From the Votemaster!!!!!

Monday Nov 1: Kerry 298, Bush 231

Today's map

His predicted final results are even better! Predicted Final Results: Kerry 306 Bush 218
My pre-litigation Map?

(size of state weighted for electoral vote count)

My Map info Here

From Susan at Ohio Voter Suppression News:
Phone Lines Cut

This over at , from an Ohio phone bank volunteer:

I worked all day yesterday at the largest Toledo area Kerry GOTV phone bank at Gallon and Takacs law offices, 3516 Granite, Sylvania. Out of the 8 phone banks that we had here in the Toledo area yesterday, ours produced one third of all of the contacts made.

Both the local phone company and our phone systems provider have confirmed to us that phone relay point into the building was purposely severed. Many volunteers were rerouted to other locations and several also had to rely on cell phones when we found our lines down this morning. We thought it was a coincidence until the phone company verified to us that the lines were intentionally cut.

Gosh, and how do you think that might have happened?

I haven't seen this anywere else, which surprises me. I put in a call and talked to Bill Takacs, the managing partner, who confirmed that the lines were "severed" but have now been repaired. There was no overt evidence of sabotage, however, or who may have been responsible. [Mark]

AP Wire | 11/01/2004 | Two federal judges deny voter challengers at polls

CINCINNATI - Two federal judges on Monday barred political parties' challengers from polling places throughout Ohio. State Republicans planned to appeal.

An order by U.S. District Judge Susan Dlott of Cincinnati found that the application of Ohio's statute allowing challengers at polling places was unconstitutional.

U.S. District Judge John Adams of Akron said poll workers are the ones to determine if voters are eligible.

"In light of these extraordinary circumstances, and the contentious nature of the imminent election, the court cannot and must not turn a blind eye to the substantial likelihood that significant harm will result not only to voters, but also to the voting process itself, if appointed challengers are permitted at the polls," Adams said.

Wingnut Alert, don't forget to get your "Democrats want to win this in the courts" talking points in order. Secretary of State Blackwell wanted to withdraw these cases, but Republithug Atty General Jim Petro and mercenary GOP attorney Mark Weaver are appealing to the 6th Circuit.

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In comments made before Adams ruled, Mark Weaver, lawyer for the Ohio Republican Party, called Dlott's ruling erroneous and said the party would ask the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati to overturn it.

I'll update when I learn more. Note that Blackwell and Petro are positioning themselves for a run at Governor in '06 (Against Jerry Springer for the Dems -- sweet)

Non Subscription Link here, to the same story in the Plain Dealer.

ADDENDUM: Ashcroft Weighs In Akron Beacon Journal - Challenge to voters legal

Sun Oct 31, 7:41 AM ET

The U.S. Department of Justice has decided that the Ohio law that allows people to challenge voters at the polling places Tuesday does not violate a voter's civil rights and is therefore constitutional.

Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta filed a document in the Cincinnati court of U.S. District Court Judge Susan Dlott -- a Clinton appointee -- that says the Justice Department believes the challenger law in Ohio is constitutional.

It is the first time a federal official has picked sides in the dispute over the voter challenger law.

Please join us for the Fresh Start for America Rally with John Kerry in Toledo on Monday, November 1.

This is an exciting opportunity to stand up and show your support for John Kerry and John Edwards on the day before the election.

WHEN:
Monday, November 1
Gates open at 9:30 p.m.

WHERE:
Toledo Express Airport
Gand Aire
11777 West Airport Service Rd.
Toledo, Ohio

DETAILS:
Due to security, please do not bring any umbrellas, bags, or signs. Please limit personal items as well. This event will take place RAIN or SHINE.


Tickets are required for this event. Tickets can be picked up from the following locations:

Lucas County Democratic Headquarters: 1817 Madison Ave., Toledo, OH

Kerry-Edwards 2004 Ohio Headquarters: 12 E. Bancroft, Toledo, OH

John Kerry and John Edwards will stand up for the values that have always made America great: faith and family, strength and service, responsibility and opportunity for all. Join us at the rally, and show that you share the Kerry-Edwards vision for an America that is stronger at home and respected in the world.

Thank you for standing with us,

Ohio for Kerry-Edwards

We were never done with Afghanistan, and now we might never be able to fix it.

Under the Taliban, who imposed a hardline Islamic rule after taking over most of Afghanistan in 1996, the cultivation of opium poppies was largely eliminated. Since the fall of the regime in 2001 to the US-led coalition, however, opium production has risen dramatically in lawless provinces, bringing in $2.3bn, more than half of the nation%uFFD5s gross domestic product, last year alone. Afghanistan supplies more than 90% of the heroin that reaches Britain.

With some estimates putting addiction levels at anything up to one million - one in 25 of the population - Afghanistan%uFFD5s fledgling new government is finally waking up to its massive home-grown smack habit.

Reference:
Scotsman.com News - Top Stories - Opium flood overwhelms Afghanistan

But not what I wanted to see either.

