The Daily Traficant

Joe Biden in Youngstown

2008-09-18T22:05:00.004-04:00

Senator Jospeh Biden, the Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate, made a quick stop in Youngstown tonight, and quickly won over the crowd of over 1,200 who made it downtown to see him. A friend of mine mentioned that the crowd was a better representation of the real Youngstown than the crown that met John McCain just a few days ago. A smaller crowd yes, but this event just got put on the map a day or so ago, following a much larger rally in Canton.

Senator Biden was introduced by Mayor Jay Williams of Youngstown--and the Mayor makes me proud to be a Youngstown resident. The Senator's themes suggest that he knows and understands our problems, has the knowledge and experience to deal with them, and has a partner in Senator Obama that will make sure the voices of the middle class are heard in Washington.

I love the way Senator Biden calls John McCain just 'John.' They are long-time friends, but Senator Biden believes that John McCain, who just this week said the fundamentals of the economy are strong, is terribly out of touch with the everday lives of America's middle class. There is no question about it.

After laying out a real plan for making the American economy work again, the Senator told a great story about his grandchildren and Senator Obama's children playing together in the hotel room in Denver during the Democratic National Convention. He looked in on the children and realized that they don't see the differences. It was just children playing together (he said it much more eloquently than I am writing it). This is just one of the reasons that I believe we must elect Senators Obama and Biden in November. Please join me in this historic election.

That's An Earmark, John

2008-09-17T21:56:00.004-04:00

"I can eliminate $100 billion of wasteful and earmark spending immediately--35 billion in big spending bills in the last two years, and another 65 billion that has already been made a permanent part of the budget."
--John McCain, NPR All Things Considered, April 23, 2008.

Now it’s the E word. Remember when they used to attack us by using the L word? I haven’t heard that one much this campaign. Yes, the earmark. A really baaaaaaaad thing. Wasteful government spending—money given to special interests—pork barrel projects in someone’s home District. Did they ever think about the fact that all government spending is in someone’s home District? Probably not. Senator McCain has tried to make earmarks a campaign issues—says he’s going to eliminate them. President Bush has said the same thing. When did they find Jesus?--it was the Republican Party that made securing earmarks an art form.

Earmarks, even with all of their political value in bashing the spending habits of the Congress, still make up less than 1% of the federal budget. Someone should point out to Senator McCain that Arizona, his home state, has water because of government spending—and infrastructure, too. Earmarks are not the dreadful budget breaker he would like you to think they are. Earmarks are nothing more than targeted government spending.

In the past six years, Congressman Tim Ryan of the 17th Congressional District of Ohio has brought back millions of dollars in federal earmarks, and he makes no excuses. He will tell you that for too long the District was sending dollars elsewhere—so now it’s time to get them back. Let me give you some examples from the Youngstown area of earmarks secured in the last six years by Mr. Ryan. Earmarks secured by the Congressman will renovate classroom space at the Ravenna Arsenal for use by the Ohio National Guard. A separate earmark will provide sewer and water lines to the Arsenal. The Congressman has secured earmarks that will build barracks at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station and money has already been provided to upgrades to the Aerial Spray Unit at the base, the only fixed wing spray unit in the Air Force. Earmarks have been provided to do research at Youngstown State University, fund education programs at Beatitude House, build high technology visors for our military, and made available the funding to do research and build a feeding tube used by the U.S. Army. Money has been provided to build water and sewer lines in Liberty Township and Brookfield and road construction in more places than can be listed. That is only a small portion of all of the money secured by the Congressman.

When someone tells you that we need to do away with earmarks because they are wasteful, refer them to the list above. And when Senator McCain comes back to town and drives by the Veterans’ Memorial in Struthers, and he asks where the money came from to build it, you tell him, “That’s an earmark, John.”

Palin 'get' has odor of compromise

2008-09-15T22:32:00.003-04:00

Still time for journalists to fully vet GOP vice presidential candidate?

From The New Yorker Magazine
The Talk of the Town
By Steve Coll

Monday, Sept. 15, 2008
David Westin has served as the president of ABC News for about eleven years. He oversees the journalism of “Nightline,” “World News with Charles Gibson,” and “20/20.” The Walt Disney Company owns ABC, however, and, at times, Westin has seemed to struggle to police the foggy border between news and entertainment. For example, in 2000—two Presidential-election cycles ago—he permitted the actor Leonardo DiCaprio to film a talk with President Clinton, to commemorate Earth Day. After this decision attracted criticism, on the ground that it was a perversion of journalism, Westin wrote an e-mail to colleagues in which he denied that he had ever regarded the program as an “interview.” It couldn’t have been, because having movie stars conduct interviews would be a violation of professional journalistic standards, and “no one is that stupid.” In a joking aside, Westin added, “All roles of journalists must be played by journalists (duh!).”

Last week on ABC, the role of the journalist was played by a journalist, but otherwise it was on with the show. The network’s headliner was Governor Sarah Palin, of Alaska, the Republican Party’s nominee for Vice-President of the United States. For fourteen days following her nomination, on August 29th, the Governor had appeared at no press conferences and had granted no interviews. (During her media purdah, Senator Joseph Biden, the Democratic Party’s nominee for Vice-President, gave fifty-four interviews or press conferences.) Finally, after negotiations, Palin agreed to receive Gibson in her home state, and to answer his questions. In lavish promotional advertisements, ABC referred to this exclusive as “the interview everybody has been waiting for.” The double-entendre was as close as Westin came to acknowledging his collaboration with the McCain campaign’s decision to sequester Palin until the potent anniversary date of September 11th; on that day, Palin’s eldest son, a recent Army enlistee, deployed for Iraq at a brigade departure ceremony, an event captured by ABC’s cameras, for broadcast on the evening news.

There is no shame in winning an exclusive interview with a reclusive subject, of course, and David Westin is hardly responsible for the McCain campaign’s cynical handling of its Eliza Doolittle problem, but if he had managed his network’s “get” more responsibly he might have expelled its odor of compromise. The occasion of the Alaska governor’s début before the national media called for a lightly edited, extended one-on-one, aired on a single night, so that American voters might assess the candidate’s answers and demeanor in full. Instead, apparently to maximize ratings and branding opportunities, ABC doled out Palin sound bites on six network broadcasts over two days, as well as in supplemental ABC Radio and Web releases. In the end, Westin exploited the Governor’s moose-hunting, baby-juggling appeal as if she were a magnetic contestant on one of the network’s prime-time reality shows—“Extreme Makeover: White House Edition.”

By now, perhaps, it is quixotic to express disenchantment about the celebrity narratives—the “personal stories”—that dominate American politics. After all, John McCain selected Palin only because he was searching for a counter to Barack Obama’s own television-lit charisma juggernaut. Still, as it turns out, not all pop idols are equally prepared to lead a nuclear-armed nation.

Palin’s answers to Gibson’s questions made it clear that all the briefings and all the cramming that she could absorb in two weeks were not enough to endow her with what her résumé so plainly indicated that she lacked: sufficient exposure to national-security issues to serve as President, should she be required to do so. She confirmed that she has never been abroad, apart from visits to Canada and Mexico, and a recent trip “that changed my life” to Kuwait and Germany, where she met American soldiers. She also said that she has never had occasion to meet a foreign head of state. She added, a little defensively, “If you go back in history and if you ask that question of many Vice-Presidents, they may have the same answer.”

Perhaps she was thinking of the antebellum period. Since the dawn of the atomic age, of the thirty-one other Vice-Presidential candidates nominated by both major political parties, perhaps only Spiro Agnew, a governor of Maryland, had comparably scant exposure to the world beyond the United States at the time of his selection. However, Agnew did earn a Bronze Star during military service in France and Germany during the Second World War. (His Vice-Presidency ended with his resignation, in 1973—something to do with bribery payments, handed over in brown paper bags.)

Palin is a natural orator, and in television interviews granted before she became a nominee for national office she came across as relaxed, funny, and self-possessed. In the ABC sessions, she told Gibson that when McCain invited her to join his ticket, “I didn’t hesitate. . . . You can’t blink. . . . I didn’t blink.” Palin leaned forward, radiating nervous energy. Gibson, with his large frame, sonorous voice, and reading glasses perched low on his nose, loomed over his subject, presenting an unfortunate image of male professorial condescension as he ticked through foreign-policy issues that he clearly knew better than Palin did. Even so, the Governor’s anxious-sounding answers to his questions produced more than enough awkward moments to justify McCain’s decision to hold her back for study hall. Palin seemed uncertain, for example, about the meaning of the Bush Doctrine, which has laid out the most important changes in American defense policy since the end of the Cold War. She sounded a little nonchalant, too, when Gibson pointed out that her advocacy of membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization for the small Caucasus state of Georgia might lead the United States into war with Russia, which is a nuclear-armed state. “Perhaps so,” Palin said.

The Governor spoke with transparent ease, however, about God and drilling for oil. Gibson played an excerpt from a video clip of an appearance Palin made in June of this year at the Wasilla Assembly of God, the Pentecostal church to which she belonged for twenty-six years, until 2002. The full fifteen-minute video, which is available on YouTube, provides a flavor of the evangelical environment that has shaped what Palin calls her “world view.” She told the congregation, of her efforts to build a gas pipeline across Alaska, “I think God’s will has to be done in unifying people and companies to get that gas line built—so pray for that.” The pastor leading the service then predicted to Palin that Alaska would become “one of the refuge states in the last days,” a place that would have to minister to thousands of Christians arriving from the Lower Forty-eight for the Rapture. Palin remarked that when she travels to Christian churches around Alaska, and is warned that a particular service might involve the raising of hands or other intense expressions of Christian devotion, she is able to say that she has seen it all: “I grew up at the Wasilla Assembly of God—nothing freaks me out about the worship service.”

Diversity of religious belief is an American strength, and none of Palin’s statements remotely disqualify her from national office. Still, the YouTube version of the Governor’s idiosyncratic narrative of faith, ambition, motherhood, and frontier life has a slightly different ring from the received version, which débuted at the Republican Convention last month; the video does not evoke “Northern Exposure” so much as it does “There Will Be Blood.” There are about fifty days left until a national election of unusual consequence; perhaps there is still time for journalists to fully vet what McCain did not.

My Daily Rant--Why Obama? Because We're Democrats.

2008-09-15T20:11:00.005-04:00

If this is the first installment, then let's think big. Let's put the big umbrella over the table. Why am I voting for Obama/Biden on November 4th? And why do I believe that you should do the same? Going out for a ride earlier tonight to check out our version of storm damage (much less than down South), I saw two "Another Democrat for McCain" signs. Let me suggest why a person who votes for McCain can't be a Democrat.

To belong to the Democratic party and to support its candidates first of all means that you can proudly say that you belong to the party of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the President who, in the face of Republican opposition, guided us through the Depression, and provided us with a Social Security system. If you think the Republicans aren't still mad about that one, consider that they are still trying to take it away from you.

The Democratic Party also advanced the cause of civil rights for African-Americans and other minorities in this country by passing legislation that safeguarded the civil liberties of all people, including the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Did the Republicans fight this one? You bet, orchestrating the longest filibuster in the history of the United States Senate to keep the Civil Rights Act of 1957 from ever becoming law.

The Presidency of Democrat John F. Kennedy further advanced the cause of civil rights, proposing in 1963 what would be the Civil Rights Act of 1964. JFK also successfully managed the Cuban Missile Crisis, the greatest military crisis of his time, and brought to the Presidency a style and grace that remains unequaled to this day. President Kennedy never used fear, but presented the country with challenges to be met, using soaring rhetoric that sent us to the moon in the 1960's, gave hope to the people of Berlin and sent the graduates of American University out to serve the world with what may be the greatest commencement speech of all times.

Finally, even with its shortcomings, who can fault us for hearkening back to the nostalgic 1990's and the Presidency of Bill Clinton. I know, you'll say it was a different world--a pre 9-11 world--and he supported NAFTA. And yet, the economy wasn't being raided by friends of the President, the budget was balanced, gas cost less than $2 per gallon, and we were not involved in a misguided war. It wasn't paradise, but I'll take it.

So, if you have a sign in your yard that says, "Another Democrat for McCain," you might have been a Democrat once, but you have lost you way--and you're a Democrat no longer. Don't pretend to be what you're not. You and I don't have the same values any more. And don't tell me that the party left you. Dig deep, look in the mirror--you're an R now. Own up.

