those who did not serve us well and who defiled, denounced, detracted from, despoiled or diminished the Constitution. IF WE THE PEOPLE WERE NOT ABLE TO OBTAIN SATISFACTION THROUGH OUR VOTES, then our Founders said that it was fitting that we rebel just as they had.

The Founders also intended for the Governors to be in charge of the military rather than the Federal Government. They felt that if there was not a standing army, the temptation to imperialism would be removed. GEE! I guess they'd be turning in their graves.

So, in conclusion, let me urge everyone to read the Federalist papers and then read Jefferson because he embodied some of the greatest yet most human qualities among the founding fathers. Each one of them contributed wonderful insights including the one that it IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CARETAKE OUR OWN COUNTRY AND OUR OWN GOVERNMENT. IT IS WE WHO MUST BE INFORMED AND VIGILANT AGAINST USURPERS and,well, just plain Slurpers. I think that we have all learned that.

As to the Federal government being able to compell voting practices...if it was not supposed to have control over the military to avoid that temptation, then how could it be trusted with voting?

It is time for another Constitutional Convention. I am making my list and on the top is a non-Senate option for removal from office of any Executive level official who is unworthy.

Ion, if you're reading this, I have another little piece that you can add to your lawsuit that will permit some major housecleaning.

I say that it is time to get rid of Double-Barrell Dick, Rumm-filled, His Nibs and the rest of this scrofulous group of scoundrels before they drive a Ryder truck up to the treasury.

GdM

Andy Stephenson was on to all of the crimes of the companies that produce the voting machines, and was doing his best to explain how they do their magic.

Andy passed away July 7, 2005 after a short but heroic bout with pancreatic cancer.

Wow! All three companies refused to do business with Sancho. It sure smells like a conspiracy and collusion. But "as punishment for exposing Diebold?" Hasn't everyone exposed Diebold? (Well, I mean the real testers.) Our politicos do nothing in the face of overwhelming evidence that our government is rotten to the core.

THEY ARE NERO. ROME IS BURNING.

Good, Mr. Sancho! Now, you do not have to use inferior products. Get a Federal Waiver!

Don't let the Bush family's fiddling bother you.Hang in there! You are fighting for the people who employ you. Guv Bush SHOULD learn from you, but he is incapable of being sincere.

#13 Bush deserts War Hero?? (Read the links in that post.) Cunningham's a thief. What he should do is rat his Repugnican brothers out so that they all can go into Club Fed together. (It is not a Jewish conspiracy. That is really silly. The jews involved with this Administration are going to be the second to go --- right after the political enemies and the Log Cabin Repubnicans are dispatched.)

#15 Gina deMiranda! Wow! You did a great job summarizing the Federalist Papers. Everyone should read them. Then, you'll know that the Federalist Society has bolixed up a few concepts... (I think that if you mouse over my name, it will take you to a web page where the link to the Federalist Papers are located.)

Pran

Everyone needs to send letters to the major newspapers in Florida asking that they cover Ion Sanchos' finding regarding corrupt Diebold voting machines. Either we are a country of laws, or we are not. Either we have a Constitution and a Bill of Rights, or we don't. The promise of democracy is that every vote counts and is counted for the person it is intended. To that end, democracy demands that all voting devices are honest---whether electronic, mechanical or paper.
Ion Sancho has proven that Diebolod voting machines are not honest. He is a hero for all of America and needs to be supported, not threatened with being fired by Jeb Bush.

Fax letters to the following:

Palm Beach Post (561)820-4728
Miami Herald (305) 376-8950
Orlando Sentinel (407)420-5350
Tallahassee Democrat (850)599-2295
Daytona Beach (386)258-1577
Sun Sentinel - letters@sun-sentinel.com
If you can think of another paper, help us out here. Just do it.

Thought I would send you an article about several universities in CA getting involved in isolating the Diebold modules which are most vulnerable. Last news I read was the machines are recertified contingent upon an ongoing effort of some degree and timeline, to patch the flawed code and other design factors which rendered the same devices hackable in the FL test two months ago. The CA article is dated end of January, about one month after the FL expose.

I agree with you, Gina de Miranda, about the Federalist Society. They pretend to have a concern for our Constitution, but in fact their true beliefs in what form our government should take bears little resemblence.

Lately I've been reading historical biographies of those who sacrificed so much to create this democratic form of government we enjoy today.......or at least USED to enjoy. I've recently read Ben Franklin, John Adams, and am now reading Doris Goodwin's bio of Lincoln.

Take my word for it.....it's a very sobering moment after you delve into the lives of these selfless, great leaders and patriots to then ponder this disastrous clutch of civilian chickenhawks in charge today. I honestly believe "we the people" are finding ourselves in great peril today. And it's very much by design.

Mark my word, Bush has no intention of leaving office. I've been saying this for many months. He'll conjure up and declare a "national emergency" and quickly send his eager lackeys (also known as WH lawyers) on a mission to his compliant Supreme Court to argue for the "temporary" suspension of our Constitution. Reagan once toyed with this idea during his second term. In other words....martial law - a police state - a dictatorship.

The reason I'm almost sure it will happen with Bush has less to do with his slimy criminal character in general than his desperate need to keep the Democrats out of the White House, if not leadership positions in Congress, where they can, should, and will pore through tapes, documents, and emails (the ones that that haven't been destroyed) on our way to discovering just how corrupt this administration has been.

Bush will go to prison, unless of course his crack AG interprets law that allows Bush to pardon himself.

BTW, I don't feel I'm overreacting when I ask you, Mr. Sancho, to please be extra careful in your comings and goings in the coming days, weeks, and months. I'd actually feel better if you had a security detail around you until after the elections and would even be willing to travel there and team with others to help if this was thought necessary.

These are very troubling times for our country....probably infinitely more serious than we can even comprehend. I fear our demise as a democratic society and a once great nation is drawing to a close in small increments.

Many other good Election Directors around the country know Ion Sancho and the integrity he bravely is helping bring back to the base of democracy, the BALLOT BOX.

We need to look in our home states, find these election official, encourage them to standup and when they do, STAND WITH THEM!

Ion Sancho’s fight is OUR FIGHT!

To quote Rep. Cynthia McKinney:
“…In the fight against injustice, we stand together and we must. In the fight against intimidation, we stand together and we must. After all, a regime that would steal an election right before our very eyes will do anything to all of us.”

Abramoff in upcoming Vanity Fair telling all. It's in this advance .pdf

http://www.vanityfair.co...oom/advance_Abramoff.pdf

Wow. An election official that realizes that he works for the people, and that makes him one of the people.

The crooks, unlike Ion, want us to be worker bees or slave humans like in the Matrix.

They want us to serve their interests instead of them serving our public interests.

Ion Sancho is a breath of fresh air in this poluted political environment where crime is the mantra of public officials who deal with Diebold.

Ion Sancho is a people's political figure and we got your back Ion.

