Brad Blog readers: Please join me in making a monthly Paypal contribution. What's that phrase? "Freedom isn't free". This website is a leading, and sometimes very lonesome, voice on so many issues that even on-line journalism ignores or is afraid to address.

Read the record of postings in the column to your right. Sibel Edmonds, the ACORN travesty, the fight for LBGT rights, the daily Green News Report...plus flagship reporting on the voting machine threat to our most fundamental freedom.

Cough it up. Something. Every month. You won't miss the money that much. But you would miss living in a democracy.

Thank you SunnySteve. Hoping folks will take you up on the challenge.

For the record, so far, in the 5 and a half hours since this post went up, we've received a single $10 donation.

Not sure how progressives expect folks like myself to continue working 24/7 to do the type of stuff we do here with that kind of support. After nearly 7 years, it's become pretty difficult to continue.

Please support independent, progressive, aggressive, investigative media, people! Really. It ain't "free"!

My donation will be arriving regular mail, thank you very much.

Brad, would you please clarify for me your objections to Instant Runoff Voting? Are you against it in principle? Or are you for it in principle but against it at the moment because with our current dysfunctional "voting" system it would only provide more opportunities for manipulation. I've always thought Instant Runoff was a great idea. If our votes were actually being counted. Anywhere.

And has this been suggested?---we get Harri Hursti or somebody/anybody to steal an election electronically from a popular well-heeled Republican who's supposed to win. Our manipulator anonymously reveals publicly how he stole the election. The Republican, being a Republican, refuses to take the theft of his election lying down. A big hubbub ensues. Legislation is introduced by Republicans to return to hand counting of ballots so that an election is never again stolen in this way from a Republican.

Or how about this?--

We create a Robin Hood Band of Election Thieves, who steal elections from the rich and give them back to the people.

First intervention, they steal 5 Republican seats from election districts across the nation. They anonymously publicize their thefts. An uproar ensues. If there's is not enough of an uproar to fix our system...

Next election they steal 10 Republican seats and 5 Democratic ones. More anonymous publicizing. More uproaring. If still not enough of a hew and cry arises to fix the mess....

Before the next election they predict many more thefts, but none occur. They anonymously announce they were kidding on that last one to make the point that you never can know an election outcome with any certainty given our current system.

Each election they do something or other and publicize it, keeping up a relentless pressure till piblic opinion to fix the damn mess becomes irresistable.

I realize there are just a few logistical obstacles to this fantasy, but it'd be fun, no?

David Lasagna said:

My donation will be arriving regular mail, thank you very much.

No. Thank YOU, David.

Brad, would you please clarify for me your objections to Instant Runoff Voting? Are you against it in principle? Or are you for it in principle but against it at the moment because with our current dysfunctional "voting" system it would only provide more opportunities for manipulation.

The latter is much closer to my position. In fact, I used to be in favor of IRV on the very principle that it's supporters proffer (would allow more parties to have a fair shot at getting elected, would force two major parties to be less extreme, since they'd have to find common ground w/ voters from other parties, etc.)

But then I came to learn how our election system works (or doesn't) and how unverifiable/unoverseeable IRV is. In short, it's nearly impossible to verify as accurate at best, and usually a complete clusterfuck when it's been used in the past (Just Google "Aspen IRV" to get an idea how it went in 2008 out there, as one example.)

As to your suggestion of white hat hacking a real election, while such a thing would not necessarily break my heart to see happen, it would be seriously illegal, would lead to serious jail time for whoever does it, and is therefore nothing I would ever endorse or condone.

Brad,
Thanks for the clarification on IRV.

In my fantasy of the good guys' election hacks it's like one of those George Clooney Ocean movies where the heroes are so hip to the way the machine works they are always several steps ahead no matter what and in the end fade quietly, uncaught, and successful, into the sunset.

In a situation as dire as ours if the perps could get away with it uncaught while making a huge PR splash to energize public consciousness, I'd be completely for it. The law is/our voting rights are already being violated every step of the way as it is. It'a a lawless system. If a Robin Hood appeared, making a big fuss, and exposing the corruption/dysfunction I would cheer and cheer.

Anyway, thanks again, Brad, for all you do.

CNN is unusual for a TV news channel . Prior to the 2008 election wolf blitzer asked john king if he had heard anything about election fraud. John said, "no".

