Blogged by Brad Friedman on 3/17/2006 3:54PM  
Pima County Election Director Brad Nelson Is Sorry...
Local TV News Covers Tirade, New Diebold Touch-Screen Voting Machine Controversy in State

Tuscon Arizona's local NBC TV news affiliate ran a story Wednesday night on the raging controversy across the state concerning Sec. of State Jan Brewer's recent agreement to allow hackable Diebold touch-screen voting machines into the state.

Their report (linked below) included a snippet of the video that The BRAD BLOG ran as an Exclusive at the end of February featuring Pima County, AZ Election Director, Brad Nelson freaking out and verbally assaulting Election Integrity Advocate, John Brakey --- on video --- during a public local precinct council meeting.

Nelson, the station reports, has apparently apologized for his tirade. Brakey is also interviewed in the new report on Pima County being "pushed into a national controversy."

Their coverage of "both sides" of the story led last Wednesday's 6 O'Clock newscast in Tuscon.

MORAL: Always bring a video camera (or audio recording device) when meeting public Elections Officials. They often don't fare well under the harsh light of actual public scrutiny, and footage of such encounters may help your local TV affiliate suddenly become interested in reporting on the story.

Report on AZ's Diebold Touch-Screen Voting Machine Controversy:

-- Video in Streaming Flash format...
-- Windows Media Player Version...

-- Our original Video Exclusive story, featuring Nelson's full tirade is here.

Buzz this story! C2NN: Submit it!


READER COMMENTS ON
"AZ Election Official Apologizes for Video-Taped Outburst Aired on BRAD BLOG"
(12 Responses so far...)

COMMENT #1 [Permalink]
... Roger said on 3/17/2006 @ 4:09 pm PT...


I can't play Window's media player off the blog but I can 'see' that it's coming to light, the e-voting machine debacle. Ship this to EVERY news station in the country.
Brad, you are my hero. At the end of all this you should get the Medal of Honor for all you've done in helping to save our democracy.


COMMENT #2 [Permalink]
... Laura said on 3/17/2006 @ 4:43 pm PT...


I'm with you Roger........Thanks Brad! I hope to see your name in the history books for all you have done on this,the most important subject of our lifetimes. Keep it up I think we are almost at the snowball stage. Watch all the shit thats going to get stuck to that big ol snowball as it rolls downhill.


COMMENT #3 [Permalink]
... John R Brakey said on 3/17/2006 @ 5:25 pm PT...


Well, Brad Nelson never called and said he was sorry to me! I guess that means He’s NOT!

The only thing he is sorry for is that we caught him on tape.

“Voter Action” in New Mexico, documented that UNDERVOTES for President were as high as 37% in some Hispanic and Native American precincts using DREs.

Arizona is:

 Hardest and only state to have a recount law with the 1/10 of 1% rule finally when rule kick in it failed miserably (LD 20 under Arizona law NOT even a candidate for office can ask and pay for a recount.

 2nd worst state per capita for provisional ballots abuse.

 3rd worst state according, according to Election Protection statistics, per capita AZ ranks 3rd with incidents of Election irregularities; New Mexico ranks 1st and Ohio 8th.

On November 4th on CNN REPORTED that Arizona was one of the WORST STATES FOR VOTER TURNOUT, DOWN FROM THE 72% of the 2000 Presidential Election to 63% for 2004.

On Nov 22, SoS Brewer stated that after all provisionals had been counted, 73,658 out of 101,500

Overall presidential vote count went from 1,653,430 to 2,012,585 a DIFFERENT OF 359,155. Finally, the Media reported Arizona one of the BEST STATES WITH A 77% TURNOUT.

It took 20 days to find out that 384,639 ballots were not reported until Nov 22nd official canvas.

How do you not report 14% of the vote for 20 days and get away with it?

Then SOS Jan Brewer and Nathan Sproul went to a special Xmass party Dec 5th 2004 at the Whitehouse with W!


