They've already passed a 'photo ID required to vote' law here in Indiana. As I understand it, the ICLU has already filed a court challenge, so we'll see how that plays out...

"""T]he proposed ID card drew sharp dissent from some commissioners, among them former Senate Democratic leader Thomas A. Daschle (S.D.). In a dissent joined by two other commissioners, Daschle likened the ID to a "modern day poll tax."

"""""""Not that anyone will bother to listen""""".

there is a lot of that going around for the dems these days. Kind of like when they said go to the superdoam and we will help you, when we get back from Dallas.

NAZI's don't care about voting crap, they just wanna kill somebody.

Now forget this voting stuff and lets kill some people somewhere patriots.

Wave the bloody red rag, its a luv thang.

even these guys and gals found some ID so they could vote yesterday. happy to do it.

Election in Afghanistan
Today:

The vote was seen as the last formal step toward democracy on a path set out after a U.S.-led force drove the Taliban from power in 2001, when they refused to hand over Al Qaeda leader Usama bin Laden following the Sept. 11 attacks.

Many people hoped the legislative polls would marginalize the insurgents and end a spiral of violence that started in 1979 when Soviet troops invaded, before a devastating civil war and the oppressive rule of the hard-line Taliban.

"Today is a magnificent day for Afghanistan," said Ali Safar, 62, who was standing in line to vote in the capital, Kabul. "We want dignity, we want stability and peace. Thirty years of war and poverty is enough."

Congratulations to the people of Afganistan.

This apparently bogus election fraud report, as damaging as it will surely be, is also one more chance to bring up the stolen election issues.

It is frustrating, though. The establishment Dems really do love to be patsies. I remember hearing Carter on fresh air a while back talking fervently about the need for paper verification of each vote. I'm sure this report will say nothing about that. He seems to be just one more Dem who's a real smoothie at singing the right songs to the faithful and then coopting at every opportunity.

This is all sideline stuff. The catastrophes in our near future will make it irrelevant. WHAT 2006 ELECTIONS? THERE WON'T BE ANY.

My prediction: very bad news coming soon from Baghdad.

My big question is where does Carter stand on all this. He was one of my heros of politics. A down home boy (his work shows up in fine woodworking once in a while) who did the right thing. I am very disappointed to see his name on this commission with nary a peep that he noticed anything wrong.

Yes, they will have a Constitution next month. Bad news, Bush was right.

Well, whaddya know. Give these despots just a few more years in power and the new South will be rife with slaves again. Oh, wait a minute, it already it. They call them registered aliens.

Bush was bound to be right, the coins gotta come up heads sooner or later.

GW is the antichrist and voter ID cards are the mark of the beast. The rapture crowd needs to get their affairs in order.

San Antonio Express-News

If Mexicans are miffed that the disaster help they sent was, at best, underutilized, they are being diplomatically quiet about it.

Two weeks ago, 47 heavy trucks and tractor-trailers arrived in San Antonio with 195 Mexican soldiers and airmen. When they were sent, however, the Mexicans expected that their seasoned disaster-medicine teams, mobile water-treatment plants and field kitchens — with enough ingredients to serve 7,000 people three hot meals a day for 20 days, or 420,000 squares — would go to hurricane-ravaged areas.

They also expected that the Papaloapan, a 440-foot troop-landing ship whose disaster-medicine specialists come with a mobile hospital, ambulances and evacuation helicopters, would really help in New Orleans, since its marines are seasoned search-and-rescue workers, as they proved in Southeast Asia after the tsunami.

The convoy, however, was first ordered to Dallas and then to Houston before it was parked in San Antonio, while the Papaloapan was diverted to Biloxi, Miss., whose needs were more pressing than San Antonio's, but certainly weren't as urgent as New Orleans'.

Once it was in San Antonio, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention forbade the Mexicans' kitchen from serving beef, fearing mad-cow disease — which Mexico has never had — and the doctors were banned from treating patients because of licensing issues.

In Biloxi, federal officials also prohibited the doctors from practicing and let fewer than half the disaster workers land. Those who did ended up doing little more than handing out bottled water, clearing debris and posing with President Bush before their ship returned to Mexico on Wednesday.

"The Mexican government offered the help thinking that it would go where it was needed," said Mexican Consul Santiago García, who is stationed in San Antonio. "They are used to working in waist-high water to help people, but (where they went) was a decision of the American government."

Forget that Mexico is our neighbor and our most important trading partner.

They can teach us about dealing with disasters because they are among the world's best, as disaster survivors in several other countries will attest.

"Mexico has developed this technology of necessity, and it may be superior to that of the Americans because we have to do it almost every day," García said modestly, noting that Mexico's Gulf, Caribbean and Pacific coasts are very hurricane-prone, and that earthquakes are not uncommon.

The convoy and the Papaloapan are not combat-support units doing what they can. They are specifically outfitted for disaster work, and their personnel are specialists experienced in disaster-related tasks who train to hit the ground running on a moment's notice.

"If (American officials) say tomorrow that they want the convoy to go to Louisiana," García said at KellyUSA last week, "in two hours they will be gone."

But a report in the Mexico City daily El Universal about Mexico's historic humanitarian aid to the United States offered what is, perhaps, a more important lesson.

When President Fox asked Defense Secretary Ricardo Clemente Vega García how long it would take to send the convoy and ship, his response was: " En solo unas horas (within hours)." And half a day later, they were on their way.

That is a lesson Washington must learn.

hcocdr, have you not been -reading- news?

The Constitution drafting in Iraq is very rapidly falling apart. They had to bump their deadline twice because they couldn't come to an agreement on some fundamental issues.. They are -also- setting up Islamic Law into their Constitution, which means no rights for women... nice example of Freedom, eh?

The PEOPLE of Iraq don't like what's being put in their constitution.. they don't like there being "free trade" and "the ability to sell their oil rights to other countries", and the like.. The U.S. likes that, as do other foriegn investors, but the Iraqi people were promised a more "socialist" environment, and aren't getting it.

