"EXCLUSIVE: FIRST BUSH-APPOINTED CHAIR OF U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE >>>>

[helderheid]

"EXCLUSIVE: FIRST BUSH-APPOINTED CHAIR OF U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION SAYS 'NO STANDARDS' FOR E-VOTING DEVICES, SYSTEM 'RIPE FOR STEALING ELECTIONS'!"

Former Chair Says He 'Was Deceived', EAC and Federal Efforts for Election Reform 'A Charade', 'Travesty'!
In Stark Contrast to Current EAC Chair, Rev. DeForest Soaries Blasts White House, Congress in Transcript of Unaired Interview from Major Broadcast Network!

The BRAD BLOG has received an EXCLUSIVE partial transcript from a recent, unaired interview by a major broadcast network with former U.S. Elections Assistance Commission (EAC) chair Rev. DeForest Soaries.

Soaries was appointed by George W. Bush as the first chair of the commission created by the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) in the wake of the 2000 Presidential Election Debacle. In the interview, available here for the first time, Soaries excoriates both Congress and the White House, referring to their dedication to reforming American election issues as "a charade" and "a travesty," and says the system now in place is "ripe for stealing elections and for fraud."

Having resigned from the commission in April of 2005, Soaries goes on to explain that he believes he was "deceived" by both the White House and Congress, and that neither were ever "really serious about election reform."

The explosive comments are the latest evidence highlighting serious deficiencies in the federal body, created by HAVA for oversight of elections systems, including new electronic voting devices, and standards for the use and security of those systems.

In the unaired interview, conducted last August, Soaries says there are "no standards" for voting systems and that Congress and the White House "made things worse through the passage of the Help America Vote Act."

Due to underfunding and lack of attention to the EAC and the Election Reform it was supposed to oversee, Soaries says we now have an "inability to trust the technology that we use" to count votes in our American democracy, even as "we’re spending a billion dollars a week in Iraq."

MORE >>>

http://www.bradblog.com/?p=3491

[Me.]

1. WOW

This is huge (or in DU parlance, Hugh)

K & R-ing this

*shadow government*

[helderheid]

2. I know! Seriesly! HUGH! :P

[Me.]

4. Keep This Kicked

Dyamite!

*shadow government*

[helderheid]

6. indeed!

[marions ghost]

3. Yes! "A charade and a travesty...."

when the smoke clears, it will be OBVIOUS that both the euphemistically named Help America Vote Act and the 'Election Assistance Commission' were set up by Bushco to give assistance to their cronies in stealing elections. I am not surprized that DeForest Soaries is saying this Truth. (where's that patriot smily?)

:patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: DeForest Soaries

[helderheid]

5. I'm doing my "the truth will come out" happy dance!

[Jack Rabbit]

7. K/R

!!

[helderheid]

10. isn't it exciting??

[Senator]

8. We need max recommends here folks

The euphemedia does actually notice the greatest page here.

Send to Countdown and Lou Dobbs as well.

--

[helderheid]

9. excellent suggestions!

[leftchick]

11. holy fucking smokes!!!!!

I am in shock! This is fucking HUGE!!!!

thak you hh!!!

:bounce:

[helderheid]

29. Brad Blog does it again!

[petgoat]

45. Yay Brad! God Bless Brad Friedman! nt

[stepnw1f]

12. Republicans Really Hate Democracy

We now look like a third world with these bastards in office. Just look at what they have done!

[SammyWinstonJack]

14. And what they will continue too do!

:grr: :banghead: :argh: Maybe Katie "Navy Seals Rock" Couric could cover this in depth. :eyes: Or maybe O'LIEly could request another interview with george and ask him about this. :rofl: What about it, "MSM", think this is important enough too inform the American people of?

[SammyWinstonJack]

13. knr!

[Peace Patriot]

15. Only way I can see to end the e-voting fraud is massive Absentee Ballot

voting. At least the only way to end it quickly and peacefully.

And we don't have much time, in my opinion. If the Bushites steal it again--and they have the means, and they certainly have the motive--that may be the end of Absentee Ballot voting. If they can legalize torture, they can un-legalize this paper alternative.

