I'm not sure if I'm exhausted from putting together the final part of The BRAD BLOG Year in Review 2006 or if simply being reminded of all that's gone on over the past year on these pages is enough to tucker me out all over again.

Either way, I couldn't be prouder of what we've done. Whatever it was, it was never enough, but I do believe that at least we helped move the ball forward. From helping to expose the criminal corruption in our government, to further exposing the failure of our once-great fourth-estate, I hope that we've had a direct positive affect on each of them.

Here then is the last entry in this thing I call "Year in Review" since it's not necessarily a "Best of" (too much to figure out what was "best") or a "Highlights" (since sometimes the lowest lights were the highest and vice versa), so we'll call it a pu pu platter of the year that was as seen on these pages. It's also, by the way, your last chance to tip the piano player before calling it a year, not that we won't nag you about that again in the near future.

As much as this joint has overtaken my life this year, it has been anything but a solo effort. I cannot adequately express my indebtedness to several folks whose tireless efforts manning the blog with loving care and expertise at various times and for various lengths over the past year have made it possible to keep things going here. They also allowed me to keep going by allowing a few stolen moments here and there to look at things like sunshine and trees. So my less-than-adequate year end gratitude goes out to John Gideon, David Edwards, Agent 99, Winter Patriot, Alan Breslauer, Desi Doyen, Emily Levy and Czaragorn for all of the gas they've put into this engine over the past year via extraordinary work in often less than ideal circumstances on a rather regular basis. Thank you is not enough, but it will have to do.

As well, thanks are due to many of those who have contributed once or twice or more via Guest Blogs on these pages this year including Joy and Tom Williams, Joseph Cannon, Jim Cirile, Rebecca Abrahams, Eric Brewer, Harvey Friedman, Steve Huff, Daniel Borchers, Sibel Edmonds, Stephen Heller, Warren Stewart, Michael Collins, Tova Andrea Wang, Dan Field, STOP George, Chris Floyd, Jeeni Criscenzo and if I left anyone off, I do apologize. Blame Canada.

Thanks also to all of those folks --- sources, whistleblowers or just random tipsters --- who have taken the time to send hot leads or, even more, put yourselves on the line by entrusting me to treat your information with the respect and attention it deserves along with confidentiality that many of you require for all number of reasons. To those whose tips I missed due to a still-out-of-control inbox, my apoligies. Please resend and let's see if I catch it this time!

Finally, I thank you, The BRAD BLOG readers at the end of another year. Whether it's the "6 or 7" of you who stop by with daily devotion for a tasty morsel with your morning coffee, or the millions more who blow by only long enough to pick up an occasional "sirened" hot headline. Thank you for stopping by, supporting our work, and even more so, for spreading the word and making noise.

All of that, and I haven't even been given an award. Oh, well. As the band plays me off for another year, a reminder that Part 1 (Jan - Apr) is back here, Part 2 (May - Aug) is back here, and Part 3 (Sep - Dec) of The BRAD BLOG Year in Review 2006 follows in full...

SEPTEMBER...

FEENEY REVEALS CAMPAIGN STRATEGY TO REPORTERS, ONLOOKERS, DURING ELECTION NIGHT 'CELEBRATION'!
Says Seminole Chronicle is 'dumbass paper' to Seminole Chronicle editor!
Reveals plans to smear Clint Curtis as 'having mental problems'

BREAKING: E-Voting Primary Election Train Wreck In Maryland Primary
Polls across the state opened late due to missing equipment or missing poll workers
The state hired voting machine technical 'rovers' from Monster.Com ad...Some had only one train of training...on Monday!

HACKED: VIRUS IMPLANTED, SPREAD ON DIEBOLD TOUCH-SCREEN VOTING MACHINE!
New, First-of-Its Kind, University Study Reveals Malicious Code Can Be Easily Inserted into Voting Machine, Spread from One System to the Next, Resulting in Flipped Votes, and Stolen Elections…All Without a Trace Being Left Behind
Study Also Confirms that Voter Access Cards Can Be Created At Home to Defeat Security Protocols, Allowing Voters to Vote Multiple Times in a Single Election!