During the reign of terror called the bush administration, a reporter named jeff gannon sat for two years in the wh press corpse. John King was in there too. Nobody knew that he was not a reporter or was really a male hooker, who had over night visits to the wh.

The dots do not need connecting.It's called "state media".I am glad it is funny or my heart would break.

Hi Brad-re: your request for funding. Here's what I see-a blank, open-ended request, without a deadline, purpose, or reward, is one of those things that leave people with the 'publicly funded' syndrome: I'll let the other one do it.

May I suggest two things:

1. Have a set goal (Marcy Wheeler has a temperature guage on her website w/a $150K goal, and she's over $125K, which I think is quite impressive). In your case, I'd start with something like $5K. Give it an end point (December 31, 2010).

2. Offer premiums-1X donations of ($??) For (??). Or, if you sign up for $10/month, we'll give you (??).

You already do this regarding the Clint Curtis video, I believe.

So get something going-get a new product, offer a phone conversation, sign a photo, I dunno, SOMETHING!?

Give your audience some kind of new incentive for bringing their friends to your blog, Facebook, twitter, whatever.

The economy is kicking people's butts, and health/disability is getting to be an issue too. My husband has MS, but has been my FT caretaker for 10 years since I was injured in a car accident. I recently began the arduous application process for SSDI, and now, with all the financial distress of me not working, his MS has been seriously exascerbated, and he's leaving his reasonably secure job. I'm both excited & scared. More time, less moolah.

I know we aren't the only ones looking down the barrel of the healthcare gun (once he goes on disability, we won't be able to afford health care 'coverage' and he won't qualify for public health care for 24 months-how's that for a fine kettle of fish!), and we are aging and have little in the way of savings.

With this scenario, $20 is a LOT, but I'm gonna send it to you, to stir the pot.

Will you please get a thermometer going, and add my pittance to the tiny bonfire you are starting?

I know how much I've learned reading your blog. I am blown away by your incredible tenacity, your firm fix on the REAL issue-our dissolving democratic system, and your courage and persistence in calling out the crazies who are knocking this country on its knees.

I wish you well, and hope that maybe there are others in this tiny cadre who might have a cool idea for how to jumpstart your campaign for funding...

Best of luck (to us all!?). We're gonna need some kinda mighty infusion of courage and inner resolve to turn this ship around. But it IS up to us-there is noone else to 'save' us but ourselves. Time to get LOUD, folks, and figure this out! We smart, we cool, we know what's goin' on. Now get at it!!

Blessings, Sophia

Election integrity is something which greatly concerns me. It doesn't matter to me if it's a Democrat or a Republican who cheats (or benefits from someone else cheating) it's wrong and the worst violation of the voters trust possible. That's why I occasionally come to this site, to keep up with what info Brad has. Found out about it during the 2006 election when my city was sending voting machines to polling places (peoples garages etc.) as much as a week early. To sit there.. and potentially be compromised. Never thought of the danger of that before, until I heard about this site on the radio.

Now, I get a paper ballot and make sure my vote is counted. I recommend my friends and acquaintances do the same. And I'm thankful to Brad for opening my eyes to what's going on in elections.

But, this is not an "election integrity" site as much as it's a left wing extremist site. So I dig past the "Ohhh, did you see what Breitbart said?" and the "Those evil teabaggers are HATERS!" and all the other garbage which makes up the majority of the site.

Develop a site for election integrity and I'll gladly pay my fair share to an excellent cause. I'm not going to pay to fund the next Palin or O'Donnell hit piece.

WingnutSteve -

First, thank you for giving a damn about your/our democracy. I share all of your concerns on that point, as I'm sure you know. Every vote must be counted and counted accurately and transparently and ever legal voter who wishes to vote must be allowed to do so. Party is of no concern to me on that score.

As to this comment of yours, however...

this is not an "election integrity" site as much as it's a left wing extremist site.

...I take great offense. This site is about right versus wrong, not Right versus Left or Republican versus Democrats. I can't speak for the commenters here, as they can speak for themselves, as can you, while I do everything within my power to leave the site open for free and legitimate conversation, whether I agree with any particular comment or not (so long as it is within our few rules for posting).

