political
Democracy dies with denial
With all the bad news regarding possible collusion between Russia and the Trump administration interfering with the 2016 election, it’s hard to understand how so many Democrats and Republicans alike, members of national voting organizations, etc., continue to deny we have a major problem with our national computerized voting system.
A recent piece in “The Nation” is a must read for non-believers. It’s short, well-researched and well-written, and will put to rest all the tired arguments of how we have the most secure and fair voting system in the world. It’s also an alarming wake-up call, along with many others, that we must address this problem ASAP. Sadly, this administration appears to be actively engaged in undermining and stone-walling all efforts for fair and transparent elections. The State Department’s refusal to use $80M earmarked to fight Russian propaganda, which was successfully weaponized against our country in the last election cycle, due to fear it will “anger” Moscow, has also angered some legislators in Washington. Whether they fulfill their duty to protect our country against a dangerous and dysfunctional administration currently under investigation is another matter.
Russian election attack update
The July 31st edition of Time included a special report on “Inside the Secret Plan to Stop Vladimir Putin’s U.S. Election Plot” by Massimo Calabresi. The article details the federal government’s attempt to secure the 2016 elections after it became apparent that Russian hackers had broken into more than 20 state and local voter election systems. The 15 page previously undisclosed plan is here.
In June of 2016, voter registration databases were successfully changed by hackers in California which led to the need to use provisional ballots in the primary elections. Three weeks afterward in Illinois, along with a similar attack in Arizona, a Russian agent accessed the state’s voter-registration site and uploaded malicious software (SQL) which “opened a back door to all 15 million files on past and current voters”. The hackers were successful in stealing 90,0000 files before an alarm was triggered when they attempted to download all 15 million files. Changes made to voter registrations were caught by the FBI as there was a full backup of the system before the SQL attack. These brazen attacks, among others, signaled that the Russians’ game plan had changed from collecting intelligence, as had been done in previous election cycles, to a “possible intent to meddle with the vote.”
As the administration worked to halt the damage, Trump continuously denied Moscow’s involvement with the hacking and blamed the Democratic National Committee (DNC) of hacking itself. With the stolen email dump prior to the DNC convention, he doubled down on the claims. As if on cue, August 1st, he said, “I’m afraid the election is going to be rigged.” Two days later, when the Secretary of Homeland Security, Jeh Johnson, said he was considering declaring elections “part of the U.S. critical infrastructure, along with…the banking and electrical systems,” it was met with suspicion of partisanship by many of the states which seriously hampered the administration’s ability to respond to the attacks.
The continuous fueling of anti-government suspicion by Trump seemed to work in his favor as it made the President reticent to issue a stronger statement nationally as it would be portrayed as political meddling in favor of the Democratic candidate. President Obama did warn Putin and put into place a plan to counteract a full-out Russian attack on our election. In the meantime, the attacks continued with infiltration attempts into most states, including the electoral systems of Florida and New Mexico.
The election went off “free and fair from a cybersecurity perspective” according to officials, however, doubts about the security of our election system are spreading. The FBI’s counterintelligence probe about Russia aiding Trump’s campaign only began in earnest after the elections. The FBI’s preoccupation with Clinton’s emails prior to the election resulted in their Russian probe not getting “any intelligence legs until after the election,” a puzzling and disturbing blunder with questionable political overtones.
As the administration cozies up to Putin and the focus on methods of protecting our elections from Russian interference disappears, fears about fair elections are becoming widespread. With Trump’s creation of an “election-integrity commission” demanding the centralization of voters’ personal information from every state, many worry the true goal of the commission is voter suppression of Democratic voters. Republican efforts to defund the $8 million Election Assistance Commission (EAC), which guides states in conducting fair and safe elections, is being met with suspicion as well.
A recent Gallup poll found most Americans (70%) are not confident in the honesty of our electoral system. What a disaster for our democracy, especially since the current power structure seems to be quite happy with the situation and is tightening the noose on fair elections with additional questionable tactics. When finally no one has the confidence to show up to vote, they’ve won and we’ll have a permanent government in place, no voters necessary. A government of the oligarchs, by the oligarchs, for the oligarchs.
Dem uses astroturf group to sell balanced budget amendment
Rep. Stephanie Murphy’s event yesterday in Winter Park was advertised as an event to learn about her recent bill to “balance the budget” by way of a Constitutional amendment. This long-time Republican dream, which would be a godsend and useful tool to slash/trash earned benefit programs like Social Security and Medicare without leaving any “fingerprints” (“the Constitution made me do it”), is being sponsored by our own freshman Democratic Representative.
