Dear Readers,
Tonight the Senate will decide if the nearly 30 million Americans who are uninsured in our country can get the health care coverage they desperately need! This issue is personal for many including myself. I have family members who are uninsured or are paying ridiculous heath care premiums! We need our government to step in and rein in the health insurance companies to make premiums affordable to all americans! We are at a critical point in our country's history! We can not fail again!
rootscampPittsburgh
What is RootsCampPittsburgh?RootsCamps are participant driven events or forums, using the "unconference" or "open space" format that is born from the desire for activists, organizers, leaders and politicians in the progressive sphere to share and learn in a productive, fast-paced, open environment.
Think of it as a cross between an election debrief and grassroots organizing skills share. The progressive community — everyone from the "netroots" to precinct captains to field organizers to national message consultants — come together to share successes, failures, impart old wisdom and new discoveries.
Find out more about RootsCampPittsburgh at http://rootscamppittsburgh2009.pbwiki.com
When is RootsCampPittsburgh?RootsCamp will be held at the United Steelworkers Building, 5 Gateway Center in Pittsburgh on January 24, 2009.
Who should come to RootsCamp?RootsCamp will be for anyone who played a role in the 2008 elections and/or working in progressive politics. As fellow organizers, we'll be meeting each other, reuniting with team members, discussing the innovations and challenges from this cycle, and most importantly, celebrating!
RootsCamp 2009 will bring together the best and brightest organizers that were engaged in 2008 campaigns, including staff and volunteers from:
Presidential CampaignsDown ballot racesLaborNon-partisan GOTV and voter registration operationsOnline organizationsAdvocacy organizationsTech supportBlogs and other mediaMedia, message, polling and targeting consultants
· Share stories and knowledge with each other from all over Pennsylvania, especially the western part of the state.
· Teach others from the progressive movement what you did and how you did it. Brainstorm ways that the methods you practiced can be exported to unions, advocacy organizations and community organizations.
· Strategize about how to help progressive institutions to sustain what you've started.
To find out more about RootsCampPittsburgh or to register, go to: http://rootscamppittsburgh2009.pbwiki.com
I have been contacted by a couple of folks about a "thank you" email that was sent to some folks in Dormont and Mt. Lebanon and signed by Yvette. The email addy used was: changelebo@gmail.com.
FTR, this email was not sent by me. I don't know of another Yvette in the office, so this is a mystery right now.
Thanks,
Yvette
The story of the campaign and this historic moment has been your story. Share your story and your ideas, and be part of bringing positive lasting change to this country.
THE MEDIA HAS BEEN REPORTING ON THE LACKLUSTER YOUTH VOTE TURN-OUT.....THEY JUST DONT KNOW.....YOU ARE THE SECREAT WEAPON. YOU ARE THE KEY THAT WILL BRING IT HOME.
THE YOUTH OF AMERICA WILL BE FOREVER CALLED GENERATION"O"
YOUR VOTE IS GOING TO MAKE THE DIFFERENCE. YOU ARE THE GENERATION THAT WILL FIND CURES AND PROMOTE SOCIAL JUSTICE. YOU ARE THE GENERATION THAT WILL END WORLD HUNGER.
YOU ARE THE HOPE FOR OUR FUTURE. I CAN FEEL IT IN MY BONES.
GET OUT THE YOUTH VOTE. PROVE THE MEDIA WRONG AGAIN! CAMPUSES AROUND THE COUNTRY MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT. YOU ARE THE FUTURE. YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD.
GENERATION OBAMA.
DONT JUST VOTE. VOLUNTEER ON ELECTION DAY. CALL YOUR OBAMA OFFICE OR DEMOCRATIC PARTY OFFICE FOR YOUR STATE. WE NEED POLL GREETERS AT EVERY VOTING LOCATION ON ELECTION DAY. GET YOUR LAPTOPS AND HEAD TO THE POLLS. YOU MAY ASSIST VOTERS IN LOCATING THEIR CORRECT VOTING STATIONS BY PROVIDING INFORMATION VIA YOUR LAPTOP. THE ONLY RULE IS TO BE 100 FEET FROM THE VOTING ENTRANCE MARKER.
