Maldini Posted October 31, 2006 Share Posted October 31, 2006 Poll has Democrat trailing in Tenn. race NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Republican U.S. Senate nominee Bob Corker has pulled ahead of Harold Ford Jr. in one of the races that could determine whether the Democratic Party takes control of the Senate, according to a CNN poll released Tuesday. The survey of 541 likely voters found Corker favored by 52 percent, compared with 44 percent for Ford. The poll was conducted Thursday through Sunday by Opinion Research Corp. The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 4 percentage points. If Ford wins, he would become the first black senator elected in the South since Reconstruction and the first black candidate elected in a major statewide race in the South since Virginia's Douglas Wilder was elected governor in 1990. Corker, a former Chattanooga mayor, and Ford, a five-term congressman, are competing for the seat being vacated by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. Frist is retiring at the end of the year. When registered voters overall — likely to vote or not — were asked about the race, Corker had the support of 47 percent to 45 percent for Ford. The margin of error in the larger sample of 1,015 registered voters was 3 percentage points. In the Tennessee governor's race, the CNN poll found Gov. Phil Bredesen with a commanding lead over GOP candidate Jim Bryson, a state senator. Bredesen was favored by 59 percent of likely voters in the poll, compared with 37 percent for Bryson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazeboflossUK Posted October 31, 2006 Share Posted October 31, 2006 RNC Accepted Political Contributions From Gay Porn King? Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo | October 30 2006 Last week, you'll remember, the RNC, headed by Ken Mehlman, was running that race-baiting 'bimbo' ad against Rep. Harold Ford (D) down in Tennessee. One of the barbs in that ad was the claim that Ford had taken political contributions from "porn movie producers." But it seems there is plenty of porn movie producer money to go around. It turns out that the Republican National Committee is a regular recipient of political contributions from Nicholas T. Boyias, the owner and CEO of Marina Pacific Distributors, one of the largest producers and distributors of gay porn in the United States. This recent article on Marina Pacific's new marketing campaign form XBiz, a porn industry trade sheet, notes that, in addition to producing its own material, the "company acts as a distribution house to hundreds of lines, mostly gay, 40 of which can be purchased only through MPD." The company actually seems to be a trendsetter in the industry. As Boyias recently noted, "We have always modeled ourselves after a Fortune-style company. They are the models of exceptional customer service. We have formed strategic alliances with our vendors and customers alike, offering them tools and marketing to assist them in succeeding with their business models. Our one-on-one interpersonal relationships have never been duplicated in the distribution industry." Some recent releases include "Fire in the Hole", "Flesh and Boners", even a "Velvet Mafia" series. FEC.gov lists Boyias as contributing to the RNC three times in 2004 and two times in 2005. The NRCC got a little too. But only $250. The FEC records list Boyias as either "self employed" or as owner and CEO of NTB Inc. But the California Secretary of State's website lists Boyias' NTB, Inc as located at 7077 Vineland Ave, which turns out to be the same address where Marina Pacific is located. So I'm pretty sure we're dealing with the same guy. So, Ken Mehlman, for porn producer money before he was against it, I guess. (ed.note: Let me say, for the record, that I consider pornography not only a legal but a morally unobjectionable product. People in that industry have as much right to participate in the political process as anyone else. And it's difficult for the head of a political committee or a candidate in a political campaign to know the background of every contributor. But hypocrisy blows. And on this issue, as on others, Ken Mehlman's a hypocrite.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayman Posted October 31, 2006 Share Posted October 31, 2006 I live in Ohio...where the Republican candidate, who's losing big time, accused the Democratic candidate of supporting NAMBLA. No, it didn't work. I've already sent in my absentee ballot, and I voted for the Democratic candidate, because he's not incompetant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matter-Eater Lad Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 RNC Accepted Political Contributions From Gay Porn King? Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo | October 30 2006 Last week, you'll remember, the RNC, headed by Ken Mehlman, was running that race-baiting 'bimbo' ad against Rep. Harold Ford (D) down in Tennessee. One of the barbs in that ad was the claim that Ford had taken political contributions from "porn movie producers." But it seems there is plenty of porn movie producer money to go around. It turns out that the Republican National Committee is a regular recipient of political contributions from Nicholas T. Boyias, the owner and CEO of Marina Pacific Distributors, one of the largest producers and distributors of gay porn in the United States. This recent article on Marina Pacific's new marketing campaign form XBiz, a porn industry trade sheet, notes that, in addition to producing its own material, the "company acts as a distribution house to hundreds of lines, mostly gay, 40 of which can be purchased only through MPD." The company actually seems to be a trendsetter in the industry. As Boyias recently noted, "We have always modeled ourselves after a Fortune-style company. They are the models of exceptional customer service. We have formed strategic alliances with our vendors and customers alike, offering them tools and marketing to assist them in succeeding with their business models. Our one-on-one interpersonal relationships have never been duplicated in the distribution industry." Some recent releases include "Fire in the Hole", "Flesh