May 17, 2012

“The Dirty Dozen Minus Three”: The Secretary of State Project

Hanging or pregnant chad?

Hanging or pregnant chad?

This is a long read but I guarantee it is worth it. You will be amazed and stunned, although for most of us on this side we aren’t stunned much anymore.

I thought it was lost forever. Jay Leno played it over and over in 2000 and early 2001 after the Bush v. Gore presidential race amongst gaffaws of his audience and myself. Who can forget this poll worker scrutinizing a ballot in Florida. Is it a hanging chad or a pregnant chad? Katherine Harris was the Secretary of State in Florida during this election and according to the election law she interpreted in her state she declared George W. Bush the winner in a hotly contested race which the US Supreme Court eventually decided. Ms. Harris was either a hero or vilified. There was no middle ground. She was the catalyst which propelled GWB into the Oval Office.

The Secretary of State is the chief elections official in each state, so he/she is responsible for the conduct of elections and establishment of election day rules. A position and role mostly unknown by the majority of citizens in this country before the 2000 election.

Someone of great wealth recognized the power of the Secretaries of State. The power to ultimately decide, perhaps by manipulating and interpreting state election law partisanly, to place their chosen candidate into office.

And the name of the person I am referring to is George Soros.

Most everyone has heard his name. Most don’t know his background and don’t care. He stays behind the scenes and pulls the strings. And he didn’t like it much that Katherine Harris put GWB into office. Not his candidate. “I wanted Gore to win, and this will never happen again! So what can I do about it?”

“I can create the Secretary of State Project. I can back monetarily and help propel Democratic Secretaries of States into office in the states where I feel they can help my candidate into office.” Here is a quote from the website:

Since we launched in the fall of 2005, we have engaged in eleven races and have backed the winning candidate in nine states, including: Ohio, Minnesota, Iowa, Oregon, New Mexico, Montana, Nevada, West Virginia and Missouri. We lost only in Michigan and Colorado (and there by a tiny margin).

According to Ballotpedia.org the founders of the Secretary of State Project include movie actor Rob Reiner, Norman Lear, Drummond Pike (co-founder and president of the TIDES foundation)  and SEIU.

Seiu_logo

What a surprise. Ballotpedia goes on to say:

The SOS Project stems largely from the Democracy Alliance, an unapologetically self-described ‘liberal organization’ founded in 2005 “whose long-term objective is to raise $200 million to develop a funding clearinghouse for progressive groups.

Here is the line-up my friends.

  1. Mark Ritchie, MN
  2. Kate Brown, OR
  3. Michael Mauro, IA
  4. Ross Miller, NV
  5. Mary Herrara, NM
  6. Natalie Tennant, WVA
  7. Linda McCulloch, MT
  8. Robin Carnahan, MO
  9. Jennifer Brunner, OH

Added to the target list for 2010 are Jocelyn Benson of MI and Debra Bowen of CA.

I’m going to start with Carnahan of Missouri. One of the “Masters.” She is currently running for US Senate for Kit Bond’s seat who is retiring.

Robin Carnahan, MO

Robin Carnahan, MO

We aren’t real surprised since this is a Soros-backed “project” that the “usual suspects” are in play, ACORN for one. Now who would have thought. And Carnahan is deeply involved with them. Here’s an interesting website put together by the Missouri Republican State Committee that gives links to all the unsavory goings-on with Carnahan and ACORN. Timelines, associations, news footage.

And here is a video prepared by the Missouri GOP on Carnahan’s ACORN connections. Robin Carnahan and ACORN: Too Close for Comfort:

Yep. Not a whole lot of doubt on this one. Here is a PDF prepared by ACORNCarnahan with the timelines and a ton of e-mails back and forth. 74 pages. Knock yourself out, or take my word for it. So even though I live in Ohio, do I really want this woman as a US Senator? Nope. Not on your life. I will be supporting @RoyBlunt for MO Senate. Here is his webpage.

Next I’m going to go to Linda McCulloch of Montana.