Things you can count on the Republican leadership to screw up

2006-10-03T11:23:00.000-04:00

The deficit. Body armor. Medicare reform. Social Security reform. The minimum wage. Port security. The National Guard. Diplomacy. The Geneva Conventions. Fair elections. Clean elections. Intelligence. Protecting the Constitution. Protecting the Bill of Rights. Government transparency. Oversight. Separation of church and state. The middle class. The poor. Tax reform. Tax cuts. Bankruptcy law. Global warming. Disaster management. Defeating terrorists. Saying no to lobbyists. Saying yes to public opinion. Pre-war planning. Post-war planning. Competence. Civil rights. Civil liberties. Civil debate. Veterans' benefits. Hiring based on ability. Legal surveillance. Morality. Energy policy. Energy independence. End-of-life decisions among spouses. Inclusion. Learning lessons from history. Learning, period. Drug policy. Fiscal responsibility. Trusting the generals. Trusting the spooks. Trusting the experts. Basic honesty. Basic health care. Education. Creating jobs. Keeping CIA operatives' identities secret. Catching Osama. Playing nice. Playing fair. Refilling ice cube trays. Making paper airplanes. Or coffee. Tying their shoelaces. Making friends. Blowing their noses. Counting to ten five three. Sharing their toys. Telling the truth. Uniting the country. Protecting underage kids from a predatory congressman.

More from THE GUY

2006-09-22T11:31:00.000-04:00

This State

2006-08-30T12:52:00.000-04:00

2006-08-08T10:38:00.000-04:00

“When the average guy and gal have a choice between the party of NAFTA and the party of NAFTA, they’ll use their vote to stop boys from kissing boys.” Greg Palast, author of The Best Democracy Money Can Buy.

Outrage

2006-08-07T08:47:00.000-04:00

“THREE-MILLION, SIX-HUNDRED THOUSAND THREE-HUNDRED AND EIGHT ballots were cast in the last election AND NEVER COUNTED: “spoiled” ballots, “provisional” ballots and “deficient” absentee ballots. And—ready for this—88% of the ballots not counted were cast by voters of color.” Greg Palast, author of The Best Democracy Money Can Buy.

Random Thought of the Day

2006-06-12T10:53:00.000-04:00

If you are the Iranian national soccer team, you have to be pretty sure that you and your whole family will have your feet cut off when you return to Iran. Iran lost 3-1 to Mexico. For the victory, the Mexican soccer team won an all expense paid trip to the United States. They all now work at a Chipotle in NW Washington, D.C.

Playing Dirty = Youngstown Politics

2006-06-08T10:54:00.000-04:00

From today's Youngstown News and Views: Anthony Cafaro says he has serious doubts about the wisdom of buying the old Southside Hospital. He says his company has been studying the possibility of buying the facility for some time, and says if his company can’t make money there, neither can the county. He also countered that he has made repeated offers to the county to upgrade the McGuffey Road facility that now houses Job and Family Services. In June, 2004 he offered to do $1.5 million in improvements, which would raise the rent from the current $4.61 per square foot to $6.86 per square foot.

Cafaro says he is willing to work with the county to keep JFS at the East Side site. He says the County would spend more than one-half million per year in utility payments, need an upgrade of $2.97 million and asbestos remediation that is expected to cost $1.3 million. Cafaro says the move by Commissioner Traficanti is not motivated by the wise use of county funds, but by, “petty jealousies and small-minded political vengeance.” This comment was in response to an accusation by Traficanti that Cafaro “owns” fellow Commissioner John McNally (the brightest and only Irish commissioner).

Grade: F

2006-06-08T10:51:00.000-04:00

“It’s hard to keep being reminded of how crazy and dangerous so many people around the world think our country has become.” -Jim Wallis, commenting on a recent trip to Australia in Sojourners, June 2006.

“Of the many remaining threats to national security, the greatest is nuclear material still unsecured in Russia and other places outside the United States, the chairman and vice chairman of the 9/11 Commission told a House panel Tuesday...Finding and securing radioactive material outside the United States is at the top of a list of commission recommendations that still have not been addressed, they said. Six months ago, the commission gave failing grades to efforts to counteract terrorism since the panel issued its findings last December.”
- From CongressDailyAM this morning

The Man, Part 2

2006-05-25T09:34:00.000-04:00

The Man

2006-05-25T09:33:00.000-04:00

A Joint Meeting of the House and Senate shall occur...

2006-05-24T14:15:00.000-04:00

Here is your historical nugget for the day: The first formally recorded Joint Meeting of Congress occurred in December 18, 1874 during the 43rd Congress in Washington, DC, as a reception of King Kalakaua of Hawai'i. Because of a severe cold and hoarseness, the King could not deliver his speech, which was read by former Representative Elisha Hunt Allen, then serving as Chancellor and Chief Justice of the Hawaiian Islands.

The latest joint meeting occurred this very day. At 11 a.m., Ehud Olmert, Prime Minister of Israel addressed the House and Senate for an hour, detailing his positions on towards Hamas and Palestine as well as towards Iran. A very moving speech by all accounts, he personally recognized the family of Daniel Wultz, a 16-year old Floridian celebrating the Passover holiday who died earlier this month after being wounded by a suicide bomber in Tel Aviv in April.

Olmert highlighted his stance that it remains Israel's "deepest wish is to build a better future for our region, hand in hand with a Palestinian partner, but if not, we will move forward, but not alone," alluding to promised U.S. support.

I had the good fortune to witness this speech, not to just be in the gallery as I was when former Iraqi Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi spoke before a joint meeting on September 23, 2004, but this time from the House Floor. I was seated three rows behind John Kerry and one row (and ten seats) away from Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer, of the House Democratic leadership. It was quite a thrill. Usually reserved for Members of Congress, the Diplomatic Corps and the President's Cabinet, the floor is opened to staff with standing room tickets once it is clear that not all of the seats will fill. I was awe struck when the Floor staffer motioned me forward to sit closer to Olmert than most Members were sitting.

A truly awesome opportunity that perhaps for me will never come again.

Daniel Wultz, 16, of Plantation, Florida, killed by a suicide bomber in May 2006.

What's next?

2006-05-16T17:21:00.000-04:00

Many people perhaps were disappointed at the general slow pace at which the Bartlet Administration came to an end. I tend to disagree. It came to an end like those in a parallel universe, where a simple oath and some packing boxes are all it takes for one president to succeed another. It was as smooth and seamless as the real transitions that take place every four or eight years in this country. I will certainly miss my hour of dramatic debate every week but kudos to The West Wing for making life and politics just a bit more real.

Bring back the scantrons!

2006-05-08T09:48:00.000-04:00

While problems abound with voting in the state of Ohio, I found this in today's Toledo Blade and had to chuckle: Some technophobic voters, we concede, will never get used to the newfangled machines. In Youngstown, one exasperated man was reported to have scrawled a write-in vote directly onto the device's screen with a pen.

I saw firsthand the problems we faced two years ago as a voter protection staffer during the 2004 General Election. I saw ballot machines which were incorrectly registering votes, long lines, poor staffing by elections board personnel, and countless other gaffes which caused me alarm and a special investigation by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI). I believe that we would all be better served if two things occurred. First, we need to standardize the ballot across the state. WE have counties using electronic ballots, scantrons, punch card ballots, and probably a few more types that I am not familiar with. A standard ballot statewide would eliminate a lot of the questions of irregularities that arise county by county. Second, we need to go back to paper scantron ballots. They weren't perfect, but they were easy to use. Most people have used them since they were in first grade. You fill in the oval next to the name. DONE. If only...

Plagiarism? Probably not..

2006-05-08T09:04:00.000-04:00

But I thought my readers might enjoy it. John Ettore originally posted this quote on his blog, Working with Words. I thought that it fit the tone of The Daily Traficant.

'Often it is difficult to know when a president has entered the state of political purgatory known as 'lame duck' status. For this president, the questions is no longer whether, but how lame. Political science has given us regretably few tools for answering this question with precision. But our own qualititative analysis suggests that not since James Buchanan has a president been lamer. Second-term presidents often see their agendas stalled by gridlock. But haggling over substance at least has the excitement value of conflict and opposition. Bush, on the other hand, has seen his agenda die from within, of its own accord. The last years of Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Reagan were like watching an angry traffic snarl. The last years of George W. Bush's presidency are like watching a car resting on cement blocks in the front yard.'
--from an editorial in the May 8th issue of The New Republic

Commissioner wins decisively over ex-mayor

2006-05-05T09:39:00.000-04:00

Well, I can't say I am sad to see George get smoked in the County Commissioner race. Ludt is right about one thing: George always tried to take credit for projects that he had little or no influence in. Now he join the hundreds of people who were in the unemployment line while he was mayor. I think his joblessness will be his real gift to the people of Youngstown, unless of course that big Bush Administration job opens up! Check out the Vindy article below:

Wednesday, May 3, 2006
Ludt isn't taking his challenger in the November election lightly.

By DEBORA SHAULIS
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — If Mahoning County Commissioner David N. Ludt had to speculate on the results of Tuesday night's primary, he would have guessed that he'd beat challenger George McKelvey with 60 percent of the vote.

Even Ludt was surprised to learn that, with about 90 percent of the county's precincts reporting around midnight, he was leading with 70 percent of the vote.

That tells him "people read through the commercials," Ludt said, referring to McKelvey's media blitz in recent weeks. Ludt believed McKelvey wrongly took credit for projects that occurred during his term as mayor of Youngstown but actually were the responsibility of county commissioners.

Ludt turned to former state Sen. Harry Meshel to set the record straight in his own commercials.

"We didn't say anything in the ads that wasn't true," Meshel told Ludt's well-wishers, who gathered in his campaign headquarters in Boardman Plaza.

McKelvey didn't return telephone calls Tuesday night.

Attending events

Ludt said he attended 68 events while he campaigned for the primary and didn't see McKelvey at any of them.

"You have to get in and mix with people. I'm a people person," said Ludt, 66, of Poland, who is seeking his third term.

Ludt also said he doesn't mind being the quiet commissioner and generally leaves the public speaking to his fellow commissioners, Anthony Traficanti and John McNally IV. Asked what his priorities will be as commissioner between now and the general election in November, Ludt said he would confer with the other commissioners before announcing details. Water projects remain among his priorities because they improve the community's value, he said.

Challenger

So far, Ludt has one challenger in November. Jamael Tito Brown of Youngstown filed nominating petitions Monday to run as an independent candidate. His petitions must be certified before he is officially declared a candidate.

Ludt said he doesn't know Brown and doesn't begrudge his candidacy. "It's America, and everybody can run," he said.

Ludt also wasn't taking Brown for granted, telling his supporters that he'll need them again in the coming months.

"Nobody goes anywhere in politics unless they have people working with them," he said over their cheers.

shaulis@vindy.com

Can the write-in win?

2006-05-02T09:17:00.000-04:00

I'm surprised that I have not yet talked about Charlie Wilson, running as the write-in candidate to replace Ted Strickland for the 6th Congressional District. I found this quote by Jason Burke, Wilson's campaign manager, in today's issue of Roll Call, a newspaper focusing on Congress, reading, "We have done everything we could possible do to be successful."

Well, to be fair, that isn't entirely true, Jason. Your campaign did fail to get the man ON THE BALLOT! A minor oversight, perhaps. History has shown that write-in campaigns are rarely successful. I was a write in candidate myself once. My dad wrote me in for Mahoning County Auditor back in 1988. I lost by about 68,000 votes. It could have been closer, though. My mom voted for my sister!

Randy Walter prepares to be "Independent"-ly mauled

2006-05-01T15:33:00.000-04:00

Word on the street is that Randy Walter, the third-place finisher in the 2000 race for the 17th Congressional District, has filed to challenge Congressman Tim Ryan (D) in the November General Election as an idependent. Walter, who lives in Canfield, is the founder of Citizens for Honest and Responsible Government.

I don't expect him to make many waves. Although he was well financed in 2000, his independent campaign will be hard pressed to make a dent in the strong backing that Ryan has enjoyed for the last four years.

Lastly, much to the irritation of Randy Walter, a guy named Don Manning has filed as a Republican write-in. If he gets 50 signatures today, he will be on the ballot as the Republican nominee. Most people believe he will in fact get those signatures. For Tim Ryan to lose the election, approximately 38% of the people who voted for him the last time will have to vote for someone else this time - not gonna happen.

From The New Yorker

2006-05-01T15:20:00.000-04:00

If Grover Norquist’s vision of drowning the federal government in the bathtub ever succeeds, he will be left with the gated community that is the logical extension of his aspirations. Private schools, private roads, privatized Social Security, private enclaves—all guarded by heavily armed vigilantes to keep out those who can’t afford them. America will cease to be a great nation, because to be truly great a modern nation must grapple with the greater good—a messy concept that too many conservatives seem willing to entertain only in a Biblical context. Quality education, meaningful health care, a cleaner environment, constructive world engagement, and cultural advancement require an active, responsible federal government and a committed civil service. All that costs money, which means that we have to pay taxes. Our focus should be on improving government, not eliminating it. - Michael Lahr, Arlington, VA.

Source: New Yorker, September 2005.

2006-05-01T15:19:00.000-04:00

"We are just three Defense Secretaries away from winning the war in Iraq--the Father, Son and Holy Ghost." James Carville, From CNN's The Situation Room.

Mayor Williams in the New York Sun

2006-04-28T11:18:00.000-04:00

I found this tidbit online about independent political candidates. Mayor Jay Williams was quoted for this New York Sun article.

