Still Fighting

Activism

Women's Equity in Access To Care and Treatment was created to fight the female AIDS pandemic. With public recognition of the AIDS virus slowly becoming less focused, it's important for us to continue to try and find a cure. Certainly the Bush administration isn't doing anything to promote scientific research. Go to the WE-ACTx website, click on "Volunteer," and see what you can do to help this cause.

News

Senate Intelligence Chairman Quietly 'Fixed' Intelligence, and Diverted Blame From White House Over Iraq. Raw Story has an extremely disturbing article about Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) and his role in covering up the Iraq Lie. You know, on one hand, we know that not all information that comes through the White House should be passed along to the media and the citizens. But Roberts's efforts to distort the intelligence and spin the War put our government to shame. Stories like this serve to remind us that we must remove Republicans from office in 2006.

U.S. Struggling to Get Soldiers Improved Armor. It's incredible to think that our soldiers don't have armor simply because of paperwork, but there it is. Small companies, lack of communication and held-up contracts have all contributed to our soldiers dying. What the hell is going on at the Pentagon? No wonder people don't want to join the army. Meanwhile, the U.S. is bullying Sunnis into agreeing on a Constitution. Sure, we all want an Iraqi Constitution, but it should be agreed upon by Shi'ites, Kurds and Sunnis alike. Why did Bushco bother putting up an Iraqi government if he's just going to get them to do what he wants? If this is how we can expect Bushco to work with the Iraqi government, he should have eliminated the middleman and just declared himself Emperor while he had the chance.

Woodward: Cheney To Run In '08. We'd love to point to previous stories that quote Cheney as saying that he won't run in 2008, but then we would be perpetrating the myth that Cheney never lies. If Woodward is right, it's going to be an extremely interesting race. Many Americans see Cheney as something even worse than Bush, and that's saying something.

Editorials

Endless Summer. Guest columnist Michael Downing discusses Congress's ridiculous idea of extending daylight savings time to save money. Downing points out that not only will this idea not save any money, but it's absurd for Congress to waste time debating this when we should be looking at far more important things; for example, why are we still seeing gas prices rise?

Safer Beef. We talked a couple of days ago about Mad Cow Disease, and how the Bush Administration has done precious little to ensure that our meat is safe. This editorial in the New York Times makes a better statement than we could. Sure, the USDA and the Agriculture Department are in a difficult situation in trying to secure the health of our beef, but that's no excuse for Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns to suggest that "the mad cow rules might be relaxed to allow companies to sell some cows too sick to walk for use in human food." This isn't like salmonella, where cooking the meat will remove the disease. We're at the mercy of the Agriculture Department, and they are clearly not doing their job in safeguarding our beef.

Blogger Commentary

Decency Is Not In Them. By now, you're probably familiar with Cindy Sheehan. (If not, you can get caught up here). The bottom line is that Cindy's son was killed in Iraq, and she's been camped outside of Bush's Very-White House in Crawford, Texas, demanding to speak with Bush. In the lead article, The Cunning Realist writes about the Republican smear machine trying to discredit Sheehan. But oh, there's so much more to this story. Consider Sheehan's writings. First, last Thursday, Sheehan writes that "This is George Bush’s Accountability Moment." It's time for Bush to "level" with the American people about Iraq. We all know he won't, but that won't stop Sheehan from demanding it. Then, yesterday, Sheehan wrote about Day 6 outside of Crawford. Sheehan's experiences in Crawford have drawn hundreds of supporters. Sheehan's column ends with what should be the Democrats' battle cry: "We are mad as hell and we're not taking it anymore."

Injustice Sunday. Remember Justice Sunday, which featured anappearancee by Senator Bill First? Justice Sunday II is now scheduled for tomorrow, and Tom DeLay will be the "special guest." This editorial by Harry Knox, director of the religion and faith program at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, actually promotes real Christian values. Not the "if-you're-gay-you're-going-to-hell" ridiculousness, but the base pillars of Christianity - tolerance, acceptance, love, etc. Knox's goal is to demonstrate why Justice Sunday is a sham, a hoax, and an embarrassment to the Christian faith. "When the founders wrote the Constitution, they struck a delicate balance. On the one hand, they made sure everyone would be able to practice their religion according to their own understanding. On the other, they made clear that everyone - believers of all stripes and non-believers - should have a say in decisions made by government. It’s that last part the organizers of Justice Sunday II have forgotten." Well, the organizers of Justice Sunday II and the Republican party, yes.

