George McGovern wrote an op ed in the Washington Post Sunday titled, Why I Believe Bush Must Go. The rest of the title is: Nixon Was Bad. These Guys Are Worse. in the article, McGovern lays out the 'high crimes and misdemeanors' which he believes ought to be charged to both Bush and Cheney.
At the end of his article, he says:
I believe we have a chance to heal the wounds the nation has suffered in the opening decade of the 21st century. This recovery may take a generation and will depend on the election of a series of rational presidents and Congresses. At age 85, I won't be around to witness the completion of the difficult rebuilding of our sorely damaged country, but I'd like to hold on long enough to see the healing begin.
Nancy Pelosi said when she came to power in January 2007 that impeachment was off the table. Period. Quite the odd statement and, as I recall, few challenged her decision. One wonders why she closed the door on impeachment. Too few years left? Too divisive? There are other things that require Congress' attention?
I cannot remember who it was that said it was important to impeach these two as a lesson to future presidents, to be reminded that their power is only one-third of the governance of this nation. The person was worried that the 'imperial presidency' so enlarged by George Bush, would continue to expand with each succeeding president until we lost the governance-intention of the Constitution.
I think that is a wise comment and a timely lesson to be learned.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Did Rudy Giuliani's Italian Grandparents Speak English?
During the recent debate Giuliani demanded that any of the 12,000,000 illegals living in America who wanted to stay here had to learn to read, write, and speak English. How odd. How stupid. Pandering to the base [literally] of the Republican Party.
Where on the Statue of Liberty does it say, "...and they will speak English"? Surely as mayor of New York, he has taken the ferry to Ellis Island to look for the records of his Italian grandparents. Were they required to speak English to the customs officer upon their arrival?
Pandering for votes surely reduces a man to his most primitive level, doesn't it.
Where on the Statue of Liberty does it say, "...and they will speak English"? Surely as mayor of New York, he has taken the ferry to Ellis Island to look for the records of his Italian grandparents. Were they required to speak English to the customs officer upon their arrival?
Pandering for votes surely reduces a man to his most primitive level, doesn't it.
Ron Paul Exposes GOP Vulnerability
He's a thorn in the side of the other GOP candidates, an annoying gnat that just hangs around. Ron Paul brings up 'the' question time after time in the GOP debates and is scorned for doing so. The other day Charlie Gibson of ABC News asked about the $100 dollar oil and how America could address the growing need worldwide for that oil.
The other candidates spun and spun, defending the status quo, some suggesting more drilling, others suggesting that within a decade we should have more efficient cars or some other platitude. Then it was Ron Paul's turn. No doubt the other 5 candidates gritted their teeth. "When you spend a trillion dollars on a war and borrow that money from China, and the value of that dollar keeps falling, then you get $100 dollar oil," he said wryly.
Fred Thompson, apparently the hit-man for the team, laughed and belched some one-line retort at him. He responded, "It's true and then our government prints more money and it becomes even less valuable." Thompson's big grin stayed on his face and he grunted again.
The trillion-dollar-war was brought up again later to the group with a similar grin from John McCain, who grunted some idiotic statement about al-Quada's rise had we not gone into Iraq. Paul used it a third time when the topic was universal medical care for Americans.
The trillion-dollar-war is a noose ready to be hung around the GOP candidate in the general election; the other 4 candidates have gladly stuck their necks out defending George Bush's War. It would not take too much refinement of the Ron Paul statements for the Democratic candidate to hang the GOP nominee. Thanks to one man who was not afraid of opening Pandora's Box.
The other candidates spun and spun, defending the status quo, some suggesting more drilling, others suggesting that within a decade we should have more efficient cars or some other platitude. Then it was Ron Paul's turn. No doubt the other 5 candidates gritted their teeth. "When you spend a trillion dollars on a war and borrow that money from China, and the value of that dollar keeps falling, then you get $100 dollar oil," he said wryly.
Fred Thompson, apparently the hit-man for the team, laughed and belched some one-line retort at him. He responded, "It's true and then our government prints more money and it becomes even less valuable." Thompson's big grin stayed on his face and he grunted again.
The trillion-dollar-war was brought up again later to the group with a similar grin from John McCain, who grunted some idiotic statement about al-Quada's rise had we not gone into Iraq. Paul used it a third time when the topic was universal medical care for Americans.
