This is a great video on the problem, but skimps on the solution, just mentioning public financing at the end. Public financing without free media is only half the solution, and such a clean money system must be made mandatory. A plan to do it can be found in my forthcoming book.

Its time to help in the grass roots effort to gain signatures for Initiative 1001.  Please view the website: www. votehope.wordpress.com.  Also, you may see I-1001 in its official cpacity at http://www.secstate.wa.gov/elections/initiatives/people.aspx?y=2008 .  Our state is ready for this.  Get it on the ballot, and it WILL pass!

Says John 'Minorities Die First' Tanner's Recent Remarks 'Underscore the GOP's Utter Disregard for the Integrity of our Nation's Election System'
Statement Issued in Advance of Tomorrow's U.S. House Judicary Hearings Featuring Testimony from Embattled DoJ Voting Rights Chief...
By BradBlog

In advance of tomorrow morning's House Judiciary Committee hearing to feature testimony by DoJ Civil Rights Division Voting Section chief, John "Minorities Die First" Tanner, DNC Chair Howard Dean and Donna Brazile of the DNC Voting Rights Institute have issued a statement calling for Tanner to be "immediately fired."

"In their latest scheme, the Republican Administration has manipulated the mission of the Department of Justice, firing US Attorneys who were unwilling to pursue phony 'voter fraud' cases, and politicized the Civil Rights Division," the statement (posted in full at the end of this article) reads.

www.dcvote.org

First Time in 30 Years that Senate Will Address DC's Denial of Voting Representation

Washington, DC - At 2:15 PM today, the United States Senate is scheduled to begin debate on a procedural vote on the District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act (S. 1257). DC voting rights supporters on and off the Hill are confident that the measure will receive the required 60 votes to proceed to the next step of debate and a vote on the bill itself.

A press conference is scheduled immediately following today's procedural vote in Room S-115 in the U.S. Capitol Building.

Yesterday, DC Vote and civil rights leaders from Kentucky and DC met with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to urge the Senator to forego efforts to stall the DC Voting Rights Act. McConnell indicated that he would follow the wishes of the Republican Caucus and oppose this historic civil rights bill by using all procedural means to block a vote.

From Clare Maher via Mark Crispin Miller:

'MICROSOFT 811'

Holt: "It's no longer my bill."

In a town meeting in his New Jersey home district in July, Congressman Rush Holt made some disturbing statements which leave no doubt that H.R. 811 has become a bill that protects the interests of software corporations over the rights of citizens. In fact the Holt bill is NOT the Holt bill anymore! It has become 'Microsoft 811'!

Mr. Holt: "The bill has been changed since I introduced it. It's no longer my bill -- well, it's still my bill but it's been marked up in committee."

Further he added:

"Unfortunately, the committee that made this change heard from Microsoft. They heard that Voice. The point is Microsoft did lobby strongly. It wasn't just Microsoft. It was everybody who..."

Audience question: "Diebold?"

Holt: "No, it was software -- the software industry."

Ask your Congress Member to contact Congressman Kucinich to sign onto this letter.

Speaker Pelosi:

We have been made aware of a growing concern with H.R. 811, the Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2007.

Many constituencies important to the Democratic Caucus, including but not limited to the National Conference of State Legislatures, the National Association of Counties, VotersUnite.Org, and Election Defense Alliance, have expressed frustration with our offices about the process and current legislative text of the Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act.

These constituencies represent a broad range of interests that reflect many of the core values of our party. H.R. 811 now finds opposition from organizations focused on upholding the integrity of our elections and local and states governments. For these constituencies, H.R. 811 falls short of its intended goals to ensure votes are cast and counted as intended by the voters.

BradBlog has the story here:

PETER B. COLLINS: You have recently removed yourself as a co-sponsor of 811, am I correct?

KUCINICH: I have. Rush Holt's a fine person and I really enjoy serving with him. But I have to say, the bill does not address the concerns that Americans have, to do something about electronic voting, and to make sure that we protect ourselves from the kind of manipulation of an election that can occur with the insufficient controls on software and hardware in this era of electronic voting.

That's why I've advocated paper ballots in all federal elections. That's the paper trail. That's that old time religion in politics where at least you had a chance for a fair count. Every American deserves to know that his or her vote counts and is going to be counted.

When I was really little my Uncle Leroy was the Alderman for our Ward, that is what the district was called then, in Wilmington De.

Not big politics but we were horribly impressed. Uncle Le always appeared to be doing things for others. He helped my mother get our first apartment; it was the second story of a row house, close to grand mom’s of course. See my father died, I was 2, my sister 4 and my mother pregnant with my baby brother. And well in 1960 a woman couldn't always rent a place on her own. "A man would have to sign, see, you might nit make it alone there missy, with all those kids and all."

When the constitution has been broken and america has given the democrats a chance to correct the wrongs will they?
www.impeachpresidentbush.com

Brad has the story here.