ACORN voter fraud is a coverup for GOP voter suppression

Last night, John McCain falsely accused ACORN of voter fraud. Moveon.org and others are helping to spread the truth. According to Moveon, the GOP is actively suppressing votes through legal and state action. GOP lawsuits are just one way to steal an election, and we can be sure they'll try everything.

Moveon has the following to say about the ACORN controversy:

• The only fraud committed was against ACORN itself. ACORN hired 13,000 workers to register a remarkable 1.3 million new voters. And a few of them turned in registration forms with inaccurate and even made-up names to get credit for work they didn't do. ACORN fired them and turned them over to the authorities.


• ACORN reported the fraudulent registration forms. In most states, ACORN is required by law to submit all forms collected whether they appear to be bogus or not—that way election officials, not partisan groups, can make the call. ACORN flags cards that may not be legitimate. And in many places, the charges of fraud only came up because ACORN was the one who flagged the cards!


• This won't have any impact on the election. No one is allowed to vote unless they are properly registered. And there is no evidence of false registrations actually leading to organized voting fraud.

You can get the facts from this link.

Moveon provides these sources for more details information:

1. "States' Actions to Block Voters Appear Illegal," New York Times, October 8, 2008


2. "Check-off box delays thousands of voter registrations," Denver Post, October 14, 2008


3. "ACORN defends efforts amid voter-fraud allegations," Associated Press, October 14, 2008


4. "In 5-Year Effort, Scant Evidence of Voter Fraud," New York Times, April 12, 2007


5. "The Truth About Fraud," Brennan Center for Justice


6. "The Truth About ACORN's Voter Registration Drives," ACORN


7. "Group Answers Charges of Voter Registration Fraud," New York Times, October 14, 2008


8. "Voter Group Admits Mistakes, Defends Work," ABC News, October 14, 2008


9. "Is there ACORN fraud in Florida?," Orlando Sentinel, October 15, 2008


10. "'Fraud' vs. 'Suppression'," Politico, October 14, 2008


11. "After A Surge in Registration, A Surge in Suppression," Brennan Center for Justice, October 7, 2008


12. "Democrats fear GOP will turn away foreclosed voters; GOP won't rule out using residency change to challenge a ballot," Indianapolis Star, October 3, 2008


13. "Vote-scam fliers target black neighborhoods," Philadelphia Daily News, October 2, 2008

What the Palin Email Photos (and zip file download) tell us

Sara Palin Email Account Photos and Zip File Download - links and commentary. gov.palin@yahoo.com

Some of the Palin account photos can be found and at wikileaks.

According to wikileaks "Governor Palin has come under media criticism in the past week for using pseudo-private email accounts to avoid Alaskan freedom of information laws" and "The list of correspondence, together with the account name tends to re-enforce the earlier criticism of Palin's email use."

It is obvious to some that her yahoo accounts were meant to protect her email from subpoena. I guess technically it isn't lying, it is withholding the truth so as to avoid prosecution *wink*.

Here is a zip of the files.

Interestingly, you can see ctunnel.com in the address bar. Take note, ctunnel does NOT hide your internet activity. If you hack a governors' clandestine email account, no matter how evil she may be, you will still get caught and be punished according to how many connections and or money you have, so don't do it, not even through a proxy service. :)

Mortgage scam by credit rating agency

The FBI has been doing their job since March of this year, tracking down the culprits behind a massive mortgage scam. Thank you FBI. Maybe they felt bad after missing the chance to avert 911. Maybe they resent what happened to Plame.

I remember the first time I read about ARMs and the "no-proof-of-income" home loans. I did think it seemed kind of strange that I could pay a low amount for a few years but then have to pony up a huge balloon payment later. Of course, I could "refinance." I could see a mortgage crisis looming, not for the country, but for me if I were stupid enough to take out a home loan under those circumstances.

As it turns out, not everyone scours the library and internet for information before making mortgage decisions; still worse, many people were misled about the nature of their home loans. A lot of folks took the bait and ended up losing everything. I don't fault them for trusting their brokers. I fault brokers for committing felonies to the detriment of hardworking people.

Last week I tried to explain the mortgage crisis to my 11 year old. I told him that I thought it was a big scam. My reason was that credit rating agencies had to give the mortgage funds a triple A rating in order to have the operation financed. Another reason, I read an explanation of the mortgage AAA rating issue which started out, "it sounds like a scam but it isn't."

Trust me, believe me, let me be honest with you, I'm not lying, it isn't what it looks like, I'm not a crook... right.

In the end, it sounded like a scam and it was. Thanks to the FBI, but not TOO much thanks. They could have seen this coming years ago. Someone had to realize that the inordinate amount of subprime loans couldn't possibly have capital investment backing without something fishy going on. Would it have been so difficult to ask, "hey, who's backing these mortgages?"

If someone, anyone, Greenspan even, would have looked into those mortgage pools, they would have noticed a fraudulent AAA rating. Realistically, lots of people knew about this long before it became news. It is scary to think that so many of us could be this bad.