18-35 YOUTH VOTE. IT IS ALL UP TO YOU. YOU WILL DETERMINE THE OUTCOME THIS ELECTION.
VOTE PROUD. VOTE OBAMA!
Exciting News!
Barack is going to make two stops in Pennsylvania early this week.
Here are the details: Monday, October 27th Doors Open: 3:00 p.m.
Mellon Arena 66 Mario Lemieux Place Pittsburgh, PA 15219RSVP Tuesday, October 28th Doors Open: 8:00 a.m. Program Begins: 10:00 a.m.
Widener University Main Quad One University Place Chester, PA 19013
Public Entrance off of E 17th St.RSVP
Are you worried that McCain's smears may be gaining traction in your state or district? I've been worried about Ohio, so I wrote a series of replies to fight back. Please feel free to use one of my letters as a model and send your own letter-to-the-editor of a local paper. Time is running short: many papers have cut-off dates for election-related letters, so do it TODAY! Small town papers are a better bet for getting printed than big-city dailies that receive tons of letters. Also, those "pro-American" towns might need some balance about now. Find lists of newspapers here: http://www.50states.com/news/ and here: http://www.usnpl.com/It's always wise to check in advance if your paper has a length limit. They often don't tell you this on the website, so a quick phone call can save wasted time. Most will accept letters by email, so ask for the editor's (or relevant person's) direct address, too. Always include your address and phone number. They will not print these, but may call to verify that you are the sender.At the bottom, I've included a list of the papers where I sent my letters, so if you live in Ohio--don't duplicate! That would make a really bad impression. Please leave a comment to let others know where you've sent a letter. Of course, you can also revise any of these letters in your own words.
270 Words:Dear Editor:John McCain is a great American who deserves better than to see his Presidential campaign run into the ground by careless and unscrupulous advisors. To deflect attention from the economy, they declared their only hope was to go negative. But in focusing on questionable associates from Mr. Obama's past, they've laid their own candidate open to the rattle of skeletons in the closet. Independent journalist Murray Waas broke a story last week about William Timmons, who heads up McCain's presidential transition team. Founder and "Chairman Emeritus" of Timmons & Company, which calls itself "Washington's premiere lobbying and consulting firm," William Timmons conducted a 5-year project for Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Two underlings who served on the project later pled guilty or were convicted of acting as unregistered agents of the Hussein government.The lobbying campaign was dedicated to easing international sanctions against Saddam in the mid-1990s. The sanctions aimed to prevent Iraq from developing weapons of mass destruction. Timmons produced regular talking points that were reviewed by Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz and circulated to American officials. Timmons and his associates also positioned themselves to take advantage of a lucrative oil deal, once their lobbying efforts paid off and sanctions were lifted. All this took place at a time when Iraq was considered a rogue state and sponsor of terrorism. Timmons' activities could hardly stand in sharper opposition to John McCain's views of Saddam's regime. It is tragic that ignorant advisors to the campaign would allow such an association to develop. If the focus on smears and distractions continues, we must expect to hear more about unsavory links like these.
[[I sent this letter to the following papers. Do not duplicate!
to The Advance Reporter (Wms Co., OH) The Sandusky Register, OHThe Progressor Times, Carey, OHBellefontaine Examiner, OHCelina Daily Standard, OHThe Piqua Daily Call, OHThe Mount Vernon News, OH
Are you worried that McCain's smears may be gaining traction in your state or district? I've been worried about Ohio, so I wrote a series of replies to fight back. Please feel free to use one of my letters as a model and send your own letter-to-the-editor of a local paper. Time is running short: many papers have cut-off dates for election-related letters, so do it TODAY! Small town papers are a better bet for getting printed than big-city dailies that receive tons of letters. Also, those "pro-American" towns might need some balance about now. Find lists of newspapers here: http://www.50states.com/news/ and here: http://www.usnpl.com/It's always wise to check in advance if your paper has a length limit. They often don't tell you this on the website, so a quick phone call can save wasted time. Most will accept letters by email, so ask for the editor's (or relevant person's) direct address, too. Always include your address and phone number. They will not print these, but may call to verify that you are the sender.At the bottom, I've included a list of the papers where I sent my letters, so if you live in Ohio--don't duplicate! That would make a really bad impression. Please leave a comment to let others know where you've sent a letter. Of course, you can also revise any of these letters in your own words. THANKs and FIGHT THOSE SMEARS! YES WE CAN!
