Daily Kos

Website: http://weirdscenesinside.blogspot.com/
Email: weirdscenes@gmail.com

"On the Media" on Jeff Gannon

by weirdscenes

Sun Feb 13, 2005 at 10:57:56 AM PDT

New York Public Radio's program "On the Media" covered Jeff Gannon at the end of the program. Pretty good reporting with many juicing sound bites from Jeff/James. The segment closes with the commentator calling Gannon and Talon News an "afront to democracy". Nice.

http://www.onthemedia.org/

More info below the fold.

Saving Social Security - It's about the deficit

by weirdscenes

Mon Dec 20, 2004 at 08:21:21 AM PDT

This morning on the Diane Rehm Show Peter Orszag of the Brookings Institute let the cat out of the bag. The National Debt is the problem. Social Security "reform" is the solution. Right at the end of the hour, his closing remark stated (paraphrasing here):

  1. National debt will swell to 100% of current
  2. If nothing is done now, then benefits for everyone will need to be reduced.
  3. Plan #2 (from the Social Security Commission of 2001) will lock in benefits for those over 54 and reduce benefits for those younger.

my thoughts below the fold

Moving Left Is Always Better

by weirdscenes

Sun Dec 19, 2004 at 11:35:34 AM PDT

This arrived today from editor, publisher and writer Michael Albert of Z Magazine. Sums things up pretty well I'd say. Originally from here.
Moving Left Is Always Better December 19, 2004
By Michael Albert

When Democratic Party leaders move to the right, astute leftists quickly criticize them. The critique has three core components.

* One... watered down pandering ignores real needs. Democrats make themselves irrelevant.

* Two... supinely ceding moral high ground to Republicans is an operational disaster. Democrats make themselves weak.

* Three... compromising political aims does reaction's work for it. Democrats become Republicans.

Why then do many leftists follow the same rightward path that whimpering Democrats follow? Why do we jettison radicalism for liberalism?

the rest below the fold

Miami Herald Proves Dixiecrat Theory?

by weirdscenes

Sun Nov 28, 2004 at 09:15:33 AM PDT

Knight Ridder has released a story about two Miami Herald reporters hand counting ballots in three Florida counties and concludes that there is no evidence of election fraud.

The reporters are Meg Laughlin who has been quoted on dKos before BUSH'S BUST: Knight-Ridder Finally Goes There and David Kidwell. Both reporters seem to me to be on the mavrick side of the picture. From what I see, their past articles are challenging and insightful so I'll give them credence and read their article Florida newspaper finds no evidence of election fraud with an open mind.

(continued below the fold - with in line comments)

This Thanksgiving, progressives have a lot to be thankful for...

by weirdscenes

Wed Nov 24, 2004 at 09:03:12 PM PDT

This says is all (below the fold is the full text).

Personally, I'm thankful for Cobb and Badnarik for keeping the flame alive.

For Viktor Yushchenko for showing us how it's done.

For Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, Jello Biafra, and Molly Ivins.

And for Kos et al for making a place to vent, rant, think, plan, strategize, energize, write, cry and hope.

Judge Denies Demand for Ohio Recount

by weirdscenes

Tue Nov 23, 2004 at 10:58:07 PM PDT

I'm not sure what to make of this yet but I figured it was important to get out to kosiverse.


Posted on Tue, Nov. 23, 2004

Judge Denies Demand for Ohio Recount

Associated Press

TOLEDO, Ohio - A federal judge on Tuesday denied a request by third-party presidential candidates who wanted to force a recount of Ohio ballots even before the official count was finished.

Anyone have any more on this?

(from http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/breaking_news/10256727.htm)

More below the fold.

Early Results in NH say ...

by weirdscenes

Sun Nov 21, 2004 at 06:21:00 PM PDT

Wired News is running a story  on the early results from the New Hampshire recount. It is sounding like the Democrats and the fraudsters may have a very bitter pill to swallow in the near future.

My favorite quote from the story re-emphasizes the need for radical leadership changes in the Democratic Party as well as some serious philosophical changes:


"If we rule out the scapegoat of the machines, it just means more soul-searching on the part of the Democrats to figure out why they lost to the worst president in history," Zeese said. "You cannot assume that inconsistencies between exit polls and trends in voting or registration are going to turn out to show machine fraud. The Democrats really can be (just) as bad as they look."

More opion below:

The Arrival of Secret Law

by weirdscenes

Sun Nov 14, 2004 at 03:03:12 PM PDT

The Federation of American Scientists has a great article detailing the development of Secret Laws here in the US. This is a dangerous trend, and it will take the FAS as well as John Gilmore and the EFF a great amount of perserverence to stop this creeping totalitarianism. In the name of security, will we be required to present our papers at every security checkout: airport, shopping mall, school, and government building?

This is yet another call to arms.

read more below the fold and at Secrecy News

Kerry won Ohio: Just count the ballots at the back of the bus

by weirdscenes

Fri Nov 12, 2004 at 05:23:29 PM PDT

Today from Greg Palast - he talks about the machinations of the Ohio Secretary of State painting the grim picture of vaguely legal and very stategic decisions.

It is so completely obvious that we can no longer trust elections in the hands of one single heavily partisan individual. Campaign co-chair and chief ballot counter seems like a formula for trouble.

NYT and NPR Coverage of Election Fraud

by weirdscenes

Fri Nov 12, 2004 at 03:53:03 PM PDT

Today's (11/12) "To The Point" hosted by Warren Olney included Prof David Dill from Stanford University and VerifiedVoting.org and Michael Vu head of the Cuyahoga County, Ohio, discussing election issues.

Tune it and spread the link
http://www.moretothepoint.com/cgi-bin/db/kcrw.pl?show_code=tp&air_date=11/12/04&tmplt_type=S how

Also the New York Times covered it with a brush off article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/12/politics/12theory.html?hp&ex=1100322000&en=bef1453564cd6e4 e&ei=5094&partner=homepage

Schneier: The Problem with Electronic Voting Machines

by weirdscenes

Thu Nov 11, 2004 at 02:54:39 PM PDT

Bruce Schneier wrote the book on modern cryptography. He now provides a significant and clear analysis in non-computer scientist terms. His recommendations can form the technical basis for future legislation to protect the vote.

The comments are also pretty high quality.

http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2004/11/the_problem_wit.html

Exit polls versus Electronic Voting

by weirdscenes

Thu Nov 04, 2004 at 09:42:24 PM PDT

I'm waiting for the comparison between exit polls in precincts that used touch screens and those precincts that did not. If we can show that historically exit polls are accurate predictors, then we can show a sliver of evidence of blackbox errors.

Of course, the CNN exit poll is useless because of the late night "correction".

I see some of the data here : http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/11/4/212931/005.

In Nevada (anecdotal evidence at this point) they used a 100% computer system with paper verification and the exit polls were accurate within .1%. In Ohio, they used punch cards and the spoilage was high in Kerry precincts and the exit polls showed Kerry winning.

I'm going to keep digging but if someone has data, please beat me to the punchline.


Previous 18 ::