As a Canadian watching - with alarm - the rapidly disappearing democratic process, I can only urge all Americans ...WAKE UP!...who cares about Survivor & Entertainment Tonight?
The wonderful system that is the hope & envy of all the rest of the world is being raped with hardly a murmur fromt the supposed guardians of liberty - the press or the citizenry that is affected.

I just do not understand, have your collective i.q's taken a sharp drop or (conspiracy, conspiracy?) is there something in the "fast food"?
:confused:

John #20

I've said the exact same thing. Bush is going to come up with some way to suspend elections. (Make that Karl Rover, woof. Bush couldn't pass an exam to get out of kindergarten.) I'll also stand with you to protect Mr. Sancho if necessary. I wouldn't put it passed these scum to resort to murder. BTW, I got a direct e-mail from Shawnreilly@hotmail. I didn't know who it was so I deleted it. Anybody know this guy? Sounds like a rightwing nutcase. Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly supporter perhaps with a virus attached? He doesn't have a post here.

#20 & #28,

I told the blog sometime in the recent past that there is a piece of legislation quietly sitting in committee right now that was introduced about 18 months ago, I believe.
It's purpose is to EXTEND THE TERMS A PRESIDENT CAN HAVE IN OFFICE FROM THE CURRENT 2 TO 3.
Yes!

Wally O'Diebold's head must be spinning right now

Charlene,

I believe that such a move would require an amendment to the Constitution to undo the (what is it, 22nd, 24th?) amendment the repugs rammed through out of bitterness at FDR's repeated wins. A constitutional amendment is too lengthy a process to fit in before 2008, so it looks like our real concern should be a "national emergency" of some sort that would suspend elections and excuse the imposition of martial law. And we should be very concerned, indeed, as the crew of miscreants in power right now seems to lap up those "national emergencies," aka "trifectas."

#27
Peter,
There are MANY MANY of us that more than share your alarm. You do not hear much from or about us because we have no venue for our voice!

Think about it: our newspapers, radio & tv are conservatively owned & controlled. How do you get news about the MAJORITY!! of people here in the US who want the bush crime family out? On your computer or from a foreign news source. We are in some deep shit down here, my friend! Maybe you could send a Canadian Intervention Team.

Ok, I joke. Comic relief. But the situation is extremely dire, no joke. Our system of 'checks & balances' is being dismantled. There has been no accountability for the crimes of this administration.

As far as I know, Air America Radio is the ONLY left-leaning radio station in the whole country, and I believe you need a satellite dish to get Democracy Now on your television.

Our voting system is a hackable sham, its machines under conservative control; our congress & our courts system are all conservatively controlled.

Call it what you will...it seems clear to me that threats, bribery & blackmail is the modus operandi in Washington D.C.

They do things in secret, their hands are bloody & their pockets are stuffed with obscene amounts of cash.

It is complicated & it is not good.

So THANK YOU MR. SANCHO!!! We surely need more like you!!!

In case some of us want to send him a holler of thanks& support:

Ion V. Sancho, Supervisor

Office hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Phone: (850) 606-8683

Fax: (850) 606-8601

Address: Leon County Supervisor of Elections Office
315 South Calhoun Street, 1st Floor
Tallahassee FL 32301

Mailing Address: Leon County Supervisor of Elections Office
P. O. Box 7357
Tallahassee FL 32314-7357

Email: vote@leoncountyfl.gov

Yeah, I just went over to my supervisor of elections web site and linked her to this story
This is the machine they use here

That "2000" in the name gives me the willys, man

GOOD GUY ALERT

A reporter of the Miami Herald is blasting Florida officials for persecuting Ion (link here).

The reporter's name is FRED GRIMM. Good job Fred!

He gets it. He sees that Ion is a friend of all freedom loving people who vote in democracies. Mr. Grimm says:

"Ion Sancho may be a hero in California, where grateful election officials have verified the serious security vulnerabilities in Diebold voting machines that the Leon County election supervisor uncovered last year." (emphasis added)

"Sancho is regarded a little differently in Florida.
Florida's secretary of state's office disparaged Sancho's finding, demonstrating considerably more interest in propping up vendors than protecting elections."

Regarding the Vote-Pad and Ion Sancho's situation:

Sancho has looked into the Vote-Pad, a device for the disabled that provides a paper audit trail and does not require federal certification. It does require state authorization, however, and Florida has not authorized the VotePad. Florida has also not authorized the AutoMark.

I have spoken with Sancho several times about the possibility of hand-counting Leon County. Voting integrity advocates from as far away as New England and Texas are ready and willing to travel to Leon County to help hand count the next two elections. Sancho does appreciate the willingness of so many citizens to volunteer, and he did work out the logistics of that. It is possible to do (logistically) but not possible under current Florida law.

Unfortunately, Florida law now only permits electronically counted elections.

60 Minutes has been contacted about this. However, the higher level editors at CBS would need to approve the story. They have already killed a couple important stories on this issue, including videotaped footage of voting machines flipping votes in Louisiana and videotaped footage of an elections supervisor who corroborated the fact that embezzler Jeffrey Dean was given access to the GEMS voting system. Still, it wouldn't hurt to write to 60 Minutes producers urging them to take a fresh look at the story through the eyes of Ion Sancho.

For John Gideon: You're right that HAVA doesn't specifically mandate electronic machines. But effectively it does, because the bill promised blind people an easier method of voting, and the assumption it made was that touch-screen machines were the way to go about it.

That's why Chris Dodd reacted so angrily when John Kerry said, "There's a problem with these machines." (if only Kerry would say that publicly!).
HAVA's architects (including Dodd) had made a tacit commitment to Diebold and the other companies that if they could devise a machine that helped blind people, they'd endorse its use to the states. Then HAVA put in a deadline for the states to conform.

Dodd is trying to save himself from embarrassment, because he never realized how corrupt Diebold, E.S.&S. and Sequoia were. He's just another typical politician who cares more about his own image than the public interest.

Why doesn't someone organize a protest rally in front of Gov's office, make it big.

You guys need to form an organization nationally and start going after specific targets. Mass protests so big that the news media COULDN'T POSSIBLEY ignore, boycotts targeting irresponsible newspapers and their advertisers and definately companies affiliated with the faux voting machine makers.

NOTHING WILL CHANGE UNTIL ALL OF YOU COME TOGETHER AND START TAKING CHARGE! GOD KNOWS YOU POLITITIONS AREN'T!

Sorry I meant politicians. D' OH

There is a WAITING market, although the competition is politically connected a good product will make millions. Here is your first customer in Florida.

2 things are required to get the product to the market. 1st - Hardware , the touchscreen and printers are already on the market, just choose which vendors you want to work with. 2nd - Software , this is where you will guarantee your success. And it's not that complicated, devise a program to tabulate VOTES and work with the hardware!! Now the key to succes - provide the source code to your customers so they verify that the machines can't be hacked. Possibly using open source software so many people can try to find holes in the programming. Use the Red Hat model, sales and support for income if you collaborate and use open source code.

