JUSTIN ROOD and MADDY SAUER | October 15

ABC News - Cabinet Secretaries and Top Officials Deployed to Key Districts for Political Events, Report Finds

The Bush White House mounted an "unprecedented" political effort to use top officials and taxpayer funds to promote Republican Congressional candidates during the 2006 election cycle, according to a congressional investigation.

The White House Office of Political Affairs deployed roughly 30 cabinet secretaries and other top officials over 300 times to key districts around the country -- often on the government's dime -- to appear at political functions supporting Republican candidates, concluded the probe by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

The media is all abuzz with this presidential primary race between the two Democratic contenders. They are so excited and I’m feeling like a zombie. I can’t watch the television or go on the big websites because I am thoroughly disgusted, and so totally not interested. I don’t care what kind of “spin” they put on these two politicians; I can’t stand either of them. If it’s not totally clear in every Liberal/Progressive’s head’s by now, it really should be. These two candidates represent just about everything, and everyone that we have been screaming about since Bush came into office.

It’s about time that Liberals were proud of being called…well, Liberals. There has been change in this country, brought on by the radical Neo-Conservative movement that seems to have been utterly rejected by the American people. The Neo-Cons and their right-wing radio personalities and their Faux-News network have found their days numbered, and their audience shrinking. The constant bromating and discordance has provided no defense against the surge of Democrats that flock to the caucuses and primaries to remove the Republican Neo-Con stain that has sullied our government. The people in this country want change, and for the moment, that change is being touted by Barack Obama who seems certain to win the Democratic Primary by a significant margin, that is unless the super-delegates swing the tide to Hillary, and that doesn’t seem likely.

Leo Shane III | Washington | Sept 25

Stars and Stripes - Overseas military voters had less than half of their votes counted in last year’s congressional elections, according to data released by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission on Monday.

“One thing is clear: At every level of government, we need to do a better job,” said Donetta Davidson, chair of the commission. “We must make sure all eligible voters are getting their opportunities.”

The figures, released at the commission’s annual conference on ways to improve and troubleshoot the absentee voting process, showed that only about 992,000 of the nearly 6 million eligible overseas citizens requested ballots for the 2006 general election.

That included about 119,000 military personnel stationed outside the United States. Of those, only about 57,000 — less than 48 percent — had their votes successfully cast or counted.

EAC officials said that’s roughly the same percentage that were counted for expatriates and domestic military filing absentee ballots. The major failures were on the ballot delivery side, with about 72 percent of those who failed to vote never receiving any of their requested election materials.

Marisa Taylor and Kevin G. Hall | Washington | August 17

McClatchy - Violations of the Hatch Act are treated as administrative, not criminal, matters, and punishment for violations ranges from suspension to termination.

Top Commerce and Treasury Departments officials appeared with Republican candidates and doled out millions in federal money in battleground congressional districts and states after receiving White House political briefings detailing GOP election strategy.

Political appointees in the Treasury Department received at least 10 political briefings from July 2001 to August 2006, officials familiar with the meetings said. Their counterparts at the Commerce Department received at least four briefings — all in the election years of 2002, 2004 and 2006.

The House Oversight Committee is investigating whether the White House's political briefings to at least 15 agencies, including to the Justice Department, the General Services Administration and the State Department, violated a ban on the use of government resources for campaign activities.

By Greg Palast, May 7

NEW YORK — Voting rights attorney Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has called for prison time for the new US Attorney for Arkansas, Timothy Griffin and investigation of Griffin’s former boss, Karl Rove, chief political advisor to President Bush.

“Timothy Griffin,” said Kennedy,”who is the new US attorney in Arkansas, was actually the mastermind behind the voter fraud efforts by the Bush Administration to disenfranchise over a million voters through ‘caging’ techniques - which are illegal.”

[Hear Kennedy on Griffin, Rove and ‘caging lists’ here]

Kennedy based his demand on the revelations by BBC reporter Greg Palast in the new edition of his book, “Armed Madhouse.” On one page of the book, Palast reproduces a copy of a confidential Bush-Cheney campaign email, dated August 26, 2004, in which Griffin directs Republican operatives to use the ‘caging’ lists.

This is one of the emails subpoenaed by Congress but supposedly “lost” by Rove’s office. Palast obtained 500 of these, fifty with ‘caging’ lists attached.

more ...

Brad Friedman | March 24

BradBlog - Terms of 'Independent' State Run Audit, Source Code Review Dictated by Voting Machine Company to Florida State Election Director Prior to Tests of Failed Touch-Screen Voting Systems from Contested Jennings/Buchanan Election!

