By David Swanson

Virginia's Fifth District Congressional race has become a battle over whether or not to count provisional ballots, with the Democratic candidate in favor and the Republican opposed, in general, to counting them. The Republicans can be expected to regurgitate myths promoted by the RNC, McCain campaign, and national corporate media about "voter fraud." Ideas matter, and if these insidious ideas are not rejected, decisive votes in this election might be.

By David Swanson

The Huffington Post has dug up, and the Daily Kos and everybody else are commenting on evidence that McCain held a private secret meeting with Chilean dictator and torturer General Augusto Pinochet. But this is not just a story about John McCain's hypocrisy (what a shock that would be!). It's a teachable moment, and in two senses.

By David Swanson

Unrequested and unwanted, this notorious fear and hate mongering DVD arrived today, October 23rd, in my mailbox in Charlottesville in the swing state of Virginia: http://obsessionthemovie.com

The DVD seeks to teach people that an entire religion, Islam, is aimed at terrorizing and killing them. The distributors of the DVD have clearly determined by some respectable and scholarly method that this information is most edifying for residents of swing states.

By David Swanson

If your television declares John McCain the president elect on the evening of November 4th, your television will be lying. You should immediately pick up your pre-packed bags and head straight to the White House in Washington, D.C., which we will surround and shut down until this attempt at a third illegitimate presidency is reversed.

Go here to listen to the audio.

By Michael Slater, Executive Director, Project Vote

Everything has its season, and the month before a national election is the season for partisan allegations of "voter fraud." This year has been different mostly in degrees. The issue of a small number of bogus voter registration applications in ACORN's historic 1.31 million voter registration drive (conducted in partnership with Project Vote) has taken a prominent place in the dramaturgy of the Republican presidential campaign strategy.

Incident Highlights Republican Suppression Efforts Masked by “Fraud” Campaign

ALBUQUERQUE - After the New Mexico Republican Party claimed Thursday that fraudulent voters—including some registered to vote by ACORN—participated in the June, 2008 Democratic primary, ACORN contacted some of the voters Republicans said were bogus. ACORN will present its findings Saturday morning at an 11:00 am press conference at ACORN’s New Mexico headquarters (411 Bellamah NW, Albuquerque).

The voters that the Republicans named in their press conference on Thursday were quickly reached by ACORN Thursday night. They include an 18-year old first-time voter and a new citizen. All provided evidence that they are legitimate voters, and their legitimacy was confirmed by the Bernalillo County Clerk. All confirmed that they voted in the June primary and expressed outrage that the Republican Party is targeting them.

Velvet Revolution, an organization dedicated to fair elections, is offering $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for break-ins at the ACORN offices in Dorchester, MA and Burien, WA.,

The timing of the break-ins coincide with the Republican attacks on the organization. The Washington break-in occurred on Tuesday and the Boston break-in occurred in the evening after Senator McCain made accusations against ACORN in the final presidential debate, where he said the group was “destroying the fabric of democracy”. In recent days the organization has been the target of threatening calls and e-mails, including at least one death threat. “Voter suppression is their goal but we will not allow the actions of political hacks and zealots to intimidate us or keep us from exercising our most fundamental right – the right to vote” – Mimi Ramos, Head Organizer, Massachusetts ACORN.