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Friday, October 22, 2004
On the Sox
Dave Copeland has an " ode" to his beloved Red Sox on WSJ.com (subs. req'd). Nice work, Dave.
UPDATE: Cope has put the story on his site.
Ohio Election -- The Challenge
One of the things that will make Election Day in Ohio, so potentially contentious and even a risk of violence will be the use of " Election Challengers," both parties have said they will have them, even as they blamed the other for "starting it." The deadline submit their list of challengers to election boards in the state is today. In Montgomery County (Dayton), it appears that the parties reached some sort of detente, so there won't be challengers.
County Republican Chairman John White said Thursday he will not put an estimated 300 challengers into county polling places as part of a state GOP effort. Democrats, who had their own slate of challengers prepared, will drop their plans, as well.
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Challengers are allowed under state law, but have rarely, if ever, been used locally. Once registered, they can go inside a polling place on Election Day, stand behind the poll workers, and challenge whether people asking to vote should be given a ballot. Polls workers would then ask challenged voters a series of questions about their age, residence, how long they have lived in the county and whether they are a U.S. citizen. Prospective voters who refused to cooperate or did not answer to the satisfaction of the poll worker would be denied ballots, according to guidelines from Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell.
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In Montgomery County, however, White turned down the state GOP request to field challengers because Republican staff at the board of elections reported few instances of registration irregularities. About the only time in my life, that I wished I lived in Dayton.
Meanwhile, Issue 1, the anti-gay ballot referendum, was challenged by some activists, but the case was tossed by the Ohio Supreme Court because their challenge needed to be made no later than 40 days from the election (September 23). The actual decision is here (PDF). Legally correct, because a major reason for the challenge -- fake signatures on the petition to get the referendum on the ballot -- were not learned until after the deadline. The Summit County (Akron) GOP sent out 'thank you' cards to petition signers who said they didn't sign it. Maybe if some of the people who fought so well and hard to get Nader off the ballot in Ohio (and the Ohio Supreme Court rejected him yesterday) had noticed that the same fraudulent petition gatherers were gathering signatures for Issue 1 as well things might be different.
Provisional Ballots and HAVA -- Look for it in the Supreme Court Next Year
That is where it is heading. While the various Court of Appeals have yet to rule on them, there is a clear split on the rules on whether provisional ballots can be cast outside of a person's precinct. Florida is the latest case, and a US District Court Judge ruled that they can be limited to the precinct.
The state must reject provisional ballots if they are cast in the wrong precinct, a federal judge said Thursday in the latest in a series of opinions on how such votes should be counted. U.S. District Judge Robert L. Hinkle ruled that voters who show up at a polling place and aren't on the rolls should be allowed to submit a provisional ballot - in case it's later determined they were in the properly assigned precinct. But he said federal law doesn't require the state to count the ballot if it's determined the voter submitted the ballot somewhere other than the assigned precinct. It appears the Northern District of Florida doesn't post their cases on their web site. Rather, they put it on PACER. I don't know whether the 11th Circuit can hear the case in time to issue a decision
So far federal courts in Colorado (10th Circuit), Missouri (5th) and Florida (11th) take that view. The other view, that provisional ballots can be counted even if cast from the wrong precinct, has come from courts in the 6th Circuit -- Michigan and Ohio. I have to assume that at least one of the Appeals Courts will disagree with the others.
Ohio Secretary of State, Ken Blackwell, decided to act like a self-righteous ass in complaining about US District Court Judge Rob Carr's rule on provisional ballots. For the record, the judge may have some biases and predispositions (who doesn't), but it seems that you can have reasonable legal disagreements over this. HAVA was a knee-jerk, poorly thought out and vague law with way too much room for interpretation. It should be no surprise that there is a lot of confusion and disagreement over what parts of it mean.
I do find it amazing that Blackwell is hoping to be Governor in 2006, when he is working so hard to get the incompetent Ohio Democratic Party to unite against him. He may actually be the unifying force that helps that party finally get it together. Okay, that could be a bit of a stretch.
The article, though, notes an important companion case that went Blackwell's way from Judge Carr
In a related but separate ruling, Judge Carr sided with Mr. Blackwell, saying the secretary of state's directive to boards of elections that first-time voters must show identification before voting in the election was proper.
The decision stems from a lawsuit filed Oct. 5 in U.S. District Court alleging that the secretary of state violated the Constitution and the Help America Vote Act.
