Ohio Provisional Ballot Ruling Reversed

Ohio Provisional Ballot Ruling Reversed

"The ruling by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals supports an order issued by Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell. Democrats contend the Republican official's rules are too restrictive and allege they are intended to suppress the vote. Ohio Democrats were discussing in a conference call Saturday night whether to file an appeal in the case, one of the first major tests of how such ballots will be handled in a close election......Blackwell has said allowing voters to cast a ballot wherever they show up, even if they're not registered to vote there, is a recipe for Election Day chaos.The Ohio Democratic Party and a coalition of labor and voter rights groups argue that Blackwell's order discriminated against the poor and minorities, who tend to move more frequently."

Newsweek- OHIO: The Next Florida by Howard Fineman
Fineman is forwarding the notion that Ohio may be so close that it will be a fight to the finish. He plays directly into the poll trap, placing poll results on par with the result of true and real democracy, which can only be represented by those who actually come out to vote on Election Day. But who is representing the voters? In Ohio, Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell is fighting against those people who wish to participate in the process while polls spread the myth of the popularity of Dubya Bush. I don't see Fineman as being helpful here. The people need the journalists' support instead of their lust for controversy and poll-speak. The people need the truth.

Plain Dealer Fiasco/Headlines

by Jack Ohman, OregonLive.com

Headlines

**Cleveland Plain Dealer to Endorse Bush Even Though Majority of Editorial Board Voted For Kerry (5-2)**
The Cleveland Plain Dealer's publisher is overriding the editorial board. Lorain Journal editors were told that either they endorse George Bush or they endorse no one. So, they are endorsing no one.

NOTE: It is critical for us to start a MAJOR letter writing campaign to the Plain Dealer and to spread the word about the publisher overruling the editorial board's vote. If this is going on here, you can imagine it's being duplicated all over the country.

Letters can be mailed to the Editor, The Plain Dealer, 1801 Superior Ave, Cleveland 44114. Email can be sent to letters@plaind.com. Faxes can be sent to 216-999-6209.

SEE UPDATE ON MAIN PAGE/DAILY KOS.
Apparently, this has something to do with a conflict between Richard Holbrooke and the publisher of the Plain Dealer, Alex Machaskee. To me, a publisher going over the heads of the editorial board for revenge seems to be a non-democratic and unAmerican way to conduct the business of editorializing in an American newspaper. The Plain Dealer's journalistic integrity will be lost on many because of this.

From Editor and Publisher:

"E&P has learned from several sources at the Cleveland Plain Dealer that the paper's nine-person editorial board decided earlier this week that it wanted to endorse Kerry but Publisher Alex Machaskee, who has final say, has decided on Bush. The paper backed Bush in 2000. This has caused consternation in some quarters at the Plain Dealer, with sources telling E&P that the endorsement editorial, which was expected to run Sunday, was put off."

Jesse "The Body" Ventura Slams Bush
Ventura breaks his own rule against endorsing major-party candidates because he is so unhappy with President Bush's leadership on the war in Iraq, the deployment of National Guard and reservists overseas and the treatment of veterans. Jesse endorses John Kerry.

Stocks sent sliding on rash of bad news

A repeat of the 2000 recount would almost certainly send stocks tumbling

Crude Oil Tops $55 per Barrel

"It hurts to see my wife cry"- Margaret Hassan's husband appeals for her release

Further abuse at Abu Ghraib detailed

Army captain sues government, saying Iraq assignment came after he had retired

Vote for a man, not a puppet by Charlie Reese

"This election really is important, not only for domestic reasons, but because Bush's foreign policy has been a dangerous disaster..I will swallow a lot of petty policy differences with Kerry to get a man in the White House with brains enough not to blow up the world and us with it."

UPDATE: What's Happening in Lucas County?

"It’s an area of opportunity. It’s that little extra percentage we’re trying to make up in Lucas County that could pull Ohio through for the president in a close race."

--Bernadette Noe, chairwoman of the Lucas County Republican Party

UPDATE: What's Happening in Lucas County?
PART ONE HERE

The Columbus Dispatch has an interesting article about Dick Cheney's appearance in Sylvania, Ohio on Thursday.

While in Sylvania speaking to a crowd of 500 supporters, Cheney said:

"What Senator Kerry is trying hardest of all to hide is his record on national security."

Very interesting, considering that the Bush administration lied (boldfaced) to us consistently, handing us almost thirty different rationales for attacking Iraq while they kept their real intentions in tight secrecy and, to this day, waver, swerve, and dodge the obvious realities of failure on the ground in Iraq.