Activism

Fair Vote is dedicated to ensuring that the electoral process is a smooth as possible. Obviously, right now, it's not. So, what can you do about it? First, read the lead article, about the 2008 election, and the problems that are anticipated. Then read about the Right to Vote Initiative. If you want to do more, contact your state's Board of Elections to find out how you can become a voter registrar. We're not going to win this election sitting on our hands, but we may just get it stolen from us if we're lazy. Also, if you're not a fan of the Electoral College, check out their alternatives.

News

NAFTA Panel Upholds Softwood Trade Ruling vs U.S. Canada ships a lot of wood to the U.S.: about $6 billion in softwoods alone. For the last two years, there has been a back-and-forth between the U.S. and Canada. You see, the U.S. imposed very high duties on the wood that we import. There's no legal ground for this; it's just more of "Hey, we're better than the rest of the world." Well, NAFTA has found those duties to be illegal. So, Canada wants repayment of the $4 billion it has paid. The U.S., of course, has said no. It would be truly surprising if we said yes. After all, we've developed the idea of screwing over other countries into an art form. Bush isn't just going to open his wallet and hand back $4 billion. No wonder the rest of the world hates him too.

Roberts Papers Being Delayed. Of course they are. You don't expect an administration that was so hell bent on holding back information on John Bolton to just turn around and give out info on John Roberts, do you? Now, though, it's supposedly just a "delay," while the White House reviews the over 50,000 pieces of paper to make sure there aren't any more surprises. In an efficient, honorable form of government, with a competent president, that would have already been done. Roberts's record would have been examined top to bottom, and any "surprises" would have already been found and addressed. Did we say efficient, honorable form of government? We meant Democrat-led government. Maybe not efficient, or even honorable in the absolute definition of the words, but certainly more than what we've got today.

Court Rejects Challenge to Pledge of Allegiance. We're not about to throw fuel on the fire by declaring that the panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is "activist." We will say that this ruling stinks. Here's the thing. If the pledge was changed to say, "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic, for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all," who could rightly complain? The court ruled that the phrase "under God" is "a patriotic exercise, not an affirmation of religion similar to a prayer." The man who brought the suit argued that it's impressionable on children, and he's right. Here's the thing. The phrase "under God" was added in 1954 by Dwight D. Eisenhower. He said, "In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America's heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country's most powerful resource in peace and war." The founding fathers never had an "under God" in the original pledge, and Eisenhower's addition may have worked in the 50s, but it's 51 years later. That the phrase never should have been added in the first place is not the point. While the courts may not see it as a religious affirmation, children in school see themselves as being forced to proclaim allegiance to God. We find it interesting and slightly maddening that Americans left England 300-plus years ago to escape religious persecution; to be able to practice any faith that we choose. And here we are, 300-plus years later, and Christians are forcing their beliefs on the rest of the country.

Editorials

Why It's Right to Ask About Roberts's Faith. You know, very few things frost our kumquats more than religious arguments against Roe v. Wade. In E.J. Dionne's most recent column, he discusses why it's OK to ask about John Roberts's faith. But he quotes an interview with Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) that really gets us. Coburn says, "If you have somebody first of all who has that connection with their personal faith and their allegiance to the law, you don't get into the Roe v. Wade situation. . .I am looking for somebody who is not going to make that mistake again in any other area of life." We've said it before, and we'll say it again: Religion has no place in government. It is not for religious convictions to determine law. It's important to know what Roberts's beliefs are, but if he is able to convince the Senate that he will serve on the Supreme Court guided by the law, and not his religious convictions, then it doesn't matter what those convictions are. Abortion, the morning-after pill; these are all things that have a scientific basis and don't hinge on a religious opinion. If your religion requires you to slaughter a virgin every six months, should you be allowed to get off from a murder rap?