Getting a "constitution"? "Bush was right"? LMFAO.. tool.. what they're getting is shafted by U.S. intervention, closed door meetings, bargining, and disinformation. What "we're" getting is gonna be a civil war in Iraq.. with our troops stuck in the middle..

The defense minister in Iraq may be charged with the largest theft in history, reports Raw Story and some others (link here).

Wow ... the election there, under barbed wire, tanks, and guns really got them thinking patriotically ... especially the soldiers at the defense ministry ... yeah right ...

But the larger theft is taking place (even as we blog) by Haliburton and subsidiaries. Cheney's boys. They were not satiated with the Iraq loot and have now returned to the gulf coast to loot the homeland.

But they are less likely to be prosecuted.

Wow, that one bil could have been spent on the levees and saved $100-200 bil. Yep, Bu$hit balked at a measley 20 mil for the levees, fired the head of the Army Corp of Engineers (a conservative republican) and stonewalled. They only got 5.7 mil ... even as warlords in Iraq got billions.

And it is not over yet. More hot air is coming in two strong hurricanes. If the neoCons would shut up with their hot air lies (lies produce hurricanes according to some extremist ten commandment dudes - "sins bring destruction on the nation") we would be safer ... ?

But hey, they gotta have their "pride" ...

More election reform I bet you were opposed too. His plan will never work, no one will even know how to vote.

"""Afghans embraced democracy by the millions yesterday, with voters undaunted by weeks of violence and threats of terrorist attacks to cast ballots for the first elected parliament in decades. The vote went smoothly, with only a handful of incidents involving gunfire or militant attacks at the 6,200 polling stations.

With more than 12 million voters registered, election officials said 80 percent to 85 percent cast ballots --- an unheard-of turnout in Western democracies....Afghan women were out in force yesterday, with reports that in some provinces the lines for female voters were longer than those for male voters. "We are changing Afghanistan with our own hands," said Rahima Zamir. The science teacher added that she secretly taught girls pulled from school during the Taliban rule."""""

Let's assume that people who want voter ID (not this commission or ACVR, they're evil) have good intentions. They don't want dead people voting or live people voting twice.

What are some creative ways that can maintain integrity in these areas without disenfranchising the poor and without invading privacy (you know one thing would lead to another and we'll be handing dna samples over with our registration by 2012)?

Is this a part of any anti-electronic voting groups plans?

"""they don't like there being "free trade"""

I am in Iraq and boy do they ever like free trade and they are getting better at it then we are. You should see the markets here. They look like a Wal-Mart sidewalk sale. Everyone has a cell phone in their ear, and a dish on there mud hut. You don't see that on CNN. Only about 15% here even go to a religious service on Friday and most could care less about Islamic Law. If you would care to read true Islamic Law not the perversion the takfuriest practice you would see it, like the bible, is not a bad thing. The gender protections in it will be the law and we are teaching the Iraqi Army to protect and defend it along with free speech and freedom of the press it’s much better than the one we started out with.

"If you would care to read true Islamic Law not the perversion the takfuriest practice you would see it, like the bible, is not a bad thing."

You should tell that to Ann Coulter, Michael Savage, David Horowitz, Rush Limbaugh, et al. To hear them tell it, it is Islam itself that is the problem.

For years, I've been trying to tell people that Muslims want the same things we want: Jobs, freedom, happy families, homes, peace, etc. And the way to work for greater peace and security for ourselves is to promote diplomatic relations that will effect the people. But thanks to the wingnut crowd, I get shouted down because they believe that we cannot negotiate with Muslims.

I don't know why their indifference should come as a shock to me... because the neocon wingnuts don't even support jobs, freedom, happy families, homes, or peace for AMERICAN working people. Nobody expects them to care about working people in some other country.

Anything good that Americans are doing in Iraq.... I credit to the decency of enlisted men and women. Most of my friends who have come back truly sympathize with the Iraqi people.... But the politicians sure don't. For them it's just pieces on a chessboard.

HERE ARE TALKING POINTS, SPECIFIC REBUTTALS TO THE CARTER-BAKER REPORT

Congrats to Brad for being first out of the gate with the story on the sham.

From BBV, in case you are engaged in activism and need to rebut the report:

* * *

The formal report of the Carter-Baker Panel purports to be offering election reforms to fix our broken electoral process.

In general, the panel fails to address, or even acknowledge, or see the need for, or even know what the attack trees are for the current voting system --- therefore, it proposes measures that miss the mark, and offers up radical changes without examining appropriate checks and balances. (Links to report at end of this article)

Here is a point by point synopsis of what it says and how it misses the boat:

1: Help America Vote Act
Recommends keeping 2006 deadline and "vigorously enforcing it."

Misses the boat: Pushes systems into the elections process without adequate standards to assure quality, and with very few checks and balances. Costly, both for federal and local governments. Many systems will need to be adjusted, replaced, or jettisoned soon after purchase. HAVA continues to define itself as a collossal example of pork spending and government waste.

2: Voter Registration, top-down systems

The goal is good, the mechanism is flawed. Recommends statewide computerized systems that interact state to state. That is a valid goal.

Misses the boat: The problem is, no one did any analysis of what specific checks and balances are needed to make sure this system (a) is accurate and (b) cannot be used to strategically disenfranchise voters. Like most technology, it must be accompanied by the appropriate safeguards, and they did not address the safeguards, which has the net effect of decreasing election integrity.

3: Voting Technology

Recommends the VVPAT

Misses the boat: Does not recommend how "Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail" must be used. All it says is that "unambiguous methods" must be decided on to reconcile paper with computer, and it recommends that "a decision should be made" as to which is the official record.

Also sidesteps government waste issues: By rushing to HAVA implementation, hundreds of counties got stuck with machines that do NOT produce a VVPAT. Even if the VVPAT was a viable solution (we believe that it will prove not to be viable), this is an excellent example of how rushing ahead with HAVA is becoming an exercise in government waste.