290 Words:Dear Editor:Senator McCain is not well served by advisors trying to "turn the page" on economic problems by focusing Mr. Obama's questionable associates of years past. The $200 donation Obama once accepted from Bill Ayers pales beside the $112,000 McCain took from Charles Keating—later convicted of fraud in the Savings and Loan collapse that cost taxpayers $124 billion. Now Democrats are also raising McCain's relationship with G. Gordon Liddy, who remains proud of his role in undermining the rule of law at the highest level. Convicted in the Watergate break-in, Liddy also admitted to conspiring in murder and kidnapping plots. This history should have dissuaded McCain from speaking on Liddy's radio show, praising his "patriotism," attending fundraisers in his home, and accepting thousands of dollars in donations. Earlier this year, McCain sought the endorsements of Rev. John Hagee and Ohio's own Rod Parsley, only to repudiate both after embarrassments came to light. Hagee boasts a long history of anti-Catholic and anti-Semitic views. Parsley made a series of derogatory statements about Islam, at a time when we need cooperation from Islamic countries like Pakistan. This misstep tarnished McCain's effort to reach out to Christian leaders.Governor Palin's checkered career raises still more red flags. Her history of support for the Alaskan Independence Party, which wants to secede from the United States, hardly fits the theme of "Country First." Video of Palin's 2008 address to the party's convention has been widely viewed on-line. Nor are her unrepudiated links to African exorcism and the Jews for Jesus likely to appeal to mainstream voters.John McCain has received very poor advice. In light of unsavory connections like these, I am afraid his campaign's decision to smear Obama's past associates will prove another ill-advised political gamble.
Napoleon NW Signal OHThe Bellevue Gazette, OHThe Findlay Courier OHVan Wert Times-Bulletin, OH Sidney Daily News, OH Shelby Daily Globe, OHThe Kenton Times, OH
346 Words:
Dear Editor:
When Barack Obama was 8, a man he'd never met conspired to bomb public targets to protest the Viet Nam War. Fast forward many years—Obama and William Ayers, now a university professor, wind up in the same big city and serve on a charity board together. Yes, Obama once appeared at a candidate forum in Ayers's home, but he never consulted Ayers on any policy issue and never shared his radical politics. He denounced the acts of 40 years ago as "despicable."Sarah Palin thinks this minor association, which has been discussed in the media numerous times, demands attention now that John McCain is down in the polls. But is it wise for the pot to call the kettle black?Palin's association with her husband is certainly closer than any link between Obama and Ayers. Todd Palin attended state Cabinet meetings normally closed to the public and received copies of government correspondence. So voters should consider his 7-year membership in the Alaska Independence Party, a group that refuses to put "Country First." The AIP's founder, Joe Vogler, stated that, "The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government." He resented the federal Clean Water Act, which prohibits pollution of Alaskan rivers; he condoned violent resistance. Vogler's greatest fame came in 1993, when he was scheduled to address the United Nations to denounce United States "tyranny" and demand Alaskan secession. The islamist government of Iran agreed to sponsor his anti-American tirade. Sarah Palin's association with this group is so close that she twice attended the AIP annual convention, courted their political support, and in 2008 delivered a governor's address to the membership. She praised their "important role" in state politics and urged them to "Keep up the good work." (Video is readily available on-line.) The current AIP chairwoman stated that Palin "sounds just like Joe Vogler." Sarah Palin's support of this fringe movement is much more relevant to questions of fitness for office than the ancient history of any "washed-up domestic terrorist"—John McCain's words—who happened to live in Barack Obama's neighborhood.
