JaBbA's Hut

From Nashua, New Hampshire, January, 2008:

We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics. And they will only grow louder and more dissonant in the weeks and months to come.

We've been asked to pause for a reality check. We've been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope. But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.

Nate Silver Sean Quinn of fivethirtyeight.com has a confession.

Now I have a confession. Even Brett doesn't know this. I hope it doesn't lessen the professional work we're trying to accomplish in chronicling this historic election on the ground, but if it does, I'll live with it. There is something stirring in America.

Back at the rally, after the march had left MLK Gardens, I'd gone back for the car while Brett took photos, and I spotted a very old black man in a sharp Sunday suit walking slowly at the very back of the huge march. He hadn't yet arrived at the voting center, and I decided to find him when I got back.

I wanted to go talk to him, to ask him what this moment meant to him. He was a guy who you take one glance at, and know, that guy's seen it all. I wanted a quote. I had my journalist hat on. I thought, this will be great.

So when I got back to the voting location with the car, I went to find him in the line. Eventually I spotted him, and was ready to walk up the few feet between us and introduce myself when I stopped in my tracks.

A young black boy, no more than eight years old, walked up to this man, who was at least eighty. The boy offered the man a sticker, probably an "I Voted" sticker, but I couldn't see. The man took the sticker and paused. Silently, he looked down at the boy, who was looking back up at the man. The man put his hand gently on the boy's head, and I saw his eyes glisten.

I didn't ask the man for a quote. I didn't need to. I walked over by myself, behind the community center, and I sat down on a bench next to the track, and wept.

I know EXACTLY how he feels.

If you had any doubts about his ability to inspire - and to be a unifier.



Link

Understanding Real America in Wasilla

The Chicago Tribune has not endorsed a Democratic candidate for President. EVER. Since they were founded in 1847.

Until today.

Many Americans say they're uneasy about Obama. He's pretty new to them.

We can provide some assurance. We have known Obama since he entered politics a dozen years ago. We have watched him, worked with him, argued with him as he rose from an effective state senator to an inspiring U.S. senator to the Democratic Party's nominee for president.

We have tremendous confidence in his intellectual rigor, his moral compass and his ability to make sound, thoughtful, careful decisions. He is ready.

...

It may have seemed audacious for Obama to start his campaign in Springfield, invoking Lincoln. We think, given the opportunity to hold this nation's most powerful office, he will prove it wasn't so audacious after all. We are proud to add Barack Obama's name to Lincoln's in the list of people the Tribune has endorsed for president of the United States.

Of course, the publisher of the Chicago Tribune Pals Around with terrorists, so maybe you have to consider that.

Steal Back Your Vote! from Greg Palast on Vimeo.

From The Huffington Post:

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court sided Friday with Ohio's top elections official in a dispute with the state Republican Party over voter registrations.

The justices overruled a federal appeals court that had ordered Ohio's top elections official to do more to help counties verify voter eligibility.

Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, a Democrat, faced a deadline of Friday to set up a system to provide local officials with names of newly registered voters whose driver's license numbers or Social Security numbers on voter registration forms don't match records in other government databases.

Ohio Republicans contended the information for counties would help prevent fraud. Brunner said the GOP is trying to disenfranchise voters.

In a brief unsigned opinion, the justices said they were not commenting on whether Ohio is complying with a provision of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 that lays out requirements for verifying voter eligibility.

Instead, they said they were granting Brunner's request because it appears that the law does not allow private entities, like the Ohio GOP, to file suit to enforce the provision of the law at issue.

About 200,000 of 666,000 voters who have registered in Ohio since Jan. 1 have records that don't match. Brunner has said the discrepancies most likely stem from innocent clerical errors rather than fraud but has set up a verification plan.

Remember, what the GOP wanted was not actually enforcement of the law. They wanted the names, so they could challenge the individual voters.

Voter Supression is the REAL vote fraud, not bad registrations. There were thousands of people disenfranchised by GOP tactics in Ohio in 2004. There were FOUR instances of voter fraud.

Well, that didn't take long.

McCain ended his very funny speech last night with this:

I don't want it getting out of this room, but my opponent is an impressive fellow in many ways. Political opponents can have a little trouble seeing the best in each other. But I've had a few glimpses of this man at his best and I admire his great skill, energy and determination. It's not for nothing, but he's inspired many folks in his own party and beyond. Senator Obama talks about making history and he's made quite a bit of it already. There was a time when the mere invitation of an African-American citizen to dine at the White House was taken as an outrage and an insult. Today is a world away from the cruelty and prideful bigotry of that time - and good riddance. I can't wish my opponent luck, but I do wish him well.

His campaign is now making robocalls with this:

You need to know that Barack Obama has worked closely with domestic terrorist Bill Ayers, whose organization bombed the U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon, a judge's home, and killed Americans. And Democrats will enact an extreme leftist agenda if they take control of Washington. Barack Obama and his Democratic allies lack the judgment to lead our country.

