Posted by Mary Mancini on May 29, 2008 under Uncategorized | 
It started out as a little wondering. You watched Recount on HBO and thought, “Boy, that Kevin Spacey sure is a good actor…Hey, wait a minute! Are we better off as voters now then when we were in 2000?” And this wondering is getting louder. It’s now a rumbling. Listen closely and you can hear it. You can hear it in the 15-page report jointly compiled and distributed by the Lawyers Committee and the National Campaign for Fair Elections (and first brought to our attention by the astute Mark Crispin Miller), that demonstrates, based on information gathered during this year’s primary elections, that our state and county and local election systems are unprepared for a heavy turnout. We’re not ready. Our election systems count on a low voter turn out and continued voter apathy. We’re not ready. Few problems occur in affluent areas. We’re not ready. The problems are concentrated in low income, Black and Hispanic neighborhoods. We’re not ready. If the race is close, “mishaps at the polls could cause another Election 2000-styled fiasco.” We’re not ready. Among the worse states was Pennsylvania. We’re not ready.
We’re not ready for November.
We’re not equipped to handle a massive voter turnout.
We’re not equipped to handle the small margins that caused the confusion and lawsuits in Florida in 2000.
WE. ARE. NOT. READY.
Posted by Mary Mancini on May 19, 2008 under Uncategorized |
Yesterday’s Sunday Times had an interesting piece about the next first woman president. “She Just Might Be President Someday,” offers up a profile of Hillary Clinton’s successor (just in case she doesn’t win the nomination):
That woman will come from the South, or west of the Mississippi. She will be a Democrat who has won in a red state, or a Republican who has emerged from the private sector to run for governor. She will have executive experience, and have served in a job like attorney general, where she will have proven herself to be “a fighter” (a caring one, of course).
Names bandied about include Sarah Palin, the Republican governor of Alaska, as well as democratic Governors Janet Napolitano of Arizona and Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas.
Well you can sign me up for Governor Sebelius’s 2016 campaign (or Senator Obama’s Vice President?) because today this friend of democracy vetoed a bill that would have required Kansans to show photo identification to vote. Said Sebelius, “HB 2019 seeks to solve a problem of voter fraud which does not exist in our state due to the tireless efforts of our local elected officials” and “will only work to disenfranchise many of the electorate and serve as a barrier to their participation in the democratic process.”
You go, girl! Er, I mean, Governor Sebelius. M’am.
Posted by Mary Mancini on May 13, 2008 under Uncategorized |
Thanks to your emails and phone calls, Representative Gary Moore’s HB 1256, the Voter Confidence Act, passed on the floor of the Tennessee State House today 88 to 6. Thanks also to all the bill’s co-sponsors - Rep. Janis Sontany, Rep. Mike Turner, Rep. Sherry Jones, Rep. Brenda Gilmore, Rep. Ben West, Rep. Mary Pruitt, Rep. Jim Coley, Rep. Hardaway, and Rep. Joanne Favors. Props also to Bernie Ellis, Deborah Narrigan, Martha Wetteman, Dick Williams, Thelma Kidd, and Alma Sanford, and all at Gathering to Save our Democracy*. They’ve been working since 2006 for this and even though there is one more hurdle to jump - it has to pass in the Tennessee State Senate this week as well - they should be given a standing ovation.
Again, it still has to pass in the Senate so it’s time to get on the phone one more time. You can find your State Senator here. Once again, the message is: “I am counting on you to vote in favor of SB 1363, the Voter Confidence Act, when it comes to the floor for a vote.”
Dear Senator ______________,
I am a constituent of yours, and I would like to ask you to vote in favor of SB 1363, the Voter Confidence Act. It is expected to be ready for a floor vote in the next few days. If passed, this bill will ensure that we vote on durable paper ballots that are tallied by an optical scanner, and retained in a locked ballot box. These paper ballots also become the ballot of record in case a recount is necessary.
This new system will replace the touchscreen electronic voting machines, offering us verifiable ballots, no long lines at the polls, and a system that is less expensive for counties to use.
The cost of changing our voting equipment will be met with federal funds already held by our state.
I look forward to your voting YES to SB 1363. Thank you for your attention to my views on this critical issue.
Sincerely,
Name
Address
Phone Number
Go Senate!
It also might be nice to drop a quick note to your representative thanking them for their vote!
*Not to mention Jim Jones out in Williamson County, Jane Hardy, Lynn Williams, Shannon Williford, Linden Williford, Ann Williford, Holly Quick, Joe Irrera, Phil Scoggins, Elizabeth Barker, Chick Westover, Barbara Jones, Joyce Kisner, Mary Louise Linn, and Dave Thomas.