[[I sent this letter to:
Wapakoneta Daily News, OH, Troy Daily News, OH, The Bryan Times OH Tiffin Advertiser-Tribune, OH Mansfield News Journal OH Norwalk Reflector, OH
PA Women for Obama Invite You to CHANGE ROCKS A Very Special Acoustic Appearance By: Bruce Springsteen Saturday October 4th, 2008 Benjamin Franklin Parkway between 20th and 22nd Streets Philadelphia, PA Gates open: 2:00 p.m. Program starts: 3:30 p.m. FREE AND OPEN TO PENNSYLVANIA RESIDENTS & STUDENTS For ticket info, visit: http://PA.barackobama.com/Springsteen
Premier Election Solutions[3], formerly Diebold Election Systems, Inc. (DESI) is a subsidiary of Diebold that makes and sells voting machines. Another subsidiary selling electronic voting systems in Brazil is Diebold-Procomp.
History
Premier Election Solutions, Inc. is currently run by David Byrd[4]. Previously, DESI was run by Bob Urosevich, who worked in the election systems industry since 1976. In 1979, Mr. Urosevich founded American Information Systems. He served as the President of AIS now known as Election Systems & Software, Inc. (ES&S) from 1979 through 1992. Bob's brother, Todd Urosevich, is Vice President, Aftermarket Sales with ES&S, DESI's chief competitor. In 1995, Bob Urosevich started I-Mark Systems, whose product was a touch screen voting system utilizing a smart card and biometric encryption authorization technology. Global Election Systems, Inc. (GES) acquired I-Mark in 1997, and on July 31, 2000 Mr. Urosevich was promoted from Vice President of Sales and Marketing and New Business Development to President and Chief Operating Officer. On January 22, 2002, Diebold announced the acquisition of GES, then a manufacturer and supplier of electronic voting terminals and solutions. The total purchase price, in stock and cash, was $24.7 million. Global Election Systems subsequently changed its name to Diebold Election Systems, Inc.
In 2006 Diebold decided to remove its name from the front of the voting machines for strategic reasons. CEO Thomas Swidarski announced he would decide in the beginning of 2007 if Diebold stays in the election business.[5] In August 2007 the company changed its name to "Premier Election Solutions".
Software
Together, ES&S and Premier Election Solutions are (as of 2004) responsible for tallying approximately 80% of the votes cast in the United States[6]. The software architecture common to both is a creation of Mr. Urosevich's company I-Mark[citation needed]. Some experts claim that this structure is easily compromised, in part due to its reliance on Microsoft Access databases. Britain J. Williams, responsible for certification of voting machines for the state of Georgia and a consultant to Diebold, has provided an assessment based on his accounting of potential exploits.[citation needed]
The Diebold GEMS central tabulator software, version 1.18.15 is at the center of controversy for apparent irregularities versus the 2004 United States presidential election exit polls. The Diebold AccuVote voting machine has also come under scrutiny especially by Ralph Nader's campaign.[citation needed]
Controversy
Ethical questions about Diebold personnel
Jeff Dean, Senior Vice-President and Senior Programmer at Global Election Systems (GES), the company purchased by Diebold in 2002 which became Diebold Election Systems, was convicted of 23 counts of felony theft for planting back doors in software he created for ATMs using, according to court documents, a "high degree of sophistication" to evade detection over a period of two years[7]. In addition to Dean, GES employed a number of other convicted felons in senior positions, including a fraudulent securities trader and a drug trafficker[8].
In December 2005, Diebold's CEO Wally O'Dell left the company following reports that the company was facing securities fraud litigation surrounding charges of insider trading[9].
O'Dell's fundraising
In August 2003, Walden O'Dell, chief executive of Diebold, announced that he had been a top fund-raiser for President George W. Bush and had sent a get-out-the-funds letter to Ohio Republicans. In the letters he says he is "committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year." Although he clarified his statement as merely a poor choice of words, critics of Diebold and/or the Republican party interpreted this as at minimum an indication of a conflict of interest, at worst implying a risk to the fair counting of ballots. He has responded to the critics by pointing out that the company's election machines division is run out of Texas by a registered Democrat. Nonetheless, O'dell vowed to lower his political profile lest his personal actions harm the company. O'Dell resigned his post of chairman and chief executive of Diebold on December 12, 2005 following reports that the company was facing securities fraud litigation surrounding charges of insider trading.
Security issuesFor more information in the 2004 elections see: 2004 United States presidential election: Specific issues relating to Diebold machines and practices
DESI claims its systems provide strong immunity to ballot tampering and other vote rigging attempts. These claims have been challenged, notably by Bev Harris on her website, Blackboxvoting.org, and book by the same name. Harris claims there is also evidence that the Diebold systems have been exploited to tamper with American elections — a claim Harris expands in her book Black Box Voting.
