While the well-programmed "vote-switching" and "default to the Republican" electronic voting machines are no great benefit to Democracy, we must be careful.

Electronic Voting Machines are a RED HERRING and "a paper receipt" is the FAKE solution that they are planning the same way HAVA was the fake soltion to election fraud.

A PAPER BALLOT, COUNTED BY HAND BY NON-PARTISANS, AND TOTALS TABULATED AT THE LOCAL LEVEL is the only safe solution.

Charlie L
Portland, OR

{Ed note: Comment deleted. Advocating violence is wholly inappropriate and not tolerated here. Knock it off. Thank you.}

#1 Charlie L: Absolutely! There is no guarantee that the "paper trail" mirrors the electronic vote. In most jurisdictions you aren't even allowed to have a recount of the actual ballots unless the result is within some small percentage.

I continue to be nonplussed that Oregonians are sitting this issue out smugly "because we have all mail-in paper ballots." What they aren't keying in on is that those paper ballots are run through an ES&S optical scanner (at least in Clackamas County) and there is plenty of evidence that ES&S equipment is anything but reliable.

HAND COUNTING OF BALLOTS IN THE OPEN AT THE PRECINCT LEVEL is the ONLY chance we have of saving our voting rights.

Now, let's watch what the MSM does with this clarion call from RFK Jr.

There have to be multiple checks on elections, including multiple exit polls and, above all, citizens have to be vigilant.

There have to be multiple checks on elections, including multiple exit polls and, above all, citizens have to be vigilant.

There have to be multiple checks on elections, including multiple exit polls and, above all, citizens have to be vigilant.

The Brad Blog has focused on the most important corruption (election fraud) facing our nation. Everything flows from this. Brad's efforts, along with other groups, are responsible for forcing this issue to the surface. ..An unsolicited comment - if you care about this issue, be sure to support the blog and Brad's work with some financial assistance [see links]. Help Brad kick more ass.

Amazing how just a few people can start things rolling. Now Robert Kennedy is throwing his hat into the ring.

Sandy, you are totally correct. In oregon, 100% of our wonderful, paper, mail-in ballots are counted by two companies that are BOTH in serious question: ES&S and Sequoia.

We do have a move afoot to put local checks into place against these dubious counting systems.

I think, perhaps, the only reason they haven't tried anything yet is because our SOS is one hell of an honest and diligent guy (Bradbury) and he would go whoop-ass on them if he thought there had been any hanky-panky.

But, as soon as they get a thieving, cheating, lying, scumbag (i.e. a Republican) into the SOS position, we are no safer in our vote than Ohio, Florida, or New Mexico.

I don't know who Angry White Man is channeling, but I think Rob of OpEd News wrote a piece a month or so ago where he "dreamed" that Blackwell and Harris were going to be scared at night that they would be killed. He got pressured by the Secret Service and had to tone it way back.

But apparently, a voter did destroy two machines during a primary election recently. So, it could be a VERY interesting election this November if violence becomes a part of the equation.

As I have said before and will say right up until November 9, 2006, THIS NOVEMBER 7 IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION OF OUR LIVES!!! VOTE "NO R" AND MAKE SURE EVERYBODY YOU KNOW AND TRUST VOTES AS WELL.

We may never get another chance.

if even a tenth of that article is true, this administration should have been impeached long ago.

this is the sort of thing that causes people to take up arms. i'm a dedicated pacifist, but if ANYONE regardless of their political affiliation is subverting the democratic process then democracy must be protected.

if the gov't isn't willing to protect democracy, who will if not the people? and as a pacifist who abhors the use of violence for political purposes, what are you to do to protect the notion of one person one vote?

Is Robert Kennedy still doing drugs?

Kennedy does a marvelous job of telling a very complicated story as simply as possible. He describes the whole process as one manipulated to be a set of hurdles by Blackwell, targetted at largely Dem candidates. Well done.

Mr. Kennedy has courage, I'll say that!

Hmmm... perhaps I need to rethink my opinion of Rolling Stone magazine.

Wonder what their subscription rates are...?