and Boners", even a "Velvet Mafia" series. FEC.gov lists Boyias as contributing to the RNC three times in 2004 and two times in 2005. The NRCC got a little too. But only $250. The FEC records list Boyias as either "self employed" or as owner and CEO of NTB Inc. But the California Secretary of State's website lists Boyias' NTB, Inc as located at 7077 Vineland Ave, which turns out to be the same address where Marina Pacific is located. So I'm pretty sure we're dealing with the same guy. So, Ken Mehlman, for porn producer money before he was against it, I guess. (ed.note: Let me say, for the record, that I consider pornography not only a legal but a morally unobjectionable product. People in that industry have as much right to participate in the political process as anyone else. And it's difficult for the head of a political committee or a candidate in a political campaign to know the background of every contributor. But hypocrisy blows. And on this issue, as on others, Ken Mehlman's a hypocrite.) was running that race-baiting 'bimbo' ad against Rep. Harold Ford (D) down in Tennessee. You mean the one where it had a white women in the ad and something about him visiting the playboy mansion? Nothing racial about that, unless you're saying white people shouldnt date black people, are you? The true racist were the ones who didnt want anyone to think a black man had any interest in a white "slut" So the real racist are the ones ATTACKING the add, truly sad. PS theres a difference in calling out someone for visiting the playboy mansion and sosmeone from taking a donation from a porn director. I actually really like Harold Ford, he seems like a really great guy. So it has nothing to do with being a hypocrite, because for him to be one, he would have to DIRECTED porn. This my friend is political bullshit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matter-Eater Lad Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 I live in Ohio...where the Republican candidate, who's losing big time, accused the Democratic candidate of supporting NAMBLA. No, it didn't work. I've already sent in my absentee ballot, and I voted for the Democratic candidate, because he's not incompetant. If thats true, thats sick, but i dont believe its true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anniep_93 Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 Wtf American politics is so screwed up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matter-Eater Lad Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 Wtf American politics is so screwed up Its a global thing my dear...its like this everywhere, well in major countries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maldini Posted November 1, 2006 Author Share Posted November 1, 2006 Republicans say Mr Kerry's words were demeaning to US troops Kerry apologizes for 'a botched joke' WASHINGTON - Sen John Kerry apologized for "a botched joke" about President Bush's Iraq policies that led Bush and fellow Republicans to accuse him of insulting U.S. troops. Even some Democrats assailed Kerry, who had some campaign appearances scratched Wednesday. "Of course I'm sorry about a botched joke. You think I love botched jokes?" Kerry said during an appearance on Don Imus' nationally syndicated radio program. "I mean, you know, it's pretty stupid." Kerry, D-Mass., said he meant no offense to troops. "You cannot get into the military today if you do badly in school," he said. But he said the White House was purposely twisting his words, and asserted that it is Bush who owes troops an apology for a misguided war in Iraq. "I'm sorry that that's happened," he said of his comment. "But I'm not going to stand back from the reality here, which is, they're trying to change the subject. It's their campaign of smear and fear." At issue is Kerry's speech to a group of California students on Monday, where he said people who don't study hard and do their homework would likely "get stuck in Iraq." Kerry aides said he mangled the delivery of a line aimed at Bush — according to aides, language which was originally written to say "you end up getting us stuck in a war in Iraq But Republicans seized on it as evidence of troop-bashing by the Democratic Party's 2004 presidential nominee. Republican National Committee released a Web ad, to be e-mailed to GOP activists and state party officials, called "Apologize." If it was a botched joke, someone show me the punch line. I don't see how it was funny," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said. "I don't know how ... anybody could have taken them any other way." The fiery exchange evoked memories of Bush and Kerry's bitter 2004 race for the White House, and injected last-minute fireworks into a taut race between Republicans trying to cling to control of Congress in next week's elections and Democrats striving to win it back. With each party looking for any advantage in a campaign expected to turn in large measure on the unpopular war in Iraq, some Democrats joined Republicans in calling on Kerry to apologize Whatever the intent, Senator Kerry was wrong to say what he said," said Democratic Rep Harold Ford Jr., running for the Senate in Tennessee "Sen. Kerry's remarks were poorly worded and just plain stupid," said Montana Senate President Jon Tester, a Democrat trying to unseat GOP Sen. Conrad Burns (news, bio, voting record) "He owes our troops and their families an apology." I'm sorry he did what he did. But I think the issue ... we want to make sure it doesn't confuse the subject of the war in Iraq," Democratic Rep. Ben Cardin, running for Senate in Maryland, said on CNN. Meredith Salsbery, a spokeswoman for congressional candidate Tim Walz, said Kerry made the final decision but acknowledged campaign officials were worried that the controversy would distract from his effort to unseat incumbent Republican Rep. Gil Gutknecht Kerry spokesman David Wade confirmed he no longer would appear at a Philadelphia rally on Wednesday for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bob Casey. "We made a decision not to allow the Republican hate machine to use Democratic candidates as proxies in their distorted spin war," Wade said. Kerry, meanwhile, sought frantically to contain the damage — to his party in next week's elections and his own potential repeat run for the White House in 2008. He and some Democrats viewed the fracas as a key test of a lesson learned in the 2004 race — that he responded too slowly when hit with unsubstantiated allegations about his Vietnam war record from a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Kerry's office released a supportive statement from retired Lt. Gen. Claudia J. Kennedy, the first female three-star general in the Army and a supporter of his 2004 bid against Bush. "When it comes to Iraq, he's right to stand up against baseless attacks, and right to keep fighting for a better course for our troops and our country," she said. Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, head of the Democratic campaign effort, called the White House attacks on Kerry an effort by Bush "to divert attention from his failed Iraq policy." "Instead of going on television attacking John Kerry and everyone else under the sun, the president ought to be sitting at his desk coming up with a plan for Iraq," Schumer said. The head of the Democratic party also downplayed Kerry's remarks. "Kerry made a blooperBloopers happen," Howard Dean told reporters in Burlington, Vt Bush, campaigning in Georgia Tuesday night, said Kerry's statement was "insulting and it is shameful" hours after his spokesman, Tony Snow, unleashed a harsh attack on the Massachusetts senator. Kerry responded Tuesday with a harsh statement and in a hastily arranged news conference in Seattle: "I apologize to no one for my criticism of the president and of his broken policy." Sen. John McCain said Wednesday he wasn't sure "how you could construe" Kerry's comment as a joke. Calling Kerry "my friend," the Arizona Republican said, "I've found that if it is just a botched joke then apologize and move on." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazeboflossUK Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 People need to realise that this (kerry's comments) were obviously aimed at the way the current administration is picking and informing the troops.....and the media and the Bush administration are jumping on the "You are hurting the troops" bandwagon. The media and the Bush gang 'purposely forget' the most disgusting disrespect of the troops and their families...which is... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh4U-Tbqbx4 Laugh it up George, that's right. I'll second what many others have said...."What and arogant C**T!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazeboflossUK Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 Stuck in Iraq Kurt Nimmo | November 1 2006 John “Skull and Bones” Kerry, who would have sent an additional 40,000 soldiers into the Iraqi meat grinder, that is if the Diebold voting machines had flipped in his favor back in 2004, “told some California students to do well in school lest they ‘get stuck in Iraq.’” Neocon Republicans, of course, immediately went ballistic, demanding Kerry apologize for telling the truth. “Senator Kerry not only owes an apology to those who are serving, but also to the families of those who’ve given their lives in this. This is an absolute insult,” carped Tony Snow Job, Bush’s corporate media representative standing in as press secretary. Next up, the disgusting criminal from Arizona, John McCain, who recently suggested sending 20,000 or more soldiers to Iraq. McCain said Kerry “owes an apology to the many thousands of Americans serving in Iraq, who answered their country’s call because they are patriots and not because of any deficiencies in their education.” House Speaker Dennis Hastert, effectively the overseer of Pervert Central on the Potomac, said, “Our soldiers risk their lives in the face of grave dangers on the battlefield, and no one who chooses to courageously and selflessly defend our country can be considered ‘uneducated.’” Rather, we can consider them chumps, having fallen for the lies told by scurrilous recruiters, allowed to prowl strip malls and high schools in search of fresh meat for the neocon war, promised to last a century or more. Of course, we are never told precisely why these poor saps are “serving” in Iraq. It was originally said the neocons invaded to get rid of Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction, threatening every civilized person on the planet, especially easily bamboozled Americans, and when this turned out to be an obvious farce, as more than a few of us said months before the invasion, the neocons said the invasion was intended to topple Saddam and deliver democracy to benighted Arabs, never mind they are not interested in our McDonaldized version of democracy (or rather mindless consumerism), and the situation in Iraq presently verges on violent chaos, not democracy. Now we are told the U.S. military is in Iraq to fight terrorism, lest we fight it here on Main Street, a facile explanation so absurd as it hardly warrants comment. Suffice it to say any terrorism in Iraq was created by the invasion and occupation. Naturally, the unitary decider, now effectively dictator, had to throw in his two cents. “Our troops did not enlist because they did not study hard in school or do their homework,” Bush said while attempting to get GOP neocons re-elected, or maybe re-selected via Sequoia. “The men and women who serve in our all-volunteer armed forces are plenty smart and are serving because they are patriots.” No, they joined the “volunteer” (read: poverty draft) military because it was that or work at McDonalds or Walmart, as all the higher paying factory jobs were long ago shipped to Mexico and then over to the giant slave plantation China, thanks to NAFTA and CAFTA. Predatory recruiters invariably sell enlistment as a way to get an education, even though statistics show that only %15 of recruits go on to get four year degrees. As usual, flop-flop Kerry didn’t stand by his comment, instead characterizing it as a “botched joke about the president and the president’s people, not about the troops … and they know that’s what I was talking about.” Actually, few know what Kerry “was talking about,” as they are not paying attention. John