Senator Murkowski Can Still Win in Alaska.

NEWSFLASH: Joe Miller is not the victor in Alaska.

For some unknown reason, everyone wants to declare Joe Miller the victor in Alaska, despite the fact that thousands of absentee ballots have yet to be counted, and thousands of absentee ballots have yet to arrive. Why is about everyone so eager to declare Miller the winner? It is not like we are in real danger of losing Alaska this November....to a Democrat.

According to Alaska's Board of Election's website, 100% of Precincts have reported their tallies to the secretary of state, and the election results are even tighter than it was yesterday morning:

Joe Miller - 47,027 - 50.90%.
Murkowski - 45,359 - 49.10%.
Difference - 1,668 votes - 1.80%.

At last count - 7,600 absentee ballots out of 16,000 requested have been returned, and Dave Dittman, a pollster out of Anchorage, put the number of GOP ballots at about 5,000. Meaning about 65% of all absentee ballots are Republican ballots, and that we can expect close to 10,000 GOP votes if 15,400 absentee's are returned. And so on and so forth.

As of now Ms.Murkowski needs 67% of all absentee's (out of 5,000), but when votes from really rural areas of the state, and Military votes from overseas trickle in, the necessary percentage of votes needed for victory in the Murkowski camp will slowly decline (say 10,000 GOP absentee's come in, Murkowski would only need to capture 59% of the uncounted vote).

This race is not over.

When the initial absentee's are counted on Tuesday, we will know more in regard's to who will win.





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Interview with Free and Equal Elections Foundation

Jumping in Pools is proud to present interview number 86 in our ongoing series. This time we're interviewing the Free and Equal Elections Foundation, which stands for election reform and efforts to increase ballot access. I was fortunate enough to interview Chris, the site's Chief Information Officer.

1. When and why was Free and Equal started?

The real genius behind Free & Equal is Christina Tobin, Founder and Chair.  She has a long history fighting for the right of citizens to run for office.  Growing up in Chicago gave her ample opportunity to experience the unfairness and corruption of the system first-hand.  After serving as Ralph Nader's national ballot access coordinator in 2008, with the Democrats trying every dirty trick in the book to keep Nader off the ballot, she decided an organization was needed which could focus exclusively on access to the ballot.  Free & Equal launched in March of the following year.  Our primary goal has always been, and remains, the reform of ballot access laws in order to empower citizens and increase participation in the political process.

2. What is one federal law/statute that limits electoral freedom that you most want changed?

In our republic, it is the states primarily which regulate the ballot, and this demands our focus.  The states also control redistricting and choose the voting machines.  On the federal level, there isn't much we could or would advocate for.  Reasonable arguments can be found, both pro and con, for most federal election legislation.

In New York, the single best election law reform would be to reduce signature requirements for ballot access.  Bills to halve signature requirements, for both designating (primary) and nominating (general election) petitions, have been introduced regularly in both houses of the state legislature.  However, the leadership has refused to bring them to the floor for a vote.

New York has shown leadership in the field of election law.  New York's decision to reject the "black box" approach, and adopt open source voting machine software, is a model for the nation.  If we place sound public policy before personal interest, we can continue on the path of leadership with ballot access reform.

3. Free and Equal is listed as non-partisan. However, does the site sometimes come down on the side of libertarians?

We sometimes come down on the side of every political party, including Democrats and Republicans.  Free & Equal is largely focused on allowing independent and third party candidates to compete on an even playing field.  Along the way, we've also encouraged grassroots Democratic and Republican candidates, and defended them from petition challenges.  Internally, Christina hails from the Nader camp, while our Media Director Micah Gamino is a Green Party activist.  I'm a progressive libertarian; when I ran for office last year I was endorsed by both the Green and Libertarian parties.  Free & Equal has helped candidates from the Constitution, Green, Libertarian, Socialist Equality, Democratic and Republican parties get on the ballot.  We're all about coming together across party lines.  We feel elections should be about the person, not the party.

4. What is the best part of running the site?

The best part is providing a voice for what's good and positive in our political system.  There is an emerging national consensus that our political system is failing the American people.  Yet our political discourse focuses disproportionately on the status quo, rather than grassroots alternatives or efforts at reform.  The powerful have their media organs, but the people need a voice as well.

