Since this is bipartisan, I sent the email from the link you furnished.

My rep is a neoCon so I usually don't waste my time.

One thing I noticed is that the panel needs to be shored up with some EVM activists!!!

I want to mention another reason, albeit collateral, that the hearings are important.

Elections are the people's only way to curb rogue governmental actions like the Iraq war.

The Iraq war is now threatening to drag Turkey into the shooting war.

The House debate and vote today on the budget matters of the Iraq war, happening perhaps while the hearing on 811 is also being conducted, shows how difficult it is for the Congress, when it does not have enough votes on a matter, to stop a war.

It underscores the need to have an absolute reliable election system, which certainly includes valid, reliable, and verifiable machines and practices.

The people have spoken, however, there are people in the House and Senate who do not listen. Accountability for such hubris comes thru the election matters the committee will be considering.

Felten Blows It. Big Time.

Apparently he was dead serious when he wrote:
"Protect E-Voting — Support H.R. 811"
http://www.freedom-to-tinker.com/?p=1134

... and apparently he paid absolutely no attention to the critical comments he received on that article, because he repeats the "Holt II" errors verbatim in his speech to the committee. In fact he does not mention any flaws at all in the bill, which is quite disapointing:
http://www.freedom-to-ti...en_evoting_testimony.pdf

What's especially ironic is his assertion that "... using the electronic ballots for a quick first count is okay..." considering the Busby/Bilbray fiasco in progress.

Apparently Ed's own proofs that e-voting cannot be made secure isn't enough to stop him from advocating its continued use. I guess he's somebody else who bought into the EVM shills' declarations that "This is all the election reform we are going to allow you, so you'd better just shut the fuck up and take it and tell everybody else to do the same."

Sad.

Democracy fans,

Consider what Gov. Crist said in the hearing this morning. I keep wondering --- how did the Neo-con Repugnants allow him to be elected? He "gets" it... and he is actually pushing through pro-democracy legislation! Can someone let me know what is the 'hitch' here? I am seriously considering being a bit optimistic about this but I have been apoplectic for so many years now I am a bit rusty. Is this just a good-cop, bad-cop ploy? Do they have the opscans under such control that this is a safe gambit for the Repugs? Is the lack of auditing the escape hatch? Or is Crist a complete maverick? Help me sort this out or I am going to start feeling a bit of hope here, and I don't want to waste any of the tiny bit I have on another GOP con job!

"Moving forward, I would like to share with you the proposal that I am presenting to our Legislature during the current session in Florida. I’d like to emphasize that every aspect of this proposal is aimed at a commitment to ensuring that every Floridian’s vote will be counted and verifiable. This proposal will move Florida toward a comprehensive, streamlined elections system that uses a paper ballot in every voting precinct in time for the general election in the fall of 2008.

Our proposal has three major components. First we will replace of all touch screen voting machines in polling places with optical scanners. Optical scan voting machines have a proven track record for accuracy and provide a paper trail that can be used for any recount. As you know, this system allows for the voter to use a pencil to fill in a designated space on a paper ballot for each race. The voter would then insert the completed ballot into an optical scanning machine, which then records the vote on paper that can be used for verification purposes.

Second, we will provide a system known as “ballot on demand,” that will produce an optical scan ballot for all early voting sites. Ballot on demand is a ballot production system that can be utilized for absentee, provisional, and early voting.

Ballot on demand allows for individual optical scan ballots to be printed when the voter arrives for early voting thus eliminating the need for touchscreens with voter verifiable paper audit trails to be used at early voting sites. The benefits of the Ballot on Demand system, from an election management standpoint, are numerous.

With these two measures, 99% of ALL ballots in Florida would be on a voter-marked ballot; that is, each individual voter will physically mark their own ballot, rather than through a machine. "

Ginny (#4) I won't tell you not to be optimistic, but I've never seen an elected Rethuglican who didn't have an angle.

Crist is putting a whole bunch of the poor (mostly black, mostly democratic) supposed ex-felons (who weren't actually) back on the rolls after Jeb and Katherine Harrris took them off in order to steal the elections in 2000 and 2004. I don't believe for a single second he is doing this for altruistic or pro-democracy reasons.

I think the Rethuglicans have a VERY tight hold on the vote counting in Florida and want those people back on the rolls so they can MANIPULATE THEIR VOTES and increase the total votes for Rethuglicans. I wouldn't even be suprised if a lot of them show up as REGISTERED REPUBLICANS so that they can control the Rethuglican Primary process. I note that Florida is also trying to move early so they can be part of super-duper-wow Tuesday.

If their new "ballot printing" system is in place, I'm sure it puts hidden code into place that assures it gets counted the way the Rethuglicans WANT it counted, not the way it was voted.