Forbes Kerry is yet another rich Yalie, supported during the 2004 “election” by mega-corporations such as Microsoft and the wealthy investment class exemplified by Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. In essence, the “uneducated” stuck in Iraq, as anybody with a lick of smarts understands the real premise of the invasion and occupation (domesticating Arabs and Muslims), are expendable, as the lower classes always are to the predatory elite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matter-Eater Lad Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 People need to realise that this (kerry's comments) were obviously aimed at the way the current administration is picking and informing the troops.....and the media and the Bush administration are jumping on the "You are hurting the troops" bandwagon. The media and the Bush gang 'purposely forget' the most disgusting disrespect of the troops and their families...which is... Laugh it up George, that's right. I'll second what many others have said...."What and arogant C**T!" You wish, it was him insulting the troops, not Bush. Its not going to hurt the troops, but i pissed them off, and rightfuly so, he made fun of them pretty much. what he said was an insult to all of them. No wonder why most people in the military vote republican:P So saying only the stupid are in the military is a lie and well a stupid one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maldini Posted November 1, 2006 Author Share Posted November 1, 2006 You wish, it was him insulting the troops, not Bush. Its not going to hurt the troops, but i pissed them off, and rightfuly so, he made fun of them pretty much. what he said was an insult to all of them. No wonder why most people in the military vote republican:P So saying only the stupid are in the military is a lie and well a stupid one Bush insult the military also, he insult them when he send them to Iraq without a plan or enugh amount of weapons, without even specific mission Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazeboflossUK Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 You wish, it was him insulting the troops, not Bush. Its not going to hurt the troops, but i pissed them off, and rightfuly so, he made fun of them pretty much. what he said was an insult to all of them. No wonder why most people in the military vote republican:P So saying only the stupid are in the military is a lie and well a stupid one What? You just basically missed the whole point of what I said. But, I know what you meant, dispite it being very badly worded. The Military does have a new type of dumbed down "turn it into a parking lott!" type of attitude, which I have seen in many video's and also heard from people who were out there in the middle east last year. It's a fully FAIR point when I say....All of the people from my old school who went into the army were stupid kids who missed their exams. I'm not saying ALL - but a moderate percentage of troops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matter-Eater Lad Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 What? You just basically missed the whole point of what I said. But, I know what you meant, dispite it being very badly worded. The Military does have a new type of dumbed down "turn it into a parking lott!" type of attitude, which I have seen in many video's and also heard from people who were out there in the middle east last year. It's a fully FAIR point when I say....All of the people from my old school who went into the army were stupid kids who missed their exams. I'm not saying ALL - but a moderate percentage of troops. You know i dont have a way with words. But Kerry was wrong and insulted the military and he's paying the price for it:laugh3: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazeboflossUK Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 Ok, but again.... Where Was The Outcry After Bush's Iraq Joke? Kerry was savaged for hinting joining the army is not such a smart move when a Bush is in office, no one battered an eyelid when decider-in-chief guffawed and giggled over 655,000 dead Iraqis and nearly 3,000 dead troops A quip by John Kerry in which he told a young audience that securing a good education would avoid them getting "stuck in Iraq" has been seized upon by Republican attack dogs as election fodder. The Senator's comment killed nobody but when Bush joked about not finding WMD in Iraq, he was making light of 655,000 dead victims and nearly 3,000 dead troops - but the media barely battered an eyelid and Bush never apologized. White House propagandist Tony Snow, taking the bait from a fellow Fox News alumni, waxed lyrical today about how Kerry should immediately apologize for his comments, hours after he had already done so. House Majority Leader and predator Foley protectionist John Boehner promised Fox News' Jon Gibson he would "beat Kerry to death" if he didn't apologize for his joke. When Gibson asked Boehner how long the issue could rumble on and if it could impact the election, Boehner replied, "maybe long enough." Keith Olbermann and a Washington Post reporter were in no doubt that the entire farce was a distraction and a desperate last gasp campaign ploy that was deliberately manufactured by the GOP. They pointed out what any rational thinking person could deduce from Kerry's comments - that he was attacking the foundation and prosecution of the war, not the mental capacity of those unfortunate enough to be there fighting it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQskVI63Ync But where was the outcry when George W. Bush chuckled and guffawed at the fact that his administration concocted the most lurid propaganda since Joseph Goebbels and used it to deceive the American people into acquiescing to a never-ending war that has destroyed a nation and left hundreds of thousands dead and destitute? Where was Bush's apology after he ridiculed the supposed purpose, mission and raison d'etre of nearly 3,000 mother's sons who marched to war on a tissue of lies and came back in flag-draped coffins? At the 60th annual dinner of the Radio and Television Correspondents' Association in March 2004, Bush narrated a slideshow of images that showed him puzzled looking around the Oval Office, under tables and behind doors. "Those weapons of mass destruction have got to be here somewhere," he mused. "No, no weapons over there." "Maybe under here?," Bush chuckled as fat vacuous Republican stooges in the audience smacked their lips amidst fits of laughter and applause for their gracious leader. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc40lUpql10 Two and a half years later and Bush has failed to apologize for his WMD joke, failed to admit the error of his ways in giving a one finger salute to the crying wives, mothers and daughters who never saw their heroes return home. Recall also what elitist luminary and still reputed Bush advisor Henry Kissinger said about the troops. "Military men are dumb, stupid animals to be used as pawns for foreign policy." That sums up the entire attitude of the Neo-Con overlords and their arrogance in sacrificing human lives on a whim for an imperial agenda but then crying wolf when Kerry merely hints at the fact that joining the army may not be such a bright idea when a Bush is in office. Wednesday, November 1, 2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matter-Eater Lad Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 Our troops are not dumb, a few may be yes, but its like that for lots of things. I'd say alot of them are lower class wealth wise but that has nothing to do with intelligence. Kerry just helped the republicans out big time. Rove promised a November suprise.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazeboflossUK Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 Hahaha, I was just thinking about the "suprise". Kerry's helped them out indeed...once again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maldini Posted November 4, 2006 Author Share Posted November 4, 2006 Democrats take on GOP over Iraq strategy By KIMBERLY HEFLING, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - A congressional candidate said Saturday that a Democrat-led House would fight for a new direction in Iraq so U.S. troops can come home. "No matter how bad Iraq gets or how many respected Americans say that our strategy is not working ... our president and his Republican Congress have promised not to change a thing if they are returned to power," Pennsylvania Democrat Lois Murphy said in her party's weekly radio address. "Democrats will tackle the challenges that we face head on," she said. Murphy, a lawyer, is challenging Republican Rep. Jim Gerlach a two-term incumbent from suburban Philadelphia whom she nearly beat in 2004. Their rematch is considered one of the nation's most competitive races. Democrats need to gain 15 seats in Tuesday's elections to win control of the House. Murphy has said the Iraq war has made America less safe and Congress should demand that President Bush present a comprehensive plan for success. Gerlach has accused her of being inconsistent in her support for U.S. troops in Iraq. A Democrat-led Congress would raise the minimum wage, exercise fiscal responsibility, enact ethic reforms and encourage stem cell research, Murphy said. She also said Democrats would work with GOP members. "This pattern of being out-of-touch and out-of-sync with the American people, this failure to take our responsibility, has carried over to the corruption that plagues our Congress, the deficit that threatens our children and the health care costs that burden our families," Murphy said. Bush has said Democrats don't have a plan to keep Americans safe from terrorists, and that the United States is winning the war in Iraq. He's also heralded tax cuts he said have led to a strong and growing economy. "Harsh criticism is not a plan for victory. Second-guessing is not a strategy," Bush said at a campaign stop Friday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maldini Posted November 7, 2006 Author Share Posted November 7, 2006 Vote machines crash in Ohio EAST CLEVELAND, United States (AFP) - Early trouble with crashing electronic voting machines sparked immediate problems in some areas as US elections again went ahead amid fears of delays and polling irregularities. In one elementary school in the predominantly black district of East Cleveland, Ohio, all 12 machines went down when voting opened at 6:30 am (1130 GMT), according to an AFP correspondent at the scene. The machines were not started up until two hours later and poll officials refused to hand out paper ballots until a lawyer for the watchdog group Election Protection showed up. "The machines weren't working and they were just turning people away," said the attorney, Fred Livingstone. "They are not allowed to do that." More than 250 problems were reported at polling places in Ohio soon after polls opened according to an Election Protection watchdog operation run by a minority rights group and other non-governmental organizations. Ohio was the epicenter of controversy during the 2004 elections, as Democrats charged voter fraud incidents disproportionately helped Republicans. Democrats Tuesday hoped a strong countrywide showing would help them break the Republican hold on Congress and punish President George W. Bush over the war over the war in Iraq. In one polling station in Friendship Heights, Maryland just outside Washington, one of the 16 voting machines on offer failed as soon as the polls opened. Others worked well, but did not assuage voter concerns about whether their vote cast by electronic machines was safe. "They are very user friendly and there is good support, but I still wish they had a printout," said voter Chris Strom told AFP after casting her ballot. Up to 250 incidents were also reported through a voter hotline and by poll watchers in states including New York, Pennsylvania and Florida, according to the Election Protection database partly maintained by National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP). Though the site did not give specifics, problems included glitches at polling places and worries over registration of voters. Both Republicans and Democrats sent battalions of lawyers and poll watchers out observe booths, especially in areas expected to see voting problems, to immediately challenge