Guest: Former federal prosecutor Randall Eliason; Also: McCarthy quits; U.S. files war crimes charges; Trump's fake 2020 electors settle lawsuit in WI, are indicted in NV...
Also: McHenry quits; Tuberville folds; DeSantis Never Back Down staffers back down; GOP officials indicted for 2022 election interference in AZ; GOP official's wife convicted on 52 counts of 2020 election fraud in IA...
Big breakthrough at COP28 climate conference in Dubai; Fossil fuel industry works to block phase-out; PLUS: Biden EPA's new rule would force removal of all of U.S. lead water pipes...
And other examples of 'exactly what the government should be doing' -- EPA nixing all lead pipes; Int. funding firefighters, resilience; OPEC cuts supply; NY re-gags Trump; Biden's clean energy jobs, manufacturing boom...
'Unprecedented' heat in Brazil, South Africa; Commercial jet crosses Atlantic without fossil fuel; PLUS: Biden touts booming clean energy jobs, manufacturing in MAGA Repub's district...
Warning from top conservative federal judge; Far-right victories in Argentina, Holland; Trump threatens use of Insurrection Act; Biden invokes DPA for climate, jobs...
UN: World far off track to avoid catastrophe; COP28 gets underway in oil-rich Dubai; PLUS: International Energy Agency warns fossil fuel industry faces a reckoning...
Nat'l Climate Assessment: All regions of US affected; US, China agreement to displace fossil fuels, tackle climate; PLUS: Biden's new funding for climate resilience...
Felony charges dropped against VA Republican caught trashing voter registrations before last year's election. Did GOP AG, Prosecutor conflicts of interest play role?...
State investigators widening criminal probe of man arrested destroying registration forms, said now looking at violations of law by Nathan Sproul's RNC-hired firm...
Arrest of RNC/Sproul man caught destroying registration forms brings official calls for wider criminal probe from compromised VA AG Cuccinelli and U.S. AG Holder...
'RNC official' charged on 13 counts, for allegely trashing voter registration forms in a dumpster, worked for Romney consultant, 'fired' GOP operative Nathan Sproul...
So much for the RNC's 'zero tolerance' policy, as discredited Republican registration fraud operative still hiring for dozens of GOP 'Get Out The Vote' campaigns...
The other companies of Romney's GOP operative Nathan Sproul, at center of Voter Registration Fraud Scandal, still at it; Congressional Dems seek answers...
The belated and begrudging coverage by Fox' Eric Shawn includes two different video reports featuring an interview with The BRAD BLOG's Brad Friedman...
FL Dept. of Law Enforcement confirms 'enough evidence to warrant full-blown investigation'; Election officials told fraudulent forms 'may become evidence in court'...
Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL) sends blistering letter to Gov. Rick Scott (R) demanding bi-partisan reg fraud probe in FL; Slams 'shocking and hypocritical' silence, lack of action...
After FL & NC GOP fire Romney-tied group, RNC does same; Dead people found reg'd as new voters; RNC paid firm over $3m over 2 months in 5 battleground states...
After fraudulent registration forms from Romney-tied GOP firm found in Palm Beach, Election Supe says state's 'fraud'-obsessed top election official failed to return call...
During the ninety full minutes of last night's lively Republican Debate on Fox "News" from Orlando, the word "Bush" was used only twice by the candidates. One time each by Ron Paul and then Fred Thompson.
The Fox "News" anchors used the word five times.
Everyone else? Apparently never heard of him.
(On the other hand, as Arlen Parsa notes, Hillary was mentioned some 34 times.)
A few of our other quick, amusing and/or notable observations and video clips follow...
This is interesting. In a "blind bio poll" of Republican voters, conducted by Zogby, Ward Casscells polled as well as both Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson.
Who the hell is Ward Casscells? Some guy who's not even running for anything. But apparently Republican respondents liked his bio as much as they like Rudy, Fred, and all the rest, according to a new Zogby poll out today...
Describing himself (without apparent intended irony) as "we, real people," former exceedingly powerful Republican House Majority Leader Dick Armey stammers and stumbles through a quick video pitch (seen at right) to members of his FreedomWorks mailing list for the awkwardly named "Pick Dick Armey’s YouTube Flick Contest."
The premise, if we're understanding the seemingly drunk Armey correctly, is for "normal" people to decide what question they will allow Armey to ask for them, on video, for the upcoming Republican CNN/YouTube debate. Or something.
