1. The new (recently elected, 2002) CA Dem Sec of State, Kevin Shelley, sues Diebold for lying about the security and certification status of their worst election theft machines (touchscreens), bans their use in Calif. for the 2004 election, and in the course of the lawsuit demands to see their source code. He also withholds HAVA funds from the counties for purchase of Diebold's crappy, insecure, hackable machines.
2. DEMOCRATIC head of Los Angeles elections, Connie McCormack, pro-Diebold, and best friends (wines, dines and vacations) with Diebold's chief salesperson in Calif, Deborah Seiler, leads a group of county election officials (mostly Republican) in a campaign to destroy Kevin Shelley. She says she wants to "drive a bulldozer" into the Sec of State's office to spring loose that boondoggle money for her buds at Diebold. Shelley is really mucking things up.
3. The SF Chronicle prints some murky allegations against Shelly, among them, "misuse of HAVA funds." (--turns out later to be nothing but his withholding funds for purchase of Diebold's uncertified lemons.)
4. Election 2004 comes and goes. John Kerry takes a 10% hit (compared to Boxer margin) in Republican counties only (very strange stats), but wins the state anyway, absent Diebold touchscreens.
5. Jan. '05. The murky charges against Shelley surface again. He is without fault, personally. The matter is nevertheless trumpeted throughout the war profiteering corporate news monopolies; hearings are held; the new DEMOCRATIC legislative leadership abandons Shelley for no good reason, and strongarms other Dems who want to support him (some hide out in their offices and refuse to participate). The Election Assistance Commission-EAC (Bush-appointed Feds whose job it is to be underfunded and NOT enforce already meager HAVA controls on electronic voting) floats some threats against Shelley (pending investigation). Shelly, who has no personal money and no legal fund to defend himself with (tells you something about Shelley), and whose mother has just died, resigns.
6. With the acquiescence of the DEMOCRATIC leadership (2 to 1 majority in both CA houses), Schwarzenegger APPOINTS a REPUBLICAN Sec of State, Bruce McPherson, who immediately begins procedures to re-certify Diebold touchscreens, and, after hundreds show up to testify against Diebold at a June '05 hearing, disbands his Voting Systems and Procedures Panel, and FAILS TO ATTEND the next hearing on Diebold. Sends a secretary and a tape recorder.
7. Dec. 05. I get a letter from MY Dem representative in the CA legislature telling me that everything is hunky-dorey in the Sec of State's office, and she is ever vigilant over my right to vote.
Now you tell me:
1. Is the Democratic leadership in California INSANE?
2. Or what?
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Meanwhile, at the Beverly Hilton (Aug. '05), Diebold, ES&S and Sequoia (whom the former Repub Sec of State Bill Jones and his chief aide Alfie Charles now work for) sponsor a week of fun, sun and high end shopping for election officials from around the country. Featured speaker: DEMOCRAT Connie McCormack.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x380340