The trillion-dollar-war is a noose ready to be hung around the GOP candidate in the general election; the other 4 candidates have gladly stuck their necks out defending George Bush's War. It would not take too much refinement of the Ron Paul statements for the Democratic candidate to hang the GOP nominee. Thanks to one man who was not afraid of opening Pandora's Box.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
My Next Car!
I think I just saw my next car. I put us on the list to be notified when theygo on the market in 2009.
These are the MDI Air Cars. They represent the cleanest auto technology to date.
They actually clean the air instead of polluting it.
The car is powered by a cutting edge compressed air engine.
At this point in development, a full tank of air is good for 200 kilometers.
The city cars are totally air powered and have a top speed of 50 km/h.
The road cars are hybrid and and have a fuel powered engine that kicks in at speeds
above 50 km/h. The radical design of the hybrid engine can attain a top
speed of 220 km/h and has a fuel efficiency that at current fuel prices should be
about 1 Euro for 100 kilometers.
The air tanks can be filled at any service station that has compressed air for tires.
There is also an onboard compressor to keep the tanks full.
The air used to power the car must be filtered to protect the engine, so a
radically different air filtration device was invented. This means that the air used by the car is actually cleaner than it was before it was put into the tanks!
Because the compressed air exhaust temperature is between 0 and -15 degrees, it is
a totally free byproduct that will be used in the air conditioning system.
The on board electronics are charged once a week by plugging the car in for 4 hours
to an electrical outlet.
Guy Negre, the developer of the car has been an innovator in energy efficient
engines for a few decades now. He designed Formula One racers and has a few radically different engines in production by other companies.
The MDI Air Car has been in development since 1993 and he has envisioned and put into motion a radically different production and distribution system.
If you are technically minded and would like to know more,
see the Web Site!
I have to agree with Hilary on one point
The back-to-back debate format on ABC last evening showcased the great differences between the batch of Republican candidates and the four Democrats. As she side-stepped the question asked of her, Hillary Clinton said that it was clear that there was a great difference between the four Democrats and the Republicans on that stage. Barack Obama, similarly side-stepping, agreed with her, saying that 'fear-tactics' are not what this election is all about.
Gaud, what an array of Republicans were assembled on that stage last night, white men who want Americans to put them in to the Oval Office after 8 years of George Bush. Do they really believe that Americans are dumb enough to do it all over again! One would hope the 'third time is the charm' would be on the minds of the electorate this year.
I watched last night with two dozen other Toledo folks gathered at a potluck, people who barely listened to the first set of people on the tube. They munched away on the pot-luck foods and had their own private conversations while the GOP actors babbled on. In fact, the TV was muted for most of their performance, and no one asked to have the volume turned up. These folks knew the script and were tired of it. Fear, fear, and fear. It's not a tremendously complex scenario. A re-run of Jaws would have elicited more interest.
The room became absolutely still when the first Democrat bounded onto the stage. "Shush, shush!" they called. And, for the next hour and a half, the assembled group sat in silence, absorbing every word that was uttered. A woman sat on the piano bench, two others on the fireplace hearth. Several were on the floor, others stood in the back.
The people hungered for intelligent ideas and fresh ways to address the enormous issues facing our nation; they were not disappointed. I looked around during this time at the people gathered in this room and saw on these faces the hunger for new possibilities as they studied these four candidates. Here were intelligent people who have been beaten-down for the past seven years by the blunders and lies of the Bush/Cheney administration. People who expected that our nation would continue to be the beacon of democracy and hope, a model for the rest of the world. Rather, their dream became a nightmare, a long and bloody scene of war, torture, lies, and shame. The folks last night were a beaten-down and terribly disappointed group of American citizens, many ashamed of what our nation had become.
Yet, for these 90 minutes, hope for better leadership excited these men and women as their thoughts turned to, as Dickens wrote, 'Christmas future.' As Scrooge stood in that dark and cold cemetery and was told of a new life and new possibilities in the future, so too these folks dreamed of better times ahead.
Surprisingly, at the conclusion of the debate, we were handed an evaluation form to rank the candidates on their performance in ten categories. The host and hostess clearly took this evening seriously as did their guests. We sat in silence ranking the candidates on foreign affairs, taxes, education, national defense, health care and other important issues.
It was a serious night, but an enriching one as well. I think it was important for each of us to experience that there were other Americans in other living rooms across the state and nation who also took to heart what they saw and heard that evening. Serious people, serious issues. How refreshing. How hopeful.
