John, thanks for always being on top of things.

Time to start moving trial dates UP. The delay equals the further death of democracy itself.

A SPEEDY TRIAL!

John,

That is really funny. Junk dealers fighting over junk.

One man's junk is another man's treasure.

Dennis Kucinich says Dems are rigging election:

http://rawstory.com/news...are_rigging_08_0713.html

John,

I did a little searching for the term DRE:

DRE stands for "Direct Recording Electronic" ...

(DRE Definition). But more interesting is the machine evolution involved:

They are an electronic implementation of the old mechanical lever systems.

(DRE History, according to EAC).

I find, then, that Direct Recording Electronic is a technique, not any particular machine. And the technique is not limited to machines used only for voting. There is more to the story.

The technique and term is not limited to describing voting machines because there are many machines that are direct recording.

Take for example the venerable typewriter. A typewriter Directly Records to paper.

And as typewriters evolved into the first "word processors", they became Direct Recording Electronic, or DRE.

Later they saved to disk, which could still be called DRE because the storage is via electrons charged a certain way, and therefore electronic.

The technique is not limited to keyboard type input, but includes touch-screen or kiosk input as well:

The [user] directly enters choices into electronic storage with the use of a touch-screen, push-buttons, or similar device.

(DRE Definition, emphasis added). A bank ATM is likewise a DRE, then.

Some ATM's use touch screen others keypads, or both to get input from a user, then they record it electronically, then give a paper trail if you want.

Later you reconcile it with the bank statement. The technology is quite secure when it is used as intended.

The problem, as with all technology, is that human users can be dishonest and stink up the place.

Big Dan #4

Dennis needs to be careful that he does not become percieved as a gadfly (a person who persistently annoys or provokes others with criticism, schemes, ideas, demands, requests, etc.).

He needs to be cool so as not to jeopardize his HRes 333 to impeach Cheney by appearing shrill. Sad to say I have seen him do this a time or two.

I am talking about "the fly in the ointment" syndrome where even tho the gallon of ointment is just fine, some are run off by the little fly in it and therefore reject the whole thing.

RE: post #3 and speaking of voting news ...

Who says the Iraqi government is not democratic? They voted to take July and August off.

But now we know that they compromise after all, showing their american values.

After all, they were going to take July and August off and have a vacation.

This drove the bushie realm up the wall and near unto the edge of a psychological breakdown.

Tony Snow (a.k.a. SnowJob) said it was because it was 130 degrees over there.

Now the Iraqis and the bushies have compromised and as a result the Iraqi congress is only going to take one month off - August.

How about a game of challenge?

Who can guess how many american soldiers will die while the Iraqi "congress" is on vacation in August?

What should the reward be for guessing the closest?

Dredd, but if he's the best candidate, he's the best candidate. I think he should say what the truth about what's going on. And I don't think he's "for sale" like Hillary, Obama, and Edwards. Actually, like all of them, except Gravel.

Here's what Edwards and Hillary said:

"According to Fox, Edwards said, "...at some point...(unintelligible)...maybe the Fall...We should try to have...a more serious and a smaller group."

"Well...we...we've got to cut the number...because they are...because they are just being trivialized," Clinton responded."

Ummm...that sounds like THEY are deciding who WE get to vote for, by trying to limit the field! I think that is VERY SERIOUS!

Kucinich might be perceived as a gadfly (not by me), but the rest are corporate vultures.

Kucinich & Gravel: "NOT FOR SALE"!

Big Dan

I will wait for the voters to decide who should go and who should stay.

The words were interpreted to mean something that can have several meanings.

The voters will use one simple language. One I understand and pay attention to. They will thin out the field.

And it will be binding.

One good thing for Mr. Kuchinich, he will vote to hold Miers in contempt.

The bushies are dead set, Cheney at the helm, to relegate the congress to something like an old hound dog that cannot hunt.

And that will be the end of democracy as we know it.

The only polls the neoCons like (low ratings for congress) encourage the republican dictatorship builders to move forward.

The current handle for doing away with congress is the refusal to comply with subpoenas and oversight. Like Cheney once said to the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee (Senator Leahy), "Go fuck yourself".

The current message elevating the bushie regime above criminal punishment was demonstrated by the Libby jail commutation.

The bushies that have worked in the White What House and who have been "loyal", feel the pardon power of the president, and they have received the message he sent.

That message is that they cannot be prosecuted for crimes because he will take care of his bushies with the power to pardon.

The ramifications of this are the demise of american government as we have known it.

If you read this article by J. Rosen, this one by John Dean, and also this one by John Dean, the picture gets very focused.

Make no mistake, the republican dictatorship is very much closer than we think. And if they hijack elections welcome to fascism Stalin style.

They already have the Gulag in place at Gitmo and secret prisons, and the SS troopers in the form of blackwater.