Security: Here is where the most glaring example of inadequacy of all lies. This commission does not appear to even understand the need to define the problem before it proposes solutions.

We knew they'd miss this boat: While in Houston, at the excellent counter-Baker-Carter Panel event put together by Kip Humphrey, I asked a member of the Panel why they had not asked a single question about how hacks can be done. He said it is not necessary to understand how the system can be compromised in order to protect it. Kip has that on videotape.

Here's what's needed

In fact, the following procedure is the only way to develop meaningful protections for the system:

- Identify categories of attacks. Example of categories: Software attack, hardware attack, materials attack (ballots, pens, etc.), People attack (bribes, cons, manipulations, favors etc)...

- Identify attack points. Example of attack points: District definitions, ballot access for candidates and issues, voter registration, voter authentication, mail-in voting, vote casting, vote recording, vote tallying, canvassing & reporting...

- Identify specific attack vectors for each of the above. Example: Materials attack - place pens with organic ink into polling places that use infra-red optical scanners when you want more lost votes to occur.

- Assign a risk to each attack vector. Calculate how many people would need to be involved, what level of access, how much it would cost, how much sophistication is required, how many votes could be affected at once.

- Starting with the most high-risk attacks, develop procedures to mitigate the risks

TO DATE, NO ATTACK TREE HAS EVER BEEN DONE. According to Dr. Doug Jones (see his interview in our video library; just click the video camera at top right of our home page) --- when attack trees have been proposed, officials in the elections industry not only don't seem interested in finding out what they are, they say that if attack trees research is done, THEY WON'T READ IT. Their excuse is that they don't want public records available on the subject.

The Carter-Baker Panel seemed to follow this flawed line of reasoning. They decided they could propose a solution to security without defining what the security problems are.

4: Access to voting

Makes vague recommendations about making sure qualified people are allowed to vote.

Misses the boat: It does not appear that they delved into this much. Ohio and Florida would have been great starting points. None of the issues documented with voter purging or failure to authenticate qualified voters were addressed.

The study also makes vague recommendations about mail-in voting, overseas and military voting, and the like, basically saying the situation should be studied and pros & cons evaluated.

5: Investigation of election fraud

Misses the boat: The absence of the existence of any formal attack tree, the lack of understanding of even what we know so far about attack vectors, and the absence of meaningful mitigation procedures was obvious here.

This exceedingly lame section couches the problem in terms of property destruction and attempts to decieve or intimidate voters. They seem blissfully unaware of the new politically correct, kinder, gentler ways to disenfranchise voters through selective purging of voter registration databases and voting machine manipulation.

Read section 5. You'll chuckle at its lameness, before the nausea sets in.

6: Election Administration

The report makes general recommendations that seem mostly aimed at cleaning up the (deservedly) tarnished image that elections administration has achieved.

- It recommends throwing a bit of money at it

Misses the boat: but not in a targeted fashion

- it recommends beefing up the EAC

Misses the boat: but does not appear to recommend any more money for the EAC's joke of a budget

- it recommends doing some research on elections management.

Misses the boat: If followed, the recommendations appear to put an increased burden on local officials and local budgets, without providing any real guidance or financial support.

7: Media

The Panel advises media to provide a bit more access to candidates, for example, a five minute discourse per month among candidates. It makes recommendations about not releasing projections before everyone has voted (aren't we already there?).

Misses the boat: What it doesn't do is make any effort to address keeping nonfavored candidates and parties off the debates, nor does it address the validity of the media's exit polling actions, nor safeguarding the media projections from manipulation as happened in 2000 when a Volusia County voting machine manipulation was used to trigger the media to make an incorrect projection of the presidential race.

8: Observers

Recommends that independent and international observers be allowed if they are "accredited" --- which would mean a citizen would need to obtain credentials before observing the counting of the vote, or attending a Logic & Accuracy test.

Misses the boat: This seems ripe for abuse. They giveth with one hand (states that only allow political party observers should let international and independent observers come in too) while taking away with the other (observers for pre-electon testing, absentee processing, election day events and counting should have credentials issued in advance).

9: Presidential primaries and schedules

They recommend changing the way primaries are scheduled, suggesting giving over power to decide to a group of NASS (National Association of Secretaries of State) members to execute the plans.

Misses the boat: In view of the secretary of states' failure to properly monitor certification and their enthusiasm to rush to paperless touch-screen voting, with the momentum shifting only after a veritable taxpayer revolt, one wonders if this is the correct body of authorities to handle this.

Misses the boat: They want states to hurry up and certify their elections, quicker, faster, but what is simply not mentioned is providing anyone the ability to audit much of anything.

# # # # #

Here is the report:

http://www.american.edu/ia/cfer/

Here is a summary of recommendations in the report:

http://www.american.edu/.../report/CFER_summary.pdf

"The gender protections in it will be the law and we are teaching the Iraqi Army to protect and defend it along with free speech and freedom of the press it’s much better than the one we started out with."

I'm guessing you're talking about the Iraqi Constitution.. though, I've not seen any "gender protections" in it.. unless you are speaking Rovian and saying "rights of men, the only members of society with rights in an Islamic Nation"..

And, the U.S. could care less about "free speach" in the Iraqi constitution.. that's not what was being slipped in behind closed doors.. what -was- being slipped in was, in essense, that Iraq will not retain all of it's rights to resources, but the government can sell off those resources, for what ever it feels appropriate, to whomever they want.. Foriegn entities will OWN the oil, and the people of Iraq won't be getting shit from it. What the -Iraqis- wanted in a Constitution is more or less a socialist society.. The "people" would own all the oil... the government would manage it.. sell it and use the funds to pay for medical access for -everyone-.. education for -everyone-, etc etc..

The original draft had a clause that said "only Iraqi citizens can own a business in Iraq", to make sure privitization wouldn't ravage their country while it was growing.. to make sure companies like Haliburton wouldn't be getting contracts and doing business in Iraq.. so that the Iraqi people would be assured to not be exploited by foriegners.. If you think for ONE second that "free trade" is what they want, then you really have drank a lot of the cool-aide..