But as to the issues that we cover in our articles, they are not based on based on partisan issues. Period. My calls for George W. Bush to be impeached, for example, was because he was a criminal, not because he was a Republican. In fact, we have worked hard to highlight Republicans over the years who have done the right thing in a party which has quickly disintegrated into a shamelessness and hate. That is not good for the country, and I would love to see a legitimate Republican Party emerge some day, if only to present legitimate opposition to the failed, cowardly Democrats. We do not have such a legtimate GOP at this time.

Breitbart is called out because he is a liar. Not because he is a Republican or a conservative (and he's not a conservative, by the way). Tea Baggers are called out because their hypocrites (where were their concerns for the deficit and the Constitution back when Bush was destroying us all on both counts for the previous eight years, while we were VERY supportive of legitimate Republicans and conservatives like Ron Paul, who actually, DID speak out on those very things for years PRIOR to the Rs losing the White House?)

There is nothing "extremist" about this site, other than our extreme believe in the Constitution, the Rule of Law, Right and Wrong, and supporting the country and world we ALL live in in hopes that we can make it better for ALL of us.

It's not even particular "Left Wing", but as the Right has moved so insanely over the cliff/into a mental institution, I'm not surprised you'd believe such a thing about us.

As to this:

Develop a site for election integrity and I'll gladly pay my fair share to an excellent cause.

Please feel free to donate to the ProtectOurElections.org campaign of VelvetRevolution.us. It is a site I've developed devoted only to election integrity. We're happy for your support.

I'm not going to pay to fund the next Palin or O'Donnell hit piece.

We have never done any such "hit piece". Perhaps you're confusing this site with others who do exactly that.

In any case, whether you donate is, as always, up to you. I thank you, in any case, for helping the world understand concerns about EI, in particularly your Republican friends who have been extraordinarily disinformed about it.

Sophia - Thanks for your thoughtful comments (and for the support you said you'd be sending).

We have, many times in the past, offered premiums, etc. Truth is, last few times we've done so, we've had few takers. Moreover, right now, in "election season", I'm round-the-clocking it and the additional time/resources it takes to mail out premiums, etc. is not easily available.

Anyway, that's not by way of excuses, just by way of explaining the situation. Right now, covering important issues is what I need to do and even posting notes asking for money is something I'd rather not have to take the time do at all. Unfortunately, if I don't, few will donate at all, and even when I do, few donate. Has always been the case. But I keep trying when I can find a moment to do so.

Your points are all well taken, and I'll figure out which of them I may be able to pull off somehow in the future! (We don't have the same kind of technical and resource infrastructure that firedoglake does for Marcy, so it's not quite as easy for us --- me --- to accomplish).

It's hard to take CNN seriously these days, but voter fraud is a huge problem. ACORN has been caught red handed so many times. Whether you're a partisan on either side or not at all, I'm glad brad is paying attention to the issue.

Of course, some might say he's not fair, which is why an organization that would cover up the truth about the Baathists would want to bolster someone like this.

I don't know. Seems anyone who cares about our election integrity will both oppose electronic voting machines AND the very existence of ACORN.

I was really wanting to ask: what's Breitbart talking about? Some say there's some deep dark secret you really want kept secret. What is it? Tell me tell me tell me tell me tell me!

Dustin,
Voter fraud is a "huge problem"? "Voter" fraud, or "election" fraud? 95% of corporate and government fraud comes from INSIDERS. Elections aren't won or lost because a few voters voted who weren't registered for crying out loud. That is so 20th century. That is what is known in the business as "retail" fraud.

"Wholesale election fraud" is where an insider can program the central tabulator or other devices to flip say every 10th vote from Bob to Bill and then erase the code. Never leave a trace. All of a sudden Bill wins when everyone expected Bob to be the clear winner. That my friend is "election fraud", not "voter fraud".

Regarding ACORN, I guess you don't stay up on the Brad Blog too much. ACORN was cleared of all trumped-up charges showing that Breitbart et al had set out to destroy ACORN by manufacturing fake videos allegedly showing a pimp going in and asking how he and his "bitch" could get a loan for their business. With an incredible amount of editing, they made a short film that made it look like that was what was going on.
Fact is, among many, there never was anyone dressed as a pimp who went into the ACORN operation, but the right wing certainly manufactured enough "believability" that even today, long after ACORN has been cleared of all wrongdoing, folks like you still believe they were doing bad stuff all along. Totally untrue, but like the swiftboating of Kerry in 2004, lies after lies after lies coming repeatedly at someone toward the end of a campaign can cause the demise of a person or organization that never did what it/he was accused of doing.

