Have you guys read this yet?!
http://select.nytimes.co...ed=print&oref=slogin

The implications for this are very disturbing!!!

You are far more in the know than I- what are your thoughts on UTC trying to takeover Diebold?

http://houserisingsons.b...ke-you-go-hmmm-dept.html

Linda.... not being a Times subscriber one does not know what is in the article you tried to link. Please give us a synopsis.

Fade.... Woof ! UTC would be a giant step in the wrong direction for sure!

Brad.... Is there an optical scanner machine that IS trustworthy?

My town is going to vote tonight on whether to purchase one to help the town clerk count votes faster.
I would like to intelligently point out the issues of doing so.

Archicoot #3,

United Technologies is making a bid to buy Diebold.

And just to make your day complete:

House Dem FISA capitulation is imminent... and apparently always was.

http://firedoglake.com/2...ive-it-love-it-learn-it/
Of course the news is all over the usual blogs.

In short: it's become apparent that the "Great Democratic Show Of Spine" wrt FISA was just that: a show.... a show intended to shut critics up while the best way to sell the inevitable capitulation was hammered out. The final shoe will drop just before the House recesses.

Immunity for the telcos who coopereated with a massive nationwide data intercept and archiving ("wiretapping") program they knew was illegal all along... and past and future immunity for Bush and company for their crimes.

A complete shutdown of the only recourse the citizens will ever have into knowing just how totally their civil liberties were, are being, and will be gang-raped by the administration and the corporations.

And the grim humor highlight of the weekend for me? The occasional artfully-dropped expression of hope that Rush Holt might... rush in... to save the day... as if we don't already know that he'll use the aftermath of the Dem cave in to try and push his own particular bill overturning Constitutional checks and balances through.

For passersby: yes, Holt has usually voted right on civil liberties issues... but he has a bad election reform bill jammed in committee (H.R. 811) that he refuses to rewrite to address valid criticisms by a wide variety of election and election integrity people and he also refuses to accept responsibility for the bills innate problems...

He insists on trying to push it through nonetheless... and every time the Dems cave on a major issue he and his supporters trot it out again as if to say "Look what I can give you to distract the people with while the latest uproar dies down!"

Just saw some interesting data on DU..It is about the '04 race in NC. The comments are from '04 about the weird votes ...differences in absentee and machine votes. Wondering if the election fraud is more outrageous when there is a senator who is very important to repubs in the race. It is at the bottom of the page under countries and states. I remember NC didn't have a Sec. of agriculture and education for months because of the mess with the machines. Might be something to watch for in '08....which senators are important and unpopular.

Too late Brad.... lost the vote.
The town will be purchasing an optical scanner in time for the fall elections.
All I can suggest now is a random 10% +/- hand count with a statistical analysis followed by a trigger to a full hand count if there is a 5%+ error.

Sound right to you?