And this:

I'm calling on behalf of John McCain and the RNC because you need to know that Barack Obama and his Democrat allies in the Illinois Senate opposed a bill requiring doctors to care for babies born alive after surviving attempted abortions -- a position at odds even with John Kerry and Hillary Clinton. Barack Obama and his liberal Democrats are too extreme for America. Please vote -- vote for the candidates who share our values. This call was paid for by McCain-Palin 2008 and the Republican National Committee at 202 863 8500.

It's not quite "He fathered a black baby" (which would be odd considering the circumstances) and "Cindy McCain has a drug problem" (both of which happened in 2000, thanks to Karl Rove) but we've got 19 days left. It could get there.

I get the feeling that McCain may be feeling a little bit liberated by the fact that there really is very little chance he's going to win. He was completely hilarious, and gracious, at the Alfred E. Smith Benefit dinner tonight.

And so begins the rehabilitation of The Honorable Senator John McCain.

Does the idea of 200,000 provisional ballots in Ohio make you break out in a cold sweat? It should. Bush "won" Ohio by 91,000 ballots, and Kerry gave up.

So Brunner is fighting to allow newly registered voters to vote:

On Thursday, Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner told the Huffington Post she is ready to fight not only the state's current election law battle in front of the Supreme Court, but is also willing to wage a new fight, if necessary, to make sure hundreds of thousands of new voters are not "forced" onto provisional ballots on election day. She asserts that Republican demands are meant to create confusion at the polls and keep all the ballots from being counted.

Spurred by revelations that the community organizing group ACORN has submitted many thousands of ineligible voter registration cards in battleground states, Ohio Republicans have been calling for a wholesale comparison of the state's nearly 666,000 new active voters against data collected by the local DMV.

Brunner says that, according to the League of Women Voters, there were only four instances of "illegal voting," or the actual casting of an illegitimate ballot, between 2002 and 2006 -- when just under 8 million ballots were cast. As such, she said, ACORN's registration problems are being improperly lumped in with the casting of bad ballots, something she says is not likely to occur no matter how many fraudulent registrations are turned in. "Unfortunately, despite the messaging of certain political parties ... when they bring ACORN into it, they're talking about false voter registration. Seldom does that lead to illegal voting. Mickey Mouse and Jive Turkey don't vote."

Brunner revealed this week that state data for approximately 200,000 of the new voters shows at least one discrepancy out of nearly two dozen categories that can be compared between the Secretary of State's office and the DMV.

...

The New York Times reported Wednesday that "once the local officials have the names, they may require these voters to cast provisional ballots rather than regular ones, and they may ask partisan poll workers to challenge these voters on Election Day."

But Brunner says she won't order a process of provisional balloting unless she is forced to do so, preferring instead that these individuals vote normally like everyone else. "I find nothing in HAVA [the Help America Vote Act] that says if there's a mismatch on this limited data that that's enough to push a voter onto a provisional ballot," she told the Huffington Post. "A court would have to order me to do that. ... And I'd fight it all the way back up [to the Supreme Court]."

"The [circuit] court said the Secretary of State has to provide information to the Boards of Election on which names [have] discrepancies," Brunner said, adding that the federal judge admitted he could not order the Boards of Election to use provisional balloting for those voters.

So would the individual boards make the call as to whether or not to use provisional ballots on a site-by-site basis?

Brunner asserted it would be her decision. "It would be the Secretary of State that could order the boards to do that," she said. Asked if she intended to do any such thing, she said, simply, "no."

"If we have to follow the [circuit] court's order, we will do everything we have to do to resolve those discrepancies by contacting voters," Brunner said, suggesting this is the extent of the impact of the 6th circuit's decision. As for whether or not her office is drawing up the lists for the 88 different election boards, Brunner replied: "We're gonna wait and see what the Supreme Court orders us to do."

...

The secretary also expressed some muted displeasure with ACORN for helping cause alarm over potential voter fraud due to the apparent registration fraud in its ranks. "I think non-profit organizations like ACORN are specifically fighting the fight for middle to low income people," she said. "In carrying out that kind of responsibility, they need to do it in such a way [so that] low income people won't be further ostracized by the community. I think they have to do a better job, yes. From a pure election law standpoint, [this all] makes a lot of unnecessary work."

Note what she says about ACORN. When I'm debating Republicans, they almost universally bring up ACORN as if they are the absolute enemies of democracy. This has been whipped up by Faux News and the GOP, with McCain making statements like:

We need to know the full extent of Senator Obama's relationship with ACORN, who is now on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy.

(From last night's debate. Side Note: Note that McCain gets a free negative attack in, while pretending he's just raising a question. Very Faux News of him)

So what did ACORN actually do? They hired unemployed people to register voters. Unfortunately, some of those people they hired perpetrated a fraud on ACORN by registering "Tony Romo" and "Mickey Mouse" and "Jive Turkey". Even if those registrations went through, THERE IS NO VOTER FRAUD. Mickey Mouse isn't going to cast a ballot.