The complaint, which was filed by the Ohio League of Women Voters and a coalition of civil rights and community organizations, asked the court to change the directive that says a first-time voter who didn't fill out driver's license or Social Security number information on mailed-in registration forms must show proof of identification before their vote will be accepted.
Judge Carr said the requirements by Mr. Blackwell were not unreasonable, would affect a small number of voters, and would guard against voter fraud and misconduct. I noted that case here. The decision can be read here (PDF). I can't tell you how relieved I am that at least this part was upheld.
Watch This Space
Ohio election updates coming soon. Late start this morning, hopefully it will be up before noon.
Thursday, October 21, 2004
Yanks-Sox: Getting to Me
From a personal POV, this series upset me because I let it get to me. Nevermind the heartburn I still have from the whole thing. I let it affect my behavior to my wife and daughter. Something that had not happened before, and was never supposed to occur. Something I just don't do. Not for the Yanks. Not for Pitt. It's just sports. It doesn't matter. I may have a sleepless night replaying events in my head. I may sulk a little, I may mutter and stir in my juices, I may curse the TV, but I don't take it out on others.
Angie and the wife were at her mom's for the first half of the week. The wife had a conference in Columbus, and Angie would stay with grandma during the day. Monday night, the wife called to check in and just talk. Long day and Angie was giving her a hard time. She called while the game was in extra innings. Not a good excuse. I didn't even let her talk. I looked at the Caller ID, answered and told her that I would call her after the game. Still feel pretty rotten about that.
The other was during Game 7. Angie brought me a book to read, while Torre was giving Brown the hook. I read, she turns the pages while pointing out some of the objects. As we neared the end of the book, the game came back on and Damon blasted the grand slam. The book went flying out of my hands in frustration. Angie took it in stride, and even giggled over the book looping in the air, but that was it for me. I had to turn the TV off for a while. Went back to Angie's room with her to let her color. Just had to break the spell.
It helped. Started watching again about an inning later. Felt a little more disconnected from it. Was able to watch without becoming too frustrated -- I mean other then the usual cursing of Tim McCarver.
I look forward to Al Leiter retiring and going to the booth. He is great. He approached his color commentary like game preparation by a pitcher. He gave useful information, numbers with context and actually helped explain the game, what was happening, and what would happen. He also didn't seem to fall in love with the sound of his voice, so he would also let the game speak.
Ohio Political Scene -- Pass the Bourbon
And the scotch, gin, vodka and tequila...
14th Congressional Mud Bath
Well, no one is admitting who hired someone to follow and videotape Rep. LaTourette. But we now know who did the following
Cafaro's campaign staffers maintain they did not hire Louis Free, the man who shot the video of LaTourette.
Free is the host of the Louis Free Radio Show, which airs on WWOW 1360 AM, a Conneaut-based station, from 7 to 10 a.m. weekdays.
On the radio station's Web site, the show is billed as "the intelligent alternative," and as "brainfood from the heartland." Never heard of the station or the guy. According the station site, this is a 5000 watt station broadcasting in the middle of nowhere in northeast Ohio. Mr. Free apparently gave the video and pictures to the Cafaro campaign, who naturally wanted nothing to do with such sleaze. Then of course the standard "rogue" aide passed it on to TV stations. Naturally, the aide was then let go by the campaign.
A high-ranking member of Capri Cafaro's congressional campaign staff has left the campaign after he gave a television station a secretly filmed video of her opponent. Mike Cook, communications director for Cafaro, was terminated as a full-time employee of the campaign. His duties included dealing with reporters who cover the race between Cafaro and Rep. Steve LaTourette, Cafaro said. Cook left the campaign Tuesday because he gave a Cleveland television station a video that purports to show Rep. Steve LaTourette leaving his girlfriend's house in Virginia, Cafaro said. The station broadcast the video. "He was terminated," Cafaro said in an interview Wednesday night. She stopped short of saying Cook was fired, adding that it was a mutual decision that he leave. Cafaro, a Democrat, said she did not know that Cook was giving the video to the television station. "He [Cook] knows I was not pleased with his independent action," Cafaro said. "It's not an action I would condone. We had to part ways." This is such a standard script in politics. Condemn the action, dismiss the "rogue" agent responsible, then have another aide take additional swipes.
