Guest blogged by Chris Floyd

A slightly expanded version of the column appearing in the July 28th edition of The Moscow Times, as posted at Empire Burlesque.

The history of almost every religion is a tragedy of betrayal: the betrayal of the radical, egalitarian vision of its founders by generations of powerful elites, who twist and pervert the original principles in order to augment their own status, wealth and dominion. It has always been thus, but is nowhere more marked than among the "People of the Book" – Christians, Muslims and Jews – whose elites have for centuries steadily led their followers away from the sparks of light that shone in their beginnings, dragging them deeper into darkness, into error, until today the world finds itself mired in a new Jahiliyyah: "the time of ignorance."

Guest blogged by Winter Patriot

Meet Mark Jenkins, a Republican from Gate City, Virginia, who supposedly lost the 2004 mayoral race, but who stood up for his rights, and for those of the voters, and for democracy in general, after it turned out that his opponent, incumbent Charles Dougherty, had captured nearly 90% of the absentee votes, but less than 51% of the overall total.

After the usual number of shenanigans and attempted shenanigans, the result has been overturned, and now the supposed winner faces time in prison! And --- guess what --- the people behind the shenanigans appear to have been --- are you ready for this --- well-connected Republicans!

Guest blogged by Winter Patriot

In a sidebar on the book-review "Edwards emerges from cancer with grace", The News & Observer's Rob Christensen quotes Elizabeth Edwards describing her husband John's side of a conversation with "unidentified individuals" ...

NB: Elizabeth Edwards' book, "Saving Graces: Finding Solace and Strength From Friends and Strangers", is scheduled for publication September 26 by Broadway Books. Christensen reviewed an advance copy of uncorrected galley proofs.

Guest blogged by Winter Patriot, with a big assist from Brad and another from long-time BRAD BLOG friend and ally, Robert Lockwood Mills

Our friends at Diebold were all over the business pages yesterday, and the numbers seemed much more precise than the verbal descriptions. All the reports agreed that Diebold's second-quarter profits were down, compared to last year, by either 46 or 46.3 percent. They also seemed to agree on what lines of business Diebold pursues. And judging from what they've written, Dieblod has nothing to do with elections!

Pfew! What a relief! For a while there, I was starting to think these Diebold guys were a threat to our democracy! I guess I must have spent too much time reading Internet Blogs!

Guest blogged by Winter Patriot

We've been reading some very interesting news today from John Stanton at Roll Call.

The full text is available to Roll Call subscribers only, but we have a few more excerpts after the fold.

Regular BRAD BLOG readers will have have seen this coming a long time ago.

So here's a big hat tip to Brad for being way-ahead-of-the-curve on this...

and now back to our story:

"More evidence tonight that many of this nation's elected officials remain somewhat out of step or just completely in the dark as far as their constituents are concerned. At least half the states in this country are now requiring a paper trail for electronic voting machine ballots. But in Maryland, that kind of common sense and concern about our democracy has hit a roadblock."

Video in Streaming Flash format...
Video in Windows Media format...

A written transcript follows...

Blogged on the road by Brad...

Mimi Kennedy, chair of Progressive Democrats of America, makes some noise re: the Busby/Bilbray election fiasco over at Huffington Post yesterday...

Lawless Elections: Sleepovers, Voter Vault and San Diego

Please note that PDA has been on top of this issue from Day 1, proving to be the only large national organization (along with VelvetRevolution.us, of course) to meet this issue with the seriousness that it deserves. For that, they deserve mountains of credit and support in return. Mimi has spoken at most of the CA50 Busby/Bilbray related Townhall Meetings and Press Conferences and has been organizing nationally to fight for accountability on this matter as well as to ensure the same mess won't happen around the country this November.

In other words, they're fighting for electoral integrity now rather than waiting until November. Their efforts should be a model for all groups, nationally and locally, who take election integrity seriously. As I've tried to stress many times, fighting for accountability in Busby/Bilbray now is about accountability across the nation prior to the election.

If there's one thing Busby/Bilbray teaches us, it's how difficult it is to fight for accountability after an election has been held when irresponsible, appointed elections officials like San Diego County Registrar of Voters Mikel Haas are given credibility by the media simply because they have a title before their name. No matter how little they deserve such credibility and no matter how illegally and irresponsibly they administer an election against the best interests of the very voters they are supposed to be serving.

And now...I'm back off the grid. Don't bother me. I'm trying to notice trees and mountains and the sky. (When the phone's not ringing...urgh...)

