I requested an absentee ballot from the Town Clerk. She required a written request which included my name, address and signature. It arrived in plenty of time.
Following the directions on the inner envelope, I used a #2 pencil (not really crazy about pencil) and made my mark next to the Obama/Biden line. After completing the rest (in my Ward there weren't many decisions to make), I sealed the envelope and asked my husband to witness my vote (he did not see my selections).
I dropped my ballot off at the Town Clerk's office this morning. It can also be mailed, it came with postage on it. There was only one person in the voting room. I didn't have to go into the voting room since my ballot was already completed. They stamped the envelope (probably date and time stamp), and I was on my way. Took about 5 minutes from parking my car to leaving the lot.
If you don't have an absentee ballot, the procedure is almost as easy. In my Town, the Town Hall is open from 8 AM to 4:30 PM. You can walk right in, get your absentee ballot, and vote immediately.
How easy is THAT? No waiting in line 4 hours on a work day. Call your local municipality to see how it's done in your voting place. http://www.wisconsin.gov/state/core/wisconsin_cities_towns_and_villages.html
This email has come to me several times. I thought it worth posting.
What if John McCain were a former president of the Harvard Law Review?What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class?What if McCain were still married to the first woman he said "I do" to? What if Obama were the candidate who left his first wife after she no longer measured up to his standards?What if Michelle Obama were a wife who not only became addicted to pain killers, but acquired them illegally through her charitable organization?What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard? What if Obama were a member of the "Keating 5"? What if McCain was a charismatic, eloquent speaker? What if Barack Obama had an unwed, pregnant teenage daughter?What if Barack Obama had been found guilty of the ethics violation of abuse of power while in office to be vindictive in a personal matter? If these questions reflected reality, do you really believe the election numbers would be as close as they are?
What if John McCain were a former president of the Harvard Law Review?
What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class?
What if McCain were still married to the first woman he said "I do" to?
What if Obama were the candidate who left his first wife after she no longer measured up to his standards?
What if Michelle Obama were a wife who not only became addicted to pain killers, but acquired them illegally through her charitable organization?
What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard?
What if Obama were a member of the "Keating 5"?
What if McCain was a charismatic, eloquent speaker?
What if Barack Obama had an unwed, pregnant teenage daughter?
What if Barack Obama had been found guilty of the ethics violation of abuse of power while in office to be vindictive in a personal matter?
If these questions reflected reality, do you really believe the election numbers would be as close as they are?
?
Full story: http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-na-troopergate11-2008oct11,0,3721967.story
Alaska investigators say it was OK to fire a state commissioner, but her efforts against a trooper went too far.Select paragraphs from the LA Times article (link above):
ANCHORAGE -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin violated ethics laws and abused her power as governor in pressing to have her former brother-in-law fired as a state trooper, an independent legislative investigation concluded Friday.In a report whose release was the subject of a high-stakes political showdown that went all the way to the Alaska Supreme Court, investigator Stephen Branchflower documented that former Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan was subjected to a veritable barrage of demands from Palin, her husband and her staff to fire the trooper, Mike Wooten, whom they saw as unfit for the job. Wooten had been involved in a bitter divorce and custody battle with Palin's sister....
...Though the findings partially vindicate Palin's claims that she had legitimate reasons for firing Monegan, their suggestion that she used her husband and staff to conduct a campaign against a state employee in what was perceived by some as a personal vendetta could damage her ability to portray herself as a reform-minded, experienced executive ready to step into the White House as John McCain's vice president....
...The report establishes for the first time that Palin deliberately set up Todd Palin to handle communications over the Wooten matter after Monegan warned her it was inappropriate for her to be making such contacts herself....
...The report found that Palin "knowingly, as that term is defined in the [ethics] statutes, permitted Todd Palin to use the governor's office and the resources of the governor's office, including access to state employees, to continue to contact subordinate state employees in an effort to find some way to get Trooper Wooten fired." The report also said that Todd Palin at one point asked to see Wooten's personnel file....
...Civil penalties range, theoretically, from impeachment by the Legislature to a reprimand or a fine of up to $5,000 by the state personnel board, but most legislative sources thought it unlikely any action would be taken....
McCain and Palin can't win on the issues; that's why they resort to character assassination of Obama. But McCain really needs to be careful. Guilt by association will bite him in the back.
Some of you probably don't remember this, but I do. Back in the 80's there was a Savings & Loan collapse and scandal, similar to the collapse of the banking industry right now. Read about it in Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keating_Five or by Googling "Keating Five". Bottom line was McCain was one of the "Keating Five", and it was suspected that his political connections and his wife's money bought his way out of it.
I am surprised it hasn't come up yet, given all the poison the McCain camp has put out. This morning it was mentioned on Meet the Press, along with another "guilt by association" friend of McCain's (I forget who it was). I suspect we will hear more about McCain's friends this month, as we close in on the election. Do a Google on "McCain Guilt by association" and you will read about G. Gordon Liddy (of the Watergate scandal), Rev. Hegee, and others associated with McCain.