It is a shitty way of playing politics, but with the Supreme 5 decision that corps are people, it will now never never end. The lies will come dripping in honey with no accountability - hell, it could be Kim Jong Il putting the money behind the ads - the Supreme 5 say we the people have no need to know who is funding the dirty political hit pieces we will see in spades. It’s just none of the peoples’ business where millions and millions of dollars come from, sometimes at the last minute, to take a candidate out or put one over the top. Transparency – accountability – security in our elections – all wonderful illusions of things we no longer have. Yeah, it’s 100% about right and wrong, and it should be pretty much obvious what is “wrong”!

Yes, voter fraud is a huge problem.

If you don't think so, that's your business. Sadly, one of the more ugly aspects of the problem is that its not prosecuted as much as it could be.

However, there are elections were thousands of voters who were ineligible vote. Such as Franken's. There are elections were more voters vote in some places than there are voters. Such as Murray's.

Many on the left believe Florida in 2000 was so close it was stolen. That kind of lack of confidence is a huge problem for our Republican, IMO, that can be avoided if we ensure our elections are secure and prosecute anyone who screws with them.

I think denial of service style attacks on voter verification, by sending tens of thousands of fake registrations in, is wrong. An Obama staffer who was implicated in such a scam in Harris County, Texas, the day before someone (OK, we all know it was these same people) destroyed every voting machine in the county with arson. I say that's a huge problem too.

I'm conservative, so perhaps I just see the problems from the left more than whatever problems Brad is concerned with. I never heard of this Ann Coulter deal below (obviously, just an isolated case, not the kind of issue I'm talking about, but still, it's serious and she should face justice).

Regardless, every honest soul wants an ironclad and absolutely accurate election process. Any republican or democrat shill trying to screw the system should go to prison. Any election official who fails to enforce the rules should be fined at minimum.

ACORN should be defunded as an example. They have been caught, repeatedly, and often have agreed to special deals to leave jurisdictions forever to avoid prosecution. I say these deals are wrong.

BTW, this coulter thing Brad has mentioned repeatedly on his twitter: what's the evidence for that?

I think that's an awfully serious charge.

The coulterwatch guy's site is very suspicious. I just went over the whole thing and he seems to be some kind of loony.

If she voted in a place she wasn't entitled to, that's a huge problem and she should pay the penalty, but I don't see anything more than the kind of innuendo I heard about the florida voter fraud accusations.

Also, some of the people mentioning this are making the wild and unserious claim that ACORN was not engaged in any kind of voter registration fraud of voter fraud.

ACORN members have been convicted in a court of law for voter fraud, Brad. Ann Coulter hasn't been. Employees of ACORN have plead guilty to "Federal Election Fraud". The organization itself is an offshoot of the discredited and extremist SDS.

ACORN is extreme fringe, and a liability to the serious progressive. I often have felt Coulter is a liability to me, and I don't feel any need to cover for her (if she even did any wrong).

Don't defend ACORN. O'Keefe destroyed their reputation with ironclad proof. Unedited video, audio, documents. They are done. Anyone saying the charges against ACORN were made up is a liar. The convictions are just the tip of the iceberg, but are enough to prove the problem exists.

"unedited video"?!? Dude, you are so far behind the times you're in another century. The full (raw) video was finally unearthed thanks to Jerry Brown and some other prosecutors. They ALL found the raw video was HIGHLY edited to create a false narrative. Don't expect people to take you seriously when you are so eager to ignore well-established facts. As the saying goes: You're entitled to your own opinion. You are NOT entitled to your own set of "facts."

Dustin ~

Oh my. You really need to re-examine your sources and revisit your facts before posting such things around here. You have no idea how foolish you sound to us. Or you don't care. Either way, you're embarrassing yourself.

I recommend you dig through the archives here at The Brad Blog where the evidence for the Coulter fraud has been well-sourced and diligently documented since (at least) 2006. Here's a link, if you're serious about wanting to know more:

https://bradblog.com/?page_id=4380

Also buried in this treasure trove of a fact-based blog are a gazillion brilliant pearls of wisdom re: ACORN's total exoneration; O'Keefe's deceptive edits, Breitbart's lies, how and why this ACORN sting / hoax was so effective. Tho', for the record, I think Leftisbest laid all that out beautifully for you, and clearly it didn't land. Which tells me a lot about you.