The private voting machine company which manufactured the touch-screen hardware and software used during Sarasota, Florida's contested District 13 Congressional election between Christine Jennings (D) and Vern Buchanan (R) sent a letter in December of 2006 to David Drury, the chief of the state's Bureau of Voting Systems Certification, dictating the terms of the state-run audit convened to investigate the causes for massive undervote rate which seems to have tipped the election.

Gary Martin | San Antonio | November 30

San Antonio Express-News - Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi and other House leaders are pouring thousands of dollars into Ciro Rodriguez's bid to unseat Rep. Henry Bonilla and expand a Democratic majority in Congress.

The help from Pelosi, D-Calif., comes after Texas Democrats and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus pledged cash to Rodriguez and his uphill fight against a better-funded Bonilla.

Jessica Holzer | Washington | November 20

Forbes - Despite having a hardscrabble farmer and an avowed socialist in their ranks, the incoming class of senators does little to shake the Senate's image as a millionaires' club.

The wealth of the incoming class will hardly raise eyebrows in the Senate, where about half of the current 100 members are also millionaires and the average net worth is $8.9 million, according to an analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics in Washington. By contrast, less than 1% of the U.S. population has a net worth of $1 million or more.

In 2006, senators were paid an annual salary of $165,200.

More at the source.

Richard B. Schmitt & Richard Simon | Washington | November 10

LAT - Rep. Ike Skelton knows what he will do in one of his first acts as chairman of the Armed Services Committee in the Democratic-led House: resurrect the subcommittee on oversight and investigations.

The panel was disbanded by the Republicans after they won control of Congress in 1994. Now, Skelton (D-Mo.) intends to use it as a forum to probe Pentagon spending and the Bush administration's conduct of the Iraq war.

Team Agonist | Blogistan | November 8

Stoic Tester(D-MT) still waiting (NYT).        Claire McCaskill(D-MO) gains Senate     (epa/Scott Rovak)

The Agonist catch-all Open Thread for 2006 post-election events and ruminations. Post away!

The Guardian - Democrats have taken back control of the House of Representatives, 12 years after Newt Gingrich's Republican revolution.

As the new Speaker of the House, San Francisco Democrat Nancy Pelosi will control its agenda. Democrats will also assume control of the powerful House committees. The advent of a Democrat-led House will reintroduce a system of checks and balances that has been absent from the first six years of the Bush presidency.

More threads:
 • OH-15 winner still in doubt
 • Democrats edge closer to control of Senate
 • Senator-Elect Jim Webb (D-VA) Recount Thread
 • A battle not the war- notes on what comes next
 • ballot initiatives

Washington | November 8

AP - Triggering a post-election shake-up, Dennis Hastert announced Wednesday he will not run for leader of House Republicans when Democrats take control in January.

"Obviously I wish my party had won," the House Speaker said in a statement that added he intends to return to the "full-time task" of representing his Illinois constituents.

His decision to step down from the leadership cleared the way for a likely succession battle among lawmakers who face the sudden loss of power after a dozen years in the majority.

Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, currently the majority leader, is expected to run for leader, and Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana announced during the day he also will seek the post. Joe Barton of Texas has signaled he may join the field. Republican leadership elections are scheduled for Nov. 15.

Washington | November 8

NBC News - The battle for the Senate hung on a single race after Democrats picked up a seat in Montana, defeating incumbent Republican Sen. Conrad Burns, NBC News reported Wednesday.

Don Tester’s race against GOP incumbent Burns was delayed by equipment glitches, a heavy turnout and the narrowness of his lead — fewer than 2,000 votes.

Catherine Philp | Los Angeles | November 8

UK Times - Voters may be turning against the Republican Party but results from a host of ballot initiatives across the country suggest that the conservative social values it embodies are far from dead.

Gay rights took a pounding across the country with seven states in the South and Midwest voting to ban both gay marriage and civil unions, and Colorado looking set to reject a proposal for domestic partnerships.

Republicans had put the issue on the ballot in key battleground states as a device to get out the vote among disillusioned conservatives who might otherwise stay at home. The tactic apparently worked.

Proposals to legalise possession of marijuana in Nevada and Colorado were also heading for defeat, despite the best effort of pro-pot campaigners.

Growing hostility to rampant immigration was credited for the victory of Arizona campaigners to make English the official state language, making life harder for the thousands of new immigrants from Latin America now unable to get official documents in Spanish.