THE LET AMERICA VOTE ACT!
CALL ON CONGRESS TO PASS 'EMERGENCY PAPER BALLOT LEGISLATION' NOW!
Every Registered American Voter Must Be Allowed to Vote This November!

EXCLUSIVE: NEW RFK JR. ARTICLE ON DIEBOLD SAYS 'ELECTRONIC VOTING CAN'T BE TRUSTED'!
BRAD BLOG SOURCES, STORIES COVERED EXTENSIVELY...
EXTENDED EXCERPTS FROM THE ARTICLE...

BREAKING EXCLUSIVE: Judge Finds in Favor of Voter Lawsuit Against E-Voting Systems in Colorado!
Plaintiff Rep Says Machines to be Allowed in November, With New Security Measures, But Must Be Recertified From Scratch Thereafter
[UPDATED Now to include CNN's Initial Coverage, Official VoterAction.org Statement, Trial Testimony and Depositions from the case.]

Florida Paper Rips Tom Feeney in New Cover Story on Vote-Rigging Whistleblower Clint Curtis!
Computer Programmer-Turned-Congressional Challenger's Accusations Reported in Detail, Including New Points in the Mysterious Death of Case Investigator Raymond Lemme
Feeney's Camp Refuses to Answer Allegations or Take Lie Detector Test, But Manages to Smear Curtis Anyway...

FEENEY WATCH: 'Corrupt' Congressman's Campaign Creates 'Crazy Clint Curtis' Smear Website!
Rudimentary Site 'Paid for by Tom Feeney' Offers Extraordinary Claims, Smears, Doctored Photos of Congressional Opponent, Vote-Rigging Whistleblower, But No Evidence to Back Up Claims
Smear Blogsite Gives No Indication if it's Paid for by Feeney or Not (In Violation of FEC Rules?)

BREAKING EXCLUSIVE: BOXER, DODD INTRODUCE 11th HOUR EMERGENCY PAPER BALLOT LEGISLATION IN SENATE!
Calls for 'Contingency Paper Ballots' in States, Counties this November to be Paid for by Feds!
Co-Author of HAVA is Co-Sponsor of New Bill Answering Our Call for a 'LET AMERICA VOTE ACT', Makes Paper Ballots Optional to States Rather Than Mandated...But We'll Take it! Sources Say House Bill to Follow Soon!

EMERGENCY PAPER BALLOT LEGISLATION INTRODUCED IN HOUSE BY HOLT TO MATCH YESTERDAY'S SENATE BILL, NEW 'SENSE OF THE SENATE' RESOLUTION FILED BY FEINGOLD, KERRY!
Kerry Joins Original Senate Bill as Co-Sponsor, Joins with Feingold in Filing New Senate Resolution as Well!
Feingold Says, 'Back-up Paper Ballots Essential to Preventing Disasters', Kerry Calls Situation 'Disgrace, National Scandal, Requiring Emergency Action Now'!

BREAKING: DNC Voting Rights Institute Endorses 11th Hour Emergency Paper Ballot Legislation!
Donna Brazile Posts Open Letter Encouraging Citizens to Pressure Lawmakers!
(While, So Far, All Republican Congress Members Remain Apparently Uninterested in Ensuring American Citizens Can Vote This November!)

OCTOBER...

INCREDIBLE! FOX 'NEWS' LABELS FOLEY AS DEM DURING O'REILLY FACTOR!
Three Different Video Cutaways, 15 Seconds or More Each, Credit Disgraced REPUBLICAN Congressman as Being a Florida DEMOCRAT!
UPDATED: NOW WITH VIDEO! LATER UPDATE: 'Erroneous' Caption Scrubbed from Late-night O'Reilly Rebroadcasts Without Explanation!