But the pillorying of ACORN gets even worse. ACORN dutifully checks the registrations, and pulls these false registrations out. However, they are required by law to TURN IN EVERY REGISTRATION, even if it is invalid. So they attach a cover sheet to each bad ballot, noting that they believe it to be invalid, and send it in. The Nevada Secretary of State then uses the excuse that ACORN turned in invalid registrations to PUBLICLY RAID ACORN OFFICES - after calling in the news crews to make sure that the entire country sees flak-jacketed lawmen rushing in and taking everything out of the ACORN offices.

So when debating Repubs, get the facts and use them - ACORN has never caused a single fraudulent ballot to be cast. A (very) few ACORN field directors were bad apples and weren't doing the right thing, and there was some number of contractors that ripped off ACORN by putting in bad registrations to up their pay. But what ACORN does is register low and moderate-income voters, and the powers-that-be don't like the idea of the unwashed masses actually voting, so they are targeted for both legal and reputation attacks by GOP officials and Faux News.

JaBbA says check out the full article, get educated, and keep fighting for your rights!

Finally, the candidate John McCain was horrified enough by what his campaign has wrought the the honorable John McCain suddenly came out.



I was so looking forward to a campaign between this man and Senator Obama.

Of course, his running mate doesn't have that kind of honor, and is continuing to rile up the crowds. I would imagine that we'll get an apology from Senator McCain sometime in November.

Amid the Faux News screeching about widespread voter fraud, for which there is absolutely NO evidence, comes this flier being distributed in South Philadelphia.

Still think that vote supporession isn't really a problem?



Text, presented with all original bad grammar and misspellings:

Recently, at school, an Obama supporter approached me during a rock the vote assembly. He informed that on the day of the election there will be undercover officers to execute warrants on those who come to vote based on the anticipated turnout. He advised me if I had any outstanding warrants or traffic offenses I should clear them up prior to voting. They assume this to be an opportunity for those who normally go by fake names and addresses, to give their real names and id's. Allowing them to place name and face together and walla, gotcha! Arrested on the spot. So if you have one or the other to take care of it.
Due to the electronic genius of wireless technology this can and will take place all around the nation from LA to New York. Why hasn't this been done before? This seems to be a great way to arrest or just be able to identify criminals in the area. I applaud the new efforts of local and state authorities and hope to see a great success rate. I'm sorry to say bit I don't think they should be able to vote anyway! Question? Are convicted felons allowed to vote?
He also said that both Obama and McCain support this idea bit that he, "Obama", does not want the public to see any of this supported get locked up showing their support or illegally voting for him. An incentive to avoid the legal dilemmas, but still participate in the vote is being put in place. This would allow individuals to turn themselves in, prior to voting, without legal penalty. This type of incentive recently took place at a South Philadelphia church with an outstanding turnout. Is this taking away from the true freedom of voting? Is this legal?
He had also leaded that at the polling sites local authorities will not only be checking for :scoff law" traffic tickets offenders insuide, but this will also take place outside. There will be vehicles equipped with plate identifcation computers. Upon identification cars will be locked with an immobilization feature locked to its tire then towed.
I think this November will be a November to remember. I love technology.
Anonymous.

So what you say? Remember, during the 2004 vote, the Franklin county sheriff parked deputy cars directly outside polling places in the inner city. Combine that with this note, and you have a lot of black voters deciding that it's not worth the risk to vote. And plenty of young voters won't be sure if they have an outstanding traffic ticket or two - can they take the chance?

But it's picking the leader of the free world, not your ideal mate.

The ABCNews Match-O-Matic will help you find your ideal Presidential match. Send it to people you know who are unsure, or who have decided based on bad information, or any low-information votes you know. It's a great way of having people find out which candidate REALLY has positions that agree with what they want.

JaBbA says check it out and send it to your friends.

With Palin using some pretty dicey language, going after Obama's (very tenuous) association with William Ayers by saying he is "associating with terrorists", some people were wondering whether Obama would be ready to fight back.

Well, wonder no longer. 2 websites just launched - and I mean just launched, like 2 minutes ago.

John McCain's Record explores almost 3 decades of John McCain's political history. Ask it about McCain's record on Taxes, Deregulation, Women, or anything else.

And the real kicker - were you wondering why Obama had never brought up the Keating 5 and the Savings and Loan scandal? Well, he was perhaps holding off to see just how nasty this campaign was going to get. Since McCain/Palin has just hit the gutter, Obama hit back with Keating Economics: John McCain and the Making of a Financial Crisis.

JaBbA says check it out, and link to it. HARD. Let's get this sucker moved up google's rankings.

Sarah Palin just came out on stage and said to Joe Biden "Can I call you Joe?".

Brilliant.

Of course he's going to say yes. If he doesn't, then he looks like a dick. And now she doesn't have to call him Senator, which deemphasizes his experience.

At the same time, every time he calls her Sarah, he sounds condescending. He really needed to be calling her Governor Palin.

Evil, and brilliant. She's a cagey one, this Sarah Palin.