Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News for Sunday 8/28/05

[MelissaB]

All members welcome and encouraged to participate.

Link to previous Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x391397

All previous daily threads are available here:

http://www.independentmediasource.com/DU_archives/du_2004erd_el_ref_fr_thr_calenders.htm

[MelissaB]

1. Patriot pastors, Blackwell, and Ohio politics...Hold on to your hats!

A "non-profit organization" called "Ohio Restoration Project" has been formed. This "christian" conservative group is encouraging pastors to register voters and organize to vote against amendments by Reform Ohio Now, a group trying to help improve elections in November?

'Patriot pastors' recruited
Churchgoers will be urged to vote

By Howard Wilkinson
Enquirer staff writer


KINGS MILLS - The luncheon Thursday at the Kings Island Conference Center could easily have been mistaken for a political party affair, with politicians, speaking over the clank of forks and knives, exhorting the guests to go out and register new voters and make sure they get to the polls.

...snip

They were, for the most part, men and women of the clergy - evangelicals, Pentecostals, Baptists and a smattering of Catholic clerics and laymen.

They were being recruited for the Ohio Restoration Project, the brainchild of the Rev. Russell Johnson, pastor of a 2,500-member evangelical church in the southeastern Ohio town of Lancaster. He wants to build a force of Christian conservatives - the "values voters'' who oppose abortion, want to protect traditional marriage and oppose higher taxes - to dominate Ohio politics, starting with the 2006 gubernatorial election.

...snip

And he plans to do it by recruiting an army of more than 2,000 pastors - "patriot pastors,'' as he calls them - to do the grassroots work.

...snip

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050826/NEWS01/508260404/-1/CINCI

Since the Ohio Restoration Project is a non-profit organization it can't endorse candidates, but it was clear that their favorite candidates for governor is Secretary of State Ken Blackwell. Read how he quotes MLK, JR and Mother Teresa and gets a standing ovation as he strongly encourages Christian conservatives to "get involved in the political process."


Not concerned yet?

Christian group protests proposed amendments

MASON — Christian conservatives rallied Thursday against four proposed state constitutional amendments that would change how Ohio residents vote and how elections are supervised statewide.

The Ohio Restoration Project invited about 500 religious and political leaders to the Kings Island Resort and Conference Center, encouraging them to register voters and organize against the amendments proposed for the November ballot by Reform Ohio Now.

“I believe the hinges of history are turning on our watch,” said pastor Russell Johnson of Lancaster.

More: http://www.middletownjournal.com/hp/content/news/stories/2005/08/26/mj0826reform.html

About Reform Ohio Now

Link to their website: http://www.ohiocitizen.org/moneypolitics/ron/ron.htm


Discussion in GD: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4481794

In ER&D: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x391588

[MelissaB]

2. Noe Says He Didn't Conceal Coin Fund

Noe Says He Didn't Conceal Coin Fund

Reported by: A.P.
Web produced by: Neil Relyea
Photographed by: 9News
8/28/2005 11:28:59 AM

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- An embattled Toledo-area coin dealer continues to push for Governor Taft to retract statements accusing him of concealing a state investment in rare coins.

The lawyer for Tom Noe sent a news release yesterday that contends at least 16 members of Taft's senior staff knew about the $50 million investment for the Bureau of Workers' Compensation.

It also says Noe and Taft discussed the investment after a May 2001 golf outing.

Taft's spokesman says the governor did not learn of the investment until reading newspaper reports about it in April.

He also says that when Taft said Noe tried to conceal the investment, the governor meant the two never discussed it personally.

Link: http://www.wcpo.com/news/2005/local/08/28/rare_coins.html

[MelissaB]

3. Taft joked about Noe, rare coins at roast; '04 speech did not mention BWC

Taft joked about Noe, rare coins at roast; '04 speech did not mention BWC fund

By CHRISTOPHER D. KIRKPATRICK
BLADE STAFF WRITER


COLUMBUS - At a 2004 roast of Tom Noe, Gov. Bob Taft talked about rare coins and giving money to the Toledo-area coin dealer, but he did not make a direct reference to the $50 million rare-coin investment that now, a year later, has enveloped his administration in scandal.


Mr. Noe's penchant for fine wine was so well-known it was an opening joke in Mr. Taft's roast of him, a speech delivered with razzes about golf, Mr. Noe's waistline, his status as a college dropout, and his "100-room mansion in the Florida Keys."