The Energy Bill's Gift to Terrorists. We don't mean to frighten you, but Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM and Chairman of the Senate Energy Committee) has now made it easier for terrorists to construct an atomic bomb (think Hiroshima). Alan Kuperman has a guest editorial in the New York Times, and writes about Domenici's amendment into the Energy Bill signed last week. The amendment "guts restrictions on the export of highly enriched uranium." Yes, Domenici has increased the amount of uranium we can export to 100 pounds a year. Senators didn't want this amendment in, and the only up-or-down vote it received showed it cast down. So he strong-armed it in without a vote. Why would he do this? It all comes back to money, as Kuperman explains. Just once we'd like to see Republicans do something that actually doesn't hurt this country or it's citizens, but that's apparently asking too much.

Blogger Commentary

Is He Fucking Kidding? Sadly, Donald Rumsfeld is not kidding. There aren't many more things we can think of that are as disgusting as a September 11th March and Concert, yet that's exactly what Donald Rumsfeld has come up with. This is obviously nothing more than a cheap political stunt, and it's nauseating. Steve Gilliard nails it on the head with "What, it won't pass by Walter Reed, so the vets can hobble on their new legs along with the marchers? My God, are we not supposed to notice Cindy Sheehan sitting outside the Pig Farm, yet participate in something that would have shamed Francisco Franco?" It's scheduled to be held on Sunday, September 11th, and we won't take odds that the public outcry over this cancels the "show."

The Republican Nemesis. James Kroeger shows why Democrats lost in 2004. In a word, image. While Democrats focused on issues, Republicans focused on image. Negative press. Slander. "Democrats lose because they don’t understand what moves their target audience." Kroeger's editorial is required reading for any Democrat, especially those who want to win elections. It's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it. And these days, those "someones" are all Republicans.

Activism

Gold Star Families for Peace. As Cindy Sheehan waits and waits and waits for President Bush to talk to her, we don't just have to sit back and cheer her on from afar. Her organization is linked to above, and we encourage you to go there and make a donation, if possible. The money goes to assist families impacted by the war. If you have the time, head on out to Crawford and support her that way! But that seems rather unlikely, and if you can't afford to donate, at least send a letter of support for her to your local paper. It's stunning to us that the mother of a fallen soldier is demanding more from the President than our elected representatives, but that's the way things are these days.

News

Ad Campaign Says Roberts Backed Violent Protesters. And the battle is joined. NARAL Pro-Choice has released an ad which suggests that John Roberts sides with extremists. While the facts depicted within the ad are skewed enough to give most people pause, it does highlight the need for Congress to have access to all of Roberts' briefs, something the White House will not allow. Still, you can bet that NARAL's ad won't be the last. How soon will it be before the Federalist ads start rolling through? What's most interesting is that Congressional Republicans and Democrats have been downright polite during debate. It'll be special interest groups like NARAL (whom we normally support) that raise the electricity of this nomination.

Katherine Harris Kicks Off U.S. Senate Campaign. Is there any woman in Florida more despised than Katherine Harris? The woman who singlehandedly gave Bush the 2000 election, Harris is now officially running for the Senate in Florida against Ben Nelson, whom the Republicans see as holding a "weak" Democratic seat. When Harris isn't trying to convince people that she is running on a "conservative but progressive ticket," she's whining about how newspapers "distort" her image with color photographs, an illegal practice. Yet Harris would not (or could not) produce any evidence to support her claims. Aside from the fact that we obviously support Nelson over a Republican (although Nelson's closer to being one himself than we'd like), we can't think of anything we'd like more than to see Harris get destroyed in this election (she trails Nelson in every statewide poll taken so far).

Rich Liberals Vow to Fund Think Tanks. No, they aren't a myth. Rich liberals do exist in America, and they have come together under the Democracy Alliance to compete with the Republican machine. Rob Stein, longtime Democratic strategist, has studied what the GOP has done, and formed the Democracy Alliance, in an effort to "level the playing field." The goal of the alliance is to "foster the growth of liberal or left-leaning institutions equipped to take on prominent think tanks on the right" like the Cato Institute and the Heritage Foundation. We'll be following the progress of the Democracy Alliance, and keep you appraised of their doings. It's about time there was something to balance the "Right-Wing Noise Machine".

Editorials

The Message Thing. Jim Wallis, author of the fascinating book God's Politics offers some thoughts on the Democrats' message (or lack thereof). The Republicans obviously have a strong message; like it or not (and chances are, if you're reading this, you don't), it is a message that has galvanized parts of the country. Meanwhile, the Democrats are floundering in theirs. Wallis offers five topics that the Democrats need to encompass - poverty, wartime tax cuts, global warming, abortion and national security. Wallis's editorial should be considered required reading for all those in the DNC, as his suggestions are exactly what the party needs right now.

