HOLLYWOOD - While on the phone, during yet another exasperating conversation with a Congressional office, I noticed the sky above BRAD BLOG World News Headquarters begin turning oddly orange. It turns out a large brush fire, just over the hill near the Universal and Warner Bros. Studios, was burning out of control. In a potential disaster for the entire nation, indeed the world, the "Hollywood Sign" itself sits nearby.

With our photography staff (Desi) away on assignment (lunch in Santa Monica), we'll have to rely on photos from the media....

(Courtesy NBC11.com)

(Courtesy TMZ.com)

As the wind seems to have changed directions moments ago, the orange sky over our corporate headquarters has begun to turn blue again. So it seems that all staff members will likely be spared, this afternoon at least, from an horribly tragic apocalyptic ending. We'll let you know if the situation changes.

LIVE VIDEO COVERAGE here...

{Ed Note: All of the signed DVD premiums we had available have now been spoken for. They will soon be on their way to the folks who got in in time. Thanks to all for the support!}

The tremendous, if extraordinarily disturbing, HBO documentary Hacking Democracy is finally being released on DVD this week. I reviewed the film for ComputerWorld, just before its premier in the days prior to the November 2006 election --and just after Diebold's inane and embarrassing attempt to try and force HBO into not letting America see it. (Sorry Diebold, you lost, get over it, move on, fix your shitty voting machines, then throw 'em out, we don't want 'em.)

If you've been living in a cave, or in San Diego, the landmark film is the harrowing detective tale of Election Integrity advocates around the country, including the crew at BlackBoxVoting.org, which eventually leads to the now-landmark Harri Hursti hack of a Diebold system in Leon County, FL, in December of 2005. The hack heard round the world completely flipped a mock election without a trace being left behind. All told in before-your-very-eyes documentary footage as the sometimes hilarious, always terrifying (at least to Democracy-lovers) events unravel.

With the release of the DVD version, the filmmakers Simon Ardizzone, Robert Carrillo Cohen, and Russell Michaels, have been kind enough to hand sign a limited number of copies for premiums to BRAD BLOG supporters! For a donation of $50 or more, we'll ship one out to you ASAP! First come, first served, so click fast (and I'll update this item when we've run out).

The NY Times' review of Hacking Democracy called it "disturbing stuff," and went on to say, "it's not shocked-shocked you feel watching this; it's genuine shock." Well, little wonder they were shocked. They ignored the issue for years on end, referring to it as "the conspiracy theories of leftwing bloggers" until the story showed up on their doorstep in movie form. But don't get me started.

No doubt the still-largely-clueless Times would be shocked again by some of the DVD Extras footage including scenes deleted from the original airing. Never-before-seen segments on the DVD include...

If you missed our coverage of the concerns about the positions on Election Reform by People for the American Way (PFAW), including their advocacy of dangerous touch-screen DRE voting systems which originally ran here a couple of days ago, you've got another chance. AlterNet is now running the article from their front page today under the title "An Opposing View on the Progressive Voting Machines Debate."

As with the original, it includes the links to the audio and transcripts of both PFAW Executive Director Ralph Neas's and my appearances on Ring of Fire with RFK Jr. and Mike Papantonio, so you can decide what's going on here for yourself.

And if it wasn't 100% clear in the article originally, PFAW does not have the same position as some of the other groups (like Common Cause, VoteTrustUSA, MoveOn, etc.), who are generally opposed to DRE use, but have been afraid (for political reasons, legitimately or not) to support a ban.

PFAW, to the contrary, is actually advocating the use of DREs in their position and arguments to back it up.

I'm happy to run a response from Ralph or PFAW if they'd like to contact me in order to clarify anything they feel I've misrepresented. That was not my purpose. Similarly, my purpose was not to attack them, but to discuss openly what I see as a very troubling position that I spent much time trying to figure out --- and work out --- privately, before Ralph's public interview on RoF made it necessary for me to respond in kind to help clarify what seems to be going on here...