TV NEWS REPORT: Tom Feeney's Smear Campaign Sends 'Porn Mailing' to 100,000 Florida Voters! Upsets Local Mom!
'Don't Send Smut to My Mailbox,' Says a Mother in Response to Smear Brochure Sent by Feeney in Attempt to Discredit Vote-Rigging Whistleblower, Congressional Challenger Clint Curtis!
Republican Congressman's Ill-Timed, Embarrassing (and Expensive) Slime Efforts Continue to Blow Up on Him...

HBO to Premier 'Hacking Democracy' Just Prior to November Election!
Landmark Documentary Will Feature Exclusive Footage of First Known Hack of Diebold Optical-Scan Voting System!
Investigative E-Voting Fraud Film --- Three Years in the Making --- to Debut on Cable Channel Nov. 2nd!

The EAC's Buried Report on 'Voter Fraud' --- or Actually Lack Thereof --- and 'Thor' Hearne's Continuing Loathesome Attempts to Destroy American Democracy
No Wonder Hearne's Phony GOP Front-Group, ACVR, Didn't Want to See the Report Released
They're Named Three Times as the Only Group Forwarding the 'Voter Fraud' Bullshit!

TOM FEENEY CAMPAIGN SCRUBS 'CRAZY CLINT CURTIS' SMEAR BLOG!
Main Smear Website Remains, But Blog Featuring Unsubstantiated Attacks, Lies --- Initially Posted Without 'Paid for by Feeney' Disclaimer --- Now Removed, Redirected!
Hapless, Corrupt Congressman's Sad Attempt at Discrediting Whistleblower Curtis Continues to Backfire...

EXCLUSIVE: FIRST BUSH-APPOINTED CHAIR OF U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION SAYS 'NO STANDARDS' FOR E-VOTING DEVICES, SYSTEM 'RIPE FOR STEALING ELECTIONS'!
Former Chair Says He 'Was Deceived', EAC and Federal Efforts for Election Reform 'A Charade', 'Travesty'!
In Stark Contrast to Current EAC Chair, Rev. DeForest Soaries Blasts White House, Congress in Transcript of Unaired Interview from Major Broadcast Network!

VIDEO EXCLUSIVE - The Clint Curtis / Tom Feeney Vote-Rigging Scandal as Seen in the New E-Vote Documentary 'Eternal Vigilance'
Whistleblower-Turned-Congressional Candidate's Story Told as Part of Film on Citizen Patriots Fighting to Save Democracy
'Crazy' Smear by Curtis' Opponent, Feeney --- the Man He Says Asked Him to Create Election Flipping Code in Florida --- Continues to Shame Corrupt Congressman...

The Many Lies of Bruce McPherson
California Secretary of State Has Difficult Relationship With the Truth
McP Squares Off, Falls on Face, Against Non-Lying Opponent Debra Bowen in Live Debate

DAYTONA BEACH PAPER ENDORSES VOTE-RIGGING WHISTLEBLOWER CLINT CURTIS OVER CONGRESSMAN TOM FEENEY!
News-Journal Says Curtis is 'Independent Thinker', 'Prepared Well' to Serve Florida's 24th Congressional District
Feeney's Record, Refusal to Discuss Issues 'Gives Voters Reason to Look for a Better Choice'

EXCLUSIVE: ELECTION SECURITY BREACH - CHICAGO'S ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION DATABASE DISCOVERED VULNERABLE TO HACKERS!
Personal Information, Social Security Numbers, Birthdates of 1.5 Million Voters Exposed to Online Tampering, Downloading, Identification Theft!
Breach Discovered, Video-Taped by Illinois Election Integrity Organization...

Clint Curtis Makes the Cover of Bush's 'Hometown' Paper, Says He Plans to File Lawsuit Against Tom Feeney
The Vote-Rigging Whistleblower Turned Congressional Opponent to Alleged Vote-Rigger Creeps Closer and Closer to the Bush's...

