Guest blogged by Winter Patriot
Today’s New York Times has a front-page article called Ohio to Delay Destruction of Presidential Ballots, which starts like this:
The article gets around to mentioning the secretary of state in Columbus by name, but it never quite manages to point out that in addition to supervising the electoral process, Kenneth Blackwell co-chaired the Bush/Cheney ’04 Ohio campaign.
Can the NYT spell “conflict of interest”?
The critics, including an independent candidate for governor and a team of statisticians and lawyers, say preliminary results from their ballot inspections show signs of more widespread irregularities than previously known.
The critics say the ballots should be saved pending an investigation. They also say the secretary of state’s proposal to delay the destruction does not go far enough, and they intend to sue to preserve the ballots.
More widespread irregularities than previously known? Yikes! We already knew so much!
Among the other highlights:
“There is a gap between the numbers provided in the local level records, which until recently no one has been allowed to see, and the official final tallies that were publicly released after this election, and we want to figure out why that gap is there.”
The article also mentions signs of tampering, and what appears to be evidence of ballot-stuffing.
In Miami County, in southwestern Ohio, official tallies in one precinct recorded about 550 votes. Ballots and signature books indicated that 450 people voted.
A hundred votes here, a hundred votes there, and pretty soon you’re talking about a big problem!
“We’re not claiming that what we found reveals a huge conspiracy,” Mr. Rosenfeld said. “What we’re claiming is that what we found at least reveals extremely shoddy handling of ballots, and there are some initial indications of local-level ballot stuffing.”
In Miami County, Mr. Rosenfeld said, the team found discrepancies of 5 percent or more in some precincts between the people in the signature books and the certified results.
In 10 southwestern counties, he said, the team found thousands of punch card ballots that lacked codes identifying the precinct where the ballot was cast. The codes are typically necessary for the machines processing the ballots to “know” to record which candidate receives the votes.
Well, of course … if the machines can’t tell which candidate received the votes … a thousand votes here, a thousand votes there, and pretty soon … ahhh, you know this one already, don’t you?
We’re attempting to get comments from one of the “critics” in Ohio, and I will post an update when and if that happens. But in the meantime, you might as well read the whole article and tell us what you think.
“OHIO TO DELAY DESTRUCTION OF DEMOCRACY”
You talk about machines as though they were an entity unto themselves. This is the kind of talk that the Democrats would lambast you for. There.. I said it.
Someone better get a court order to stop the destruction of these 2004 Ohio ballots. Down the road I can see some clown saying,.. OOPS,.. they got inadvertently thrown into the industrial paper shredder by accident. Besides,.. as the law is written,.. after two years time it is at the entire discretion of the Secretary of State whether they be retained in storage or destroyed. Mr. Blackwell was concerned rodents and other vermin would use these old documents and records to build nests for their breeding operations. So in-order to protect society from the prolific breeding of rodents he had the records removed and destroyed. As the law is written you have no recourse in a court of law,.. it was human error,.. there was no indication that anybody wanted this information to be saved. (No Evidence – No Crime)
Some day,.. some time,.. there should be a thorough review of these ballots and EMV printout sheets. This information should be saved for posterity,.. how unethical conduct and conflict of interest by a highly partisan thief such as Kennith Blackwell can make a mockery of the election process and deny the citizenry of any hope for a viable democracy.
When I first heard that Ohio law allowed and it was Blackwell’s intention to purge these files two years after the 2004 election,.. I contacted Papantonio Esq. asking if evidence they might want/need for their qui-tam litigation should be shredded,.. incinerated,.. or otherwise destroyed,.. rather than retained ? Hopefully they will seek a court order and place these records under court seal to prevent/protect them from “accidental” destruction.
If the research that has been done so far on the Warren County (Ohio) ballots from 2004 is any indication (article here), there is much to be learned from these ballots.
I am actually COMPLETELY AMAZED that Blackwell (aka Rethuglican boot-licking scum of the earth) would make this decision. I am not sure what he’s up to, but I know it isn’t anything GOOD or positive for the honesty or transparency of elections in Ohio.
There’s some aspect of this that isn’t apparent, or some twist or some little scheme or SOMETHING that we’re missing. Purely evil people do NOT do good things without having an evil reason.
