Old American Voters Somehow Being Duped

Big news. In case you didn't know, a good chunk of voters are old people. And apparently they could possibly be at risk of getting their votes stolen from people with malicious vote stealing intentions! That is according to Jason Karlawish, a professor of medicine and medical ethics at the University of Pennsylvania, who testified before the Senate Special Committee on Aging Thursday.

Karlawish says 29 states have no guidelines for voting accommodations for residents of long term care facilities. Staff at these facilities are totally controlling voting -- via a well recognized mechanism for voter fraud: absentee ballots -- and not election officials, he said. Mobile polls could help alleviate the issue.

While the AP article doesn't really exactly explain how ancient voters are swindled, it does offer up the searing statistic that by 2040, about 40 percent of voters will be 65 or older. Also, the chairman of the Special Committee on Aging, Sen. Herb Kohl wants to break down barriers to elderly voting.

"As people live longer and acquire disabilities associated with age, many of them need help, and we need to make sure we take into consideration that people who have disabilities, whether they're physical or some level of mental disability, that we don't provide barriers in their ability to vote," Kohl said.

-Dippold

Political Online Reputation

Two Websites for Younger Folk

There are two sites on the internets you youngins should check: Scoop08.com and DeclareYourself.com

DeclareYourself.com screams out that voting is sexy. And if you haven't already registered to vote, no problem, the site will help you on your way. It has video, polls, political news and info and is on these things called MySpace and Facebook.

Scoop08.com bills itself as "A New Kind of Newspaper." Run by over 300 students, Scoop08 covers politics from a fresh, youthful perspective. You can easily get involved by uploading your column, letter, feature or idea for consideration.

-Dippold

Political Online Reputation

Endorsements, Endorsements, Endorsements

This is going to be a quick post because I can only think of endorsements from three different groups that could possibly make any difference:

• Celebrity Endorsements
  
• Newspaper Endorsements
• Political Endorsements
  

The end.

-Dippold

Political Online Reputation

Supreme Court Watch [mostly via AP]

Here are a few headlines concerning Supreme Court action today:

• Court Sides With St. Louis University -- The Supreme Court sided with a university Tuesday in a fight with a researcher over who owns human cancer tissue.
• Court Rules Against Muslim Inmate -- The Supreme Court said Tuesday that a Muslim inmate cannot sue the government over the disappearance of the prisoner's copies of the Quran and a prayer rug.
• Court Refuses to Hear Enron Case -- The Supreme Court dealt Enron investors a defeat Tuesday, rejecting their lawsuit alleging securities fraud by Wall Street investment banks that did business with the Texas energy company.
• US Supreme Court Rejects AT&T Unit Appeal In Antitrust Suit -- The U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday rejected an appeal from a unit of AT&T Corp. (T) challenging an antitrust lawsuit brought by several Internet service providers.

-Dippold

Political Online Reputation

Time: The Page and NPR: Election 2008

Just recently came across Time's The Page and NPR's interactive map, simple titled Election 2008. While not all that similar, these two sites could quickly become staples for political junkies.

The Page, by Mark Halperin, is more like a blog and/or vlog. In the upper right corner is a daily "PageCast" where Mark proclaims a certain number of "things to watch for in politics today". Below that is a political schedule that breaks down the day's events by the minute -- mostly listing where certain political figures will appear. The site's meat -- found in the middle -- is straight up political posts, primarily in the form of quick summaries with links to articles found elsewhere.

An interactive U.S. map adorns NPR's Election 2008 subsite. Roll the mouse over any state to get its primary or caucus date(s). Click on a state and you get the following info about the state (and what better way to say what's going on on that site than to use bullet points) :

• Number of delegates for each party
  
• Past years' primary data for each party
  
• A fun "Did You Know" primary fact
  
• Recent news stories
  
• Related Sites
• A "Learn More About" link to find out where each state ranks among other states on various topics like:
• State Unemployment
  
• Uninsured Population
• Unauthorized Migrants
  
• Gas Price
• Population
• Etc, etc, etc.

-Dippold

Political Online Reputation

New Bush Coins: Petro-dollars

What will happen when Bush declares Martial Law and demands everyone turn in their precious metals? We'll buy stuff with the "Petro-Dollar."

Based on the oil standard, the new coin currency features such luminaries as Barbara Bush, Larry King, Condi Rice, Justice Scalia, Karl Rove, Rush Limbaugh, Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney and W himself stamped onto depleted uranium.