Does Ion Sancho have the same capacity for Leon County, that Arthur Andersen has for Palm Beach County? If they do, contrast the difference in their responses: Arthur Andersen said that Bev Harris's audit results of the machines "can be explained", and then didn't explain.

No wonder Jim Cramer issued an enthusiastic BUY for Diebold last week. They are the leader in a profitable growth field. Lie back and enjoy it.

"...because the bill promised blind people an easier method of voting, and the assumption it made was that touch-screen machines were the way to go about it."

Um.. I guess I'm just stupid, but how does a "blind" person benefit from a "touch screen" and not just much larger and better contrasted print? That is, "big ballots" instead of small ones? And if you are "totally blind", those machines are useless anyway, as much so as paper ballots.

If you want to have access for "blind" people, then you have to basically have the vote video taped and cast for them by comittee or something. There has to be a way to link the person (perhaps not their name) with the vote to make sure it's not being messed with, but you also have to consider that there are probably very few "handicapped voters" that are being discussed with these machines. Not to mention, why can't you have brail ballots?

"Unfortunately, Florida law now only permits electronically counted elections."

If this is true, it is very scary to me. How do "educated" leaders, people who are supposed to be able to THINK, EVER come up with such an ignorant law??

With the complete lack of interest by the masses (mostly because they are busy trying to escape the nightmare of debt and frail financial boat they are in), this country is doomed. Most people I know aren't paying attention. Some are exactly the problem with this country (saying we deserve to do what we want in the world because we're a super power, or because we "saved them" in the past, so we get a free pass now.. stupid shit like that). Then tie in the brainwashing from corporate america making everyone think they "need to buy this" or that.. and you have a perfect storm of financial terrorism being extoled on the public causing them to keep their heads down and their pocketbooks open.. Until "TV" tells them to care, they won't.

Let's hope we can get enough Ion Sancho's out there to help the sheeple stay free sheeple for a little longer.. then lets try to vote in people who will encourage EDUCATION at school, not just day-care. Perhaps if we can get a generation educated we can save this country.

I'm not defending HAVA, Savantser. On the contrary, I agree that touch-screen machines don't help blind people vote. But I can tell you that was the reason Connecticut hesitated about going to paper trails...because Chris Dodd told the state legislature that paper trails would interfere with the implementation of HAVA. I know that for a fact, because I was on the Capitol steps in Hartford a year ago January, protesting the 2004 election and demanding paper trails in the future.

By the way, I just sent an e-mail to the Sun Sentinel in support of Ion Soncho, and the e-mail was rejected as SPAM! Can you believe it? I plan to call them this afternoon to raise hell. I'll keep everyone posted on how that goes.

I thought this previous Brad article explained how the electronic machine operatives used HAVA to get these unsecure machines installed, using the "blind person" angle...

Brad/HAVA-NOT

Dear Brad,

Thanks for your post. It's about D****D time the people took over and let the evil politicians from both parties know that elections are the domain of the PEOPLE, not the pols!

However, do you think that there is any way we, as BradBlogville, can show our support/solidarity/appreciation to Mr. Sanchez... reassure him that we are behind him 100%?

Just a suggestion...

DEATH TO THE TWO PARTY SYSTEM

Vote Independent.

If we ever do have another opportunity to vote, the time may be right for a grass roots "throw the bums out" movement to cleanse the corruption from our government once and for all.

Whatever back door was built into the Diebold Machines to rig elections is dependent on "vote flipping" to succeed. This means that the assumption is built into the software that only two parties are relevant, and that if a Democrat is leading and likely to win, the votes attributable to his/her name could be "flipped" to the Republican assuring his vistory.

What if the entire nation got so goddamn pissed off that in every race, all across the country, they simply went into the voting booth and voted for any candidate other than the Republican or Democrat listed?

All of this talk about the need for campaign finance reform assumes that the American people can ONLY vote for the candidate that spends the most money.

Money is the problem, not the solution.

By voting for anyone other than a Republican or a Democrat, WE THE PEOPLE can effectively pass our own campaign finance reform.

The two party system is not the solution.

The two party system is the problem.

The time is ripe for a grass roots movement to "Throw The Bums Out" and start over. Dump all of them at the ballot box.

HIT RESET.

Find out which candidate on the ballot in your district raised the least amount of money - and vote for them!

What do you have to lose?

Voting - a Revolutionary concept!

"Whatever back door was built into the Diebold Machines to rig elections is dependent on "vote flipping" to succeed. This means that the assumption is built into the software that only two parties are relevant, and that if a Democrat is leading and likely to win, the votes attributable to his/her name could be "flipped" to the Republican assuring his vistory."

Only, you have no way to know this. That is, it's easy to check "multiple candidates" and verify the totals and make sure you guy edges out no matter how many candidates there are. As a Software Engineer, I'd say it's "trivial" to account for more than just 2 parties.

the republicans are in their last throes...thanks to brave, citizen serving people, like ion sanchos...jeb bush is as dumb as his monkeyfaced brother for trying to fight this...down with the republicans...! INVESTIGATE...PROSECUTE...IMPEACH...IMPRISON...EXECUTE...!

The truly shocking thing about this public crucifixtion of Ion Sancho is that it's so blatant, unsubtle and in-your-face. Jebbie-Baby isn't offering even a pretense of even-handedness and legality, and the corporate gang has descended on an elected official in open hostility. This country has been commandeered and co-opted so thoroughly that the thugs don't even have to hide anymore.

Thank you, Mr. Sancho. Stay safe.

Sorry - "crucifixion" WHEN will I learn to proofread?

For Plunger: I suspect Republicans have already factored third parties into the vote-flipping process.

In Cuyahoga County, Ohio (Cleveland), the Greens and Libertarians received extraordinary blocks of votes which should have gone to Kerry according to voter registration and historical factors. I don't have the exact numbers, but it was something on the order of 4,000 votes for third-party candidates in one precinct, where the same parties had gotten only a handful in 2000 (fewer than 100).

Votes can be flipped every which way. As I understand it, a card can be inserted that flips every tenth vote, or every twentieth vote, to a default line. What's a default line? I believe it's whichever line is on top...it could be a Republican, or it could be a Libertarian, or it could be a Democrat (in which case, nothing is flipped, of course). So in Cuyahoga County, if a third-party candidate happened to be on the default line, it would explain how he got thousands of votes when he expected ten or twenty.

The fact that Ellen Connelly, the African-American judge candidate from Cleveland who was almost unknown outside her home area outpolled Kerry in Southwestern Ohio almost certainly is an example of a straightforward flipping of Kerry votes to Bush. They didn't bother to flip Connelly's votes to the Republican, because they knew he'd win, anyway. If they had been smart, they'd have flipped her votes also, because the discrepancy stands out like a sore thumb.

This is so great! Thankyou Mr.Sanchez!