Gaud, what an array of Republicans were assembled on that stage last night, white men who want Americans to put them in to the Oval Office after 8 years of George Bush. Do they really believe that Americans are dumb enough to do it all over again! One would hope the 'third time is the charm' would be on the minds of the electorate this year.
I watched last night with two dozen other Toledo folks gathered at a potluck, people who barely listened to the first set of people on the tube. They munched away on the pot-luck foods and had their own private conversations while the GOP actors babbled on. In fact, the TV was muted for most of their performance, and no one asked to have the volume turned up. These folks knew the script and were tired of it. Fear, fear, and fear. It's not a tremendously complex scenario. A re-run of Jaws would have elicited more interest.
The room became absolutely still when the first Democrat bounded onto the stage. "Shush, shush!" they called. And, for the next hour and a half, the assembled group sat in silence, absorbing every word that was uttered. A woman sat on the piano bench, two others on the fireplace hearth. Several were on the floor, others stood in the back.
The people hungered for intelligent ideas and fresh ways to address the enormous issues facing our nation; they were not disappointed. I looked around during this time at the people gathered in this room and saw on these faces the hunger for new possibilities as they studied these four candidates. Here were intelligent people who have been beaten-down for the past seven years by the blunders and lies of the Bush/Cheney administration. People who expected that our nation would continue to be the beacon of democracy and hope, a model for the rest of the world. Rather, their dream became a nightmare, a long and bloody scene of war, torture, lies, and shame. The folks last night were a beaten-down and terribly disappointed group of American citizens, many ashamed of what our nation had become.
Yet, for these 90 minutes, hope for better leadership excited these men and women as their thoughts turned to, as Dickens wrote, 'Christmas future.' As Scrooge stood in that dark and cold cemetery and was told of a new life and new possibilities in the future, so too these folks dreamed of better times ahead.
Surprisingly, at the conclusion of the debate, we were handed an evaluation form to rank the candidates on their performance in ten categories. The host and hostess clearly took this evening seriously as did their guests. We sat in silence ranking the candidates on foreign affairs, taxes, education, national defense, health care and other important issues.
It was a serious night, but an enriching one as well. I think it was important for each of us to experience that there were other Americans in other living rooms across the state and nation who also took to heart what they saw and heard that evening. Serious people, serious issues. How refreshing. How hopeful.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Let's Talk Recession
Oh no, not the 'R' word! Say it ain't so, Joe! No, not that, anything but that!
In denial. The entire nation is in denial. Naturally Bush/Cheney are in denial, but then their entire 7 years has been in denial. Congress doesn't care either. No action on that at all.
I watched Mad Money with Jim Cramer on MSNBC last evening. He was dour, downbeat, and worried, most unlike himself. He knows. He sees the numbers, he watches the trends. The market lost 220 points yesterday and has lost 400 in the first days of 2008. He said that there might be 40 'good stocks' left if you want to hedge your losses. Maybe 70 at best.
What's wrong with us Americans that we keep our heads deeply buried in the sand like an ostrich? Can't we deal with reality? Ignoring the on-coming freight train doesn't make it stop. Are we too worn out to care anymore? Have we been conned too many times? Is that why we over-eat? Is food the soothing salve?
With Congress and Bush at the helm, we are a rudderless Ship of State with a tsunami approaching. But just turn on a sit-com and grab a bag of chips and all will be fine.
Right-wing Blogger Bob Frantz from WTAM Cleveland
Bob Frantz spouts his daily rant [his wannabe Limbaugh] to his 'thousands' of listeners throughout the Cleveland area on WTAM-AM radio. The ne'erdowell broadcaster has found his niche there after he was canned by WSPD here in Toledo. He still sports his devil-imaging facial hair, no doubt to scare off anybody who disagrees with his point of view. Bob will always be Bob.
I was told of his blog in an email recently and went over for a bit of nostalgia. His topic of the day was Agenda for 2008 Democratic National Convention
Bob is a right-wing Republican as if one couldn't guess. His 'agenda' has the usual rants against blacks, gays, Ted Kennedy, immigrants... you know, the whole agenda:
7:00 P.M. - Opening flag burning
7:15 P.M. - Pledge of Allegiance to U.N.