I am not touting Absentee Ballot voting as a solution to unverifiable results. It isn't. In many cases, they just scan the Absentee Ballots right into the rigged electronic system--which involves more than voting machines, it also involves the central tabulators (--all run on TRADE SECRET, PROPRIETARY programming code, owned and controlled by Bushite corporations). Nope. They'll find a way to steal Absentee Ballots, too--after they turn the votes into electrons. I am touting this as a PROTEST--a Montgomery Bus Boycott, a Gandhi Salt Tax Revolt, a Boston Tea Party. A REBELLION of the people against the machines! And there are reports from all over that AB voting is going to be huge this election. Already I've seen one war profiteering corporate news rag try to interpret this as voters' desire for convenience. (Sacto Bee-Dan Walters.) It is not. It is ordinary people DISTRUSTING THE MACHINES, BOYCOTTING THE MACHINES and trying to find a way to get their vote counted. What they want is paper ballots, hand-counted--the only reliable, verifiable, slow speed, OBSERVABLE system, understandable by all. THAT's what the surge in AB voting is about.

And if enough people vote by Absentee Ballot--if everyone who despises the Bush Junta (60% to 70% of the American people) votes by AB--and if folks like Brad Friedman would provide some leadership and P.R. for this indigenous protest--the reign of these diabolical machines will be OVER. Election officials cannot defend machines that NO ONE WILL VOTE ON! --no matter how much they cost. And election officials are LOCAL. If no one will vote on their goddamned machines, they can be forced to reform the system, or resign. We can try all we want to get a Congressional bill to provide paper ballots (due to pandemic machine breakdowns in recent elections), but what we need is an effective strategy by which the PUBLIC can address this crisis. A Congress that endorses torture is not a Congress that is about to help the people vote. A Congress that was put into power by DIEBOLD/ES&S is not about to undermine Diebold/ES&S's ability to steal elections. The paper ballot bill has great educational value, but no real strategic value. And that is the problem. We need a STRATEGY for the American people to get rid of these machines. And guess what? The American people have come up with one on their own!

Absentee Ballot voting is the ONLY GUARANTEE that people will be able to cast a vote, in the case of machine "breakdown." Absentee Ballot voting is the only way people can vote that does NOT endorse this rigged electronic system.

What's missing is LEADERSHIP--which will USE what is looking like a huge revolt of the voters (AB voting is already up to 50% and more in many places) to get rid of these machines! Gandhi! Martin Luther King! Samuel Adams! Where are you?

Read this brief account of the Boston Tea Party. It will inspire us all. How the American Revolution started was with ORDINARY PEOPLE BOYCOTTING British tea, due to the UNFAIR ADVANTAGE that the British parliament and King George gave to the East India Company.
http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/E/teaparty/bostonxx.htm

It's time. Go with the Absentee Ballot protest. It's already happening. And election reform activists must insure that the POWER of this protest is not lost--that the MESSAGE of the people is HEARD by election officials, and NOT BURIED by the corporate news media--as I just saw them do in the Sacramento Bee. 50% to 60% of the people in Sonoma County, in Los Angeles County, in Contra Costa County, are not voting by Absentee Ballot for CONVENIENCE!


---------------

The deadline for requesting an Absentee Ballot in California is OCTOBER 31. (The deadline for registering to vote is a week earlier, Oct. 23.) Check local rules for other states. DO NOT count on getting a paper ballot at the polling place--a right we are supposed to have in Calif. Corrupt election officials are substituting "provisional" ballots for a real ballot. DO NOT vote on "provisional" ballots (if you can help it)--they are very tossable. The ONLY guarantee that you will be able to cast a vote is by Absentee Ballot. (--and in Calif, you can hand-deliver it the polling place on election day, but I would advise delivering it to the registrar's office in person ahead of time, or mailing it certified/return receipt requested, or by Fed Ex).

[geiger]

27. I tend you agree with you

[pauldp]

16. K&R...F*ck those f*cking shitbag traitors!!

:nuke: :mad:

[Darkhawk32]

17. Guys, this is a setup. The Repukes are going to scream ....

election fruad after Nov. 7 if the Dem turnout is too great for them to overcome and pin all of this garbage on US.