5. If you had one goal for the next five years, what would it be?

The single most positive change would be the inclusion of all Presidential candidates in national debates, who qualified on enough state ballots to win 270 electoral votes.  In 2008 there were five such candidates.  There were more candidates in both the Democratic and Republican primaries, and all of them could be included in debates.  So why not the general election debates?  Rather than move the bar out of reach, as was done after Perot entered the debates in 1992, we should adopt a rational standard.  Whoever can win (270 electoral votes) should be allowed to participate.  This would raise national consciousness of third party and independent candidates.

6. Anything else you'd like to add?

Across the political spectrum, Americans realize the integrity of our system matters more than partisan interests.  We look forward to a future where our political discourse is dominated by the free and energetic exchange of ideas, rather than power brokers and special interests.  Free & Equal believes that day will come.  With your help, that day could be right around the corner.

http://www.freeandequal.org/

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Another terrorist attack on American soil.

November 5th 2009 - Nidal Malik Hasan murdered 13 American Soldiers at the Fort Hood Military base. Hasan is a radical Islamist who hates this Nation, was in contact with a radical imam who had connections with Islamic terrorists, and considered the "fight against" American soldiers a spiritual duty for all Muslims.

December 25th 2009 - Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab unsuccessfully attempted to bring down Northwest Airlines Flight 253 over Detroit, Michigan, on Christmas day. Abdulmatallab was also connected to that same imam who Major Hasan exchanged emails with, and who he considered a hero. Abdulmutallab was a native of Yemen, and even his own father warned American officials about his radical beliefs.

May 1st 2010 - An unknown terrorist or terrorists planted a Car Bomb in Times Square, which was rigged to explode and would have caused a massive loss of life. Due to the heroic actions of a local vendor who was also a Vietnam Veteran, New York Cops were alerted, and the bomb was neutralized.

Let us not forget the half-of-dozen terrorist attacks the Federal Bureau of Investigation stopped last year, including a attack on the New York Subway system. America has faced terrorist attack after terrorist attack over the past fifteen months of Obama being in office, our Nation is weaker and our enemies know it.

According to some speculation on Twitter and traditional media sources, the terrorist attack in Times Square might have been directed at Viacom, which owns and broadcasts Comedy Central, which in turn broadcasted the television show South Park, which a few weeks ago dared to make fun of the Muslim religion. This is all speculation as of now, but interesting.

Except for a few Conservative bloggers, almost all Republican lawmakers; who are out of power at this moment, Joe Lieberman; who is thankfully in power, and our Armed Forces as a whole, America has been neglecting the War on Terrorism the past fifteen months, and we can't afford to anylonger.

We're in a War. We need to start acting like it, such as we did after September eleventh. Please remember we're in a War on Terror when casting your ballots for Republican candidates during the primaries and in November: Not one weak, libertarian, wussass Republican should be voted into office, we have enough of them in the Democratic caucus.

Stay strong America and God Bless America!

Without a strong National Defense; nothing else matters.

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Election in Middleburgh, March 16

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Why Obama Will Win in 2012, Part One

Predictions and fortune-telling are among the least reliable forms of information known to man. However trends often cross over years and can signal whether or not big changes are going to occur. My predictions are not usually accurate, but I am beginning to see a series of events which will likely lead to the re-election of President Obama.

I'm starting a series which will hopefully go to show that while things aren't hopeless for the Republican Party, the warning bells should be sounded.

1. Lack of a Republican 'incumbent.'

This doesn't simply mean that there's not a Republican President or Vice President in office today, but that there is no one waiting in the wings to take the Republican mantle. I know what many may think: that Sarah Palin, as VP candidate in 2008, is ready to take over the fight. However, as 2008 showed, many in the party were willing to support a moderate candidate (McCain and Giuliani). Palin's conservatism may not be a liability with the base, but may lead many to believe that she is unwinnable in a general election.

And this goes beyond Palin. In 2008, McCain was an early favorite because he had come in a strong second in the last Republican primary. In 1976, Ronald Reagan had almost won the primaries away from sitting President Gerald Ford. When the Republicans did not have a sitting legacy, they were destroyed. Take 1996, when Robert Dole was blown out, barely gathering 40% of the national vote. Yes, he was a contender in the 1988 Republican primaries, but not near the amount of legacy of Reagan and McCain.

In addition, many of the Republican candidates are already known to run poor campaigns. Much enthusiasm was generated by former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson. According to some, the actor would grant the field the conservatism and gravitas to carry the primaries. Instead, he flopped.

