Rove, O'Dell, Blackwell, and Ohio: Looks Like The Fix Is In

[Zorra]

What is wrong with this picture:

Rove also predicted that "we're going to win Ohio comfortably" in the race against Democratic rival John Kerry (news - web sites).

The Bush campaign is "building the greatest grass-roots apparatus that Ohio has ever seen," Rove said. The state's 20 electoral votes could determine the election.

"I don't mean that it's going to be close," Rove said. "What I mean is, it's going to be where everybody is going to be paying a lot of time and attention. I think we're going to win Ohio comfortably, but I do think that Democrats are going to contest it strongly."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=536&e=1&u=/ap/20040416/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_rove

COLUMBUS - The head of a company vying to sell voting machines in Ohio told Republicans in a recent fund-raising letter that he is "committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year."

The Aug. 14 letter from Walden O'Dell, chief executive of Diebold Inc. - who has become active in the re-election effort of President Bush - prompted Democrats this week to question the propriety of allowing O'Dell's company to calculate votes in the 2004 presidential election.

The letter went out the day before Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, also a Republican, was set to qualify Diebold as one of three firms eligible to sell upgraded electronic voting machines to Ohio counties in time for the 2004 election.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0828-08.htm

Diebold machines elected in Summit
Green company ratified to provide the electronic voting devices in county

Coming not-so-soon to a polling place near you: electronic voting machines courtesy of Green-based Diebold Inc.

On Tuesday, the Summit County Board of Elections -- acting on a directive Republican Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell handed down last week -- ratified Diebold as its machine of choice.

The unanimous vote makes Summit the 44th county in Ohio to select Diebold's machines to replace outdated punch-card or lever systems.

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/8318183.htm?1c

Mr. Blackwell's goal of converting some counties now using punch-card ballots and lever machines to electronic voting by the August special election and more by the Nov. 2 presidential election has prompted some lawmakers to complain the Cincinnati Republican is moving too quickly.

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040401/NEWS09/404010367/-1/NEWS

[stepnw1f]

1. Thats Fine

Bush gets re-elected, we will have a revolution.

[Failure]

2. Look you guys...

I played piano for a fundraiser at O'Dell's house. He had pictures of him and chimpy on the piano:P I'm telling you, this guy and his friends are freaks. Like billionaire fratboys.

[ShaneGR]

3. He's full of it

If turnout is high (Which it will be) in Cuyahoga, Summit, and Franklin counties they will lose by about 3-4%.

And they know that. What you are seeing in that writing is a PLEA to his base. They know that Bush cannot do an open rally in Ohio, so they're desperate.

[Zorra]

4. You are assuming that the votes will be counted honestly.

It looks to me like they are rushing to get as many Diebold electronic voting machines in place before November so that they can use these machines in order to cheat and guarantee a Bu$h victory.

I hope Democrats in Ohio will do something to make sure that this can not happen.

[Zorra]

5. Kick for Ohio

[Eric J in MN]

6. Ohio people: please fill out this form for Paper Ballots not Vapor Ballots

If you're in Ohio, please enter your address on this form and click the button to send a message to your state representatives that electronic voting machines should print paper ballots, so that if there is something suspicious about an election there is something to recount:

http://action.eff.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=2887