Government Reduces In-Prison Education Even Though it Helps Lower Recidivism. John Britton tries to understand why Republican leadership doesn't want prisoners educated. After all, prisoners who gain skills (like reading, writing and computer skills) are far less likely to committ more crimes once they are released. A similar editorial in the New York Times a few weeks ago takes the same stance. Do Republicans truly believe that those in prison aren't worth any attention? Of course they do - most of them aren't allowed to vote, remember?

Blogger Commentary

Minutemen: A home for extremists. By now, you're probably heard of the "Minutemen". They're the civilians who have taken it upon themselves to patrol the border and keep out illegal immigrants. They claim that they're on the up-and-up, and no one's really going to argue that our immigration policy needs to be review. But the fact remains that "vigilante justice" (as Howard Dean aptly termed it over the weekend) is not the answer. The minutemen claim to just be looking out for America's interests, but there's always been a clear undercurrent of hate and bigotry there. Well, now it's out in the open, as Dave Neiwert exposes. They may claim to just be "keeping America safe", but we know the truth.

Barney Frank and Partisanship. Here's a commentary that we're not entirely comfortable with, but presents an interesting idea. Even though we're clearly quite liberal, we tend to reject partisanship for partisanship's take. That is, we won't support or endorse a particular idea or candidate simply because it's Democratic. It's got to make sense. Unfortunately, our opponents don't think that way. They don't care if their proposals make sense. What that means is precisely what Corked Bats says Barney Frank's message was: "...at this point in American history, there quite simply is not a good reason for me to ever consider choosing a Republican over a Democrat." It's sad to say, but he's right. If we want to take this country back, maybe we should embrace partisanship right now. It's just incumbent upon us to recognize when it's gone too far.

Activism

Meet With Cindy. Cindy Sheehan's son died in Iraq, eleven days after Dubya's famous "nope, no weapons of mass destruction here" knee-slapper for the Radio and TV Correspondents' Association dinner. She has since become an outspoken critic of Bush's war, making numerous appearances on news shows and talk radio, and sitting on the panel in Rep. John Conyers' informal Downing Street Minutes hearing back in June. Dissatisfied with Bush's demeanor during their first meeting, after the death of her son, Cindy is camping out near Bush's "ranch" in Texas and demanding another meeting to get answers from the War President about the "noble cause" her son died for. The MeetWithCindy site has experienced greatly increased traffic since Cindy set up camp down in Crawford, so if you're having trouble getting to it check out her regular updates at Daily Kos. This story's gaining traction in the press, and it's important that we keep it in the public eye.

News

War Plans Drafted to Counter Terror Attacks in the US. It's been almost four years since the destruction of the World Trade Center changed everything, so it's nice to hear the Pentagon has finished drafting plans for what to do in case something like it happens again. The plans (which are, of course, classified) are designed to handle anything from low-scale crowd control to full-on massive disaster, including multiple simultanous attacks. The Pentagon, which is legally constrained from law enforcement activities, has stressed that it intends the use of troops in a supporting role only, though several senior officers have acknowledged there may be situations which would require the military to take charge. Our hope is that, if it ever came to that, whoever's in control would recognize the great care with which such a mighty force should be wielded on its home soil and, potentially, against its own citizens.

Blair's New Rules. Britain has, historically, been a nation which treads gently around the rights of its citizens. Even when faced with the violent attacks of the IRA, the British government went out of its way to ensure that anti-terror measures protected as much as possible the civil rights of its citizens. Prime Minister Tony Blair has unveiled drastic new measures to crack down on terrorism, including closing mosques and, if necessary, rewriting the Human Rights act to allow the deportation of "foreign-born preachers of hate." According to Blair, even those non-citizens have a duty to "to sustain and support the values that sustain the British way of life." Again, all well and good. Makes sense when you hear it. Can't really argue with it. The real question is: What choices do you make when the time comes to enforce it?