The Saturday before last I was interviewed on Air America's Ring of Fire with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Mike Papantonio concerning my call for the Election Reform Bill (HR811) by Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) to be amended to include a full ban on Direct Recording Electronic (DRE, usually touch-screen) voting systems.

The interview was pre-taped, and an edited-for-time version was aired. The complete, unedited version of that 15 minute interview, along with a text-transcript is now posted here.

This past Saturday, Ralph Neas, the president of People for the American Way (PFAW), one of the groups supporting the Holt Bill as is, and fighting against a ban on DRE voting systems, was interviewed on Ring of Fire. I had been critical of PFAW's unwaivering support of the bill during my interview the week before (as I have been in many articles here and elsewhere), so Bobby Kennedy asked Neas, a number of times, to answer directly to some of my criticisms.

The audio of that interview as well as a text-transcript, is also now posted here.

Now before I get to a huge number of concerns about the Neas interview and what I see as the dangerous PFAW position, and not to stack the deck (but I will anyway), Papantonio concluded his interview with me as follows, which I then promised to quote on the blog, so here it is...

AlterNet's front page today is featuring a fresh version of my story from last week on the false dichotomies being forwarded by Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) and the supporters of his Election Reform bill, HR 811 [PDF], as written. It outlines the unsupported talking points and disingenuous arguments being made to prop up the failings of the bill (most notably, its failure to ban DREs) by Holt's office as well as his public-advocacy group supporters like PFAW, Common Cause, MoveOn, VoteTrustUSA, etc...

The original BRAD BLOG version was here. The updated Alternet version (including a bit more background on the brouhaha for newbies is here: "False Choices in the Debate on Voting Technology"

I've also now set up a new "Special Coverage" page for the Holt Bill Debate here: www.BradBlog.com/Holt. It includes the most notable BRAD BLOG stories since the bill dropped, as well as essential articles and calls to action elsewhere. I hope it'll be a useful source. It's also always available from the red "Special Coverage" box in the right sidebar.

Also related...A new "Anti-DRE Talking Points" document from VotersUnite.org (HTML version with links & grafs..., 2-Page PDF version...) features simple bullet-points on why DRE/touch-screen voting systems must be banned and the urgent need to reform the Holt bill to ensure it. Both versions of that doc are also linked from the new Holt Special Coverage page.

Here's why...and how you can do it in 60 seconds...

(And thanks mightily to those of you who have already answered the call!)

Please donate online via PayPal or credit card, or use the blue form at right to sign up for a monthly subscription, or contribute via snail mail.
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Finally back at the anchor desk of The BRAD BLOG World News Headquarters after three (unexpected) weeks taking my dog and pony show on the road. Upon my return: a total of two cash dollars in the Snail Mail PO Box --- for which I am eternally grateful.

But even during the time I was away, we managed to bring you first-hand exclusive eyewitness reporting from the courtroom of the Scooter Libby/CIA Leak Trial in DC by Margie Burns, an important continuing investigative series you'll find nowhere else on the disastrously compromised EAC by Michael Richardson, the latest daily developments in our crumbling Electoral System saga as brought to you by John Gideon, insightful Video Snippets on a number of broader topics by Alan Breslauer, Guest Blogs from important newsmakers, and yes, I did my best to keep up, managing to edit, file my own exclusives, and work behind the scenes on all of the above even while making public appearances around Arizona and California, Guest Hosting radio broadcasts and working the phones endlessly to both dig and try to move mountains while barreling down the highways and byways at 80 mph.

We'll continue the work here, come hell or high water, but as the water continues to get higher, and the hell more hellier, I am again forced to ask for your help...

Yes, there are Democrats in Orange County, California, apparently. At least they've invited me to speak to them tonight.

If you're one of them, or otherwise interested, please stop by tonight. Dinner is at 6pm, I start yackin' at 7pm. At El Adobe de Capistrano Restaurant, 31891 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, CA. More details...