Speaking of finding out lots of interesting information from old ballots…
Can somebody point me to any OTHER citations related to the “real story” of what was discovered when ALL (or most of ALL — some did “mysteriously” disappear) of the undervotes and overvotes from Florida in 2000 were finally counted?
I have this link but believe there must be other solid citations I can give to people to show the basic truth that “Gore won Florida.”
The Rethuglicans are hard at work re-writing that piece of history, and eventually, it will be illegal in Florida to even SAY in a school that Gore won there in 2000 under their new “you can only teach History as we know it” law.
Cites please, to keep the truth alive.
Thanks.
Charlie L
Portland, OR
CLL2001@gmail.com
Election 2006 Voter Tools As posted on PBS “NOW” website.
Charlie L – (C) # 4
Blackwell likely got wind of the uproar destroying the 2004 Ohio ballots was about to cause. To quiet down any concerns he preempted the potential uproar by saying the idea was up for reconsideration/review. After interest subsides he will quietly instruct everyone to destroy the ballots forthwith. As the law is written (?) – after 2 years destruction of the old ballots/print outs is at his discretion alone. He does not want that info to come under the control of the next Secretary of State who then gives Blackwell’s detractors full scrutiny of those ballots. Documenting the wrongdoings allowed that fraudulently gave bu$$h Ohio’s electoral votes.
================
Charlie L (C) # 5
Gore won Florida not bu$$h,..
here is one,..
https://web.archive.org/web/201...atingPaper.pdf
Charlie there is a good feature about Bradblog that you/all visitor should be aware. In the top right of the front page there is a search blog/white window,..
it permits you to search the database and extract info
from threads and comment archives. As time comes closer to election 2006 the repository of info cataloged in this database can come in very handy – oppositional research at the push of a few buttons,…
Search Bradblog (white window),.. I typed in this,..
“Gore won Florida in 2000 not Bush”,….
this is the research page of the bradblog archives brought up,.. wonder around and find the info that targets your needs,..
Bradblog search link : “Gore won Florida in 2000 not Bush.”
Charlie L #5
Here is another site with a slightly different view from the Consortium. Bushwatch
From the most recent New Republic, subtitled “Katherine Harris, Still Crazy” :
“As Lance deHaven-Smith, a Florida State University political scientist and author of The Battle for Florida, told The Tampa Tribune, “It would never have gone to the Supreme Court if she had simply allowed the counties to complete their recounts.” Deadlock, The Washington Post’s history of the recount, concurred: “What is clear is that Bush enjoyed an enormous advantage because of the presence of his brother in the governor’s office and Katherine Harris as secretary of state.” Democrats and Republicans still view the Florida recount as divergently as they once viewed Harris. Now that a new consensus is forming that Harris is a loon, though, shouldn’t a new consensus on the recount she conducted follow?”
Nice. Unfortunately too little too late. Waaaay too late.
Charlie,.. I’m sorry,.. I gave you the one you already have,.. here are some,..
Gore won Florida not bush,..
http://www.geocities.com/themissingPproject/
http://www.commondreams.org/views01/1115-02.htm
http://www.consortiumnews.com/2001/111201a.html
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0604-20.htm
———————-
2004
http://www.globalresearch.ca/ar...s/CHI411B.html
http://www.statisticsbygregblac...nElectionSites
Charlie more stuff,..
Plenty of homework to do now,…
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20010430/lantigua
http://www.commondreams.org/news2001/0412-02.htm
http://archive.democrats.com/display.cfm?id=181
http://www.fair.org/activism/us...y-recount.html
http://archive.democrats.com/view.cfm?id=2200
http://archive.democrats.com/view.cfm?id=2300
http://www.sptimes.com/News/042...judgment.shtml
I read that a lawyer from Blackwell’s office said it wasn’t up to him to destroy the voting records…he couldn’t. Did I misread something? SHF stands for shit hitting fan. Forgive Brad, I know you like a civil discourse…but I’ve got a strong feeling Bushco is unraveling on many levels.About time for RFK Jr’s lawsuit to crank up too.