In 1960, when John F. Kennedy ran for president, only 1.6% of Americans were registered as independents. Today, the number is estimated at 21.7% of registered voters, according to the Center for the Study of the American Electorate, while self-identified independents now narrowly surpass Democrats or Republicans, according to the Gallup Poll. This is a sea change, and like most significant demographic trends, it is being driven from the bottom up.

Just ask Youngstown, Ohio's Jay Williams, who, at 34, was elected in November as the first independent and African-American mayor of that Midwestern city, winning 52% of the vote in a six-way race. Why did Mr. Williams choose to run as an independent in this heavily Democratic city?

"There was a growing frustration with this unbridled loyalty to the Democratic Party ... what I tapped into was that people were ready for change," Mr. Williams says. "I couldn't be painted in a corner by a party ... I'm moderate to liberal on some issues, but conservative on many others. And I absolutely intend to capitalize on that political freedom. There is no expectation from the electorate other than to do what I think is best for the city ..."

What you hear from this Gen-X mayor is an attitude echoed by many of our generation. We want freedom of choice. In every other aspect of American life, the idea that choice means picking between a stale "brand a" and "brand b" ended a long time ago. At a time when people have become accustomed to 500 cable channels and the endless variety of the Internet, we don't want to have to choose between a pre-fabricated menu of special interest controlled positions.

Check out the full article here:
http://www.nysun.com/article/31852

Interesting Quote

2006-04-26T12:55:00.000-04:00

"As a Democrat I do not often find it easy to talk with other Democrats about our need to affirm our commitment to the respect for life and how we need to emphasize our party's firm belief in the worth of every human being. As a Catholic I do not often find it easy to talk with other Catholics about my feeling that abortion should and will remain safe and legal and that we should instead focus our efforts on creating a better world where there are fewer unplanned pregnancies, and where women who face unplanned pregnancies receive greater support and where men take more responsibility for their actions. I do not want to make an argument about abortion. I want to make a difference in the number of abortions. We can go forward even if we can't agree. We can have the same goal even if we do not share the same beliefs." Thomas R. Suozzi, the county executive of Long Island's Nassau County, in a May 10, 2005 speech at Adelphi University.

Why George is an ass... and I don't mean W

2006-04-25T12:42:00.000-04:00

Editors Note: I have played a bit of a Mad Libs with this story, inserting my own commentary in parentheses and italics. Enjoy!

Bush-backing Democrat seeks new office

JOE MILICIA
Associated Press

The former mayor of Youngstown, who boldly (stupidly) supported President Bush during the 2004 campaign, is running for a new office - and he's still a Democrat (in name only).

If anyone is angry with George McKelvey for backing Bush and criticizing the left wing, McKelvey hasn't noticed (although that is a lie).

"I have never been received more warmly in my life (just not outside my own home)," said McKelvey, who is campaigning for a seat on the three-member board of commissioners in heavily blue-collar Mahoning County.

McKelvey upset Democrats across the country when he stated during the Republican National Convention: "The left wing hates George Bush the most because he believes in God, and you better believe that." (The left wing hates George Bush because we are still trying to figure out what he did that has been good for this country, and you better believe that.")

But the remark and his relationship with Bush aren't fatal to his candidacy in next month's Democratic primary, said political science professor William Binning of Youngstown State University.

He thinks McKelvey, who served (served subtituted for worked, because he didn't really do any work) eight years as mayor and left office at the end of December because of term limits, has a shot to win.

"When you're the mayor of Youngstown, you're pretty big down here. He's sort of got celebrity status," Binning said. "Some of the Democratic voters are overlooking his sins (and are foolish for it)."

Phyllis Vivod, 68 of Campbell, is one of the them. The registered Democrat voted for Bush and doesn't even remember McKelvey's remark from the convention (along with anything he did as mayor).

"He's OK with me as far as I'm concerned," Vivod said, ("as long as he is running for sanitation engineer").

McKelvey, who is prone to fiery rants, said the "God" comment was not aimed (only) at the hardworking Democrats of Youngstown.

"It was directed to the Hollywood nutballs, (the hardworking Democrats of Youngstown, and my own children)" McKelvey said. "I couldn't even use strong enough terms to describe how anti-Christian they are."

McKelvey, 56, said his campaign is motivated by his love of public service (and his strong desire to avoid the unemployment line). He never considered switching parties or running as an independent. And he scoffs at the widespread expectation that Bush was going to give him a job. (The President informed him long ago that America has a better chance of becoming a communist state than McKelvey has to work for the administration.)

"That's a mystery," Binning said. "Why isn't he assistant secretary of HUD or ambassador to Bermuda - someplace without nuclear weapons (and a low tolerance for those who smoked a lot of weed in their childhood)?"

McKelvey said he never was offered a job and never asked for one. He said his goal in supporting Bush was to help the nearby Youngstown Air Reserve Station avoid last year's base closings by the Pentagon (and finally get out of Youngstown!).

The air base survived and McKelvey isn't shy about taking credit (although he realizes he was simply riding a bandwagon steered by Tim Ryan).

"You'd have to be stuck on stupid (which I know a lot about) not to know who had a greater impact on keeping the air base open - Mayor McKelvey, who met with the president on eight occasions, or the other side (led by Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine) that was blowing up 30-foot rats, putting his name on it and calling him profane names," McKelvey said.

His opponent, David Ludt, a former tow truck company owner, is seeking his third term as county commissioner. Ludt said he's running on his record and won't make an issue of McKelvey's ties to Bush (because too many people are already doing that for him).

But Ludt disputes McKelvey's claim about the air base, saying the Pentagon never intended to close it.

Elmer Smith, 87, of Struthers, does feel McKelvey helped save air base jobs. For decades, Smith has followed Mahoning Valley politics, which is somewhat of a pastime in the three-county area bordering Pennsylvania.

But even if McKelvey helped save the air base, it doesn't mean Smith will vote for him.

"I don't think he had enough backbone in office," Smith said. "Someone always was pulling the strings for him." (Ed. Note: I like this Smith guy...)

Besides, Ludt once hauled Smith's broken down car all the way from Cleveland.

In addition to Ludt's old towing customers, McKelvey won't get much support from union voters, Binning said.

"Union leaders were dumfounded that he ran and they were very much opposed to him," Binning said.

That doesn't worry McKelvey, who thinks political endorsements are worthless(, much like this own political career).

"You can't even tell your wife how to vote let alone have the audacity to think you can command your members," McKelvey said.

He knows that first hand. His wife voted for John Kerry.

The race for the 60th

2006-04-21T11:34:00.000-04:00

The race for the 60th is on. The frontruner is without a doubt Bob Hagan but the challengers are an interesting bunch, including two twenty-somethings trying to make a name for themselves. Ian Stublarec and Michael Latessa, both of Youngstown, are 24 and 26 respectively. According to the Trib, Latessa is the founder/consultant of the Creativity Incubator in Youngstown. His main priorities, he said, are education and economic development. Stublarec is a substitute teacher with Youngstown City Schools and said the funding of education was his top priority. He said he supports a proposal that would form a bi-partisan committee to create ways to fund 100 percent of the cost of public education in Ohio. Thats great and all but the creation of a committee is just passing the buck. Give me someone who can actually have the ideas to solve the problem and then maybe I will vote for them. Not that it matters. I am on the Hagan Train anyway... Chooo Chooooo!

I love Ted...

2006-04-21T11:26:00.000-04:00

Ted Strickland did not have to enter the fray in a statewide race. He could have been the Sixth District rep until the day he died. Shoot, even dead, he’d probably beat any Republican challengers in the Sixth District as it was carved up after the last census.

Or, as he told the Youngstown Vindicator, “Not to sound prideful, but I probably could have stayed until retirement.”

The Hillsboro Time-Gazette (4/21/06)

Representatives Gone Wild!

2006-04-07T10:10:00.000-04:00

I thought this article is the perfect summation of the crazy, wacky and stupid things that Members of Congress will do. I like the comparison between McKinney and Traficant, although with due respect to McKinney (or not, in fact), she is nothing like Jim Traficant. At least Jim appreciated the embarassment that he was. Somehow he was able to both respect and make light of the instutition at the same time, and all without hitting a cop. Enjoy the article. Time for me to go work on the farm...

Representatives Gone Wild!
By John Mercurio, NationalJournal.com
© National Journal Group Inc.
Thursday, April 6, 2006

With all due respect, Rep. Cynthia McKinney, D-Ga., is fast becoming the Rep. James Traficant, I-Jail, of 2006.

That's not to suggest McKinney belongs in prison or should be booted from the House, as Traficant was in 2002. We'll let the U.S. attorney and grand jury decide whether McKinney did in fact tangle with a Capitol Police officer, a possible felony, last week.

New charges include her spending federal funds to fly singer Isaac Hayes to Atlanta -- a House rules violation -- and holding a campaign event with him, a more serious charge. And I'm certainly not making a cheap-shot parallel between the hairstyle choices of McKinney and her former colleague from Ohio -- although, of course, I could.

No, I'm talking about the not so rare breed of lawmaker, most often found in the "People's House" but occasionally in the upper chamber, who, presumably, arrives on Capitol Hill with the noblest goals, but ultimately, through a series of unfortunate acts, contributes more to late-night comedians than their colleagues or constituents.

Sure, there are ideological extremists on all sides and scandal-plagued politicians of every stripe. But this is something more. This is Enid Waldholtz and husband Joe, or Ed Mezvinsky and his "organic brain damage" legal defense. It's Helen Chenoweth and her black helicopters, Jay Kim and his ankle bracelet, Wes Cooley and his motorcycle career, or "B-1" Bob Dornan and, well, where do we begin?

And we're keeping an eye on Rep. Curt Weldon, R-Pa., who this week second-guessed his Democratic challenger Joe Sestak on where Sestak sent his 5-year-old daughter to be treated for a malignant brain tumor.

Sometimes their careers end in scandal, amidst a swirl of ethical misconduct. Sometimes they end quietly in ballot-box defeat. Regardless, they always end.

Indeed, it's fitting that the careers of Reps. McKinney and Tom DeLay, R-Texas, are unraveling at the same time. Miles apart in many ways, these two congressional caricatures are noted masters at the art of ginning up extremist elements of their respective parties, often for personal gain. DeLay's rhetoric during the Terri Schiavo controversy can only be matched by McKinney's claims that President Bush was warned before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. And both, in their various states of demise, are being widely abandoned by party leaders and even some of the activists they've worked so hard to court.

One blogger on the conservative "Outside the Beltway" called DeLay's resignation "good news all around for the GOP. It helps stop the bleeding caused by the [Jack] Abramoff scandal and related misdeeds that, even if he had no criminal complicity in, were direct results of decisions made by DeLay." Meanwhile, John Aravosis, a liberal blogger, dismissed McKinney as a "nutsy-cuckoo Democrat from Georgia."

Amid his own tumult this week, DeLay actually felt compelled to weigh in on McKinney, calling her a "racist." "Everything is racism with her. There is incredible racism that sometimes hits these members of Congress, but especially Cynthia McKinney," DeLay, abruptly assuming his place as a detached observer of congressional culture, said without even a wink of irony.

McKinney's career looked like it was over in 2002, when Denise Majette beat the five-term congresswoman handily in a Democratic primary. McKinney had brought Louis Farrakhan to campaign for her. Her father, state Rep. Billy McKinney, blamed the "J-E-W-S" for her loss.

Notably, the 2002 election marked another pivotal moment in which McKinney's career stumbled at the same time as one of her arch-nemeses. On the same day Majette defeated McKinney four years ago, then-Rep. Bob Barr, a conservative GOP firebrand, fell in a primary to Rep. John Linder. At that time, southern political guru Hastings Wyman wrote that their defeats may be "part of a larger trend toward moderation throughout the South -- a trend that is likely to leave a substantial imprint on national politics."

Alas, no such luck. Two years later, Majette vacated her House seat to mount a quixotic Senate bid against Johnny Isakson, who easily won. McKinney easily won her old seat back. Revealing her party's antipathy toward her, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., broke with tradition and denied to credit McKinney with her 10 years of seniority for committee assignments.

"I think what happened last week was a very unfortunate incident," Pelosi said of the McKinney scuffle. "I don't think any of it justifies hitting a police officer." Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said that all lawmakers have a responsibility to obey Capitol Police. "I think we all should cooperate fully," he said. Rep. Mel Watt, D-N.C., chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, has so far been silent on the issue.

McKinney once again faces a strong primary challenge, this time from DeKalb County Commissioner Hank Johnson, who said last week that McKinney's behavior has "shortchanged" her constituents. "It's why she is ineffective in Congress."

For her part, McKinney says she is not distracted from the firestorm she created. "Rest assured, I am doing the work they sent me to Washington to do," she told supporters in Atlanta on Monday. "Nothing is going to keep me away from my responsibilities."

Nothing except, perhaps, McKinney herself.

-- John Mercurio is a NationalJournal.com contributing writer and a senior editor of The Hotline. His e-mail address is jmercurio@nationaljournal.com.

We choose to go to the moon...