Linda McCulloch, MT

Linda McCulloch, MT

Here is a quote from the Actblue “Support Secretaries of State page”:

Challenging Republican incumbent Brad Johnson, Linda McCulloch is fighting to preserve the state’s progressive Election Day Registration system [emphasis mine]. She has a serious shot at unseating a conservative Republican election official in a state where the 2006 Senate race was won by less than 3,000 votes.

Note the words progressive Election Day Registration system. FYI, Actblue is the number one, on-line fundraising entity for Democrats. On the same page is

Angel-faced Kate Brown of Oregon:

Kate Brown, OR

Kate Brown, OR

Brown immediately cracked down on ballot initiatives after she was elected. Brown is a Democrat and partnered with AG Dem John Kroger in this effort. Both Brown and Kroger are backed by public employees unions. FYI Oregon votes 100% by mail. Anyone see any red flags here?

And here is Natalie Tennant of West Virginia:

Natalie Tennant, WVA

Natalie Tennant, WVA

From ballotpedia.org:

The Center for Public Integrity reported in September 2008 that Natalie Tennant received both the endorsement and financial assistance (nearly $1,000) from the Secretary of State Project, a below-the-radar 527 political organization whose purpose is to “wrestling control of the country from the Republican Party” [emphasis mine] through the process of “removing their political operatives from deciding who can vote and whose votes will count,” namely the office of Secretary of State in many cases.

Sounds like a plan to me.

I haven’t found any major dirt on the above three, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Soros backed them and helped place them in office for a reason, and could have planted triggers in their brains to go off when he pulls it.

Next we have Mary Herrara of New Mexico:

Mary Herrara, NM

Mary Herrara, NM

Ms. Herrara was accused by Bureau of Elections Chief A.J. Salazar of soliciting donations from companies who do business with her office, a direct violation of New Mexico’s Governmental Conduct Act. Mr. Salazar resigned his post over this issue. Ms. Herrara says Salazar’s allegations are ” false and misleading.” But the New Mexico AG is reviewing.

Michael Mauro, Iowa:

Michael Mauro, Iowa

June 2008 was the first time Iowans were allowed to register and vote the same day. Do I hear the words major potential for voter fraud here? Mauro also states in this interview that he does not agree with a judge’s ruling that ballots may only be printed in English, and intends to provide some sort of assistance to those who don’t speak our native tongue. I got one question: why are we allowing people who don’t speak English to vote any how?

Ross Miller, Nevada:

Ross Miller, NV

Ross Miller, NV

Election 2008 was a hot bed in Nevada as ACORN voter rolls were rampant with fictional names. The Clark County  police raided Vegas’ ACORN HQ and the local ACORN office administrators are accused of running an illegal voter registration incentive scheme. Trial dates are in July. ACORN in Nevada. Who would have thought. The gambling mecca of the world. I guess ACORN had to try their luck at the slots and roulette wheel to make up for some lost $$. Republican Secretary of State candidate Rob Lauer has criticized Nevada’s lack of requirement for a photo I.D. at the polls. If Lauer has his way, November 2010 will be the last time Nevadans go to the polls without one. This quote from Lauer:

If Ross Miller hadn’t opposed Voter ID four years ago the ACORN scandal would have been avoided. Nevadans have the right to decide if they value their democracy enough to ensure its authenticity. I am sponsoring an initiative for the November 2010 ballot requiring voters to show a government-issued picture ID when they vote. This common sense law will protect all of us from the felony voter fraud that was nearly pulled off by ACORN in this last election.

Here is Glenn Beck on the Nevada/ACORN sting:

Uh. Yeah. It’s “Miller Time!”  Guess you were too busy approving permits for new slot machines to notice massive fraud in your own backyard. Or could it be the incentive of the Secretary of State Project which led you to look the other way for so long?

And now the two best for last. Hmmm…. whom should I choose? Carnahan was Number 3. Only. Gotta give Number 2 to Mark Ritchie, of Minnesota. Ya know, the Land of Franken & Coleman?