Now, once we get rid of the Deibold machines and their ilk maybe we can go that one giant step further toward better and more responsive elections by making IRV the law of the land.
Instant Runoff Voting is the most feasable way at this point to give people a real choice, because it allows a person a first AND second choice, a chance to vote for something besides Repug or Dimocrat, something closer to what they REALLY want without having their vote automatically default to what they really DON'T want. And it is probably more do-able at this point than election finance reform, which is hamstrung also by having only 2 parties (that are essentially morphing into one, it seems.)

This is part of a message I received from Janet L. Olin, Assistant Supervisor of Elections here in Leon County in regards to helping defend Mr. Sancho's exposing the vulnerabilities of voting machines. It took a lot of courage for this man to stand up to the entrenched Republican culture of corruption we have here in Florida. It would not surprise me in the least if he loses his job over this.

"You could help our efforts further by contacting those in authority that can make the difference, such as the Governor, committee members of the ethics and elections committee of the Florida Legislature.......We hope there are communications such as yours to our county commission supporting the actions taken by Supervisor Sancho."

Perhaps some of the '6 or 7' Bradblog readers could help out with some calls, faxes or emails. Below are the numbers and addresses. I'm going to try and do a short video from that meeting.

This is the Secretary of State, Sue Cobb's email address, who is causing a lot of the problems. She is no different than Katherine Harris, whom I doubt no one has forgotten. All three voting machine companies that are certified to sell machines in Florida are refusing to sell machines to our county because of Mr. Sancho's courageous stand. Sue Cobb refuses to certify any of the other systems like the paper marking system discussed earlier on your site. We could also go to paper only voting in this state eliminating all these problems, which she also refuses to do. This is all because the Republicans in state are not only in bed with the voting machine companies but are humping like teenagers in orgy of cronyism.
secretaryofstate@dos.state.fl.us

Others:

jeb.bush@myflorida.com

Florida Commission on Ethics
(850) 488-3077 fax
(850) 488-7864 tel

Florida Elections Commission- this is an important one!!
(850) 922-4539
http://election.dos.stat...ontactus/emailForm.shtml

Leon County Commissioners:
proctorb@leoncountyfl.gov
saulsj@leoncountyfl.gov
danw@leoncountyfl.gov
rackleffhsd@earthlink.net (defended Mr. Sancho- please thank him)
cliff@leoncountyfl.gov

grippat@leoncountyfl.gov
depuye@leoncountyfl.gov
This is the commissioner that attacked Mr. Sancho, so much so that the other Republican on the Board (Tony Grippa) apologized for his fat mouth. The whole time the Commission was going on Tony Grippa was looking at blackboxvoting.com on his laptop, apparently astounded that all the systems certified by the state of Florida have problems. Grippa's call to convene a grand jury to investigate Ion Sancho was (or appeared to be) more to find out why no one will sell machines to Leon County unlike Commissioner Ed DePuy, a Republican lobbyist, who wanted to know the answer to that question too (although he damn well already knows the answer- his cronies are blackballing Mr Sancho and this grand jury attempt is payback!).
depuye@leoncountyfl.gov
--
Sincerely,
Robert M.
blueblogsradio.com

Hi Peg! Cheer up! There are so many more of us than there are of them, and I, for one, having once been a minimally at best willing soldier for the US, feel confident in saying that Kent State could never happen again. I sure hope I'm right...

Ooops,I meant Mr Sancho.

AND Yes, Plunger, I aggree with you about voting for anyone except the two major parties, but Alas! The way the system works right now, even without the fraud, we will only continue to lose that way. For instance, Right now Maine has 17 candidates for governor, among which is one in particualr, anti-war, with great ideas I would love to see happen, but considering the great risk of my vote defaulting to a Republican candidate, I have to re-consider that Dem Governor Baldacci ain't that bad, and has a good Health plan pending for Maine that would probably get decapitated by a Repug getting in there. Now, If I could vote for Nancy Oden as my first choice, and Baldacci SECOND, I would be only too happy to get out on that limb!

Beyond that, I have written for years that the best way to clean the big dirty money out of our Electoral system is to basically BAN all Political ADVERTISING on the media and require extensive weekly DEBATES instead, among ALL comers, and provided FREE by the Media in return for the "Public Service" they were originally required to do in exchange for having gotten free use of OUR airwaves back in the 50's, at the dawn of TV, that they all got so rich and powerful on! (Something more meaningful than the 10 seconds or so of "emergency alert" testing they do per week! )THAT would immediately take out the biggest chunk of what it costs to get elected, along with the relentless money grubbing and favor-currying, which can in the end only get us more sold-out crooks in office.

Bia Winter:

I've stated the exact same concept with respect to debates vs. advertising...agree 100%

5 free channels of 24/7 debate.

We own the airwaves.

Thanks for the link, Joan.
I emailed my support and concerns to Ion.

This is a critical time to act. I doubt we will get many opportunities like this, but every effort is being taken by those in power to crush this effort.

'Freedoms on the March' right outta this country.

Gr8gol4 #56

Many thanks for passing on the info about who we can contact to make the most impact in support of Ion Sancho.

BIA WINTER - I totally agree with the TV Debate idea ! AND a mandatory set amount to spend counting free jet rides, all the excuses to provide money for. I can't believe the public would not want to have tax money going for this.

You cut down the running state to state, pressing the flesh as they call it.

Let them all have specified time debating in front of the camera.

For brave Mr. Sancho, media attention is what he needs, how about contacting Lou Dobbs, he may take up the cause.

[My email to the Florida Elections Commission]

To the Florida Elections Commission:

Florida should be giving Ion Sancho a raise, not threatening him. He has demonstrated that he is guided by what is in the best interest of Florida 's voters.

Florida should be taking action to sue the voting machine companies who have refused to sell machines to Ion Sancho, who have refused to provide paid-for upgrades and have breached their contract, who have lied to election officials, and who have sold equipment that is not HAVA compliant.

And Florida should repeal its recent law that makes hand-counting of elections illegal. Hand-counting, when done properly, is both more accurate and more cost-effective than any of the insecure, hackable, unreliable "solutions" being pushed on Florida by the vendors who have so far been certified.

And why have neither the AutoPad nor AutoMark been certified yet?

Ion Sancho deserves your respect and thanks. He is being lauded throughout the country for his integrity and service to American democracy. Please wake up--Ion Sancho is protecting the interests of Florida's elections--why aren't you?

Best regards,

Catherine [redacted]
Ireland
(registered voter currently living abroad)

link to the form to submit your own letter:
http://election.dos.stat...ontactus/emailForm.shtml

Ion Sancho - you have my deepest respect and admiration for your stamina and courage in staying on the FRONT LINES, all on your own, in defense of our democracy.

It sounds like some of the Florida media is waking up. I read the great Miami Herald editorial by Fred Grimm that Bev linked to in her DailyKos diary about this. THANKS Fred. Ion needed that. This country needed that.