The moola is made available in various "gallon" denominations "which makes sense, since that's where most of your income goes anyway."

-Dippold

Political Online Reputation

Presidential Debate Watch 2007-2008

Shoot me. 34 debates already -- 18 for the Democrats and 16 for the Republicans. But wait. . . there are more! Four more for the remaining month of January -- two each. And who knows how many will follow between February and the start of -- what is so far -- four debates for the party nominees starting in September. Hopefully little to none.

This post will not likely be updated. For total coverage, constantly refresh this page at You Decide 2008 where you will also find links to video of past debates.

So here are the dates, hosts and places of past, present and future debates:

Democrats:

--2007--

April 26, 2007: Video: MSNBC Democratic debate from South Carolina
June 3, 2007: Video: CNN Democratic debate from New Hampshire
June 28, 2007: Video: PBS Democratic presidential debate at Howard University in Washington, DC
July 23, 2007: Video: YouTube/Google and CNN in Charleston, SC
August 8, 2007: Video: The AFL-CIO MSNBC Democratic debate from Soldier Field in Chicago
August 9th, 2007: Video: Homosexual issues forum sponsored by LOGO TV and HRC
August 19, 2007: Video: ABC This Week Democratic debate in Des Moines, IA
September 9, 2007: Video: Univision Democratic Spanish Debate from Miami, FL
September 20, 2007: Video: AARP/IPT Democratic debate from Davenport, Iowa
September 26, 2007: Video: NBC News/MSNBC at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH
October 30, 2007: Video: MSNBC/NBC News Democratic debate in Philadelphia, PA at Drexel University
November 15, 2007: Video: CNN Democratic Debate from Las Vegas, Nevada
December 1, 2007: Video: Iowa Democratic Heartland Forum from Des Moines
December 1, 2007: Video: The 6th Brown & Black Democratic Forum Des Moines, IA
December 4, 2007: Audio: The National/Iowa Public Radio Democratic Debate
December 13, 2007: Video: Democratic debate sponsored by Des Moines Register and IPTV, Johnston, IA

--2008--

January 5, 2008: Video: Democratic debate hosted by ABC News, WMUR and Facebook, Manchester, NH
January 15, 2008: Video: MSNBC Democratic Debate from Las Vegas, Nevada
January 21, 2008: The Congressional Black Caucus Institute Myrtle Beach, SC Democratic Debate
January 31, 2008: CNN and the Los Angeles Times host a debate of the Democratic candidates in California

Republicans:

--2007--

May 3, 2007: Video: MSNBC Republican debate from California
May 15, 2007: Video: FOX News Republican debate video from South Carolina
June 5, 2007: Video: CNN Republican debate from New Hampshire
August 5, 2007: Video: The ABC News Republican debate from Iowa
September 5, 2007: Video: FOX News at New Hampshire’s Whittemore Center 9pm
September 17, 2007: Video: Values Voter Presidential Debate from Florida @ 7:30pm
September 27, 2007: Video: PBS Republican debate from Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD
October 9, 2007: Video: CNBC/MSNBC/Wall Street Journal Republican debate from Dearborn, Michigan
October 16, 2007: Video: Republican Jewish Coalition 2008 Republican Presidential Candidates Forum
October 21, 2007: Video: FOX News Republican debate from Orlando, Florida
November 28, 2007: Video: CNN/YouTube Republican debate from St. Petersburg, Florida
December 9, 2007: Video: Univision Spanish-language (English subtitles) Republican debate from Miami, FL
December 12, 2007: Video: Republican debate sponsored by Des Moines Register and IPTV, Johnston, IA

--2008--

January 5, 2008: Video: Republican debate hosted by ABC News, WMUR and Facebook, Manchester, NH
January 6, 2008: Video: Fox News Republican Forum from Manchester, New Hampshire
January 10, 2008: Video: Fox News Republican Debate From Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
January 24, 2008: MSNBC hosts a Republican Presidential debate from Florida Atlantic University
January 30, 2008: CNN and the Los Angeles Times host a debate of the Republican candidates in California


Then there are the Presidential Debates for the Repug/Demrat nominees :

