The Voter Integrity Project

Very interesting article in the Wall St. Journal about voter fraud, and steps being taken to comabt it:

"Courts are playing an increasing role in elections. Soon after Oct. 7, if either the recall or the vote for a replacement governor in the Golden State is close, the lawyers will certainly be back in court. And that's not the only race that may be litigated. This fall's race for mayor of Philadelphia also promises to be close.

Perhaps, then, Attorney General John Ashcroft would do well to repeat his 2002 Voter Integrity Program, which dramatically reduced both Republican allegations of voter fraud and Democratic complaints of suppressed minority votes.

Mr. Ashcroft successfully cut down on monkey business by training FBI agents and officials from U.S. attorney's offices around the country in techniques "to prevent election offenses and bring violators to justice," Including how to prevent discrimination against minorities. Last fall more than 300 federal officials came in for a day of training in Washington...."

Huffington Might Drop Recall Bid

From SFGate:

Independent commentator Arianna Huffington said Monday she is strongly considering leaving the recall race, signaling a growing fear among the political left that Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger stands a good chance of becoming California's next governor.

Huffington, appearing at a campaign event in San Francisco, said she would decide as soon as today whether to urge her supporters to oppose the recall and possibly back Democratic Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante -- reflecting the view that in a close race, votes by progressives for Huffington and Green Party candidate Peter Camejo could help elect Schwarzenegger.

Link via Drudge

Latest Recall Poll Numbers

From Gallup:

Davis Offers; Schwarzenneger Declines

According to CNN, Gov. Gray Davis invited Arnold to a debate on Larry King, and the former actor declined. The Schwarzenneger campaign claims this is an act of desperation from Davis who is not even running against Schwarzenneger in the October 7th election.

Back to the Absurdity; Watch the CA Debate

Well, I'm back to the reality of our political process this morning after a day of unbelieveable baseball. If you too missed the last gubernatorial debate, Tom McClintock is graciously offering his broadband for our edification. Thanks to Austin Barrow at Poliart for this link.

The Numbers on Clark

While Clark's debut national poll numbers were quite impressive, two recent polls of NH primary voters, the Marist College Poll and Zogby, show Clark a distant third in that state. By that metric, Howard Dean remains the "front-runner".

Edwards Proposes Campaign Reform

From the Des Moines Register:

Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards proposed Tuesday to bar lobbyists who push federal legislation from contributing money to federal election campaigns.

"What I'm proposing is, the very people who lobby for legislation and for industries and whose job it is to influence legislation not simultaneously be able to make political contributions," Edwards, a North Carolina senator, said during a conference call with reporters.

The Model of a Modern Political General

UPDATE : For a closely-reasoned fact-filled critique of this whole article saying politely why I'm full of it, see the Comments section by a Clark campaigner. Long, Detailed, and definitely worth a read.

As an Australian, you might think that I can be objective about the US Elections. I mean, I can't vote, and why should I care about who gets in as US President any more than people in the US care about whether Costello or Carr succeeds John Howard when he retires?

Well, I'll try to be objective, but please bear in mind George W. Bush's policies on trade, especially as regards Steel Imports, have hurt my country pretty badly in the hip-pocket nerve. And my own personal belief is that a Healthy Democracy needs a Healthy Opposition to "keep the Bastards Honest" as we say here in Oz. Howard Dean... doesn't cut the mustard, and he's the best of a very dreary bunch.

This stuff is important to us.

So I was all ready to greet General Clark as one Democrat who had both some foreign policy nous, and experience of helping to run a humongous organisation, namely, the US Army.

Then I looked "behind the scenes".

(Hat Tip to Thief's Den for tracking this one down)

The picture shows General Clark trading hats with his pal, Bosnian Serb Gen. Ratko Mladic, now an indicted war criminal and fugitive from justice. Have a look at the expression on the face of the British officer to Clark's left.

From the Weekly Standard :

Clark accepted as gifts Mladic's hat, a bottle of brandy, and a pistol inscribed in Cyrillic, U.S. officials said. 'It's like cavorting with Hermann Goering,' one U.S. official complained."

As for what former colleagues, superiors and subordinates have said about him...