The controversy regarding electronic voting machines is related to a larger debate concerning the relative merits of open source and proprietary security products. Advocates of the open source model say that systems are more secure when anyone can view the underlying software code, identify bugs and make peer-reviewed changes. Advocates of proprietary systems claim that so-called black box systems are more secure because potential weaknesses are hidden.
Avi Rubin, Professor of Computer Science at Johns Hopkins University and Technical Director of the Information Security Institute has analyzed the source code used in these voting machines and reports "this voting system is far below even the most minimal security standards applicable in other contexts."[10] Following the publication of this paper, the State of Maryland hired Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) to perform another analysis of the Diebold voting machines. SAIC concluded “[t]he system, as implemented in policy, procedure, and technology, is at high risk of compromise.”[11]
The company RABA did a security analysis of the Diebold AccuVote in January 2004 confirming many of the problems found by Avi Rubin and finding some new vulnerabilities.[12]
In June 2005, the Tallahassee Democrat reported that when given access to Diebold vote-counting computers, Bev Harris—a critic of Diebold's voting machines—was able to make 65,000 votes disappear simply by changing the memory card that stores voting results for one that had been altered. Although the machines are supposed to record changes to data stored in the system, they showed no record of tampering after the memory cards were swapped. In response, a spokesperson for the Department of State said that, "Information on a blog site is not viable or credible."[13]
In early 2006 the Diebold Election Systems subsidiary came under considerable fire from alternate media sources for creating voting systems without reasonable auditing, no paper trail, security holes, and software bugs. The attention negatively affected Diebold stock (though elections are only a small part of their business) and triggered investigations in several states after insiders revealed irregular practices in Diebold's election division. Diebold was the first major vendor to experience a serious backlash from poor quality, service and preparation in the election industry, and condemnation of Diebold helped to focus attention on other vendors (ES&S). According to Avi Rubin, the Johns Hopkins University computer science professor who first identified flaws in the technology in 2003, the machines are "much, much easier to attack than anything we've previously said... On a scale of one to 10, if the problems we found before were a six, this is a 10. It's a totally different ballgame." According to Rubin, the system is intentionally designed so that anyone with access can update the machine software, without a pass code or other security protocol. Diebold officials said that although any problem can be avoided by keeping a close watch on the machines, they are developing a fix. [14] Michael I. Shamos, a professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University who is a proponent of electronic voting and the examiner of electronic voting systems for Pennsylvania, stated "It's the most severe security flaw ever discovered in a voting system." Douglas W. Jones, a professor of computer science at the University of Iowa, stated "This is the barn door being wide open, while people were arguing over the lock on the front door." Diebold spokesman David Bear played down the seriousness of the situation, asserting that "For there to be a problem here, you're basically assuming a premise where you have some evil and nefarious election officials who would sneak in and introduce a piece of software. I don't believe these evil elections people exist."[15]
On July 31, 2006 the Open Voting Foundation released a press release which explains, with photographs, how to open the case with a screwdriver and alter the boot configuration of the Diebold TS so as to boot from EPROM, on-board flash memory or external flash memory. The implication is that a previously tested and certified machine could be booted using an unauthorized boot profile, and that such a boot profile could be activated with relatively little technical expertise.[citation needed]
On October 30, 2006 researchers from the University of Connecticut demonstrated new vulnerabilities in Diebold AccuVote-OS optical scan voting terminal. The system can be compromised even if its removable memory card is sealed in place.[16]