Frankly, all I've seen John Kerry doing is pointing out those realities.

Who's trying to bury their national security record and lies to America in a near-fantasy world of wild optimism, fables of grand coalitions, and (knowing Iraq will be a hardline fundamentalist democracy at best), a child's tale of freedom and liberty to rival "My Pet Goat"?

You know who: Dick and George.

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There are disturbing things happening in Lucas County That Are Happening Across America

At the Sylvania rally, a Bush/Cheney supporter named Rita Fournier cited the Iraq war in Iraq as the top issue for this election, saying:

"We were right to go there because we needed to do something to protect our country. John Kerry is two-faced about the war; he says what people want to hear."

If anyone watched the three presidential debates, they should clearly understand that John Kerry has, indeed, been consistent with his plan for national security. All they needed to do was to listen with a discerning and open, independent mind.

Rita is just one out of many Bush/Cheney supporters who have been systematically trained to misunderstand the reality which has unfolded before them in Iraq. A recent study shows similar cognitive dissonance with many Bush/Cheney supporters.

There have been studies tracking the public's misperceptions of major news events and polling people to find out just where they go to get things flat out wrong. It is interesting, but not surprising, to find that, statistically, those who consistently get the actual facts wrong about what our country has done and is doing - and about much of what is happening in the world - use Fox News as their usual source of information.

PIPA- The Program on International Policy Attitudes - has released a recent study titled Public Perceptions of the Foreign Policy Positions of the Presidential Candidates- Bush Supporters Misread Many of His Foreign Policy Positions- pdf file. There are two subheadings which speak volumes. "Kerry Supporters Largely Accurate" and "Swing Voters Also Misread Bush, But Not Kerry."

Related article at 'Just Above Sunset'

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DAILY KOS: The GOP is hiring recruits and paying them $100 on election day to "challenge" the validity of voters' registrations!


Toledo Blade- Ohio GOP to deploy 3,600 for challenges
Republican Party officials in Ohio took formal steps yesterday to place thousands of recruits inside polling places Nov. 2 to challenge the qualifications of voters who they suspect may not be eligible to cast ballots. In Lucas County (and other Ohio counties), Republicans are trying to blame Democrat '527' fund groups for "undermining the Ohio election". David Sullivan, voter protection coordinator for the Ohio Democratic Party, called the latest challenges an "unprecedented effort to throw tens of thousands of voters off of Ohio's voting rolls." (Question: If the 527 ads sparked voter interest and participation, how is the election process undermined? Sour grapes, GOP!


Bad News for all would-be voters: Judge Carr issued a decision favorable to Mr. Blackwell when he ruled late Thursday against the Lucas County and Ohio Democratic Parties.
As I described to you on Thursday, the case involved a space, Box 10, on Ohio Voter registration forms asking applicants to provide their driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number. Blackwell's office told county boards of elections that the registration applications couldn't be accepted if Box 10 wasn't filled and the form was submitted in person at a county elections board, a public library, or vehicle department. Democracy loses this one.

Let's Work Together to Elect Kerry/Edwards

Let's Work Together to Elect Kerry/Edwards
They're Going to Win - Believe It!

There are less than two weeks left before the presidential election. I'm optimistic that John Kerry will be elected by a clear and undeniable margin on November 2nd, no matter how the mainstream media beats the "close race" drum.

America knows too much of the truth to allow Bush to take our country further down the drain for another four years.

Democracy and strength at home, and respect in the world for America must be restored.

Let's work hard these next 10 days to make it happen.



credit- AP photo, Oct 22 in Reno, Nevada


Never lose hope. The Johns have got it goin' on!

KERRY-EDWARDS ONLINE FORUM
ACTION PLAN: POST ON BLOGS, FORUMS AND MESSAGE BOARDS
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Visit as many as you can. Please participate. Volunteer.
Do all you can.



credit: Reuters photo, John Kerry and Dana Reeve, Oct 21st
Christopher Reeve spent his final evening cheering on presidential hopeful John Kerry.

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From Political Strategy:
"Top 35 Trends that say Kerry will Take the White House in November

"Recently, a couple nationwide polls have shown Bush with a substantial lead, including some nonsensical outlier from Fox News and an equally unrealistic poll from Gallup which showed likely voters favoring Bush by 8 points. What's going on?

Fear not. It is all a grand load of garbage!

See the transcript of John Kerry's powerful speech in Iowa:
A Fresh Start: Succeeding In Iraq And Winning Against Terrorism