The August, 2004, speech includes oblique references to rare coins and money but not a direct reference to the state's failed investments with Mr. Noe, something the governor insists he did not know about until it was reported in The Blade on April 3, 2005.

Legislators have said that if Mr. Taft - who was convicted earlier this month of ethics violations connected to the scandal - is not being truthful, they would call for his impeachment.

More: http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050827/NEWS24/508270432/0/NEWS


Tell me this doesn't sound familiar.

[MelissaB]

4. In these dog days of August, other states have made news

August 28, 2005

In these dog days of August, other states have made news

Only Sen. Trent Lott's memoir put Mississippi on the political radar screen

By Bill Minor
Special to The Clarion-Ledger

With George Bush busying himself whacking underbrush and biking at the Crawford ranch so as not to face Iraqi war gold star mother Cindy Sheehan and Congress laughingly on its Labor Day vacation, at least several state governments around the country have livened up political news in the August doldrums.

...snip

Never to be overlooked is the "nation" of California, where the state's General Assembly and muscleman Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger are back into the same kind of budget deadlock that brought Ahnuld into office three years ago.

...snip
In Ohio, Gov. Bob Taft, descendant of a U.S. president, has been nailed for 52 violations of state ethics laws for taking free gifts of dinners, golf trips and hockey tickets and not reporting them.

An Ohio judge fined him $6,000 and ordered him to write an apology to the people of Ohio. The ethics law in Ohio is tougher than Mississippi's on office-holders accepting free gifts. Theirs puts a $75 lid on gifts. Ours has none, only than to ban any gifts taken in connection with official duty.

An even broader criminal investigation in Ohio involves the Republican Party's top fund-raiser, Thomas Noe, who is accused of mismanaging state workers' compensation funds and diverting up to $4 million for his personal benefit.

More: http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050828/OPINION/508280313/1200

[MelissaB]

5. Ohio GOP Reeling With Governor Conviction

Ohio GOP Reeling With Governor Conviction

Staff and agencies
28 August, 2005

By ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS, Fri Aug 19,10:58 PM ET

GROVE CITY, Ohio - In November, Ohio was at the center of the national political stage, delivering the White House to President Bush .

The troubles play out as the casualty rate climbs from the war in Iraq and the state economy remains stuck in a slump. The war could hurt Bush‘s standing in Ohio, mirroring a decline in his popularity nationally. His overall job approval was at 42 percent in a recent poll, with just 38 percent approving of his handling of Iraq.

...snip

"We cannot afford one more day in which the governor is preoccupied with these scandals at the expense of a focus on creating jobs, reforming education, and moving Ohio forward," Coleman said in a statement.

Five candidates want Taft‘s job, including Coleman and Republican Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, who was criticized for his handling of voting procedures in Ohio‘s close presidential race.


More: http://www.leadingthecharge.com/stories/news-0064841.html

[MelissaB]

6. Right, left forces join against Taft

Right, left forces join against Taft

Inside Columbus

By Jon Craig
Enquirer staff writer


COLUMBUS - The state capital story that continues to dominate headlines is Gov. Bob Taft's failure to report gifts and whether he should be impeached.

...snip

The right-leaning Ohio Roundtable and left-leaning Ohio Citizen Action have teamed up to launch an Internet web page.

At www.MoveonTaft.org, readers can e-mail the governor to ask him to resign, or contact their state representatives about impeachment.

David Zanotti, president of the Roundtable, and Catherine Turcer, legislative liaison for Citizen Action, were among the first to call for Taft's ouster. They worked together in 1993 to put a statewide issue on the ballot that created term limits for state officeholders.

"This is not a left issue. This is not a right issue. This is not a progressive issue. This is not a liberal issue. This is not a conservative issue," Turcer said. "This is an issue about ethical standing and making good open government. ... Having Taft move on, get the heck out of Dodge, is just the beginning, but it's an important beginning."

More: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050828/NEWS01/508280411/1056/news01

[MelissaB]

7. Presidential recount dispute back before N.M. Supreme Court

Presidential recount dispute back before N.M. Supreme Court

Last Update: 08/28/2005 2:39:20 PM
By: Associated Press


SANTA FE (AP) - The state’s highest court is revisiting a dispute over last year’s presidential election in New Mexico.