This is why we have to present an alternative to those narrow old paths to power. Power must always be shared equally, never inherited or taken. Judge us by the "content of our character" or our ability to contribute, but not by our wealth. Great wealth is only a sign of greed and should always be avoided.

That's my opinion.

Obama McCain and the future history of histories

"The best day in the history of histories" is a Sponge Bob Square Pants quote... its funny.

But how I felt when Obama lost New Hampshire isn't funny. People don't understand that what happened inthe 2000 and 2004 elections changed our future in ways that will make our world look like an apocalyptic movie scene.

Manhattan will be flooded as will most of Florida. The midwest will become a desert. Most of us will likely lose traditional modes of transportation, especially in rural areas.

We can't image it but it's real. It is happening. Our scientists have computer models of the worldwide damage to come.

This at a time when our fossil fuels are beginning to ebb. In case you haven't been paying attention, a change in oil prices from $20 per barrel to $100 per barrel can only mean one thing, an oil crisis.

Ask your grandparents about the days when conservation was part of our social conscience... back when oil temporarily stopped flowing from the middle east.

It is easy to see why the oil wars were inevitable. Iraq... Iran to come.

These are our challenges. We CAN meet them, but we must recognize them first.

Global Warming and Oil Crisis, aka rising oceans, water shortages, mass extinction, continuing world war, famine, pestilence and death.

I think all four horses of the apocalypse are represented here.

It is time for a change, yes?

People like Barack Obama and John McCain represent the compassionate character maverick spirit to push for the right changes.

If McCain or Gore had won in 2000, the world would be in a position to reduce the effects of Global Warming, rather than brace for the worst.

If either candidate wins this election, we might have a chance. If not, then in 10 years, many of us will be looking for ways to ensure our children's survival.

This is our world on our watch. I need your help. Let's save us, okay?

Bhutto death and the Obama/Clinton juxtaposition

Benazir Bhutto died today. The former and aspiring leader, and prolific women's rights advocate in Pakistan was reportedly shot by a thin, suicidal assassin brandishing an AK47 and strapped with explosives. News of her death was particularly painful to me as I had been following her for quite some time, tentatively hopeful for the return of a female politician in the Muslim world.

As I contemplate the significance of her tragic end, I recall a lyric by humanitarian/rockstar, Bono:

Early Morning, April 4
A shot rang out in the Memphis sky
Free at last, they took your life
But they could not take your pride

In the name of love
One more in the name of love

I find a little solace in the poetry lauded upon fallen heros like King, Bobby and yes, Bhutto. She was not without controversy, none are, but I love her. I love all of them. I will never forget her struggle and her story.

I encourage everyone to read about Benazir Bhutto and help sustain her vision for the empowerment of Islamic women.

I am shattered by her death. Naturally, I turn my ear to those who would presume to lead us.

What do the candidates say?

Here are two quotes. Guess which is from Hilliary Clinton and which is from Barack Obama.

"I know from my lifetime of experience you have to be prepared for whatever might happen, and that's particularly true today."

"She was a respected and resilient advocate for the democratic aspirations of the Pakistani people. We join with them in mourning her loss, and stand with them in their quest for democracy and against the terrorists who threaten the common security of the world."

The second quote is by Barack Obama, of course, in case you couldn't guess. He seems closer both culturally, and in heart to those non-violent, heroic efforts which change our world for the better.

To be fair, Huckabee spoke to the loss eloquently without the slimy stumping of other, more opportunistic candidates. Richardson, one of the few candidates with actual experience, called for Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to step down.

Do these two things:

First, find out what the real struggles of our time are.

Second, learn about the champions of those causes... become one of them.

As you watch this tumultuous century unfold, remember Benazir Bhutto and those like her. Remember the political corruption, the lust for power, and the worship of military might which took her life. Consider the metaphor of a thin, suicidal man brandishing an Ak47 standing between the women of Islam and freedom from oppression.

Contemplate what possible answers might lead us safely through our coming challenges.

The answers will not be in bigger guns or consolidated power. The answers hide in places like Birmingham Alabama, Jena Louisiana and Rawalpindi, Pakistan; people like Bobby Kennedy, Rachel Corrie, and Benazir Bhutto.

The answers are not in aircraft carriers or AK47s. The answers are cultural. From our civil rights movement to the Orange revolution in the Ukraine, we are the answers to the problems we face.

I won't forget the people who taught me this lesson through the great courage and profound principles with which they lived their lives.

On the shoulders of these giants, political choices become obvious. The strange juxtapositions and irreconcilable dichotomies fade, and all I can hear are the millions of voices of reason behind every movement that mattered in the span of human history.

Thank you Benazir Bhutto.

Welcome

Welcome to The Animal Politic. Yes, everyone hates a moderate, but at some point we must ask ourselves, when is good for business also good for people? The answer is, when the people start getting involved. Legislation is the answer. We are the answer. There has never been a more pressing time to get involved in politics than today. Please join me.

Animal

A multicellular, eukaryotic, heterotrophic organism.

Politic

Marked by artful prudence, expedience, and shrewdness.

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Chase Martin
Independent Internet Professional
http://chase.martin.name