7:30 P.M. - Ted Kennedy proposes a toast to immigrant voters
7:30 - 8:00 P.M. Non-religious Prayer and Worship Service: Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton
Poor Bob, still fighting the 'liberal agenda.' Still as prejudiced as ever. Still a lousy debater. Speaking of debate, I challenged him on his blog about some of his comments but, ZAP! my comments were deleted.
Funny, he called me 'Mike Ferner.' No kidding. He said, "Ya, I know you, Mike. Mike Ferner the guy who..." and on with his raging lunacy against Ferner.
Poor Bob, delusional too.
Well, after only two days of my posting there, he cut me off. He now has the key to control: comment moderation. Comment moderation allows the blogmeister to 'review' the comments and then decide whether to post them. Most right-wing blogs have that, so that they can control the conversation.
Poor Bob, control freak.
You can look up his blog if you care to, but if you challenge his views, you won't see your comments. Bob likes it that way: it keeps him from having to defend his beliefs. I invited Bob to come over here and enjoy some freedom of speech. You know how those right-wingers enjoy freedom of speech.
How about your favorite topic, Bob: George Bush's wonderful preemptive invasion of Iraq? You know how you loved that, Bob. Tell us more about fighting them over there, about bring'n freedom [except speech] to those islamofascists, about spreading democracy.
You know the script, bob. Let it all hang out, Bob.
Friday, January 4, 2008
It's Huck! Praise Jesus.
Amen, brother. His first victory on his way to the White House, propelled by fundamentalist Christians. It doesn't matter much that he doesn't know much about foreign affairs, does it? After all, the naive George Bush didn't know Pervez Musharraf's name when asked. I bet he does now.
Praise Jesus, a preacher in the White House. That will be good: 'Love one another as I have loved you,' will be his mantra as he withdraws our troops from Iraq and chooses a foreign policy of peace and understanding throughout the world.
That would be refreshing. Perhaps Rev. Huckabee could appoint an Ambassador of Peace who would promote love between the nations of the earth.
With Jesus as his model, our nation would feed the hungry, clothe the naked, uplift the poor in spirit, bless the peacemakers and the merciful. I guess waterboarding would be stopped dead in its ugly tracks. No doubt the Military Industrial Complex would have to conduct bake sales for their weapons' systems. National health care surely would be one of the first objectives.
So much to do to repair the godlessness of the current administration...
Praise Jesus, a preacher in the White House. That will be good: 'Love one another as I have loved you,' will be his mantra as he withdraws our troops from Iraq and chooses a foreign policy of peace and understanding throughout the world.
That would be refreshing. Perhaps Rev. Huckabee could appoint an Ambassador of Peace who would promote love between the nations of the earth.
With Jesus as his model, our nation would feed the hungry, clothe the naked, uplift the poor in spirit, bless the peacemakers and the merciful. I guess waterboarding would be stopped dead in its ugly tracks. No doubt the Military Industrial Complex would have to conduct bake sales for their weapons' systems. National health care surely would be one of the first objectives.
So much to do to repair the godlessness of the current administration...
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Palace of the Sheik of Abu Dhabi
I just received several photos from a friend in Germany who vacationed in Abu Dhabi with his family. Here is the palace of the Sheik of Abu Dhabi:
It's good to know that the sheik has comfortable living quarters; after all, a man of his repute deserves the best. Here's a Wikipedia analysis of Abu Dhabi:
"As the wealthiest Emirate, Abu Dhabi is also considered the richest city in the world. Each of Abu Dhabi's 420,000 citizens is worth $17 million (AED 62 million), and more than $1 trillion is invested worldwide in this city alone. Yet according to CNN, "guest workers," who constitute the majority of the population, "do not share the wealth.""
It's good to know that the sheik has comfortable living quarters; after all, a man of his repute deserves the best. Here's a Wikipedia analysis of Abu Dhabi:
"As the wealthiest Emirate, Abu Dhabi is also considered the richest city in the world. Each of Abu Dhabi's 420,000 citizens is worth $17 million (AED 62 million), and more than $1 trillion is invested worldwide in this city alone. Yet according to CNN, "guest workers," who constitute the majority of the population, "do not share the wealth.""
Surprise? By the way, here's a trivia question to ponder: how much U.S. debt is owned by this sheikdom? Second question: is the sheik on a first-name basis with Dick Cheney?