Robert Kennedy, Jr., is going to appear on TUCKER CARLSON show on MSNBC, coming up!

Brad,Thanks for all your incredible reporting as always. Let me just say I hate Tucker Carlson.He's an asshole. I watched RFK on his show just now. Kennedy gave it to him but good. I am Shocked I mean Shocked that he invited RFK Jr on at all. I love the way (not) TC asks a question and when RFK Jr tries to answer TC tries to yell over him. RFK Jr would not let him get away with that at all. RFK Jr, Thank You for being a true Patriot to your country. I respect and admire you immensely as well as all you patriots who are trying to be true to our constitution. I've read all the posts today and you guys just blow me away. Great discussions all day long. Most of all you Brad for being so tenacious and obsessive on this subject. Hat tip to you!

Is RFK jr right???

Laura, I too watched Tucker Carlson and couldn't believe what a jerk he is. I can't figure out why in the hell he is so determined to defend bush at every turn. I was looking forward to hearing what RFK Jr. had to say (even though I have read his article online) and TC just wasn't going to let him talk or finish a thought. I don't know...maybe bushco is paying him. But I get the feeling that Tucker just doesn't get it.

#2 AngryWhiteMan,
Your comment is offensive & creepy. Get a grip. We're all angry but turning into the monster you're against isn't very smart.

Hear, Hear indeed!

Thanks for highlighting this sidebar, Brad. The Rolling Stone editorial's emphasis on the looming 2006 outsourced-for-profit vote-counting trainwreck is the icing on the cake.

Jo, I was so glad TC got canned from cnn after Jon Stewart came on crossfire and said they were hurting Americans. I have educated myself on many things since 2004 .Brad gave me the drive to do this for myself. I now realize we are living an Illusion. I believed all that crap they taught us in history class about us being the best country with our free press. We are rated 24th worldwide in press freedom.Who would of thunk it,right here in the good ole USA. What BS. I have learned so much, mostly from blogs and commenters w/links. Its amazing how much the human brain can retain. Even in middle age. My clients and daughter tell me to run for office,I can't,I inhaled and I cannot lie about it. I've been more active in more things since 2004 then anytime in my life. I talk about all of this in my salon. I don't care who I offend anymore. I feel the need to speak truth to power. I just can't shut up about it, or stick my head back in the sand. I also feel it is my duty to try and wake people up. I wish more would get off their asses and take our country back. I have gone to peace rallys and felt much companionship with my fellowman. I met Cindy sheehan here in Chicago. I also went to a rally in Ohio to contest the 2004 vote. I heard Rev Jackson and Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Bob Fritakis,and more. Truly inspiring people. I sat my daughter down last night to read Brads article on RFK Jr.and she said" Mom we were right to to go to Ohio",even tho they stuck us in an inside auditorium so we got little msm attention. That rally was very well attended to standing room only. It was the precursor to contesting the Ohio electoral vote. I'll tell ya I am Pissed and I am not going to take it anymore. I am getting strange vibes for the push for a hillary run. It seems like its the dems turn for some electoral dysfunction shenanigans. I do not like the chumminesss of the Bush 1 and Clinton lovefest. Also the Hillary/Murdoch murkiness. Are they in this shitstorm together? I don't know but its looking ....... Bad to me. Hava needs to be burned from the laws of this land. Well tomorrow I head for the store to pick up my copy of Rolling stone. I also subscribed to Rolling Stone today. I am slowly replacing the celeb crap reading for more pertinent reading in my waiting room. Vanity Fair, The Nation and now Rolling Stone. Need to bring the bar up a little bit. I also noticed more people are picking up these mags and reading them. I don't know if you remember Winter Patriot from brads blog from right after the 2004 debacle? He started a site called the whispering campaign that condences news stories to print and distribute far and wide, now when I read really good artcles I print them off and let my clients,friends and family get some truth to power messages. Thanks WP, I miss you,another inspiring Patriot. Wow what a rant, Sorry for the long windedness of this post. It makes my heart feel we may be able to kick these ciminals to the Hague for Crimes against all Humanity. Well I can dream can't I? Rather to dream, then this nightmare we find ourselves in now.