The U.S. (and other oil-starved countries) are the ones who want "free trade".. who want the government to be able to "sell rights" to the oil.. who wants to be able to "operate businesses in Iraq".. The Iraqi people don't want that.. and isn't this all supposed be about "giving the Iraqi PEOPLE what they want"?

No, he does not read the news. The Constitution was not agreed to by all and is not representative of Iraq as a whole. It includes Islamic law that will take away the rights of many.

so much for Democracy, and hello Theocracy. What a crock of *&@#

Bush followers are brainwashed morons.

Sorry for the above off topic.

On the Voter ID:
Its just par for the course, democracy is equally dead in America and this was done intentionally by those who have stolen power.

Like they treated African Americans as equals in Louisiana and on the gulf coast. This white girl despises a government where you only count if you are white and rich.

We knew already that the "Baker" ACVR Commission would do this.

Now just wait to see what happens to our country when John Roberts is approved. They and he have plans for what they wish to do to people. you can just see an untold secret as you look at his face.

""""For years, I've been trying to tell people that Muslims want the same things we want: Jobs, freedom, happy families, homes, peace, etc. And the way to work for greater peace and security for ourselves is to promote diplomatic relations that will effect the people. But thanks to the wingnut crowd, I get shouted down because they believe that we cannot negotiate with Muslims. """"""

It took me coming to Iraq to believe that, but those words are so true. See Brad even I can agree on some things. I hear the President and our Defense Secretary saying those same words, but no one believes them. Well when we return from Iraq we will be shouting it from the roof tops. Read more of the everyday stories of the successes in Iraq at our Unit Website.

http://images.278acr.com/thumbnails.php?album=4

#19- I couldn't agree more. Great post.

HCOCDR you are so out of touch. You don't even know what is going on there. No freedom, no democracy.

It must be wonderful to feel safe in your fabricated reality. Welcome to the matrix.

I'm guessing you're talking about the Iraqi Constitution.. though, I've not seen any "gender protections" in it.. unless you are speaking Rovian and saying "rights of men, the only members of society with rights in an Islamic Nation"..

I don’t think you have read the new Iraq Constitution or you are just to dumb to find the articles not included in your democratic talking points. I guess they hoped people like you would not bother to look and read the Constitution and just repeat their evil hatred of the President.

http://www.usatoday.com/...constitution-draft_x.htm

1st — This constitution shall be considered as the supreme and highest law in Iraq. It shall be binding throughout the whole country without exceptions.
2nd — No law that contradicts this constitution shall be passed; any passage in the regional constitutions and any other legal passages that contradict this constitution shall be considered null.
CHAPTER TWO: RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS
PART ONE: RIGHTS
FIRST: Civil and political rights.

Article (14): Iraqis are equal before the law without discrimination because of sex,

ethnicity, nationality, origin, color, religion, sect, belief, opinion or social or economic status.
Article (15): Every individual has the right to life and security and freedom and cannot be deprived of these rights or have them restricted except in accordance to the law and based on a ruling by the appropriate judicial body.
Article (16): Equal opportunity is a right guaranteed to all Iraqis, and the state shall take the necessary steps to achieve this.
Article (17):
1st — Each person has the right to personal privacy as long as it does not violate the rights of others or general morality.

Article (20): Citizens, male and female, have the right to participate in public matters and enjoy political rights, including the right to vote and run as candidates.

4th — Violence and abuse in the family, school and society shall be forbidden.

Article (36): The state guarantees, as long as it does not violate public order and morality:
1st — the freedom of expressing opinion by all means.
2nd — the freedom of press, publishing, media and distribution.
3rd — freedom of assembly and peaceful protest will be organized by law.

Article (153): This constitution comes into effect after its approval by the people in a universal referendum and its publication in the official newspaper and the election of the Council of Representatives in accordance with its provisions.

Another appointed commission consisting of non-elected "yes men" telling the citizens what is good for them. Do I even bother to point out the classic hegelian dialectic. They create a problem, we all react to the problem and they trollop out their ready made solution. It couldn't get any more predictable than that. Just read ahead, they have a script, and you can read the part where microchipping will solve all our problems (they are creating). I am getting so angry I could scream.

And name calling and insults too. Uhm yeah. keep talking blind boy.

just thought i would return the favor.

Oh and here is one you will not believe.

Article (151): A proportion of no less than 25% of the seats in the Council of Representatives is specified for the participation of women.

[OT re: IRAQI CONSTITUTION]

Riverbend is back blogging at Baghdad Burning and she is doing a two-part blog on the proposed Constitution. (Including the various drafts and no one knows for sure which is the official one.)

Click here for Baghdad Burning

hcocdr.. the problem is, when Shrubman and Rummy say it, they mean it in a context of "we can get richer off their backs too.. we'll encourage them to believe that open markets and free trade are good for them".. though, as any intelligent person in THIS country can see, "open markets" and "free trade" are very detrimental to "the masses", and only good for board members and business owners. Workers and the masses get screwed.

Yes, the Iraqi people want a healthy economy, but the "people" want to benifit from it too..not just have a very few select people get filthy rich on the backs of the workers.. MOST people around the world see that as exploitation. I think it's safe to say, the Iraqi people would like to have a country they can be proud of.. one that supports -all- Iraqis, not just a few who get into a corrupt political system that feeds tons of wealth to foriegners..

To tie this to the topic of this thread.. there are a lot of people in THIS country that are trying to secure "free trade and open markets" for a long time to come. They are getting rich on the backs of Americans and don't mind exploiting us at all. The "reforms" this particular "panel" is trying to push will HELP them continue to do just that, by making it more and more difficult for their VICTIMS to "vote for change".. National IDs? Are you kidding me? They need to be free.. and you need to bring the resources TO THE PEOPLE, not say they need to "go here to get one".. you have to get out and make SURE people who can't afford to EAT on a regular basis have their card, which means you can't expect them to go wait in a long ass line at a DMV office some place.. you have to spend a LOT of FEDERAL money getting this done..

