John Conyers, Jr. -- ConyersBlog

Replies: 59 Comments

Comment #1: GreyHawk121 said on 9/19/05 @ 8:42am ET...

I don't like the idea of a national ID ("Ze papers, please"), and to require one in order to vote is absurd.

I do believe that some way to prevent double-voting or stand-in voting by others needs to be devised, but - before any of this - we need accountability, tracability, and the ability to recount. The Diebold machines and those of their sister companies have flaws that are publicly known, and must be immediately taken out of service.

No further thought to any other new system must be taken until this basic step, central to the integrity of our vote (our voice), is accomplished.

Otherwise, the disenfranchisement of anyone is simply a way of securing a victory that can manipulated at the source.

Comment #2: Ohiodem1 said on 9/19/05 @ 11:18am ET...

Was this outcome ever in doubt? National photo ID's have been on the Republican agenda for years. Rep. Sensenbrenner tries to tack ID requirements onto nearly piece of legislation on whatever topic, as a means to advance his anti-immigrant, anti-voter agenda.

Did President Carter file an objecting minority report in opposition to this proposal?

This is an issue Democrats must be willing to fight on. We must take a stand on this.

Comment #3: alizaryn said on 9/19/05 @ 11:59am ET...

Representative Conyers when this commission was formed many of us raised our voices with both concerns and questions. One of the questions was why it had not included your voice and the report in regards to what happened in Ohio.

Brad Blog through Velvet Revolution back then provided a link for us to contact both President Carter and the commissioners with our opinions. Dr. Robert Pastor accused Velvet Revolution of sending fake Emails because of the quanity they were receiving so to assure Mr Pastor of our genuine concerns we began to communicate our concerns to him by sending emails directly to his email address which was taken from his public webpage at The American University, Center for Democracy and Election Management.

His reaction to the huge response was immediate and MY UNDERSTANDING (correct me if I am wrong please) was that he contacted you and asked that you help him to stop our communications. Out of respect for YOU and because YOU asked BradBlog communicated your desires that we stop. He had agreed to listen to you.

From BradBlog archive 4-21-05

http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00001340.htm#comments

"Conyers has just finished meeting with Dr. Robert A. Pastor, the executive director of the commission, and has been promised that the commission and its members will continue to work and meet with him about his concerns over the commission, its make-up and its current direction over the coming weeks and months."

Like I said earlier, I may have missed something, I try to stay on top of this issue, its a priority to me but...

My question is:
Did he keep his promises?

I am not sure where you get the inner strength to keep fighting somedays, but I thank you.

Comment #4: JC said on 9/19/05 @ 12:57pm ET...

#3: I think he engaged in the formalities of keeping me informed, but my sense is that the decision had been made to recommend an ID before this Commission was selected.

Comment #5: Ron said on 9/19/05 @ 12:57pm ET...

A bit off topic

We the people of the United States hereby call for a NATIONAL REFERENDUM, by email, by phone call, by fax, and by letter, on the choice of a new chief justice for our Supreme Court.

We are presented with a pleasant, smiley face who so far has refused to answer questions about whether he agrees with the holdings in cases upon which we have long relied, which we have a right to know, and who has refused to deliver for examination any of his memos for the last 20 years, which we have a right to see.

Just say no to
John Roberts

Comment #6: point of order said on 9/19/05 @ 1:14pm ET...

http://www.american.edu/ia/cfer/report/CFER_summary.pdf

Comment #7: point of order said on 9/19/05 @ 1:19pm ET...

Full report

http://www.american.edu/ia/cfer/report/full_report.pdf

Comment #8: alizaryn said on 9/19/05 @ 1:35pm ET...

#4: Thanks for the explanation, I will follow the suggestions on how we should be expressing our opinions in regards to the ID's on your front page: http://www.johnconyers.com

Comment #9: Nolip said on 9/19/05 @ 2:31pm ET...

No access...no vote

The poor do not have access to the technology necessary to create this system and the Republicans certainly aren't going to invest in making it so...unless Baker's law is amended to say that the US Government will pay for the creation of photo IDs at the polling place...
But whatever, let us know the link to send Baker a strong message that any efforts to limit or restrict voter privileges,as was accomplished throughout this nation in '04, is against the law.

Comment #10: Dr Alan H Levinson said on 9/19/05 @ 3:11pm ET...

I read some of the results and recommendations of the "voting commission" and have a few comments.

First, I have not often seen a more unprofessional and poorly thought out list of recommendations.

Second, Whenever you see the word "SHOULD", your ears "SHOULD" perk-up instantly. Should simply implies that in the best of all worlds, and with individuals who have the utmost integrity, there is the 'possibility' of correction...'should' things work out.

Third, any commission developed for the purpose of creating a sense of fairness SHOULD be free from the slightest perception of impropriety: i.e., having the Bush family lawyer as one of the co-(conspirators) commissioners. For that matter, having so many obvious Bushco puppets makes this commission equally as "UN-ACCOUNTABLE" as the current administration.

Finally, Ron's suggestion of a national referendum puts decisions like this...decisions that should remain in the hands of the people...right in the lap of the people. The fact that it isn't, and that the uproar across the country is being ignored, goes to show that when the country is in control of control freaks, then liberty fails.

Mr. Conyers,

Is the finding of the commission a done deal, or are these just recommendations?

Comment #11: Ron said on 9/19/05 @ 3:32pm ET...

Here are some very interesting facts about our voting system , and who has their fingers in it !

Republican Senator Chuck Hagel used to be chairman of ES&S. He became Senator based on votes counted by ES&S machines.
Diebold's new touch screen voting machines have no paper trail of any votes. In other words, there is no way to verify that the data coming out of the machine is the same as what was legitimately put in by voters.
20 Amazing Facts About
Voting in the USA
Facts that need to be known!

Comment #12: Viet Vet said on 9/19/05 @ 5:38pm ET...

Cindy Sheehan reportedly arrested in New York?
Posted by kevin_pdamerica
Added to homepage Mon Sep 19th 2005, 05:14 PM ET

I witnessed this with my own eyes. Here is my account.

Cindy Sheehan was arrested moments ago in Union Square, Manhattan for allegedly speaking in the square without the proper permit.

A small group of police began to congregate around 2:00 on the south east corner of Union Square. Cindy and her peace entourage were slightly late to the event, contending with public transportation.

Upon her arrival, applause and cheers filled the crowd awaiting her speech. A few other members of the tour movement spoke. Afterward, about 2:50, Cindy began her speech. It was friendly and empowering. She was grateful for the support and urged everyone to go to Washington DC on the 24th of September for a march on Washington.

At the conclusion of her speech, from my perspective, a few loud and impassioned boos erupted, then I saw a hand come from behind Cindy and grab her shoulder-strap on her backpack. The arm jerked her backwards, with such force as to snap her head forward, and she fell from my view.

more...

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/9/19/154239/638

Comment #13: gcm said on 9/19/05 @ 6:02pm ET...

Having James Baker III on any commission regarding voting is the same as having the fox guard the chickens.

Comment #14: Frosted Flake said on 9/19/05 @ 9:05pm ET...

Off topic, Mr. Kerry intends to deliver a speech tonight in re : Katrina.

Here is the text.

Credit >==> Sandra.