[Drifter]

18. That is the first thing I thought ...

Since everyone is forcasting a Democratic landslide, this gives the other side an invitation to claim rigged election.

I do not see this as good news at all.

Cheers
Drifter

[Babsbrain]

19. We'll Win Fair & Square

WE have nothing to worry about! If they scream fraud, they will be admitting fraud is possible. So..no worries! How do I recommend this? (New...sorry)

[yellerpup]

23. Click on recommend (bottom slightly left of Center in the original post.

That will get it recommended. Welcome to DU! :hi:

[newyawker99]

32. Hi Babsbrain!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[grizmaster]

49. welcome aboard

[Skidmore]

22. Excactly. If he were so civic minded why did he wait till 2 weeks

before an election the Rs are probably going to lose big time to say something.

[Kurovski]

24. I was wondering about that myself. Why now?

We'll see, I guess.

This stuff is driving me nuts.

[helderheid]

25. And if they do? Do we get to revote with paper ballots?

[SoCalDem]

30. BINGO

They are laying the groundwork to squeal like little piggies if they actually lose.

The "macheeens" were supposed to guarantee them everlasting victories.

[Raksha]

46. So...let 'em squeal! Let 'em demand recounts too!

Remember the governor's race in Washington state in 2004? It was so close the Puggies demanded not one but TWO recounts...and ended up losing by a hair! If they scream loud enough (and they will) they'll get their damn recounts if the ballots are recountable at all...and we'll end up picking up a few more seats.

[elehhhhna]

50. may I please use your Christopumpkin? PLEASE?

lmao

[SoCalDem]

51. Of course you may use it

:)

[elehhhhna]

53. Why, thank you!

[marions ghost]

36. eh?

now that is convoluted thinking.

I'd say the Repukes don't have a leg to stand on when it comes to criticizing election results. "Get over it" & "Sore Loserman" is all we have to say in return :)

[KAZ]

40. I'm sorry. I don't follow.

The Dems are polling light-years ahead of the Pukes. Why would a Dem landslide indicate fraud? The opposite would be true. That's like saying all is right with the world if the final results disagree with exit polling. Oh wait, that's happened before, I think.

[gully]

41. Good, we'll get a paper trail.

After they conceed of course. eom

[Nikki Stone 1]

20. God, this is awful.

K & R

[yellerpup]

21. Excellent find, heiderheld

K&R! :kick: :kick: :kick: We must reclaim our votes!

[Gwerlain]

26. K&R

Good find.

:kick:

[KoKo]

28. Well he just resigned in April....so he must have had something he could

have done before speaking out now. What good does it do when he was there since HAVA act put into place? :shrug:

[helderheid]

31. 1 of 2 reasons as far as I can tell - #1, the HBO documentary and

all the other press that is leaking out or, #2 the Rs are getting ready to say we are going to steal 2006.

[helderheid]

33. .

[helderheid]

34. .,?

[me b zola]

35. k&r

:kick:

[Land Shark]

37. Heading to THIS: No Valid 2008 elections (perhaps even 2006)

Note well: Incumbents have an incentive to mismanage or intentionally damage election machinery because only valid elections can replace those presently in power.... :think:

:yoiks: :think: :yoiks: :think:

[BeFree]

38. Well, what do ya know?

All this time he has been sitting on this info, info that some of us preached day in and day out. Better late than never, eh?

So who was it that taped this? Dobbs?

[BradBlog]

39. Thanks Helderheid...

Much appreciated when you guys beat me to linking up to BRAD BLOG stories! I got enough to do these days! :-(

Brad

[helderheid]

43. my pleasure! You're a hero of mine!

:yourock:

[lonestarnot]

42. Damn "unaired."

[NMMNG]

44. K&R

:kick:

[progressoid]

47. Well I'm sure CNN, ABC, FOX, etc will be all over this story...

NOT.

[texpatriot2004]

48. HAVA was not about helping voters nm

[faithnotgreed]

52. keeping this on the front page

KICK