I remind everyone again of the SPONSOR of that despicable, rigged HAVA law: Bob Ney, corrupt Diebold pal and Member of Congress from Ohio. Corrupt politicians in Florida are trying to hang an HONEST public servant by using a thoroughly corrupt, voting-machine-vendor-written-law to enforce illogical, unworkable deadlines. Deadlines written to FORCE the hand of public officials all across this country, by bribing them with federal taxpayer dollars so that they will choose one of the connected for-profit corporations to be the recipient of this pass-through federal largesse, the consequences on their state's vote-counting be damned. This is a banana republic state of affairs, right here in America. Period.

If the voters of Florida don't rebel against this abuse of Sancho --- they really are behaving like residents of a banana republic. Try to live up to the ideals of this nation, Florida. Your timidity and deference to corrupt authority has already dearly cost this country in one notorious federal presidential election, as you know all too well.

Florida citizens: Join with Ion, shoulder to shoulder, and stand your ground!

for a country which likes to pat itself on the back for being democratic there is a mind-boggling lack of concern about this topic.

if fact the momentum looks to be in favor of going forward with unsecured voting from now on.

the 2006 elections are already out the window at this point

i wouldn't have given this article such a rosy title, it should read something more like 'unsecured voting here to stay... get used to it'

I appreciate all of the emails and telephone numbers of officials here in Florida. I've called and written them all before and received no response whatsoever. However, along with the Miami Herald, The Ft. lauderdale Sun-Sentinel has printed a few "letters to the Editor" and I encourage everyone who is local in Florida to definitely write to your local newspaper and call your television newsroom affiliate. Unfortunately I cannot have another letter printed for 60 more days, but I can use the dang telephone over and over. Jeb Bush recently entertained several select Republican legislators and "company officials" (of an unnamed company he is encouraging to move to Florida or were they voting company executives?). We have no way of knowing. The minutes of this meeting have not been made public or the names of those in attendance. This is in violation of Florida's Sunshine Law. Be certain to mention this action when you write or call.

everyone should request an absentee paper ballot, only a fool would use a this system.

Re: my letter #63

That should have been "VotePad" (not AutoPad). Thanks to John Washburn at BBV for the correction.

I e-mailed Mr. Sancho all the info on Vote-PAD and several search results on the same.

Tellling everyone reading this article he should use it without telling Mr. Sancho himself that it exists and where to find it is useless.

Hopefully he will read the e-mails and get past this mess, as well as provide an example for other elections administrators who think e-voting stinks.

Dan

James #65 said, "everyone should request an absentee paper ballot, only a fool would use a this system."

* * *

You might want to reconsider, James, depending on what kind of equipment is in use.

Jim March has recently posted this at BBV:

"Update 2006: we now know that Diebold's latest central-count absentee ballot scanners (version 2.0.12) don't leave their own record of votes taken in - in other words, they have no equivelent of a "poll tape" or local memory storage. In other words, the absentee ballot data is ONLY found in GEMS and is attackable as outlined here and elsewhere (links to follow)." [link to this post is below]

As Jim describes, in this scenario there is no limit on the amount of hacking that can be done using only the absentee ballots and how they're counted on the Diebold scanner.

This means an ethical election official could be given phony results from the GEMS computer, and there's no way to discover this from the usual security-fig-leaf of the audit logs.

In some elections, the results can be decided by the absentee ballots alone. If you rig the absentee ballots you can rig the whole election. If the new Diebold scanner software is being used, you won't be caught unless all the absentee ballots are hand counted. In Florida, hand-counting ballots is now illegal. In many other states the situations in which even partial hand recounts are done is severely restricted.

See the screen shots Jim March has just posted over at BBV, which show a few of the various was that the GEMS central count computer can be hacked:
http://www.bbvforums.org...amp;post=18505#POST18505

What's really sickening is that Diebold was pro-active in removing the audit capability for absentee ballots. It didn't happen by accident. There used to be an audit log for absentee ballots on the Diebold absentee ballot scanners, and then Diebold removed it.

Nice, huh?!

Thank you #56....I've been wondering what I could do. This is a good place to start.

Re #40

You're suggesting
"...Mass protests so big that the news media COULDN'T POSSIBLEY ignore..."

Maybe you don't remember the worldwide protests that took place the February before the war. There were literally millions of people in the streets, in numerous countries, protesting simultaneously.

There was precious little coverage of any of it in the media.

I really think people do not get it:
They have the presidency, the Senate, the House of Representatives, and a majority on the Supreme Court.
They have silenced the media. They are doing away with checks & balances. They are re-writing laws after breaking them.
They are trampling on the Constitution & the Bill of Rights.
The small cabal that has taken over the United States has virtually ALL the power.

You can blame us ordinary Americans if you wish...for not seeing it coming, for being too stupid or too trusting or too apathetic. Maybe we are all of the above.
I really don't know anymore.

Thank you Mr. Sanchez. Maybe we need to give all these college students a job developing an open source voting system. Let the corporations go vote themselves.

It's good to see the red siren back!!!

Plunger, Texaslady (is that you, Suzi?)

We all need to keep focused on these keys to the Democratic mechanism and keep cranking them hard, right up until the Empire throws us into the Gulag.! heheh No,seriously (but Seriously) all the writing, the demonstrations, the many big and little acts of resistance really DO add up, and I think I'll make IRV my next project in politics. Last time, I went to a symposium in Maine where the lady from Northampton,Mass, the first town to pass a Resolution against the "Patriot"Act, basically gave us all a "Receipe" how to do it. I was at onceappalledandfired-up,and sat at the polls in our little town of Mt Vernon a few days later and educated them about this terrible bill, and collected way enough interested signatures of people who wanted such a resolution for Mt.Vernon We had to gather the signatures twice because the next time we had the resolution crafted, using language already approved by Waterville and Bangor, with help from them and our librarian, ;the local store posted the petition, etc. So we got it on the warrant for the town meeting and it was overwhelmingly passed, with our Arch Conservatives (real ones) standing up to speak for it. Quite a moment in Grassroots Democracy! Still brings tears to my eyes! Gotta have more of it, everywhere.!

As to the media, they will not do anything that is not actively demanded of them.. a boycott, maybe? But with better people in Congress, we should be able to demand a law to ensure that, along with all their power over us, they also need to accept this responsibility, instead of just sucking up the profits every four years at our varied and considerable expense!

(btw we still vote with pencil & paper, and count until it's ALL done, no hanky-panky at ALL! The only thing that would make it better would be getting a receipt.)

Anyway, Thanks to the lady with all the contacts, too!

....and if the guys won't do it the Ladies wILL!

I Like your letter, Catherine!

Yes, why not hand-count everywhere..AND give a receipt! (I like the idea that if there's any vote-stealing the perpetrators will know the evidence is OUT THERE! It'll help keep 'em honest.)

Yes, why not? Even in big cites! There's unemployment, isn't there? Make it a national holiday and maybe get the schoolchildren to help like they do in some countries.

Watch the thirty somethings at night on C Span ?