Tags: Ben West, Brenda Gilmore, Gary Moore, Gathering to Save Our Democracy, Janis Sontany, Jim Coley, Joanne Favors, Mary Pruitt, Mike Turner, Sherry Jones, Tennessee House of Representatives, Voting
Posted by Mary Mancini on May 12, 2008 under Liberate Your Radio from The Right |
We had a discussion this morning with Elbert Ventura during our Media Matters for America Smackdown about what to do if you get one of those emails. You know, the emails that say Barack Obama is both a muslim AND a radical christian? Don’t hit delete. Take the time to hit “reply all” and send an email back debunking the lies and innuendo. Elbert even made it easy for you and crafted a response (see below). If the main stream media isn’t going report the truth, then we have spread some.
These are the facts:
* Obama is a Christian and was never a Muslim — repeat, he was NEVER a Muslim
(See http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/muslim.asp — in fact, this is the website the e-mail urges you to check out, probably hoping that you wouldn’t click on the link.)
* Obama never attended a madrassa or a “Wahabi school.” In fact, he attended a public school when he was growing up in Indonesia, a school that DID NOT teach religion. CNN did a story on it:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/01/22/obama.madrassa/index.html
* Obama’s church is a predominantly black church that urges parishioners to be “soldiers for Black freedom and the dignity of all humankind.” As with many black churches, it stresses strong families, values, and self-respect among blacks. It also encourages a commitment to Africa, but one that DOES NOT transcend commitment to America.
* Obama took the oath of office on a Bible, not the Koran.
* Obama takes the Pledge of Allegiance and shows reverence for our flag. It seems silly to even have to prove this, but just in case, here’s a YouTube of Obama leading the Senate in the Pledge of Allegiance:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=iC9veEouqqQ
* And here’s a photo of Obama with his hand over his heart during the national anthem:
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2007/11/obama_nabbed_by_the_patriotic.html
* The only thing true about the e-mail is that Obama’s middle name is Hussein. Which, of course, means nothing.
If you have any further questions about this, feel free to e-mail me. And please, if you receive more e-mails like this, make sure you always question its origins. There’s a lot of mud-slinging and rumor-mongering going on right now, and a lot of these made-up e-mails are being spread around.
And just to stress, I don’t care who you vote for, as long as you vote based on accurate information. The allegations in this e-mail are untrue, and it would be unfortunate if you made your decisions about Barack Obama — or any other candidate — based on rumors and innuendo.
It’s time for the “busy” to stop and take the time to fight the “crazy.”
Posted by Mary Mancini on under Uncategorized |
HB 1256/SB 1363, Tennessee’s Voter Confidence Act, goes to a full floor vote in the House on Tuesday, May 13. In the Senate it has one more committee (Finance Ways & Means) hoop to jump through today, Monday, May 12. Senate F, W & M members are:
Randy McNally, Chair; Douglas Henry, Vice-Chair; Tim Burchett, Secretary; Diane Black, Raymond Finney, Joe Haynes, Rosalind Kurita, Jim Kyle, Mark Norris, Bo Watson and John Wilder.
Please don’t hesitate. Call them now. The bill states:
SECTION 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Tennessee Voter Confidence Act of 2007”.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2, is amended by adding the following as a new, appropriately designated section:
2-__-___.
(a)Notwithstanding any other provision of state law to the contrary and consistent with federal law, any voting system purchased or leased with federal, state or local funds shall provide that the ballot of record shall be a paper ballot marked by the voter, with appropriate accommodation for persons with disabilities. Such ballot shall be available for the voter to verify such voter’s vote before having it counted and retained by the election officials. The system shall maintain the secrecy of the voter’s choices and the ballots of record shall be used in any recounts, contests, or random samplings for accuracy.
(b) The secretary of state and the state election commission are authorized, with the various county election commissions, to implement the provisions of this section for any new purchases after the effective date of this act. In addition, they are authorized to expedite the replacement or modification of any systems that are not in compliance with this section as soon as practical. Federal “Help America Vote Act” funds previously allocated, or any similar funds allocated in the future shall be used to the extent such funds are eligible.
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring
Also, NOW is also the time for you to phone or email (preferably both), your state Representative and Senator. You can find phone number and email address information here. If you send an email, make sure you put your zip code in the subject line with a reference to the bill number and name (Voter Confidence Act).
The message is, “I am counting on you to vote in favor of HB 1256 / SB 1363, the Voter Confidence Act, when it comes to the floor for a vote.”
Dear Representative (or Senator) ______________,
I am a constituent of yours, and I would like to ask you to vote in favor of HB 1256/SB 1363, the Voter Confidence Act. It is expected to be ready for a floor vote in the next few days. If passed, this bill will ensure that we vote on durable paper ballots that are tallied by an optical scanner, and retained in a locked ballot box. These paper ballots also become the ballot of record in case a recount is necessary.
This new system will replace the touchscreen electronic voting machines, offering us verifiable ballots, no long lines at the polls, and a system that is less expensive for counties to use.