Oh.. wait.. they want to have the STATES foot the bill.. they want to have people "show up at designated locastions" and wait for hours and hours in line? to get an ID that they might not even have the right "proof" for? Birth Certificate? umm.. HELLO? I'm standing here... I think I was born.. prove it? hmm.. See... that's part of the problem, isn't it. To prove you are who you say you are, you need papers that say you were born. I can fabricate that too.. Anyone that -wants- to defraud this new system CAN, while potentially MILLIONS of people will have a very difficult time getting their IDs (and voting is already a pain for them.. so much so that eating is more important than fighting long lines at the polls).. But.. of course.. this is -exactly- what they are trying to get done. Make it so the worst off of our society doesn't get to vote because they were too busy surviving to go out and get in a 6 hour line to get an ID that is used once every 4 years and can easily be lost (or invalidated every year forcing long lines every time there's a vote). Not to mention, "getting to the right place" might be prohibitive for some people (read: 100s of thousands, if not millions, won't be able to take a day off work or be able to find a way to get to the lines with their children in toe, etc etc)

Please, stop trying to say Shrubman and Rummy and Cheny and the rest of those psychos give a shit about America (or Iraq).. they don't.. they care about rich folks, not America.

Yah, freedom is on the march. whatever dude.

LINK

By Alex Rodriguez Tribune foreign correspondent
Mon Aug 29, 9:40 AM ET

Iraqi lawmakers finished drafting their country's new constitution Sunday, ending a rancorous process that laid bare sectarian divisiveness impeding the country as it tries to forge a new democracy.

The committee responsible for writing the draft signed it and presented it to parliament without an endorsement from Iraq's Sunni Arab minority, setting the stage for several weeks of heated campaigning to win over Iraqi voters before a ratification referendum Oct. 15.

The draft constitution was praised by U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad as "enlightened," and Iraqi lawmakers said they were proud to present it to the people.

I'll help her out.

For the Bagdad Burning girl or takfuriest that is posing as a girl. She can find the final copy published Friday in the Al-Sabah newspaper (Baghdad) where according to the constitution is the only true final copy.

http://www.niqash.org/intern/getBin.php?id=261

Mon Aug 29, 9:40 AM ET
Your date line is a little old

"Article (15): Every individual has the right to life and security and freedom and cannot be deprived of these rights or have them restricted except in accordance to the law and based on a ruling by the appropriate judicial body."

that's legalize for "if we pass a law that removes your rights, this article says that's ok".. in other words, that particular article, as an example, is doubletalk for "you only get what the government gives you".. it doesn't leave anything open.. it's called LIP SERVICE.. or, talking to move your lips without saying anything of merit.

"Article (17):
1st — Each person has the right to personal privacy as long as it does not violate the rights of others or general morality."

and

"Article (36): The state guarantees, as long as it does not violate public order and morality:
1st — the freedom of expressing opinion by all means.
2nd — the freedom of press, publishing, media and distribution.
3rd — freedom of assembly and peaceful protest will be organized by law."

Are you really that ignorant? "violate morality"? Who's morality? yours? mine? the child molesters?.. come on.. are you really telling me you can't see the HUGE potential for serious opression here?

And as someone else pointed out.. there have been several drafts released over time. What's the "real" version? where's the latest version? and when compared to the "original draft", it's gotten a LOT uglier and is full of legaleze AND secures a "legal" means for other countries to "take Iraqi resources".. a Constitution is NOT a place to talk about "free trade". A Constitution is a place to say "every citizen of our country has the -same- rights".. that's not what's beind said there.. it's being mushed into a giant mass of crap that is near impossible to understand. Here's a clue.. go read OUR Constitution.. a LOT more straight forward than what's being done now.

Oh, and I'm no Democrat either, so quit trying to "paint a bad picture" of me by calling me some "tin-foil hat wearing liberal democrat" (which is what you were trying to do with your 'democrat talking points' comment..). As far as I'm concerned, the parties are Repubicans and Repubocrats.. they all suck on the corperate teat and don't care too much about the people..

And, this is all very off topic. There is no real point discussing Iraq in a thread about how our OWN democracy is being underminded by the rich elite who want to ensure the used and abused of this country can't easily vote.

Savantster #33 Well said.

More comments on this sham of a report in easier-to-read formatting is here.

""""6 hour line to get an ID that is used once every 4 years and can easily be lost """

Wow I had my ID/DL renewed and mailed all the way to me in Iraq. No wait at all and no one lost it.

Civil War, Revolution, how to take our country back. I need to research how a State can secede from the Union. I wonder if that is possible. I know it took several years for all the states to ratify the constitution and I seem to recall that one never has. I need to do some research. My County is full of corrupt officials, a microsm within the macrocism..State officials corrupt. of course. This is just an idea floating in my head, under my 'tin foil' hat (shaped liked a pyramid of course LOL). I do, however live in a 'blue' state so if there is even a remote possibility this could be done, maybe those in my state would be up to the challenge or perhaps my hat has slipped and is now covering my whole head! Think I will try to find out some info anyway.

Any chance we can get an ip trace on hco brad? Just curious if touting his horn from Iraq or from Waco, Texas.

Welcome to the USSA comrades

Back in the 50s, when Hollywood more or less had a whole studio churning out propaganda about them there nasty varmint commy baztards, one of the classic scenes of shock horror was when - and I'm sure it was Ronnie who narrated it - they divulged the terrible information about how them despicable people in the Kremlin expected Russia's citizens to have internal passports.

Can you imagine that? - could it even be possible that a nation could have that little trust in its own citizens that it forces them to carry round a piece of paper, complete with photograph, which if they haven't got then they cannot vote in elections... even in a one horse race election they would be barred from voting.