... here's an assessment that appeared in the Los Altos Town Crier :

"What do you think of General Wesley Clark and would you support him as a presidential candidate," was the question put to him [General H.Hugh Sheldon, former Chief of the General Staff] by moderator Dick Henning, assuming that all military men stood in support of each other. General Shelton took a drink of water and Henning said, "I noticed you took a drink on that one!"

"That question makes me wish it were vodka," said Shelton. "I've known Wes for a long time. I will tell you the reason he came out of Europe early had to do with integrity and character issues, things that are very near and dear to my heart. I'm not going to say whether I'm a Republican or a Democrat. I'll just say Wes won't get my vote."

Then there's what some former subordinates and co-workers had to say on Counterpunch :

"The poster child for everything that is wrong with the GO (general officer) corps," exclaims one colonel, who has had occasion to observe Clark in action, citing, among other examples, his command of the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood from 1992 to 1994.

[...]

Such strong reactions are common. A major in the 3rd Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado when Clark was in command there in the early 1980s described him as a man who "regards each and every one of his subordinates as a potential threat to his career".

While he regards his junior officers with watchful suspicion, he customarily accords the lower ranks little more than arrogant contempt. A veteran of Clark's tenure at Fort Hood recalls the general's "massive tantrum because the privates and sergeants and wives in the crowded (canteen) checkout lines didn't jump out of the way fast enough to let him through".

As for his judgement in times of crisis - well, it's not often that I'll quote the Grauniad, but this is what they had to say :

As allied troops moved into Kosovo, 200 Russian troops made a surprise dash from Bosnia and occupied Pristina airport, where [UK] General Sir Mike Jackson, the commander of the international K-For peacekeeping force, was to make his headquarters.

Gen Clark ordered Gen Jackson to storm the airport at which point the British commander was reported to have said: "I'm not going to start the third world war for you."

This from a paper not known for its sympathies for the US Republican party. A less immediately condemning version is in Wikipedia :

Clark, in an NPR interview, said that the incident was a surprising moment for him. Clark indicated that his order to block the runways was refused by an emotional Jackson and that he took the matter up the British chain of command. Clark stated that General Sir Charles Guthrie, British Chief of the Defence Staff, agreed with Jackson. Guthrie, according to Clark, also told him that Hugh Shelton the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff also agreed with him. Clark found this very surprising since the original suggestion to block the Russians came from Washington. Clark called the Pentagon, looking for support, and was told by Shelton: "We don't want a confrontation, but I do support you". Clark said that he told Shelton: "Then you've got a policy problem". Clark maintained in the NPR interview that the matter was a difference in the perception of the policy between the US administration and the British government. Clark believed he was carrying out the suggestions of the administration in Washington.

This is a guy who was supposed to be the NATO commander on the scene. OK, so his forward HQ was actually in Brussels, as far away from the action as possible. It took a special dispensation for him to get a Kosovo campaign medal, as he didn't qualify for one. But he's brave all right: One "suggestion" from "somewhere in Washington" and he orders a course of action that would very possibly lead to a shooting war with the Russians.

General Clark is known to play rather fast and loose with the truth when it comes to "suggestions from Washington". Or even "suggestions from one guy in Canada". Again, from the Weekly Standard :

...reporter Tim Harper uncovered the identity of the man who supposedly called Wesley Clark on Sept. 11, 2001, urging him to go on CNN and blame Saddam Hussein for the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

Clark, you'll remember, told Tim Russert last June that the attempt to link Saddam and 9/11 "came from the White House, it came from people around the White House, it came from all over. I got a call on 9/11. I was on CNN, and I got a call at my home saying, 'You've got to say this is connected. This is state-sponsored terrorism.'"

Clark eventually admitted that he never received a call from the White House. Instead, he talked to "a man from a--of a Middle East think tank in Canada, the man who's the brother of a very close friend of mine in Belgium."

[...]

...according to Harper, the man who called Clark was Thomas Hecht, who heads the one-man Montreal office for the Israel-based Begin-Sadat Centre for Strategic Studies.

[...]

The retired NATO commander melodramatically said he received the call on 9/11. Hecht says the call was "either Sept. 12 or Sept. 13." Clark said the call was evidence of a conspiracy to link Hussein to 9/11. Hecht says he called to invite the general to give a speech, and in the course of the conversation mentioned possible links between Saddam and international terrorist groups. Hecht, for his part, doesn't understand how his phone call became a central part of Clark's sordid tale of intrigue and corruption at the highest levels of government. "I don't know why I would be confused with the White House," Hecht said. "I don't even have white paint on my house."