COMMENT #4 [Permalink]
... Grizzly Bear Dancer said on 3/17/2006 @ 5:31 pm PT...


Thank you Brad. The "moral" about video footage is also right on. It's the only way some stupid American people will back off their support of this corrupt administration AND expose the way these rusters conduct business as they drag our country down.


COMMENT #5 [Permalink]
... Floridiot said on 3/17/2006 @ 5:48 pm PT...


Stay on their ass, John, your shaken em up


COMMENT #6 [Permalink]
... Grizzly Bear Dancer said on 3/17/2006 @ 5:59 pm PT...


#5 Thank you for voicing your side of this fascinating story of how elections were run in a state in Bushitville. I have been outraged about the hijacking of our government and restructing since the 2nd stolen presidential election. 9/11 NEVER FELT RIGHT. Later to find out how building #7 of the WTC (across the street) fell the same way as the twin towers 9 hours later which was never hit by a plane. Instead of investigating the event like a TV murder sitcom, most evidence was confiscated and destroyed with history to be written by FEMA which is not an investigative agency and was not allowed at Ground Zero. It finally visited the bushit missile hole at the Pentagon the following month. It is not "we the people" anymore it's "we the luminati." The first step is to fix our voting system. As we expose the frigin rusters we can hold them accountable for their criminal actions. WE CAN STILL SAVE THIS PLANET and THE SPECIES WHICH INHABIT THIS EARTH however WE HAVE TO ACT QUICKLY! Although the glaciers are melting the bushit senators have no problem digging up the Arctic Wildlife refuge to ruin it as a final blow to a world they have no problem destroying because THEY ARE MAKING A PROFIT. FRIGIN RUSTERS - HAPPY ST PATTY'S.


COMMENT #7 [Permalink]
... Grizzly Bear Dancer said on 3/17/2006 @ 6:32 pm PT...


OFF Topic: Today is the last day anyone who would like to voice an opinion against the delisting of the Yellowstone brown bear (griz) from Federal Endangered Species Protection (which is an isolated population suffering from inbreeding) as well as many other problems can fax their opinion to the US Fish and Game fax# 503 231-6195. A wild lands corridor needs to be created to connect this population to the remaining barely holding on populations up through Canada. When the brown bear is healthy, all other species in an that area are healthy too.


COMMENT #8 [Permalink]
... Brad said on 3/17/2006 @ 6:45 pm PT...


GBD - If it weren't for the depth of the corruption and evil of these folks in power, I would have liked to have spent much more time reporting on stories like you mention re: the Grizzlies in Yellowstone.

My apologies for that. I wish I was able. There is alot I wish I was able to report on. Too many undereported stories.

Alas, until we can expand The BRAD BLOG "news room" (once George Soros and Barbra Streisand and Michael Moore send the funding that I hear is responsible for all such outlets like mine) my regrets that we can't cover so much more that needs to be covered!


COMMENT #9 [Permalink]
... Grizzly Bear Dancer said on 3/17/2006 @ 6:57 pm PT...


It's cool man. Thanks for having this blog.


COMMENT #10 [Permalink]
... big dan said on 3/18/2006 @ 4:29 am PT...


Sir: Now that you've apologized, why don't you join us?


COMMENT #11 [Permalink]
... Dredd said on 3/19/2006 @ 3:00 am PT...


John R Brakey #3

I liked your "faith based voting machines" phrase.


COMMENT #12 [Permalink]
... Free Arizona said on 3/22/2006 @ 5:59 pm PT...


The guy didn't actually apologize according to Brakey and all the people at the meeting. Thanks to the Brad blog the local media is picking up the story.

AuditAZ is one of the groups working on the issue in Pima county, Arizona. They could use help with the petition drive from anyone living in AZ or financial help from anyone outside of AZ. Trying to get 182,000 signatures by the end of June.


-=- Comments on this item are now closed. -=-


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VotersUnite.org's Daily Voting News 'Daily Voting News' For August 27, 2008
by John Gideon

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