Some people have tried to lay the blame on Obama and the Democrats. It's easy to blame one person and one party for the mess our country is in. It's also irresponsible.
This financial situation built up over many years. It is built on greed and self-deception, not only by those on Wall Street, but by business owners, bankers, home buyers, salespeople, RE brokers, politicians, and anyone looking to make a buck.
That housing bubble didn't create itself. It was the speculators, the flippers, and average people who were convinced they should have more than they could afford. People on Main Street.
The sub-prime lenders made money on the backs of people who didn't understand what they were getting into, people who are our friends, neighbors, relatives, children. Those people were chasing the American Dream. Now we have an American Nightmare.
Partly to blame is our credit-crazy country. We buy things we don't need with a promise to pay in the future. We buy to impress our friends. We buy bigger homes to store all the goods we have accumulated. We buy flashy cars, bigger cars, faster cars, gas-guzzling cars. We buy, buy, buy.
The housing bubble burst, and the financial industry collapsed because of it. Go blame a single politician. Blame every politician of a certain party. The truth is, we have no one to blame but ourselves.
Are you kidding? It's hard enough to make it month to month on our net income. Now McCain is proposing a tax on our health insurance? How about life insurance and dental too? Pretty soon soon there won't be much left to take home.The middle working class, along with the still-working Baby Boomer generation, are already struggling to pay for our kids' college education, dealing with the costs of special needs of our aging parents, and trying to save for retirement on top of it. There's not much left after all that for gas and groceries.McCain just doesn't get it.
(I sent this letter to local and national newspapers.)
Calling strangers on the phone is a tough thing to do. We get hang-ups, rude remarks, foul language, and once I even got a call back from an irate Republican who just had to tell me where to put it.
I found that asking the respondent what they feel is the most important issue of the presidential campaign FIRST, it paves the way for further questions. They feel we are concerned about them, and not just who they are voting for. After they answer the question, I can sometimes indicate my agreement on the importance of the issue. I then ask if they are leaning toward the Repupblican or Democratic candidate, or undecided. From there it is an easy step to confirm if they are a strong supporter
I still get hang-ups and rude remarks, but it seems that I get fewer of them. It also makes it easier for me to ask the tough question.
Imagine this possible future scenario:
The McCain-Palin ticket wins the fall election. In January, our new President and VP take their places in the White House, along with their supporting staffs. A media honeymoon ensues for a couple of months, but soon there are problems.The economy has continued to falter since before the primaries. More financial institutions are seeking governmental assistance to stay afloat. The Dow has sunk below 9000. Manufacturers continue to lay off workers and unemployment continues to rise. The unemployed still have no insurance. OPEC has increased the price of crude to $175/BBL. We are paying $5.25 at the pumps. We are facing a lengthy depression.Meanwhile, terrorism in Europe has increased. Iraq is still not any closer to the democracy we had hoped. There is new trouble in Sudan. Pakistan threatens India. Lebanon and Jordan have decimated Tel Aviv with missiles and air strikes. John McCain has ordered more troops to Afghanistan, causing the country to join with other middle-eastern countries threatening attacks on the US. Tensions escalate, and McCain refuses to talk to any nation that “doesn’t like us.”A news story leaks that President McCain has been taking chemotherapy for several weeks. He cancels his appearances for the next month. Vice President Palin is called on to deliver the State of the Union Address. She says the Joint Chiefs will have to wait their turn.The Republican voters got what they deserved. Unfortunately, so did the rest of us.
The McCain-Palin ticket wins the fall election. In January, our new President and VP take their places in the White House, along with their supporting staffs. A media honeymoon ensues for a couple of months, but soon there are problems.
The economy has continued to falter since before the primaries. More financial institutions are seeking governmental assistance to stay afloat. The Dow has sunk below 9000. Manufacturers continue to lay off workers and unemployment continues to rise. The unemployed still have no insurance. OPEC has increased the price of crude to $175/BBL. We are paying $5.25 at the pumps. We are facing a lengthy depression.
Meanwhile, terrorism in Europe has increased. Iraq is still not any closer to the democracy we had hoped. There is new trouble in Sudan. Pakistan threatens India. Lebanon and Jordan have decimated Tel Aviv with missiles and air strikes.
John McCain has ordered more troops to Afghanistan, causing the country to join with other middle-eastern countries threatening attacks on the US. Tensions escalate, and McCain refuses to talk to any nation that “doesn’t like us.”
A news story leaks that President McCain has been taking chemotherapy for several weeks. He cancels his appearances for the next month. Vice President Palin is called on to deliver the State of the Union Address. She says the Joint Chiefs will have to wait their turn.
The Republican voters got what they deserved. Unfortunately, so did the rest of us.
Friends, we can't let this scenario happen.
I am sending this email as a response to those ugly, lying, inflammatory emails people keep sending me. I send it to everyone on the distribution.