The Meeting. There's been a lot of speculation and discussion over Judith Miller's role in the Rove/Plame leak case, but the only one who really knows why she's still in jail is Miller herself. A central focus of the ongoing investigation is the July 8, 2003 meeting between Miller and Scooter Libby, Dick Cheney's chief of staff, during which they discussed CIA operative Valerie Plame. This meeting just happened to be six days before Robert Novak's column was published, and occurred during the time that Libby and Karl Rove were working hard to discredit Joseph Wilson. Circumstantial evidence all points directly at a conspiracy involving (at the very least) Rove and Libby and the passing along of Plame's identity, though only time will tell what will come of the investigaion. At the heart of Miller's role in all of this is her refusal to reveal her source, even though Libby signed a general waiver allowing journalists to discuss his conversations with them. Miller is holding out for a specific, personal waiver releasing her from confidentiality, and so far it doesn't look like either Libby or his bosses in the White House are planning to bring that to the table.

Editorials

Voting Rights for All. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was instrumental in breaking down the walls of segregation and white supremacy, in the voting booth at least. In its decision in this case, the Supreme Court stated the equal right to vote is fundamental because it is "preservative of all rights." GOP leaders give great lip service to the idea of equal voting rights, and the Act which grants them, but so far remain a bit hazy on stepping up to enforce and strengthen the protections for minority voters. It's a shame that all these people who are so proud of America and the Constitution and democracy don't really want to share with anyone who doesn't think like they do. House Judiciary Committee chair James Sensenbrenner spoke at the NAACP convention, saying "We cannot let discriminatory practices of the past resurface to threaten future gains." But then just a week later he was quoted as saying that the sections of the act that require renewal are "an open question." Sounds like this Republican was for voting rights before he was against them.

Still Not Ready in the ER. We're consistently told that we fight Them over there so we don't have to fight Them over here. It's a good thing, too, because despite Bush's "resolve" in protecting us here at home, our health services just aren't up to dealing with the massive casualties that can sometimes result from terrorist bombings. All across the US, the federal government has turned a blind eye to underfunded emergency rooms and trauma centers. Even as ambulance personnel are not well-trained on how to assess a blast scene or deal with multiple casualties, the House is targeting for elimination the very small amount of federal money set aside to plan and develop trauma centers. But wait, there's more: Even in the wake of last year's flu vaccine debacle, the US is unprepared to meet this year's vaccine needs. Let's not even get into what might happen if SARS makes a comeback, or if we get hit with a particularly virulent flu, such as the avian strain emerging in Southeast Asia. Maybe while Bush is clearing brush in Crawford this month, he could spend some time thinking about why we're not prepared to handle the health crises of either a natural biological threat or another terrorist attack here at home.

Blogger Commentary

The White House Terror Prevention Plan: Trust Us. Last year, the 9/11 commission released its report on the circumstances surrounding the terrorist attacks which destroyed the World Trade Center. That report contained many recommendations on how to make America safer from terrorist attacks - something that Bush claims to be very concerned about. Unfortunately, it seems that nobody can get answers on whether and how those recommendations are being implemented. The 9/11 commission itself closed shop after releasing its report, but the former commissioners have reconstituted into the 9/11 Public Discourse Project in order to get answers to some of these questions. Unfortunately, nobody will talk to them: According to Thomas H. Kean, 9/11 Committee co-chair and former Governor of New Jersey, the administration has completely ignored their requests for updates and interviews with top administration staff. Kean says he and the other former commissioners are simply trying to make America safer. Isn't that what Bush says he spends all his time thinking about?

What Went Wrong... The Bush administration would really like you to believe that, in every single reported case of prisoner or detainee abuse, it's just a few bad apples; a few regular guys who got up to no good, and gosh, we're real sorry about that. In one recent case, Iraqi Maj. Gen. Abed Hamed Mowhoush was beaten to death after being stuffed in a sleeping bag and wrapped in electrical cord. We might not even know about that if it wasn't for a Utah National Guardsman who became frustrated with the lack of response to his reports of abuse and went directly to Utah Guard officials, outside his military chain of command. Sgt. 1st Class Michael Pratt had lodged complaints on other instances of abuse, only to be ignored or intimidated by those he had reported to. This speaks to a larger pattern of systemic abuse, not the rogue actions of a few "bad seed" soldiers, and Rumsfeld, Bush, Cheney, and all the other chickenhawk armchair generals need to realize that these kinds of abuses are spreading the opposite of freedom and democracy.