I appreciate this forum
Frosted Flake

Comment #15: Dr Alan H Levinson said on 9/19/05 @ 9:13pm ET...

Another bit of humor in an otherwise gloomy administration!!

Subject: The Collection

A commuter, on his way home from work in Washington, D.C., came to a dead halt in traffic and thought to himself, "Wow, this traffic seems worse than usual."

He noticed a police officer walking between the lines of stopped cars, so he rolled down his window and said, "Officer,what's the hold-up?"

The officer replied,"President Bush is depressed, so he stopped his motorcade and is threatening to douse himself with gasoline and set himself on fire. He says no one believes his stories about why we went to war in Iraq, or the worsening deficit and economy, or that his tax cuts won't help anyone except his wealthy friends. So we're taking up a collection for him."

"How much have you got so far?"

The officer replied, "About four gallons, but a lot of folks are still siphoning."

Comment #16: Frosted Flake said on 9/19/05 @ 9:34pm ET...

Almost on topic, If private companies are going to operate our voting system
(and I think that is INSANE) why not bid the contract to somebody who can be trusted ?

Sorry if that is a silly question.
Frosted Flake

Comment #17: Jo said on 9/19/05 @ 9:34pm ET...

Some interesting poll results at www.rasmussen,com
I enjoyed the joke Doc. I heard a funny joke yesterday.
Question for President- What is your position on Roe Vs Wade?
Answer: "well I don't care how people get out of New Orleans, Row or wade"

Comment #18: LenaDavid said on 9/19/05 @ 9:46pm ET...

This is an important civil liberties and civil rights question.

There is a UK site called The White Rose Samdazit or Russian for self-publishing.

This British site has been focusing on the attempt to force the UK National ID card which will cost $200+ for everyone to pay themselves and they enumerate the dangers of this and the pupil measurements for anyone who wants to leave the country (UK) insisted on by Bush and the dangers of this technology making a mistake or having real terrorists have access to the new British passports.

Very good site and they have been successful in turning British public opinion in favor of the National ID card completely around by broadcasting the dangers to the point that most British citizens no longer favor it.

Very disappointed in Jimmy Carter.

Comment #19: Jo said on 9/19/05 @ 9:50pm ET...

Rasmussenreports.com

Comment #20: LenaDavid said on 9/19/05 @ 9:51pm ET...

KOS
DU

BREAKING (Manhattan): Cindy Sheehan ushered away and rally organizer arrested by police.
by Five of Diamonds
Mon Sep 19th, 2005 at 12:42:39 PDT

I witnessed this with my own eyes. Here is my account. Other accounts are popping up elsewhere on the blogosphere. For example, Here Here. These other sources clarify that Cindy was rushed away and an event organizer was arrested (things I couldn't see through the crowd).

A small group of police began to congregate around 2:00 on the south east corner of Union Square. Cindy and her peace entourage were slightly late to the event,contending with public transportation.

Upon her arrival, applause and cheers filled the crowd awaiting her speech. A few other members of the tour movement spoke. Afterward, about 2:50, Cindy began
her speech. It was friendly and empowering. She was grateful for the support and urged everyone to go to Washington DC on the 24th of September for a march on ashington.

At the conclusion of her speech, from my perspective, a few loud and impassioned boos erupted, then I saw a hand come from behind Cindy and grab her shoulder-strap on her backpack. The arm jerked her backwards, with such force as
to snap her head forward, and she fell from my view.

The crowd erupted in booing and jeering. The crowd rushed the elevated park where she once stood, not to fight but to witness what was happening. People crowded the police, who had formed a semi-circle around what was happening to Cindy (which I could not witness from my vantage point)....