I don't trust Crist or any other Rethuglican as far as I can spit on them. They care only about their party and not about the country and will do ANYTHING (legal, illegal, immoral, unethical, or whatever) to win.

Charlie L
POrtland, OR

It has begun. The psychological barrier has been broken. The House passed 218-212 the funding bill that includes a way out of Iraq. Good!

Since HR811 invokes Article 1, Section 4 of the US Consitution, and it would set a dangerous political precedent in the presentation of the election process to the public, then any discussion must also include just how far the government will consider going in "altering" the States' powers to determine the times, places, and particularly the manner of holding elections for Senatros and Representatives.

HR811 is the start of the constitutional discussion that has yet to take place concerning the limits of the federal government in mandating the conduct of federal elections. One key issue is how any imposed direction may affect all other elections in the states. Will federal direction have any special implications for the "civil rights" states where every election must have USDOJ approval? Will all states now have to file for approval with USDOJ for federal elections?

US Constitution, Article 1, Section 4. The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Place of Chusing Senators.

Again, HR 811 and its companion Senate bill bring elections to a new level. Legislation would do well to limit the kinds of equipment that would be certified and to require states to use federally certified equipment. Beyond that, there is a serious amd important conversation that must occur.

For instance, HAVA required the states to have a state-wide voter registration to manage the registration of the electorate and to assure that voters did not register in multiple areas of given states. However, despite the fact that it became known that some residents of Florida were also registered in NY, the government made no requirements that each state's new, state-wide voter registration system be able to cross-match voters in other states. Indeed, the states have used any variety of software and hardware to meet the "other" HAVA requirement. Nonetheless, beyond the statewide voter registration system, there was no move to create a federal registered voter database. Proponents and detractors alike might well agree that such a database would amount to a national identity program.

In this vein, HR 811 needs to be amended in order that the federal election mandate not create an Orwellian environment that facilitates too much "access" at the state level. The federal government, under HR 811, might well feel empowered to create other reporting requirements which, in effect, may impact the fair and impartial conduct of elections at the local levels.

Meesta Charlie says "I don't trust Crist or any other Rethuglican as far as I can spit on them."

I'm with ya bro, but this guy is for real
We're having terrible home insurance problems down here and he is definitely on the peoples side...watch this dude
he might be the future of things to come, like a Ron Paul/ Dennis Kucinich type
When he is up next time, he MIGHT be the first Puke I ever vote for

Here's our friend David Obey-Wisc, tearing the WaPo a new one...Good on him

Link You Tube

OT,...

The CF-MSM (Corporate Fascist) has come to finally realize that the KKKarl rove/bu$$hCo loyalists that were newly hired as US Attorneys has favorable political ramifications for the Republican Party. The New US Attorneys are notorious for circumventing the Civil Rights/Voting Laws.

...

They continue, "Since 2005, McClatchy Newspapers has found, Bush has appointed at least three U.S. attorneys who had worked in the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division when it was rolling back long-standing voting rights policies aimed at protecting predominantly poor, minority voters."

The report adds that a newly installed U.S. attorney, Tim Griffin of Little Rock, Ark., was accused of suppressing Democratic votes during the 2004 election while working as the research director for the Republican National Committee. Josh Marshall's TalkingPointsMemo.com was among the first to raise questions about Griffin's appointment in January. The BBC's Greg Palast also recently explored the Griffin appointment.

Bush's appointments seem to also have been electorally targeted.

(Surprise,.. surprise,.. surprise,..
KKarl rove appoints those who have a history to circumvent Voting Rights Laws as the head in-state federal law enforcer. Election fraud and voter disenfranchisement by Republican Party operatives is now no longer a crime. Have fun boys !!!!)

http://rawstory.com/news...rtisan_records_0323.html

OT,..

The CFMSM (Fascist) has come to finally realize that the KKKarl rove/bu$$hCo loyalists that were newly hired as US Attorneys has favorable political ramifications for the Republican Party. The New US Attorneys are notorious for circumventing the Civil Rights/Voting Laws.

...

They continue, "Since 2005, McClatchy Newspapers has found, Bush has appointed at least three U.S. attorneys who had worked in the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division when it was rolling back long-standing voting rights policies aimed at protecting predominantly poor, minority voters."

The report adds that a newly installed U.S. attorney, Tim Griffin of Little Rock, Ark., was accused of suppressing Democratic votes during the 2004 election while working as the research director for the Republican National Committee. Josh Marshall's TalkingPointsMemo.com was among the first to raise questions about Griffin's appointment in January. The BBC's Greg Palast also recently explored the Griffin appointment.

Bush's appointments seem to also have been electorally targeted.