Laura - Please run anyway. I don't give a damn what you inhaled as long as you tell the truth. Even about inhaling. America needs many more like you. Let me know when you're running and count me in for an endorsement for ya!

Laura: Definitely, run. As far as inhaling and exhaling is concerned, it depends on what the definition of "in" is.

Laura:

Great Rant. You've got the fire!

Charlie L:

You seem to have thought deeply about the issues at hand here.

I think we need to hand count paper ballots too! If we try to have some kind of system to do ramdom audits or such by this November, they'll surely water down any plan we have by making it way too complex, as usual.

But, does that mean we'd have to go to marking them on the wall in public. I wouldn't have a problem with that myself. If you're embarrased about who you're voting for, maybe you shouldn't be voting anyway!

The other thing they say, is that your boss might find out who you voted for and fire you. That seems unlikely to me and besides, we should risk that if we are the brave American's we say we are.

What do you think?

What I find, sadly, is that people don't want to hear about it. I hope that changes.

Laura:
WOW, if one in a thousand Americans had your passion for real freedom ,we in "the rest of the world" could breathe a sigh of relief.
rant anytime ,anywhere.
lets hope the weight of evidence get "known" by the masses before its to late...
election fraud
pre-emptive illegal wars
torture
chemical weapons use
nuclear weapons use (DU)
outing cia op's
911 cover ups
fuel costs
.
.
.

.

.

One would hope that the investigation would not have to look very far, since only three IT department heads, from Diebold, ES&S, and Sequoia, would need to be called before congressional committees and questioned seriously.

The only problem is that the republican dictatorship does not investigate its own.

If an investigation takes place, and the republican dictatorship finds that the election system has destabilized democracy, they will, if past behavior is any indication, give them the old "you are doin a heckuva job" routine ... and perhaps a medal.

Conyers has been all over this since the last (s)election. He has gotten nowhere. RFK jr will be smeared for his stance. BushCo owns just about everything. The media, the Supreme court, the voting machines, the senate & the house. They are trying to take over the internet. They even appear to own the Democrats. Why won't the Dems take a stand? Because most of them are on the BushCo payroll, too! Why didn't Gore take a stand when they stole the first election (He told Sen. Boxer not to be the 1 senate member needed for an investigation). Why did Kerry disappear when Sen. Boxer signed on to an investigation of the 2004 joke? BushCo will try to install Jeb in 2008. Who can stop them?

Thanks for mentioning Winter Patriot Laura. I wondered where he went. I missed him too. Will check out whispering campaign.

Laura, #20,
Keep the fire, baby. Go ahead and run! The only folks who'll not vote for you because you inhaled (and will admit it...) are the folks that would not vote for you anyway; in fact you probably don't want the votes of those people.

also - where is Winter Patriot? I always appreciated his/her comments, but haven't seen any lately...

MT, #27 I hear ya. It does seem like they own the whole system, and unless we get in bed with 'em, we're screwed. We work so hard and so long on this idea, yet most of the country does not notice. They're bought off by the mainstream media...
But look at the big picture. We move forward every day. They are in retreat. We're right. They're wrong.
But the battle is hard and they throw everything they have at us every day. The only problem for them is that they don't have the most important thing. Truth.
We have to believe in such old fashioned phrases like, "Truth, Justice and the American Way." What do you think they are? I think the American Way (circa 21st Century) of doing things is to relax, have fun, live and let live until forced by the truth to get up off our asses and fight. And that's what we're doing. That's what you're doing by being here at Brad's blog.

As my friend Bernie Ellis says, "We are the people we've been waiting for." So lets keep working.

Lots of love and support to you Laura. Run! You are eloquent. I for one trust people more if they say they have taken a toke. I don't personally like it BUT studies show "it" doesn't cause lung cancer, may help prevent it. Keeps old Willie going after he had to give up LEGAL cigs.