2005-04-07T14:51:00.000-04:00

" ...We set sail on his new sea because there is a new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people. ...Whether it will become a force for good or ill depends on man, and only if the United States occupies a position of pre-eminence can we help decide whether this new ocean will be a sea of peace or a new terrifying theater of war. But I do say space can be explored and mastered without feeding the fires of war, without repeating the mistakes that man has made with extending his writ around this globe of ours. ...There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation may never come again. But why, some say the Moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask, why climb the highest mountian? Why - 35 years ago - why fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas? We choose to go to the Moon, we choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one in which we intend to win, and the others too."

Santos Favored over Vinick for Presidency

2005-03-02T11:03:00.000-05:00

I thought this was awesome and wanted to share... now Zogby is polling to see who would win a fictional presidential election!

TV’s The West Wing Audience Speaks: Santos Favored over Vinick; Fictional Democrat Would Beat Fictional Republican, 44%-28%; Vinick Plagued by Gender Gap, Weak Showing Among GOPers, New Zogby Poll Reveals

(Utica, NY)—Viewers of NBC’s The West Wing would prefer that Democratic Congressman Matthew Santos were elected the next President, giving him a 16-point lead over Republican Senator Arnold Vinick, a new Zogby Interactive poll finds. The interactive poll of 5,505 West Wing viewers was conducted from February 18 to 25, 2005, and has a margin of error of +/-0.7 percentage points.

Santos, the Texas Congressman played by Jimmy Smits, is the favorite of a plurality in the poll, which was weighted to ensure it reflects the partisan breakdown of the U.S. population, and not just the demographic that views The West Wing frequently or occasionally. Arnold Vinick, the California Senator played by veteran actor Alan Alda, trails significantly. The poll also found one-in-five viewers (19%) still undecided on the race, while 9% are not willing to support either candidate.

The two characters are poised to capture their respective parties’ nominations in the season’s last two episodes, which will take place at the GOP and Democratic nominating conventions. The ultimate winner of the presidential contest will go on to succeed President Jed Bartlet, played by Martin Sheen.

Part of Vinick’s problems can be attributed to a gender gap. While he and Santos are tied among men, each getting 35% of the vote, Santos holds a commanding lead among women, where he outpolls Vinick by 53% to 22%.

Vinick also has failed to sew up Republican support. While Santos has the support of three-quarters of Democrats (74%), Vinick only has a lock on 49% of Republicans. Among independents, meanwhile, Santos leads 39% to 26%.

Unlike the last real U.S. election, the Catholic and Protestant votes are nearly identical, with Santos leading among both groups. He also scores higher among key Democratic constituencies like African Americans, and holds a slimmer lead among whites, where he is up by 41% to 30%.
Santos even outperforms Vinick when viewers are asked to put aside their own political preferences and answer which character would make for a more interesting show. In that instance, Santos takes 44% to Vinick’s 31%.

Pollster John Zogby: “While the American people don’t go to the polls to elect a real-life president for some time, the attention of political junkies will be riveted to their television sets this fall. Unless Vinick can shore up his base, and make inroads among women, expect a Santos victory.

“Expect to see Vinick work to reach out to women as the campaign season wears on.”
Zogby International conducted interviews of 22,126 American adults nationwide, including 5,505 West Wing viewers. All surveys were conducted from servers housed at Zogby International headquarters in Utica, N.Y., from February 18 to 25, 2005. The margin of error is +/-0.7 percentage points. Margins of error are higher in subgroups.

(3/1/2005)

Outgoing party chair says Democrats held back in '04

2005-02-11T14:41:00.000-05:00

Outgoing Democratic chairman Terry McAuliffe on Thursday outlined mistakes he said his party made in Sen. John Kerry's unsuccessful 2004 presidential campaign, including the failure to attack the Bush administration record at the national convention and loss of support among Roman Catholics. -More-

Why I'll Miss Jim Traficant

2005-02-10T10:50:00.000-05:00

This is a fascinating commentary on politicians, straight talk, and of course, Jim Traficant:

Why I'll Miss Jim Traficant
By Susan Jones
CNSNews.com
Morning Editor

July 19, 2002

Beam me up!

Rep. Jim Traficant, the Ohio Democrat who votes with Republicans and calls himself an independent, may be booted out of the House of Representatives for violating House ethics rules. This comes three months after he was convicted of various felonies at his federal racketeering trial.

I know right from wrong when I see it. I respect the rule of law, and I don't buy the conspiracy theories that roll so trippingly off Traficant's tongue. But still, I'll be sorry to see him go.

Traficant is a rarity in Washington - a politician who can plainly say what he plainly means, even if some of what he plainly says is just plain silly.

A case in point: On April 25, 2001, with the pressing issues of taxation, rising energy prices, and education confronting Congress, Rep. Traficant gave a one-minute speech on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to discuss the evolution of the bra.

"It started with a training bra," he said. "Then came the pushup bra, the sport bra, the Wonder Bra, the super bra. There's even a smart bra. If that's not enough to prop up your (pause) curiosity, there's now a new bra. It's called the holster bra, the gun bra - a brassiere to conceal a hidden handgun.

"Unbelievable!" Traficant thundered on that April morning. "What's next? A maxi-girdle to conceal a stinger missile? Beam me up! I advise all men in America against taking women to drive-in movies who may end up getting shot in a passionate embrace..."

It was vintage Traficant: Nothing sophisticated, nothing intellectual; but something easily understood and somewhat ridiculous. It was more cultural commentary than the stuff of policy, but hey! Give the guy a break. His one-minute speech made as much sense as anything anyone else said on the House floor that day.

And at least Traficant's speech had the added advantages of being memorable - and not endangering the rest of us with calls for higher taxes, more government programs, etc.

Jim Traficant, in his offbeat and colorful way, was onto something: Americans like politicians who give it to them straight - or appear to give it to them straight.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) won praise, much of it from reporters, for his Straight Talk Express during the 2000 presidential campaign. It wasn't really straight talk, but it took some people longer than others to figure that out.

I think part of George W. Bush's appeal is his (mis)use of language. Anyone who mangles the mother tongue must be speaking from the heart - not from the findings of a focus group. I think Americans tend to believe people like that.

Washington is a place where reacting comes more naturally than taking action. How often have you heard politicians say they are "troubled" or "concerned" or "disappointed?" Jim Traficant would have none of that "garbage."

Here's how he expressed his "concern" one day: "It's time to call in the dogs, throw the coffee grinds on the fire - the hunting's over," he bellowed. There's concern for ya!

In an age dominated by notions of political correctness, most Americans wouldn't dare to say what they really think, especially in public. We censor ourselves for fear of censure.

On top of that, we don't speak simply anymore. We use big words and clumsy phrases when simple words and short sentences would better explain what we mean.

No wonder voters are so confused. They don't understand what many politicians say, so they're free to interpret. And that leaves the politicians free to spin and "clarify." I think America is worse off for our unwillingness to clearly say what we clearly mean.

Rep. Jim Traficant faces sentencing for ten felony convictions, including tax evasion and misusing his office for personal gain. In plain language, he's a crook. He faces expulsion from the House. In plain language, he's an outcast.

As his political career presumably nears an end, Jim Traficant is not going quietly. He's "kicking them in the crotch," to quote a phrase Traficant used in summing up his testimony before the House ethics panel on Wednesday.

In the nation's rogues' gallery, there are plenty of crooked politicians. Some have gone to jail; some have resigned in disgrace; and some have lied under oath.I do not know what will become of Rep. Jim Traficant.

But I do know that Washington - a city that would be much better off without most of its crooks - will be far duller and, ironically, less honest - without Traficant to say it like it is.

(Susan Jones is the morning editor at Cybercast News Service (CNSNews.com).

Letter from Prison: Jim Traficant Speaks

2005-02-10T10:26:00.000-05:00

Letter from Prison: Jim Traficant Speaks

The following is from a correspondent who wishes to remain anonymous:
"I sent James Traficant a Christmas card a few months ago. I received this reply today":

***************

Dear (anonymous),

Thank you! Thank you for thinking of me and my family. Life is hectic and fast-paced-- and for you to have thought of me, and then to stop and take time from your precious life to write me-- is an honor. And once again, I thank you! Most of the people who write me say they cannot understand why the government targeted me with such a passion. Every rumor and innuendo that any political opponent would plant and foster became public and, before long, developed into an indictment without any physical evidence-- only the testimony of subjects who were able to avoid jail by fabricating falsehoods about me. Lies and half-truths became 'facts'; and ultimately became a 10 count indictment. My evidence, that would have proved they were lying, was not allowed to be presented -- either before the Congress or the Federal Court!

However, I know why I was targeted: I was not afraid of the government, and I had learned too much! The beginning of all of this was my first trial, in 1983, when I became the only American in history to defeat the U.S. Department of Justice in a RICO case-- pro se (representing myself), and me not being an attorney. They were embarrassed!

The straw that broke the camel's back was when I proved that John Demanjuk was not the infamous Ivan the Terrible of the Treblinka death camp in Poland. The government was stunned and in shock. The real Ivan was nine years older, taller, and had black hair and a scar on his neck; his name was Ivan Marchenko. My investigation, in conjunction with John Demanjuk's beautiful family, proved not only that John was innocent, but also that the Justice Department knew he was not guilty-- even before they took him to court!

Shame, shame!!

They lied to the court-- gave false testimony and presented false witnesses-- knowing that he would be put to death! Shame!! The Justice Department then came after me with revenge, and a passion! I lost my respect and my faith in our government. Because this case was 'too sensitive,' Congress would not even hold a hearing on my evidence... Congress, all of them, at the time-- turned their back, worried about reelection!! The Democrats were in charge then, and they knew of my investigation in Congress... hoping I would abandon it! I did not! I sent my findings to the Israeli Supreme Court-- and they had no choice: They released John Demanjuk!

In fact, they delivered him to me at the airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, and I personally brought him home, along with his son, his son-in-law, and Israeli bodyguards!

I am proud of what I did. No one else, in the House or the Senate, would even talk to the family-- afraid of media power and the vindictiveness of the Justice Department. But even today, John Demanjuk is still being persecuted.

Shame!

The government agents that destroyed Demanjuk's life should be in jail! That was just the tip of the iceberg. When people saw what I had done for the Demanjuk family they came to me with unbelievable information.

The information is so powerful that it is hard to believe, and the government knew I was getting sensitive information that could damage the American people's confidence in the government. People came to me with facts about Waco, Ruby Ridge, Pan Am Flight 103, Jimmy Hoffa, and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. It may all sound far-fetched, but I do know what happened to Hoffa and J.F.K. The government knows that I know-- and so they had to ruin my voice by destroying my credibility. I may yet divulge this information if I can get the proper forum.

As you know, I was the dreaded enemy of the I.R.S. My legislation in the last I.R.S. Reform Bill changed the Burden of Proof law. Before that, you had to prove you were innocent in a tax court. The burden of proof was on the taxpayer. The I.R.S. said you owed... but the I.R.S. did not have to prove it. Unbelievable! Now that the I.R.S. has to prove their charges, the following statistics tell the true story. Comparing One Year Before the changes to One Year After: 1. Wage Garnishments dropped from 3.1 million to 560,000; 2. Taxpayer Property Liens dropped from 680,000 to 161,000; 3. Foreclosures on individual family-owned homes dropped from 10,063 to 57! That's right: only 57 homes in all 50 states! Fact is, the I.R.S. was seizing our homes-- over 10,000 every year-- when they had neither proof nor the right to do so! Congress allowed the I.R.S. to intimidate us and frighten us. Think about it! And then maybe you can begin to understand why I love America but hate the Government -- and why the Government hates me. The Justice Department had to get rid of me, but I'll be damned if I would back down!

America is in trouble... not from without, but from within! The Central Government has become too powerful. Citizens fear the Government. This is wrong. This is dangerous! I know the Government covered-up and promulgated LIES about Waco, Ruby Ridge, Pan Am Flight 103, Hoffa, and J.F.K. The Government knew I was right when I called Janet Reno a traitor. Janet Reno sold us out when she refused to investigate a $10-million payoff to the Democratic Party from a general in the Red Chinese Army (no less!). Think about it! And the Government knew that I had known why Reno was forced to betray America! I'm proud that I tried to do something about it! Someday the truth will come out. (I hope China never attacks us!) Many of you have asked what you can do for me. I appreciate this. You can help my family:
Mrs. Tish Traficant 429 N. Main Street Poland, OH 44514
Thank you for remembering me... for thinking of me... for caring!

God Bless!
(Signed)
Jim Traficant

Is the Doctor In?

2005-01-25T13:45:00.000-05:00

Blogger's Note: I have to admit, I was a Dean fan during the 2004 primary. He had my support during the Ohio primary, a month after it was decided that John Kerry was the Democrat's choice. I am (almost) a fan now that he is running for DNC chair. I saw this article, and in my attempt to post articles relating to Democratic politics, I felt I would share. Bon Appetit!