The cost of changing our voting equipment will be met with federal funds already held by our state.
I look forward to your voting YES to HB 1256/SB 1363. Thank you for your attention to my views on this critical issue.
Sincerely,
Name
Address
Phone Number
We are so close to no longer being one of 6 states at “High” risk for continued voting machine mishaps. This bill does not guarantee a change by this November, however, the Governor still have time to issue a mandate. When in doubt, go low-tech.
UPDATE: The bill made it out of the Senate Finance Ways & Means committee. Woohoo!
Posted by Liberadio(!) on May 11, 2008 under Uncategorized |
Summary: Tomas Young from Phil Donohue’s documentary, Body of War ; Renée Paradis, Counsel for the Brennan Center for Justice; and Elbert Ventura, research fellow with Media Matters for America.
Part 1 - Jon Stewart is coming! So is electronic voting. Plus, who does Senator Clinton remind you of when she says she doesn’t listen to those silly little people who study monetary systems and history for a living? (25:31 41 MB)- Interview with Renée Paradis - Renée Paradis is counsel for the non-partisan Brennan Center for Justice and works to reform the process of voter registration, including fighting restrictions on voter registration drives and advocating for student voting rights. She’s tell us if we have the right to vote and why the Supreme Court got it wrong in Indiana. (22:08 35.47MB)
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Part 3 - Is all politics local or part of the Council on Foreign Relations? (14:28 23.2MB)
- Interview with Tomas Young - Tomas Young is an Iraqi war veteran who was paralyzed from a bullet to his spine less than a week after arriving in Iraq. He is also an anti-war activist and the subject of Body of War, a film by Phil Donohue and Ellen Spiro which is out in theaters now. (19:18 31MB)
- Media Matters for American Smackdown - The Daily Telegraph in the UK just released their 50 Most Influential U.S. Political Pundits and Stephen Colbert didn’t make the top 10. Sheesh. No wonder why we declared our independence. (23:27 37.6MB)
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Posted by Mary Mancini on May 6, 2008 under Uncategorized |
Way to prevent voter fraud, U.S. Supreme Court! Someone with the intials S-C-A-L-I-A is going to a very hot place when he dies. Really. Taking away what could be the last pleasurable act of participatory democracy from a 98-year-old nun? Tsk, tsk, tsk.
About 12 Indiana nuns were turned away Tuesday from a polling place by a fellow bride of Christ because they didn’t have state or federal identification bearing a photograph
Sister Julie McGuire said she was forced to turn away her fellow sisters at Saint Mary’s Convent in South Bend, across the street from the University of Notre Dame, because they had been told earlier that they would need such an ID to vote.
The nuns, all in their 80s or 90s, didn’t get one but came to the precinct anyway.
“One came down this morning, and she was 98, and she said, ‘I don’t want to go do that,’” Sister McGuire said. Some showed up with outdated passports. None of them drives.
They weren’t given provisional ballots because it would be impossible to get them to a motor vehicle branch and back in the 10-day time frame allotted by the law, Sister McGuire said. “You have to remember that some of these ladies don’t walk well. They’re in wheelchairs or on walkers or electric carts.”
Posted by Liberadio(!) on May 4, 2008 under Uncategorized |
Summary: Guests include Congressman Jim “Coop” Cooper of Tennessee’s Fightin’ 5th!, Rachel Smolker, a research biologist at the Global Justice Ecology Project; and Elbert Ventura, research fellow for Media Matters for America.
- Part 1 - We have a very specific delegate count question for a Senator Clinton supporter… Anyone…? Anyone…? Bueller…?. (21:02 33.7MB)
- Interview with Congressman Jim Cooper - There’s so much to talk about - Lawrence Lessig’s Change Congress initiative, earmarks, FISA, his Inspector General bill, election integrity - that we make the congressman late for class. Oops. Our bad. (12:19 19.8MB)
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Part 3 - Hundreds of thousands dead, maimed and psychologically scared, millions displaced from their homes, $700 billion dollars in the hole - and we’re right back where we started. (06:46 10.8MB)
- Media Matters for America Smackdown! - The North Carolina GOP gets tons of free airtime courtesy of cable news. Lucky ducks (that “ducks” with a “d”). (14:05 22.6MB)
- Part 5 - Did we mention that hundreds of thousands are dead, maimed and psychologically scared, millions are displaced from their homes, and we’re $700 billion dollars in the hole, yet we’re right back where we started? And if 27% of Republicans went to the polls and didn’t vote for John McCain, then who did they vote for? Hint: It wasn’t Clinton or Obama. (11:53 19MB)
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Posted by Liberadio(!) on under Uncategorized |
Summary: Guests include Stacy Rector, Executive Director, Tennessee Coalition to Abolish State Killing; A.C. Kleinheider, producer of Nashville Post’s new PostPolitics blog; and Lt. General Robert Gard, Senior Military Fellow at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
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