Holt Election Reform Bill in Meltdown...Again

[BradBlog]

Cross-posted to Election Reform Forum at: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x482214

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Holt Election Reform Bill in Meltdown...Again
Republicans 'Chortle' as House Democrats Wrangle in an Attempt to Bring Real Election Reform to a Crumbling System of Democracy...

-- By Brad Friedman from Richfield, UT...

As we reported from a source late last night, today's scheduled hearing in the House Rules Committee for Rush Holt's Election Reform Bill (HR 811) has been canceled. The same source had also said that if the hearing was canceled, it could mean an "indefinite hold" for the controversial legislation.

Today, Republicans are predictably enjoying what has been termed as a Democratic "split", by The Hill, and a Democratic "revolt", by Politico, in the majority-led Rules Committee, once known as "The Speakers Committee" since it's generally the last stop before legislation hits the House Floor. It's also the place where the leadership determines whether amendments will be allowed to be brought for such legislation.

Of course, what Republicans seem to find most amusing is that Democrats in Congress don't necessarily march in lock-step, as they do. Instead, the Democrats seem to have this crazy idea that in a democracy, there should be actual, responsible debate, care, and attention to details for an Election Reform bill which would have enormous national consequences to every local, state and federal race in the union for decades to come. Go figure.

"Democrats believe in democracy, unlike that monolith we had before," committee chairwoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY) told The Hill.

Nonetheless, the Republicans are attempting to make partisan hay from the situation. Minority Leader John Boehner's website described the situation as a "House Committee Meltdown" yesterday. A spokesperson for David Drier (R-CA), the ranking member on the House Committee described the situation as "chaos".

They're all right. Democracy is chaos. Though the Holt bill has been largely dysfunctional from the get-go as its lead author, Rush Holt (D-NJ) began with a very open process, inviting many voices (including our own) into the bill's drafting process, but then shut down the process in favor of both fear and agenda-driven interests...

COMPLETE REPORT: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=5042

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And from late last night, with some additional new information...

The Latest on the Holt Election Reform Bill and the Davis Amendment to Restrict DRE Touch-Screen Voting Systems
Reps. Hinchey and Lee Now Joined as Co-Sponsors of Davis's Amendment...



COMPLETE REPORT: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=5041

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---
Brad Friedman
Publisher/Editor, The BRAD BLOG

[Melissa G]

1. K&R#5

Thanks, Brad!:hi:

[althecat]

2. Thar she blows...

:)

[althecat]

3. Some additional Info from Mark Crispin Miller on the internal Dem debate...

*****

HAT TIP TO KSTER...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x482238

*******

Friday, September 07, 2007

HR811, the Holt Bill, is being discussed in the US House Rules Committee today. They will either amend it, end it, or release as is to the House Floor. The Rules Committee is chaired by Rep Louise Slaugher, D-NY. A good progressive, she doesn't like the way Holt capitulated to Microsoft to keep all voting machine software undisclosed, trade secret. But NY Governor Eliot Spitzer cut a deal with Holt. If Holt adds an amendment exempting NY from the bill's requirements so they can keep their old lever machines until 2010, NY delivers their votes to Holt for his bill.

NY Republicans are now committing to support the bill if Slaughter accepts their amendment. So what was formerly a DEM only bill now has some Repubs on board.

Activists are agitating for a DRE ban amendment. Some Dems on the Committee support this, but will never include it if they know the NY Repubs are on board, as the Repubs don't want the DRE ban.

Let's inundate the Rules Committee with opposition. They already know the bill is in trouble with the public. Let's tell Ms. Slaughter and the rest that the NY amendment may be good for NY but bad for the country. We have a better idea.

Please take five minutes and send the attached FAX to every person on the Rules Committee. TODAY.

http://markcrispinmiller.blogspot.com/2007/09/latest-on-hr-811-and-what-to-do-about.html

[OzarkDem]

5. Good idea, put pressure on the Rules Committee

Sounds like a good bill gone bad, hopefully they can repair it or start over again.

[Joanne98]

12. Oh! So New York Dems don't care if we all get stuck with them...

grrrrrrrr.

[althecat]

4. Kick

:kick:

[Kurovski]

6. K&R. (nt)

[Mnemosyne]

7. Needs another

:kick: nR!

[althecat]

8. John Gideon's latest Daily Voting News - More Insight To Wassup On The Hill

John Gideon's latest Daily Voting News - More Insight To Wassup On The Hill

Daily Voting News For September 8, 2007

Guest Blogged by John Gideon of VotersUnite.org

According to a transcript of the Rules Committee meeting of Wed. Congressman Alcee Hastings had the following to say about HR-811, “I need to be persuaded. Otherwise I would do something that I have not done since I have been here, and that is vote against a proposed rule. If we ain’t gonna fix it all, then we oughtn’t fix something that ain’t a fix and is not an assurance that we have done the best we can. This isn’t good enough for me.” Meanwhile a Cuyahoga Co Election Commissioner ranted, “We should sue Diebold” when the discussion came around to the growing cost of the county’s voting machines. ...

NAtional: House Puts Off Voting Bill, Most Other Business Next Week LINK

National: Dems’ split over House voting rules spurs chortles from GOP LINK

National: The Latest on the Holt Election Reform Bill and the Davis Amendment to Restrict DRE Touch-Screen Voting Systems LINK

National: Editorial - What's the rush? LINK

National: Director’s Note: Welcome to the Buyer’s Market! LINK

National: Holt Election Reform Bill in Meltdown...Again LINK

National: The Cat in the Hat, elusive happy endings, and the mess that is so big, and so deep, and so tall LINK

National: E-voting paper trail push stalls in Congress LINK

Alabama: Alabama governor seeks more time to meet judge's voting deadline LINK

California: A Window into the Hart Document Review of the California TTBR LINK

California: Solano County - Election surprise Solano's voting equipment unauthorized LINK

Florida: Broward County – Broward, Wake Up! LINK

New York: Westchester County - Federal scrutiny of Westchester elections may continue LINK

Ohio: Cuyahoga County - County chiefs rant over voting machines LINK

Wisconsin: WI SEB Complaint Filed Regarding Donating of November 2, 2004 Election Records LINK

**"Daily Voting News" is meant as a comprehensive listing of reports each day concerning issues related to election and voting news around the country regardless of quality or political slant. Therefore, items listed in "Daily Voting News" may not reflect the opinions of VotersUnite.Org or Scoop.**


John Gideon
Executive Director www.votersunite.org

[snot]

9. I called every Dem on the Rules Committee today . . .

and they said their phones were ringing off the hooks.

It was interesting, most seemed receptive and helpful, but there were a couple whose phone answerers were like, yeah, get out of my face. Can't read too much into that, but I do think there's often a trickle-down effect w.r.t. atttitude.

I don't understand Dems' obtusity on this issue.

[BradBlog]

10. Thanks...And Now for a DRE Ban...

That "obtusity" should not last long. Especially since even the NYTimes is now calling for a ban on DREs to be added to the Holt bill. See: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=5037

Thanks for calling 'em all, snot! Hope everyone else here is making as much noise. It's only your entire democracy at stake.

[althecat]

11. Back on up....

:kick:

[althecat]

13. And again...

[Senator]

14. kick