By Doug Ireland
LA WeeklyPosted on January 21, 2005
Printed on January 25, 2005
http://www.alternet.org/story/21043/

Can Howard Dean be stopped in his bid to become the new chairman of the Democratic National Committee? That's the question the party's establishment has been asking since Dean – who'd said he'd run only if he thought he had the votes to win – jumped into the contest with a media splash last week. Instantly he became the front-runner in the field of seven candidates for party chief and prompted the establishment to embark on an Anybody-but-Dean movement.

It may not be easy for the center-right leaning power elite in the party to bar the route to the doctor from Vermont. The establishment's original candidate, former Indiana Congressman Tim Roemer, entered the race with the puissant backing of the Democrats' two congressional chiefs – Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. The handsome and articulate Roemer got a lot of face time on the tube during the 9/11 Commission hearings, where he proved himself an aggressive questioner and burnished his image on national security – the latter, the party elite thought, made him a bulletproof winner and a great public face for a party still reeling from its November defeat, in which post-9/11 security hysteria played a major role.

But Roemer has been effectively torpedoed by a bizarre alliance – a double-whammy, slash-and-burn lobbying campaign by two of the party's most influential interests: the women's groups and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). The women's groups, led by NARAL Pro-Choice America and the political fund-raising champs at EMILY's List, have targeted Roemer's extensive anti-abortion voting record, and his declarations that the party should show more "tolerance" for abortion foes and needs to eliminate its "moral blind spot" on late-term abortions. (This record has many in the party, including a lot of House members facing re-election, privately questioning Pelosi's judgment in endorsing him.)

AIPAC – the powerful, treasury-rich pro-Israeli lobby, now embroiled in accusations that it was at the center of a spy ring within the Pentagon on Israel's behalf – has been brandishing a list of what it claims are 22 "anti-Israel" congressional votes by Roemer, who's been a critic of the $6 billion plus in U.S. aid to Ariel Sharon and his "Wall of Shame." Many of the party's Jewish big contributors have become even more knee-jerk supporters of Israel's no-compromise conservative government since 9/11. "The DNC's biggest source of large-donor money is from fat-cat Jews," says a veteran Democratic fund-raiser, "and AIPAC's threat – elect Roemer and we'll shut down your Jewish big money – has been incredibly effective."

A gaggle of little-known center-right postulants for the DNC post have failed to catch fire. Donnie Fowler, a callow technocrat from South Carolina (his biggest credential is having managed the ignominiously failed presidential campaign of Gen. Wes Clark), has a Web site featuring a plug for him that begins, "He loves God." Simon Rosenberg, a former staffer for the center-right Democratic Leadership Council, runs the New Democrat Network, the DLC-oriented PAC (some would say it's a DLC front group), and has been relentless in attacking Roemer, whom he saw as the man to beat (a negative campaign that has alienated many committee members). Wellington Webb, a lackluster former Denver mayor and the only African American in the race, hasn't even generated much enthusiasm among black elected officials. And former Ohio party chairman David Leland is so unknown that some DNC members I talked to didn't even know he's in the race.

As Roemer sinks, the man who's emerged in the last week as the party establishment's Stop-Dean candidate is former Texas Congressman Martin Frost. Frost is much appreciated by party insiders for the skill in limiting his party's losses when he ran the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in the '96 and '98 election cycles, during which he proved himself an adept fund-raiser and a master of organizational detail – and he's got a powerful lobbying force in the Democratic House members whose seats he helped save. Frost was deprived of his House seat last year after a gerrymander engineered by House Majority Leader and fellow Texan Tom "The Hammer" DeLay. Frost, usually labeled a party moderate, doesn't have some of the heavy baggage that has crippled Roemer: He's won a 100 percent voting-record approval on abortion from NARAL, and – as only the second Jew ever elected to Congress from Texas and a consistent supporter of aid to Israel who's also voted for every pro-Israeli, anti-Arab resolution that came to the House floor – he's more than acceptable to the AIPAC crowd. A fairly reliable liberal on economic issues who has opposed all of Bush's tax cuts, Frost is a hawk on foreign and military policy. A supporter of the Star Wars missile defense system who has voted for bloated military budgets and against cuts at the Pentagon (Texas gets a lot of military-industrial complex contracts), Frost was a big supporter of the war in Iraq, voting to shred the Constitution by approving the blank check to Bush for war and defending the war on the floor of the House.

The mood of the Democratic establishment these days is aggressively centrist, and Frost's candidacy could be boosted by Democratic governors who have an inordinate influence over docile DNC members from their states – like Michigan's Jennifer Granholm, an erstwhile progressive who last month declared the party needs "to push an agenda that is centrist and that speaks to where most people are."

It doesn't seem to matter that Dean's reputation as a liberal is exaggerated. In the lead-up to his DNC candidacy, Dean reiterated in interviews that he was a "centrist" who had governed as one in Vermont; and last year he told my colleague David Corn, "I really have a healthy mistrust of the left as well as the right." After his defeat in the Democratic primaries last year, he ran away from his opposition to the war in Iraq, telling MSNBC's Chris Matthews, "I never did base my campaign on the war" – an attempt to rewrite history which drew guffaws from people not afflicted with Alzheimer's. Dean was infinitely less leftish – and less significant – than the movement that crystallized around him. But Dean's shoot-from-the-lip, unscripted style scares the bejesus out of party powerbrokers and Democratic consultants. And even Joe Trippi, who made a lot of money from TV ad buys when he managed Dean's presidential campaign, showed he didn't stay bought when he endorsed another candidate (Rosenberg) for the DNC job. There's even a move afoot to persuade a fresh Stop-Dean centrist candidate with more charisma than the dull and wintry Frost to enter the fray: most often mentioned is ex-Sen. Bob Kerrey, another ex-9/11 Commission member and current president of New York's New School.

Even so, Dean is the man to beat. At a regional forum for the candidates for DNC chair in Missouri on Saturday, it was Dean whose every sally drew enthusiastic applause from those in attendance. And a poll for The Hotline of 187 of the 447 DNC members released late last week showed a clear Dean-Frost contest – with a first ballot choice of 58 for Dean, 30 for Frost, eight for Roemer, four each for Fowler, Rosenberg and Webb, and one lone vote for Leland, with the rest undecided. (But add all the votes in this poll for the other centrist candidates to Frost, and he edges out Dean.) The DNC meets Feb. 12 to make its choice.
Stay tuned.

© 2005 Independent Media Institute. All rights reserved.View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/story/21043/

Four years from now...

2005-01-18T11:16:00.000-05:00

This was a friend's reply to an e-mail when an coworker of his invited him to a Republican-sponsored Inauguration event. I found it interesting and worth posting.

In four years, when our party, the party of hope for all Americans, the party of opportunity for all Americans, has reclaimed the White House, the Senate and the House, then we will throw a party. We will invite all of our friends who believe in change for the better, and will celebrate like nothin’ else, because it will be a return to values in our country, a return to the promise for all people, and a return to honest, transparent government that leads but does not control. And we will throw a freakin’ incredible party. That will be the day that I celebrate an inauguration. And a helluva fine day it will be.

What Happened in Ohio

2005-01-10T16:22:00.000-05:00

What Happened in Ohio
By William Raspberry

I don't usually let other people do my thinking for me, but I confess I'd been waiting for Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) to tell me what to think about the voting irregularities that marred the November elections in Ohio.

Bloggers have been burning up the Internet with tales of manipulation and fraud. A representative of the company that supplied some of the voting machines (and whose corporate chief had promised to deliver the state for President Bush) supposedly was caught fiddling with some of the machines. Heavily Democratic -- but not heavily Republican -- precincts were plagued by a shortage of voting machines. Votes cast for challenger John Kerry showed up on the screen as votes for Bush. Black and poor voters -- likely Democratic voters -- were harassed and otherwise discouraged. And there were scores of similar allegations.

Stories in the mainstream media weren't much help. They pretty much agreed that, while there were irregularities in Ohio and elsewhere, there always are irregularities. Nothing particularly unusual -- or outcome-changing -- happened in Ohio.

Political reporters, mainstream editors and most of Congress seemed utterly unalarmed. Were they asleep at the switch? Were they afraid of discovering a truth that the country couldn't handle? Or was there simply not much of a story?

But then I learned that Conyers, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, was holding hearings on the matter. And if there were an alarm that needed to be sounded, Conyers would sound it.

Well, he sounded it Wednesday, in a 100-page report, "Preserving Democracy: What Went Wrong in Ohio" -- and I still don't know whether to run for the hills or just be a bit more careful next time.

"I've had hearings with all sorts of witnesses, many of whom were convinced of fraud and conspiracy," Conyers told me the day before his report was made public. Yes, but did he believe what the witnesses told him?

"I'm not seeking to match my opinion with theirs," he said. "My objective is to uncover out of this mass of complaints, sworn affidavits and eyewitness accounts whether or not there were significant irregularities. It does seem that there were more in Ohio than elsewhere."

So the Republicans stole the election?

"Please understand, this is not an attempt to change the outcome. Many of the complaints were from people who couldn't be sure what they saw, or who were able to vote anyway, despite the difficulty. And there's no way we could count the number of people who left those cold, rainy lines after the second or third hour of waiting.

"So, no, we're not trying to overturn this election. But if, as it appears, a significant number of people believe they were disenfranchised -- and this is the second straight presidential election there has been that feeling -- then it's incumbent on Congress to try to do something so that it won't happen yet again."

So what am I to think about all the allegations I've been reading in the noncertified press since November? That the left-wing bloggers are blowing things out of proportion? That the mainstream press is being properly circumspect? That nothing much happened in Ohio?

But "Preserving Democracy" belies such a benign conclusion. Listen:

"We have found numerous, serious election irregularities . . . which resulted in a significant disenfranchisement of voters. . . .

"In many cases these irregularities were caused by intentional misconduct and illegal behavior, much of it involving Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell, the co-chair of the Bush-Cheney campaign in Ohio."

Presumably Conyers is being careful not to draw conclusions because he wants Congress to have a look. But we're talking about a Congress whose members often pass important legislation without bothering to read it. What makes him think anyone is going to read his report unless he waves it about like a smoking gun?

Instead, he and a few other Democrats offered a formal challenge to Thursday's ceremonial counting of the electoral votes from November, forcing a brief delay in the official certification of President Bush. The point, he said, was to "maximize the seriousness of the issue," not to overturn the election results.

Well, I don't want to overturn the election, either. But I would like to know if public officials and private citizens engaged in a significant and concerted effort to steal the election in the event the wrong person seemed to be winning it. And if so, I'd like to know who the miscreants were, what they did and what heads are going to roll.

Because if all we get are a few hearings and empty promises, it's a safe bet it'll happen again.

willrasp@washpost.com

Default settings in Mahoning County

2004-12-25T13:27:00.000-05:00

Default settings in Mahoning County
by Richard Hayes Phillips, Ph.D.
December 23, 2004

A disturbing story has been widely circulated that a vote for Bush was the default choice in the software of electronic voting machines in a number of states. By definition, “default” settings are built-in by the manufacturer to make sure their programs work properly, and can be changed by the user. Some examples of default settings on a home computer are screen savers, type face, and screen resolution.

According an article by Ann Harrison, posted at http://www.counterpunch.org/harrison12082004.html

in certain counties in Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, Texas, and New Mexico where touch screen voting machines were used, there have been complaints from voters who selected Kerry on the touch screen and saw their votes change to Bush on a summary screen. In addition, there was a specific problem with the Sequoia AVC Edge machine (not used in Ohio) where voters actually saw preselected default choices presented to them.

With touch screen machines, it is possible to set up a default choice for Bush that would not be seen by the voters. Their votes would be automatically cast for Bush unless they successfully overrode the default choice of the computer. Likewise, if they deliberately chose not to vote for president, their votes would be counted for Bush.

Mahoning County was by far the largest county in Ohio where touch screen voting machines were utilized. According to a report by the Youngstown Vindicator at http://www.vindy.com/basic/news/281829446390855.php

Mark Munroe, Chairman of the Mahoning County Board of Elections, said there were 20 to 30 machines that needed to be recalibrated during the voting process because some votes for a candidate were being counted for that candidate’s opponent. In addition, about a dozen machines needed to be reset because they “essentially froze.” Later on election night, problems arose in 16 precincts (11 in Youngstown, 2 in Boardman, and one each in Jackson Township, Craig Beach, and Washingtonville), causing election results to be delayed for three hours as Board of Elections employees checked the vote tallies of the touch screen machines.

Mahoning County utilized ES&S Ivotronic touch screen machines. The administrative password for these machines was reported on the ES&S website itself.

By default, the password is 1111. According to http://savethevote.com/issues/glitches.htm this password cannot be modified easily, which would mean that anyone who knows the password could change other default settings on the machines.

Lists of Election Day incident reports are posted at https://voteprotect.org/epc/index.php?display. Click on Research/Maps to find the state, and then the county, in which you are interested.

For Mahoning County there are 116 incident reports, 28 of them involving machine problems. Most of these are complaints consistent with the voting machine having a preselected default setting. There are several reports of machines miscasting votes, always away from Kerry, that do not specify a polling site. Most, however, do specify a polling place, and for these I have ascertained the precinct by calling the Board of Elections or referring to their website at http://www.electionohio.com/mahoning/findpollinglocation.asp.

In addition, we have the specific ID number for three machines (noted below):

TOUCH SCREEN COMPLAINTS, MAHONING COUNTY

Youngstown 1F, Mill Creek Community Center, 496 Glenwood Avenue, Youngstown (2 reports). Machine not working; “arrow moves to other candidates repeatedly.”

Youngstown 2A, Spanish Evangelical Church, 1408 Rigby Street, Youngstown (6 reports). Two of three machines not working properly, or vote for presidential candidate is “reversed.”

Youngstown 2B, Mary Haddow School, 2800 Oak Street Extension, Youngstown (1 report). Two machines down.

Youngstown 2C, Elizabeth Baptist Church, 7 South Garland Avenue, Youngstown (1 report). Machine # V0112442-C “not properly recording votes.” Brought to attention of presiding judge at 7:40 AM, recalibrated by Board of Elections employee at 9:35 AM, machine not shut down during that time.

Youngstown 2E, Price Memorial Zion Church, 920 Dryden Avenue, Youngstown (6 reports). Two voters “selected Kerry and Bush’s name came up.” They succeeded in voting for Kerry on their second attempts. One voter “had to scroll through and vote five times before his votes were finally recorded.” Two voters said the “presidential vote option never appeared while they were going through trying to vote,” it happened to a third voter at the same time, and on two different machines.

Youngstown 3C, Tabernacle Baptist Church, 707 Arlington Street, Youngstown (1 report). Machine # V0107749-C “malfunctioning, screen flashes and scrolls, shows different results or no results.”

Youngstown 5F, Martin Luther Lutheran Church, 420 Clearmount Drive, Youngstown (1 report). One touch screen machine broken, second one erased votes.

Youngstown 5G, Hillman Elementary School, 164 West Myrtle, Youngstown (1 report). When voter pressed Kerry, the screen “went blank” four times. Five attempts were required.

Boardman 20, St. John’s Greek Orthodox Church, 4955 Glenwood Avenue, Boardman (2 reports). Vote for Kerry goes to Bush. On third attempt, screen shows vote correctly. Poll worker dismisses complaint, saying machine is “temperamental.” Another voter needed two attempts to cast vote for Kerry.

Poland Village 1, North Elementary School, 361 Johnston Place, Youngstown (1 report). Pressed Kerry button, third party candidate appeared on screen. On the second attempt it worked.

Struthers IC, St. Nicholas Byzantine Church, 1898 Wilson Avenue, Youngstown (1 report). Machine # V0114343-C repeatedly marks Democratic vote as Republican. Many voters complained of this problem. Election worker had to restart and recalibrate the machine.

These are only some of the broken or improperly functioning machines. The Chairman of the Mahoning County Board of Elections reported many more than these. Most of the incident reports are precinct-specific, and they cry out for scrutiny of the 2004 and 2000 election results at the precinct level. However, the precinct boundaries in Youngstown have been completely redrawn since the 2000 election, making a meaningful comparison possible only at the ward level, not the precinct level.

In the table below, the 2004 results are listed on the top lines, and the 2000 results on the bottom lines. Percentages for candidates are derived from votes counted for president. Percentages for “undervotes,” ballots with no candidate selected or otherwise not counted, are derived from total ballots cast.

COMPARISON OF 2004 AND 2000 RESULTS IN YOUNGSTOWN
Cast Valid Republican Democratic Undervotes
WARD 1 2629 2596 209 8.05% 2339 90.10% 33 1.26%
2140 1977 131 6.62% 1796 90.84% 163 7.62%
WARD 2 3823 3781 295 7.80% 3434 90.82% 42 1.10%
3537 3315 205 6.18% 3018 91.04% 222 6.28%
WARD 3 3539 3488 450 12.90% 2981 85.46% 51 1.44%
3200 3038 386 12.70% 2545 83.77% 162 5.06%
WARD 4 5422 5372 1353 25.19% 3967 73.85% 50 0.92%
5023 4919 1222 24.84% 3419 69.51% 104 2.07%
WARD 5 5456 5371 1204 22.42% 4107 76.47% 85 1.56%
4946 4783 1064 22.25% 3542 74.05% 163 3.30%
WARD 6 3206 3178 420 13.22% 2723 85.68% 28 0.87%
2790 2619 432 16.49% 2105 80.37% 171 6.13%
WARD 7 4941 4890 1183 24.19% 3657 74.79% 51 1.03%
4587 4452 1107 24.80% 3117 70.01% 135 2.94%

As shown in the table above, the Republican percentage of the vote increased significantly in Wards 1 and 2, increased slightly in Wards 3, 4, and 5, and actually decreased in Wards 6 and 7. In fact, the actual number of Republican votes decreased in Ward 6. This trend can be studied more closely by comparing the changes for both parties in each ward, as shown in the table below:

GAINS OR LOSSES FOR BOTH PARTIES
Republican Democratic
WARD 1 78 12.60% 541 87.40%
WARD 2 90 17.79% 416 82.21%
WARD 3 64 12.80% 436 87.20%
WARD 4 131 19.29% 548 80.71%
WARD 5 140 19.86% 565 80.14%
WARD 6 -12 -1.98% 618 101.98%
WARD 7 76 12.34% 540 87.66%

Note that the Republican share of the increased vote was 17.79% in Ward 2, which is 11.61% more than what Bush received in the 2000 election. This is also the ward where half the complaints (14 of 28) about touch screen voting machines were filed. In Ward 1, the Republican share of the increased vote was 12.60%, which is 5.98% more than what Bush received in the 2000 election. There were complaints filed here as well, in Precinct 1F, where the touch screen machine recorded “other candidates repeatedly.” In Ward 3, where a complaint was filed in Precinct 3C, Bush’s share of the increased vote was 12.80%, which is 0.10% more than he received in the 2000 election. This might seem insignificant were it not for the complaint that the touch screen “flashes and scrolls, shows different results or no results,” and for voting patterns in the other wards of Youngstown.

In Ward 4, Bush’s share of the increased vote was 19.29%, which is 5.55% less than he received in the 2000 election. In Ward 5, Bush’s share of the increased vote was 19.86%, which is 2.39% less than he received in the 2000 election. In Ward 6, Bush actually had a net loss of 12 votes, or -1.98%, which is 18.47% less than he received in the 2000 election. In Ward 7, Bush’s share of the increased vote was 12.34%, which is 12.46% less than he received in the 2000 election.

It is entirely possible that the increases in Bush’s percentage of the vote in Wards 1, 2, and 3 of Youngstown were due to default settings for Bush on the touch screen voting machines. Both the statistical evidence and the anecdotal evidence are entirely consistent with this conclusion. Even in the wards where Bush lost ground to his Democratic opponent, default settings for Bush may have served to cut his losses. The lack of posted complaints specific to these wards should not be construed to mean that all the touch screen machines in these wards were operating properly.

Touch screen machines are touted as a technological advance because they prevent all “overvotes,” ballots with two or more candidates selected for the same office, and because they prevent “undervotes,” ballots with no candidate selected, unless by deliberate choice of the voter.

“Undervotes” have long been a real problem, undermining the ability of election results to reflect the will of the electorate. Undervotes are especially common with punch cards. If the machines are not emptied frequently they become filled with chads, which can prevent the voter from punching fully through the card, or prevent the voter from fully inserting the punch card into the machine, in which case the punches will not be aligned properly. The machine will then fail to record a vote.

It is an affront to voting rights for election officials to refuse to examine by hand the punch cards that the machines failed to identify as valid votes. There are always people who go to the polls and choose not to vote for a presidential candidate, but not many.

Undervotes are less common with optical scanners, which are machines that scan paper ballots for marks made by voters in spaces next to candidates’ names. There are always some ballots with marks that are not detected by the scanner, and these must be examined by hand if the will of the voter is to be determined. Again, it is an affront to voting rights for election officials to fail to do so. Machines should be utilized to minimize the number of ballots that must be read manually, but should not be assumed to eliminate this task altogether.

In Mahoning County, optical scanners were used for all voting in the 2000 election, and for absentee ballots in the 2004 election. Again, the 2004 data are listed on the top lines, and the 2000 data on the bottom lines.

COMPARISON OF UNDERVOTES, 2004 AND 2000
Cast Counted Uncounted
YOUNGSTOWN 29,016 28,676 340 1.17%
26,223 25,103 1120 4.27%
SUBURBS 86,919 86,233 686 0.79%
78,347 77,128 1219 1.56%
ABSENTEE 18,354 17,966 388 2.11%
12,319 12,011 308 2.50%
COUNTY WIDE 134,289 132,875 1414 1.05%
116,889 114,242 2647 2.26%

The percentage of uncounted votes in 2004 was twice as high for absentee ballots with optical scanners as for Election Day ballots with touch screens. The problem with touch screens lies not in the number of undervotes, but in the reason why the number is so low.

One way to examine the Mahoning County election results is to look for the precincts with the most undervotes.

MAHONING COUNTY PRECINCTS WITH 2.5% OR MORE UNDERVOTES
Precinct Reg Cast Turnout Bush Kerry Undervotes
YOUNGSTOWN 5G 687 316 46.00% 19 247 44 13.92%
YOUNGSTOWN 3G 684 306 44.74% 26 263 13 4.25%
YOUNGSTOWN 3D 686 225 32.80% 16 192 8 3.56%
STRUTHERS 1B 460 237 51.52% 50 178 7 2.95%
CAMPBELL 4B 542 288 52.77% 53 225 8 2.78%
LOWELLVILLE 1 517 329 63.64% 88 230 9 2.74%
YOUNGSTOWN 1F 595 265 44.54% 16 235 7 2.64%
YOUNGSTOWN 3C 813 266 32.72% 34 218 7 2.63%

There are 312 precincts in Mahoning County. In only 8 precincts was the percentage of undervotes 2.5% or more, and 5 of these precincts were in Youngstown.

Youngstown 3C, Tabernacle Baptist Church, 707 Arlington Street, Youngstown, was the one where the touch screen “flashes and scrolls, shows different results or no results.” As a result, 7 undervotes were cast.

But without question, the most interesting of these precincts is Youngstown 5G, Hillman Elementary School, 164 West Myrtle, Youngstown. There were 9 complaints about long lines, slow pace, and “planned confusion,” despite having 6 voting machines. More importantly, this is the precinct where a voter pressed Kerry and the screen “went blank” four times. Five attempts were required to cast a vote. Apparently other voters had this problem also, as there were 44 undervotes, 13.92% of the ballots cast, three times the rate of any other precinct in Mahoning County. It is obvious that nearly all of these were Kerry voters, as he won the precinct with 247 votes to 19 for Bush. It is also obvious that the default setting on the defective machine was for no vote at all. The complaint was not that Bush’s name appeared on the screen when voters pressed Kerry, but that the screen “went blank.” This precinct serves to illustrate how many votes could default to an opposing candidate with one machine programmed in this manner.

Another way to examine the Mahoning County election results is to look for precincts with zero undervotes. In the 2000 election, when optical scanners were used, there were 11 precincts out of 416, or 2.6%, where every ballot cast was counted for president. In the 2004 election there were 21 precincts out of 312, or 6.7%, where every ballot cast was counted for president.

Without question, the most interesting of these precincts is Youngstown 2E, Price Memorial Zion Church, 920 Dryden Avenue, Youngstown. There were many reports of voter suppression and intimidation here.

Since the 2000 election, the 19 precincts of Ward 2 have been consolidated into 12. Price Memorial Zion Church was the polling place for more than one precinct, and voters were not told which side of the room to go to. One voter had to go home, check her registration card, and return again to vote. An 88-year-old woman who had voted at the same polling place for 40 years learned only on Election Day that her precinct had been changed and that her new polling place was farther away.

Another voter who had recently changed her address to this precinct was told by the Republican challenger that her name did not appear on the rolls. When she stated her intention to vote at the precinct for her old address, the Republican challenger took her name and called ahead, so she felt she would be challenged again if she went there. She was so upset by the challenge that she was afraid to vote even by provisional ballot, fearing that it would not count. There were complaints at 7:00 AM, 9:57 AM, 10:26 AM, and 11:45 AM that the Republican challenger was intimidating voters, standing too close, leaning and looking over their shoulders.

But the most damning evidence about Youngstown Precinct 2E is the fact that no undervotes were reported. This is the precinct where two voters selected Kerry and Bush’s name came up, where one voter had to scroll through five times before his votes were finally recorded, and where three voters said that the presidential option never appeared at all while they were trying to vote, and that this happened on two different machines. How could a presidential option fail to appear on the screen, even on one occasion, let alone three times with three different voters, and no undervotes be cast? By setting up a touch screen machine with an unseen default candidate, the one whose name sometimes appears against the will of the voters.