"But the fact is that he became so enthusiastic about things and thought that the voters ought to know about LaTourette and his lobbyist love affair," Rubenstein said.
Rubenstein said Cafaro and her campaign agree that there's a time and a place for everything, and the television news was not the place to air video of her opponent's personal life. However, he did say LaTourette's "loving relationship with a lobbyist is a little suspect."
I wasn't planning on voting for Cafaro anyways, but I'd vote against her for her complete lack of originality at this point. Cafaro was already running on such a generic platform, then to follow the standard with the sleazy leak of video of the opponent. I mean, show a little variation at this point.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer offers LaTourette a little cover for his relationship with his former chief of staff and now lobbyist with an article on how common it is for aides to become lobbyists and lobbyists and politicians to have relationships.
Absentee Ballot Confusion
Remember all the complaints about the confusing butterfly ballot in Florida -- the one crafted by the local election board that was majority Democrat? Ohio has its own answer to that in Cuyahoga (Cleveland) County. A c onfusing Absentee ballot. Once again, a strong Democrat area works to screw itself.
On absentee ballots, it's the numbers - not arrows - that count. The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections has heard complaints from voters who were tripped up by the booklet that accompanied their absentee ballots. The voters mistakenly thought they should insert the ballot into the booklet, just like at the polling place, then punch out the chad across from the candidate's name. No, no, no, said Gwen Dillingham, the election board's deputy director. Absentee voters should find the candidate's assigned number next to the name on the booklet, then punch out the corresponding chad on the ballot. "You don't line them up with an absentee ballot," Dillingham said. "You look for numbers." The ballots and booklets are used for both absentee voters and the voters at polling booths on Election Day. Complete instructions for absentee voters on how to properly use the ballot are printed on the booklet's cover, Dillingham said. "We get these calls every year, but if they read the instructions on the front of the book, it's very clear," she said.
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In Cuyahoga County, Ohio's most populous county, 75,000 voters have requested absentee ballots so far, Dillingham said. I'm sure the Ohio Democratic Party will blame the Ohio Secretary of State for this as well.
Provisional Ballots -- Who Knows
Speaking of Secretary of State Blackwell, he had his knuckles rapped by the District Court Judge who ruled against Ohio in its "revised" plan for handling provisional ballots. The judge has imposed his own order on the handling of provisional ballots to comply with HAVA, that Blackwell has accepted -- for now.
[Judge] Carr's rules would allow voters who ask for provisional ballots to receive one as long as they are registered to vote in the county. For eligible voters in the wrong precincts, their votes would count only in federal elections, not local races. Carr also wrote an alternative rule in case the appeals court rules that votes cast in the wrong precinct don't count. In that case, poll workers should warn voters that their votes may not count - but the voter still can cast a ballot on demand. Meanwhile, the appeals court in Cincinnati indicated Wednesday that it would rule quickly on the dispute. The case was put on an accelerated schedule allowing for arguments early next week - rocket speed for the appellate court. The appeals court ordered Blackwell's lawyers to file written arguments this morning that explain why the ruling should be scrapped. The order gives Ohio Democratic Party officials until 10 a.m. Saturday to counter Blackwell's arguments. A three-judge panel said it may hold a hearing at noon Tuesday if the written arguments are not convincing. If the court reverses, I don't see how there would be time for an appeal to the full 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Get Out the Vote and the Lawsuits
Both sides are making their plans to get out the vote in Ohio. The Dems seem to be working harder to get people to the polls and are already screaming that the Republicans are planning "dirty tricks" to keep poor and minority voters away:
As a result, Democrats insist that Republicans will do whatever they can to keep new voters away from the polls. Wayne Jones, finance chairman of the Summit County Democratic Party, said he expects Republicans to start what he calls "robo-calling" -- trying to scare off new voters by using recorded phone messages that warn voters to "make sure their child support is paid up" or to "make sure there's not a warrant out for their arrest" if they plan to go vote. The message will be clear, Jones said: Going to vote could mean getting arrested. While Jones doesn't expect police at the polls, the threat will be enough to keep some voters away, he contends. "They know they've lost this election in Ohio if we get out the vote," Jones said. The last part about the police being at polls to intimidate is a big lie. The only reason police will be at the polls will be for safety and traffic reasons.