Oil, The Dollar, and the Grand Scheme
The Grand Scheme is unfolding well. Oil closed at $99 a barrel yesterday after rising above that magical $100. Why the rise in the price of crude? China is now the 2nd greatest consumer of crude, just behind us. They will overtake us, the experts tell us, in 2010. But that's not the only reason for the rise: it's the shrinking value of the dollar. As its worth dilutes on world markets, the price will naturally rise as oil is configured in U.S. dollars.
Some predict $4 at the pumps by the end of February. Surely this will be the death knell for the American economy. Will the so-called middle class become enraged? Apparently their fuse is hard to ignite, rolling with each new tidal wave that strikes at them. Yet one has to wonder how they will fare with a Tsunami like the collapse of the dollar and the market. The market lost 220 points on the first day of trading yesterday, an indication of how the year will develop. Those who collect data say that the first few days of the market's new year has an 82% chance of closing the year in the same direction.
As oil has been historicaly our society's glue: what has this administration and this Congress done about alternative energy in the past 7 years? All talk and no show. Of course, with former oil men Bush and Cheney at the helm, who would have expected anything alternate? I hearken back to that very secret energy meeting held in early 2001 hosted by Dick Cheney. Too bad that meeting was not taped; if it were, no doubt Cheney would have destroyed it.
We Americans have been cast as stooges. Stooges, no kidding! We have allowed ourselves to be fed and led like sheep by two oil men for the past 7 years, years that saw the price of crude go from $28.66 in January of 2001 to $99 in January 2008. Raise your hand if your think that this was part of the grand Cheney scheme.
No doubt Cheney has been getting congratulatory phone calls throughout these 7 years from the energy industry, especially from the oil execs. Of course, big coal has not been treated too shabbily either. The grand scheme has been highly successful. I'm thinking fascism. Raise your hand if you suspect that as well.
Another full year and 17 days left for more of the grand scheme to unfold. Of course, the people-sheeple are so beaten-down that they will adopt bunker mentality and wait it out, if they can. They and we will be broke, financially and spiritually. The once proud bastion of our democracy, the middle-class, will have been reduced to a huddled mass, a whimper. The fat-cats, however, will be smiling with the success of the Grand Scheme.
Some predict $4 at the pumps by the end of February. Surely this will be the death knell for the American economy. Will the so-called middle class become enraged? Apparently their fuse is hard to ignite, rolling with each new tidal wave that strikes at them. Yet one has to wonder how they will fare with a Tsunami like the collapse of the dollar and the market. The market lost 220 points on the first day of trading yesterday, an indication of how the year will develop. Those who collect data say that the first few days of the market's new year has an 82% chance of closing the year in the same direction.
As oil has been historicaly our society's glue: what has this administration and this Congress done about alternative energy in the past 7 years? All talk and no show. Of course, with former oil men Bush and Cheney at the helm, who would have expected anything alternate? I hearken back to that very secret energy meeting held in early 2001 hosted by Dick Cheney. Too bad that meeting was not taped; if it were, no doubt Cheney would have destroyed it.
We Americans have been cast as stooges. Stooges, no kidding! We have allowed ourselves to be fed and led like sheep by two oil men for the past 7 years, years that saw the price of crude go from $28.66 in January of 2001 to $99 in January 2008. Raise your hand if your think that this was part of the grand Cheney scheme.
No doubt Cheney has been getting congratulatory phone calls throughout these 7 years from the energy industry, especially from the oil execs. Of course, big coal has not been treated too shabbily either. The grand scheme has been highly successful. I'm thinking fascism. Raise your hand if you suspect that as well.
Another full year and 17 days left for more of the grand scheme to unfold. Of course, the people-sheeple are so beaten-down that they will adopt bunker mentality and wait it out, if they can. They and we will be broke, financially and spiritually. The once proud bastion of our democracy, the middle-class, will have been reduced to a huddled mass, a whimper. The fat-cats, however, will be smiling with the success of the Grand Scheme.
Toledo Mayor Has New Toady Girl
Toledo's mayor, Carleton S. Finkbeiner, has a new toady girl on council that helped his other toady become Council president. Lindsay Webb had her arm twisted by the mayor and broke her promise, casting her vote for newly-elected Mark Toady Sobczak. The mayor appealed to his usual Republican bloc of votes plus independent Mike Collins who, along with Webb and Sobczak gave the mayor just what he wanted.
As a result, the nasty A-team, B-team political war continues to rage in Toledo politics. Finkbeiner, who has run as a Republican and independent, ran and won as a B-team Democrat, a faction that grabbed the leadership of the local Democratic Party. Sobczak was the only remaining B-team Democrat on Council, but with the coalition of the Republicans and Lindsay Webb, they are back in power.