Activism

No One Died. What started as the catchy bumper sticker "No One Died When Clinton Lied" is now a vast resource of anti-Bush information. Whether it's talk of impeachment, the $185 trillion (and climbing) dollars that the War in Iraq is costing us, or if you just want to buy a bumber sticker, this website is for you.

News

Congress Considers Renaming 16th St. In Northwest. And to what would they rename the street (in NW Washington D.C., for those of you who live elsewhere)? Why, to "Ronald Reagan Boulevard" of course. The efforts to rewrite history and deify Reagan continue. We've got an airport and a trade center named after him already. Furthermore, you can be sure the residents of the district have no interest in renaming the street, but it's not like they get a vote. It's absurd that D.C. gets to be the playground for Republicans who want to make partisan statements instead of solve the country's problems. And frankly, we don't like the thought of our children growing up thinking Reagan was a great man, or confused because his name is plastered everywhere. The sad part is that even though Reagan was really nothing special, he's about a billion times "greater" than Bush.

Results Negative in 3rd Possible Case of Mad Cow. With the Bush Administration so concerned about countries refusing to import U.S. beef, this administration's guidelines for mad cow testing are coming to the forefront. In this particular case, although the cow tested negative, a veteranarian was confused in what the process for testing was. What frustrates us the is the lacadazical attitude with which the Bush administration looks at Mad Cow disease. Shouldn't we be more concerned about the food we eat?

In Congress, the GOP Embraces Its Spending Side. Or, as Republicans would say, "Show Us the Pork!" You see, the GOP, which traditionally claims to be the party of "fiscal responsibility" is now on recess from Congress, and House Republicans couldn't be happier with the amount of money they've spent. But unless you're a business friend of Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL), a wall in New York or a deer, none of that spending will really help you. The amount of spending by the House is truly staggering, and will put us even more in debt by 2010. We need to get these fiscally irresponsible Republicans out of office before they can do even more harm!

Editorials

Labor's Problems Touch You and Me. It may have been easy for you to gloss over the recent news about organized labor splitting up. After all, we frequently hear jokes about picket lines and Jimmy Hoffa, but the fact of the matter is that unions are a critical part of the nation. While a corporate fat cat can easily afford a couple of congressmen with just a flick of the wallet, blue collar workers don't quite have that level of purchasing or lobbying power. But the unions found strength in numbers. They worked to level the playing field, and make sure that the people that build the American economy - the ones that actually do the heavy lifting - aren't exploited. As such, it's not too surprising that they hugely Democratic. The labor split is quite frightening. It might leave a gap in not only the voting bloc, but also in the group of those speaking up for the little guy.

Forget the War? Many Can't. Unless you have a friend or family member serving in Iraq, the numbers of those who have died can be hard to accept, and may even be tiresome to hear. 1,827 Americans and counting. But we also can't forget the 13,559 Americans who were wounded in combat as well, like Specialist Fourth Class Hugo Luis Gonzalez, who has lost his sight. Gonzalez is 32, with a new wife who is 27. Bob Herbert writes Gonzalez's story, which reminds us that this War is not just making lives difficult for us here at home, and not just killing Americans, but we must also be willing to help the wounded. Actually, Herbert's story is another example of why we need better leaderhsip to end this War all together, but that's a different story.

Blogger Commentary

Losing Our Heads. The Cunning Realist brings us an under-the-fence bit of information. Apparently, the International Association of Chiefs of Police have decided that the best way to deal with a suicide bomber is to shoot him/her in the head. They've made that authorization, which will be passed to policemen and women across the world. A suspect might display "nervousness, an unwillingness to make eye contact or excessive sweating." As TCR points out, that's pretty much the population of New York City, who are now being bag searched (well, if you fit the racial profile for the bag checking). Another clear example of Americans sacrificing their ideals and morals to feel safer, because this way is easier.

Republican Blogger Suggest "Fraud" a "Possibility" In Clermont County. Brad brings us a right-wing red-state blogger questions what the heck is going on in Ohio. During the special election last week that saw Paul Hackett lose a close one, even more irregularities were found. We know that the state of Ohio is pretty evenly divided, and we know that the Republican leadership in Ohio is frantic to keep the state a red state, so none of this surprises us. What does surprise us is that nothing's been done yet. The Toledo Blade has been a good source for investigating the problems with voting (and corrupt government in general) in Ohio, but more needs to be looked at.