So how did this guy get to be where he is today? Because he has some truly outstanding virtues.

First in his class at West Point.

Rhodes Scholar.

And this from David H. Hackworth :

Lt. Gen. James Hollingsworth, one of our Army's most distinguished war heroes, says: "Clark took a burst of AK fire, but didn't stop fighting. He stayed on the field till his mission was accomplished and his boys were safe. He was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart. And he earned 'em."

It took months for Clark to get back in shape. He had the perfect excuse, but he didn't quit the Army to scale the corporate peaks as so many of our best and brightest did back then. Instead, he took a demoralized company of short-timers at Fort Knox who were suffering from a Vietnam hangover and made them the best on post - a major challenge in 1970 when our Army was teetering on the edge of anarchy. Then he stuck around to become one of the young Turks who forged the Green Machine into the magnificent sword that Norman Schwarzkopf swung so skillfully during Round One of the Gulf War.

[...]

I took a swing at Clark during the Kosovo campaign when I thought he screwed up the operation, and I called him a "Perfumed Prince". Only years later did I discover from his book and other research that I was wrong - the blame should have been worn by British timidity and William Cohen, U.S. SecDef at the time.

But being a good friend of the Clintons helped even more, I'm sure. He is the very model of a modern Political General - not neccessarily a bad thing in a politician.

As for General Clark's views on "Unilateral Action", they seem change markedly, depending on who is in power. From Col. Jafras USAF (Retd) :

Nancy Hey began the questioning by expressing her opposition to the U.S. being the "World's Policeman." Clark went into a long explanation of how we can't stand by while people are being killed, there's genocide and ethnic cleansing, etc., etc. He acknowledged that we can't be everywhere but in the case of Kosovo we could do something. When Nancy pressed him about not getting involved in other countries' civil wars and internal problems, his reply was, "Shouldn't we have done something about the Holocaust?" I told him that trying to equate Kosovo to the Holocaust was ridiculous. When another person questioned his position that we should have gone in on the ground as one that would have resulted in unacceptable casualties, Clark replied that the Yugoslav Army in Kosovo, which remain hidden to avoid the bombing was demoralized and probable would not fight.

The reason why General Clark has been so opposed to the Iraq war appears to be quite simple : Because it's the Republicans who're doing it.

He has the whole Clinton electoral mafia (I don't use the word perjoratively) behind him. I think he's a shoe-in as Democratic VP candidate - if that's what he'll settle for. He's the consumate politician, and always has been. He knows which way the wind blows, and bends accordingly. A true "Little Napoleon".

The question for US voters is, Do you want a politician - or a leader?

And the answer to that is not just important to the USA, it's important to the whole world.

See my blog for a Postscript.

I Can't Believe I Missed the Recall Debate

Well, I have to apologize to you all. I missed the CA Recall debate tonight. I had planned to watch it but I've just been a little preoccupied by our cursed (and hopefully blessed) Cubs. They're in first place in the last week of baseball and half of Chicago is afraid to turn the channel...or breathe for that matter. Anyway, from all the reports I've seen, it sounds like the debate was juicy. Here's a couple of classic bytes I found at Reuters:

He [Schwarzenegger] lashed out at fellow immigrant Huffington, saying she had paid almost no personal income tax over the past two years.

"Your personal income is the biggest loophole; I can drive my Hummer through it," he said.
...
When Schwarzenegger later attempted to interrupt Huffington, she said: "This is the way you treat women, we know that."

It was one of the sharpest daggers of the evening, because of allegations that Schwarzenegger's past statements and behavior reveal a sexist attitude. Given a chance to respond, the action star said: "I would just like to say that I just realized I have a perfect part for you in Terminator 4."
...
[Huffington]"Let me just continue and see who can speak louder in a foreign accent."

Clark's Goes Domestic

Wesley Clark, attacking his perceived weakness on domestic issues, has released a hefty 100 billion dollar jobs plan (link to document). Here's the breakdown of his three pronged approach from CNN:

• A $40 billion fund would focus on improving homeland security by investing in infrastructure, such as hospitals, and training those who are the first to respond in emergencies. That fund would leave hospitals better prepared for potential biological and chemical attacks, provide money to hire more Coast Guard and customs workers, and secure ports, bridges and tunnels, Clark said.