--2008--

September 26, 2008: Presidential debate with domestic policy focus, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS
October 2, 2008: Vice Presidential debate, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
October 7, 2008: Presidential debate in a town hall format, Belmont University, Nashville, TN
October 15, 2008:Presidential debate with foreign policy focus, Hofsta University, Hempstead, NY

-Dippold

Political Online Reputation

Two-Headed Headline Roundup

• FDA: Cloned Cow Is 'Safe and Traditional' [NPR]

• White House Recycles Backup E-Mail Tapes [AP]

• Bush Exempts Navy From Environmental Law [Newsvine]

• Inflation Rate Is Worst in 17 Years [AP]

• Some Recent Supreme Court News:
• U.S. Supreme Court Reinstates New York Election Rules [Bloomberg]
• Supreme Court limits investor suits against 3rd parties [Chicago Tribune]
• Supreme Court Reviews Case of Illegal Search [NPR]
• Justices Don't Appear to Side With 'Judge Alex' in Contract Case [WSJ]
• Court Declines Experimental Drugs Case [Newsvine]

-Dippold

Political Online Reputation

Do Not Call? How about Do Not Mail

In November, Political Reps tackled the national Do Not Call registry. Now a bill introduced in the New Hampshire House would create a Do Not Mail Registry -- a program for junk mail modeled after the Do Not Call registry.

In an Concord Monitor opinion piece, legislative consultant for ForestEthics Steven Krieger lays out an environmental case against junk mailings. He tosses out statistics like:

• 44 pounds of junk mail per person annually in New Hampshire (that's 58 million pounds of direct mail.)
• 100 million trees used nationally to produce the 98 billion pieces of direct mail sent to Americans each year.
• Canada's Boreal forests, logged for direct mailing purposes, are disappearing at a rate of 5 acres per minute, 24 hours a day.
• The 98 billion pieces of direct mail sent each year is equal to:
• Burning enough coal to fill 68,000 railroad cars
• The emissions of 3.5 million cars
• 1.7 million households' electricity use

Other key points:

• Currently, there is no comprehensive way to unsubscribe from many direct mailing lists.

• Direct mailers would fund the registry when they purchase a list of registered individuals.
  

• The U.S. Postal Service and the Direct Marketing Association oppose the bill.
  

A Technorati search turned up little to no blogging activity concerning this topic.

-Dippold

Political Online Reputation

Musical Change

With all the blather of "change" in politics, would it be unreasonable to suggest some tunes to accompany such a revolutionary concept? A Rhapsody track search for "change" turns up some 6,175 results. Many of the cuts are simply titled "Change." But there are others like:

• Change Everything
• Change Game
• Change History
• Change Today
• Change, Change
• Change Things
• Change Me
• Change It
  
• Change Direction

David Bowie's "Changes" most likely tops the "change" chart, although other known (to me anyway) artists have jumped on the bandwagon:

• Melissa Etheridge -- Change
• Tears for Fears -- Change
• Blind Melon -- Change
• Good Charlotte -- Change
• Keb' Mo' -- Change
• Dolly Parton -- Change
• Lionel Richie -- Change
• Oingo Boingo -- Change
• Beanie Sigel -- Change
• Stevie Ray Vaughan -- Change It
• Eric Clapton -- Change the World
  

I listened to some of these and none of them really reach out an wallop you. None of them seem like a fit to whip supporters into a frenzy before and after a speech. Campaign theme material? Maybe not, but there are certainly copious choices to choose from.

As a pointless extra: there are some fun(ny) artist/band names employing the word "change" in their song titles. Ones like:

• Spike Speedwrench
• Liquid Grace
  
• Minister Majestic
• Cobalt Minor
• General Monk
• I Am I See
• Dirty North
• MilkDrop
• Middlecage
• Hard Bark
• BlindCamper

Major Update: ABC News obviously read this post, inspiring them to publish a story called: Candidates' Theme Songs Set Campaign Tone

-Dippold

Political Online Reputation

YouTube's You Choose '08

Political advertisements of the video nature. Perfect for the TeeVee and the internets. You probably already know of the YouTube debates, but did you know the YouTube houses plenty of the candidates' political advertising, press appearances and viral video via their own channel? It's true. Go to http://youtube.com/youchoose and gape and gawk at all the fine fine political shock and awe, marketing wizardry, press pandering, gratuitous mudslinging and pompous aggrandizement of your next president. You know, the positive stuff of politics.

-Dippold

Political Online Reputation