Mark Ritchie, MN

Mark Ritchie, MN

Ritchie oversaw the voter recount which lasted 47 days in the Franken v. Coleman hotly contested Senate race in Minnesota during Election 2008. Ritchie claims the “process was remarkably smooth.” How come over half the country wanted to throw a brick through the TV then, Ritchie?

Ritchie states:

One of the great benefits of any hand recount is that we are legally allowed to look at things that we normally do not have the right to review. In this case, we had a chance to look into all aspects of our system at a statewide level. In addition, this specific recount has the benefit of millions of dollars being spent by both candidates on their own investigators and legal experts – perhaps as high as $20 million. Add to this mix the hundreds of journalists covering this story and you have an extraordinary opportunity to learn about all of the strengths and weaknesses. We would sometimes refer to this as applying an “electron microscope” to our election administration system.

What? This double-speak sounds like an excerpt from the Health Care Bill. And I thought only Obama was the “Flip-flopper in Chief.” Look at this:

Before I said it, I didn’t say it.

Ritchie even credits the Secretary of State Project for his win as SoS of Minnesota:

“I want to thank the Secretary of State Project and its thousands of grassroots donors for helping to push my campaign over the top,” Ritchie said in a posting on the project’s Web site. “Your wonderful support–both directly to my campaign and through generous expenditures by the strategic fund–helped me get our election reform message to Minnesota voters.”

And now the Best for Last.

I had to take a long…break before I delved into this one.  All the rest have taken lessons from her! I am from Ohio. And I have a special place in my heart for this woman. After all, she is a mother. She has cupcake parties and coffee klatches with other women trying to garner their vote for her Ohio US Senate run. I can’t think of another woman except maybe Leona Helmsley or that Marcos woman who has the cajones to try and pull what she has. Her name is Legend. Her name is:

Jennifer Brunner!

Jennifer Brunner, OH

Jennifer Brunner, OH

Yep. The face tells it all. All that guilt is getting to ya, isn’t it? I got so much stuff on this woman I don’t know where to begin. Just like Katherine Harris she wielded her power to drive Ohio in Election 2008 to again be the deciding force in putting a man in the Oval Office. But this time instead of election law; corruptness and the backing of ACORN, ProjectVote, SEIU, and George Soros with his Secretary of State Project wielded the power.

Put into office in 2006, Brunner careened out of control in 2008 with her unreasonable and irrational edicts and rulings that sent the RNC scrambling to the courthouses at every turn. Just as in 2000, the fate of many Ohio ballots were ultimately decided by SCOTUS, this time in Brunner’s and the Democrats’ favor but with the backing of corruption.

For a little background info on this woman, please read my post  Jennifer Brunner, a Study in Corruption?

And Brunner isn’t wasting any time this election year. She is starting early! The shenanigans began in March when she denied ballot access to a Republican gentleman who wanted to run for Attorney General, Steve Christopher.  Here is my post on that subject. We’ll never know 100% whether Christopher actually had the necessary signatures since the ballots have already been printed. He has dropped the lawsuit against Brunner he initiated since it is a moot point. However, knowing Brunner’s track record I am giving the advantage to Christopher.

Now Brunner’s latest stunt is demanding somersaults from people wishing to change parties for the primary in May. And wouldn’t it surprise you if the majority of those changing are Democrats to Republicans? Your absentee ballot can even be rejected if it is returned in the wrong envelope. This is the instruction to the voter:

Boards of Elections are to notify absentee crossover voters if they forget to return the form, or if it is incomplete. Voters will be given instructions on how to return the affidavit — it must be outside the identification envelope, but inside the return envelope.

Soros pulled the trigger on this one a while back and she is still going off. This new directive has left poll workers scratching their heads and scrambling because of the short notice. Absentee balloting begins on Tuesday April 6. Cleveland.com goes on to say Brunner claims she could not get this directive out earlier:

Brunner could not issue the directive until Friday because she was occupied with a lawsuit filed March 12 by a Republican candidate for attorney general who was ruled off the primary ballot, Ortega said [Brunner's spokeman] . The lawsuit was dropped March 19.