• A $40 billion fund for states and local governments -- many financially strapped -- would bolster public education, health care, local law enforcement and social services, he said. About $20 billion would help public colleges keep tuition down and help state and local governments train workers for new jobs, he said. Local governments would receive $10 billion to cope with rising health-care costs, and $10 billion would help finance local law enforcement programs and social services.

• The third proposal would provide $20 billion for business tax credits and incentives, including tax credits of $5,000 per every new employee hired by a company. There would be incentives for firms to keep manufacturing jobs in the United States and efforts to make companies more competitive in the trade markets, Clark said.

Clark Would Have Been a Republican

From Newsweek:

Last January, at a conference in Switzerland, he happened to chat with two prominent Republicans, Colorado Gov. Bill Owens and Marc Holtzman, now president of the University of Denver. “I would have been a Republican,” Clark told them, “if Karl Rove had returned my phone calls.” Soon thereafter, in fact, Clark quit his day job and began seriously planning to enter the presidential race—as a Democrat. Messaging NEWSWEEK by BlackBerry, Clark late last week insisted the remark was a “humorous tweak.” The two others said it was anything but. “He went into detail about his grievances,” Holtzman said. “Clark wasn’t joking. We were really shocked.”

Some Clark Commentary: Megan McArdle, Matthew Continetti (Weely Standard)

Election 2004 ... and Baseball?

The Kerry/Dean battle has spilled onto holy ground. Kerry recently accused Dean of being a Yankee's fan. New Hampshire (the first and very important primary state) is Rex Sox country and Dean wisely declared his defection from pinstripes to red socks. But the Kerry camp jumped on this remarking that "Of all the flip flops, this is the most inexplicable and indefensible ... It’s like switching from the Redskins to the Cowboys or from Carolina to Duke." I keep waiting to hear "INFINITY!".

(Source: Foster's Online)

Dean Softens Tax Stance

Dean is doing a little back-tracking of his own. Dean has made himself an Democratic icon with his "repeal all Bush tax-cuts" mantra. Now, according to TNR and AP Dean is suggesting the repeal of 'some' Bush tax cuts. Why the sudden change. I would suggest that it is a combination of a couple of things. First, his inability to attain front-runner status even with his fund raising and media success is worrisome. Lieberman's success is proof that a contingency of moderates is not impressed with Dean so far. Second, the entrance of Wesley Clark into the campaign adds pressure on Dean to be "elect-able". What will be interesting is how diehard Dean-heads will respond to Dean’s overtures to the middle.

Bush's Iowa Numbers Falling Rapidly ... So What

The Des Moines Register is reporting a new poll that shows Bush's state-wide approval rating at 49%, the lowest since he took office. This is an 18 point drop from the President's May numbers. Yet, keep in mind that 9 (now 10) presidential candidates have spent the last several months touring the state, Bush-bashing all along the way. I would estimate that the only state where Bush is probably getting worse press is New Hampshire. Iowa doesn't mean much to Bush until the fall.

Clark Stumbles a Bit, Lieberman Pounces

Is backtracking forgivable if it occurs only a day after the original track is laid? We'll have to see. In an interview on Thursday of last week Clark shocked supporters by mentioning that he probably would have voted for the Iraq resolution. Then on Friday he recanted "Let's make one thing real clear, I would never have voted for this war". (Source: CNN)

Lieberman wasted no time jumping on Clark's misstep, remarking Sunday in an interview with the Des Moines Register:

As commander in chief, as president, you've got to be able to decide what you think is right for the country's future with a clarity of judgment and have the courage to stick with it.

Braun Announces Candidacy

Far from giving up, Carol Moseley-Braun formally declared her candidacy this morning.

Clark Will Debate

After a little confusion, Clark has signaled that he will debate his Democratic rivals next Thursday. This is a risky but necessary move on Clark's part. As a general rule only a clear front-runner can afford not to debate. The challengers have nothing to lose and therefore are usually more aggressive in going after the leader. The leader, trying to sit on a lead will try to say just enough not to say anything. Clark is neither and must play both parts to a degree. While not technically a front runner, his resume alone gives him that respect and he should not forget that, especially when discussing foreign policy. However, he still has to gain ground on the other candidates and therefore must be bold on domestic policy. Clark needs exposure because, while his poll numbers are not bad for a guy who just started his campaign, he is effectively bringing up the rear. A stellar performance next Thursday could payoff big time, making him a front-runner with rank and file Dems looking for an alternative to Dean.