On November 2, 2006, HBO premiered a documentary entitled "Hacking Democracy," concerning the vulnerability of electronic voting machines (primarily Diebold) to hacking and inaccurate vote totals. The company attempted to block the documentary prior to its broadcast, but was ultimately unsuccessful.[citation needed]
On January 2007, a photo of the key used to open Diebold voting machines was posted in the company's website. Hackers and just about anyone with a knack for lockpicking were then able to produce their own duplicate key based on the photo. The key unlocks a compartment which contains a removable memory card, leaving the machine vulnerable to tampering. [17]
A report commissioned by Ohio’s top elections official on December 15, 2007 has found that all five voting systems used in Ohio (made by Elections Systems and Software; Premier Election Solutions (formerly Diebold Election Systems); and Hart InterCivic) have critical flaws that could undermine the integrity of the 2008 general election.[18]
On July 17, 2008 Stephen Spoonamore, a longtime Republican operative,[19] made the claim that had "fresh evidence regarding election fraud on Diebold electronic voting machines during the 2002 Georgia gubernatorial and senatorial elections." Spoonamore is "the founder and until recently the CEO of Cybrinth LLC, an information technology policy and security firm that serves Fortune 100 companies." He claims that Diebold Election Systems Inc. COO Bob Urosevich personally installed a computer patch on voting machines in two counties in Georgia, and that the patch did not fix the problem it was supposed to fix.[20] Reports have indicated that then Georgia Secretary of State Cathy Cox did not know the patch was installed until after the election.[21]
States rejecting Diebold
In 2004, after an initial investigation into the company's practices, Secretary of State of California Kevin Shelley issued a ban on one model of Diebold voting machines in that state. California Attorney General Bill Lockyer, sued Diebold charging that it had given false information about the security and reliability of Diebold Election Systems machines that were sold to the state. To settle the case, Diebold agreed to pay $2.6 million and to implement certain reforms. [22] On August 3, 2007, California Secretary of State Debra Bowen decertified Diebold and three other electronic voting systems after a "top-to-bottom review of the voting machines certified for use in California in March 2007."[23][24]
In April 2007 the Maryland General Assembly voted to replace paperless touchscreen voting machines with paper ballots counted by optical scanners, effective in time for the 2010 general (November) elections. The law, signed by the Governor in May 2007, was made contingent on the provision of funding by no later than April 2008. The Governor included such funding in his proposed budget in January 2008,[25] but the funding was defeated by the state House in July 2008.[26]
Similar concerns have been voiced in other states, including Florida.
Leaked memos
In September 2003, a large number of internal Diebold memos, dating back to mid-2001, were posted to the Web by the website organizations Why War? and the Swarthmore Coalition for the Digital Commons, a group of student activists at Swarthmore College. U.S. Representative Dennis Kucinich, a Democrat from Ohio, has placed portions of the files on his websites.[27] Diebold's critics believe that these memos reflect badly on Diebold's voting machines and business practices. For example: "Do not to [sic] offer damaging opinions of our systems, even when their failings become obvious."[28] In December 2003, an internal Diebold memo was leaked to the press, sparking controversy in Maryland. Maryland officials requested that Diebold add the functionality of printing voting receipts. The leaked memo said, "As a business, I hope we're smart enough to charge them up the wazoo [for this feature]".
Diebold attempted to stop the publication of these internal memos by sending cease-and-desist letters to sites hosting these documents, demanding that they be removed. Diebold claimed the memos as their copyrighted material, and asserted that anyone who published the memos online was in violation of the Online Copyright Infringement Liability Limitation Act provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act found in § 512 of the United States Copyright Act. When it turned out that some of the challenged groups would not back down, Diebold retracted their threat. Those who had been threatened by Diebold then sued for court costs and damages, in OPG v. Diebold. This suit eventually led to a victory for the plaintiffs against Diebold, when in October 2004 Judge Jeremy Fogel ruled that Diebold had abused its copyrights in its efforts to suppress the embarrassing memos.