I'm not sure the details of the permit situation. The announcer said they sought a permit for weeks with no response from the city government.Spread the word Kossaks! More as it unfolds.
~~~
This tells me that she can make a difference. They are no longer
ignoring her. They are no longer laughing at her. They are fighting her. And, if you believe in the old saying, she is on the verge of winning.

Comment #21: Valley Girl said on 9/19/05 @ 9:58pm ET...

Dear President Conyers,

Thank you again for your tireless efforts on behalf of democracy in the USA.

I originally read your post on BradBlog. Anyone who goes there will also see a lot of related recent information about voting issues.

If any of you want another way to get out the word, here's a condensed version of Brad's post about Diebold and DIEB-THROAT, which you can print out and leave in conspicuous places.

Alarming Security Flaws In Diebold Voting Systems

Comment #22: Jo said on 9/19/05 @ 10:13pm ET...

Cindy Sheehan story at Afterdowningstreet.com

Comment #23: alizaryn said on 9/19/05 @ 11:07pm ET...

#18: "Very disappointed in Jimmy Carter."

As am I. He is not the person that I thought he was.

Allowing his name to be used to give credibility to this farce opened my eyes as to who he really was.

Comment #24: LenaDavid said on 9/20/05 @ 12:01am ET...

Cindy was not arrested but at least one member of her team was...write to the media to report this false arrest of Zool.

INDYMEDIA
AfterDowningStreet

Police forcibly break up Cindy Sheehan rally

By Pete Dolack

The New York City Police Department forcibly broke up this afternoon's rally for Cindy Sheehan, moving in as Cindy was speaking at about 3 p.m. in Union Square.

The rally had been underway for about an hour, and was about to conclude as Cindy spoke following several other speakers, including a few who are traveling with her on her caravan.

As Cindy was speaking, a large platoon of police massed behind from the interior of the park, then formed a circle behind her, the speakers' area and a few dozen people who were deployed in an arc behind her. Overall, about 200 people were in attendance, with the crowd steadily increasing in size as the rally progressed. As the police formed their arc just behind, the men and women immediately behind Cindy linked arms. A captain made a cutting motion at his throat, signalling he wanted no more free speech. He waited about 30 seconds, then the police moved in. They didn't dare arrest Cindy, but they immediately moved in and grabbed Zool, the event's organizer and one of the main organizers of Camp Casey-NYC, pulling him away and arresting him. I do not believe anyone else was arrested; at least I didn't see any other arrests. I was nearby, and there was no hesitation on the part of the
police in specifically targetting Zool.

The police also took the microphone and sound system. The crowd shouted

"Shame! Shame!" at the police and asked what they were so afrraid of, but made no response. There was a moderate press presence, even a bit of corporate media there, although the only television crew covering the rally was RTV from Russia.

No warning of any kind was given, and this was a permitted rally. Other than the captain making his cut motion, 30 seconds before forcibly breaking up the rally, there was no warning, verbal or in any other fashion. The police had massed perhaps three or four minutes before moving in. Until then, the rally had gone smoothly,
starting just after 2 p.m. as scheduled. Cindy and the rest of the caravan arrived sometime after 2:30; the rest of the rally was comprised of speakers from the caravan. Many groups were in attendence besides Camp Casey-NYC, including Military Families Speak Out, Gold Star Families for Peace, the Troops Out Now Coalition, the No Police State Coalition and the Green Party, among others.

As several people confronted the police in the minutes following the arrest of Zool and the stealing of the sound equipment, a woman from the caravan said they had done more than 100 events in 51 cities, and nothing like this had ever happened to them. There is no free speech in Crawford, Texas -- Camp Casey has been under
attack there -- and there is no free speech in New York City. The police have attacked Camp Casey-NYC on at least two previous Mondays, have taken the camps's tents, confiscated banners and made arrests. This is merely the latest example of Bloomberg's contempt for opinions that challenge the authorities,
particularly Republican Party authorities. And where are our supposed policital leaders? Nothing but silence.

Free Zool now!
Defend free speech in New York City!

video just before police moved in
CindyVideo

Comment #25: LenaDavid said on 9/20/05 @ 12:41am ET...

Alex Jones of InfoWars said that Jimmy Carter was a member of the Trilateral Commission and read that Bill Clinton was bumped up from the Trilateral Commission to Bilderberg just before Bilderberg decided that our Democratic Candidate should be Bill Clinton. Kerry is also a member of Bilderberg and a link from InfoWars speculated that Christopher Dodd would be the Bilderbergers choice for the 2004 Presidential selection. They only mentioned Kerry as being a Bilderberger in passing in this article.

InfoWars has several other things to say about Carter which I did not believe but in light of his refusal to do much about the 2004 selection including turning down an observer role when Carter had been an observer at many other elections. Carter did state that Florida did not have the protections of the voters rights of even a Third World Country. But I think Carter could have been a little more help in 2004 if Trilateral had given him permission.

Maybe he is embedded to get financing to help people in Third World Countries which is laudable but betraying your own country as he has seemed to have done in being on the Baker fraud elections enabling commission, makes you wonder.

Comment #26: LenaDavid said on 9/20/05 @ 12:45am ET...

SAMIZDATA

White Rose Society, UK, Samizdata
A Thorn in the Side of Big Brother

Saturday, July 02, 2005
UK ID Card Battle Heats Up (London)

Identity cards
Wired writes that Britain's House of Commons this week moved forward with plans to create a new national ID card, but a sharp reversal in support for the controversial measure signals a rocky road ahead.

British lawmakers voted in favor of the bill on Tuesday by an unexpectedly thin margin of 314-283. At the last minute, some members of Prime Minister Tony
Blair's Labour Party revolted against the cards, which would carry fingerprints and iris scans of cardholders and be backed by a national database containing extensive personal information.

A Home Office spokeswoman said it's too early to comment on the bill's future success.

We won't speculate on the passage of a bill through parliament. It still has an awful lot of readings to go through. Anything can happen to it. I wouldn't hold my breath as Tony Blair indicated that he will use a Parliament Act to force the legistration through. The struggle continues...

No re-think on ID cards (London)

Identity cards
Rose Prince of Mirror.co.uk writes that Tony Blair yesterday hinted he would force ID cards on the public even if they were opposed by the House of Lords. A day after the controversial scheme narrowly survived a knife-edge vote in the Commons, the Prime Minister suggested he would take a tough line with peers who tried to block his pet project.

His warning came as the head of the UK Passport Service said international con artists would be able to duplicate the technology within a decade. Bernard Herdan uelled fears over the cost of the scheme by claiming the proposed biometric ID would need to be regularly updated to stay one step ahead of the fraudsters.

All we can do is to keep on changing the design. Despite the growing opposition to ID cards, Mr Blair appeared to threaten the use of the Parliament Act - the device used by the House of Commons in a last resort to force legislation through the Lords.

This is insane... I wonder why?

Comment #27: Sandra said on 9/20/05 @ 2:08am ET...

Congressman Conyers,

So now they take it one step closer to the chip. As I'm sure you're well aware they have been pushing this issue for quite some time. I'm concerned about Carter's embrace of this unless he is under the impression that it will somehow further accountability --- he will not be the first or last Democrat to assume working with the likes of the Bush/Baker Carlyle Cartel further's any civil rights. In my opinion, James Baker is a world renowned criminal and money launderer. He certainly should no longer be trusted to sit on any commission and belongs at the Hague.

Here's ACLU's Press Release:

ACLU Questions Carter-Baker Voting Commission’s Recommendations

September 19, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Media@dcaclu.org

WASHINGTON - Citing civil rights concerns, the American Civil Liberties Union today raised serious concerns about several recommendations of a voting commission led by former president Jimmy Carter and former secretary of state James A. Baker III. The Carter-Baker recommendations seek to build public trust in the electoral system, yet several provisions may disenfranchise potential voters and undermine privacy.

The following can be attributed to Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office:

"Though intended to improve the democratic process, several of the voting commission’s recommendations will have a chilling effect on voter participation and access. For instance, the commission recommends requiring photo identification in order for citizens to vote, which will disproportionately impact the poor and the elderly, who may not have drivers’ licenses or access to a location where they can obtain IDs. Additionally, the proposed database in which states can share voter identification information raises serious concerns about protecting Americans’ private information.

"Furthermore, the commission failed to hold a truly transparent and democratic process - only two hearings were held, and the public was not given then the opportunity to comment. Had it had a more open process, some of these civil rights concerns could have been properly addressed, rather than discounted by the current report.

"In reviewing the Carter-Baker panel’s recommendations, Congress must guarantee not only the right to vote, but the right to privacy as well."

ACLU.org/VotingRights

I'm also concerned about the 'Global Identity Cards'

The United States is currently developing new biometric passports that contain Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chips that can be read remotely These documents could leave Americans open to identify theft, to terrorists interested in singling out Americans traveling overseas, or to the emergence of routine tracking by the government or private sector .

-------

Also of note in violation of privacy... this past weekend Buc's fans were treated to an intrusive public view full body pat down prior to entering Raymond James Stadium. Of course, here in Florida (occupied territory) our rights have been systematically stripped away and Martial Law is a real threat in 'everybody's a terrorist' mentality.

I refuse to live in fear, and I reject the intrusion by this unelected cabal. REVOLT!

Comment #28: Sandra said on 9/20/05 @ 2:15am ET...

End the War on Iraq!
September 24-26 · Washington, DC

Saturday, September 24
Massive March & Rally, Peace and Justice Festival, Operation Ceasefire Concert

Sunday, September 25
Interfaith Service, Training for Grassroots Lobby Day, Training for Mass Nonviolent Civil Disobedience, National Meeting for Counter-Recruitment

Monday, September 26
Grassroots Congressional Lobby Day &
Mass Nonviolent Civil Disobedience at the White House

United For Peace and Justice

Comment #29: Nolip said on 9/20/05 @ 8:17am ET...

When you can't beat the poor into submission...letting them die is another strategy...at least according to the Bush Administration...fewer to turn away from the polls...

Hurricane Katrina: Rich Left the Poor to Die

“On the last day, Jesus will say to those on His right hand, "Come, enter the Kingdom. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was sick and you visited me." Then Jesus will turn to those on His left hand and say, "Depart from me because I was hungry and you did not feed me, I was thirsty and you did not give me to drink, I was sick and you did not visit me." These will ask Him, "When did we see You hungry, or thirsty or sick and did not come to Your help?" And Jesus will answer them, "Whatever you neglected to do unto one of these least of these, you neglected to do unto Me!"
Mother Teresa of Calcutta: Given at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC Thur, 3 Feb 94.

------------------------------------
“Clinton said the inability of many poor, largely black residents of the Gulf Coast to evacuate their homes during the hurricane was in part a result of the sweeping tax cuts during the Bush administration and other policies that had left the victims without the money for transportation to flee.

"It's like when they issued the evacuation order," he said. "That affects poor people differently. A lot of them in New Orleans didn't have cars. A lot of them who had cars had kinfolk they had to take care of. They didn't have cars, so they couldn't take them out."

Faulting Bush, Clinton offers sharp criticism of hurricane relief efforts

Comment #30: Nolip said on 9/20/05 @ 8:26am ET...

If Chavez ran for President of the US, the poor would vote for him...

“LONDON - It's all part of the long-running propaganda war between Washington and Caracas, of course, but President Hugo Chavez scored a major hit last Thursday when he announced that a Venezuelan ship was nearing the U.S. with 300,000 barrels of gasoline to help the stricken Gulf Coast, where most oil-refining capacity was crippled by Hurricane Katrina.
Speaking in New York, where he was attending the United Nations World Summit, Chavez added that Louisiana Gov. Louise Blanco had accepted the shipment in a telephone conversation that morning, and that this was only the first installment of a promised million-barrel supply.”

Katrina's wrath allows Chavez to aid U.S. poor and bedevil Bush

Comment #31: joandarc said on 9/20/05 @ 9:51am ET...

Carter explained his rationale for accepting the ID card: 23 states have already implemented it so wouldn't it be better if that plan could be nationalized into something that is fairer and at no cost. He does have a point. Isn't it possible that a massive push to get everyone photo ID'd would actually prevent disenfranchisement? Could we beat them at this game and turn lemons into lemonade or is it beyond us?

Comment #32: LenaDavid said on 9/20/05 @ 10:21am ET...

I went to Rep. Conyers main page and signed his letter to Congressional leaders and wrote a letter through the form on the main page to Washington Post.

I did not notice that Rep. Conyers had action items with the lit website in article on Baker-Carter commission until I reposted Rep. Conyers concerns on another site.

Quick action from a lot of people might convince some of the Republicans reeling from the voter anger at bush's ongoing genocide in New Orleans might begin to reconsider their support of any harebrained scheme to bushco comes up with to destroy America.

Even red states are mad as hell and not going to take it any more. Keep the pressure cooking!!!

Comment #33: alizaryn said on 9/20/05 @ 12:09pm ET...

#31: JoanDarc I was thinking the same thing especially when he kept repeating that the first priority is to get HAVA fully funded. Carter also meantioned Federally funded ID's so that may be where he is coming from and I am selling him short in my fears that this could/would then be manipulated into a process that would alienate a great number of people.

I just do not trust these people and am afraid that Carter was duped or complacent in this plan. I SERIOUSLY hope that I am wrong.

Comment #34: Sandra said on 9/20/05 @ 1:14pm ET...

Statement of Hon. Ron Paul
Before the House SubCommittee on National Economic Growth, Natural Resources, and Regulatory Affairs Hearing on National Identifiers
September 17, 1998

Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the opportunity to present my views regarding the Federal Government's plan to create a national ID card, assign every American a uniform health identifier, as well as the trend toward transforming the Social Security number into a uniform numeric identifier. The creation of these identifiers represent perhaps the greatest threat to liberty facing Americans today. When one closely examines the details of these schemes it becomes clear that the proponents of Big Government wish to forbid Americans from going to work, getting a job, boarding a plane, seeing a doctor or conducting any other major life activity without their federally-approved identifier.

Such a system is incompatible with American liberty. If history teaches us anything, it is that when government gains the power to monitor the actions of the people, it eventually uses that power to impose totalitarian controls on the populace. American could very well come to resemble Nazi Germany or Soviet Russia, where state officials could arbitrarily punish innocent citizens for failure to produce the correct "papers!"

However, Congress does not need to look at this century's totalitarian societies for a clear view of the dangers of national identifiers. Just consider the numerous cases of IRS abuses that have been brought before Congress in the past few months, the history of abuse of FBI files and the case of a Medicaid clerk in Maryland who accessed a computerized data base and sold patients' names to an HMO.

I have introduced three pieces of legislation to protect the American people: the Freedom and Privacy Restoration Act (HR 4217) which repeals those sections of the 1996 Immigration Act that established federal standards for state drivers' licenses; the Patient Privacy Act (HR 4281) which repeals those sections of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 that require the Department of Health and Human Services to establishes a uniform standard health identifier; and the Privacy Protection Act (HR 3261), which forbids the federal and state governments from using the Social Security number for purposes unrelated to Social Security. HR 3261 and HR 4217 are currently pending before the Government Reform Committee.

Mr. Chairman, while I do not question the sincerity of those members who suggest that Congress can ensure citizens' rights are protected through legislation restricting access to personal information, the fact is the only solution to the threat to liberty created by the national drivers' licenses and the medical ID proposal is simply to repeal the provisions of law authorizing those identifiers. Legislative "privacy protections" are inadequate to protect the liberty of Americans for several reasons. First, federal laws have not stopped unscrupulous government officials from accessing personal information. Did laws stop the permanent violation of privacy by the IRS, or the FBI abuses by the Clinton and Nixon administrations?