San Diego County Registrar Sends Pre-Programmed, Election-Ready, Hackable Diebold Touch-Screen Voting Machines Home With Pollworkers on 'Sleepovers' More Than Three Weeks Prior to Election!
One of the Country's Worst Places to Vote, Led By One of the Country's Worst Election Administrators, Mikel Haas, Instructs Poll Workers to NOT Tell Voters They May Vote on Paper Ballots if They Wish
An EXCLUSIVE First-Hand Account and Photos of Delusional Election Director's Irresponsible Scheme...

EXCLUSIVE: Unredacted Death Threat Letter to Stephanie Miller
Profanity-Laced Missive from Right Winger Sent After Popular Radio Host's Recent Appearance on Fox 'News', Says 'Would be Happy to See AK-47 Send You Into Eterntity'
Miller Calls America-Loving Wingnut On Air, Man Claims Letter Wasn't a Threat... [UPDATE: Audio of Phone Call to Man Now Included!]

NOVEMBER...

Hacks, Lies and Videotape...
ComputerWorld Review of HBO's 'Hacking Democracy', Plus an EXCLUSIVE Online Video Preview!

HERE WE GO AGAIN: 'Just Push the Yellow Button and Vote as Many Times as You Want' on Sequoia Touch-Screen Voting Machines!
New Vulnerability Discovered on Touch-Screen Systems Made by One of Country's Largest Voting Machine Companies Will Affect Elections in Dozens of States!
California's Secretary of State Bruce McPherson Denies Knowledge of Vulnerability Well After His Office Had Been Notified...

EXCLUSIVE: LEAKED 2003 REPORT ON MARYLAND'S DIEBOLD VOTING SYSTEMS REVEALS SERIOUS SECURITY CONCERNS WERE WITHHELD FROM ELECTION BOARD, GOVERNOR, PUBLIC!
Long-Sought Document Finally Surfaces Showing America's Largest Voting Machine Company, MD State Election Director, Hid Major Flaws From State, Country!
Original 200-Page Security Report --- Said to be 'The Pentagon Papers of Electronic Voting' --- Previously Released Only in 38-Page Highly Redacted Form…Until Now…

BRAD BLOG EXCLUSIVE DOCUMENTS: 'THE PENTAGON PAPERS OF E-VOTING' --- THE LONG-SOUGHT 2003 STATE OF MARYLAND'S 'SAIC REPORT' ON DIEBOLD SECURITY VULNERABILITIES --- NOW RELEASED IN FULL!
Previously Unreleased 200-Page Report Said to Document Some 180 Security Flaws and Recommendations Made to Diebold and the State
Still Unclear as to Who Made Changes, Additions, Redactions to Publicly Released 40-Page Version of Report…

MELTDOWN '06: Orange County CA Candidate Says Machines Down, No Paper Ballots Available...
Voters in Predominently Dem Areas Unable to Vote, Some Voting on Paper Ballots in Chinese and Vietnamese as English Ballots Not Available...

Never Mind the 'Results,' Election 2006 Was a Disaster for E-Voting Systems Across the Nation
(Will Someone Please Tell the Headline Writers at the New York Times and the Associated Press?)

BREAKING: Denver Election Clerk Resigns in Wake of Election Day E-Voting Meltdown
Will Other Elections Officials Across Country Have Decency to Do Same?

ES&S VOTING MACHINES FAIL AGAIN: More Votes than Voters in Arkansas, Thousands of Votes Missing in Florida and Zero Votes Recorded for One Mayoral Candidate
Paperless iVotronic Touch-screen Systems Report Unprecedented Voter Turnout in one AR County, Thousands of Undervotes in U.S. House, Attorney General Race in Four FL Counties
Zero Votes Recorded on ES&S System for Mayoral Candidate in Small Town

EXCLUSIVE: Screenshots of the FL-13 Buchanan/Jennings Race as Seen on Sarasota's ES&S Touch-Screen Voting Machines on Election Day
ALSO: Non-Partisan Election Integrity Groups To Sue for Revote in U.S. House Race, Announce Press Conference (News Release Posted Here in Full)