Jason Mauk, spokesman for the Ohio Republican Party, called the theory laughable. "It's ironic that the people accusing us of using scare tactics are using scare tactics to make their points. That's insane. We have no such plans," he said. Mauk said Democrats will blame Republicans for dirty tricks no matter what they do -- it's their policy. He pointed to recent reports from Colorado, where a page from the Democrats' playbook inadvertently was leaked and wound up on the Internet. The manual directed Democrats to look for Republican scare tactics, and if none could be detected, to complain about them anyway. This is enough to send the biggest political junkies screaming for it to stop. Plenty of lawsuits are all around the country.
Less than 2 weeks before the real mess begins.
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
Tired and Drained
That's how I feel now that the ALCS has concluded. My Yankees blew a 3-0 series lead. It wasn't even close in game 7. I knew the Yanks were in trouble in the first. Kevin Brown could not put people away. He couldn't pump his fastball or slider up a couple miles to make that final pitch. Even more terrifying was that he attempted to nibble at the corners. If Kevin Brown isn't coming after hitters, then he knows he doesn't have much in the tank.
What can you do? The Red Sox are going to the World Series. If they win, then at least there will be no more reason to here about the existential angst of their fans and the stupid curse stuff will be done. If they lose. Heh.
Eastlake -- Hmmm...
Not a lot being reported on Eastlake for the last couple of weeks regarding the budget or the scandals and such. Still, it looks like something else is brewing under the surface. It's in a short little article about how the son of the former mayor just paid the city $1,200 for garbage bags(?) he had obtained.
The son of former Mayor Dan DiLiberto has paid the city $1,200 for garbage bags he had gotten from a city employee. <> Eastlake police Lt. Tom Doyle said Daniel J. DiLiberto, 34, of Mentor made restitution after a decision was made not to pursue criminal charges.
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Jamie Callender, attorney for Daniel J. DiLiberto, said his client voluntarily wrote the $1,200 check after being told the garbage bags were city property. Callender said the bags came from former Eastlake Recreation Director Michael Hutchinson. "To make sure there were no transgressions on his part, and being scrupulously honest, he voluntarily wrote a check for the maximum possible amount and then some," Callender said of the younger DiLiberto. The former Rec director quit around the same time that Mayor DiLiberto "retired for health reasons." Also at that time the city's finance director left for another job.
The middle of this short article is the part that should make everyone in Eastlake sit up and say, "Ar-ooo?"
Eastlake Law Director Randy Klammer said: "I can't comment on what is a much larger and confidential investigation." Police here have been conducting a wide-ranging investigation that includes allegations that city property and services were misappropriated. Police also are investigating whether Richmond Heights developer John Chiappetta submitted false documents to obtain state loans for work at an industrial park and whether he misused employee retirement and health care funds. [Emphasis added.]
More is coming, you can bet. Of course, the election has a lot of stuff for Eastlake residents to consider. There are also levies on the ballot. Mostly renewals. Like the fire safety levy. I support the renewal, and I think it will pass with ease. The News-Herald editorial, though, makes me want to vote against it for it's tsk-tsk, patrician, "we-know-best" tone to Eastlake voters.
It is impossible to assess the mood of Eastlake voters when they go to their polling places Nov. 2.
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The prevailing mood for several months has been somewhat foul, brought about by the city's dire financial condition.
It is the fervent hope of those who care most about the city that any feelings of negativism won't spill over into the voting on the city's Issue 2 - a five-year renewal of the 0.5-mill fire levy.
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Under ordinary circumstances, public officials can count on renewal of levies that have been collected for several years. But the circumstances in Eastlake this year are far from ordinary. The editorial board just hasn't gotten over how soundly the " emergency levies" the city pushed in a special election got beaten. They still think that Eastlake voters acted impulsively and with anger in not agreeing to higher property taxes and false promises of eliminating garbage fees. So naturally they still think Eastlake residents are too stupid to understand the difference? I swear, I think the News-Herald Editorial Board is doing its level best to drive down its circulation in one of the largest communities in Lake County.
A couple days later, they repeat the same sort of arrogance to Eastlake residents while backing the latest Willoughby-Eastlake School District emergency levy issue.
One of those communities, the city of Eastlake, has well-documented financial problems of its own. Miller is hopeful Eastlake voters will understand that the city and the school district are two entirely different government entities, run by different elected officials.