Hey Jen. If you are a mom who does cupcake parties, we all know moms can “multi-task.” We’re on to you.

Jennifer Brunner is running for US Senate for Voinovich’s seat to be vacated. In light of her track record being backed by Soros, ACORN, SEIU et al it is apparent this woman would be bad news for Ohio and for the rest of the country. Info on this post needs to get out to the press, blogs, twitter etc. or these states could be hotbeds of corruption in November.

I will be supporting Rob Portman for Ohio US Senate. Remember, as “Ohio goes, so goes the nation.” Watch out for Ohio being in the news big-time again during Election 2010.

Rob Portman can be found on twitter @RobPortman This is his website.

Our vote is the last firewall and MUST be protected. It does no good to get great candidates on the ballot if our votes are stolen.

“The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything.” Stalin

Crossposted.

Zero-Care: Rotten to the Core

Snowe white & Healthcare

Who can forget this memorable quote by Madame Pelosi:

We need to pass this bill, so we can find out what is in it.

Yep. Ms. Speaker. You passed it. And now we are seeing all the worms and vermin that are coming out of it. Even Snow White reels back in horror.

The public is on to You. They aren’t as stupid as you make them out to be. In a Gallup Poll Americans Remain Concerned About Costs of Healthcare Bill most Americans worry the cost will become more expensive and the federal deficit will get worse. Hope and change we didn’t count on. And even the Instigator-in-Chief admits via John Boehner (R-OH) costs aren’t going down like he predicted.

According to Boehner’s site:

“Nearly two-thirds of Americans say the health care overhaul signed into law last week costs too much and expands the government’s role in health care too far, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds, underscoring an uphill selling job ahead for President Obama and congressional Democrats. Those surveyed are inclined to fear that the massive legislation will increase their costs and hurt the quality of health care their families receive…”

And as I noted in my post Obama’s New Home-Fall-out Shelter many large companies will be taking billions of dollars in charges in 2010 to offset upcoming revocation of Medicare-D subsidies. And for the kids working at McDonald’s, Wendy’s et al they could see their premiums rise by as much as 17%. Bet most of them of age voted for Obama and could be regretting that decision. Even CBS News (gasp) ran this segment Insured Americans Skeptical:


Guess the MSM is getting nervous about this too…has hell just frozen over? Wouldn’t you love to see CBS announce they will be taking charges too? Then Waxman can “invite” the CEO to his Salem Witch Trials.

Have no fear. GOP.gov has announced a new class for us, Healthcare 218: Educating the American Public About the Need to Repeal and Replace. Rep. Peter Roskom (R-IL) will be doing daily “lessons” on what will be coming out of the woodwork. I plan to get an “A.”

Madame Pelosi. I suggest you take his class.

I Support Jack Smith for US House OH #9

Update 5/5/10: Jack lost the Oh primary yesterday to Rich Iott. Mr. Iott will now face-off against Ms. Kaptur.

Update on 4-7-10* Please see the red asterisk below. Thank you.

For the last 28 years northwest Ohio has been in the stranglehold of US House Democratic Progressive Caucus member Rep. Marcy Kaptur. According to the Caucus ideology the members advocate:

“universal access to affordable, high quality healthcare, fair trade agreements, living wage laws, the right of all workers to organize into labor unions and engage in collective bargaining, the abolition of significant portions of the US Patriot Act, the legalization of same sex marriage, [sic] a complete pullout from the the war in Iraq, a crackdown on corporate welfare and influence, an increase in income tax rates on the wealthy,tax cuts for the poor, and an increase in welfare spending by the federal government.”

Ms. Kaptur will also be remembered as one of the “Stupak 11″ who compromised their pro-life position to deliver the necessary yes-votes to pass health care reform, and she received an extremely dismal rating of 15.31 out of 100 from the American Conservative Union.

Jack Smith

Jack Smith

Because I believe much of the above ideology is hurting northwest Ohio, I am advocating a change. And my belief is the best candidate to bring about that change is Jack Smith.