Molly,.. (C) # 12
The RFKJr/Papantonio qui-tam litigation against the electronic voting machine vendors is now at the mercy of the DoJ,.. Gonzalez has the opportunity to review the case and determine if he wishes to join in as the lead attorney,.. it remains under court seal until that determination is made. Of course we all know the partisan political animal (Abu-Gitmo) Gonzalez is capable of being for his beloved pResident bu$$h. He will more than likely delay and defer this decision to join in on this law suit or not ,.. not until after the election. So as not to create any negative press about the collusion between the EVM vendors and the Republican Party,.. prior to the November 2066 midterm elections.
Kind of like the Plame/CIA/Brewster-Jennings/Outing,.. I. “Scooter” Libby will not see a courtroom until January 2007,.. post election. Will KKKarl Rove and/or Cheney ever be made to answer for their involvements in this matter sometime this century ?
Kind of like the Jack Abramoff/Kidman prosecutions and sentencing,.. that will be delayed well past the upcoming midterm elections. Again if avoidable you do not want to drag the Republican Party through the mud puddle of improprieties and cast the spotlight of those who perpetrated fraud,.. just prior to an important election,.. it may negatively impact the vote.
Where is Tom Delay,.. where is Ken Lay,.. where is Bob Ney,.. where is Tom Noe,.. isn’t it funny how all these Rethug bad-boys disappear into the woodwork like cockroaches just before an election contest begins and the votes eventually cast. The Republican Party does not want its worst demons and its most dirty laundry to contaminate the results of an election against them. The last thing they want to do is surrender their supreme power they hold over government or allow the Democratic Party returned to the majority. The axe of political oversight will then come down on the neck of this administration who worships the power granted this unitary executive. This reign of terror will then meet its conclusion/demise. They will be made to answer for their wrongdoings and punished accordingly for their crimes.
For us,.. Sooner,.. rather than later,.. would be just fine !
For them,.. next century would be just dandy.
COMMENT #6 [Permalink]
… Bluebear2 said on 8/31/2006 @ 3:20 pm PT…
Election 2006 Voter Tools As posted on PBS “NOW” website.
~~~
Thank you Bluebear2! I found by going to the homepage of NOW, you can click the TV Schedule link on left column, enter your zip to get your local PBS station schedule, and sign up for email alerts for any particular programme!
Also on the home page, many links for the segments of the programme. (As well as a Question of the Day.
Thank you!
Blackwell’s delay is easy to explain: there will be nothing done with these ballots in the next three months. As soon as the November mid-term elections are over, Blackwell will go ahead and authorize the ballots’ disposal. No need to stir up the left any more than neccesay *before* the election, when it’s just as easy to postpone the outrage until it can’t affect turnout this November.
I don’t think there can be any doubt now. Kerry won the election and won Ohio. Blackwell obstructed the election process, personally gave Bush – his candidate and essentially boss – the win, and now they want to destroy the evidence as soon as they can.
Why else would they be so eagre to destroy the will of the people. Isn’t there laws protecting ballots and the vote count? It seems both strange and scary to me that there things just get tossed and destroyed like garbage when the election is over. Shouldn’t there be some long term record, saved for prosperity and democracy, that logs each vote and for whom? If not then that is seriously f***ed up.
Thanks for the links for Gore won Florida in 2000. They will be work to go through, but good work, worth doing.
SOMEBODY (Paul L.? RFK? SOMEBODY) has to file a lawsuit in Ohio that makes those ballots evidence some how. ESPECIALLY if we win the Governorship, so we can protect them between November 8 and innaugeration day.
PLEASE DON’T LOSE SIGHT OF THIS. When the war crimes trials are held, we will need this evidence.
Charlie L
Portland, OR
Blackwell looses another election battle. A court ruling states Ohio’s new stringent voter registration law in likely unconstitutional.
Link to Raw Story article
Charlie L:
This is one of the most persuasive things I’ve found to prove the Florida election was stolen.
http://rawstory2.com/aexternal/...toryCarter.mp3
Um.
Has everyone forgotten my website?
http://www.failureisimpossible....lectionStudies
It really is a very nice site, everything well-sourced, etc.
I especially recommend the FAQ as well as From The New Deal to the Dirty Deal: Doubtful Elections in George Bush’s America. that .
Stop destruction of the 2004 Ohio ballots,.. needed for historical review and pending court cases. Article by Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman.
Link to Free Press article