Moore Supports Clark

This post is for Rachel Lucas:

Oscar-winning filmmaker Michael Moore, known as a tough critic of President George W. Bush, globalization's downside and the culture of arms, wants a new man in the White House: Democrat Wesley Clark.

In a letter that begins "Dear General Wesley Clark," of which AFP obtained a copy, Moore encourages the retired general to press hard to win the Democratic Party's nod ...

... "You seem to be a man of integrity. You seem not afraid to speak the truth. I liked your answer when you were asked your position on gun control: "If you are the type of person who likes assault weapons, there is a place for you -- the United States Army. We have them," the letter said ...

... "And you oppose war. You have said that war should always be the 'last resort' and that it is military men such as yourself who are the most for peace because it is you and your soldiers who have to do the dying," Moore said.

"You may be the person who can defeat George W. Bush in next year's election," he added.

(Source: SIFY; cross-posted here.)

Davis Files His Own Lawsuit

From the Modesto Bee:

Predicting "government by marginal and extreme political forces" if the election to recall him goes forward as planned, Gov. Davis on Monday added his own lawsuit to the stacks awaiting court action.
The California Supreme Court, which already has begun weighing four other recall-related cases, set a Thursday deadline for a preliminary round of written arguments on Davis' suit.

The governor also asked the same court to rule that he can run as a candidate to succeed himself if he is recalled -- a possibility that Rescue California, the recall committee, said "would only give Gray Davis the opportunity to lose twice in the same election."

Full Story

Gephardt Opens Fire

Finally, Democrats seem to be realizing that they're running against each other at the moment and not Bush. As I said before, they have to beat Dean before they can beat Bush. Gephardt has launched his first real attacks on the former Vermont Governor, charging Dean with a Gringrichian politics on medicare. This from the Des Moines Register:

"Howard Dean's beliefs about Medicare extend beyond merely disliking it. He's actually advocated cutting it and turning it into a wholly managed care program. And that's something I will never agree to," Gephardt told about 80 supporters at a noon-hour speech at the Teamsters Hall on Des Moines' east side. "Gov. Dean actually agreed with the Gingrich Republicans."

Gephardt was referring to news reports from 1993 and 1995 that quoted Dean calling Medicare, the federal health insurance plan for senior citizens, "one of the worst federal programs ever" and "a pathetic bureaucracy."

Dean-Clark in 2004?

Gen. Clark Reportedly Is Asked to Join Dean

Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean has asked retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark to join his campaign, if the former NATO commander does not jump into the race himself next week, and the two men discussed the vice presidency at a weekend meeting in California, sources familiar with the discussions said.

This is a very interesting development, should it come to past. Firstly, as I have argued (here, here and here) Clark is not in the best position to enter the race and a Dean-Clark ticket would generate some buzz. Of course, it also is a risk, as teaming-up this early would make for a larger target for critics.

Also, USA Today had a story on Clark's potential candidacy that is linked to from here.

Gustav Schwarzenegger Cleared

Somehow this story got by me. I hadn't realized that Gustav Schwarzenegger, Ahhnold's father, was being investigated for his connections with the Nazis. He was apparently a member of a Nazi paramilitary group known as Storm Troopers but was not involved in any war crimes. At least that is the judgment of the Simon Wiesenthal Center a Jewish rights organization.

Lieberman Accuses Dean Over Israel

The Dems had a debate last night and the claws are starting to peek out from the paws; there's a good AP summary here from the Doylestown Intelligencer / AP. The top-line:

Sen. Joe Lieberman accused Howard Dean in a campaign debate Tuesday night of turning his back on Israel, and the Democratic presidential front-runner shot back that he and former President Bill Clinton held the same view on the issue.

"It doesn't help ... to demagogue this issue," Dean quickly added in the sharpest clash of the young Democratic debate season.

Dems' Favorite Songs

Fox News has a list of the Democratic candidates' favorite songs. The list is quite telling I think:

Former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun-- "You Gotta Be," Des'ree.

Al Sharpton-- "Talking Loud, Saying Nothing," James Brown. He called it "James Brown's song about the Republican Party."