It would seem the point of such a debate is for actual "we, real people" to submit questions without the help of bloated former Texas power brokers like Armey. So we'll hope that his question, whatever it ends up being, gets no preferential treatment from CNN, who selected a few dozen from among thousands submitted for the Dem version of their YouTube debate a couple of months ago.
That is, if he can even get through such a question. What really leaves us chortling aloud here, is that old Dick apparently couldn't get through his 48 second pitch without flubbing it up, several times, making this video funnier with each viewing. Hope you real people will enjoy it as much as we did.
Looks like the Republican National Committee is getting a particularly early start in their attempts to steal next year's election. And from the looks of Paul Kiel's report on the deceptive RNC letter sent to a life-long Democratic voter in the Show Me State, once again Missouri may be ground zero in 2008.
All of which is swell, because we happen to be in Missouri this week, and plan to speak to folks in St. Louis next Thursday at an event sponsored by Missourians for Honest Elections (yes, there still are a few, including MO SoS Robin Carnahan, whose office contacted us to chat a bit yesterday upon seeing we'd be in town). We'll be causing trouble in Thor Hearne Country, firing up the troops, and taking questions, after a showing of Dorothy Fadiman's superb documentary Stealing America: Vote by Vote (which we're told is being submitted for Academy Award nomination).
See Kiel's story for the details on the GOP's latest efforts to game democracy and fool voters, instead of impressing them with actual ideas and policy, as that's what this quick item was meant to be about. But otherwise, if you're in or near St. Louis, please stop by Eliot Church in Kirkwood next Thursday night! More details are available here.
We posted this video from ABC's This Week at Crooks and Liars yesterday. If you are a fan of DNC Chairman Howard Dean then you'll enjoy this video. For those that get physically sick at the sight of DeLay, you might want to skip the first 5 minutes.
Outgoing, indicted and disgraced Republican Rep. Tom DeLay spews the same hate-filled attacks on Democrats that we've heard for several years now. DeLay still manages to brandish the freshest Republican talking points.
Most notable was DeLay's attack on John Conyers' concerns that President Bush may have committed impeachable offenses. The Republicans believe that they can motivate their party to get out to the polls in November to save their favorite President from certain doom if the Democrats take control.
Howard Dean largely ignores DeLay's bluster. Chairman Dean has really improved the focus and delivery of his message. Dean doesn't dodge the tough questions. He delivers clear answers, straight talk and real hope the the American people. Having DeLay and Dean on the same segment really exposes the great disparity in the quality of their character.
Campaign mail with a return address of the Republican National Committee warns West Virginia voters that the Bible will be prohibited and men will marry men if liberals win in November.
The literature shows a Bible with the word "BANNED" across it and a photo of a man, on his knees, placing a ring on the hand of another man with the word "ALLOWED." The mailing tells West Virginians to "vote Republican to protect our families" and defeat the "liberal agenda."
Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie said Friday that he wasn't aware of the mailing, but said it could be the work of the RNC. "It wouldn't surprise me if we were mailing voters on the issue of same-sex marriage," Gillespie said.
So does that sound like the Republicans? The same group who called South Carolina voters during the 2000 primary to ask what they thought of John McCain fathering a black out-of-wedlock baby? Oh, yes. It sounds a lot like them. Gillespie's inability to deny it, of course, seals the deal. Your Republican Party: Anything to Win.
(If anyone finds a scanned graphic of that mail, please let me know!)
They're falling apart over there! Even five minutes listening to Rush lets on that these guys are really worried!
Bout time, boyz!
Now should they be worried? In my opinion, John F. Kerry is none too scary. He's perfectly capable of screwing the entire pooch before this is all said and done with. It's not John F. Kerry the GOP needs to worry about. It's George W. Bush! And they should have been worried about him for the past four years!
Unfortunately, the GOP is soooo tied up with the idea of hanging onto power, instead of simply Governing, that they have blindly followed wherever Bush has blindly led them for the last four years. And yes, I say "four" not "three" since that would include the year that they foolishly destroyed John McCain to allow Bush to become their nominee.
It's their bed. They are now sleeping in it.
Enjoy what's left of Bush's tenure, boyz. Or, hope for Kerry to fumble - which seems to be the only hope you have left at this point. Which means you've still got plenty of hope!
Or by Snail Mail Make check out to...
Brad Friedman
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About Brad Friedman...
Brad is an independent investigative
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and a Commonweal Institute Fellow.