Punishing the schools for shortcomings in the city's finances would be extremely unfortunate fallout from the city's ailments. It's hard to believe a fairly rural paper could be so arrogant and dismissive of its readers, and expect to survive. If this emergency levy for the school fails, it will be because this will be the 5th new or renewal levy on the ballot from the school district since 2002, not from cluelessness.
Ohio Election -- Fraud Round-up
Well you knew the partisan spinning was coming.With the provisional ballots mess and more voter registration fraud tied to groups out seeking to defeat Bush. Both parties brought in figures from out of state to deliver the messages. The Republicans brought in RNC Chair Ed Gillespie.
Republicans allege that groups working on behalf of Democrats are involved in massive voter-registration fraud. Robert Bennett, Ohio Republican Party chairman, said the GOP will begin running advertisements in the state's largest newspapers later this week in an effort to heighten public awareness about alleged voter registration fraud. Bennett called on prosecutors in nine counties -- including Summit, Cuyahoga and Lake -- to investigate, indict and convict people who have been involved in the alleged fraud. He also said that independent "527" groups that are aligned with presidential candidate John Kerry and Democrats are creating problems in the state. He also mentioned the Defiance County case in which Chad Staton, 22, allegedly submitted phony voter registration forms in exchange for crack cocaine. Bennett said county boards check voter registrations by mailing a card to the newly signed up voter. The chairman said some boards have seen 3 percent to 10 percent of the cards returned by the Postal Service, indicating a large number of duplicate or fraudulent registrations. It's a guilt by association attack. These a-holes in groups that are against Bush and backing Kerry are committing fraud, ergo the Democrats are ultimately responsible. Let's just say that the RNC is having its own embarrasment in Western Pennsylvania with voter registration -- not illegal, but shady activity.
Meanwhile, the Ohio Democrats, to attack Ohoi Sec of State Ken Blackwell, brought in US Rep James Clyburn (D-SC).
Dan Trevas, Ohio Democratic Party spokesman, said Clyburn appeared in Columbus to talk about crafty efforts he has witnessed as an African-American to suppress the vote in his state and other places. Trevas said Democrats are upset that Blackwell is appealing a federal judge's ruling that voters can cast a provisional ballot at any precinct in their county on Election Day. Provisional ballots are accepted, then counted after the voter's registration is verified. Blackwell previously directed county boards to accept ballots from voters in their proper precinct or to direct voters to cast provisional ballots in the precinct where they are supposed to vote. Trevas said the allegations of registration fraud can be checked and caught, but efforts to suppress the vote on Election Day cannot be undone after the election. Again its an implication thing. You bring in Rep. Clyburn to talk about civil rights fights from the South as if the provisional ballots thing is the same. Since Blackwell is also African-American, the Dems have to tread carefully on accusations that Blackwell is engaging in any sort of minority disenfranchisement. I have a bad feeling that within the next week or week and a half, someone will publicly call Blackwell an "Uncle Tom" over this.
Meanwhile the crackhead voter registration fraud guy is being silent. The story also has a comical bit from the Ohio Democratic Party spokesman on voter fraud and registration.
Ohio Democratic Party spokesman Dan Trevas said the party is not coordinating with pro-Kerry groups like ACT, but it is also not duplicating their registration efforts."There's no point walking through a neighborhood that's already been walked through," he said. "Obviously, they have found a half-million people who want a change in direction, who are tired of the 230,000 lost jobs." He noted the alleged instances of fraud have been discovered by county elections boards, which, he said, demonstrates that Ohio's system is working. So they aren't coordinating with ACT, but they know where they have been or are going? Sure.
The latter part is even funnier. It attempts to downplay the wide amount of fraud by pointing out that a bunch has been caught. The action itself is harmless. Of course, that presupposes that all is being caught.
Staying in Northwest Ohio, Lucas County (Toledo) Board of Elections is looking at a mess
The Lucas County Board of Elections is bracing for a wave of challenges against thousands of registered voters that could keep them from casting ballots in the November presidential election.As many as 4,000 voters may be targeted for removal from the list of qualified voters because the board has found residential addresses on their registrations incorrect. The problem was found when the U.S. Postal Service returned registration confirmation cards routinely sent new or relocated voters to the elections office, marked "undeliverable," said Paula Hicks-Hudson, elections board director. The troublesome registrations are among tens of thousands of new registrations the county elections office has received over the last several months, said Ms. Hicks-Hudson, a Democrat. Lucas County has been targeted by several national groups for voter-registration drives. She said the county has yet to process 10,000 more cards and may take more than a week to get them completed. Might as well mobilize the lawyers now. The County Democratic Party leader is saying that the people who can't fill out a voter registration card with the correct information should still be allowed to vote after correcting the information (When? On election day at the polls?).