BREAKING: DIEBOLD WHISTLEBLOWER STRIKES PLEA DEAL ON FELONY CHARGES
Stephen Heller Agrees to Plead Guilty, Pay $10,000, Apologize and Receive Three Years Probation After Being Charged with 'Burglary' for Sharing Diebold Lawfirm's Privileged Documents with Newspaper, Election Integrity Activists
Tells BRAD BLOG He Has 'No Assets Left, Other Than House' and Deal is Meant to Protect Him and His Wife as 'Best Deal I Could Get Based on the Circumstances'

EXCLUSIVE: Whistleblower Stephen Heller Says 'Diebold Cannot be Trusted to Run Elections in America'
Plea Deal for 'Wobbly Felony' Conviction, 3-Years Probation, May be Reduced to Misdemeanor after One Year of Good Behavior

NATIONAL STANDARDS INSTITUTE TO RECOMMEND SCRAPPING DIRECT RECORDING ELECTRONIC TOUCH-SCREEN VOTING MACHINES!
Says Machines Should be Decertified! Also Says So-Called 'Voter Verified Paper Audit Trails (VVPAT) Should Not Be Used' in Voting Systems!

DECEMBER...

FL-13 EXCLUSIVE: Sarasota Offered Voters Faulty Information about Undervote Confirmation Process on ES&S Touch-Screen Machines
County Elections Website Claims Voters Asked for Specific 'YES or NO' Confirmation of Undervotes at End of Voting Process
Sources Confirm it Didn't Happen That Way in Contested FL-13 U.S. House Race on November 7th...

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA SUPERVISOR BETS 'A THOUSAND TO ONE' THAT HIS SEQUOIA VOTING MACHINES CAN'T BE HACKED!
Challenges Election Integrity Advocates to 'See if Your Programmer Can Manipulate That Machine' at Public, Video Taped Meeting!
Invites Media to Witness Challenge!

EXCLUSIVE: REP. HOLT SAYS HIS ELECTION REFORM LEGISLATION WILL REQUIRE 'VOTER-VERIFIED PAPER BALLOTS'
Congressman, Author of Leading U.S. House Election Reform Bill, Replies in BRAD BLOG Comments to Our Article Critical of His Quoted Statement Suggesting Touch-Screen Systems Should Not Be Replaced Due to Cost Factors...

EXCLUSIVE: Renowned Computer Security Expert Agrees to Meet California County Supervisor's '1000 to 1' Challenge to 'Manipulate' Sequoia Voting Machine!
Harri Hursti --- The Lead Programmer Who Hacked Diebold Systems in Both Florida and Utah --- Looking Forward to Testing the Security Vulnerability of Riverside County's Systems!
Election Integrity Individuals, Group, Stake $1000 for Charity on Supervisor Jeff Stone's Offer!

MORE THAN 35 ELECTION INTEGRITY ORGS ISSUE OPEN LETTER DEMANDING 'A PAPER BALLOT FOR EVERY VOTE CAST'
Campaign to End Use of Electronic DRE Voting Systems Launched by Several Organizations Previously Supportive of Rep. Rush Holt's HR550 Election Reform Bill
Citizens Asked to Join Effort and Send Letter to Their Own Congress Members...

EXCLUSIVE: A 'Thank You' from Stephen Heller
The Diebold Whistleblower Looks Back with Gratitude and Forward with Hope...

BREAKING: JUDGE DENIES PLAINTIFF MOTION TO REVIEW PAPERLESS VOTING MACHINE SOURCE CODE IN CONTESTED FL-13 U.S. HOUSE ELECTION, PLAINTIFFS TO APPEAL
Judge finds Plaintiffs' Request for 'Access to Trade Secrets' of ES&S Would 'Result in Destroying, Gutting' Voting Machine Company's 'Protections,' Rules Jennings's, Voters' Motion Based on 'Nothing More Than Conjecture'
[FURTHER STORY UPDATES] Plaintiffs Announce They Will Appeal Decision, Additional Late Details on Congressional Challenge to House Seating of Buchanan...

Part 1 (Jan - Apr) is back here and Part 2 (May - Aug) is back here. 2007 awaits...

                 

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