And now, the obligatory mention that I'd be equally delighted (if not more so) to speak to the Orange County, CA, Republicans if they ever feel like taking a break from voter registration fraud and switching voter registrations from Dem to Rep in order to invite me to speak to them.

The mini-road tour continues as we've finally returned from Arizona to the Golden State, even if we won't be back at The BRAD BLOG World News Headquarters until later this week/weekend. Thanks to all of the Guest Bloggers who have been carrying on so smartly in our stead as we've unable to man the front desk 24/7 as usual.

We'll be back at full strength soon. Until then, an Open Thread is likely in order. Consider this one of them. Comment away!

Blogged by Brad from Phoenix, AZ...

All the archives from this week's guest hosting stints on PBC and Malloy are below. But before that...In case you weren't able to play along at home, here's what happened....

I was scheduled to Guest Host the Peter B. Collins Show last Thursday and Friday. We came to Phoenix to do it with the assistance of 1480 KPHX, Phoenix's Air America affiliate and Nova M Radio Network flagship station. Thursday went well enough with three hours of the PBC show as smartly broadcast from the studio. Friday, however, was another story.

Despite (hasty if) best-laid plans to hold a live AZ Election Integrity townhall forum Bradcast from the Plumbers & Pipefitters Union Hall here in Phoenix, we were unable to establish contact from the remote location up to PBC's network hub in San Rafael. While a big house of eager folks waited patiently in the hall throughout the technical snafus, and as "Best of PBC" shows played in the meantime, we received a call from Mike Malloy that he was not feeling well and would be unable to do his show on Friday night which airs right after PBC's on KPHX/NovaM and on Sirius Radio, etc.

He asked if we could fill in for him and the answer, making lemonade outta lemons was; "Sure! If we can get back to the studio in time!" After which we invited everyone in the hall who wished to join us back to hang with us at the studio as we then hightailed it back and did the final hour of PBC live over there instead followed by three hours filling in for Malloy.

And so it was. We picked up a bit of our planned AZ Election Integrity forum for the last hour of PBC and the first hour or so of Malloy as many folks hung around throughout the entire night. Got to hang throughout with several BRAD BLOG commenters as well, including RAM, Mike Shelby and others. A great time was had by all (I think) and a bunch of radio fun ensued.

The archives for all of the above follow below. Including some great wingnut calls during Malloy's show. I always enjoy a bit of good troll-stomping as I'm sure you will as well. If I had the time, I'd pull out some of the great callers who were both very kind to me along with the wingnut calls and their ensuing stompage. (Any audiophiles out there who are so inclined to do so, and send me such a collection, I'll be happy to post it.)

Thanks to ALL of the great folks in Phoenix who made all of it possible. You are an inspiration. Listen up to all below...

Blogged by Brad from the road...

Shop talk. From a new article "investigative blogging" at NewAssignment.net, a site dedicated to "open-source reporting." Yours truly quoted liberally...

For my comments on that and more wise-crackery, see the full story...

LATE UPDATE: All the audio archives of my Guest Host stints last week on the Malloy and PBC shows are now available here for your listening pleasure...

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Today's special live Townhall BradCast from AZ is sponsored by AuditAZ.org, Arizona Advocacy Network, VelvetRevolution.us and 1480 KPHX Phoenix's Air America/Nova M affiliate!

A great show lined up! Tune in to find out if I'm telling the truth or not and feel free to use this item as an Open Thread while we trash Peter B. Collins's good reputation! (While the mouse is away!)

If your local affiliate doesn't carry the PBC show, Listen online here or here

Call in at 1-888-5-PeterB! More details back here on today's show!

If you're in the Phoenix area, join us at the Plumbers & Pipefitters Union Hall, 24th St. & Earl (1 block N. of Thomas) from 4pm-7pm AZ time!

LATE UPDATE: All the audio archives of my Guest Host stints last week on both the Malloy and PBC shows are now available here for your listening pleasure...