Jack considers himself to be a “tea party Republican” and a fiscal conservative who will work to rein in the out of control spending by the Pelosi Congress. He is a highly decorated Marine Veteran and a retired Toledo Police Chief and has also received the coveted endorsement of the Combat Veterans for Congress.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Jack several days ago and questioned him extensively about the Constitution, how he would go about legislating if elected, and what changes he feels are needed for the country. Jack advocates for a simplified tax code, off-shore drilling, is a strong 2nd Amendment advocate and is 100% pro-life. Jack believes business growth should not be hindered by the government.

*Update 4-7-10

On April 6, 2010 Jack received the endorsement of the Ohio Veterans United. They are a non-partisan PAC which “supports a strong military and traditional American values.” Here is a video of the presentation in downtown Toledo:

It is for these reasons I believe Jack Smith is the best choice for Ohio US House #9. It’s time for a non-politician to be elected to respresent northwest Ohio.

You can read more about Jack on his webpage.

FYI the Ohio primary is May 4. Also running against Jack is Rich Iott as a Republican. My post on Mr. Iott can be found here. Also on the ballot is Joseph Jaffe running as a Libertarian.

“Drill, Baby Drill!” NOT what it seems to be..

Obama at Andrews energyAt first glance Mr. Obama’s announcement that he will be opening up off-shore drilling to other parts of the Atlantic and some parts of Alaska seems to be welcome and much needed news for consumers and America’s hopes to eventually become energy independent. But upon further examination the reality is much different.

From a hangar at Andrews Air Force Base Mr. Obama stated he would be opening up the areas off the coast of Virginia, Florida, and some parts of Alaska, but not Bristol Bay because of environmental concerns.

The drilling off the coast of Virginia however would be delayed until 2012 because of the requirement to allow for bidding contracts. The drilling off Virginia must be at least 50 miles from shore and it is unclear how much oil is really out there. There were mixed reviews in Virginia where the tourist trade is bountiful and there are high hopes this would bring down the cost of gasoline.  However, it is unclear how Virginia would benefit from this since the federal government would see the proceeds.

Before Mr. Obama made this decision the entire eastern seaboard was open for exploration because Congress lifted the drilling moratorium back in 2008 when gas prices were going through the roof.

The timing of this announcement of course comes at a time when the Climate Bill will be up for debate again. It is speculated that Mr. Obama wants to gain the votes of Republicans and this is his way of enticement. The hold-out Republican however could be Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) who is close to the oil drilling business. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) is also close to the industry and is also sitting on the fence on the climate debate.

Here’s a little reminder, that before Mr. Obama was for it, he was against it:

While most of you may think this is welcome news for consumers, the Institute for Energy Research reminds us that Obama’s 2011 budget proposes at least $36 billion in new oil and natural gas taxes. In light of this troubling reality, the IER believes this is not a huge step forward, but a gigantic step backward.

Thomas Pyle of the IER has this to say:

“America’s offshore energy resources belong to the American people. Not a company, not a special interest, and not a single administration. And a clear majority of the American people supports the common sense strategy of producing more oil and gas here in America. Unfortunately, today, and to our economic detriment, the President once again ignored the will of the American people.”

Mr. Pyle went on to say:

“In 2008, when Congress and then-President Bush retired the decades-old moratorium on the safe and environmentally sound practice of producing energy miles off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, the American people, and our economy, scored a huge victory. Unfortunately, what President Obama outlined today puts part of that moratorium back in place. Kicking the energy can further down the road is not a change in policy.”

So here is the reality check of what Mr. Obama did:

* Cancelled five lease sales off the Alaska coast that were planned over the next 2 years. One of the areas is estimated to hold up to 77 billion barrels of oil, or more than 3 times US reserves.

* A study of the southern Atlantic OCS, with the findings due back next year….no leasing

* Delaying a planned lease sale off Virginia until at least 2012

So you are probably asking: when will the price of gasoline and fuel go down, and by how much?

Maybe in the year 2030, and then maybe by $.03. Via Michael A. Levi, an energy expert at the Council on Foreign Relations.