Secondly, the federal government has been creating property interests in private information for certain state-favored third parties. For example, a little-noticed provision in the Patient Protection Act established a property right for insurance companies to access personal health care information. Congress also authorized private individuals to receive personal information from government data bases in the recent copyright bill. The Clinton Administration has even endorsed allowing law enforcement officials' access to health care information, in complete disregard of the fifth amendment. Obviously, "privacy protection" laws are inadequate to protect personal information when the government is the one providing the information!

The primary reason why actions short of the repeal of laws authorizing privacy protection is insufficient is because the federal government lacks constitutional authority to force citizens to adopt a universal identifier for health care, employment, or any reason. Any federal action that oversteps constitutional limitations violates liberty for it ratifies the principle that the federal government, not the Constitution, is the ultimate judge of its own jurisdiction over the people. The only effective protection of the rights of citizens is for Congress to follow Thomas Jefferson's advice and "bind (the federal government) down with the chains of the Constitution."

Mr. Chairman, those members who are unpersuaded by the moral and constitutional reasons for embracing my privacy package should consider the overwhelming opposition of the American people toward national ID cards and medical IDs. My office has been inundated with calls from around the country protesting the movement toward a national ID card and encouraging my efforts to thwart this scheme. Imagine the public reaction if we do nothing and Americans are forced to accept a federal ID and a uniform health identifier.

I need not remind the members of the Committee of the public outcry over the federally-approved drivers' licenses and uniform health identifier. All defenders of liberty must be heartened by the public outcry against these plans. I am also pleased that many other members of Congress, particularly Mr. Barr, have been working to reverse this scheme. Mr. Chairman, I hope to continue working with the members of this SubCommittee and all members of Congress to stop implementation of the federally-approved drivers' license and the uniform health identifier. However, I also hope this Committee, and other members of Congress who are concerned about privacy, will join my efforts to stop the use of the Social Security number as an identifier. While it has not gotten as much attention as the attempt to nationalize drivers' licenses or assigning each American a unique health identifier, the abuse of the Social Security number may pose an even more immediate threat to American liberty. For all intents and purposes, the Social Security number is already a national identification number. Today, in the majority of states, no American can get a job, open a bank account, get a drivers' license, or even receive a birth certificate for one's child without presenting their Social Security number. So widespread has the use of the Social Security number become that a member of my staff recently had to produce a Social Security number in order to get a fishing license!

Perhaps the most disturbing abuse of the Social Security number is the congressionally-authorized rule forcing parents to get a Social Security number for their newborn children in order to claim them as dependents. Forcing parents to register their children with the state is more like something out of the nightmare of George Orwell than the dreams of a free republic that inspired the nation's founders.

Since the creation of the Social Security number in 1935, there have been almost 40 congressionally-authorized uses of the Social Security number as an identification number for non-Social Security programs! Many of these uses, such as the requirement that employers report the Social Security number of new employees to the "new hires data base" have been enacted in the past few years. In fact, just last spring, 210 of members of Congress voted to allow states to require citizens to allow states to force citizens to produce a Social Security number before they could exercise their right to vote.

In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, I once again thank the members of the subcommittee for their interest in this vital issue. I hope that the members will work with me to pass the Freedom and Privacy Restoration Act (HR 4217) and the Patient Privacy Act (HR 4281). It is also my sincere hope that after Congress has indeed stopped the national ID card and the medical ID we are not fooled into thinking that we have addressed all threats to the privacy of the American people. Only when Congress stops the use of the Social Security number as a de facto national ID number by passing my Privacy Protection Act (HR 3261), will Congress have done its constitutional and moral duty to protect the privacy of the American people.

house.gov/Paul

Comment #35: Citizen J said on 9/20/05 @ 1:30pm ET...

#34 references one of my very favs:

"Free government is founded in jealousy, not confidence. It is jealousy and not confidence which prescribes limited constitutions, to bind those we are obliged to trust with power.... In questions of power, then, let no more be heard of confidence in men, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution." -- Thomas Jefferson, 1799

Comment #36: Sandra said on 9/20/05 @ 1:40pm ET...

Commissioner Spencer Overton - Dissenting Statement on the Carter-Baker Report

I am a professor who specializes in election law, and served on the Carter-Baker Commission. I am writing separately to express my dissenting views to the Carter-Baker Commission's photo ID proposal. Unfortunately, the Commission rejected my 597-word dissent and allowed me only 250 words (this limitation on dissent was first announced at our final meeting). I believe that the issues before the Commission are of great consequence to our democracy and deserve more discussion. Thus, my concerns with the Commission's ID proposal and the shortcomings of the Commission's deliberative process are examined in greater detail here

Read more here: Carter Baker Dissent.com

Email: soverton@law.gwu.edu

---------

Comment #16: Frosted Flake said on 9/19/05 @ 9:34pm ET...

cc: email/I sent him your 'Swiss' link.

Comment #37: Sandra said on 9/20/05 @ 1:49pm ET...

Comment #35: Citizen J
So very true. Ron Paul is a true American patriot! Thanks for appropriate Jefferson quote.

Comment #38: Citizen J said on 9/20/05 @ 1:58pm ET...

NP Sandra- you post great stuff!

Comment #39: Citizen J said on 9/20/05 @ 2:05pm ET...

Here's another one, very appropriate reference to these criminals:

"If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen." -- Samuel Adams

Comment #40: Sandra said on 9/20/05 @ 2:30pm ET...

Endless Wars for Oil the Pat Robertson Way...?

Comment #30: Nolip -- Thanks for the link. Have you seen this? Now, we're evacuating the Florida Keys, due to Rita and we have also welcomed Venezuela to Miami just as Venezuela offered fuel and medical supplies to us and yet the rhetoric, denial, and spin continues in Washington "business as usual"... More people are about to die.

------

Monday, September 19, 2005

War of the America's is HERE While Ignorant Sleeping American's Watch TV

U.S. Warships have taken up positions in the coastal waters off of Venezuela and war between these two countries appears imminent, and to which the Venezuelan President is prepared for, and as we can read as reported by the Australian AAP News Service in their article titled “US planning to invade Venezuela: Chavez" and which says, "Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says he has documentary evidence the United States plans to invade his country. He said US soldiers recently went to Curacao, an island off Venezuela's north-west coast. He described as a "lie" the official US explanation that they visited Curacao for rest and recreation. "They were doing movements. They were doing manoeuvres," Chavez said, speaking through a translator. He added: "We are coming up with the counter-Balboa plan. That is to say if the government of the United States attempts to commit the foolhardy enterprise of attacking us, it would be embarked on a 100-year war. We are prepared."

But as Venezuela is preparing for war, so are the Bush neocons who have begun moving massive amounts of material and United States Military forces into the South American country of Paraguay, and as we can read as reported by the 'Toward Freedom Magazine News Service' in their article titled U.S. Military in Paraguay Prepares to "Spread Democracy" and which says, Controversy is raging in Paraguay, where the U.S. military is conducting secretive operations. 500 U.S. troops arrived in the country on July 1st with planes, weapons and ammunition.

Eyewitness reports prove that an airbase exists in Mariscal Estigarribia, Paraguay, which is 200 kilometers from the border with Bolivia and may be utilized by the U.S. military. Officials in Paraguay claim the military operations are routine humanitarian efforts and deny that any plans are underway for a U.S. base. Yet human rights groups in the area are deeply worried.