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Please join me this Thursday and Friday 3p-6p PT (6p-9p ET) as I'll be sitting in as Guest Host on the Peter B. Collins Show.

The good PBC is on a much-deserved vacation this week, and I'm delighted that he's been foolish enough to hand the keys over to me to ruin his otherwise excellent reputation.

I'm in Phoenix where I'll be "Bradcasting" from the studios of affiliate station 1480 KPHX (Phoenix's Air America affiliate and the flagship station for the Nova M Radio Network). If you don't pick up PBC on a local affiliate, you can listen online via either of the links above and, of course feel free to call in at 1-888-5PeterB.

Thursday's scheduled guest include... Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) on Fairness Doctrine, David Swanson on yesterday's House Judiciary Signing Statement hearing and Impeachment, John Soltz of VoteVets.org on Iraq Escalation and other troop issues from troops perspective, John Bonifaz on the FL-13 Congressional Election Challenge and Election Reform, Margie Burns from the courtroom after today's Libby/CIA Leak Trial, John Gideon with a Daily Voting News update, AmericaBLOG's John Aravosis, plus your calls at 1-888-5PeterB!

Friday's show will feature a very special remote LIVE Townhall Forum on Election Integrity issues here in Arizona. If you're in the Phoenix area, please joins us for the LIVE broadcast beginning at 4pm AZ time. We'll be at the Plumbers & Pipefitters Union Hall at 24th Street & Earl, just north of Thomas. All are welcome! We'd love to see ya there!

That show is being sponsored by, and will feature many of the good folks from, the non-partisan Election Integrity group AuditAZ, the Arizona Advocacy Network, VelvetRevolution.us and, of course, KPHX who is making all of the impossible possible.

Here's a 45-second Audio Promo for the special shows as currently running during PBC's national feed this week as well as on KPHX throughout the day and night....

-- Audio Promo for Special PBC "Bradcasts" from Phoenix! [MP3, :45 seconds]

I'll try and post some of our expected guests tomorrow!

Has it been three years? Apparently. And we were so busy covering the latest Diebold debacle on Wednesday that we forgot to remember it was our Anniversary!

My unknowing gift to myself, apparently, was the huge number of sites which linked up to that story across the World Wide Interwebs in the subsequent 24 or so. But did any of those hundreds of thousands of readers leave a single anniversary tip for yours truly? Of course not

Whining now out of the way...a heads up that we'll be hitting the road shortly for a week or so. You may or may not notice. While gone, we'll be sitting in to Guest Host the mighty Peter B. Collins Show a couple of days late next week from Phoenix. Hope to have some pretty exciting guests. But more details next week.

And as we enter Year 4 here, I suspect we'll enjoy many more breathtaking plunges, climbs and g-force brownouts on the unpredictable roller coaster that is The BRAD BLOG. Hopefully we'll see some exciting changes as well.

To that end --- and as I consider making the new "Dark on Light" color scheme (selectable from the right sidebar) the default theme here in the not-too-distant future, just to blow all expectations to hell by subordinating the classic BRAD BLOG yellow-on-green (we hate for anybody to ever get too comfortable) --- please feel free to leave in comments any thoughts, suggestions, hopes, dreams or criticisms that you'd like me to consider --- technical, substantive or otherwise --- in the coming year.

Honored to have your input. For good or bad. Like Dick Cheney, I've got a thick hide and I'll just completely ignore what I don't like, so feel free to have at me.

Thanks to all BRAD BLOG readers and supporters for three years of unimaginable "success"! Couldn't be prouder to know you're here. Onward!

Guest Blogged by Des

SUNDAY, January 7th...

BLOOD SURGE
Congress Must Demand to Know the White House's Estimated Body Count for Bush's Double-Down Scheme in Iraq...

(A)side from cutting off funding for the war, now or in the future, there is another option for the moment in answer to Bush's predicted call for a "surge": demand that the White House release their estimates of the number of casualties we will incur during such a "surge."