Well....Back in the 1930's here in Oregon. the votes were tallied by every precinct, and recorded in two separate ledgers. One was kept by the precinct, and the other was sent to the county. If there were any question as to the vote, it could always be refered to the precinct.

Maybe this archaic system could be streamlined with final tally's being done by computor, but the original results remaining in the precincts.

The tampering with voting machines that we have seen thus far are just the tip of the iceberg...linus

Geezer Power

Anywhere online to see the Kennedy/Carlson "interview"?

Just mentioning you do drugs ensures the bradblog vote.

Dear Laura - Yes, Brad's right (as usual) - Please run anyway! (Personally, I'm not sure I'd trust anyone who never inhaled any more than I'd trust anyone who lied about inhaling.) Also, I like your waiting room reading material, but perhaps you should consider adding Harper's

And, yeah, you're far from alone in missing WP

Laura, you go, girl!! As noted, those who would not vote for you on account of a toke or two, probably wouldn't vote for you anyway, so give it a shot!! We need thousands more like you!! The issue of vote fraud is gaining a little traction, but not nearly enough. We have to keep hammering it, mostly at the local and state levels, 'cuz the feds --- Repugnants AND Dems --- are mostly bought and paid for, so ain't likely to oppose what got 'em there.

Observations above that paper trails, in and of themselves, don't guarantee proper counting of votes, are correct. There must be some form of double-entry bookkeeping system, whereby real paper ballots can be eye-balled and hand-counted by REAL people, out in the open, in public, with all kinds of witnesses backed up by exit polls. And there need to be changes in election codes to allow for effective petitions for compulsory recounts from ANY citizen registered voter.

I don't like/advocate any kind of violence, but it was Thomas Jefferson, I believe, who observed that, "The tree of liberty needs to be nourished from time to time by the blood of tyrants." Trouble is, the current crop of fascists' blood, having come from the polluted shallow end of the gene pool, probably would simply add pollutants to the soil.

Ricky #33

Have you and Rush taken your meds today? If not, bradblog is gonna getcha ...

Official independent investigation is the best answer.

For example, US Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald is doing a great job with the Valerie Plame affair. He has made the process completely fair, apolitical and is systematically making progress. Considering that this election fraud issue is critical to our democracy and is at the core of all of our values as Americans, we deserve to have the same treatment here as well. Serious, impartial individuals like Fitzgerald need to take a close look at the evidence apart from the hype and rhetoric of both sides. Using the same measuring stick (exit polls) that we used to stop fraud in the Ukraine, justification for an independent investigation should be obvious in this case. This, as well as the other voting irregularities that are well documented from coast-to-coast.

Forgive me, but to borrow a similar phrase from those defending the NSA spying: If there isn't really anything to hide, why not have real investigations? It would really get to the root of the entire matter and prove or disprove all claims.

Isn't the presevation of our democracy and faith in our system worth it?

At #36---Here's the quote from Jefferson. It seems to suggest that liberty is something that the good guys have to sacrifice for, as well...
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the
blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure."
--Thomas Jefferson to William Stephens Smith, 1787.

And Dredd - When Brad is sworn in as our next preznit he'd be a fool not to appoint you as our next Attorney General... And the next time you're in Prague give me a call - I know about 3,000 places that have some of the world's finest beers!

At #36---Here's the quote from Jefferson. It seems to suggest that liberty is something that the good guys have to sacrifice for, as well...
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the
blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure."
--Thomas Jefferson to William Stephens Smith, 1787.

At #36---Here's the quote from Jefferson. It seems to suggest that liberty is something that the good guys have to sacrifice for, as well...
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the
blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure."
--Thomas Jefferson to William Stephens Smith, 1787.

Laura, Wow...so glad I inspired that rant from you. It was great to hear from someone so passionate, and I hope that you will continue to speak out, here and elsewhere. And I agree with the others...you should run for office. I am just as angry as you are at what is going on in this country, and I really don't understand why we are all so tentative when it comes to making our voices heard on this subject. Its almost like, "don't talk about bush and his administration in polite company." Which is exactly why they are getting away with all the bullshit. Everyone is afraid. What happened to the passion of the 60s anyway? We were in the streets.