"White House officials are using rhetoric about terrorist threats in the tri-border region (where Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina meet) in order to build their case for military operations, in many ways reminiscent to the build up to the invasion of Iraq."

Also flying under the radar of the brainwashed sleeping masses are reports that further state that the Israeli Government has warned their citizens in Venezuela about these events and that they are now leaving the country, and as we can read as reported by Israel’s Arutz Sheva News Service in their article titled "Venezuela Jews Flock to Miami" and which says, "Venezuela's Jewish community is diminishing as many of its members move to the comfortable confines of Florida. Wealthy Venezuelans said they enjoy more freedom than in their native country, where they felt their lives were in danger."

Not just Venezuela alone are the Military Leaders of America targeting, but also Bolivia and Ecuador are on their ‘target lists’ as both of these oil rich countries have begun experiencing revolutions against their American and Oil Corporation backed leaders, and as we can read from these reports:

As reported by the Latin American News Agency in their article titled "US Encouraging Military Coup in Bolivia" and which says,
"Central Obrera Boliviana (COB) Executive Secretary Jaime Solares, and Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) Legislator Antonio Peredo, have called on the people to ready to deal with a military coup engineered by the US to frustrate the December 4 presidential elections. Solares said the US Embassy backs neoliberal ex President Jorge Quiroga and wealthy businessman Samuel Doria Medina and will go as far as necessary to prevent any other candidate´s victory."

Must read here: Nascarblue.blogspot.com
Link Source Credit: Bradblog

Comment #41: Sandra said on 9/20/05 @ 2:38pm ET...

Citizen J --- Thanks and you do too. Keep posting!

------------

More on Katrina (refusing aid by design)

News Update from Citizens for Legitimate Government
19 September 2005
Legitgov.org
http://www.legitgov.org/index.html#breaking_news

Up In Flames --Tons of British aid donated to help Hurricane Katrina victims to be BURNED by Americans [corrupt US government]

19 Sep 2005 Hundreds of tons of British food aid shipped to America for starving Hurricane Katrina survivors is to be burned. US red tape is stopping it from reaching hungry evacuees. Instead tons of the badly needed Nato ration packs, the same as those eaten by British troops in Iraq, has been condemned as unfit for human consumption. And unless the bureaucratic mess is cleared up soon, it could be sent for incineration. One British aid worker last night called the move "sickening senselessness" and said furious colleagues were "spitting blood". The food, which cost British taxpayers millions, is sitting idle in a huge warehouse after the Food and Drug Agency recalled it when it had already left to be distributed. Scores of lorries headed back to a warehouse in Little Rock, Arkansas, to dump it at an FDA incineration plant.

pRresident Bush... is this a good time to ask the Vatican about the Jesuits and Freemasons, the Illuminati, Lucifer?

Comment #42: pita said on 9/20/05 @ 3:12pm ET...

Excellent coverage by Larisa Alexandrovna in HuffPo.....

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/larisa-alexandrovna/bakedcooked-election-ref_b_7629.html

Comment #43: Nolip said on 9/20/05 @ 3:14pm ET...

“Dr. King was leading a major struggle to eliminate racial segregation and discrimination in the South. He quickly realized that the best strategy to liberate black people and gain them the right to vote was to use nonviolent forms of protest. His home base was in Alabama, where he first led the 1956 Montgomery bus boycott because they forced black people to sit in the back of the bus. He knew that any violence on the part of his civil rights workers would lead to violent counterattacks from segregationists; leading to injury and death for his followers. He had to teach his workers not to respond violently to violent provocations. He sponsored workshops to train workers in nonviolent behavior; this often meant falling to the ground and protecting one's head and face when being physically attacked. Dr. King's nonviolence strategy was successful:

Nonviolence put his followers on the moral high ground and made the brutality of racists very apparent. In this way, Dr. King won many allies and gained passage of the civil rights bills of 1964 and 1965.

His workers felt proud that they could contain their violence and learn not to hate their enemies. This galvanized the sense of mission of the workers.

Dr. King was a Christian minister and his turn-the-other-cheek philosophy represented some of the best principles for creating harmony among all people, regardless of race or religion.

Young people today can learn from King that nonviolent protest and participation in the democratic process are the best means of bringing about change.

From King's teachings, many of us realize that nonviolence is the best approach to resolving conflict. Dr. King understood better than most people that violence only begets more violence.
To honor this legacy of nonviolence today in our lives:

We should avoid fights and physically attacking other people. Everyone gets angry, but violence is an unacceptable outlet for anger. We can help our children avoid violence by acknowledging their anger even while we set limits. Help them learn constructive ways of dealing with strong emotions. Phrases like "I know you're angry, but you can't hit or hurt someone," are helpful.

We should eliminate the use of violence in our families as a legitimate way to manage our partners and children and establish cooperative ways of interacting. Children learn methods of resolving differences from us, and how we manage conflict within our family. Counting to ten, taking a deep breath, or finding other ways to calm down will help us manage the intense anger that can lead physical violence. After we calm down, we can listen to our child's or partner's point of view, respect their opinions (even if we disagree), and search together for solutions to the conflict. In doing so, we model basic skills for resolving conflict.

We should support conflict resolution and violence prevention programs in our schools and communities. Find out what programs about conflict resolution are available through your child's school, or within your religious community. If none exist, contact organizations such as Educators for Social Responsibility that create curriculum materials promoting peaceful resolution to conflict.”

Martin Luther King Jr. and Nonviolent Families

Comment #44: Sandra said on 9/20/05 @ 4:36pm ET...

Reintroduce Racial Profiling Legislation --- now is the time!

Congressman Conyers,

Based upon the response I received below from Senator Nelson please reintroduce this legislation!

Dear Sandra:

Thank you for contacting me regarding racial profiling. I support ending this indefensible practice.

As you know, Senator Russ Feingold and Representative John Conyers introduced legislation (S. 2132 and H.R. 3847) in both houses concerning this issue. However, the 108th Congress adjourned before these bills were passed, so they will have to be reintroduced in the 109th Congress.

I’ll be sure to keep your thoughts in mind should similar legislation be introduced. I appreciate your letter. Your communication helps me serve you better in the Senate.

Comment #45: RAYMAN said on 9/20/05 @ 5:59pm ET...

Off topic but maybwe their house of cards is starting to crumble:

Bush Official Arrested in Corruption Probe

The Bush administration's top federal procurement official resigned Friday and was arrested yesterday, accused of lying and obstructing a criminal investigation into Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff's dealings with the federal government. It was the first criminal complaint filed against a government official in the ongoing corruption probe related to Abramoff's activities in Washington.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/19/AR2005091901859.html

And it appears there is evidence of direct ties to powerful Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH).

Email from arrested White House official suggests powerful congressman lied about trip

An email sent by Safavian appears to indicate that the powerful Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) lied when he said he was "duped" by Abramoff and lied again on financial disclosure forms when he said that a nonprofit had paid for the trip.

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Email_from_arrested_White_House_official_suggests_powerful_congressman_lied_about_0920.html

LEt's hope Rove is next

Comment #46: Sandra said on 9/20/05 @ 7:22pm ET...

A.N.S.W.E.R. COALITION
SEPTEMBER 24, 2005
MASS MARCH IN WASHINGTON DC

Thousands will march on Saturday, September 24 in Washington DC. The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition urges the antiwar movement to come together for a united demonstration to say

Stop the War in Iraq

End Colonial Occupation from Iraq to Palestine to Haiti

Support the Palestinian People’s Right of Return

Stop the Threats Against Venezuela, Cuba, Iran & North Korea

U.S. Out of the Philippines

U.S. Out of Puerto Rico

Bring all the troops home now

Stop the Racist, anti-Immigrant and anti-Labor Offensive at Home, Defend Civil Rights

Military Recruiters Out of Our Schools and Communities