Mitt Romney flipped on nearly every important issue regarding his reign as Governor of Massachusetts. On gay marriage, taxes, and abortion, he made swift turns which seemed (at least to me and much of the Republican electorate) as phony stancing attempting to please the Republican base. Instead, his mediocre record as Governor helped doomed his candidacy to a much more moderate character, McCain.

Mike Huckabee is a jovial, likable former Governor of Arkansas. His record as Governor was excellent and has a speaking ability that may top the Republican field. However, his religious views and ties with the church, being a former pastor, may hurt his chances in any Fall 2012 matchup. Huckabee is also seen as unrefined by many in his own party, lacking the business "finesse" of Romney (not that he has much anyway) or military experience of McCain.

Rudy Giuliani was one of the best mayors of New York City. He reduced taxes, unemployment, and crime. He cleaned up NYC's mess after Dinkins and helped propel a 1990s boom. His moderate views, particularly on abortion and gay marriage, alienated many in the Conservative base, but still was considered an early favorite. Giuliani may stand a shot against Obama in 2012 if the focus is on national security. However, pop culture and a short attention span seems to downplay his heroic leadership on and after the September 11th, 2001 massacres. Joe Biden's joke about Giuliani's sentence-making is similar to saying that Churchill's sentences were a "noun, a verb, and the Battle of Britain."

Bobby Jindal is a reformist from Louisiana. He may become President one day, but he is far too smart to challenge Obama if he is still popular. By 2012, Jindal may not have a strong record to stand on (although 2008 proved that you do not need one to win) and his conservative views will be mercilessly attacked during any general election campaign. My guess is he won't run until 2016 at the earliest.

There are many others who may vie for the Republican nomination in three years. Among the names are Eric Cantor, George Pataki, and John Huntsman. However, the fact that many are virtual unknowns will probably not help to unseat a current President.

Tune in for part two.

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A Call to Obama: Stand Up for Iran

President Obama campaigned on the concepts of change and hope. There is nothing that Iran needs right now more than those two things. First off, Mir Mousavi is not a liberal democrat, but he is certainly better than Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Unfortunately, it appears that the clerics in the Islamic Republic have taken Obama's weakening stance regarding the Middle East as an opening to push forward with their jihadist agenda. Although Mousavi did not declare that he would end Iran's nuclear program, Ahmadinejad is determined to ramp it up. The Ayatollahs have sent terrorists to attack our soldiers and civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan.

President Obama's speech in Cairo made very clear that his administration is not willing to stand up for democratic processes in controversial regions. In fact, he stated that one form of government cannot be forced onto another. Perhaps we cannot even attempt to criticize the theocracy in Tehran for massive vote fraud, after all that's what 'they' want, so why force our beliefs on them? In addition, by backpedaling on the Iraq War and basically stating that the US will support dictators like in Egypt and Saudi Arabia just to keep 'stasis', we are looking at a fundamental betrayal of a pro-democracy policy.

So what can we do? Call out the mullahs on their false votes. Declare that the US 'cannot be responsible' for all of Israel's actions. Ahmadinejad's government will not receive recognition and new sanctions will be placed on the Islamic Republic.

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Jim Tedisco for Congress

I would like to make a stand concerning the upcoming election for Congress in Upstate New York. Being an Upstater, this isn't my district, but is a neighbor. That is why, with the health of our nation and state in mind, I endorse Jim Tedisco for Congress.

Tedisco has served our area for years, providing ample representation and job creation. He has stood out as a leader of the Republican caucus and against the runaway growth of government. He has pushed for lower taxes and will benefit our area.

Scott Murphy also has experience, but not nearly as much as Tedisco. Nor does Murphy have the expertise or maturity to take on the role of a United States Congressman.

Tedisco is looking out for Upstate, whether in the State Senate or US Congress. He is a dedicated public servant who will represent us well.

For lower taxes, accountability, and responsibility, vote for Jim Tedisco on March 31.

Visit http://www.jimtedisco.com/ to find out more.

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Kim Jong-Il Wins in Squeaker

Kim Jong-il, the illustrious President and hero of North Korea, has won reelection in a close election. Kim won 100% of the votes, with 99.98% of the votes cast. This is the closest election in North Korea in thirty years.

Some pundits question whether the reduced turnout will hurt Mr. Kim's mandate.

"This could cause Kim to not be able to push through his Starvation Initiative," said Sun Kim San, a dissident in Yongbyon, before being summarily executed.