Dear ____:Do you really think forwarding these inaccurate, negatively charged, hateful emails is funny? Aren't you sick and tired of McCain's commercials which have little or nothing to say about his stand on issues, but everything about his opposition -- and lies at that! Why don't you check out independent sites like Snopes.com or http://factcheck.org/ for the accuracy of the garbage you have been forwarding. Why don't you forward some positive stuff about your candidate on the issues, instead of sending out made-up negative stuff you you receive in emails?Is McCain really the kind of guy you want running our country? If you want more of what we have had for the last 8 years, by all means, vote McCain. For me, I want something better. I've never before felt so positive about a presidential candidate. I've never before been drawn in so strongly as to volunteer to work on a presidential campaign. And the way this campaign is going, I'm absolutely ashamed to admit that I have voted Republican in the past, because what I see now from our Republican candidates is a pack of lies and misinformation about a good man and a great candidate. You ought to check out the truth about the Pit Bull with Lipstick as well, and her state's ongoing ethics investigation which charges abuse of power. Take a look at her credentials. Find out about her education. Think about her in the Oval Office when McCain dies of cancer. That's a really terrifying thought. Find out the truth about her flip flop on the Bridge to Nowhere, and how she exaggerates and twists to make herself look good. Learn about earmarks. Here's a good one for you, a lot of background from someone who actually knows Palin and worked with her in Wasilla: http://www.thepresidentialcandidates.us/about-sarah-palin-a-letter-from-anne-kilkenny/741/I hope you think twice before marking that circle on the ballot. Please check the facts before forwarding on these inflammatory, hateful emails. Why don't you turn your negative energy into something positive. Tell your friends something good about your candidate instead of tearing down the opposition. That's disgusting.Obama offers us healthcare, an end to the war in Iraq, dialogue with nations, tax relief, a stronger economy, a long term energy ban... take a look at his stand on the issues at www.barackobama.com. Compare what he proposes to what McCain proposes. Think about how those issues affect you. Don't listen to the mud-slinging and the trash and slants of the parties. Educate yourself, don't just grab what someone tosses you and take it as fact.
Dear ____:
Do you really think forwarding these inaccurate, negatively charged, hateful emails is funny? Aren't you sick and tired of McCain's commercials which have little or nothing to say about his stand on issues, but everything about his opposition -- and lies at that! Why don't you check out independent sites like Snopes.com or http://factcheck.org/ for the accuracy of the garbage you have been forwarding. Why don't you forward some positive stuff about your candidate on the issues, instead of sending out made-up negative stuff you you receive in emails?
With less than 2 months until the election, I'm worried. I'm worried because there are a lot of people out there who still think Barack is Muslim. I'm worried because some people ask me why he doesn't wear a flag pin on his lapel. I'm worried because the Pit Bull with Lipstick has caught the fancy of uneducated voters. I'm worried because Wisconsin is a battleground state.
What worries me most is that McCain could win this election, and that ultimately Sarah Palin could end up being our president.
Friends, we absolutely can't let this happen. If you haven't yet volunteered to help the campaign, please get involved! Today I went to a training session with many other volunteers. Following that, I made about 50 phone calls, simply asking if people have decided for whom they will vote, and if so, would they share with me who it is. It was so fast and easy that when I left, I asked for another group of people to call from home.
If you don't have the time to make calls, then make a donation. It takes money to fight the smears the McCain camp is putting out. Today a friend asked me if it was true that when Barack went to Houston, he brought a planeful of Muslims with him.
We MUST educate voters. If we leave it to chance, there is a chance we will have 4 more years of Bush -- or worse yet, 4 years of a Pit Bull with Lipstick who doesn't have a clue what the Vice President -- much less President -- is supposed to do all day.
Never mind Sarah Palin and whether Trigg is hers or her daughter's. Never mind Bristol's current pregnancy. McCain's indescretions are even more disgraceful.
McCain returned from Viet Nam to his first wife Carol (a former swimsuit model), who had a very serious car accident while waiting all those years for her husband. Carol had many surgeries which left her with a limp and several inches shorter and pounds heavier than when John had left her. He began having extramarital affairs, and soon met Cindy, 17 years his junior, beautiful and wealthy. He filed for marriage before his divorce was final, and married Cindy one month after his divorce to Carol.
Here's what McCain says about his initial meeting with Cindy:
"She was lovely, intelligent and charming, 17 years my junior but poised and confident," McCain wrote in his 2002 book, Worth the Fighting For. "I monopolized her attention the entire time, taking care to prevent anyone else from intruding on our conversation. When it came time to leave the party, I persuaded her to join me for drinks at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. By the evening's end, I was in love."
Here's a link to YouTube of CNN's interview with McCain on the subject: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChIX-XHlZFw
Why isn't the media making an issue of his character (or lack of it)? Because it was 30 years ago? So was his stay at the "Hanoi Hilton."
At some point in time, the media must decide that the "pit bull with lipstick" has no business being in the White House. What we have learned about her in the past week should have been enough for McCain to remove her from the ticket. Now he is stuck with her, and that's a good thing for us.
There's so much more. At length, the truth will out.
Here's an interesting blog: http://thepoliticalcarnival.blogspot.com/2008/08/sarah-louise-palin-is-not-fit-to-be_31.html