I'm not a USA citizen, but I'll quite sure one of your most famous and wisest, if he doesn't mind, wouldn't mind me quoting him...

our beautiful country is being stolen from us and it is up to us to take it back - Howard Zinn

I too am disappointed in Carter being involved in this sham. Maybe his age is catching up with him - sorry! Is there a chance of the photo ID being repealed as unconstitutional? If not, now is the time regardless of party, to start seeing that folks have photo ID. We mustn't wait til 2 weeks before an election, to try to get folks ID'd. If they want to play the game this way, so can we!!!

I am sending Holt's HR550 to friends and family, regardless of party. This goes beyond party, it's about confidence in our election system. We do know that if a candidate wishes to cheat or taint an election, they will. This will make it harder!

hcocdr at #39.. """""6 hour line to get an ID that is used once every 4 years and can easily be lost """

Wow I had my ID/DL renewed and mailed all the way to me in Iraq. No wait at all and no one lost it."

well, that isn't a "national ID", and it was "renewed", not "accuired for the first time".. and you have a military ID to back that up (according to your profession to be in a unit in Iraq).. If you have a DL you can get it renewed (usually) pretty easily, in some states.

So... NOW we're talking about someone with NO DL.. nothing on record to use as a basis.. we're not talking about a State "renewing" you for your DL under a military clause/premise.. we're talking about a citizen having to go to an actual building and waiting in line.. Don't know about YOU, but most big cities have a seriously long wait -already- just for DLs.. now you are gonna add to that a "national ID"? And, you PAY for your ID/DL.. but if you are impoverished, you likely don't have an ID you would have had to pay for (thus, needs to be FREE). Then, when you FIRST got your ID, you had "various forms of proof".. lemme tell ya, when I was living in the streets (and had a perfectly legal right to vote), I had NO proof of who I was, no address to request a noterized copy of my birth certificate to be sent to, etc etc. Guess what? there are a lot of people that can't get the proof of who they are. THOSE are the people that this new system is looking to weed out, get it? The poorest and most in need of governmental protections/support.

And, that -still- doesn't discuss someone losing their ID and not having "proof" of who they are 4 years later during the next election.. they have to do it all over again, right? Oh.. wait.. I know.. let's just fingerprint every American and put their info in a giant database.. and retinal scans too.. and voice printing.. then when you want to vote, you just waltz up to the machine, put your finger on the pad, look at the scanner and say your name.. on the record.. so we can record your vote too.. riiiiiiight.. That's what being free is all about, right? 100% government tracking? Sure would make sure no one voted twice.. and would make sure dead folks weren't voting.. -and- get's around the "ID" issue, right?

Regarding Afghanistan:
http://english.aljazeera...F2-BCF3-5815B7598D9B.htm

http://english.aljazeera...B7-AB0C-DFC65D1E9070.htm

And the poll shows 66% of those taking part do not think the lections will lessen the violence and discrimination.

RE 'Baker/Carter'; why are American's so willing to give up their civil rights? Basically because they neither understand or appreciate those rights. The 'Real-ID' is more an anti-immigration act than anything to do with terrorism.

Re Iraq,Consitution-people 'should' be reading the analyses that have been posted on Juancole.com; more to the point, Since Bush has said it himself regarding syria and lebanon "How can there be free elections while the country is occupied by a foreign power?'

I guess hcocdr is either in the 'green zone' (soon to be colored with the red of blood) or one of the bases the u.s. has built, perhaps the base used by the Israeli's for intelligence gathering?

Because everywhere else is not a 'walmart sidewalk' sale, even in al-Basra or al-Najaf or Karbala.
Contrast hcocdr statements with "A few minutes ago Jaafari came on television to tell everyone in Baghdad to stay home. "

Still waiting an answer from Hcocdr, who has been asked several times exactly what his job is over there in Iraq. Inquiring minds want to know!!!

I would encourage readers not to allow threads like this to be hijacked by trolls like HCOCDR. When the topic is something he would rather not discuss, he --- in classic troll style --- simply forces the subject to change.

The topic of this thread is the fact that a cooked Neo-Con commission is attempting to further disenfranchise MILLIONS of minority, elderly and urban-dwelling Americans to further ensure their votes will again NEVER BE COUNTED.

This is America, folks. Pay attention. The trolls, like HCOCDR would prefer you do anything but. Don't allow them to play their slight-of-hand games.

Why argue with HOCDR about anything. For that matter, who, besides himself, is to say that he really is in Iraq? Hell, we could all claim to be there right now and who is to say we are not? Every veteran I have spoken to returning from Iraq has a much bleaker story to tell than what the papers, HOCDR or the newsmedia has to say. Of course, when you are on active military duty, as I was for 4 years, you are not allowed to speak out against the government and especially your president for fear of reprisal and possible court-martial. Only after you have fulfilled your military obligation can you speak openly, as many now are doing.

OT

Text Of John Kerry's Speach

My mistake - I addressed HCOCDR as merely HOCDR. Sorry for not giving him the full rank!Obviously, he is the HCO Commander. Must remember to salute him next time.

I'm too disgusted with the ACVR, the Baker/Carter commission and the WaPo article by Dan BALZ (the correct spelling of his name) to even comment right now.

Looks like Dan has lost his Balz in the war.

The things that kind of seem creepy about every single new Constitution that has been created under the supervision of an external national authority is that they have a really hard time declaring and defining ABSOLUTE freedoms. Elites tend to fear the teeming masses.... we are unpredictable, we expect honesty, and we have needs that make us feisty when they go unmet.

For example, many of the freedoms in the new Iraqi constitution define the freedoms, but then follow up with a declaration that these freedoms will be "organized by law."
--------------------
For example:
Article (36): The state guarantees, as long as it does not violate public order and morality:
1st — the freedom of expressing opinion by all means.
2nd — the freedom of press, publishing, media and distribution.
3rd — freedom of assembly and peaceful protest will be organized by law.

Article (37):
1st — Freedom to establish and belong to political organizations and parties is guaranteed, and it will be organized by law.
2nd — No person can be forced to join or remain a member of a political party or organization.