They tell it like it is

Kendrick Meek for President, he's the shit

Well, the Republicans really don't 'have the Senate' --- so long as there are enough Democrats to maintain a filibuster, which there are; it allowed them to filibuster today in opposition to the Dubai Ports deal. One huge problem we have is the lack of principled action by the leadership and members of the Democratic Party in Congress, to-date. [The Patriot Act passed the House this week with a 2/3 majority, including 66 Democrats, resulting in a 2-vote margin which could have, and should have, been easily blocked by the Democratic Party.]

My suggestion, in lieu of the uncovered, and too wide-spread and thus dissipated impact of, traditional street protests, is to focus the impact of the protest. Meaning putting citizens in the Halls of Congress, and in the House and Senate office buildings. To confront members walking the halls, and to silently protest where possible. This could be organized as a rotating effort, coordinated by big blogs who are interested (BoomanTribune.com would help I think), or by another method. People from all around the country could take turns traveling to D.C. for a few days at a time to do their share and to take part in this "People's Protest." That's where the elite live --- let's confront them in their own space.

On the ban on hand-counting in Florida: this is eye-opening. Does it also mean no RECOUNTS are possible if hand-counting paper trails is the point of the recount...? That is a huge deal. Real recounts HAVE to include hand-counting of paper, or they're just a sham. Looks like Florida is already a police state.

blackboxvoting.ORG

I am very, very grateful to Ion Sancho.

Catherine, on your notes on absentee vote counting... I wonder if some "dickering" with votes accounted for some of the vote differential in the San Diego mayoral election, where the the absentee ballots advantage to Jerry Sanders over Donna Frye far exceeded the advantage of those votes cast on election day at the polls (which was something like 51% to 49% or 50% to 50%). That of course was the same election where Jim March got arrested for trying to get close to the central tabulator machine when they were being kept far enough away from the observor's booth to prevent obvservors from having a good view of what was being done on those machines. There was a "parallel" voting experiment that lead to a partial recount, but not sure how the absentee ballots were being recounted or not. Then again, it perhaps could have been to the Frye campaign not focusing as heavily on targeting absentee voters as Sanders' campaign did too that accounted for the difference as well.

TexasLady #62,I did contact Lou Dobbs to Thank him for sticking to his guns over the Dubai deal,I told him more people would stick up for their country if they knew the truth.I also asked him to look into Ion Sancho and whats going on in Florida w/ the Electronic voting machines.I hope it works! Maybe if six or seven people e-mailed him he would like the attention he would get. I listened to the senate this morning and Harry Reid quoted Lou Dobbs about the port deal. It would be great if Harry Reid would talk about Ion Sancho on the floor of the senate. I think this is the time for this to be brought to the public. We need a public outcry about this subject like what happened with the ports.

Laura
I did the same thing. I contacted Lou Dobbs (twice now). Yes, let's hope we can get some national exposure on this. Now that journalists are being threatened with jail for just possessing classified documents maybe they'll get some cahonees and stand up to these fascists.

#65 & #67:

I was planning on voting by absentee ballot too. What do we do?

I think there should be an "ABSENTEE BALLOT VOTE CLEARING HOUSE" established for the express purpose of COUNTING the votes. All Dems and independents could send their completed absentee ballots to the CLEARINGHOUSE, who could then send all of our ballots in one single package. And there could be a cover sheet, signed by the counters under penalty of perjury, and notarized, that states "THE FOLLOWING ARE THE NUMBER OF VOTES FOR THE CANDIDATES:"

Then, if the results from the Diebold (Sequoia, ES&S, whomever) absentee ballot scanner/counting machines do not match the vote counts from the CLEARINGHOUSE, there would be PROOF OF FRAUD.

It would cost some money, but I would be willing to volunteer in the count.

Pran

#31 CZARAGORN:

You said:

. . . . . "it looks like our real concern should be a 'national emergency' of some sort that would suspend elections and excuse the imposition of martial law. And we should be very concerned, indeed, as the crew of miscreants in power right now seems to lap up those 'national emergencies,' aka 'trifectas'."

I think you are right. I think that this is precisely why the WH keeps feeding the MSM all the BS about IRAN, and why the WH is warning IRAN about its nuclear capabilities. A US attack on Iran would be absolutely maniacal (by any reasonable political leadership), but it would be a perfect reason to impose Martial Law and suspend the 2008 election.

Iran would be blowing various parts of this country to smithereens, WITH NUKES, if we were to attack them. (Iran is preparing for a Bush attack right now.) And there is little "the people" can do when we are suffering under a despotic ruler, backed by a huge "military industrial complex," which Eisenhower warned us about in his 1961 Farewell Address.

Pran

#71
BIA Winter,
Whe are you that you can say
"...btwer we still vote with pencil & paper, and count until it's ALL done..."?

THIS IS WHAT WE NEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (imho!!!)

To John Gideon:

I tried emailing you (it failed) so I will say it to you here:
Firstly, THANK YOU...to you & Brad & those like you...for all your work on our behalf.

But secondly:
I do not understand the push for a "verifiable paper trail". HOW is this really "a step in the right direction" (as has been said here recently)??

Would it not be better to push for PAPER BALLOTS & PENCILS?

Seriously, I wish we could dig an enormous hole & just plow all these hackable & hacked voting machines into it & bury them.

I have been worrying that I cannot keep up with all this...it is making my heart ache & my eyes bleed...so I'm not going to try.
I'm just going to try & do what I can while trying to maintain my sanity & a certain amount of serenity, as far as I am able.

Whoever said up there:
the R's don't "have" the Senate, because there are enough D's for a filibuster:
ok, but they do not USE it, their behavior belies their words time & again. I can only conclude (because it's logical & an unavoidable conclusion) that most of the D's are either wholly complicit or have been bought/bribed/threatened/blackmailed to "go along with it". They are democrats in name only. Most of them.

I am in Florida, & I'm appalled that hand recounts are now illegal. Yes, I agree, it seems Florida is already--or is on its way to being--a police state. Well, we've got Jeb, so no big surprise.

That's another thing I don't see the logic of: absentee ballots. The arguments I've heard for them make no sense.
I mean, yes of course if you're away; but people speak of absentee ballots as if they are somehow more secure than a regular ballot. Why?
Can someone please explain this to me?

We voted in '04 by absentee ballot. I have no idea & no way of verifying that our ballots did not end up in somebody's trunk. Right next to a big box of regular ballots.
I really prefer the bury-every-goddamn-electronic-voting-machine-in-a-big-hole solution.
Makes about as much sense as anything else I've heard.

Re my #80 post
My question to BIA Winter should have read "Where are you"....etc. Sorry.

Wow… so much anger! What makes any of you think that a corporation like Diebold is in any way that coordinated or institutionally evil? If they are as smart and diabolical as you all believe, how is it their stock is doing so poorly?

If you need a target for your frustrations, so be it, but you should all take a breath once in a while. Sheesh!