Essential Information: ACT NOW TO STOP WAR AND END RACISM

Comment #47: Sandra said on 9/20/05 @ 8:45pm ET...

Privacy It's About Freedom

Stop the Quick Fix

The latest calls for a national I.D. card are the most recent in a long series of proposals that have cropped up repeatedly over the past decade, usually in the context of immigration policy, but also in connection with gun control or health care reform.

Today, the creation of a national identification system remains a misplaced, superficial "quick fix." While offering only a false sense of security, the creation of a national I.D. card would seriously threaten our civil liberties and civil rights. A national I.D. will not keep us safe or free.

Take Action Now: Watch the flash video and sign the petition!
ACLU "Privacy It's About Power"

Comment #48: Sandra said on 9/20/05 @ 9:47pm ET...

Clueless in Washington

There's only so much the American people will take from this evil, repressive, incompetent, and criminally intent cartel. They still are not listening to the American people. They continue with the smoke and mirrors show and try to push through intimidation via various avenues in an attempt to regain power when really the American people continue to render them powerless and expose their failures to the light.

How many more people have to die for them?

Bush's photo ops no longer have merit and with polls in the crapper and lines unanswerable at FEMA, another hurricane bearing down upon the Gulf, with massive oil spill (over 40) and platforms adrift (20), and no answers from Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff...

Here's the national PR campaign that is now sweeping across America and has been joined with the out-of-Iraq/anti-war/peace movement and people who prefer life over death and destruction:

A sign against US President George W. Bush and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is hung in front of a house in the Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans, three weeks after hurricane Katrina hit the city. AFP/Omar Torres

Comment #49: World_To_Peace said on 9/20/05 @ 10:18pm ET...

Conyers,

Great work on introducing legislation to curb back these horrid ID requirements.

I hope every democratic congress member stands up and unifies against this Poll tax and against Roberts, by voting "NO" to nationwide ID.

If any ID card at all should be issued, this has got to be handled by the states themselves. Please someone get legislation going or an ammendment to make this proposal restricted.

Its also alarming to learn the "state interoperation databases" they want to make. If Accenture is doing it, this is open house to fraud. They could use citizens private docs to make fraudulent voting all over the place inside such a system.

The fraudulent voting would favor only candidates of their choice inside both parties. This would be extremely dangerous. There must be open auditing of all Accenture or statewide registry databases.

If there is not, I can see scenarios where democracy degrades and dies for good.

World To Peace

Comment #50: World_To_Peace said on 9/20/05 @ 10:27pm ET...

Note also: I have gathered a roll-call list for all congress members who voted against H-RES 375.

Please flood these represenatives OFFICES as what they did is completely unamerican and unacceptable.

Make them well known as far as you can by writing letters.

J.Gresham Barrett,SC. 202-225-5301. fx: 202-225-3216.
Mark Green, WI. 202-225-5665. fx: 202-225-5729.
Jeff Flake, AZ. 202-225-2635l fx, 202-226-4386.
Jeff Fortenberry, NE. 202-225-4806. fx, 202-225-5686.
Darrell Issa, CA. 202-225-3906. fx, 202-225-3303.
Christopher Smith, NJ. 202-225-3765. fx, 202-225-7768.
Joann Davis, VA. 202-225-4261. fx, 202-225-4382.
Jerry Weller, Ill. 202-225-3635. fx, 202-225-3521.
Dana Rohrabacher, CA. 202-225-2415. fx, 202-225-0145.
Dan Burton, IN. 202-225-2276. fx, 202-225-0016.
Elton Gallegly, CA. 202-225-5811. fx, 202-225-1100.
Joe Wilson, SC, 202-225-2452. fx, 202-225-3216.
Michael McCaul, TX. 202-225-2401. fx, 202-225-5547.
Steve Chabot, OH. 202-225-2216. fx, 202-225-3012.
Ted Poe, TX. 202-225-6565. fx, 202-225-5547
Thaddeus McCotter, MI. 202-225-8171. fx, 202-225-2667.
Connie Mac, FL. 202-225-2536. fx, 202-226-0439.
Tom Tancredo, CO. 202-225-7882. fx, 202-226-4623.
Ileana-RoxLehtinen, FL. 202-225-3931. fx, 202-225-5620.
Henry Hide, Chairman, IL. 202-225-4561. fx, 202-225-1166.
Katherine Harris, FL. 202-225-5015. fx, 202-226-0828.
John Boozeman, AR. 202-225-4301. fx, 202-225-5713.

You can write to all of them, in open view by going to this website.
Congress.ORG

Let them know what you really think of these un-american citizens, and indicate that they will lose their jobs for voting against america.

This is completely unacceptable, someone should guarantee another resolution of inquiry gets introduced and voted on again. Make another one with far more sponsors such as the republicans from the "Out of Iraq" caucus.

World To Peace

Comment #51: World_To_Peace said on 9/20/05 @ 10:27pm ET...

Comment #52: Nolip said on 9/21/05 @ 7:05am ET...

Slightly off topic: The right to vote is guaranteed by the constitution but it never said the government can seize your property just because...

“WASHINGTON — The Connecticut woman whose case led to the Supreme Court decision allowing local governments to take homes for private development asked senators yesterday to end the federal government's involvement in such seizures.”

Loser of eminent-domain case pushes for action by Congress

Comment #53: tahoebasha1 said on 9/21/05 @ 10:56pm ET...

Folks,

This is a little off topic, but at the same time on topic. I saved this article which was published in the UK Mirror in November 2004. I re-read it again and I think you will all appreciate how this author (unknown and an "outsider") managed to sum up Bush and cast and forecast our nation's leader. I do hope you will ALL read it -- it is priceless! It's amazing how someone outside of our own country could see it all so clairvoyantly. It's long and I apologize, but I think, after you read it, you will agree -- it is priceless!

5 November 2004
GOD HELP AMERICA
THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN..
THEY say that in life you get what you deserve. Well, today America has deservedly got a lawless cowboy to lead them further into carnage and isolation and the unreserved contempt of most of the rest of the world.

This once-great country has pulled up its drawbridge for another four years and stuck a finger up to the billions of us forced to share the same air. And in doing so, it has shown itself to be a fearful, backward-looking and very small nation.

This should have been the day when Americans finally answered their critics by raising their eyes from their own sidewalks and looking outward towards the rest of humanity.

And for a few hours early yesterday, when the exit polls predicted a John Kerry victory, it seemed they had.

But then the horrible, inevitable truth hit home. They had somehow managed to re-elect the most devious, blinkered and reckless leader ever put before them. The Yellow Rogue of Texas.

A self-serving, dim-witted, draft-dodging, gung-ho little rich boy, whose idea of courage is to yell: "I feel good," as he unleashes an awesome fury which slaughters 100,000 innocents for no other reason than greed and vanity.

A dangerous chameleon, his charming exterior provides cover for a power-crazed clique of Doctor Strangeloves whose goal is to increase America's grip on the world's economies and natural resources.

And in foolishly backing him, Americans have given the go-ahead for more unilateral pre-emptive strikes, more world instability and most probably another 9/11.

Why else do you think bin Laden was so happy to scare them to the polls, then made no attempt to scupper the outcome?

There's only one headline in town today, folks: "It Was Osama Wot Won It."

And soon he'll expect pay-back. Well, he can't allow Bush to have his folks whoopin' and a-hollerin' without his own getting a share of the fun, can he?

Heck, guys, I hope you're feeling proud today.

To the tens of millions who voted for John Kerry, my commiserations.

To the overwhelming majority of you who didn't, I simply ask: Have you learnt nothing? Do you despise your own image that much?

Do you care so little about the world beyond your shores? How could you do this to yourselves?

How appalling must one man's record at home and abroad be for you to reject him?

Kerry wasn't the best presidential candidate the Democrats have ever fielded (and he did deserve a kicking for that "reporting for doo-dee" moment), but at least he understood the complexity of the world outside America, and domestic disgraces like the 45 million of his fellow citizens without health cover.

He would have done something to make that country fairer and re-connected it with the wider world.

Instead America chose a man without morals or vision. An economic incompetent who inherited a $2billion surplus from Clinton, gave it in tax cuts to the rich and turned the US into the world's largest debtor nation.

A man who sneers at the rights of other nations. Who has withdrawn from international treaties on the environment and chemical weapons.

A man who flattens sovereign states then hands the rebuilding contracts to his own billionaire party backers.

A man who promotes trade protectionism and backs an Israeli government which continually flouts UN resolutions.