November is going to be an ugly month.
Reform in Islam
Irshad Manji, a reform-minded Muslim woman gave a speech at a synagogue in Toledo the other night. It was a tight, and heavily secured speech -- you needed tickets in advance. Manji has several fatwas have been issued against her because of her latest book, The Trouble With Islam. So when local Muslims showed up they were not allowed in, in part because it wasn't clear whether they were there to listen or protest.
Dr. S. Zaheer Hasan said yesterday that he protested to the UJC on Monday when he heard about Ms. Manji's Toledo appearance.He said Ms. Manji is not an Islamic scholar, lacks qualifications to speak about the religion, and is capitalizing on her notoriety. "We are disappointed that the United Jewish Council is inviting a controversial person to talk about Islam. She is not a universally accepted speaker. She has no credentials. She's a renegade out to make a quick buck," Dr. Hasan said. Yes, because so many women can get to be "Islamic Scholars" in the Islamic community. Dr. Hasan is a neurologist in the Toledo area. He is also president of the board for the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo. The Pakistani born doctor is oft quoted in the Toledo paper.
The doctors comments are more revealing of what does appear to be close-mindedness to even consider reforms in Islam. Anyone who is not properly credentialed is not allowed to even talk about the issue. So the only ones allowed to discuss change are the ones in charge now. Yeah, that will lead to constructive dialog.
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Vote Ohio -- All The Fraud That Fits
You know this is a special election year when crack is involved in voter registration fraud.
A Defiance County man has been arrested for allegedly filing more than 100 false voter registration forms in exchange for crack cocaine from a Toledo woman working on behalf of the NAACP’s voter registration drive.
Chad Staton, 22, of Stratton Ave., faces a fifth-degree felony charge of false registration after sheriff’s deputies said he filled out the registration forms by himself — using either fictitious names or addresses — and gave them to Georgianne Pitts, 41.
Toledo police searched Ms. Pitts’ home and discovered drug paraphernalia along with more voter registration forms. Police said that Ms. Pitts admitted to paying Mr. Staton in crack cocaine, in lieu of cash.
Ms. Pitts, working on behalf of the NAACP National Voter Fund, submitted the forms to the voter fund, which in turn submitted them to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. Defiance County is in Northwest Ohio adjacent to Indiana. Here's a map of Ohio divided by County. The NAACP Voter Fund was already being investigated in Lake and likely Cuyahoga Counties. Given the guy was a crackhead, it's not surprising he started making up names and went with some real originals -- Dick Tracy, Mary Poppins, Jeffrey Dahmer and Janet Jackson -- to name a few.
Pitts, who over the past two decades has been convicted of crimes ranging from domestic violence to resisting arrest, was not arrested this week. She could not be reached for comment. A month ago, she had just finished a year of probation for driving with a suspended license. Pitts told police that she was recruited by Thaddeus J. Jackson II, who is coordinating the Toledo efforts of the NAACP Voter Fund. Reached yesterday afternoon in Cleveland, Mr. Jackson described Pitts as a "volunteer" with the group but said he knew of no problems with her and of no voter fraud with her new-voter submissions. "This is the first I've heard of it," he told The Blade. He refused further comment on the case and representatives of the voter fund in Washington declined to elaborate on Pitts' involvement in the campaign.
Funny, how the Voter Fund is never able to comment on these things. As for Mr. Jackson, there is some history with him.
The occupant of the house, Georgianne Pitts, 41, told investigators that she was recruited for the voter registration drive by Thaddeus Jackson, Ohio director of the NAACP's National Voter Fund. It was not the first time Jackson's name has come up in connection with election irregularities. Earlier this year, the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections questioned 17 registration cards that Jackson turned in because the signatures on all 17 cards appeared similar. He blamed the problem on subordinates. In 1992, Jackson resigned as chairman of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections and later pleaded guilty to accepting improper compensation while board chairman. Jackson could not be reached for comment Monday. NAACP found a good man for the job, it seems.
Down in Cincinnati, ACORN was answering issues of fraud to the Hamilton County Board of Elections. Can you believe, once again it was a lone renegade. Shocked to hear that familiar refrain -- again.