At issue before the state Supreme Court is the procedure for a statewide recount of ballots and a new law enacted because of the 2004 election flap.

Justices are scheduled Monday to hear arguments from lawyers for the state and last year’s Green and Libertarian presidential candidates.

David Cobb and Michael Badnarik contend the state wrongly handled their request for a recount.

The two asked for a recount of presidential ballots statewide in late November, saying there were problems with voting machines.

There’s no deadline for the court to issue a ruling.

Link: http://www.kobtv.com/index.cfm?viewer=storyviewer&id=21385&cat=NMTOPSTORIES


Discussion: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x391623

[MelissaB]

8. Velvet Revolution Takes Off The Gloves,

Velvet Revolution Takes Off The Gloves,
Launches Controversial Long-Term Ad Campaign

CRAWFORD — The Velvet Revolution, a nationwide movement started immediately following the discovery of numerous voting discrepancies in Ohio following the 2004 Presidential election, is launching a long-term advertising campaign questioning “why the rich children of this chicken hawk administration won’t go to war.”

Its supporters say, “The cluck stops here. Something foul is going on in Crawford, Texas.”

VelvetRevoluton.us is a movement of more than 110 organizations reaching millions of people.

The first two-page color paid advertisement appears in this week’s Lone Star Iconoclast to coincide with President Bush’s five-week ranch vacation and Cindy Sheehan’s nearby protest of the war in Iraq.



More from our pResident's hometown newspaper: http://198.65.14.85/News/2005/31-40/33news03.htm

[MelissaB]

9. Discussion

here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x391628

[MelissaB]

10. Voter ID Law to Get First Test

Voter ID Law to Get First Test

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (AP) -- The last-minute approval of Georgia’s voter identification law meant last-ditch efforts to prepare for the new requirements in Gwinnett County, the site of the state’s first election since the contentious measure was approved.

The new law, which requires voters to show government-issued ID cards at the polls, will be enforced Tuesday, when voters are set to fill the unexpired term of state Rep. Phyllis Miller. Previously, voters cold show one of 17 forms, including bank statements or utility bills, to receive a ballot.

County election officials were caught off guard by the regulations, which were approved by the Department of Justice late Friday.


More: http://www.11alive.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=68446

[MelissaB]

11. Agenda for National Summit to Save Our Elections, Portland, 9-30 to 10-2

This is the draft agenda. It is still being tweaked as we get speaker feedback and updates, but you can get the idea of how many great presenters and workshops are scheduled!



http://summit.oregonvrc.org/agenda
See http://www.summit.oregonvrc.org / for info on registration, lodging, etc.

Agenda & Speakers
National Summit to Save Our Elections: A Call to Rescue Our Democracy
Portland, Oregon * September 30 � October 2, 2005
DRAFT AGENDA
Friday, September 30, 2005

First Unitarian Church
1011 SW 12th Ave
Portland, OR 97205


Noon � 7:00 PM Registration Opens

Oregon Election System Poster Session: Learn how Oregon�s Vote-by-Mail system works through poster presentations and videos and have your questions answered by Oregon election officials and citizen experts.

1:00 - 5:00 PM Concurrent Workshops and Panel Presentations

1A. Engage, Educate, Elect
Jefferson Smith, Chair of The Bus Project

1B. Making Electronic Elections Transparent and Accurate
Open Voting Consortium, Open Source Software
Oregon Voter Rights Coalition, Election Audits

2A. Working with the Media
Blair Bobier, Media Director, Green Party 2004 Presidential Campaign
Penny Little, People to People TV, Producer of �Electile Dysfunction�
Lara Shaffer, Development Director, Open Voting Consortium

2B. Democracy is Not a Spectator Sport
Rady Ananda, J30 Coalition, �Democracy is Something You Do�
Alliance for Democracy � Portland, �Using Ballot Initiatives to achieve Campaign Finance Reform Initiative�

3A. How Can I Make A Difference?
Kat L�Estrange, We Do Not Concede and Producer of the Brad Show
Warren Linney, Author of �The Patriot Test�

3B. What is IRV, PR and CVRD?
Steve Chessin, President, Californians for Electoral Reform
Matthew Pascarella, investigative researcher for journalist Greg Palast, working on Centralized Voter Registration Database issues, mandated by HAVA for Jan. 2006.