With all of the problems facing the city of Toledo, the city does not need a political spat between Council and the mayor, but that is exactly what it is ahead for the beleaguered city. Once again, Carleton Finkbeiner proves that he is the master of divisiveness. Lindsay Webb will have lots of explaining to do to her constituents.
As a result, the nasty A-team, B-team political war continues to rage in Toledo politics. Finkbeiner, who has run as a Republican and independent, ran and won as a B-team Democrat, a faction that grabbed the leadership of the local Democratic Party. Sobczak was the only remaining B-team Democrat on Council, but with the coalition of the Republicans and Lindsay Webb, they are back in power.
With all of the problems facing the city of Toledo, the city does not need a political spat between Council and the mayor, but that is exactly what it is ahead for the beleaguered city. Once again, Carleton Finkbeiner proves that he is the master of divisiveness. Lindsay Webb will have lots of explaining to do to her constituents.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Vote Suppression: Vote-Caging 101
There were few comments on my earlier post that defined 'vote caging' and so I decided to smack-face it here. From Wikipedia:
defined: A caging list is compiled through a direct-mailing technique:a political party sends registered mail to addresses of registered voters. If the mail is returned as undeliverable - because, for example, the voter refuses to sign for it, the voter isn't present for delivery, or the voter is homeless - the party uses that fact to challenge the registration, arguing that because the voter could not be reached at the address, the registration is fraudulent. Then, a political party challenges the validity of a voter's registration; for the voter's ballot to be counted, the voter must prove that their registration is valid.
victims: Voters targeted by caging are often the most vulnerable: soldiers deployed overseas, those who are unfamiliar with their rights under the law, and those who cannot spare the time, effort, and expense of proving that their registration is valid.
operation: On the day of the election, when the voter arrives at the poll and requests a ballot, an operative of the party challenges the validity of their registration. Ultimately, caging works by dissuading a voter from casting a ballot, or by ensuring that they cast a provisional ballot, which is less likely to be counted.
examples: For example, in the United States Presidential Election of 2004, the Republican Party employed this process to challenge the validity of tens of thousands of voter registrations in contested states like Florida, Nevada, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Greg Palast wrote an article called Raging Caging which gives several examples of how both the press and Congress is in denial of this tactic. SourceWatch also has an extensive article on this vote-suppression tactic with a large list of links on the topic. BlueTideRising has more information plus an article that cites the Kansas Republican Party as being 'proud of its caging efforts.'
OHIOANS PAY ATTENTION! Caging is going on right now in all 88 counties of our state. The lists of voters is very easy to obtain. The Ohio GOP paid less than $300 to get a CD of every registered voter in every county. You can too: go to the Lucas County Board of Elections with $3 and it is yours. Every voter, their address, their party, and their precinct.
Here in Lucas County, the GOP is focussing on Wards 2, 4, 8, 10, 13, 14 and 17, the wards with the highest percentage of black and Hispanic voters. It's a no-brainer. The work could be done by one person in a week or less. It's simply voter-targeting in a dastardly spin.
WHAT TO DO? Contact the Ohio Democratic Party:
Ohio Democratic Party
340 East Fulton Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Via Phone : 1-877-OHIO-DEM (toll-free)
email at this link
There will be an exam at the end of this course: November 4, 2008. I hope you [and Ohio] pass.
defined: A caging list is compiled through a direct-mailing technique:a political party sends registered mail to addresses of registered voters. If the mail is returned as undeliverable - because, for example, the voter refuses to sign for it, the voter isn't present for delivery, or the voter is homeless - the party uses that fact to challenge the registration, arguing that because the voter could not be reached at the address, the registration is fraudulent. Then, a political party challenges the validity of a voter's registration; for the voter's ballot to be counted, the voter must prove that their registration is valid.
victims: Voters targeted by caging are often the most vulnerable: soldiers deployed overseas, those who are unfamiliar with their rights under the law, and those who cannot spare the time, effort, and expense of proving that their registration is valid.
operation: On the day of the election, when the voter arrives at the poll and requests a ballot, an operative of the party challenges the validity of their registration. Ultimately, caging works by dissuading a voter from casting a ballot, or by ensuring that they cast a provisional ballot, which is less likely to be counted.
examples: For example, in the United States Presidential Election of 2004, the Republican Party employed this process to challenge the validity of tens of thousands of voter registrations in contested states like Florida, Nevada, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Greg Palast wrote an article called Raging Caging which gives several examples of how both the press and Congress is in denial of this tactic. SourceWatch also has an extensive article on this vote-suppression tactic with a large list of links on the topic. BlueTideRising has more information plus an article that cites the Kansas Republican Party as being 'proud of its caging efforts.'