Diedre Murch, head organizer for the advocacy group Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now or ACORN, said a former employee, Emmanuel Rachel, submitted the forms.
Murch produced several other registration forms submitted by Rachel that the group did not turn in because they were also determined to be fraudulent.
Steve Simon, attorney for ACORN, said Rachel acted independently and the group was unaware that he was turning in fraudulent forms until after he stopped working there.
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In another election matter involving ACORN, the voter registration ballots that were turned in by the group after the Oct. 4, deadline are still in limbo. The board was hoping for a decision from Secretary of State Ken Blackwell's office on whether to allow the registrations but has not gotten a ruling yet.
"Of the 800 registrations listed less than 300 are actually new registrations," said Burke. "As it stands right now those registrations do not count.
The other registrations are either change of addresses or duplicates, according to Burke. I guess that just constitutes another "oops" on the part of ACORN. With registration efforts like these by the Voter Fund and ACORN, is it any wonder why Democrat registrations are outpacing Republican?
Packed Rolls
New voter registration sign-ups in Ohio counties are reaching spectacular highs. How high? Well Mahoning County (Youngstown) has more registered voters than population.
More than 100 percent of those in Mahoning County eligible to cast ballots in the Nov. 2 general election are registered to vote.
About 104 percent of those who are 18 and older are registered to vote, which is impossible.
The 2003 U.S. Census says the county had 186,928 people who are at least 18. The county's board of elections lists 195,092 people eligible to vote, or 8,164 more adults than actually lived in the county in 2003, the most recent updated census count.
Some of those additional voters could be those who turned 18 in the past year. The 2003 Census listed 16,566 people between the ages of 15 and 19 in Mahoning. But because the category isn't broken down by each age, there isn't a way to find out how many were 17 in 2003 and are now 18.
The main reason the county's voter registration figure is more than 100 percent is the way it is permitted to take people off its voter rolls, said Michael Sciortino, election board director. People cannot be removed from voter rolls in Ohio unless they fail to vote in two presidential elections, die, or move out of the county and election boards find out, he said. The last election purge in 2001 removed about 5,000 people from Mahoning rolls.
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The U.S. Census shows Mahoning County lost about 10,000 people at least 18 years of age in 2003, compared with 2000.
Mahoning isn't the only county in Ohio with voter registration figures greater than the number of adults, said James Lee, a spokesman for the secretary of state's office. Lee said there are counties in the state with dead people registered, and the U.S. Census numbers may be outdated or incorrect.
Cuyahoga County's registration percentage is 100.7, the percentage is 108 percent in Mercer County in western Ohio, and it's 100.3 percent in both Putnam County, in northwestern Ohio, and Gallia County in southern Ohio, Lee said.
The registration percentage in Ohio is more than 80 percent, Lee said. The percentage in Trumbull County is about 85 percent. I don't think there are that many dead people on the rolls.
Other Election Notes
If Kerry loses in Ohio, it won't be due to Ralph. Nader lost at the Court of Appeals level to get on the Ohio ballot. He has one last (really long) shot with the Ohio Supreme Court.
While the Ohio Secretary of State has appealed the US District Court Judge's decision regarding provisional ballots, he has complied with the order to issue a new directive regarding provisional ballots cast at the wrong precint (but it isn't posted on the Secretary of State's site yet).
Poll workers should make every effort to direct voters to the proper polling place on Election Day but must allow them to vote if they show up at the wrong precinct and request to vote there, the state's top elections official proposed Monday.
In a proposed directive submitted to a federal judge, Secretary of State Ken Blackwell said election workers must allow a voter to cast a provisional ballot, even if the person comes to the wrong polling place.
However, the directive requires a voter to sign an affidavit that the person understands the vote might not be counted.
Elections workers would still be required to make every effort to direct voters to the right precinct, their county board of elections or regional center otherwise designated by the board of elections. I'm sure that affidavit will be the next bone of contention.
Definitely will need to be drinking on November 2.
