An Early Study of the 2006 Vote

Early reports of machine error and other kinds of voting fraud are leading to a serious analysis of the mid-term elections of 2006 in the United States.

At the link below is one such study. I believe you will find it well-researched, although early, and quite thought-provoking.

It is already clear significant problems remain with the voting system in the United States. Groups such as the Election Defense Alliance are to be applauded for their work.


http://electiondefensealliance.org/landslide_denied_exit_polls_vs_vote_count_2006

"Bobby"

On this the day after the forty-third anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, I am glad to commend to you the new film "Bobby". Written and directed by Emilio Estevez, the film is a fictionalized account of the lives of several persons who were at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles the night of the shooting of Robert F. Kennedy.

Although the lateness of the hour precludes a decent review of the film here, I can attest to the film's quality, and its humaneness. The showing of the film at my local "civilized" theatre was enough to bring tears to the eyes of several.

If time permits I will write more about this rather important film. In the meantime, see the film if you can. It will do you good.

Election Fall-out

There has been much written in these last two weeks following the mid-term elections of 2006. In addition to being very busy with my employment, I have wanted to take a certain amount of time to read and try to digest some of what has been written.

The results are to be seen as significant. The pundits are right in saying the voters repudiated the Bush administration in every major area -- on the economy, on the Iraq War, even on North Korea. If anything the ire of the voters was muted -- by continued voter suppression efforts and by a media and Washington establishment which touted conciliation as a supposed expressed desire of the electorate.

Numerous Washington Democrats rushed to the microphones to state their readiness to work cordially with G. W. Bush, who almost immediately began plans to push for a radical agenda in the lame-duck Congress, including a renewed push to open the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling.

As readers of this web log know, Bush No. 43, as he is now known, represents the fascist forces in the world, the same forces which drove the economics of the British Empire and never accepted the establishing of the United States. Thus, any accomodation of Bush is akin to the appeasement Neville Chamberlain once offered to the Nazi, Adolf Hitler.

Let us not be deluded into thinking the desire for world domination by the corporate interests who stand behind Bush is over. I support the efforts of persons who are working to have an impeachment simultaneously or nearly so, of Cheney and Bush. We can be humane in our treatment of them. But an effort to drive them from office is tantamount at this point to a repudiation of the corporate globalization agenda. So, the necessity of the legal removal from office of these terror twins is clear. May this happen in a near time.

A Reader Responds

On the morning after the Election of 2006 I am glad to share with you this response to my posts of last evening from a reader in Brazil.


I agree with you. I hope Democrats come back to Congress in majority. Bush external politic is shaming US people from the rest of the world.

Stay alert and use the internet to protest.

(Slightly edited by TMP)

National Public Radio Projects Democratic Control of New Congress

The headline above tells the news. I believe this means not so much a victory for Democrats as a repudiation of President George W. Bush and the Republicans.

It is not too early to begin working anew for the impeachment or resignation of G. W. Bush, surely the most fascist President in American history.

More Results in Election 2006

There have been more results announced by CBS News. In the U.S. House, the Democrats have won some 159 seats so far compared with the Republicans who have won 149.

At this point the Democratic trend is continuing. Katie Couric has claimed the Democrats who are winning against the Republicans are conservative, anti-abortion candidates. On balance that may or may not be the case. If true, it does not change the fact that the far-right Republican agenda appears to be waning. That fact alone, is worth celebrating.

Election 2006 -- computer glitches

There are some early reports of computer problems in Election 2006. The web page whose URL appears below has some good information about computer glitches on Tuesday, November 7.


http://news.com.com/A+sampling+of+e-voting+glitches+on+election+day+2006/2100-1028_3-6133440.html

More of Election 2006

More results and projections are coming in. There are some disappointments for Democrats but few if any announcements are true surprises.

Deval Patrick, an African-American, has won the governorship of Massachusetts for the Democrats. Robert Menendez has retained his Senate seat in the New Jersey race against Republican Kean in a hard-fought battle. Since Menendez was considered the most vulnerable Democratic Senator, this is another sign of a Democratic trend this evening. Democratic Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich has been declared the winner by the Associated Press although Governor Blagojevich himself has not claimed victory.

Certainly, it is too early to make broad predictions about this election. At this point, however, Democrats appear to be doing well.

Election 2006

Tonight I have the pleasure of writing about Election 2006. If things go well in my schedule I plan to post several posts as the evening continues.

This morning I voted in my precinct with no obvious problems. The turn-out was light. There was no difficulty with the optical scan ballot which I actually found more "voter-friendly" than the old punch card ballot. My good feeling was spoiled only by the electronic "ballot box" which had the name Diebold prominently displayed. However, according to my research the optical ballot is relatively more secure than the touch screen computers.

At this point, Blackwell has been defeated in the Ohio governor's race, Rick Santorum has gone down to defeat, and Katherine Harris will not advance to the Senate. In very early returns, Democrat Claire McCaskill is leading Republican James Talent.

A few so-called bell-weather U.S. House seats have gone to the Democratic candidate.

Perhaps we have seen the high-water mark of the far-right political wave in American politics. Only time will tell. I will be staying tuned.