It was quickly discovered that the meeting was an astroturf exercise by the Concord Coalition, which was presented as a patriot group seeking to save our country by reining in wasteful government spending. Research discovered it’s really a group of pro-corporate ideologues seeking to redirect government funds to the private sector by slashing Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. It’s a partner in Wall Street mogul and vulture capitalist Pete Peterson’s Fix the Debt Campaign. The billionaire funding this new round of “town halls” never let an opportunity to enrich himself go to waste. The money we’ve paid into government coffers our entire lives with the promise that it will be there for us in our retirement is a much too tempting, saliva-inducing target for this plutocrat. He’s marshaled various politicians over the years to woo us into believing a balanced budget amendment is a good deal for us and, of course, “our children.”
Rep. Murphy’s staff said the bill was part of an effort to “start a conversation” on this issue and she still wants to protect earned benefit programs. We’re disappointed Rep. Murphy’s conversation and position seems to have started, ended and aligned with a right-wing organization that appears to have motives contrary to those she stated on the campaign trail. For another opinion ignored in this debate, please see the letter signed by four Nobel Laureate economists.
Here’s a copy of the HJ Res107 Balanced Budget Amendment. If you’d like to start your own conversation with Rep. Murphy about this issue, she can be contacted at 202-225-4035.
Celebrating our independence
Happy Independence Day!!
As we celebrate our independence on this special day, it’s useful to remember some of the things that make our country so amazing. Tops among the many achievements we can be proud of is the right to vote in fair, free and transparent elections. The Three Wise Guys is broadcasting an interview today with Susan Pynchon, Executive Director of the Florida Fair Elections Coalition in DeLand. She has concerns, as many others do, that this bedrock of our democracy is endangered. Hope you can check out this most informative interview today @ 6:30 pm on WMFE 90.7 FM. And please view some of the links on their website if you haven’t done so already. They’re quite a revelation.
http://twgradio.com/
Siskind records Blitzkrieg to our democracy
As our country “erodes before our eyes”, Amy Siskind has been keeping a list of our country’s vanishing norms and long-cherished values these past five months under Trump’s “blitzkrieg” of our democracy. It records in black and white the frightening changes that have come about since the Russians’ cyber attack successfully installed their pick into the White House. It’s a lengthy itemization and an ugly thing to behold and will surely lead to more sleepless nights as concealed things are revealed. For example, one tidbit I hadn’t heard of:
Amy advises that “Experts in authoritarianism advise to keep a list of things subtly changing around you, so you’ll remember.” And, hopefully, one day with a Congress that isn’t aiding and abetting treason, we’ll be able to find our way back to Democracy.
So many of us, in an attempt to preserve our sanity, are averting our eyes to the carnage being carried out in Washington under this regime. Ms. Siskind deserves a medal for her arduous task of recording for history this revolting and illegal depravity being waged upon our country.
Expose on Florida voting problems
From the same producer of the “Hacking Democracy” film, Simon Ardizzone created the short film (above) “Protecting Democracy.” It shows glaringly some of the problems that continue to haunt voting in Florida and the hard work that Susan Pynchon, Executive Director of Florida Fair Elections Coalition, has done and continues to do to promote election integrity. She and Associate & Research Director Kitty Garber will conduct a panel discussion after the movie event on June 24th. The questions surrounding the 2016 elections, which are still being investigated by the federal government, have yet to be resolved. This short film generates even more questions and concerns.
Bottling hypocrisy
Good read by one of my favorites writers, Carl Hiaasen, on the irreparable and villainous damages being inflicted upon our state by the man who imagines himself our future President, Rick Scott. The alt-fact definition of political hero in our current world: Sucking up to deep pockets while selling out your constituents (and sucking our Florida aquifer dry.) Rick Scott takes his place among the pantheon of heroes who deserve a medal.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/carl-hiaasen/article152954739.html
The most important trade deal you’ve never heard of ?
Learn about TiSA, a secret trade deal being worked now which would include 50 countries and apply to 80% of the world economy. We can thank WikiLeaks for bringing this to the attention of the public. A webinar will be taking place today at 7:30 p.m. EST to fill us in on the details that have been kept under wraps for so long. Hope you can listen in and voice your opinions and concerns. Here’s the link to the site:
Dems and the insanity defense
You don’t need to be Einstein to understand that “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.” So why are the Democrats continuing down this loopy path when it comes to elections in Florida (and elsewhere)? Daily Kos tries to shed some light on the 2018 governor’s race shaping up in Florida. If we’re being offered another DINO (Democrat in Name Only), as the piece says, history proves that is going to end badly, again. Scott Maxwell, from the Orlando Sentinel, weighs in on the matter and gives the odds of winning the governorship to the Republicans (again) with the current likely candidates. The disastrous Democratic leadership decisions of the past must not continue to haunt and hurt us. We must demand the new leadership’s assurance that we will have access to a legitimate, fair and honest primary election. An insanity defense isn’t going to cut it anymore.
Green Response Earth Action Team 