Special Coverage: Democracy and Elections

VA Retreats on Voter Registration Efforts for Wounded Veterans

Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet. May 8, 2008.
The Department of Veterans Affairs says it will help ex-soldiers to register and vote, yet it won't allow registration drives on VA facilities.

From the blogs

PA: High Turnout, Some Machine Problems

by Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet

Technical and voter list snafus complicate Pennsylvania voting.

Colbert Report: Finally, the Voices of America's Long-Suffering White Males Will Be Heard [VIDEO]

by Joshua Holland, AlterNet

And they don't come much whiter than John Edwards ...

Surprise: Election Reforms Politicized

by Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet

While Obama hits VA for not helping ex-soldiers vote, the GOP and Administration block a voting machine accuracy bill in the House.

Anti-Democratic Backlash: Surge in Voter Registration Sparks New Wave of Voter Suppression

by Project Vote, MyDD.com

And other election-protection news.

Former President Carter Winks, Nods, Blows Kiss at Obama

by Trish , Pensito Review

Perhaps the best way to tell if Carter was saying he's voting for Obama was the reaction of the Clinton campaign. Can you say, "frosty?"

Clinton Superdelegate Lead Nearly Erased

by Chris Bowers, Open Left

It appears that Obama is imminently poised to take the superdelegate lead even before Pennsylvania.

Is Obama Ahead in Pennsylvania?

by GottaLaff , Cliff Schecter's Blog

He leads across all age groups except senior citizens and balances Clinton’s 10 point lead with women with his own 15 point lead with men.

Will Hillary Say Anything to Win the Nomination? [VIDEO]

by Adam Howard, AlterNet

Hillary Clinton says she wants to count all the votes...but she also wants the super delegates to overturn the will of the voters.

Bill Clinton Stuns Superdelegates with Angry Tirade Behind Closed Doors

by Paddy , Cliff Schecter's Blog

Take it with a grain of salt, since it's anonymous, but wow.

Keith Olbermann Presents the Commander-in-Chief Test [VIDEO]

by Adam Howard, AlterNet

How often should the commander-in-chief joke about nuclear holocaust?

The Violent Language of Right-Wing Pundits Poisons Our Democracy

Jeffrey Feldman, Ig Publishing. May 6, 2008.
On TV and the radio, conservative pundits infuse violence into their arguments, destroying our precious culture of civil debate.

Democratic Congress to Voters: What Election Problems?

Art Levine, AlterNet. May 5, 2008.
A Democratic-majority Congress is unlikely to pass needed election reforms.

There Is No 'Nuclear Option' for Hillary to Seize the Nomination at the Dem Convention

Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet. May 5, 2008.
The speculation that Hillary's campaign might try to override the voting process to get the nomination ignores DNC rules.

Dept. of Veterans Affairs Changes Policy on Helping Wounded Soldiers Register to Vote

Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet. May 1, 2008.
The VA bows to public and political pressure, but soldiers still must ask for help.

Is the Supreme Court Trying to Swing the Election?

Bob Fitrakis, Harvey Wasserman, The Free Press. May 1, 2008.
The US Supreme Court has just eliminated the voting rights of tens of thousands who generally vote Democratic.

The Political Consulting Racket: Elites Working Hard to Keep Elites Rich

Sam Pizzigati, Too Much: A Commentary on Excess and Inequality. April 30, 2008.
America's elite political consultants are making millions off the political contributions of average Americans.

As Election Nears, Supreme Court Upholds Repressive Voter ID Law

Brennan Center for Justice, AlterNet. April 28, 2008.
It is more important now than ever for lawmakers across the country to pass laws protecting the right to vote.

Supreme Court Backs Tougher Voter ID Laws

Rick Hasen, Election Law Blog. April 28, 2008.
A decision on Indiana’s law is a setback for voting rights advocates.

West Virginia’s ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Policy for Voters

Jeff Kisseloff, AlterNet. April 28, 2008.
Independent voters won’t be told they can vote Democratic or Republican, disenfranchising likely voters.

Hillary Serves out the Pork

Matt Taibbi, RollingStone.com. April 27, 2008.
Nobody doles out taxpayer money like Hillary Clinton -- or rakes in as much campaign cash from the companies she does favors for.