Sen. John Edwards-- "Small Town," John Mellencamp.

Sen. John Kerry -- "No Surrender," Bruce Springsteen.

Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean -- "Jaspora," Wyclef Jean.

Sen. Joe Lieberman --"Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow," Fleetwood Mac; "My Way," Frank Sinatra.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich -- "Imagine," John Lennon.

Rep. Dick Gephardt -- "Born in the USA," Bruce Springsteen.

Sen. Bob Graham -- "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes," Jimmy Buffett.

I always knew Bobby Graham was a parrothead.

Ueberroth Quits Recall Race

From CNN:

With the latest statewide poll showing his support in the single digits, Republican gubernatorial candidate Peter Ueberroth Tuesday pulled out of the October 7 recall race.

"I will continue to work hard, I'm going to work very hard to keep jobs in this state and to create jobs in this state – but not as a candidate for governor," said Ueberroth.

Full Story

Copycat Tit for Tat

There is an article at the DeMoines Register about Dean and Kerry's quibbling over who said what first. Dean claims that Kerry is stealing his foreign policy by calling for the involvement of the UN and Arabic speaking troops, a position Dean held in April. According to Kerry that position is implicit in statements he made way back in October of 2002.

Just when you thought it couldn't get any more elementary, Dean is also claiming that Kerry stole a line from one of his speeches. "He has a line that I used in my announcement speech that he uses often, that the flag doesn't belong to the Republican Party, it belongs to all Americans ... He's welcome to take whatever he wants out of my speeches."

Welcome to the big leagues Mr. Dean.

Read a bit of commentary here.

Edwards Declines Senate Reelection Bid

From WaPo:

Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) announced yesterday that he will not seek reelection to a second term in the Senate next year and will devote all his efforts to winning the Democratic presidential nomination.

With Republicans targeting North Carolina for a possible pickup of a Senate seat next year, Edwards has been under strong pressure at home to make a decision about whether he would run again. He becomes the third southern Democratic senator to decline to run for reelection, giving Republicans a significant opportunity to add to their slender Senate majority.

Full Story

Dean Dables in Right Wing Conspiracies

From the Chicago Tribune:

Democratic presidential hopeful Howard Dean said Saturday that he holds President Bush personally responsible for engineering the drive to remove California Gov. Gray Davis from office, saying he believes the effort is another example of what Dean called the Republican Party's attempt to hijack democracy in America.

"The right wing of the Republican Party is deliberately undermining the Democratic underpinnings of this country," said Dean, the former Vermont governor who is the first presidential candidate to directly enter the fray of the California recall debate. "I believe they do not care what Americans think and they do not accept the legitimacy of our elections."

You can read my commentary here or on the TCP Op-Ed Page.

Electronic Voting

First, a disclaimer: I'm an employee of Software Improvements. We do this sort of stuff - Satellite software, Weapons System software, Electronic Voting software, Medical software etc. So please check all the facts for yourself - a Google on "eVACS" for example.

A recent article in MIT's Technology Review states some uncomfortable truths about non-electronic voting. How it's inherently very insecure and open to abuse.

For all the problems inherent in electronic voting (e-Voting), the reason it's got a deservedly bad press is simply because of some woeful implementations. "Secret Sauce" might be a good recipe for a Fast-Food chain, but "Secret Source" code for an e-Voting machine is a disaster. And proprietary, trade-secret hardware... requires a degree of trust verging on gullibility.

Here in the ACT (Australian Capital Territory), e-Voting was used on a trial basis in the 2001 elections. Anyone who cared to could read the source code used in the machines. Anyone who cared to could also read the source code of the Operating System that resided on the machines, and even the source code of the compiler used to make the binary images. Not many did want to, but it's available, free, for those who want it.

Is the system perfectly secure? No way.

Is the system vastly more secure than any paper voting system? Certainly, and provably.

Is it more secure than the electronic voting machines currently in use in the USA? I don't know - because the software and hardware for those are all trade secrets, I'm not allowed to find out, and neither are you. We just have to trust them.

Documents detailing the performance and history of the eVACS^® system used in the ACT are freely available on the web, along with the source.