Article (38): The freedom of communications and exchanges by post, telegraph, telephone and by electronic and other means is guaranteed. They will not be monitored or spied upon or revealed except for legal and security necessity in accordance with the law.
--------------------------

In this regard (and in its affirmation of the "right to work" and the "right to free education" and the ban on militias), the Iraqi Constitution resembles the Soviet Constitution. I wish that leaders didn't try to hedge their bets by putting qualifications of God-given freedoms. There is lots of utopian language in there... and I hope that the constitution will bring peace. But I must say that I am shocked that American "Conservatives" would consider this document a success when it radically contradicts the time-tested merits of our own Bill of Rights... I think if a Democrat were president, you'd be hearing Limbaugh howling about how we were trying to turn Iraq into a Socialist Dictatorship.

But then again, I don't think that Rumsfeld is a Conservative at all. He just uses "patriotism" and "values" as a front to promote an agenda that is preoccupied with social control and corporate rule.

This isn't to say that Iraq is doomed. But it does make me sad that there are so many people there working so hard and really getting behind freedom... it is depressing to think that they are investing all this energy in a constitution that will not have the lasting value of our own. And it is distressing when our leaders hold up El Salvador and Chile as examples of "getting it right" and show contempt for popular governments like Venezuela. It means that Iraq could quickly become a moderately repressive police state in the service of international finance.

To keep on topic with the thread.... I should add that these same elites are chipping away at our Bill of Rights here.

Election fraud and phony reform is part of this. As are speech restrictions, domestic surveillance, the militarization of everyday life, and the erosion of due process...

I haven't read this book co-authored by Dan Balz, but maybe some of you out there have information on it. Here's a review:

Deadlock: The Inside Story of America's Closest Election, by the Political Staff of the Washington Post. Public Affairs Books, 2001

**The last paragraph of this review**

"Throughout its coverage of the post-election period, Deadlock depicts opposing campaigns struggling to make the most of an imperfect ending. Deadlock provides, along with its timeline of events, a clear indication that much needs to be done to ensure that elections hinge less on endgame strategy and more on efficient technology. This truly is the lesson of Election 2000: every vote must be counted, lest elections cease to count. "

Well --- Dan BALZ??? What are you thinking?

List of Dan Balz's inaccuracies in reporting at Media Matters

Email Dan Balz: balzd@washpost.com

Re: Iraqi Constitution

I don't recall Jefferson, Madison et al ever writing something like, "You're free so long as that doesn't conflict with laws written by fanatical religious nuts."

Even in America the idea that anyone has an absolute right just drives the Establishment bonkers. Absolute right to Free Speech? They question it all the time. Absolute right to anything? It is always adjusted, regulated, in conflict with, contrary to and otherwise ignored, so the Powerful can have what they want.

Re: Elections commission

Somehow the politicians seem completely unaware of how computers work. Maybe we need some younger people in government. Of course, Karl Rove probably understands well enough. He's been caught cheating for years (it's him standard MO) so we shouldn't be surprised if the elections are stolen. But, where are the bright people who supposedly represent the interests of all Americans? Can't they create an election system we'd all like? Oh, they're on the outs and they're ignored. ... Never mind.

Elections are truly essential. Without them we just have Civil War and Revolution. After elections all other law is pretty easy. You can enunciate absolute rights all day, but majority rule is pretty good too (compared to any non-democratic system). The trouble has been minority rule by the Rich in America (see also South African apartite or Baathist power in Iraq).

sick of the sham?
sick of long lines at polling place?
sick of your vote not counting?

remove the pretense

eBay is the answer...

for sale

president of usa (fixed term only 4 years)
offers ,no reserve

National ID Cards designed by 2 ex-KGB Chiefs

[snip] By Charlotte Iserbyt

February 12, 2005

NewsWithViews.com

The drivers license (semantic deception for internal passport) legislation (H.R. 418), which passed the Congress and is on its way for passage in the Senate, is more serious than one may think due to the fact it was designed by two ex-KGB Chiefs, one of whom,Yvgeny Primakov, was the President of totalitarian Russia in the late nineties. (The merger of the KGB and the FBI has been in the works since 1985 when President Reagan signed numerous agreements with Gorbachev, one of which was the infamous education agreement which merged our two education systems. Another agreement was signed between the Soviet Police and New York City Police which allowed Soviet policmen to assist in the arrest of fare beaters in the New York City subway system.These activities, unknown to most Americans, represent just the tip of the U.S.-Soviet exchange agreements iceberg. )

TIME magazine, 7/5/93, in an article entitled "A New World for Spies", illustrates the extent of the partnership between the United States and Russia. [snip] **MORE**

This is additional info about Charlotte Iserbyt (comment #59)

Charlotte Iserbyt is the consummate whistleblower! Iserbyt served as Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI), U.S. Department of Education, during the first Reagan Administration, where she first blew the whistle on a major technology initiative which would control curriculum in America's classrooms. Iserbyt is a former school board director in Camden, Maine and was co-founder and research analyst of Guardians of Education for Maine (GEM) from 1978 to 2000. She has also served in the American Red Cross on Guam and Japan during the Korean War, and in the United States Foreign Service in Belgium and in the Republic of South Africa.

Iserbyt is a speaker and writer, best known for her 1985 booklet Back to Basics Reform or OBE: Skinnerian International Curriculum and her 1989 pamphlet Soviets in the Classroom: America's Latest Education Fad which covered the details of the U.S.-Soviet and Carnegie-Soviet Education Agreements which remain in effect to this day. She is a freelance writer and has had articles published in Human Events, The Washington Times, The Bangor Daily News, and included in the record of Congressional hearings.

What is with Jimmy Carter? Do you think they have something on him.?..Even if it's something small or do to naivety.... Something the Rove machine the MSM will blow out of proportion? Man..I think I'm losing it!!.
..Hmmm maybe a fellow Baptist like Bill Moyer can talk some sense into Jimmy. ..