The damage done by this close election could be seen in several years, when Kim is expected to die.

"Kim will never die." said the State Press, "He is a god."

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Special election is coming.

On March 31st, 2009, a special election will be held in the 20th Congressional district, as a new Congressman will be crowned via special election to fill the seat of appointed junior Senator, Kirsten Gillibrand. The main challengers are House Republican Minority leader Jim Tedisco, and Democrat challenger Scott Murphy, who like 99% of the Democrats in America - has a tax problem.

Tedisco is a strong fiscal Conservative, which we need in Congress.

Tedisco also has experience, is a leader - has he stood up to Spitzer on the illegal driver license controversy in 2007. Tedisco 2009! For Congress.

Please visit www.jimtedisco.com for more information on his campaign, and also - a poll on www.wgy.com showed that 70% supported Tedisco, 20% supported neither candidate, and 10% supported Murphy.

Republican Conservative resurgence!

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ACORN: We Stuffed Ballots

In one of the biggest challenges to the new administration, its political allies are stating that they intentionally attempted to defraud the 2008 Presidential Elections. The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, which is a major recruitment organization for the Democratic Party, is making no bones about their role in the 2008 contest.

"We couldn't chance it." said Jean Kielty, a mid-level member in the Washington state branch in a telephone interview. "We just could not take the chance of another four years of George Bush. We had a moral obligation."

While these claims may be considered scandalous, they are not unprecedented. In 1960, widespread ballot fraud colored the extremely close race between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy. It is not known how widespread the ACORN fraud is.

Kielty continued, "Did we tip the balance in one state or a couple? It's hard to say; but I'd like to think that we did."

Kielty was in charge of overseeing three polling places in Washington, and estimates that up to 600 Obama votes "appeared," while 400 McCain votes were "tossed." However, she could not give estimates for the national effects of ACORN's efforts.

"In North Carolina, I know that Sid [Jasper] threw away a lot, but I don't know exactly how many. People may say that this is voter fraud, but the American voter gave up their right to freely choose after choosing George Bush twice."

As of yet, there is no federal investigation of these charges, seeing how they only appear in a no-name blog, are made up, and are labeled as 'satire.'


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Another Step of Progress as Iraq Votes

Iraq held its fourth round of voting since its 2003 liberation. The majority of provinces held local elections and turnout was heavy. Violence, however, was not. This continues the upward trend that Iraq has been traveling on since early 2007.

Hopefully the trend continues and Iraq succeeds. I'm hoping for it.

Still, thousands of women, including many in conservative tribal areas, cast ballots, many for the first time. Voters brought their families to participate in only the second elections since the fall of President Saddam Hussein and by far the most open and competitive. More than 14,000 candidates contested for 440 seats to lead influential local councils, the equivalent of state legislatures in the United States.

"I am so happy," Raad al-Shimari, 30, declared in the Kadhamiyah neighborhood of Baghdad, flashing a forefinger stained with purple ink indicating he had just voted. "I chose the person that will represent me."

After the polls closed Saturday evening, U.N. and Iraqi officials declared the elections -- one of the most heavily monitored by independent observers in recent Middle Eastern history -- as transparent and credible. "This is a good day for Iraq's democracy," said Staffan de Mistura, the top U.N. official in Iraq.

Franken Still Hasn't Won

Despite Al Franken's supposed lead over Senator Norm Coleman, the fight isn't over yet. This Senate seat battle has been marked by votes "appearing" and accusations of double-counting. We're pulling for Coleman, even Joe C.

The panel also rejected Franken's attempt to limit any court review to verifying math and other technicalities of the recount and canvass, clearing the way for the judges to consider Coleman claims that some votes in Democratic areas were counted twice, that some absentee ballots from GOP areas were wrongly rejected and that there were other irregularities.

The panel noted that the Minnesota Supreme Court had ruled that while those claims shouldn't be decided during the recount, they "would be properly heard in an election contest" in court.

Coleman lawyer Ben Ginsberg called the panel's decision "a stinging defeat for Al Franken. It underscores that the Coleman contest will proceed, that there will be a trial."

It appeared that Franken pulled out all of the stops in order to win the seat. These included shady performances and all the lawyering a man can buy. But the best candidate may just win, after all.

Time to get back into campaign mode.

Well, just a few miles eastward, in the 20th congressional district, they will be having an special election to fill the seat vacated by Congressman/Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, this district is very Republican district and I believe I have found the perfect candidate :
Senator Elizabeth Little of Queensbury.