Stephen Heller (Whistleblower)
In January and February of 2004, a whistleblower named Stephen Heller brought to light memos from Jones Day, Diebold's California attorneys, informing Diebold that they were in breach of California law by continuing to use illegal and uncertified software in California voting machines. California Attorney General Bill Lockyer filed civil and criminal suits against the company, which were dropped when Diebold settled out of court for $2.6 million. In February 2006, Heller was charged with three felonies for this action.[29][30] On November 20, 2006 Heller made a plea agreement to pay $10,000 to Jones Day, write an apology, and receive three years probation.[31][32]
Diebold and Kenneth Blackwell's Conflict of Interest
Ohio State Senator Jeff Jacobson, Republican, asked Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell in July, 2003 to disqualify Diebold's bid to supply voting machines for the state, after security problems were discovered in its software,[33] but was refused. Blackwell had ordered Diebold touch screen voting machines, reversing an earlier decision by the state to purchase only optical scan voting machines which, unlike the touch screen devices, would leave a "paper trail" for recount purposes. Blackwell was found in April 2006, to own 83 shares of Diebold stock, down from 178 shares purchased in January 2005, which he attributed to an unidentified financial manager at Credit Suisse First Boston who had violated his instructions to avoid potential conflict of interest, without his knowledge.[34] When Cuyahoga county's primary was held on May 2, 2006, officials ordered the hand-counting of more than 18,000 paper ballots after Diebold's new optical scan machines produced inconsistent tabulations, leaving several local races in limbo for days and eventually resulting in a reversal of the outcome of one race for state representative. Blackwell ordered an investigation by the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections; Ohio Democrats demanded that Blackwell, who was also the Republican gubernatorial candidate in 2006, recuse himself from the investigation due to conflicts of interest, but Blackwell did not do so.[35]
The Republican head of the Franklin County, Ohio Board of Elections, Matt Damschroder, said a Diebold contractor came to him and bragged of a $50,000 check he had written to Blackwell’s "political interests."[36]
State finance records indicate Kenneth Blackwell has received a total of $40,000 in funds during his 2006 gubernatorial race from Diebold's only two registered lobbyists, Jonathan Hughes and Mitch Given and their wives. The donations were coordinated with the two pairs occurring on the same dates.[citation needed]
PLEASE USE THIS SAMPLE LETTER, COPY AND EDIT, TO CREATE YOUR OWN--SEND TO NEWSPAPERS IN YOUR LOCALE OR REGION. THE FOLLOWING LETTER IS 300 WORDS LONG--THE LIMIT AT MANY PAPERS. ALWAYS INCLUDE YOUR NAME, SIGNATURE, ADDRESS, AND PHONE NUMBER. THEY WILL NOT PUBLISH YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION, BUT MAY CALL TO VERIFY THAT YOU INTENDED TO SEND THE LETTER.
As a cancer patient with thousands in medical bills this year, health care tops my list of issues in the upcoming election. Although substantial, what I've paid for tests and treatment is dwarfed by the tens of thousands my husband's employer-backed insurance paid for me. If you've never felt the terror of opening a bill for forty thousand dollars, I don't wish the experience upon you. Thank God for the relief of finding out insurance will cover it, after all.John McCain proposes a credit up to $5000 to help families buy insurance. Sounds good, until you remember comprehensive coverage averages around $12,000. The shortfall would force us to visit the doctor less often, which could have cost my life. But rationed care isn't the radical aspect of McCain's plan. Currently, employer-backed insurance is not taxable income. McCain changes that—the Republican tax-cutter would raise $36 trillion over 10 years by taxing the value of our health insurance. This slight-of-hand lets McCain declare his tax credits "revenue neutral." But it would dismantle employer-backed plans, like the one that shielded my life savings.McCain offers no protection for people with pre-existing illness. Our coverage can be canceled or premiums skyrocket till we go bankrupt. He makes no pretense of covering the 50 million Americans who lack insurance, not even the children.By contrast, Barack Obama's health care proposal builds on successful existing plans. Employer-backed insurance remains effective, and those with pre-existing conditions are protected. Obama expands SCHIP to cover all children currently uninsured. Adults may go without if they wish, but a national clearinghouse and database make plans more affordable.Our health care is too important to overlook amid campaign hype. Check out my nonpartisan source at http://www.health08.org, and you will agree that Obama's is the plan our democracy needs.
PLEASE USE THIS SAMPLE LETTER, COPY AND EDIT, TO CREATE YOUR OWN--SEND TO NEWSPAPERS IN YOUR LOCALE OR REGION. THE FOLLOWING LETTER IS 280 WORDS LONG; MANY PAPERS HAVE A LIMIT OF 200 OR 300 WORDS. ALWAYS INCLUDE YOUR NAME, SIGNATURE, ADDRESS, AND PHONE NUMBER. THEY WILL NOT PUBLISH YOUR CONTACT INFO, BUT MAY CALL TO VERIFY THAT YOU INTENDED TO SEND THE LETTER.