MONDAY, January 8th...

BREAKING EXCLUSIVE: Major E-Voting Critic, Attorney Named to Key Voting Systems Oversight Role by New CA Secretary of State!
Debra Bowen Appoints Lowell Finley of Election Integrity Watchdog Group VoterAction.org to Role of 'Deputy SoS for Voting Systems Technology and Policy'
[UPDATED] Critics of E-Voting Hail News as 'Collosal Suprise,' Very Good for Voters, Very Bad for the Nation's Electronic Voting Machine Companies...

TUESDAY, January 9th...

EXCLUSIVE: The EAC Now Admits 'The Ciber Report' Does Exist After All
Federal Commission Admits There is Paperwork on 'Barred' Voting Machine Testing Lab, Will Release 'When the Process is Complete'
Lab Was Secretly Refused Credentials in July, State and Local Voting Officials Were Kept in Dark Throughout November Elections Until NYTimes' Revelations...

EXCLUSIVE FL-13 UPDATE: ES&S Moves to Strike U.S. House Admin Committee Letter
Voting Machine Company Claims Chairwoman's Missive 'An Attempt to Intimidate, Unduly Influence' Florida Court
Plaintiff Attorney Says Claim is 'Remarkable,' 'Takes a Lot of Chutzpah'

WEDNESDAY, January 10th...

Update on Busby/Bilbray CA50 Election Contest Appeal
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Details of Attorney Oral Arguments Concerning Whether the U.S. Congress Can Overrule State Election Laws Simply by Swearing Someone In
Also, Updates on Some of the Sad Players...Some Gone, Others (Hopefully) on Their Way Out...

ABC: Bush Gives Congress, American People, Democracy the Finger
Begins Iraq Escalation Before Speech, Approval From Congress, in Wake of Opposition from Dems and Republicans Alike...
POST-SPEECH UPDATE: No Estimate Given for Change in Casualties in New Plan. Surprised?

THURSDAY, January 11th...

EXCLUSIVE: NEW COULTER VOTER FRAUD DOCS - Police Report Says TWO Third Degree Felonies, One Misdemeanor May Have Been Committed by GOP Darling!
New Third Degree Felony for Fraudulently Registering Driver's License Added to Previous Allegations of Voter Fraud!
But Palm Beach Election Supervisor Having Trouble Finding Law Enforcement Agency to Bring Charges...

Christine Jennings Admits She Should Have Listened to Election Integrity Advocates Earlier...

"Those people with the Sarasota Alliance for Fair Elections? I used to pat them on the back at Democratic meetings, but I had no idea. The vote is the great equalizer in this country - and when we've lost that, we've really lost something.''

FRIDAY, January 12th...

White House Made No Casualty Estimates for 'Surge' Plan According to Rice Admission!
Rightwing Outlets Smear Senator Who Asked Question, Ignore Stunning Newsworthiness of Answer
Iraq Vet Source Dubious About Secretary of State's Admission that Military Lacks Body County Estimates...

SATURDAY, January 13th...

New York Times Joins Rightwing Outlets in Twisting and Torturing Boxer's Comments While Ignoring White House Delinquency in Their New Iraq Plan
The Once-Great Paper Misrepresents the Facts, Quotes Only Rightwingers and Misrepresents Some of them to Suggest They are 'Liberal'
PLUS: An Invitation to Bill O'Reilly...

Maryland Preparing to Screw up Their Election System Yet Again
State Lawmakers Moving Towards Paper 'Trail' Voting Instead of Paper BALLOTS...

Unlike last year, and the year before, we're unable to muster up anything clever or ironic with which to kick off the new year. We are without explanation for the unusually somber tone of the evening at year's end. Perhaps it's the news of the last few days which have left us feeling less than giddy. At least for tonight.

Instead, we'll hope the coming year will be overflowing with mirth for us all, and that you'll join The BRAD BLOG in our one simple wish for 2007...