Thanks for your blog, Brad. I've just today discovered you. Unfortunately, the tiny yellow letters on the black background are extremely difficult to read, even with magnifying spectacles.

The bold print is quite clear. TINY LETTERS, semi-indistinguishable.

Thanks for your consideration.

Otherwise, keep up yhe good work.

Czaragorn #40

Done deal.

A paper trail is not the solution. Does anybody here think that they couldn't make the election just close enough but not to the point that would trigger a recount mechanism? These fuckers are good at what they do.

The only solution is to have paper ballots marked by a writing utensil, counted by hand by public servants, at the precinct level, in the full view of the public and members of all political parties. Such a transparent vote should also be aired on local public access channels.

That is the only way I will trust the result.

Thanks for all the kind words. You guys are all so computer savvy with your links. I have learned a lot about the world and myself in the last 2 years from all of you here. Many other sites too. I think a lot of people are hypnotized by the TV and the infotainment news. We don't read in this nation anymore, I can't believe people don't even read the paper anymore. I found a wealth of knowledge on the internet. Now instead of shopping I'm learning. Mostly about the state of our nation. I'm going to get myself a bumpersticker..... If your not OUTRAGED your not paying attention! Yes I have bumperstickers on my car too. I have only gotten good feedback from them. From a wide range of Americans. People do care but I think a lot of them are scared. No rocking the boat. It also scares me all the legal prescription drugs that are being fed to all of us. It is such a vicious cycle we have gotten ourselves into. Americans Hypnotized,Drugged, Obeses. Its like their fattening us up. Makes you Think..............

I too have wondered about Winter Patriot. He has not only disappeared from BradBlog but he has abandoned his own Winter Patriot Blog and he has not added anything at The Whispering Campaign site since about the end of last year. If you're out there Winter, let us know how you're doing. We miss you here. You were one of the reasons I got addicted to BradBlog in 2004!

To Laura and Brad:

Here’s my rant!

I am a NORML supporter and am proud of you and Brad not ducking the drug war issue. Thanks also to two of the most intelligent men in America, Bill Maher and John Stewart for not hiding their drug use. It’s important not to be politically correct in the face of evil!

This has been a very real issue in my life for the last two years. I have smoked pot for 35 years and have never hidden the fact of my drug use. It’s a long story, but the police found out I was growing my own stash in a tiny linen closet in my condo. I faced felony charges. I’ve never earned a dishonest dime or even asked anyone for a dime in my life. I have worked steadily ever since I was 17, (I’m 54 now). I have never harmed anyone in my life either intentionally or unintentionally. I AM NOT A FELON by ANY definition in ANY dictionary!

$10.000 in lawyer fees, brain damaging, costly rehab and 100 hours of community service later, I still have to go in for pee tests. If I hadn’t had the money, support from my employer, or been white, the life I’ve worked so hard for would have ended!

A couple of weeks ago the FDA ruled that marijuana has no medicinal qualities which means felony charges can still be brought. This, despite the fact that the plant is used to produce prescription, pharmaceutical drugs. Read this sentence again.

These laws have absolutely nothing to do with helping people! A lawmaker (Orrin Hatch I think), brought up the fact that they had been taping phones of drug dealers without warrants for years to justify the recent lawbreaking of the Bush administration. This is no accident and has been a NATIONAL AND WORLDWIDE TRAGEDY for decades! This is the most cynical political strategy of the century and can no longer be tolerated! How about a new word to describe it.

POTitics!

The true “gateway drug” today would have to be Rit_alin which has been given to school children since the 1970's. Destroying the lives of children and responsible adults has nothing to do with getting “tough on crime”, it’s INSANE!

It’s also HIGHLY unconstitutional!

The following link is to a speech given at a NORML conference this year by Norm Stamper, a former police chief and officer of 30 years who brings up the fact that nothing has done more to destroy respect for this most honorable profession then has the “drug war”!

2006 NORML Conference - Norm Stamper

I miss Winter Patriot too. Hope he's doing alright.

and Sara...WELCOME!