Voters in six states decide to raise minimum wages

Team Agonist

The Agonist catch-all open thread for results, rejoinders, and rat-catching on and in Tuesday's democratic process. It's now closed. The post-election discussion continues at "What Happened? What's Next?"

Democrats regain House


MSNBC - Democrats regained control of the House of Representatives for the first time in 12 years Tuesday night and made strong gains in the Senate, according to NBC News projections.

Projections by The Associated Press show the Democrats’ picking up 19 seats in the House, more than the 15 they needed to regain control.

12:45 Chris Matthews is reporting 33,000 uncounted votes in Fairfax County, VA. If true, Webb will win, that's Dem country.

12:04 Every minimum wage raise referendum is currently either ahead or has been won, except Colarado's which is running very slightly against. Arizona's ban on same sex marriage currently looks like it is failing, but Colorado's domestic partnership referendum is running behind (hmmm, anyone see a pattern here?) South Carolina is voting no to same sex marriage, but South Dakota has defeated a ban on abortion.

11:49 Maybe I should stop posting VA updates till it's called? CNN is now reporting Webb ahead by a little over 2,000. Fingers crossed. And bitten.

11:43 With 97.42% of the Virginia votes counted, Allen is ahead of Webb by aboiut 5,000, or .11% of the vote. 24,850 votes, which is 1.1% of the vote went to the Greens. Odds of making them up? Minimal. And if this seat doesn't flip (D) that means we're probably looking at a (R) Senate.

Earlier updates and more stories in comments, and after the jump

Christy Hoppe | San Antonio, TX | Nov 6

The Dallas Morning News - Governor shares views following sermon; rivals pounce

Gov. Rick Perry, after a God and country sermon attended by dozens of political candidates Sunday, said that he agreed with the minister that non-Christians will be condemned to hell. "In my faith, that's what it says, and I'm a believer of that," the governor said.

Throughout much of the 90-minute service at Cornerstone Church, Mr. Perry sat on the red-carpeted stage next to the Rev. John Hagee. Mr. Perry was among about 60 mostly Republican candidates who accepted the invitation to be introduced to the megachurch's congregation of about 1,500, plus a radio and TV audience.

David A. Lieb | Jefferson City, MO | Nov 6

AP - Secretary of State Robin Carnahan raised concerns about potential voter confusion in Tuesday's elections, citing her own experience casting an absentee ballot as an indication that some poll workers may wrongly be asking voters for a photo identification.

Carnahan told The Associated Press on Monday that a worker at the St. Louis Election Board asked her three times to show a photo identification when she voted absentee last Friday - despite a Missouri Supreme Court ruling striking down the photo requirement.

The poll worker apparently did not recognize that Carnahan was Missouri's chief elections official when Carnahan showed a paper voter card mailed out by the local election authority. The card does not have a picture but is an acceptable form of identification under Missouri law.

Holly Manges Jones | Wa | Nov 2

Jurist - Lawyers representing detainees held in the US prison camp at Guantanamo Bay [JURIST news archive] Wednesday petitioned [brief, PDF; second brief, PDF] the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to declare a portion of the Military Commissions Act of 2006 (MCA) [PDF text; JURIST news archive] unconstitutional. A key provision in the act, which was signed into law [JURIST report] by US President George Bush last month, strips US courts of jurisdiction to consider writs of habeas corpus filed by detainees who are detained as enemy combatants [JURIST news archive]. The lawyers argued that the MCA as written still permits detainees who have not been charged to pursue habeas claims and that the US Constitution gives prisoners the right to challenge their detentions in civil court. After the measure was signed, the US Justice Department sent letters [JURIST report] to the DC district and appeals courts, notifying the lower court that it no longer had jurisdiction over some 200 pending cases filed by Guantanamo detainees, and urging the appeals court to reach the merits on two cases currently on its docket in light of the MCA. Wednesday's briefs were filed in the two appeals court cases.

November 5

The Pew Research Center - Democrats Hold 47%-43% Lead Among Likely Voters

Summary of Findings

A nationwide Pew Research Center survey finds voting intentions shifting in the direction of Republican congressional candidates in the final days of the 2006 midterm campaign. The new survey finds a growing percentage of likely voters saying they will vote for GOP candidates. However, the Democrats still hold a 48% to 40% lead among registered voters, and a modest lead of 47%-43% among likely voters.