America has chosen a menacingly immature buffoon who likened the pursuit of the 9/11 terrorists to a Wild West, Wanted Dead or Alive man-hunt and, during the Afghanistan war, kept a baseball scorecard in his drawer, notching up hits when news came through of enemy deaths.

A RADICAL Christian fanatic who decided the world was made up of the forces of good and evil, who invented a war on terror, and thus as author of it, believed he had the right to set the rules of engagement.

Which translates to telling his troops to do what the hell they want to the bad guys. As he has at Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib and countless towns across Iraq.

You have to feel sorry for the millions of Yanks in the big cities like New York, Washington, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco who voted to kick him out.

These are the sophisticated side of the electorate who recognise a gibbon when they see one.

As for the ones who put him in, across the Bible Belt and the South, us outsiders can only feel pity.

Were I a Kerry voter, though, I'd feel deep anger, not only at them returning Bush to power, but for allowing the outside world to lump us all into the same category of moronic muppets.

The self-righteous, gun-totin', military lovin', sister marryin', abortion-hatin', gay-loathin', foreigner-despisin', non-passport ownin' red-necks, who believe God gave America the biggest dick in the world so it could urinate on the rest of us and make their land "free and strong".

You probably won't be surprised to learn of would-be Oklahoma Republican Senator Tom Coburn who, on Tuesday, promised to ban abortion and execute any doctors who carried them out.

He also told voters that lesbianism is so rampant in the state's schools that girls were being sent to toilets on their own. Not that any principal could be found to back him up.

These are the people who hijack the word patriot and liken compassion to child-molesting. And they are unknowingly bin Laden's chief recruiting officers.

Al-Qaeda's existence is fuelled by the outpourings of America's Christian right. Bush is its commander-in-chief. And he and bin Laden need each other to survive.

Both need to play Lex Luther to each others' Superman with their own fanatical people. Maybe that's why the mightiest military machine ever assembled has failed to catch the world's most wanted man.

Or is the reason simply that America is incompetent? That behind the bluff they are frightened and clueless, which is why they've stayed with the devil they know.

VISITORS from another planet watching this election would surely not credit the amateurism.

The queues for hours to register a tick; the 17,000 lawyers needed to ensure there was no cheating; the $1.2bn wasted by parties trying to discredit the enemy; the allegations of fraud, intimidation and dirty tricks; the exit polls which were so wildly inaccurate; an Electoral College voting system that makes the Eurovision Song Contest look like a beacon of democracy and efficiency; and the delays and the legal wrangles in announcing the victor.

Yet America would have us believe theirs is the finest democracy in the world. Well, that fine democracy has got the man it deserved. George W Bush.

But is America safer today without Kerry in charge? A man who overnight would have given back to the UN some credibility and authority. Who would have worked out the best way to undo the Iraq mess without fear of losing face.

Instead, the questions facing America today are - how many more thousands of their sons will die as Iraq descends into a new Vietnam? And how many more Vietnams are on the horizon now they have given Bush the mandate to go after Iran, Syria, North Korea or Cuba...?

Today is a sad day for the world, but it's even sadder for the millions of intelligent Americans embarrassed by a gung-ho leader and backed by a banal electorate, half of whom still believe Saddam Hussein was behind 9/11.

Yanks had the chance to show the world a better way this week, instead they made a thuggish cowboy ride off into the sunset bathed in glory.

And in doing so it brought Armageddon that little bit closer and re-christened their beloved nation The Home Of The Knave and the Land Of The Freak.

God Help America.

See: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/tm_objectid=14832124&method=full&siteid=50143&headline=god-help-america-name_page.html

Comment #54: Nolip said on 9/22/05 @ 8:48am ET...

With Katrina not even out of the public discourse and with Rita ready to ride up George's home state's backside, you can't help but wonder if the Creator isn't sending a less than subtle message to the war president: "Destroy your environment or a people, a nation (Iraq), or subvert your laws to fit your ethics of convenience and you do so at your own peril. I brought you into this world George, and I can take you out." So, I repeat, "Who really is in charge here?"

“Sept. 21, 2005 - The message sounds familiar: listen to your local leaders, get out of the way of the storm and to those left behind, help is already on the way. That’s what the White House told folks in Louisiana and Mississippi before Hurricane Katrina, and that’s once again what it’s saying before Rita. With a new, devastating hurricane bearing down on the Gulf Coast, the president and his aides are determined to show how they are ready for the worst. But this hurricane season is rapidly turning into a two-front battle. The political maneuvering is still unfolding over one hurricane and it’s already time to start dancing around a second storm.”

Disaster, Take Two

Comment #55: regroce said on 9/23/05 @ 12:03pm ET...

What happens if I get a speeding ticket the week before elections? I won't have my state-issued photo ID, and won't be able to vote.

And what happens when speed traps are set up highly in lower-income and minority areas right before elections?

This happened to me two years ago in New Orleans. Thankfully, I had another photo ID from my employer, which I was able to successfully use to practice my right to vote.

What about the many others who don't have alternate photo IDs?

Comment #56: Neerav Trivedi said on 9/23/05 @ 4:21pm ET...

URGENT

Mr. Conyers, members of Conyers Blog:

Here is a reponse by the two (James A. Baker III and Jimmy Carter) in today's New York Times (Friday, September 23rd, 2005), responding to the accusations that the National ID are a form of dsicrimination against minorities.You will have to login to see the article, though.

You can find it here:
Voting Reform Is in the Cards

Here is a snip of thier response, which angers me still.

-----------------------------------
WE agreed to lead the Commission on Federal Election Reform because of our shared concern that too many Americans lack confidence in the electoral process, and because members of Congress are divided on the issue and busy with other matters.

This week, we issued a report that bridges the gap between the two parties' perspectives and offers a comprehensive approach that can help end the sterile debate between ballot access and ballot integrity. Unfortunately, some have misrepresented one of our 87 recommendations. As a result, they have deflected attention from the need for comprehensive reform.

Our recommendations are intended to increase voter participation, enhance ballot security and provide for paper auditing of electronic voting machines. We also offer plans to reduce election fraud, and to make the administration of elections impartial and more effective.

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Folks, don't believe this BS that the two are giving us. What Mr. Conyers, others in Congress, and those like ourselves are doign are for ood. This plan will disenfanchise the minorioties and the poor, like Bush and his Administration has done to the poor, minorities, the elderly and the middle-class with his horrible policies.

Please read this article and let me know your thoughts on it. Thanks.

Comment #57: Beverly said on 9/23/05 @ 5:07pm ET...

Tahoe: Thank you. Excellent article.

Comment #58: RAYMAN said on 9/23/05 @ 6:11pm ET...

We can't let them get away with this.
Link to a little video spoof that pretty much sums up where they are taking us:

http://www.aclu.org/pizza/images/screen.swf

Comment #59: phollings said on 9/24/05 @ 12:23pm ET...

Thanks for your opposition to the ID requirement. I believe that legislating a requirement for a voter ID can be attacked on several grounds in addition to the disenfranchisement that it would cause. First, the observable problems are not with the identification of voters, instead they are in the wrongful disqualification of voters and the mis-counting of votes. Secondly, if it is deemed necessary to positively identify voters, then an ID card may not be either the most accurate or least costly means. For example, a fingerprint scan could be taken electronically at the time of registration (phased in over years) and compared with one taken at the polls. A scan takes less time than a photo and is cheaper, too.

Another point is to do with the printable receipt which I strongly support. A printed receipt is essential, but is useless unless it is part of a pre-defined auditing process. My own vision of this is that each receipt would contain a unique code number so that a voter could check after an election what votes were recorded for that number. If that disagreed with the vote cast, then the voter could report the discrepancy to a neutral investigator. Also, it is essential that the voting software be open for public inspection.

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