Hacks, hackers and hacking off! How the right-wing
machine and its "machines of voter mayhem" intend to steal your vote
again by hacking off the Democratic candidate's last name from the ballot!
As being reported by the AP wire service, Jim Webb,
Democratic challenger for U.S. Senator in Virginia to Republican incumbent,
George "Macaca" Allen, has had his (Webb's) last name chopped off or
"hacked" off by electronic voting touch-screen machines.
What is being called a "glitch" by Hart InterCivic
spokespersons, three cities in Virginia -- Alexandria, Falls Church and
Charlottesville -- will not properly display Jim Webb's name on the November
ballot summary screen. Voters will only see 'James H. "Jim"' on the
ballot, instead of James H. "Jim" Webb.
To make matters worse, the candidates will have "their
party affiliations . . . cut off" even after navigating through the
summary screen nearly blind. To put some perspective and clarity to this, in
Alexandria, Falls Church and Charlottesville, Virginia, voters will not be able
to recognize Jim Webb by his full name OR by his party's affiliation!
The AP is also reporting, "Jean Jensen, secretary of
the Virginia State Board of Elections, pledged to have the issue fixed by the
2007 statewide elections." How generous of her, to have the
"issue" fixed by next year! In the meantime, unsuspecting voters, in
these three cities, will show up on Election Day and not even find the name
"Webb" on the ballot summary screen or be able to find Jim Webb's
party affiliation -- Democrat -- once they do find Mr. Webb's full name.
That is correct; the vote stealing "black boxes"
of 2004 are back with a new trick! Not only are the people designing and
operating these machines "hacks," not only do they allow their
machines to be "hacked" into for political gain, now they program
these dubious devices to "hack off" candidates names and party
affiliations. Somehow, we are all supposed to believe -- after all the
deception in 2004 -- that it is just another coincidence that it happened to a
Democrat -- again!
Whether it's just another "oversight" by the
Republican-owned and controlled electronic voting machine companies, or further
proof of the malicious attempts by the GOP to suppress voter information and
perpetrate election fraud, it is another glaring example of why these machines
must be banned immediately.
That pungent odor now filling the air is some good ol'
hometown, Republican-cooked "thuggery" that is being dished up right
under our noses. The same kind of mob-like voter suppression,
disenfranchisement and strong-arm tactics used in 2004 by the rapid Grand Old
Party and their pack of hyenas in Ohio to deliver the vote to George W. Bush.
Besides the rancid smell of foul play, that sound you hear
is a crunching noise; the crunching on the bones of Virginian Democratic voters
by these hounds from hell hoping to chew up and spit out a win for Allen and
his radical right agenda!
If the pen is truly mightier than the sword, then we should
all write-off the failed experiment of neoconservative government, demand paper
and pencil to vote and etch a valuable lesson into the consciousness of the
American public -- never underestimate your opponent, especially Republican
ones!
Frank J. Ranelli is a
freelance political writer, researcher and author. In addition, he is an
activist and advocate for the progression of peace and the advancement of the
Democratic Party. He currently focuses his journalism on educating people of
the dangers of the Bush administration, election reform issues, how the war in
Iraq is immoral and why the impeachment of President George W. Bush is
necessary to restore our democracy. His writing has been well received and
widely published in a variety of news outlets and across the Internet. His
"smartly-written and imagery invoking" articles have earned him such
praise as, "Written with directness, strength, passion . . . It's great
when it smacks, glares, grabs one!" -Ms. Joyce Benedict, Park Guide for
FDR Historic Site.