On today’s BradCast, we begin with a late update on the weekend’s devastating earthquake in Ecuador and the failure of oil producing nations to reach an agreement to cut production (in hopes of raising worldwide oil prices).
Then, we move on to domestic politics, with Republican Presidential candidate Ted Cruz once again skunking Donald Trump out of another delegate contest over the weekend, this time in Wyoming, while concerns continue to emerge among Democrats about voting hours and “mysteriously switched” voter registrations in New York state in advance of Tuesday’s big Presidential Primary there.
We’ve got some answers to at least some of those concerns from an election official or two in NY, which may ease concerns a bit…maybe…about voting hours not beginning until noon in many counties around the state tomorrow, and about what may be happening to some of those reported party affiliation changes on voter registrations in the Empire State.
Then, BradBlog.com legal analyst Ernest A. Canning joins us with updates from two states in the fight to overturn Republicans’ unlawful, unconstitutional, disenfranchising Photo ID voting restrictions both in the state of Texas and in Wisconsin where, believe it or not, we’ve actually got a bit of good news from the courts!
Finally, Hillary Clinton’s campaign undermines the Democrats’ argument to overturn the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision. I explain that and much more on today’s BradCast! Enjoy!
Dear Brad,
I listened to the 4/18 Bradcast and was getting really interested in the details of the Wisconsin voting rights case(s). I skipped around a bit and was getting the gist of it but finally had to turn it off, because, Brad, you couldn’t let your guest, Ernest Canning, finish a sentence. I know the case is complicated, and I appreciate that you wish to cut through the legalese a bit and get to the core implications of these proceedings, but in fact interrupting is not helping. I need to hear the story from the person who’s telling the story, and that’s Mr. Canning.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511778255
machines are down,no voting going on but don’t worry
the corporation will be there to “patch” it soon
Brad:
I am surprised no one has said this yet. If Bernie doesn’t get the nomination , people may not want to vote for Hilary not because they don’t like her or don’t trust her, but because her incremental thinking toward any national or international problem is not what is needed now. The best example is Climate Change. Signing more Fracking, and other fossil fuel leases, will mean 40 more years of extraction of carbon and methane that needs to stay in the ground. The climate predictions of 5, 10, and 20 years ago are showing to be too conservative and things are happening faster and more intensely than were predicted. Our planet (and country) can’t afford incremental thinking that babies the fossil fuel interests. We need big change yesterday for developing renewable and getting off fossil fuels,
Love your show, but I wish you had transcripts available of individual stories for those who wish to read and to more easily post such stories to social media.
Jay Smith @ 1:
Always difficult to make sure we both tell the story so listeners can understand it and stay within the unforgivable constraints of the radio clock! So, apologies if you feel I made thing more difficult to make sense of. Obviously, that was not my hope.
Here’s Ernie’s full published report on the WI case.
Karen From Illinois @ 2 said:
That wasn’t exactly true, Karen. (Your link when to a Tweet of Mimi Kennedy that didn’t say that either.) Because NY does NOT use touch-screens, when op-scan systems went down, voters will still always able to continue casting votes on hand-marked paper ballots throughout. (Presuming the polling place was open, and voters were on the rolls, in any event.)
Alex said @ 3:
We have discussed that on the program on several occassions. That said…
True, though Clinton has said she would set requirements too onerous to be approved. (Whether she means that, is another thing.) That said…
Of course, I agree. But if your argument is, if Bernie doesn’t get the nomination, that the things you are concerned about above will be less likely under a Republican administration which will want more fracking, drilling and burning, I still don’t see that as a persuasive argument to either not vote at all or not vote for Clinton if she is the nominee.
Arlene Montemarano said @ 4:
Thanks, Arlene. I hear ya, and wish I could provide those as well! I simply don’t have the resources (time and/or money) to be able to do that. I wish I did! I’d be delighted to have transcripts available every day! So who’s buying? 🙂
brad,
my post went to a tweet that contained a short video where voters were saying the opt scan machine was down and the people did not want to vote because they did not trust that their vote would be “run thru” the machine later
the opt scans are not much better than the dre…they both can be manipulated