In my experience, most ACORN-haters are intractable, no matter the facts. You bought the ACORN hoax because it *felt* good to believe (for whatever reason) and now it seems that no evidence shown you will impact your ill-informed, patsy position.

I'd rather not get into a "my source is right and your source isn't" - a fruitless debate that will eat up the entire thread with all of us flash-mobbing you with evidence, documentation, and uncontested, verifyable sources and links in a sincere effort to impart real knowledge to you.
We do that every other day here with folks just as disinformed as yourself, and no matter how patient and respectful we are, these debates bear no fruit.

It's exhausting to constantly bend down, reach for your tiny, panicky hands and try to lead you to acutal water. Seems you're fear-thirst is more sated by mirage.

I can cite at least 10 examples (easily, there are hundreds if not thousands)of other stories that Brad has been the first to report on over the years that turned out to be 100% true (accepted fact). Can you say the same about whoever informed you about the evils of ACORN and VOTER FRAUD?...

Here's an update on some of the goings-on in South Carolina.

http://www.charlestoncit...ines/Content?oid=2342599

"I can cite at least 10 examples (easily, there are hundreds if not thousands)of other stories that Brad has been the first to report on over the years that turned out to be 100% true (accepted fact). Can you say the same about whoever informed you about the evils of ACORN and VOTER FRAUD?... "

No you can't. They will be like the Coulter one. A lot of myth making in order to generate revenue.

This blog has brought up so many voting scares that turn out to be astroturf, fabrications, etc.

I cited ACORN. They have dozens of convictions, in the court of law. You pretend I'm just some dupe, calling that 'whoever told you of the evils!!!!'

that's right, you laugh off repeated convictions for election fraud. You laugh off violations of the law. When it's by democrats (which is usually is, not that it should be considered a partisan matter). We're talking about actual votes cast, among many other serious criminal acts.

Imagine if a right winger did it! Compare the hysteria on this blog over Coulter and imagine if she did what ACORN had done. Would you be laughing it off? I wouldn't be. I'd want her in prison.

It's a big internet. You're not going to be well informed on voter fraud issues if you attempt to read about it here. This blog's purpose is to cover up voter fraud and project the issue in a partisan manner. Go out and try to look up convictions involving ACORN, or deals with ACORN to leave jurisdictions in exchange for not being prosecuted, or Harris County's election systems being destroyed the day after a huge ACORN associated pack of nuts were caught red handed trying to commit fraud.

If you're worried about election fraud, I am not doing you any favors by trying to talk about it here. Learn to fish, and you eat for the rest of your life.

Anyone who laughs off ACORN's actions is not serious about voter fraud from the right or the left.

"No you can't"

O yes, I can.

Coulter may or may not be guilty of voter fraud, I don't know. If she is I hope she pays dearly. And maybe, just maybe, it'll wipe that smarmy arrogant smile off her face.

It's also well documented through various court rooms across this country that ACORN has been involved in many cases of voter fraud.

"I cited ACORN. They have dozens of convictions, in the court of law."

Then please, enlighten us with some links. Otherwise, I think you're full of it.

Brad...Your request for money reminds me of the Democratic Party. You will take all donations and you may even promise much in return. Unfortunately, you only seem to deliver drool running off of your chin. Don't portray yourself as an investigative reporter if you're only going to represent your own opinion. Call yourself exactly what you are. A Talking-Head-Liberal-Democrat!!! Feel free to add "dumb-ass" to the end of that...It fits too.

Geez, we need a better class of trolls here.

Please don't be so dull as to conflate ACORN the organization with individual ACORN employees.

As is well documented in all of the court filings, ACORN the organization actually turned in the handful of ACORN employees who committed the voter registration fraud. (Not the same thing as 'voter fraud', surprised you don't appear to grasp those distinctions, after doing so much research)

ACORN is required by law to turn in ALL registration applications, even the ones that are fraudulent. If you think it through, you'll realize the reason: no one but the proper authorities should be in charge of verifying/denying any voter registration application. Therefore all applications must be submitted.

Please post a link to ANY story or court filing that shows ACORN the organization was convicted in any of these cases.

Anyone who conflates ACORN the organization with the actions of individual employees isn't serios about election integrity, and is promoting rightwing disinfo. Nice going.