(Surprise,.. surprise,.. surprise,..
KKarl rove appoints those who have a history to circumvent Voting Rights Laws as the head in-state federal law enforcer. Election fraud and voter disenfranchisement by Republican Party operatives is now no longer a crime. Have fun boys !!!!)

http://rawstory.com/news...rtisan_records_0323.html

http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/143056.html
At the end of Friday's hearing, McCarthy said he thinks the bill should be slowed down. "I take it from all the witnesses that there's still a lot of work to be done on this," he said.

"It's an aggressive schedule, but it's possible," Lofgren said.

Ghouls of the Thor Hearne ACVR scandal have arisen, and it isn't even halloween yet.

We now have a link to the new US Attorney in Arkansas, who was Rove's point man on "voter fraud" (anti-minority dems), and Rove and the ACVR conspiracy.

Check this out:

Another newly installed U.S. attorney, Tim Griffin in Little Rock, Ark., was accused of participating in efforts to suppress Democratic votes in Florida during the 2004 presidential election while he was a research director for the Republican National Committee.

(Link Here, emphasis added).

Before last year's election, I posted this:

The fact of the matter is that election felonies are being directed from the White House itself:

The fourth man indicted in a New Hampshire phone-jamming scheme --- in which Republican operatives jammed the phone lines of Democratic get-out-the-vote efforts in a 2002 Senate race --- will argue at trial that the Bush Administration and the national Republican Party gave their approval to the plan, according to a motion filed by his attorney Thursday.

(Raw Story, bold added).

It turns out that Bradblog was on the right trail when this was happening behind the scenes:

Suffice to say, Karl Rove spoke to Republican lawyers this weekend (carried on C-SPAN) and thanked them for their work ensuring "clean elections" in 2000 and 2004.

He singled out Mark F. "Thor" Hearne by name. Hearne was the National General Counsel for Bush/Cheney '04 Inc. who, along with RNC Communications Director Jim Dyke, created the so-called non-partisan "American Center for Voting Rights" (ACVR) just three days before being called to testify before Rep. Bob Ney's (R-OH) U.S. House Administrative Committee hearing in March of 2005 on the Ohio Election. The front group, which declared tax-exempt 501(c)3 status, has still failed, to our knowledge, to disclose any information of it's funders or proof of their 501(c)3 non-profit, non-partisan status. They operate out of a PO Box in Houston, TX, though neither of their founders live in Texas.

ACVR was the only "Voting Rights" group called by Ney to testify at the hearings, and identified himself only as a "longtime advocate of voter rights" in his testimony. He failed to mention his connections to Bush/Cheney '04 Inc.

(Bradblog Article, emphasis added).

Ney is now in prison where Gonzales and Rove should go ... after all Scooter will be there too.

Dredd, you've read this one haven't you ? pretty good IMO

"...Oddly enough, communications revealed in the course of the Great U.S. Attorney Purge document dump reveal that key figures within the administration used such email addresses as SJennings@gwb43.com....\"

Link, some comments are good too

KKKarl rove set-out to change the political landscape where Republicans can win every election and democ-RATS are denied any/all/each/every election victory.

The notion that United States Attorneys serve at the will of the pResident is true. But what is not true,.. is that the entire system of justice serves at the beck and call of bu$$hCo to be used as a raw political weapon. The United States Department of Justice is not a political instrument to be used by the fascist criminal elements of the bu$$h administration to marginalize or "kill off" their "political enemies" (opponents).

Why does it not surprise me that KKKarl Rove would pervert the justice department of government to this extent. Does America now realize why KKarl Rove, Harriet Miers, Alberto Gonzales among others must be questioned under oath with the penalties of perjury if they lie to Congress as they investigate this act of despotic fascism.

KKKarl Rove addresses the subject about how "voter fraud" issues must be combated/punished/and prosecuted to restore election integrity,.. (while all the while he and his fascist minions purge as many legal Democratic voters with a criminal catalog of methods to illegally deny their ability to vote - so that only Republicans can win elections and these jack-boot, brown-shirts can hijack control of our government.

snip:

"Last April, while the Justice Department and the White House were planning the firings (of US Attorneys), Rove gave a speech in Washington to the Republican National Lawyers Association," McClatchy reports. "He ticked off 11 states that he said could be pivotal in 2008. Bush has appointed new U.S. attorneys in nine of them since 2005: Florida, Colorado, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Arkansas, Michigan, Nevada and New Mexico. U.S. attorneys in the latter four were among those fired."

Rove later thanked the audience for "all that you are doing in those hot spots around the country to ensure that the integrity of the ballot is protected" and added, "A lot in American politics is up for grabs."

Source/link to above,..

http://rawstory.com/news...rtisan_records_0323.html