The narrowing of the Democratic lead raises questions about whether the party will win a large enough share of the popular vote to recapture control of the House of Representatives. The relationship between a party's share of the popular vote and the number of seats it wins is less certain than it once was, in large part because of the increasing prevalence of safe seat redistricting. As a result, forecasting seat gains from national surveys has become more difficult.

Ian Urbina | Washington DC | Nov 3

New York Times - A team of lawyers for the Democratic Party has been arguing with postal officials in Columbus, Ohio, trying to persuade them to process thousands of absentee ballots that have arrived with insufficient postage.

In Pennsylvania, the Republican Party has opened a “recount account” and set aside $500,000 to pay lawyers who will answer telephones on Election Day and monitor polls to see whether officials demand proper voters’ identification. In Maryland, lawyers representing candidates for senator and governor from both parties met recently and swapped cellphone numbers and e-mail addresses to smooth out the logistics of potential litigation.

Ryan Olden | Nov 4

Jurist - Thousands of lawyers working for political parties, government and interest groups are preparing to go into action across the United States Tuesday when Americans vote in mid-term elections. At stake is control of Congress [NYT backgrounder] and a series of key state ballot initiatives [Stateline.org list, PDF] on hot-button legal and political issues. In the wake of the notorious 2000 presidential recount [JURIST archive] and legal problems in states like Ohio in the 2004 election, participants and observers are prepared for almost anything and are laying the groundwork for possible challenges before voters even go to the polls. On Saturday and Sunday some 7,000 lawyers retained by the Democratic National Committee [party website] are fanning out to 18 key states; on Monday, the Republican National Committee [party website] is dispatching about 150 lawyers to help local counsel in states like Florida, Michigan, Tennessee and Missouri.

Nathan Thornburgh | Washington DC | Nov 4

Time Magazine - David Kuo says the Ted Haggard scandal and its fallout shows why, as he makes clear in his bestselling book, it is so dangerous to mix faith and politics

David Kuo, the former number two at the Office of Faith-Based Initiatives in the first Bush White House, is camped out on the NYT bestsellers list with his book, Tempting Faith, about the dangers of mixing politics and evangelicals. He says he met Ted Haggard only a few times, but says that the episode has saddened him nonetheless, especially the headline-grabbing fallout of Haggard's admissions.

"At the end of the day, this comes down to bringing Jesus into politics," he says. "Right now, it's not Ted Haggard on trial. It's Jesus. This is about the God he represents. When you make yourself a public figure and you fall, you bring the perception of your God with you."

Mark Rollenhagen | Columbus, Ohio, USA | November 2

Cleveland Plain Dealer - A weeklong battle over Ohio's new voter-identification rules ended Wednesday night in a Columbus courtroom.

The Ohio attorney general's office and lawyers for two groups that challenged the rules said an agreement was reached after 12 hours of negotiations.

All absentee ballots will be counted regardless of whether voters supplied identification when they were cast.

The agreement resolved other problems that cropped up amid the confusion. Some voters had mistakenly listed the wrong driver's license number when they returned their ballots.

"All of these ballots will be counted," said Caroline Gentry, a lawyer for the groups that challenged the rules.

The agreement applies only to Tuesday's elections.

Full article here. Agonist background here and here.

Lynne Duke | Dubuque, Iowa | November 2

WaPo - On Main Street in this Mississippi River town, the bar at Mario's Italian Restaurant is a hothouse of politics these days, a place where folks such as Cheryl Walser Kramer, a Republican, and Frank Frost, a Democrat, hurl sharp-tongued barbs across party lines.

"She's probably packing heat," Frost, 71, jokes when Kramer says she's a member of the National Rifle Association.

Kramer teases back, "I'm gonna get a bumper sticker: 'I only shoot Democrats.' "

Debbie Gau, the bartender, glides through the friendly fire, filling Frost's glass with whiskey, Kramer's with beer, and letting them carry on the rhetorical war here in Iowa's 1st Congressional District. It is one of the super-close races that could decide whether the Republicans lose control of the House of Representatives -- and Gau, it turns out, could be part of the reason why.

Alex Massie | Washington | November 1

Telegraph - Mr Kerry told the students: "You know education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. And if you don't you get stuck in Iraq."

Republicans jumped on the comments with glee, with President George W Bush calling them an "insult" to America and its armed forces.

"The senator's suggestion that the men and women of our military are somehow uneducated is insulting and shameful," Mr Bush said last night to tumultuous applause at a Republican rally in Georgia.

Comment:
I see the Republican response to the Kerry's blunder has been ineffective, except in the eyes of core Republicans.