More About Team America
I didn't give much of a review about Team America, other than to say how much I liked it. Mainly because I didn't want to give much away about it. I will say that with the background of Sean Penn's whiny letter, the moments where Penn speaks are even funnier. Every other sentence from Penn in the movie is "I went to Iraq." Penn's letter showed just how well they nailed him for the self-righteousness
P.S. Take this as a personal invitation from me to you (you can ask Dennis Miller along for the ride as well) to escort you on a trip, which I took last Christmas. We'll fly to Amman, Jordan and I'll ride with you in a (?) 12 hours through the Sunni Triangle into Fallujah and Baghdad and I'll show you around. When we return, make all the fun you want. The first time the Penn puppet spoke I nearly spit out my soda laughing.
There are plenty of blog reviews and comments on the movie. Lt. Smash has a great round-up of left and right blog responses. My favorites came from Dave Adesnik of Oxblog and Mean Mr. Mustard.
No, Let Me Get That
This is a good way to generate additional interest in a Tennis tournament:
Fashion models replaced traditional ball boys and girls in the biggest surprise Monday at the Tennis Masters Series in Madrid, where expected winners included Albert Costa, Alex Corretja and Luis Horna.
Models will work as ball girls one televised match each day during the tournament in Madrid.
Women in black tops and white, knee-length skirts chased errant shots during Costa's 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 victory over Irakli Labadze. Reportedly paid $1,100 for the week, the women were greeted by cheers and whistles at the Madrid Rockodrome indoor court.
The women are appearing in one televised match each day during the tournament. Probably a smart move to limit their appearance to the bigger matches where the higher ranked players -- presumably more used to seeing beautiful women around them -- are more likely to remain focused on the match.
I could see more problems for the unranked or 85th ranked player. "No, no, I'll get that ball. I was the one who hit it into the net."
Monday, October 18, 2004
Flu Fears
I suppose I should be more concerned about influenza. If not for myself, then for my daughter -- our pediatrician's office said they were following CDC guidelines so Angie probably won't be able to get one.. I just don't worry too much. The vaccines can only do so much good, because the only block a limited strains. The shortage is really freaking out seniors.
Thursday afternoon I was doing the grocery shopping. There were seniors spread throughout the pharmacy area. Some were in folding chairs. Others standing. I was trying to navigate by with the cart and my daughter, and I just asked one of the gentlemen standing around, "Is this for a flu shot?"
"They only have a hundred, you can't get one," he snapped at me. I was just curious, and he thought I wanted to jump his spot. I just shook my head and moved on.
As I was waiting to check out (around 2), two other grey haired ladies were agitatedly talking about not being able to get flu shots. Turned out the store had 100 shots available that they intended to do from 3-7 -- at free or nominal cost. The old people were showing up at 9 am, and didn't leave. By 12:30 there were more than 100 people so they had to give out numbers then for the shots or else they would have risked an old people riot. They still had to wait until 3, because the nurses who would be administrating the shots weren't showing up until then. These ladies showed up a few minutes ago and found out they wouldn't be able to get a shot.
One was especially pissed and demanded to see a manager. Standing there at checkout, I had to listen to this lady harass and complain to the manager (his response in parenthesis) that it wasn't right that they were only giving 100 shots ( that was all they were getting, there is a shortage, and it wasn't their call on how many the store would receive); that they had already given out numbers for the shots ( more than 100 people waiting all day); and that there was still a sign on the window saying that they were doing flu shots ( it also said no appointments, first come first serve so it had to stay to give notice that there was no guarantee). Actually she kept repeating these over and over to him. After each rotation of her complaints he would ask her what he wants her to do, and she would start over again.
And to each of his answers she would simply say, "I don't care." She seemed to think that if she bothered the guy enough that he would somehow make the 101st vaccine that he was hiding appear and give it to her. I was feeling exasperated at the lady for this. I don't know how the manager kept from just telling the lady to get stuffed. I finished checking out and she was still giving him grief, and I had to fight the urge to stop and tell her to leave the guy alone as I walked by.
Sunday, October 17, 2004
Team America, F**k Yeah!
Was in Pittsburgh Saturday for the BC-Pitt game. After the game, a few of us went to see Team America. It was everything I was hoping it would be and more. There is something very appealing in breaking down people into one of three categories: D, P or A.
The movie may also send the Bruckheimer action formula into hiding for about 10 years. I mean, it will be next to impossible to take them seriously after what Team America did to it.
As for the graphic puppet sex, sans any genitalia. You have to wonder what the MPAA had them cut to drop it to an R rating.
One of my friends, found out after the movie, when he turned his cell back on that his wife's water broke. Don't know anything on that aspect yet. Just part of the weirdness of the day.
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