OHIOANS PAY ATTENTION! Caging is going on right now in all 88 counties of our state. The lists of voters is very easy to obtain. The Ohio GOP paid less than $300 to get a CD of every registered voter in every county. You can too: go to the Lucas County Board of Elections with $3 and it is yours. Every voter, their address, their party, and their precinct.
Here in Lucas County, the GOP is focussing on Wards 2, 4, 8, 10, 13, 14 and 17, the wards with the highest percentage of black and Hispanic voters. It's a no-brainer. The work could be done by one person in a week or less. It's simply voter-targeting in a dastardly spin.
WHAT TO DO? Contact the Ohio Democratic Party:
Ohio Democratic Party
340 East Fulton Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Via Phone : 1-877-OHIO-DEM (toll-free)
email at this link
There will be an exam at the end of this course: November 4, 2008. I hope you [and Ohio] pass.
Why is America Awash in Alcohol?
It is an all-too familiar scene here in America- a drunk driver slams into a van killing 5 members of a family. The drunk driver walks away. It happened in Toledo this weekend. A 24-year-old whose blood alcohol was 3 times the legal limit drove the wrong way down an expressway ripping the side off of a van carrying 8 members of a family. [Blade photo]These stories are rare in Canada and Europe but common here in America. Why do we have a love affair with the bottle? Why do we advertise alcohol on sports programs and why are alcohol decals on NASCAR race cars?
Europe has some of the most strict drunk-driver laws anywhere. There are no second chances in Germany. German law deals harshly with driving under the influence. Violators may lose their license on the first offense and must pay high fines for such an offense.
German youth understand these strict laws and learn these laws well as they apply for driving privileges. Unlike loose American driving-tests, German youth must pass very difficult tests. A German driver’s license costs about $1500-2000, after a minimum of 25-45 hours of professional instruction plus 12 hours of theory, and such a license is good for life. They understand the enormous responsibility of sitting behind the wheel of an automobile.
Here in Ohio, one often sees a yellow license plate with red letters on a car. The owner of the car has been charged with multiple DUI offenses and has served time in jail and paid fines. The loose sentencing by judges seems to indicate how tolerant we Americans are of drunks. Of course, many judges are no doubt 'drinkers' themselves. Note the multiple words we Americans have for alcoholics.
Is our Alcohol problem related to the fact that we Americans view ourselves as self-reliant people, freedom-demanding folks, residents of the land of the free and home of the brave? We crack down on crack but crack open the bottles of booze.
In 2006, an estimated 17,602 people died in alcohol-related traffic crashes—an average of one every 30 minutes. These deaths constitute 41 percent of the 42,642 total traffic fatalities. Of these, an estimated 13,470 involved a driver with an illegal BAC (.08 or greater). [link]
Perhaps we Americans are in a constant state of depression. That's something folks will quickly jump all over. Not me! Nobody I hang with! Well, if not, then why is alcohol the most common anti-depressive drug of choice? Go ahead, tell me about that...
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Thoughts as the Old Year Passes
Another full year of Bush and Cheney
Makes the entire year gloomy and rainy.
A year plus nineteen is too long to abide
With Cheney and Bush along for the ride!
The thought of that smirk
On the face of that jerk
Will surely drive me berserk!
On twenty January 2009
Rejoice! the end of the swine.
Eight years of lies and cunning deceit
Lord help us- this we cannot repeat.
When the reign of terror finally is over,
And they all leave, even rover:
All lights go on to illuminate:
Every room we must fumigate!
Burma Shave.
Makes the entire year gloomy and rainy.
A year plus nineteen is too long to abide
With Cheney and Bush along for the ride!
The thought of that smirk
On the face of that jerk
Will surely drive me berserk!
On twenty January 2009
Rejoice! the end of the swine.
Eight years of lies and cunning deceit
Lord help us- this we cannot repeat.
When the reign of terror finally is over,
And they all leave, even rover:
All lights go on to illuminate:
Every room we must fumigate!
Burma Shave.
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