any perceived problems. The Departet of Justice also dispatched 800 lawyers to certain jurisdictions "to ensure that everything with regard to federal laws is being complied with." Tens of thousands of lawyers were recruited for the 2004 presidential election in which George W. Bush was re-elected, four years after the Republican defeated Democratic candidate Al Gore in a hotly contested vote. The 2000 election turned to catastrophe when the results in the decisive state of Florida were contested and held in limbo for 36 days of recounts and litigation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maldini Posted November 7, 2006 Author Share Posted November 7, 2006 Voters choose who will control Congress By CALVIN WOODWARD, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - Voters put the Republican congressional majority and a multitude of new voting equipment to the test Tuesday in an election that defined the balance of power for the rest of George W. Bush's presidency. Both parties hustled to get their supporters out in high-stakes contests across the country, Republicans conceding nothing as their vaunted get-out-the-vote machine swung into motion, Democrats appearing confident and appealing one more time for change. Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York seconded her party's mantra, with one qualification. "I voted for change, except for me," she said, casting her ballot with her husband Bill, the former president, in Chappaqua, N.Y. Voting at sunrise, Bush switched from partisan campaigner to democracy's cheerleader as he implored Americans of all political leanings to cast ballots. "We live in a free society and our government is only as good as the willingness of our people to participate," Bush said, his wife, Laura, at his side and an "I voted" sticker on the lapel of his brown suede jacket. "Therefore, no matter what your party affiliation or if you don't have a party affiliation, do your duty, cast your ballot and let your voice be heard." The Iraq war, as predicted, was prominently on people's minds. Separated by age, party of choice and their position on the war, Melanie Tate, 22, in Louisville, Ky., and Mario Georgalas, 41, in Miami Beach both spoke of the energizing experience of voting. "I was more excited the first time I got to vote than the first time I got to drive," Tate, 22, a political science student and head of the University of Louisville Democrats, said after casting her ballot. "We're seeing our friends going to the war. A lot of us are voting for Democratic candidates who will work to end the war," Tate said. Georgalas cast his ballot on the way to work. "I was in the Navy for six years, that's why I vote," he said. He voted for the GOP ticket because he didn't believe the U.S. should leave Iraq. "What you start," he said, "you should finish." About a third of voters were using new equipment, and problems in several states were reported right out of the gate. The government deployed a record number of poll watchers to the many competitive races across the country. Glitches delayed balloting in dozens of Indiana and Ohio precincts, and Illinois officials were swamped with calls from voters complaining that poll workers did not know how to operate new electronic equipment. In Delaware County, Ind., officials planned to seek a court order to extend voting after an apparent computer error prevented voters from casting ballots in 75 precincts. Florida officials, working to avoid a repeat of the vote-counting debacle of 2000, fielded extra voting machines, paper ballots and poll workers. In the Jacksonville suburb of Orange Park, Fla., voters were forced to use paper ballots after an electronic machine broke. The uncertainty of it all made many jittery, candidates included. In Tennessee, where Republican Bob Corker and Democrat Harold Ford Jr. were in a pitched battle for a Senate seat, even a spotty rain made Corker edgy. "Any candidate doesn't like to see rain," Corker said, greeting supporters on a damp Tuesday morning in Kingsport. "You don't know what kind of variables that brings into it." His opponent, bidding to become the first black senator from the South since Reconstruction, declared the election to be in "God's hands" as he stood a respectful distance from the Lindenwood Christian Church, doubling as a polling station. But Ford wasn't leaving everything to divine fate. When he spotted voters standing in the church doorway, he shouted: "I would come up there but I don't want to get in trouble. I'd appreciate it if you'd vote for me." At stake in the midterm election were all 435 House seats, 33 in the Senate, 36 races for governor, ballot measures on gay marriage, embryonic stem cell research, the minimum wage and more — plus the overarching fate of Bush's agenda in the last two years of his presidency. Democrats hoped finally to answer the rout that drove them from legislative power in 1994. Despite brave words for public consumption, Republicans worried that control of the House would slip from their hands. Even Senate control was up in the air, but a tougher climb for Democrats. Democrats needed to gain 15 House seats or six in the Senate to form a majority, a development that would give them a stronger voice against a war that has cost more than 2,800 U.S. lives and has come to be seen by most Americans as misbegotten. Sharply critical of Bush's prosecution of the war throughout the campaign, Democrats nevertheless lack a common position on how to get the U.S. out. Republicans have been the acknowledged champions at getting supporters out to polling stations, a critical skill in midterm elections when turnout is typically low, around 40 percent, and one that heightened suspense over which party would hold the levers of power at the end of the counting. Evangelical conservatives are the foundation of that mobilization and motivation drive, but their own enthusiasm was in question as they faced the prospect of a president too politically weak to take forward their agenda and looked back on a campaign tainted by the congressional page sex scandal and more. Even so, some final opinion polls indicated a tightening race; others suggested the Democrats were still far in front in national sentiment. At least two dozen Republican House seats were at risk. Among GOP-held open seats, those in Arizona, Colorado, New York, Ohio and Iowa seemed most vulnerable. Republican Reps. John Hostettler, Chris Chocola and Mike Sodrel of Indiana; Charles Taylor of North Carolina; Curt Weldon, Don Sherwood and Melissa Hart of Pennsylvania; and Charles Bass of New Hampshire were in particularly difficult re-election struggles. In Senate races, Republican incumbents Mike DeWine in Ohio and Rick Santorum in Pennsylvania appeared in deepest trouble; Sens. Lincoln Chafee in Rhode Island and Conrad Burns in Montana somewhat less so. Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, in line to become the first woman speaker in history if Democrats win, was in Washington after a weekend of campaigning for candidates in Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matter-Eater Lad Posted November 7, 2006 Share Posted November 7, 2006 And i didnt even get to vote today! im pissed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maldini Posted November 9, 2006 Author Share Posted November 9, 2006 Democrats win control of Congress By JIM KUHNHENN, Associated Press Writer Jim Webb is celebrating but his victory has not been confirmed WASHINGTON - In a rout once considered almost inconceivable, Democrats won a 51st seat in the Senate and regained total control of Congress after 12 years of near-domination by the Republican Party. The shift dramatically alters the government's balance of power, leaving President Bush without GOP congressional control to drive his legislative agenda. Democrats hailed the results and issued calls for bipartisanship even as they vowed to investigate administration policies and decisions. Democrats completed their sweep Wednesday evening by ousting Republican Sen. George Allen of Virginia, the last of six GOP incumbents to lose re-election bids in a midterm election marked by deep dissatisfaction with the president and the war in Iraq Democrats had 229 seats in the House, 11 more than the number necessary to hold the barest of majorities in the 435-member chamber. "In Iraq and here at home, Americans have made clear they are tired of the failures of the last six years," said Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, in line to become Senate Majority leader when Congress reconvenes in January. As watershed elections go, this one rivaled the GOP's takeover in 1994, which made Newt Gingrich speaker of the House, the first Republican to run the House since the Eisenhower administration. This time the shift comes in the midst of an unpopular war, a Congress scarred by scandal and just two years from a wide-open presidential contest. Allen lost to Democrat Jim Webb, a former Republican who served as Navy secretary in the Reagan administration. A count by The Associated Press showed Webb with 1,172,538 votes and Allen with 1,165,302, a difference of 7,236. Allen was awaiting the result statewide postelection canvass of votes and did not concede the race. Democrats will have nine new senators on their side of the aisle as a result of Tuesday's balloting. Six of them defeated sitting Republican senators from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Missouri, Rhode Island, Montana and Virginia. The other three replaced retiring senators from Maryland, Minnesota and Vermont. Their ideologies are as varied as their home states. Bernie Sanders, an independent who will replace Vermont Sen. Jim Jeffords, is a Socialist who has served in the House and voted with Democrats since 1990. Bob Casey Jr., who defeated Republican Sen. Rick Santorum in Pennsylvania, is an anti-abortion moderate. Webb once declared that the sight of President Clinton returning a Marine's salute infuriated him. Besides the Webb-Allen race, the Montana Senate contest also was too tight to call early Wednesday. But by midday, Democrat Jon Tester outdistanced Republican Sen. Conrad Burns who had to fight off campaign miscues as well as his ties to Jack Abramoff, the once super-lobbyist caught in an influence-peddling scheme. In the House, 10 races remained too tight to call, with three of them leaning to the Democrats Rep. Nancy Pelosi who would become the first female speaker in history, called for harmony and said Democrats would not abuse their new status. She said she would be "the speaker of the House, not the speaker of the Democrats." She said Democrats would aggressively conduct oversight of the administration, but said any talk of impeachment of President Bush "is off the table." In the Senate, Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, the head of the Democrats' Senate campaign committee, said, "We had a tough and partisan election, but the American people and every Democratic senator — and I've spoken to just about all of them — want to work with the president in a bipartisan way." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matter-Eater Lad Posted November 9, 2006 Share Posted November 9, 2006 And in 08 a dem will be elected. Then 10-15 years from now due to corruption and problem their will be a hatred of democrats and congress will turn over to the republicans, and then 10-15 years after that it'll go back to the dems.....One side stays in control too long they get fat and corrupt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maldini Posted November 13, 2006 Author Share Posted November 13, 2006 After US election, partisan collision looms WASHINGTON (AFP) - Aftershocks from the US midterm election continued to reverberate, as victorious Democrats appeared headed for a collision with President George W Bush over Iraq and other issues. Having clinched control of both houses of Congress in last week's vote, Democratic lawmakers said voters were clearly demanding a change in Iraq policy and called for urgent action. Democratic Senator Carl Levin said American voters had spoken "overwhelmingly" for a change in Iraq and urged a reduction of US troops to begin "in four to six months." Levin, expected to head the Senate Armed Services Committee in the next Congress, told ABC television the US military presence in Iraq could not be "open-ended". But White House