Guest blogged by Winter Patriot

A vigilant BRAD BLOG reader (here's a tip of the hat to sorseress) has sent me a very interesting editorial from Tucson, and asked me what I thought. What an invitation! I've been following the discussion, but I'm no expert, especially compared to Brad --- not to mention some of his readers! So I figured I'd post a link and quote some quotes and share some of my reactions, and ask you whether or not you agree.

I'm especially serious about this next bit: your opinions --- pro or con --- are most welcome in the "comments" section of this thread.

OK? Here's the editorial, from the Arizona Daily Star and azstarnet.com:

Touch-screen voting machine needs an OK

I suppose everything hinges on what you mean by "demonstrable" ... and what you mean by "flaw" ...

So here are my questions: Demonstrable flaws in what? How many flaws? How serious do they have to be? And how do they have to be demonstrated?

In my nearly frozen opinion, one serious security flaw should be enough to disquailfy any machines and/or any vendors from consideration. And I would like the flaws to be demonstrated elsewhere, please! After all, isn't it easier to learn your lessons the easy way --- by watching what happens when somebody else makes a mistake?

But let's not get ahead of ourselves here: that's just the headline: Here's the bulk of the editorial:

So far the Board seems quite sensible; they had to spend the money so they spent it, but they didn't actually have to use the machines, so they haven't ... so far!

Aha! I know this story. This is the one about the man who dove headfirst into the quicksand because he had accidentally touched the sand with his toe!

I've seen this movie before. The poor fellow dies. Such a shame!

Guest Blogged by Joy Williams

I listen to Mike Malloy every night that I can, and I heard about this and tracked it down. I hope we will be able to sign on to it, and I have asked Pablo, who posts for Noam Chomsky, if they would try and make it possible for us to do so.

If it becomes possible, I will let you know. But in the meantime, please pass it on, to help stop this insanity.

Here's the short letter, and the link...

The Treasury Department has told Lou Dobbs that they are finally looking into the sale of Sequoia Voting Systems to a company owned by Venezuelan nationals.

Video in Streaming Flash format...
Video in Windows Media format...

A written transcript follows...

Guest blogged by Winter Patriot

Lovers of truth, justice and fine journalism received some very bad news today --- from Russia. Chris Floyd has been sacked by the Moscow and St. Petersberg Times.

Chris has written a weekly world affairs column, "Global Eye", for the past ten years, and he's been writing for the paper(s) for 12 years in all. But today he received a message from the new editor, saying:

Utterly unbelievable!

In my opinion Chris Floyd ranks among the best English-speaking journalists in the world, and when I say "best" I am talking about a very few people. I'd mention his most outstanding quality --- but I can't. He brings to the table an embarrassment of riches, if ever anyone did.

I don't always agree with everything he writes, but on the other hand...

Guest blogged by Emily Levy of the California Election Protection Network and the CA-50 Action Committee

As I said in my response to the ridiculous article in the North County Times over the weekend, “The most important thing is not that voters have full confidence, but that there be a basis for confidence. Public confidence can be manufactured by government disinformation such as has become Mikel Haas's hobby of late and media disinformation such as Schultz's article. But a disinformed yet confident public does not a democracy make. We deserve and demand transparent, verifiable elections.”

And as to “unfounded insinuations,” read any of the BRAD BLOG entries on the CA-50 debacle and you’ll see plenty of documentation.

Peg C. is right; the most recent open thread is in danger of getting buried. So let's have a new one!

OK. I've said my bit. Now it's your turn.

Guest blogged by Steve Huff

Introduction {by Winter Patriot}: The BRAD BLOG is pleased to introduce Steve Huff, of HuffCrimeBlog.com. Steve is not only a blogger; he's also a part of the investigative team for Court TV's Crime Library, crimelibrary.com.

Ripples of shock spread from the little Village of Green Oaks, IL, through the Illinois political establishment on Monday as the news spread: Mayor Tom Adams, age 68, had been arrested at his home on Anderson Drive, and charged with distributing kiddie porn over the internet.

If convicted, Tom Adams could face 15 years in prison for each person who received child porn from him via the web.

Guest blogged by Winter Patriot

Yesterday, OpEdNews published an astonishing article by David Dill, Doug Jones and Barbara Simons, an article which blows the lid off the shenanigans that have been going on between Diebold and the State of Maryland.

Wise men say "Consider the source." That's always a good idea. In this case, all three authors have very impressive credentials:

Turning to the article itself, here are the first few paragraphs:

So manipulating an election is against the law? Who'da thunk it?

Sorry! I couldn't help myself.

The remainder of the article, unaccompanied by smart remarks, follows: