Keith Olbermann Lets Rumsfeld Have It!!

Did you miss Countdown's Keith Olbermann last night? His answer to Rumsfeld's speech was outstanding!!! Watch and read it
here.

This Week on the Daily Show

REPEAT EPISODES:

Tue 8/29 -- Thomas Kean -- former NJ governor, co-Chairman of 9/11 Commission

Wed 8/30 -- Samuel L. Jackson -- actor, "Snakes on a Plane"

Thur 8/31 -- Matt Dillon -- actor, "Factotum"

TWO MORE EMMMYS FOR THE DAILY SHOW!!

This Week on the Colbert Report

Repeat episodes:

Tue 8/29 -- Morgan Spurlock -- creator of 30 Days, FX

Wed 8/30 -- David Gergen -- presidential advisor

Thu 8/31 -- Neil Young -- musician

Air America on the Ropes? No Way!!

Steve Young, in HuffingtonPost.com, has written a column on the needed changes on Air America: more comic satire. Liberals don't want or need the Bill O'Reilly/Rush Limbaugh kinds of shows. We need more Stephanie Miller/Jim Ward comedy. Randi Rhodes is great, because she doesn't b-s her audience. But we are smart enough to hear both sides of an argument; this is why Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are so successful.
Steve claims that changes are in the wind for AirAmerica. Let's hope they do the right thing....and let's hope 103.1 gets enough power to send it all the way up here.

Old Time Bandera Political Rally!

The political candidates and about 120 Democrats from all over the hill country descended on Bandera's Mansfield park today for a really fun, really inspiring rally. Thanks to Jaye Rath and those other intrepid Bandera Democrats for organizing this thing...they did an outstanding job. For being outnumbered in a very rural county, they sure seem to make things happen!

I couldn't stay the whole time, but I got to see an outstanding stump speech by Chris Bell. Raised in Dallas, a TV reporter in Amarillo, and a former Houston city councilman, Bell has a wealth of experience and a strong sense of purpose about him. He inspired several standing ovations during his rousing speech.

Not to be outdone, John Courage also fired up the crowd and told them change was in the air, and it was up to the great Democrats like those at Mansfield Park to make it happen. Also speaking were Carlos Uresti, spunky Hank Gilbert (I've never heard a candidate call his opponent a male body part before, but it actually worked in context--he was hilarious), Fred Head, and Barbara Radnofsky, who's running for Senate (the seat occupied by embarrassment Kay Bailey Hutchison). I hated to leave before her speech because Radnofsky really fired up the troops at the Democratic Convention in June.

If I missed any candidates before or after, my apologies. And as one of the candidates said, thanks for holding the rally indoors!

Tonight: Bill Maher! Tomorrow: Bandera!

If you've got HBO, tonight at ten it's Real Time with Bill Maher. This is an outstanding, irreverent talk show that you really shouldn't miss. Tonight's guests: Film maker Spike Lee, Musician Elvis Costello, Daily Kos blogger Markos Zuniga, Max Cleland and Christopher Hitchens (who's a Bush apologist, but Maher rips him a new one about every time he's on). This should be an outstanding show.

Then tomorrow: there's Bandera's political rally at Mansfield Park. Almost all the major candidates will be there--Barbara Radnofsky, John Courage, David Van Os--and here's the clincher which should make you come: IT'S IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED BUILDING!

Lunch will be served...monies will be raised, candidates will be asked what they stand for. Folks, this is press-the-flesh politics at its best and you really should be there. If memory serves, it's 11AM 'til 4, but it's not as though you've got to stay for the whole thing. I look forward to seeing you there!

Flags Not Part of Geography Class

In Jefferson County, Colorado, seventh grade geography teacher was placed on leave for placing flags of other countries in his classroom. First year teacher Eric Hamlin displays the flags of different countries as part of his World History curriculum, rotating them out based on the countries being studied.
This apparently violates a new statute in colorado, which states:
"Any person who displays any flag other than the flag of the United States of America or the state of Colorado or any of its subdivisions, agencies or institutions upon any state, county, municipal or other public building or adjacent grounds within this state commits a class 1 petty offense."
What are these people so afraid of? It's this sort of statute that gives us presidents who ask, "Is our children learning?"

Check out this surreal video!

It's from the Colbert Report, and it features several treadmills.

Could 'Is Bush An Idiot' Be A Campaign Plan?

Yes, it could be, says Kathleen Reardon in the Huffington Post. It does make sense, Rovian sense. Ms Reardon believes that when something seems out of kilter, it probably is. She also believes that Bush is in on it. Think of his naturally idiotic behavior recently, one stupid act right after another. The mouth open chewing & spitting food,the Republican Scarborough with the "Is Bush An Idiot?" show and Blair agreeing with his Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott that "Bush is Çrap". Kathleen Reardon suggests that, if the Dems take Congress in November, impeaching Bush will die out. "So the guys not too sharp, we agree, so why bother."
In her book "It's All Politics", Ms Readon expands on this theory. She worries that if this continues with more conservatives joining in, we would have nothing to fight. And we could end up losing in 2008.
Scary, huh?

This Week on the Daily Show

Mon, 8/21 -- Reza Aslan -- Research Associate at USC's Center on Public Diplomacy, author, "No god but God"

Tue 8/22 -- William Cohen -- former Secretary of Defense

Wed 8/23 -- Frederick Lane -- author, "The Decency Wars"

Thur 8/24 -- Martin Short -- actor, comedian

This Week on the Colbert Report

Mon 8/21 -- Geoffrey Nunberg -- author, Talking Right

Tue 8/22 -- Paul Krugman -- New York Times Columnist

Wed 8/23 -- Gideon Yago -- MTV News correspondent

Thu 8/24 -- Janna Levin -- A Madman Dreams of Turing Machines

Blair 'Feels Betrayed by Bush'

Tony Blair reportedly agrees with John Prescott, who has publicly called Bush's record on the Middle East "crap". The source also asked, "How can anyone have faith in a man of such low intellect?" Isn't that a question we all ask ourselves at least once a day?

The August Kendallian Newsletter is now online

Please check out our monthly newsletter. It's got lots of interesting news and important information.

"Not the Same Mommy"

This a sad, and terribly disturbing story about returning female soldiers. Just think about all the kids in this country whose mothers have serious mental disorders because of their stint in this disgusting, useless war. We'll have a whole new generation of children with their own mental issues because of their moms' inability to recover from the horrors they have witnessed. Hey, thanks President Bush!

King endorses ethnic profiling - Newsday.com

King endorses ethnic profiling - Newsday.com: "Declaring that airport screeners shouldn't be hampered by 'political correctness,' House Homeland Security Chairman Peter King has endorsed requiring people of 'Middle Eastern and South Asian' descent to undergo additional security checks because of their ethnicity and religion."

Has King ever met a Muslim? Does he not realize that Muslims are not the same color, ethnic background, or even from the Middle East? There are Muslims in Bosnia, Philippines, Africa, etc. Some are blond and blue-eyed. So how to we pick them out? Oh, maybe they can wear a red crescent instead of a star of David?

65 Pregnant Students = End to Abstinence-Only Education

Truthdig - Ear to the Ground - 65 Pregnant Students = End to Abstinence-Only Education: "An Ohio school board voted to allow discussion of contraception in sex education classes upon learning that 13% of one high school�s female students were pregnant. "

Ya think learning about contraception might be a good idea? LOL, we have been saying this for how long? Glad somebody woke up.

Judge nixes warrantless surveillance - Yahoo! News

Yeah, Bush and Co. there's this little document called the constitution...we, the people, agree that it must be upheld.
Judge nixes warrantless surveillance - Yahoo! News: "A federal judge on Thursday struck down President Bush's warrantless surveillance program, saying it violated the rights to free speech and privacy, as well as the separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution. "

Deputy PM Bush = Crap

Hot Air : Prescott made the comment during a meeting with MPs who represent large Muslim constituencies, while they were busy using the terror plot to try to extort concessions from him on foreign policy."

Scarborough: “Is Bush An ‘Idiot’?”

For those of you who missed this on 'Scarborough Country' last night, watch it now. It's great!

A Follow-Up To Last Night's Lamar Smith Post

About 15 of us who definitely are not supporters of Lamar Smith were in Boerne last night to be a presence as the congressman met with supporters at a local eatery. I must say, in Republicanville, it took a little courage to do so. Fortunately, John Courage was there and all went well.

As the 30 or so Smith-ites left the restaurant, most looked away from us as we said good night, or as Courage greeted them, but one guy stopped, lifted up his Lamar Smith bumper sticker, and said with no small amount of pride: "Small Government. That's what we believe in!"

"Really? When are you gonna get started with that?" I said.

Candidate Courage had asked us to be as close to silent as possible when they passed, but as long as I have a heartbeat and a Republican claims he believes in small government, I'm gonna respond.

He either didn't hear me, or the well-coifed 50-something Smith supporter thought that simply repeating the claim would shut me up. So he repeated it.

"So that small government thing...when ya gonna get started doing that?" I said more emphatically. I could see this time he heard me, as I was to his side, and that side of his face fell peceptably. He managed to engage some conversation with someone in front of him about being a veteran before finally realizing he was a rat and it was his job to jump the sinking ship...he turned and left.

So how have those small government Republicans shrunk the government? Take a look at the National Debt Clock and tell me: is the cost of government shrinking, or is it growing? This guy and his song-n-dance are so typical of Republicans. They believe in a concept, but then behave in precisely the opposite fashion. Further, they're completely incapable of seeing that.

9/11 Press for Truth

9/11 Press for Truth A documentary on THE definitive timeline for 9/11. Watch the trailer and then watch for the movie to come to a theater near us.

It Takes Courage To Speak Truth to Power

...and John Courage is just the guy to do it. That's Congressional Candidate John Courage in the middle back--the suit-n-tie guy--Monday night at the Hungry Horse in Boerne. He and about 15 supporters (many were inside eating) showed up to greet Lamar Smith and hand out campaign literature to those who came to meet Smith, as well as those who just came for some of the cafe's tasty grub.

Other than the really grouchy Republican who stuck his finger in the face of one of the three high school students who were there to support Candidate Courage, the Republicans were a pretty quiet lot. In days past I have no doubt they'd have been confrontational. But there's basically nothing they can point to as having worked out how they told us it would. So tonight, they were a lot closer to meek than anything.

But back to John Courage. This is a solid guy who needs your support. If you don't know him, check out his web site. If you can afford to send him some money, he could sure use it. If you haven't signed his petition to re-file to run for congress--he's having to do this a 2nd time, thanks to last week's re-districting fiasco--then please sign his petition.

If you've done both, or can do neither, here's something you can do: show up! About 15 of us did tonight, and we had a great time being a part of the Democratic process. I don't know how else to say it, but that it feels good to be doing something. Being a presence, letting people know that there are those of us who stand for Democratic beliefs just makes me feel more American. That's a feeling you can have to: just show up!

This Week on the Daily Show

Mon, 8/14 -- Thomas Ricks--Washington Post reporter, author, "Fiasco"

Tue 8/15 -- Samuel L. Jackson--actor, "Snakes on a Plane"

Wed 8/16 -- Thomas Kean--former NJ governor, co-Chairman of 9/11 Commission

Thur 8/17 -- Matt Dillon--actor, "You, Me and Dupree"

This Week on the Colbert Report

Mon 8/14 -- Ramesh Ponnuru--author, Party of Death

Tue 8/15 -- David Gergen--presidential advisor

Wed 8/16 -- Morgan Spurlock--30 Days, FX

Thu 8/17 -- Neil Young--musician

Lamar Smith in Boerne Monday 8/14

Boerne Star Online: "Lamar Smith in Boerne Monday"
So, be there in front of the Hungry Horse at 5:30 pm, or at least prior to 6 pm. Let's support John Courage and perhaps ask Lamar Smith where he lives, because we know he only comes to our district once or twice per year, if that.






Kendall County was recently moved back into the Congressional District 21, so District 21 representative Lamar Smith is coming back to Kendall County.

Smith has announced his intention of run for reelection in the new congressional district and will be speaking in Boerne Monday at 6 p.m. at the Hungry Horse Restaurant. The public is welcome to attend. "

CNN.com - Chertoff: No sign plotters targeted U.S. - Aug 13, 2006

The Bush administration--the boys who cried wolf--eventually nobody will believe them.
CNN.com - Chertoff: No�sign plotters targeted U.S. - Aug 13, 2006: "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- 'Current evidence' does not show the people involved in an alleged plot to blow up airplanes planned to conduct any operations in the United States, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Sunday.
'The current evidence does not show any plotting occurring inside the United States or any plan to conduct operations within the United States,' Chertoff told CNN's 'Late Edition.'
Chertoff's remarks came three days after police in England arrested about two dozen people allegedly involved in a plot to use liquid explosives to blow up as many as 10 passenger planes during flights from the United Kingdom to the United States.
That prompted an immediate ban on liquids and gels in carry-on luggage in the UK and U.S. that resulted in widespread flight cancellations and delays. (Watch why checking in bags may not keep planes safe -- 1:58)"

Dems at Market Days: Hot, Hot, Hot!

This weekend was the Democrats' first appearance in a couple of years at Boerne's Market Days. It's one of the funnest things we get to do--along with when we open up a headquarters--because we get to talk to people who don't yet know us.

During my 3-hour shift I didn't have any Republicans approach me and tell me how wrong I was. That's a change from the last time I did Market Days, and I think a pretty good barometer for their collective confidence level. Basically, Republicans have been steering this country for the better part of a decade and we're in pretty deep do-do. Used to be we'd have right wingers approach us, cocky and full of bluster about how Republicans were going to set things straight and make government work again...alas, that cockiness has disappeared along with their poll numbers.

But quite a few folks approached--a school official from San Marcos, a Dallas couple who have just moved here, and quite a number of others, to thank us for being there and to sign the John Courage petition so that he can appear on the ballot. The John Courage petition is very important, and if you don't know about it, get ahold of a Democrat. We'll fill you in and bring that petition by so you can sign it.

One guy walked into the booth with a big hat and sunglasses and walked right up to my chair and said without a smile "You know what's wrong with Texas Democrats?"
"No, but I'll bet you're gonna tell me" I said.
"There's not enough of us!" he cracked with a smile. He's right. But unlike Republicans, our numbers are growing.

Pictured above are Natalie and Cindy, who "woman'd" the booth with me this Sunday morning. We'll be back handing out common sense and literature next time Market Days comes around--the 9th and 10th of September. Swing by and say hi.

Market Days on Boerne's Town Square

The Kendall County Democrats have rented a booth at Boerne's Market Days to get the word out as to what Democrats stand for. Come by and tell us what you think is important. Meet your Democratic friends...get some information on who's running, and find out why the heck you shouldn't vote for Kinky Friedman.

We'll also be there next month, so watch for us on the 2nd weekend.

Democrats and the Economy

"Every time Bush opens his mouth, the stock market goes down", a comment made to my husband this morning by an ex-Republican aroused my curiousity. I couldn't really question the open mouth/stock market drop without a call to a stock broker, but I didn't think that question would be appreciated on Friday afternoon. But I could see what I could find about Democratic/Republican administrations and the economy. What I did find is very interesting. The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco's Economic Letter (1998) reported slightly higher returns during Democratic administrations. Two columns by Michael Kinsley, in 2004 and in 2005 are a bit stronger.
It seems to me our Democratic frontrunners should be talking more about the economy, along with other issues important to us. Let's make the Republicans defend themselves, not put us on the defensive.

The boy who cried "Terror!"

Ok, is anyone else getting tired of this little "terror plot" game? I don't ever believe anything coming out of this administration--nor Blair's administration anymore. Also, the timing is just a little too neat. We pathetic Democrats are so soft on terror and security, and the nation must be reminded how dangerous this mean old world is. Grrrgh.

David Van Os VS Your Apathy: Which Will Win?

David Van Os will be here tomorrow--Thursday--at 10:30 in the morning. He's doing one of those old style whistle-stop stump speeches on the steps at the Kendall County Courthouse. His race for the Attorney General's office is an uphill one. Kinda like Ned Lamont's uphill race against 2000's Democratic Nominee for Vice President, Joe Lieberman. If you've been out of touch for the last 24 hours, know this: internationally-known several-time incumbent Senator Joe Lieberman lost to an unknown so-called pencil-necked geek in Connecticut. Well, David Van Os isn't a pencil-necked geek. Besides being smart and passionate, he's a good guy. You really should give your apathy a quick kick in the butt, and show up tomorrow morning. Be an American! Go listen to a politician on the courthouse steps tell you why he deserves your vote! It'll make you feel good again!

The U.S. vs. John Lennon

The U.S. vs. John Lennon
Coming to the Bijou, and not to be missed. View the trailer.

Connecticut News from The Hartford Courant ::: State, National, & World News On courant.com

Hurrah ! !
Connecticut News from The Hartford Courant ::: State, National, & World News On courant.com: "August 8, 2006, 11:19 PM

Lieberman Concedes
U.S. Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman conceded defeat in the Democratic primary just after 11 p.m., but pledged to continue his candidacy as an independent."

This Week on the Daily Show

Tue 8/8 -- Brian Williams anchor, NBC News

Wed 8/9 -- Craig Glenday editor, Guinness World Records

Thur 8/10 -- Dale Earnhardt, Jr. NASCAR auto racer

This Week on the Colbert Report

Tue 8/8 -- Bill Rhoden NY Times Sports Columnist

Wed 8/9 -- Alexandra Robbins author, The Overachievers

Thu 8/10 -- Eli Pariser Executive Director, Moveon.org

Watch the Lamont/Lieberman Race

A stockbroker friend sent me this website so I can watch political betting until November. He said that any number under 50 indicates a losing candidate, party or team. Lieberman is currently in the 20s. To see the Connecticut race, click on politics from the list on the left, then primary races and then the Lamont/Lieberman race.
I don't understand sports betting, but was told that this site always predicts the winner.

CNN.com - VA: Data for 38,000 veterans missing - Aug 7, 2006

This makes me really angry. Again Veterans data is lost! Will I be getting yet another letter? And of course, no help to watch my credit? CNN.com - VA: Data for 38,000 veterans missing - Aug 7, 2006: "WASHINGTON (AP) -- As many as 38,000 veterans may be at risk of identity theft because a Veterans Affairs Department subcontractor lost a desktop computer containing their sensitive personal data.
VA Secretary Jim Nicholson said that Unisys Corp., a subcontractor hired to assist in insurance collections for VA medical centers in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, reported the missing computer last Thursday. The computer was being used in Unisys offices in Reston, Virginia.
It is not yet known what happened to the computer, Nicholson said, adding that local and federal authorities are investigating.

Hear Ye Hear Ye: David Van Os Is Coming To Town

...and you really oughtta be there. Thursday morning at 10:30 he'll arrive for an old-fashioned whistle-stop speech on the Kendall County Courthouse steps. He's a heckuva stump speaker, and he'll get your heart pounding as he reminds you why Democrats--especially now--are the party which represents by far the best of what America's got to offer.

What's he got to say for himself? Here's a bite:
With pride I stand with Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, who has brought new life to the political process and to my party with his honesty, his courage, and his fighting spirit.

Van Os represents the Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party. In other words, he believes in our Constitution and keeping it strong. That puts him in direct contradiction to what the Bush administration is standing for these days.

If you want to find out what he stands for, go here to see what he's got to say.

Whatever you do, do the one thing that'll cost you nothing: show up on Thursday morning at the Kendall County Courthouse and thank Van Os for representing your ideas!

Academic Association Protests Bush Policies

The leading professional body for academics in journalism and media studies has passed an official resolution protesting the anti-press policies of the Bush administration. The Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication believes that the press should keep the government honest. They say, "that the current administration has enacted policies that attack the press specifically and by extension, democracy itself". The resolution lists 10 major grievances, including the staged town hall meetings and the payments to writers to create fake news stories both here and in Iraq.
It amazes me that this man has 30+ per cent of the American population still believing his lies. Are they the people who don't read? The double digit IQ folks? How DID this happen?

Eyes Wide Open exhibit

Experience Eyes Wide Open : Eyes Wide Open Exhibit : AFSC This is a very moving video of the exhibit. Take time to watch the video and if Eyes Wide Open comes to a location near you, please go and see the exhibit.

Photo of the Eyes Wide Open exhibit in San Antonio.

Promoting Political Awareness through Songs, Satire and Entertainment!

The Battle of New Orleans 2005

Drinking liberally group in San Antonio!

San Antonio, Texas

Second Thursday of each month (next meeting August 10), 6 pm onward
Blue Star Brewery, 1414 S Alamo St (First building when entering the Blue Star Arts complex)
We will be seated upstairs, in the loft. I'll have a sign.
Hosted by Bill Livermore and Livi Bogrand, sanantonio (at) drinkingliberally.org

Media Matters - Boortz: Adults earning minimum wage are "incompetent", "ignorant", "stupid", "worthless," and "pathetic"

This man is a pig! There is a link at media matters to his email. Consider sending him a few thoughts. Media Matters - Boortz: Adults earning minimum wage are "incompetent", "ignorant", "stupid", "worthless," and "pathetic": "BOORTZ: I want you to think about this, folks. You know, most of the people that earn minimum wage are teenagers. They're in the job market for a short period of time, they're learning some job skills, they're learning workplace skills. Most of the people who aren't teenagers that have a minimum-wage job, it lasts about three to four months, and they're off making more money. I want you to think for think for a moment of how incompetent and stupid and worthless, how -- that's right, I used those words -- how incompetent, how ignorant, how worthless is an adult that can't earn more than the minimum wage? You have to really, really, really be a pretty pathetic human being to not be able to earn more than the human wage. Uh -- human, the minimum wage."

9/11 Live

listen to this! It goes along with the previous article just posted. These are excerpts from the tapes on 9/11 from NORAD. Since the air traffic controller tapes that cover the minutes before this were destroyed, this is all we have, and it's pretty damning. the tapesthe tapes

9/11 Panel Suspected Deception by Pentagon

9/11 Panel Suspected Deception by Pentagon: "9/11 Panel Suspected Deception by Pentagon
Allegations Brought to Inspectors General

By Dan Eggen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 2, 2006; A03

Some staff members and commissioners of the Sept. 11 panel concluded that the Pentagon's initial story of how it reacted to the 2001 terrorist attacks may have been part of a deliberate effort to mislead the commission and the public rather than a reflection of the fog of events on that day, according to sources involved in the debate.
Suspicion of wrongdoing ran so deep that the 10-member commission, in a secret meeting at the end of its tenure in summer 2004, debated referring the matter to the Justice Department for criminal investigation, according to several commission sources. Staff members and some commissioners thought that e-mails and other evidence provided enough probable cause to believe that military and aviation officials violated the law by making false statements to Congress and to the commission, hoping to hide the bungled response to the hijackings, these sources said.
In the end, the panel agreed to a compromise, turning over the allegations to the inspectors general for the Defense and Transportation departments, who can make criminal referrals if they believe they are warranted, officials said.
'We to this day don't know why NORAD [the North American Aerospace Command] told us what they told us,' said Thomas H. Kean, the former New Jersey Republican governor who led the commission. 'It was just so far from the truth. . . . It's one of those loose ends that never got tied.'"

War, is it ever a good idea?

Children in Lebanon Lebanon is mostly Christian, not Muslim as our US government would like you to believe. So you have no business rationalizing this as Bush would like you to do. This is about the US exercising power over another part of the world. It has nothing to do with Israeli self-protection. That is just the myth they want you to believe.
Face it, all parents, in general, just want to raise happy, healthy children. We, as a nation, need to promote a world-wide environment that will do just that. It's not about corporations and profits, it is about peace and properity for all...an anathema to the rich, but what the world needs.

Scoop: Worst Ever Security Flaw In Diebold Voting Machine

Scoop: Worst Ever Security Flaw In Diebold Voting MachineScoop: Worst Ever Security Flaw In Diebold Voting Machine: "This may be the worst security flaw we have seen in touch screen voting machines,� says Open Voting Foundation president, Alan Dechert. Upon examining the inner workings of one of the most popular paperless touch screen voting machines used in public elections in the United States, it has been determined that with the flip of a single switch inside, the machine can behave in a completely different manner compared to the tested and certified version.
�Diebold has made the testing and certification process practically irrelevant,� according to Dechert. �If you have access to these machines and you want to rig an election, anything is possible with the Diebold TS -- and it could be done without leaving a trace. All you need is a screwdriver.� This model does not produce a voter verified paper trail so there is no way to check if the voter�s choices are accurately reflected in the tabulation. "pictures

Worst Ever Security Flaw In Diebold Voting Machine

Scoop: Worst Ever Security Flaw In Diebold Voting Machine: "This may be the worst security flaw we have seen in touch screen voting machines,� says Open Voting Foundation president, Alan Dechert. Upon examining the inner workings of one of the most popular paperless touch screen voting machines used in public elections in the United States, it has been determined that with the flip of a single switch inside, the machine can behave in a completely different manner compared to the tested and certified version.
�Diebold has made the testing and certification process practically irrelevant,� according to Dechert. �If you have access to these machines and you want to rig an election, anything is possible with the Diebold TS -- and it could be done without leaving a trace. All you need is a screwdriver.� This model does not produce a voter verified paper trail so there is no way to check if the voter�s choices are accurately reflected in the tabulation. "pictures

The Congressional Roll Call?

Not yet. I hope the San Antonio Express News will put the Congressional Roll Call in their online paper soon. This will make it a lot easier to put on the blog. But until then, you can find House and Senate votes from the week before last here.
A brief recap of some of the votes of Senators Cornyn and Hutchison from this past week:
1.Both voted to make it a federal crime to transport a minor across a state line for an abortion to avoid parental notification in her home state. Bill S 403 passed.
2.Both voted against federal grants to promote sex education as a deterrent to teen pregnancies. Bill 48-51, an amendment to bill S 403,was defeated. Wouldn't having passed this bill helped to make Bill S 403 unnecessary?
3.Both voted to confirm Judge J.A. Holmes. Guess he's conservative bcause he was confirmed.
4.Both voted to advance a bill to open 8.34 million acres in the Gulf on Mexico to oil and gas drilling. Texas would get 37.5 per cent of royalties paid by energy companies,with the federal Treasury and the Land and Water Conservation Fund getting the rest. The bill S 3711 was advancec by a vote of 86-12. I wonder how the alternative engergy bills are doing? I wonder if there are any. Well, at least now I know where to look.