Another person I miss around here lately is Kira.

She was so helpful to me when I first found this site back in '04. Helped me learn how to make links etc. and always had something good to say.
Marifour has also been missing in action.

Yes I second Joan,Welcome Sara. Larry, Thanks for the rant back. I'm sorry for all you have been through.I know from experience when you live thru something so traumatic, if it doesn't kill you it will make you stronger. That seems to be what has happened in your case. I read an interesting article about the reason cannibis was outlawed. It had to do with the Hearsts wanting to get rich off their forestry acres. Millions and millions of them. Hemp is a wonder crop. It is fast growing so releases many nutrients back into the atmosphere. It is a very strong fiber so its products are long lasting. Tall ships sails and rope were made from hemp. As well as clothing any many other products.Believe it or not Our Constitution was written on hemp paper. In the last week or so I read a diary at daily kos about hemp. The article explained how hemp by-products could lead America to energy independence. Thats the shit huh? This wonder crop could help all peoples of the world and what does our government do? They outlaw it. Make us dependent on stinking oil that is killing our environment. Then cut down trees to make paper and by products that also leads to killing our environment. Remember when Carter was president? He wanted to make marijauna legal. I think thats why the powers that be made sure he didn't get re-elected. I saw a documentary about the push to legalize it,and then Wham bam Thank you mam we get,The War on Drugs. Another perpetual war on an inanimate object that will never end, hence your situation. Heres something that will blow your mind, Hemp and cannibis used to be a mandatory crop in the United States. That is until the corporations decided they didn't like something that would last. No moneyin it for them. See how they got that all sewed up into a nice little corporate package for us the consumer? Now I'm going to go read your link. Thanks.

Czaragorn, Thanks for the tip on Harpers I picked this months up today. I also bought the new book by Glenn Greenwald....How would a Patriot Act? I've heard its a good read. I don't know if you've ever read his blog, but I learn a lot from his writing. Oh and my clients Thank You too.

Back in the day, drinking was discouraged in favor of pot and LSD, but I didn’t remember any particular squabble between the Rock n’ Roll crowd and the Country music crowd until Merle Haggard wrote ''Okie from Muskogee'' which had the line, ''We don't smoke marijuana in Muskogee/We don't take our trips on LSD.'' Haggard liked to get his kicks from good ole White Lightening. It caused a huge divide in the music world for years and the war mongers loved it!

Today, Haggard says conservatives - especially the anti-marijuana forces - have gone too far. “America has sure gone to some sort of a police state in the last 10 years,'' He says he's sick of the US ''zero tolerance'' laws, which make reentering the States from Canada an indignity. ''If they find a seed of marijuana in your car or bus, they'll run it all over the news,''

Merle talks

The funny thing about banning the use of hemp for products other then medicine is that you have to specifically grow a variety which does not have a high level of THC. Which means the only effect it could have on getting high is to cross pollinate the crops designed for that and ruin them. Once again, science means nothing.

The very first marijuana incarceration put a man into hard labor for two years because of a law they passed which made it illegal to possess pot without buying a “tax stamp”. The cute part was that you couldn’t get the stamps.

Henry Ford was actually going to make cars out of hemp, which he claimed would be stronger then steel. He also wanted to run the cars on marijuana which is the fastest growing crop known and would be much better then corn. Science Schmience! More war!

Apropos this latest OT meander:

I don't need no Red for a good night in bed,
I don't need no Promax (sorry - spam filter evasion) to grin through the day,
Don't need no Exaggera (ditto) for a trip to Niagara,
Just let me step out and spark up a jay!

This is the biggest issue of our times. What we need is a landslide defeat of the types of rightwingers involved in this cheating (and smearing), then to institute strong, solid election fraud reform.

PS: You could delete the post about RFK Jr. doing drugs. That was his brother David who tragically died of an OD many years ago. David had emotional problems ever since he was left alone in a hotel room as a boy with the TV on, watching his father murdered. Hanging out with the Rolling Stones as a kid didn't help either.