What if 5.3 Million More Americans Could Vote?

Erika Wood, AlterNet. April 21, 2008.
Millions of people in the U.S. can't vote because of felony convictions. Restoring their right to vote means restoring democracy.

Pennsylvania's Primary: Paperless and Unverifiable

Verified Voting Foundation. April 16, 2008.
Most of Pennsylvania's voters live in counties that use electronic voting. There is no way to ensure that their votes will be counted.

Wall Street and Washington Are Failing Spectacularly -- Where Do We Go?

Joe Costello, AlterNet. April 15, 2008.
The U.S. political and economic systems are not equipped to deal with the looming problems of the 21st century.

How Republicans Quietly Hijacked the Justice Department to Swing Elections

Steven Rosenfeld, Ig Publishing. April 15, 2008.
The GOP may have committed massive vote fraud in plain sight by encouraging widespread voter purges and restricting registration campaigns.

Veterans Department Creates Roadblocks to Voter Registration for Injured Vets

Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet. April 10, 2008.
VA secretary says registering voters in VA facilities is a "partisan" distraction.

Should Democrats Eliminate Superdelegates?

Rick Hasen, Huffington Post. April 8, 2008.
Why doesn't the nominating process reflect the popular will?

Jay Rockefeller: The Most Gullible Sheep in the Senate?

Alexander Zaitchik, AlterNet. April 7, 2008.
The Dem senator is an advocate for Bush's domestic spying efforts and cheerleader for telecom immunity: Is he a clownish dupe, or is his brain addled?

Legacy of MLK: Unions Can Help Us Get to the Promised Land

Gerry Hudson, AlterNet. April 4, 2008.
True equality is still the goal.

The Republican War on Voting

Art Levine, The American Prospect. April 4, 2008.
The Republican Party is trying to suppress low-income minority votes by propagating the myth of voter fraud.

Could Republicans Pick the Democratic Nominee?

Wayne Barrett, Huffington Post. April 3, 2008.
In both Michigan and Florida it was Republicans who fomented the move-up of primaries to dates out-of-line with the DNC calendar.

"Emergency" Bill Tries to Make Electronic Voting More Accurate, But Will It?

Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet. April 3, 2008.
Looking ahead to the fall election, a House bill lets states decide if they want to replace paperless voting systems -- or just add printers.

Pennsylvania, State of Denial

Marybeth Kuznik, VotePA. April 2, 2008.
Pennsylvania officials need to recognize the dangers of electronic voting.

Inside Guantánamo with Detainee 061

Mariah Blake, Mother Jones. April 2, 2008.
The Pentagon knew that Murat Kurnaz was an innocent man at Guantánamo Bay, but they kept him there for five years anyway. This is his story.

The FBI Ignored Threats to Black Voters

Art Levine, Huffington Post. April 1, 2008.
African-American voters received illegal mailers threatening them with criminal punishment for voting -- and the FBI failed to investigate.

Ben Franklin's Worst Nightmare

Robert C. Koehler, Tribune Media Services. March 31, 2008.
Our elections are plagued by vote suppression and fraud. Making sure we have a fair election in 2008 is even more important than who wins.

Texas Prosecutes Little Old Ladies for Voter Fraud

Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet. March 31, 2008.
State's Attorney General has prosecuted Democrats who help seniors vote by mail while ignoring documented Republican ballot box stuffing.

Are Hillary and Obama Afraid of Talking About the New Deal?

Howard Zinn, The Nation. March 31, 2008.
In today's climate of uncontrolled greed, it seems like a no-brainer to channel one of the most innovative programs in US history.

Rezko Trial Highlights Need for Campaign Finance Reform

Ciara Torres-Spelliscy, Brennan Center for Justice. March 29, 2008.
When it comes to Illinois's political contributions laws, there's much more to the Tony Rezko drama than meets the eye.

Topics to Avoid in Polite Liberal Conversation

Mark Crispin Miller, AlterNet. March 25, 2008.
Some pundits, including liberals, do not want to talk about race -- just as they did not want to talk about stolen presidential elections.

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