In a country increasingly ruled by legal precedent, it is in no way shocking that none of the DRE manufacturers wants to do business with Mr. Sancho. He certainly seems to be a customer that is just as likely to turn on you as work with you. From a business perspective, what would be in it for them?

For those of you suggesting that paper ballots are the only proper form of voting, I would like to remind you that many corrupt regimes have maintained power through manipulating paper ballots. I would propose that you consider the society you live in as a better barometer of your chances for a fair electoral process than the mechanism by which you cast your ballot.

“Teach your children well
Their father's hell did slowly go by” CSN&Y

#83
"...If you need a target for your frustrations, so be it, but you should all take a breath once in a while. Sheesh!..."

What a completely idiotic statement!!

So you would recommend going out in the backyard to smell the roses while your house is being set on fire?

Forgive us for being somewhat alarmed that our system of government is being twisted like a rag doll in the hands of a demented big brother.

"...What makes any of you think that a corporation like Diebold is in any way that coordinated or institutionally evil?"

If you can say that with a straight face, you REALLY have not been paying attention.

We Count. #74

But you don't count very well.

List any committee in the senate (or the house) that has one democrat as chairman. List any committee in the senate (or the house) that has a majority of members that are democrats.

List one democrat that is president, vice president, Secretary of any Cabinet position, attorney general, or UN Ambassador.

What a republican talking point it is to blame the minority democrats and independents for the obvious and blatant wrongs of the republican majority.

What sheer injustice to blame the victim for what the perpetrator has done.

Frist has vowed to do away with the filibuster if it is used contrary to his wishes.

How far you go to distort the truth. You have the senses of a fascist.

Amazed #83

It is not anger, it is righteous indignation. It has been quite measured and well balanced.

It is pure unadulterated righteous indignation against fascism and all it stands for. And it is growing steadily and there will be hell to pay.

We are just getting started.

Amazed
It's amazing to us that you and others like you are so blind to what is happening in this country. Or perhaps you are not blind. Complicit might be a better description. Blaming the democrats for the problems we are having is like blaming a rape victim. In fact, they are being raped. They can't even get a proper room to hold hearings in to get the truth out. The fire alarm is going off loud and clear and ignoring it is the eqivalent of being a political arsonist. We have the hoses and the water pressure is building up.

I applaud Mr. Sancho for taking his responsibility and oath to the Constitution seriously. At least one elected official still knows what his duties are, unlike the 90 or so Senators, both Republican and Democrats, who recently voted to extend the Patriot Act.
Please folks, demand that your elected officials take note of this story. It's not about Republicans or Democrats, they are nearly all crooked and corrupt. It's time for a cleaning out of the Legislature in every local from the smallest town to the Senate and House, then maybe we can put the Bush, Clinton and Bush Sr. cabal into jail where they all belong and take back our country.

(Amazed #83) "...From a business perspective, what would be in it for them?..."

This is why my vote should not be privatized, and tallied on unaccountable, hack-able, machines - business perspective be damned!

This isn't about business. This is about assuring that votes are accurately and honestly counted.

They are not.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
**'Expose Tom Feeney'**
"SUPPORT CLINT CURTIS!"
__www.clintcurtis.com__
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Amazed #83
So you think there's something wrong with complaining about a product you purchased that malfunctions?

There have been major malfunctions with all the big voting machine companies' products. See votersunite.org and look at their list of proven malfunctions by manufacturer.

Past problems with paper ballots ignores the fact that there are nowadays modern ways of documenting custody chain of ballots and non-partisan observers at every step. This ensures that using paper ballots is more accurate and more secure than when electronics are involved.

"Amazed" wrote in #83:
[Mr. Sancho] certainly seems to be a customer that is just as likely to turn on you as work with you.

Turn on them? Quite the opposite: Sancho did their job for them.

Diebold paid an ITA to find the defects in the system. The ITA failed utterly (found no defects) but you can bet the ITA didn't give Diebold's money back.

Diebold paid Steve Moreland to inform customers about the memory cards. Moreland failed utterly (told customers there's no software on the memory cards) but you can bet Moreland didn't give his salary back.

Sancho and his two hackers did part of the ITA's job (found some critical defects) at no cost to Diebold. Then they did part of Moreland's job (informed Diebold's other customers) at no cost to Diebold.

Any honest company would be happy to have a customer like Sancho. If three companies are refusing to sell to his county, we can assume that ALL THREE companies are dishonest. If the Jeb Bush administration has blackballed every company except those three dishonest ones, we can assume that the Jeb Bush administration is dishonest.

While we keep up the pressure for verifiable voting, let's also grow an overwhelming force to defeat the Corrupticons at the polls November 7, 2006

Phil

Corrected link

sent to

Division of Elections - Florida Department of State

It would appear that Mr Ion Sancho should have a statue along side Paul Revere for PROVING that the three approved electronic voting systems are hopelessly flawed and any believable election on them impossible no matter the result.

I understand that Vote-pad and Auto-mark have both better records but are not authorized.

And in the interest of saving Florida Taxpayers, I understand that the Austrailian system is absolutely free and open source, eliminating any questions of security, or fraud, and saving taxpayers millions of dollars to boot!

Why is it, after all this time, with so much PROVEN chicanery, the Greatest country in the world still is talking about a voting system a THird World country would reject and the WHOLE World is laughing at us about?

Robert Danforth
------------------
Winter Park, FL

CC-Brad Blog-FreeDem blog

I am going to try to start a petition drive for rejecting any kind of electronic voting system.I am amazed that the whole country of ordinary citizens,which includes most of us,aren't mobilizing to END VOTER FRAUD,WHAT'S WRONG WITH PAPER BALLOTS, MAKED WITH PENCILS,AND COUNTED BY HUMAN BEINGS????THIS OUTRAGE OF ELECTION THEFT MUST STOP,NOW!!OUR LIVES ARE AT STAKE HERE,LET'S JOIN TOGETHER,AND DEMAND PAPER BALLOTS,PLAIN AND SIMPLE,AND TOGETHER WE CAN TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK!!I AM PROPOSING THIS PROCESS FOR EVERY STATE IN THE COUNTRY,NOW LET'S SEE HOW MANY POLITICIANS WILL SIGN ON,TOO!!!

The logic of the government attacking Mr. Sancho instead of Diebold is completely in line with the Republican mind set. Remember that the migras refused visas to two women who were part of the Iraqi group that came to talk to the people of America about the effects of the war. The excuse was that since the US military had "accidentally" killed all their immediate family at a checkpoint, these women might overstay their visas.

The more I read on the state of corruption we are living in the less and less I am amazed. Well, the way all of this is done right out there in the “for everyone to see” and is so obvious still does amaze me. According to the polls fortunately, it would seem people are waking up. But still, it is pretty amazing is there are still people in denial that still believe in the administration.

Thank you Ion Sancho. We need more like you to get control of the country back into the hands of “We the People”. Thank you for pointing out that basic math is a non-partisan science; 1 + 1 = 3 is just wrong no matter how much you paid for the answer to come out that way. 1 + 1 = 2 is, and always will be the correct answer, and that doesn’t cost a dime.