If touch screen machines are to be used, against the better judgment of this writer, it is essential to allow inadvertent undervotes by having a default setting for no vote at all, and that the machines function properly so that the number of undervotes is small. To steer undervotes into the column of a candidate chosen by a computer hacker is nothing short of fraud. The number of votes stolen in this manner may seem small in any given precinct, but it can happen almost everywhere at once, automatically, undetected, without a paper trail.

Sleeping with the enemy

2004-11-19T09:54:00.000-05:00

Sure, Democrats and Republicans have to live with the other side for four more years. But do we have to date them?

Anise Labrum was 20 years old and living in Los Angeles not long before the 2000 presidential election. She had been seeing her boyfriend for about a year. Back then, Labrum, a fashion stylist, loosely considered herself a Democrat. Her sweetheart, on the other hand, was a Republican. They knew they differed on politics, but it never seemed to get in the way. Then they moved to New York City, land of Democrats.

“All of a sudden he became all, ‘O.K., woman, this is how to think, and if you don’t think this way, you’re less of a person,’“ she says. “The day of the 2000 election, we were standing in line waiting for our turns in the voting booths. He was talking loudly about how Bush was great and Gore was screwed, making sure everyone could hear him. It was so overbearing.”

Soon after, she kicked him to the curb. “Our political differences set the grounds for anything else we tried to communicate about and eventually we never could,” she says. “I would never date a Republican, especially now.”

With the country deeply divided over the results of the recent presidential race—with Republican George Bush narrowly defeating Democrat Senator John Kerry and many voters in a blind rage over their guy—political affiliation has ascended to the top of requirement lists for potential mates. It now sits conspicuously next to “earning potential” and “full head of hair.”

They’re even divided over who’s having more fun in bed. In a recent live and unscientific poll, ABC News reported that Republicans are happier with their committed relationships and sex lives than their Democratic counterparts. The poll also revealed that 72 percent of Republicans had worn something sexy to enhance their sex lives, as compared with 62 percent of Democrats.
Similarly, fewer Republicans claimed to have ever faked an orgasm. Fake or not, Republican orgasms are increasingly being had with other Republicans.

Charles Finney, a Republican, has dated a wide range of people, including liberal Democrats, and he says conservatives are among the best lovers because of their political ideology.

“You can have sex with a beautiful woman, but you have better sex with a smart woman. The mind is the ultimate sexual organ,” he says. “Conservatives think for themselves. They are more about the individual and are more about personal truth. The nakedness of the individual and his own truth is a lot more intimate than the posh flamboyant exterior of a liberal facade.”

The GOP=HOT formula works less well for Seth Weinburger, who lives in the swing state of Michigan, and considers himself liberal-minded and a Democrat, for the most part. In his late teens and early 20s, he dated numerous Republicans and didn’t think much about it. He figured they just always had differences of opinion, and he wrote the arguments off. Then at 21, late in the Clinton years, he was dating Christie, his fifth Republican girlfriend, and he started to re-examine his choices.

“It came down to ideological difference,” says the social worker, who back then was living in New York. “With Christie, either we’d argue all the time or we’d avoid political discussions altogether. At some point, I realized she was planning on changing me and I was never going to be as forceful about my views as she was with me.

“I decided that I needed to be careful about who I’m dating. I would never seriously date a Republican ever again,” he continues. “I’m more certain about it now with the tension surrounding the election. The fact that I don’t date Republicans doesn’t even have to do with who they are as a person—it’s to do with the huge chasm between us ideologically. I know it won’t work out so I just won’t try—even if they’re a nice person.”

Inevitably, the bedroom battles have spilled into Internet dating. White Buffalo Ventures owns dozens of dating websites organized by interest groups, from tattoos and poetry to sign language. Sensing the moment, in June the company added democratsingles.com and
conservativedates.com. Since the launch, several thousand members have registered with each.

Executive Director Brad Armstrong says White Buffalo doesn’t have a political agenda; it just follows a business template. “People get extremely passionate about politics around election time,” says Brad. “We’re just tapping into an expected area of interest.”

Other dating sites have popped up online. White Buffalo isn’t alone. Singlerepublican.com greets visitors with: “Conservative American singles, are you frustrated with huge mainstream dating sites? Tired of sifting through thousands of profiles only to find liberals that don’t really share your viewpoints on important issues? Well you’ve come to the right place! We are dedicated to helping conservatives like yourself meet their perfect soul mate.”

And singleliberal.com, we’re assured, is “coming soon,” according to its stand-in Web page.
One hopeful Republican Romeo on conservativedates.com headlines his personal ad with “Save me from Liberals” and prompts potential dates to start conversations with him by asking about his liberal ex-girlfriend.

Similarly, a democratsingles.com member explains first and foremost: “I can’t stand it anymore. Need someone who understands just how incompetent ‘W’ is, and how much harm he has done to U.S. relations with the rest of the world. Lets get together, talk politics and see what else we might have in common.”

Professor Pepper Schwartz, a sociology professor at the University of Washington and a relationship adviser on perfectmatch.com, thinks people are distinctly less able to tolerate political difference nowadays.

“You could have been a Rockefeller Republican and gotten along with a Kennedy Democrat without too much trouble, and now it is a lot less possible,” Schwartz says. “Politics now tends to be one of those litmus tests when you’re dating. People no longer ignore it. If you find out about someone’s views and you disagree, you feel that this is not your soul mate—how could they feel that way, what kind of person are they?”

But is political affiliation really the bastard to blame when it comes to relationship failure? Isn’t it possible that the relationship was doomed and politics were simply the catalyst? Power couple Mary Matalin and James Carville—she a GOP activist, he a Democratic one—have thrived for years. Their opposing viewpoints make for good copy, and it’s almost erotic to watch them argue on television.

Political difference also proved to be an aphrodisiac during this year’s Republican National Convention in New York City, as craigslist.org featured countless personal ads from Democrats searching for fiery sex with a much resented Republican. In this case, the political divide seemed to heighten the S & M appeal of the arrogant Republican ass.

Whether politics can be a distraction from or indicative of other, more subconscious factors, it seems inescapable. Relationship guru Amy Alkon, author of the syndicated advice column, “Ask the Advice Goddess,” began to notice that political tension was seeping into romance not long after Bush took office.

“I never got letters about politics before Bush was president,” she says. “In the first letter I got about politics, a person used the word liberal when describing their partner, and they really meant turd. When you refer to your partner as a turd, the relationship is bound to crumble.”

It would be easy to assume the romantic tension ended with the end of the election suspense. But Professor Schwartz predicts that things will get worse after the election, not better.

“The fire will eventually go out, but not completely,” she says. “It won’t take much to get people’s anger burning very, very fiercely.”

Reprinted with the permission of The Village Voice and www.villagevoice.com.

Working for THE MAN

2004-11-17T09:47:00.000-05:00

The Buckeye Busters working for THE MAN in Youngstown, OH.

http://www.stanbarouh.com/kerry/index.htm

It Doesn't End Here (by Laura Cotton)

2004-11-17T09:25:00.000-05:00

Au Contraire my friend,

The democratic message DOES resonate with the american voter. I was just told that Kerry is conceding at 1pm today. I say he waits and fights the hard fight. Don't you think its a little ironic that yesterday Bush said "I know I will win in Ohio and Florida and I know I will win the presidency" or the fact that he publicly stated that he wouldnt contest the vote if it was close? Of course he wouldnt, because he knew it wouldnt be close. Think about this, if he truly wanted the white house, then why wouldnt he contest it it if came close? Or how about this, ALL the electronic voting machines are made in OHIO. The company responsible is, you guessed it, republican owned. These machines are capable of being rigged and can be controlled by an outside remote. Ponder this-in midterm elections in MD in 2002, Barbara Mikulski was left off the ballot (electronic voting) in FIVE precincts. No! w they are saying that the 18-29 contingent did not come out in record numbers yesterday, as expected. The HELL they didnt! I saw it around me in Arlington and all my coworkers did elsewhere-those lines contained mostly (prob 90%) voters under 30. Dont you find it slightly odd that in a state where Kerry has been senator and is a very democratic state, Bush received 37% of the vote??? I do.

My point is that this is a travesty. And, like you said Mike, it doesnt end here. The policy changes and legislation that will come from these next four years will affect this country in years to come. Bush will soon appoint FOUR new supreme court justices. And, in the year 2004, women will lose the right to have an abortion. 2004! We are not talking 1960. And, it doesnt end here. Jeb Bush is next in line. Who's to say that this won't be a dynasty? So I disagree with your statement that the dems need to use this experience as a wake up call. I think the platform is just fine and resonates with those in our country with good morals and values.

Fear and Disappointment (by Mike Hartt)

2004-11-17T09:24:00.000-05:00

Good email, my Ohio friend.

Your email really captures how I feel - an overwhelming sense of fear and disappointment, a conviction to return in 2008 with an even stronger sense of fight in us.

I cannot help but feel that this serves as yet another one of those "wake-up calls to the Democrats," and maybe that's what worries me the most. I believe strongly in the Democratic ideals, including that part of what makes our government so great is that it can indeed govern proactively, creating opportunity for all Americans, lifting up lives and encouraging hard work, not just adhering to a doctrine of states' rights and discrimination and hatred cloacked as "family values" and economic advancement for only the wealthy. But maybe this "wake up," this post-script of "why doesn't the Democratic message resonate," really just indicates that our country right now is focused on finding the enemy and killing them, on individuals getting ahead without concern for the collective good, on reinforcing how good or powerful we think we are in the world without caring to understand the rest of the world. I don't want to believe that, in part based on all the hopeful Democrats last night at the DNC party we went to, but when clearly so much of the country doesn't agree, even faced with a leader who seems so awful and untrustworthy.
The effort for 2008 has to begin immediately, and I think needs to start with an analysis of what the Dems will actually sell in 2008. Is this a party that needs to shift to the moderate side, for the sake of being more encompassing, or will we continue to cling to the more liberal end, in part to satisfy the base and see candidates easily win primaries. Where do we find the Southern leader or Midwestern leader who gives us a legitimate shot in places like NC or AR or TN, where people are out of work, where schools need help, where people have been scared into hatred of other countries and of other races and sexual orientations? It's a long ways away, but as the Republicans have shown, a coordinated effort needs to be more focused than the Dems have put out, exhibited by a candidate who up to the day before the election was still introducing himself to America.

I see young Republicans everywhere right now, they are vocal and strong, and are coming of age in a political era in which it is okay to trade civil liberties for security, where it is okay to spread fear and hatred of differences for the sake of maintaining traditional ways of life. Our side of our generation needs to stand up, needs to counter that effort, needs to explain that those are not the defining characteristics of this rising generation, that we are better than that. Indeed, we have not yet begun to fight.
- Mike

In These United States...

2004-11-17T09:23:00.000-05:00

Life is not perfect, but I have great appreciation for the process so few have the opportunity to undertake. The ramifications of what happened we will not know fully for years, but I tell you they are severe. The campaign failed but those I am with know we worked hard and the race wasn't lost in Youngstown. Sixty-three percent of Youngstown voted to change this country for the better, with voter turnout at a record high. Keep the faith my friends as we have not yet begun to fight. See you back at the Six-One-Six, Joe

Disenchantment in America

2004-11-17T09:15:00.000-05:00

The week before the election, I took some vacation time to travel to good 'ol Youngstown, Ohio to work for the DNC and Kerry-Edwards campaign. On a bus with fifty Buckeye Busters (our self-proclaimed name), I was the only one who had ever been to Youngstown, let alone spent my entire life there. It was awesome being home. While everyone else stayed at a Red Roof Inn in Boardman, I was sleeping at home, driving my car, and eating at home or at my favorite restaraunts with friends. A good time for sure but it was hard work trying to change America. The next couples posts will detail my work there, and the feelings of my friends and traveling companions during these changing times...

It's been a long time, where the gangstas at?

2004-10-21T14:08:00.000-04:00

So I forgot this even existed. Well, not really, but I was enough removed that I hadn't thought of it in months. In the last seven months, I have graduated college, moved to Washington, DC and now am an employee of the U.S. House of Representatives. Representin'! I will try and include some new posts about as often as MTV shows reruns of Pimp My Ride (hence the homage to Xzibit in my title), I promise.

John Edwards, Psychic

2004-02-24T22:09:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend, thousands of Clevelander's filled an auditorium at Cleveland State University to hear John Edwards speak. I wanted to be one of them. I had found out about the event several days earlier from my boss. As we discussed the event, a coworker who happens to be a professional in the communications field, walked in. Having joined mid-discussion, she was unclear who or what we were talking about.

It soon became evident that she understood us when she said, "Ohh, I never watch his TV show. I think talking to dead people is freaky."

Well, she had hit the nail on the head. While she thought we were talking about John Edwards, psychic, she was unable to put two and two together to understand that in fact, John Edwards, Democratic presidential hopeful was the subject of our conversation.

A blank stare confirmed my fears when we corrected her. We may as well have been talking about a junior Senator from South Carolina that no one has ever heard about... ohh wait, it appears we were.

I recovered from the episode, but it would not be the last. The next morning, while at a seminar on ethics, a friend had the same reaction... John Edwards, psychic.

Well, it appears that a politician having the same name as a morbid psychic is perhaps not the best thing one can do. I question two things here, neither of which is the ability of the presidential candidate's parents to chose a name for their child (after all, how could they know?). I question the political understanding of the college educated. After all, both of the people confused by my statements had college degrees or were five months from attaining theirs. Secondly, I question how in America today, with the 24-hour news cycle and the constant bombardment from television, radio, newspaper, and the internet (of which this blog is a product), can allow for the uninformed to exist.

And yet millions upon millions are clueless about politics. It's not just American's either. Roughly 1/3 of Europeans have no idea that the European Union is about to admit ten new member states on May 1. We have a generation of young people who are as uninformed as people two hundred years ago, when snail mail and newspapers were the only form of media, and even that could take weeks to travel from one end of this country to the other.

People need to understand that this country is about being informed. Its roots are based upon the fact that people can make the decision to change it. Without having a political understanding behind it, we are soon to be lost. It won't be too long until we turn on our TV and John Edwards is holding a seance.

Check out www.rockthevote.com for more information on how to vote, the issues, and ways you can get involved.

The Loss of one of the Bravest

2004-02-24T21:41:00.000-05:00

Yesterday probably began as a normal day for Ed Conricote. He was coming off of a weekend visiting friends who were fellow fire buffs, so called because of their affinity of following and paying tribute to the world of firefighters. A Road Department employee of Liberty Township, Ohio, he may have been at work, fixing potholes created by the massive amounts of snow and salt deposited on township roadways.

At 4:11, the Liberty Fire Department was dispatched to a fire at 2790 Barth. Ed would have heard about the call as it was dispatched. It would have come over his fire department-issued pager. As a volunteer firefighter for the Liberty Fire Department, he responded to this blaze just like the paid firefighters who staffed the stations 24/7. It appeared nothing serious; just a car on fire inside a garage. Firefighters, however, learn to not take anything for granted. The smallest ember can create the largest conflagration, which is why all the front-line engines as well as the ambulance in the two-station department responded.

At this fire, Ed and his fellow firefighters were not taking any chances. The officer on scene determined that the water in the engine’s booster tank would not be enough to contain the blaze, so hooking up to a hydrant would be necessary. Ed, like the great firefighter he was, got into the thick of it, pulling hose off of Liberty FD Engine 35. What happened next has yet to be determined.

As he pulled the hose, he suddenly fell, striking his head on the ground. At the time, no one knew just how bad it was. The shock of the accident, worry for a friend, and the strain of putting out the fire kept crews silent, but minutes later, crews learned that Conricote's fall had been fatal.

Ed Conricote has been a firefighter for 15 years. He had been a fire buff all of his life. He lived the profession, and when he wasn’t on a fire scene, he still couldn’t escape it. I can remember him from about 15 years ago when I was only 6, yelling at me but not being mean, when my cousin’s and I would play in his parent’s backyard. I can remember him always showing up after work at their home to check in – like clockwork. Ed never married, but was not without those who loved him. His friends are countless. Those I know mostly are in the profession of fighting fire, or are fellow buffs. Below are just some of the thoughts others had on Ed:

Ed always greeted you with a smile and a good word. Ed loved the fire service and especially the YFD; I was looking forward to seeing Ed up at the Cleveland show in a few weeks. I could not agree with Greg more when he said Ed went out doing what he loved, I will miss my old friend, but I will never forget him.
- Bob, Youngstown

Shocked. What else can we feel at this time of disbelief along with a rude awakening that, yes, even the war horses of fire buffing are in fact mortals. Thanks to Greg Ricker for getting to know Ed – a gentle giant/teddy bear type and harmless soul. Very grieved
- Steve, Warren

Greg Ricker wrote the following obit about our friend:
Good Friend and Fellow Fire Buff, Ed Conricote, Passes Away

On February 23, 2004 at 16:11, the Liberty Fire Department was dispatched to 2790 Barth for a reported car on fire in the garage. Ed Conricote, a 15 year veteran, responded and began helping pull hose. Details are sketchy but it appears that Ed took a hard fall on the fireground. Despite numerous attempts to revive him, Ed was rushed to Saint Elizabeth's hospital and was pronounced dead a short time later. An autopsy is being performed to determine the exact cause of death but it appears that he died of a massive trauma to the head.

Since Ed was a child, he had always dreamed of becoming a firefighter. He grew up on the North side of Youngstown and later could often be found visiting neighborhood friends at Youngstown's Station 7. Ed was always glad to lend a hand. He went to seminary school to become a priest but left before completing the requirements. He then was a drug salesman in the Cleveland area. Ed moved to Liberty and worked for the Liberty Street Department and was a Volunteer for the Liberty Fire Department (http://www.libertytwp.com/fire.html) at the time of his passing.

He was a founding member of FirePage Ohio (FPO/D323) and he was an avid fire and train buff. He was a good friend to many and always greeted you with a friendly smile. Any discussion you had with Ed was bound to elicit his catch phrase "very good" which was as contagious as his friendship. Ed passed away doing what he loved best, helping others. He will be deeply missed.

Ed was never married and is survived by his mother and brother who also resides in the Youngstown area and a sister in Canton. Ed was 55 years old.

Ed was a great friend and we logged many hours talking about firefighting and about the Youngstown Fire Department. He was a wealth of knowledge and was just an all around great guy.

-----------------------------------------------
5-5-5-5
We'll miss you, Ed

Dean Scream Fever... Catch It!

2004-02-01T21:42:00.000-05:00

There has been so much talk over the last few weeks about the "Scream Heard Round the World." Ever since an impassioned speech the night he finished third in the Iowa Democratic Caucus, Howard Dean has been on the defensive, not truly been able to talk to his supporters through the media without that speech coming up.

Since that moment, Dean has shot right back at the media, who in turn, have been cutting him little slack (as they shouldn't, but it has gotten extreme. Well it appears that some journalists think there is more to this. In an interview with Dianne Sawyer, Dean was played the tape once more (for the 778 time that week... or something like that). Sawyers response to this story is incredible.

"After my interview with Dean and his wife in which I played the tape again -- in fact played it to them -- I noticed that on that tape he's holding a hand-held microphone. One designed to filter out the background noise. It isolates your voice, just like it does to Charlie Gibson and me when we have big crowds in the morning. The crowds are deafening to us standing there, but the viewer at home hears only our voice.

Dean's boisterous countdown of the upcoming primaries as we all heard it on TV was isolated, when in fact he was shouting over the roaring crowd.

And what about the scream as we all heard it? In the room, the so-called scream couldn't really be heard at all. Again, he was yelling along with the crowd."

Check out the whole story, and see the decision making processes of some of the news media leaders, including CNN and CBS, to see thier reaction to this unfrotunate portryal of Dean.

Related Links: http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/news/wabc_2004vote_012904dean.html

We Cannot Continue to Deny

2004-02-01T21:11:00.000-05:00

Time after time, in these uncertain and dangerous years, we have reaped the consequences of neglect and delay, of misery and disease and hunger left too long to fester unremedied…. As President Kennedy said, “If we cannot help the many who are poor, we cannot save the few who are rich.”

We cannot continue to deny and postpone the demands of our own people while spending billions in the name of the freedom of others. No nation can exert greater power of influence in the world than it can exercise over the streets of its own capital. A nation town by injustice and violence, its streets patrolled by army units – if this is to be out country, we can doubt how long others will look to us for leadership, or seek to participate on their common ventures. America was a great force in world, with immense prestige, long before we because a great military power. That power has come to us and we cannot renounce it, but neither can we afford to forget that the real constructive force in the world comes not from bombs but from imaginative ideas, worm sympathies, and generous spirit. These are qualities that cannot be manufactures by specialists in public relations. They are the natural qualities of a people pursuing decency and human dignity in its own undertakings without arrogance of hostility or delusions of superiority towards others, a people whose ideals for others are firmly rooted in the realties of the society we have built for ourselves.

We should give no more assistance to a government against any internal threat that that government is capable of using itself, through its agencies and instruments. We can help them but we cannot again try to do their jobs for them.

- Robert F. Kennedy

From: Kennedy, Maxwell Taylor. Make Gentle the Life of this World: The Vision of Robert F. Kennedy. New York City: Broadway Press, 1998. p 152-153.

I Should of Taken Spanish

2004-01-29T22:54:00.000-05:00

Did you ever notice that American’s are perhaps the least sophisticated people in the world? Well, I guess we are above the 12-year old Congolese warlord, I guess. Imagine, in almost every country in this world, English is taught as a second language. It is a fact of life that not only will Parisian’s grow speaking French, but also learn a complete second language, sometimes English, otherwise German, Italian, Latin, or Spanish. In most cases, students come out of high school with a firm grasp of some other country’s tongue.

In America, we have the exact opposite approach to life. Try and make Spanish an official language in the southern states and you will be dragged out in the street and shot. Try to create dual-language classrooms and parent’s will begin pulling their children from the schools and taking their business elsewhere.

I only say this because I wish that when I was in elementary school and high school that some teacher had made me learn Spanish or even Italian (I had 5 years of Italian in high school and college but that doesn’t mean I was made to learn it). I regret not forcing myself to grasp it. Being able to communicate with people is the very essence of human interaction. We wouldn’t interact if we had nothing to say to one another. Communication theory proves that one. I should have learned that Italian a little better…

Ciao.

Patrick Henry Would Have Been Proud

2004-01-29T22:42:00.000-05:00

Did you know that the longest horse race in American history is occurring right? It’s called the Democratic primary and its running and all 50 states. Anyone who has even remotely followed this election has seen Dean’s impassioned speech about 100 times, and only because the media has chosen to run it. They talk about who has the most electability, who gets mad, who can beat Bush, and who’s wife will do this and that if ‘elected’ First Lady. I am entirely sick of it.

People are already tired of this race because it has failed to talk about the issues. Where does Kerry stand on abortion? What about Dean and foreign policy? Leiberman on Medicare? Kucinich on drug control? Ok, so maybe we knew that last one, but the point is, Americans are at a loss. If even half of the time spent by the media was devoted to issues, we could actually get somewhere with this race. It has come down to a spectacle, a side show for politicians and cameramen.

CNN did a feature a few days ago about how the network reporters were driving their own campaign busses, decked out with sleeping quarters and kitchens, just like Dr. Dean! No longer does a reporter want to get some time with a candidate on the campaign bus. The trick now is to get the candidate some face time on the network’s bus. The media’s dominance in this race is America’s number one complaint (according to a survey of all five of my roommates, who apparently represent America). And I say, give us the issues or give us death! (There is a little Patrick Henry in all of us).

Vote Early and Often!

2004-01-29T00:15:00.000-05:00

Two hundred and seventeen years ago, the Framers of the Constitution created a system known as the Electoral College. Instead of using each individual vote as a count, they use delegates who cast their vote based on the voting percentages of the people in that state. Hypothetically, if Candidate A gets 60% of Ohio’s votes, he gets all of Ohio’s electoral votes. Anyone who was alive and over the age of 8 in 2000 knows that it is not a perfect system. Many are now resigned to that fact (particularly in Florida), and believe that nothing they do short of a Constitutional amendment removing the Electoral College and switching to a system of direct voting will ever make their vote truly count.

These people believe that they have no voice, and will not vote as a result. In fact, their only voice is to vote. Young voters are especially prone to this belief. In the 2000 general election, only 32% of voters age 18 to 24 actually went out and cast their ballot, and that was during a presidential election. It is even lower than that during non-presidential years. Many in this age group have little vested in government. They are paying little taxes, not collecting social security, not relying on Medicare, and are usually more concerned about paying their college tuition, saving up money to buy a tank of gas every week, and trying to find decent jobs rather than voting.

Wait! Finding decent jobs. Buying gas. Paying college tuition. And we thought young people had little vested in government?! Little do they realize that all of these things have to do with government, particularly at the national level. Young people should be just as concerned about their government because it is just that, their government. Decisions being made everyday in Washington affect young people. Chief among them are education reform, foreign policy (OPEC ring a bell to anyone? Gas runs not only your car but a large chunk of the economy as well), and jobs.

In New Hampshire last week, Howard Dean made an impassioned speech to a group of college students, urging them to not just help his campaign, but help America by getting out and voting. Voting is the single most important thing we can do to change this country. It ensures a check on government. If it weren’t intended for that purpose, we wouldn’t do it, and instead by ruled by King George Bush. But we aren’t, because at the heart of democracy is participation. We vote because we want to show our support for a country, and for an idea that the Framers created over 200 years ago. We will not always agree with that idea and that is why we must vote.

I am a college student; a senior at John Carroll University in Cleveland, OH. Two weeks ago I was one hour away from making an eight-hour drive to Iowa to back a candidate. Family reasons kept me from going. But if I had, would my single act have made a difference there? No, that play was over before it started (we just didn't know it). But my action combined with the actions of millions of people, especially young people in this country can make a difference. So as the time for your state’s primary or caucus draws closer, take part in this race, volunteer for a candidate; in some way, participate like the Framers intended you to – VOTE!