Speaking of Moyer.... I think it's time for NOW to do a month long story on voter fraud/electronic voting!! Come on David B.!!! You can do it!!

Does anyone have any connections? How about reaching Moyer or Carter through someone like Amy Goodman?

Statement by Ron Paul --- Hearing on National Identifiers --- Sept. 17, 1998

Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the opportunity to present my views regarding the Federal Government's plan to create a national ID card, assign every American a uniform health identifier, as well as the trend toward transforming the Social Security number into a uniform numeric identifier. The creation of these identifiers represent perhaps the greatest threat to liberty facing Americans today. When one closely examines the details of these schemes it becomes clear that the proponents of Big Government wish to forbid Americans from going to work, getting a job, boarding a plane, seeing a doctor or conducting any other major life activity without their federally-approved identifier.

Such a system is incompatible with American liberty. If history teaches us anything, it is that when government gains the power to monitor the actions of the people, it eventually uses that power to impose totalitarian controls on the populace. American could very well come to resemble Nazi Germany or Soviet Russia, where state officials could arbitrarily punish innocent citizens for failure to produce the correct "papers!"

However, Congress does not need to look at this century's totalitarian societies for a clear view of the dangers of national identifiers. Just consider the numerous cases of IRS abuses that have been brought before Congress in the past few months, the history of abuse of FBI files and the case of a Medicaid clerk in Maryland who accessed a computerized data base and sold patients' names to an HMO.

I have introduced three pieces of legislation to protect the American people: the Freedom and Privacy Restoration Act (HR 4217) which repeals those sections of the 1996 Immigration Act that established federal standards for state drivers' licenses; the Patient Privacy Act (HR 4281) which repeals those sections of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 that require the Department of Health and Human Services to establishes a uniform standard health identifier; and the Privacy Protection Act (HR 3261), which forbids the federal and state governments from using the Social Security number for purposes unrelated to Social Security. HR 3261 and HR 4217 are currently pending before the Government Reform Committee. **MORE**

One more thing...Not that I am suggesting anything..and I would never have the ability....But what would happen if vote tabulators were hacked into by two or three sources and the elections go nuts ? That might be what it takes to wake up the public.

NATIONAL ID HIDDEN IN PROPOSED LEGISLATION

Carter agreeing to be on a commission with James Baker is sad, but it's all of a piece with Brzezinski as his national security advisor in the '70's - and so on. Reliance on experts and academics who have a stake in the continued existence of the power elite.

It's the tired old club that has been leading us to disaster and away from the ideals of our nation for decades. We are in the culminating stages now where the logic is plain to see. They aren't all terrible people (although Baker is), but it has to end. They are blind and they don't know what is best, and it's time for us to discard any illusions on the matter.

National IDs are an abomination and almost anyone would have known it before we had reached the stage, through constant media and marketing conditioning, of thinking that the political/corporate elite knows best and that it is best to just let them (the same old club) take care of things if they just tell us now and then we are the greatest nation on earth. (All that a few generations have known.)

I'm sure it astonishes all of us everyday, but just think - Isn't it surreal, almost unbelievable that the use of easily hackable, unsecure voting machines using proprietary software wasn't remedied immedately, as the condition became known? The fact of not getting through, of expending so much energy in such a non-partisan and reasonable issue is just dumbfounding, if you really think about it. What is democracy worth to those who cannot hear us? That's what is scary. (Not to mention those who have an criminal interest undermining elections.)

We need more John Conyers, of course, but we also need millions of Cindy Sheehans in the cause of democracy, and both have to take chances. They have to do things that shake up the establishment --- all the time, until no one can be comfortable in the powerful fantasy it has concocted for us. And the "club" needs to be replaced. Too bad, but IMO it's the only way to regain our country.

OT

It is getting hot.

Read this

I meant this. Read this

"Carter agreeing to be on a commission with James Baker is sad, but it's all of a piece with Brzezinski as his national security advisor in the '70's - and so on. Reliance on experts and academics who have a stake in the continued existence of the power elite."

Just for clarity, I should make it clear that I'm not speaking of Baker as an "expert" or an "academic". The "experts" would be those such as that hysterical prof who sent the childish emails to so many of us after messages to Carter were directed to him.

The point is that the "establishment" - an old but not obsolete term - or better yet, the political/corporate elite is real, as real as any class that has had to dealt with by those throughout history who have had to fight for their political liberties.

FASCISM in action....They log out ID numbers now, and purge whoever they want through the Accenture system.

Bev Harris what the hell can we do about it? Its time for revolution!!!!!!

Doug E.

"It's all over but the counting, and we'll take care of the counting."

Don't know where to post this but it appears Century 21 (real estate) is on the ground selling homes (sight unseen) in NO. Am I surprised...the vultures are circling.

That fascist Peter King wasn't even in the room when HRES 375 was voted on.....he must have been afraid of being called out. So he refused to embarass himself.

Pete King.....that guy would vote for anything that makes him look good! Lousy liar...

Doug E.

I am also disappointed in President Carter's part in this sham report, and have always considered him a hero who would not sell out. This man has overseen elections in countries all over the world so no underhandedness would occur. I remember the dastardly poll tax (Alabama). Part of this state's shameful past is a so-called literacy test, wherein black people attempting to register to vote were first required to pass tests that undoubtedly folks working at the courthouses could not pass. A milestone anniversary of the famous Selma-to-Montgomery March was recently observed, and an African American lady spoke about her husband attempting to register to vote in Selma. I believe she said he had just returned from the Korean War (or whatever they called that one); anyway, he decided to register to vote because they had moved to Selma. He was a dentist, therefore an educated person, so he did okay with the "literacy" test. Then the woman behind the counter pointed to a jar of jelly beans and asked him how many beans were in the jar! This Real ID nonsense is another in a long line of vicious, cynical ploys at exclusion.

People have to wake up--THIS COUNTRY IS QUICKLY BECOMING SOMETHING WE DO NOT WANT!