Dredd -

I'm serious. And there's no need to throw around the word "fascist" like that. My post had absolutely nothing "fascist" about it. And I did not knowingly "distort the truth" --- unless you consider the "truth" to be that the Democrats are BLAMELESS bystanders to this train wreck, which is exactly what they are busily trying to persuade the country to believe? By not specifically mentioning the actions of the majority Republicans, I was not excusing them (since I know everyone posting here is only too aware of their destructive actions). I was simply calling the elected representatives of the people to account for their ACTIONS, or lack thereof.

I'm sorry if this bothered you. I understand the actions of the majority Republicans are far, far, far worse than the inaction of the Democrats in their minority position. But I also understand only too clearly how some of the most significant, and despicable, actions of the Republicans COULD have been BLOCKED by the Congressional Democrats (minority or not) just in the last few months, had they really given a damn, and acted with principled unity. My post pointed out one recent example of such unity by way of a filibuster, which you glided right over. The "nuclear option" on filibusters, for your information, applies ONLY to judicial nominations, not to legislation.

Perhaps you don't know, or care, that the grotesque HAVA law was passed 357-48 in the House, and 92-2 in the Senate, in 2002. Well, I do care. A lot of DEMOCRATS, as well as Republicans, obviously couldn't be bothered with doing due diligence to ensure the future integrity of VOTING and VOTE-COUNTING in this country. That is appalling. Big-time defense contractors helped lobby the Congress, and I guess that's all it takes in this day and age to sweet talk them into buying a pig in a poke. Because that is what they bought, to the tune of $3.9 BILLION, and it will cost us more money, time, and democracy to try to undo the dreadful damage this law has done, and continues to do, to our nation.

I expect the Legislative Branch of goverment to ACT like a separate, co-equal branch of government, regardless of political party. The Democrats are almost silent in the face of the unimaginable desecration to our system of government that is being openly conducted by the Republican Party. I simply cannot trust the Democrats to change much of anything, should they regain the majority this fall, unless their words and actions start demonstrating more principle than the feeble platitudes that most of them have been issuing do. [On this point, I am in accord with Joan in Florida to whose post I was responding in part, and who responded to mine, in part. Joan and I agree that the Democrats ARE part of the problem. Apparently you passionately disagree. So be it.]

I don't disagree, WC. Democrats, at least a majority of them, are bought off just like the republicants. That's obvious. A good reason to back these vets coming back from Iraq. They are untouched, so far, by this tainted system. Hopefully they have the fortitude to remain that way but the corporatacracy is pretty strong and no one wants to end up like JFK. The best way to stop this is to get into the streets and bring attention to the situation. Getting the MSM to cover this is like trying to get a cow to jump over the moon.

WC #97 & Roger #98

You are wrong on your facts and especially wrong on your law.

I have irritated folk here posting the underlying legal structure of the US Congress:

"The chair of each committee and a majority of its [committees] members represent the majority party" (link here).

You are under the myth, promoted by republicans, that we have a two or more party system in the Congress.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

That is why each and every committee in the house and the senate is chaired (controlled) by the republicans. That is why each and every committee vote count in the house and the senate is controlled by the republicans. I mean they are the one and only majority vote on each and every committee in the house and the senate.

So you think the minority should be chastened for not having the most votes or for not having their own chair on each and every committee in the house and the senate?

That is the law of the House and of the Senate. This is not two or more political party rule, no, it is the law of ONE PARTY RULE.

Remember the recent NSA oversight hearings about spying on Americans was killed by the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

You can shoot the messenger, me, if you want. However, that will not change your incorrect assessment of the power structure of congress.

And as to a fillibuster. If you think congress can be run or even disrupted by fillibuster, you are way, way out of touch with reality.

The congressional committee is the womb of all congressional offspring - legislation and oversight.

The committee chairs and majority votes act well before any fillibuster can be campaigned for. The filibuster does not work in committee when the chair dictates what the committee will and will not do. Once it gets to the committee, the chair governs the proceedings, and the republican majority votes. The minority cannot stop any such activity with a filibuster there ... when the republicans vote in lockstep.

The very first embryonic beginning of any filibuster is when a republican steps out of lockstep. Even when all democrats vote one way or another in the committee it is absolutely meaningless until and unless one or more republicans first get out of lock-step.

Your blame, to be just, must blame the republicans on each and every committee for not stepping out of lock-step first.

No, you are missinformed. You do not yet understand that congress is a one-party organ, and the majority rules over the minority.

Dredd

I know this. That wasnt my point. Most of these vets running are running as democrats and if they get in and if the democrats take back Congress (a lot of if's), they will NOT necessarilly side with the chairman's wishes. If nothing else, the democrats don't vote in lockstep as the republicants do.

Roger #100

You said "They are untouched, so far, by this tainted system."

They are the most touched by this tainted system.

They have, in a republican misguied war, gone to a nation that was no threat to us. Invaded it. Occupied it. Tortured it.

And they are untouched?

Roger, pass the frickin kool aid to someone who believes democracy comes from the end of a barrel.

I am unpersuaded.

Dredd
Get off the soapbox and stop thinking you have a better handle on what's going on. We're on the same side. By untouched I mean in the corupt political arena. The only way it will change is from within. And serving over in Iraq was there job. Do you think it would have been better had they deserted? They did what they signed up for. It's not their fault that the military is being abused as it is. Yes they invaded and occupied but you don't know that they participated in torture unless by that you mean any infliction of harm. But they have a perspective that has credibility and can reach more people that believe this war is foolish. Unfortunately many of them are being shut out instead of embraced. And I don't drink kool aid nor do drugs or even drink alcohol. And some in my family think I'm crazy for my positions against this administration and republican congress. Unfortunately many democrats have sold out too so we're running out of options.

Last night, at the Leon County Commission, Commissioner Cliff Thaell (another local hero) offered a resolution in support of Ion Sancho which despite some sarcasim by Tony Grippa, passed with every commissioner voting in favor. At least in one small Southern county, the 'pubs have figured out it's better to back down. Three hips and one large hurrah for Ion, who has been my personal hero for many years.

Dave
Leon County, FL

Is common sense back in fashion now? Good work Dave and everybody else who supported Mr. Sancho. It's about time that we're seeing some results. Encouraging, very encouraging.

deibold et al has declared war on the voters of this country and we must rise to the ocasion. thank you sancho

When they figure out how that many people voted for a Democrat in Florida, can they go to California and figure it out there. Democrats tried fear tactics to get votes, but no way there can be that many sheep.

I also oneself something would want to find out on this theme. Very attentively I will read every post.

IF WE allow the corruption grow and spread out, taking away the essence and the spirit of the American people wich is FREEDOM AND HONESTY, by doing NOTHING.
We cannot be PROUD OF OUR PAST, and we have NO FUTURE!