chief of staff Josh Bolten said the administration would not support a timetable for pulling troops out of Iraq. "As soon as we can get them out, we will," Bolten told CNN's "Late Edition". Striking a conciliatory tone after Bush's Republicans suffered defeat last week, Bolten reiterated that the president was ready to work with Democrats on Iraq policy as well as immigration reform and other issues. "Nobody can be happy with the situation in Iraq right now," said Bolten. "What we have been doing has not worked well enough or fast enough. So it is clearly time to put fresh eyes on the problem," he said. Democrats have welcomed the replacement of Donald Rumsfeld as defense secretary as a positive step towards shifting the approach to the Iraq war, but said it was long overdue. Despite the emphasis on bipartisan cooperation, the White House appeared headed for conflict as it planned to ask the current Republican-controlled Senate to confirm John Bolton as UN ambassador, a move strongly opposed by Democrats and some moderate Republicans. A previous attempt failed but the White House said it would try again. Democratic Senator Joe Biden, expected to be the next chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee criticized the White House for returning to the controversial nomination. "We're going to have a hearing on him (Bolton). There is going to be a vote on him. He's going to lose," Biden told ABC's "This Week", and then offered Bush a bit of advice. "Mr. President, if you really mean it, that you really want to cooperate ... play by the rules. You have a lot of competent people. Send somebody else," Biden said. With Democrats promising a break from Republican policies on a range of issues -- including on the environment and homeland security -- some commentators said the potential for bipartisan harmony seemed unlikely. When the Democrats take over Congress in January, the party will have authority over day-to-day operations of both the House and Senate, as well as the legislative agenda set by committees that oversee the US military, foreign relations and the government's purse strings. In more election fallout, the president's already dismal standing has dropped to an all-time low. Bush's popularity has fallen to just 31 percent, according to a Newsweek poll released Sunday. The poll was one of the first measures of the president's standing following the Republicans' disastrous election showing. Bush has the lowest job approval ratings of his tenure, the magazine said, among the worst in modern times for a US president. Asked why they thought Democrats came out on top in the November 7 election, 85 percent of respondents said they thought a "major reason" was disapproval over the administration's handling of the war in Iraq. Other major reasons cited by Americans included disapproval of Bush's overall job performance (71 percent), dissatisfaction with how Republicans have handled government spending and the deficit (67 percent), disapproval of the overall performance of Republicans in Congress (63 percent) and Democrats' ideas and proposals for changing course in Iraq (61 percent). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazeboflossUK Posted November 13, 2006 Share Posted November 13, 2006 Cheney Next on the Chopping Block? Wayne Madsen Monday, November 13, 2006 According to Washington insiders, there are moves afoot to dump Vice President Dick Cheney and replace him with either John McCain or Rudolph Giuliani prior to the 2008 presidential election. Whoever succeeds Cheney will be able to campaign for the presidency with the perks that come with being an incumbent Vice President. Since the increasingly-besieged Cheney has signaled he has no intention of voluntarily stepping down, the strategy by the Bush camp may be to force him out by presenting evidence before Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald that it was Cheney who was responsible for the compromise of CIA non-proliferation covert officer Valerie Plame Wilson and her Brewster Jennings & Associates cover firm. Observers note the unusual professional relationship between Fitzgerald and Karl Rove's defense attorney Robert Luskin. Insiders believe that Fitzgerald may be proffered a carefully crafted deal by Luskin whereby Rove will testify to Cheney's primary role in the outing of Mrs. Wilson and her firm. The sealed indictment of Rove will then be retired permanently. If such a deal is worked out, Fitzgerald may then offer a deal to Lewis I. "Scooter" Libby, Cheney's former Chief of Staff, to also testify against Cheney. With such double-barreled testimony, President Bush will then be compelled to ask Cheney for his resignation or face a very nasty and public indictment. The game plan appears to be what DC insider Sally Quinn foresaw in her Washington Post op-ed last month, an article that suggested she has spoken extensively to a Donald Rumsfeld who was aware of his impending firing. The op-ed stated that Rumsfeld would not be the scapegoat for Iraq and planned to resign shortly after the election. Quinn, seemingly channeling Rumsfeld, stated that after Rumsfeld left, there will be only two scapegoats left: Dick Cheney and George W. Bush. The article concluded by asking which person would be served up as the official scapegoat for Iraq. This editor wrote, "based on the arrival of James Baker and a coterie of George H. W. Bush old hands on the scene to bail out Dubya, it is clear that the Bush family does not intend to allow one of its own to be declared scapegoat." With word from White House sources that Cheney was opposed to the sacking of his old mentor Rumsfeld and even more resistant to the naming of Bush family loyalist Robert Gates to take his place, it is clear that Cheney doesnot want to be placed in a position of exposure. However, even Cheney neo-con allies like Richard Perle and Ken Adelman, sensing that Cheney is the designated scapegoat, have bellowed about the Iraq war being a mistake and are now distancing themselves from the Cheney group, once the most powerful operating cell within the Bush administration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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