Bomber attacks Marines -- 8 die, 9 injured / Day's casualties are highest in 6 months

Baghdad -- Eight Marines were killed and nine others wounded west of the capital on Saturday when a suicide car bomb rammed into their convoy, military officials said, making it the deadliest day for the U.S. forces in half a year. In the heart of Baghdad, insurgents staged their first major assault on a news media organization by detonating a car bomb outside the offices of a popular Arab news network, killing at least seven people and wounding about 19 others, police and hospital officials said.

In a third incident, Iraqi security forces reportedly killed 14 people when they opened fire on vehicles carrying civilians in the aftermath of a roadside bomb attack on a U.S. Army convoy roughly 25 miles south of Baghdad.

The attack on the Marines took place near Abu Ghraib, the prison 15 miles west of Baghdad used by the Americans to hold detainees, said Capt. Bradley Gordon, a Marine spokesman. The military said in a terse statement that those killed were conducting "increased security operations." No other details were released.

The Marines later reported a ninth combat death on Saturday, the Associated Press reported, but did not say whether it was in the car bombing or another action.

. . . making progress . . . turning a corner . . . hunt them down . . . dead or alive , , , hate our freedom , , , making us sater . . . missing explosives . . .

When Hunter S. Thompson asks, "Where is Richard Nixon now that we finally need him?" you know without a doubt the entire nation has a terminal case of "bad crazies."

Now available, just in time too: RollingStone.com: Politics - Fear and Loathing, Campaign 2004

When he says he for anybody but Bush, he really means it.

(Warning: Not to be read while sober.)

Why is it that I get hate mail and he gets paid for saying this?

The question this year is not whether President Bush is acting more and more like the head of a fascist government but if the American people want it that way. That is what this election is all about. We are down to nut-cutting time, and millions of people are angry. They want a Regime Change.

He's still a genius.

Fitting topic for Halloween.

Just a thought, but isn't it more likely that UBL's surprise appearance had more to do with the vacuum in leadership left in the wake of Arafat's illness and the recognition that he no longer can effectively influence the muslim world (or even wipe the drool off his own chin without help) than any attempt to influence the US elections?

Bin Laden's Potential New Role Is Cause for Concern

The U.S. official said "a political spinoff (of al-Qaida) is one of the greatest fears" of U.S. counter-terrorism authorities, in which bin Laden and the terror network follow the path of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Hezbollah and members of the Irish Republican Army. Over the years, those groups evolved from having an emphasis on committing terrorism into broader organizations with influential, widely accepted political wings.

Honestly, I really don't think he give a damn who wins our silly election, but surely enjoyed rubbing Bush's nose in the goat book.

In fact, in reading some informed analysis of what bin Laden had to say, I'm not surprised that Wingnuttistan would seize on the irrelevant so they could equate their favorite whipping boy, Michael Moore, with the terrorist mastermind, and completely miss the point.

UBL brought up the embarassing My Pet Goat incident to illustrate something never contemplated by Mr. Moore, but points out how tragic indeed Bush's petrification was. Not surprising that theright side of the blogosphere can't get past the first sentence, which blinds their ability to understand the significance of the second:

UBL: "That gave us three times the required time to carry out the operations, thank God,'' he said.

In planning the attacks, bin Laden said he told Mohammed Atta, one of the hijackers, that the strikes had to be carried out "within 20 minutes before Bush and his administration noticed."

By the way, in a very instructive piece from one journalist who knows better than most reporters, and far more than any deskbound poundit, Peter Bergen analysis the tape, notes the "elder statesman" appearence of the mass murderer and make the point that not only is the fact that UBL can still issue these messages a collosal failure of intelligence, but that, all things considered,

Senator Kerry's charge that Tora Bora was a missed opportunity to bring bin Laden to justice is an accurate reflection of the historical record.

And just to round things out, The Washington Monthly has an informative post on why that other pesky terrorist, Zarqawi, is still on the loose. No October surprise to read that Bush had his chance here, and blew it even bigger.

In fact, I'll go further and point out that since Bush made a conscience decision not to go after Zarqawi when he had ample opportunities, all the deaths of American soldiers, Iraqis, and other foreign nationals in Iraq who have been blown apart or beheaded are the direct responsibility of our "War President."

It's one thing to try and miss, as seems to be the mantra concerning Tora Bora. Quite another not to try at all and reap the seeds of mayhem we now see in the daily violence attributable to Zarqawi. Shame on you Mr. President. Shame.

QUOTE: "To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public."
-- Theodore Roosevelt, May 7, 1918

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In case you forgot, Ohio essential to a Kerry win.

I saw the other day someone suggested we call it “FLOHPA” – Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

You could say, "Iraq, Iraq, Iraq." There are so many cross-currents in this election.

Now it appears Michigan may be a battleground state. Senator John Kerry is being forced to go back there this weekend and Vice President Dick Cheney is flying all the way to Hawaii, trying to steal those four electoral votes. John Kerry’s dispatching his daughter. Everything’s up for grabs.

I still am convinced that if you win two of three – Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania – you have a very good chance of being the next president of the United States.

So, whither Ohio? The lawyers are ready. The lawsuits have already started. And if you can read between the lines, you not only can predict the outcome, you can see who's going to catch the flack.