One thing you won't find freely is the cost of the system. But as I work for Software Improvements, the makers, I can tell you. (I had nothing to do with the project myself, I was too busy making spaceflight avionics software at the time). The cost to develop the software was well under $150,000 US, (at least, that's what we got paid for it - that fact's available on the web too) and it runs on machines that cost about $1,500 US each. (All figures in the below quote are in Australian Dollars, about 65c US)

The cost of the project in total was $406,000.
Of this amount, the re-usable EVACS software accounted for $200,000. The cost of providing hardware in polling places amounted to $125,000 with $25,000 of this amount invested in hardware that can be re-used at future elections. Other costs
included venues, security, auditing, printing of barcodes and professional and technical assistance.
- ACT Elections Report (pdf)

So contrary to Glen Reynolds, e-Voting isn't neccessarily a bad thing. Better than paper, if implemented properly anyway. And if it's not implemented in a totally open manner, how come the US voter is standing for it, especially when there's a cheaper, better alternative? If us Aussies can develop a system like this, surely US developers can for only a few million, and have the satisfaction of it being "Made in the USA"? <humour>And if not, you could always buy one of ours for a tenth of that price. </humour>

Dems Defer Infighting, Attack Bush

Democrats mainly avoided each other during their first Presidential debate last night, instead focusing their attack the President. From the Washington Post:

"The Democratic candidates for president joined together here tonight to attack President Bush's handling of Iraq, saying he has unnecessarily put U.S. troops in danger and destroyed international alliances, but the Democrats split, sometimes bitterly, over global trade, health care and tax cuts.

In the first debate sanctioned by the Democratic Party, the candidates sought to outdo each other by denouncing Bush for costing the country the loss of life, of tens of billions of dollars in military and rebuilding costs, and of credibility worldwide by failing to enlist greater international support for the mission in Iraq.

And here's an apt quote from Ed Gillespie, RNC chair, in the London Times:

"'They are a party divided,' he said. 'They have differing positions on everything from Iraq to tax cuts...The one thing they were unified on was their negativity and their attacks on the President.'"

Wesley Clark May Not Be "it"

An interesting column by Elizabeth Sullivan of Cleveland's The Plain Dealer, argues that Clark is his own worst enemy and may not be cut out for presidential politics.

It never occurs to him that he could be wrong or that he might even have helped rope NATO into the wrong war in Kosovo. It was his repeated disagreements with Pentagon brass, as he pushed to expand the Kosovo war effort, that not only earned his early ticket to civilian life but also helped spawn the U.S. suspicion of NATO that persists to this day.
...
The hubris, the thin skin, the blind spots that helped torpedo his military career could hurt him again if he plunges into politics.

William Saletan Skewers John Kerry

Though I think he steps over the line on or twice, Slate's William Saletan does a good job of summing up the problem most people seem to be having with John Kerry: namely, he's a coward. While it may be hard for Kerry to pin down a principled position, Saletan pins down Kerry with gusto:

"I've heard and read about [Kerry's] war record many times. Yet I still stare incredulously every time he talks about it. I can't get a rude but persistent question out of my mind: Can you believe this guy fought in Vietnam?

He did, of course. He's the only candidate in this race who did. He earned the Silver Star and Bronze Star and was wounded three times. I didn't serve in that war (I was, among other things, too young), nor did most of my colleagues in the press. I respect what Kerry did and endured. Still, I look at him and wonder how such a brave warrior became such a cautious politician.
...
While trying to do the right thing, Kerry has always sought to make himself a thinner target. He was for affirmative action, just not this affirmative action. He was for a drug war, just not this drug war. He was for an Iraq war, just not this Iraq war. This is Kerry's nature, and he knows it. He sometimes argues, when pressed about his vote on the war resolution, that most votes in Congress are really 'yes, but' or 'no, but.' In Kerry's case, it's sometimes 'yes' and sometimes 'no.' But it's always 'but.'"

The overriding question I've always had about John Kerry is similar to Saletan's: how can someone behave with such fearlessness in the face of flying bullets and exploding grenades, and such cowardice in the face of a few piddling liberal interest groups?

Latest Presidential Campaign Polls

Curiously, everyone seems to be talking about the latest CNN/Gallup poll and its finding that most Americans cannot name a single democratic presidential candidate. What no one seems to be talking about is the the same poll has Lieberman pulling ahead of the crowd gaining 5% to lead Gephardt (the next on the list) by 10 percentage points.