5:00 � 7:00 PM Dinner on your own

7:00 � 9:00 PM Opening Plenary Session * Welcome Remarks
Native American Cultural Performance

Panel Discussion: What�s Wrong with Electronic Elections?
Brad Friedman, moderator * Ellen Thiesen, Voters Unite * Clint Curtis, software programmer and whistleblower * Matthew Pascarella, investigative researcher for journalist Greg Palast, working on Centralized Voter Registration Database issues, mandated by HAVA for Jan. 2006.

Feature Presentation: Brad Friedman, Cliff Arnebeck and Bob Koehler Discuss Election Fraud, Legal Strategies for Election Reform and the Media�s Role

Bob Koehler, nationally syndicated journalist, Tribune Media Services * Cliff Arnebeck, Ohio Honest Election Campaign and National Co-Chair, Alliance for Democracy * Brad Friedman, host of The Brad Show and BradBlog.com

9:00 PM Adjourn
Saturday, October 1, 2005

First Unitarian Church
1011 SW 12th Ave
Portland, OR 97205

7:30 AM � 5:00 PM Registration Open

Oregon Election System Poster Session: Learn how Oregon�s Vote-by-Mail system works through poster presentations and videos and have your questions answered by Oregon election officials and citizen experts.

8:30 AM � 12:15 PM

Corporate Ownership of Our Elections: The Threat to Democracy
Thom Hartmann, radio talk show host and author

Panel Discussion: Corporate Ownership of Our Elections � Current Developments
Thom Hartmann, moderator
John Gideon, Voters Unite
Nancy Price, National Co-Chair, Alliance for Democracy
Paul Lehto, Attorney and Plaintiff in lawsuit against Sequoia Voting Systems

Concurrent Workshops and Presentations:

1A. Digital for Dummies: The Perils of Electronic Elections
Kip Humphrey, Systems Integration Consultant
Clint Curtis, software programmer and whistleblower

1B. From Good Intentions to Powerful Action: How to Make a Difference
Emily Levy, United for Secure Elections, http://www.juiceforjustice.com /

12:15 � 1:30 PM Lunch on your own (box lunch may be ordered at registration)

1:30 � 5:30 PM Plenary Sessions

Keynote Speaker:
The Honorable Jesse Jackson Jr., U.S. Representative, D-IL

Featured Speakers:
Bill Bradbury, Oregon Secretary of State (Invited)

David Cobb, 2004 Green Party Presidential Candidate

Ronnie Dugger, Founder of Alliance for Democracy and
author of �How They Could Steal the Election This Time.�

JoAnne Bowman, Former Oregon House Representative

Panel Discussion: Verifying Election Results
Election Audits, Oregon Voter Rights Coalition
Parallel Elections, Judy Alter, UCLA retired Emeritus professor
Exit Polls, TBD

5:30 � 7:30 PM Dinner on your own

7:30 � 8:30 PM Democracy Revival
Paul Lehto and Thom Hartmann


Portland State University
724 SW Harrison
Portland, OR

7:30 AM Registration Open

Oregon Election System Poster Session: Learn how Oregon�s Vote-by-Mail system works through poster presentations and videos and have your questions answered by Oregon election officials and citizen experts.

8:30 AM � 9:00 AM Dealing with Diebold in Georgia
Brad Friedman interview with Representative Cynthia McKinney (invited)

9:00 AM � 11:00 AM Concurrent Workshops and Presentations

1A. Local Strategies for Election Reform
David Berman, Co-Founder, Voter Confidence Committee of Humboldt County, CA

1B. Citizen Audit Parallel Election Project
Judy Alter, retired Emeritus professor from UCLA

2A. Thinking Patriotically, Acting Locally (and NOW)
Bernie Ellis Jr., MA, MPH, Organizer, Gathering To Save Our Democracy (Tennessee)

2B. Protecting Our Elections
John Washburn, Certified Software Quality Engineer, �How to Test Voting Machinery Software�
Mary Beth Kuznik, VotePA, �THE POLLWORKER � Eyes on the Poll�

11:00 � 12:30 Closing Panel: Where do we go from here?
Paul Lehto, moderator
Rady Ananda
Brad Friedman
Ellen Thiesen

12:30 Adjourn


Thanks to Amaryllis here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x390358


I eyes went out trying to put bold and italics in, so I stopped. Sorry!

[MelissaB]

12. .

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