As a veteran of the (give BRANCH OF SERVICE AND years served), I am dismayed at John McCain's misleading attempts to portray himself as an advocate for vets. In each year from 2003 through 2007, while thousands of servicemen and women came home with devastating injuries, McCain cast votes against our health benefits. He opposed increased funding for medical care even though the cost would have been met by closing corporate loopholes, rather than raising taxes on citizens or taking money from any existing program. In 2008, he disregarded 30,000 signatures from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) to back the new GI Bill. He voiced opposition to the bill but conveniently avoided the vote rather than go on record with this unpopular position. Then, on the campaign trail last spring, he had the gall to praise its passage, as if he'd actually sponsored it. Talk about a flip-flop! At a Colorado town hall meeting in July, McCain claimed that he has "received every award from every major veterans' organization in America." On the contrary, he receives low grades from the IAVA, Disabled Veterans of America, and has voted nay on 15 key issues supported by Vietnam Veterans of America. McCain was notably silent on the topic of veterans--other than himself--at the Republican Convention, saying not one word about how he would care for those coming home with burns, missing limbs, and PTSD. Elsewhere, he has made plenty of noise about the "debt we can never repay" and the scandalous conditions at Walter Reed hospital, but his failure to put money where his mouth is deserves much of the blame. His record speaks louder than his rhetoric.
The best commentary on the Republican VP nominee to date!
Let's hope Charlie Gibson read an advance copy before doing the interview (and took it to heart).
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080929/pollitt
Robert Greenwald's Brave New Films has a good summary of McSame's distortionist advertising. Check out and pass on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH0xzsogzAk
In 12 days, this group has gathered tens of thousands of statements on why we oppose Sarah Palin for VP. A great opportunity to sound off!
<mailto:womensaynopalin@gmail.com>
Friends, compatriots, fellow-lamenters,We are writing to you because of the fury and dread we have felt since the announcement of Sarah Palin as the Vice-Presidential candidate for the Republican Party. We believe that this terrible decision has surpassed mere partisanship, and that it is a dangerous farce on the part of a pandering and rudderless Presidential candidate that has a real possibility of becoming fact. Perhaps like us, as American women, you share the fear of what Ms. Palin and her professed beliefs and proven record could lead to for ourselves and for our present or future daughters. To date, she is against sex education, birth control, the pro-choice platform, environmental protection, alternative energy development, freedom of speech (as mayor she wanted to ban books and attempted to fire the librarian who stood against her), gun control, the separation of church and state, and polar bears. To say nothing of her complete lack of real preparation to become the second-most-powerful person on the planet. We want to clarify that we are not against Sarah Palin as a woman, a mother, or, for that matter, a parent of a pregnant teenager, but solely as a rash, incompetent, and altogether devastating choice for Vice President. Ms. Palin's political views are in every way a slap in the face to the accomplishments that our mothers and grandmothers and great-grandmothers so fiercely fought for, and that we've so demonstrably benefited from. First and foremost, Ms. Palin does not represent us. She does not demonstrate or uphold our interests as American women. It is presumed that the inclusion of a woman on the Republican ticket could win over women voters. We want to disagree, publicly. Therefore, we invite you to reply here <mailto:womensaynopalin@gmail.com> with a short, succinct message about why you, as a woman living in this country, do not support this candidate as second-in-command for our nation. Please include your name (last initial is fine), age, and place of residence. We will post your responses on a blog called 'Women Against Sarah Palin,' which we intend to publicize as widely as possible. Please send us your reply at your earliest convenience. The greater the volume of responses we receive, the stronger our message will be. Thank you for your time and action. VIVA! Sincerely, Quinn Latimer and Lyra Kilston >New York, NY
Given his temperament, track record, and life-long commitment to public service, the American people can trust that if elected President Barack Obama will run the Executive Office effectively, with the common good foremost in his mind. He will also use the “bully pulpit” of the Presidency to rally ordinary people to counter the power of the special interests and their lobbyists. He will continue to inspire us to care for each other and work together to improve ourselves and the larger community.
We know this because of how he has run his campaign.
The choice is clear.