She is a top rated NRA member.
She is a top rated pro-life Conservative.
Pro-business.
And highly rated by the Conservative party of New York.

And she has announced her interest in running for the seat.

I will do all that I can to assist whomever the Republican is in this upcoming election, I will be hoping and advocating it will be Elizabeth Little.

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President Bush Put Principles Before Party and Popularity

For all of the talk about President Bush overreaching his power and being such a terrible President, it appears that the haters were wrong. President Bush made the conscious decision to place integrity before his legacy. He decided to put ideals in front of winning elections.

He put his country first.

For example, an interview with Fox News where the President stated that it was more important to do the right thing than to do the right thing politically.

"During the darkest days of Iraq, people came to me and said, 'You're creating incredible political difficulties for us,'" the current president said as his term draws to a close. "And I said, 'Oh, really? What do you suggest I do?' And some suggested retreat, pull out of Iraq.

"But I had faith that freedom exists in people's souls and therefore, if given a chance, democracy and Iraqi-style democracy could survive and work," the president said. "I didn't compromise that principle for the sake of trying to, you know, bail out my political party."

An honest politician? That's change I can believe in.

Oh Snap-- Pawlenty to Franken: Thanks But No Thanks

Minnesota's Governor has flatly refused to sign off on Al Franken's Senate Seat. The Governor and the Secretary of State are not signing the certification for Franken to take office.

While this will not stop the comedian, it will likely delay his taking office. This may be enough time for challenger Norm Coleman to launch an appeal. Franken was behind by about 200 votes and after some votes 'mysteriously' appeared, he is ahead of Coleman by 225.

Coleman is suing over the result, claiming there were irregularities on Election Day and during the recount.

Minnesota law prevents officials from issuing an election certificate until legal matters are resolved. But Franken's legal team argues that federal election law entitles Franken to receive the certificate before the lawsuit is settled.

"The people of Minnesota are down a senator in the U.S. Senate. This is an opportunity for Governor Pawlenty and Secretary Ritchie to ensure the interests of all Minnesotans are represented in Washington," Franken lawyer Marc Elias told reporters in a conference call. He didn't rule out a lawsuit.

Franken Wins in Minnesota

We've been doing a lot of writing about this subject. After months of contentious fighting, it appears that Al Franken (D) has defeated incumbent Norm Coleman (R). This comes after a lot of "funny business," including 'misplaced ballots' and poorly marked votes.

Of course, this 225 vote lead comes despite the fact that at least 650 absentee ballots were not counted. This is suspicious and comes after votes for Franken began "appearing" after the November 4 election.

Naturally, it's not totally over, but it appears that it is for all intents and purposes. Coleman's chances appear to be nil.

The court ruling suggested Coleman's latest request should be a post-election consideration. The Coleman campaign, meanwhile, said it was determined to take the question to court.

"Today's ruling, which effectively disregards the votes of hundreds of Minnesotans, ensures that an election contest is now inevitable," said Coleman attorney Fritz.

Well, things don't always seem too good. We'll see where it goes.

How Much Did Palin Actually Help Chambliss?

As just about everyone in the United States knows by now, Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) won his Senate race, defeating the Democrats' hope for a 60-seat filibuster-proof supermajority. And one of the repeated themes of the analysis is the Chambliss won so easily thanks to the help of one Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska. Chambliss himself said :

"Sarah Palin came in on the last day, did a fly-around and, man, she was dynamite. We packed the houses everywhere we went. And it really did allow us to peak and get our base fired up," Chambliss said.

"I mean, I can't overstate the impact she had down here," he continued. "When she walks in a room, folks just explode. And they really did pack the house everywhere we went. She's a dynamic lady, a great administrator, and I think she's got a great future in the Republican Party."

But it doesn't seem like she was the make-or-break. Obviously she helped Chambliss get out the Conservative Christian base, but something about the numbers doesn't show a massive surge. Chambliss won last night's race by a hearty 14%. However, on November 4, he only led by three.

Now, Georgia is one of the redder states in the Union, so did Palin really push him over the top? Instead, it looks like it wasn't the person who was there, but it was the person who wasn't there that made a difference. It appears that since Obama wasn't on the ballot, many Democrats didn't see the purpose in going out to vote:

Martin appeared to suffer mightily from a lack of African-American turnout, which dropped from 30 percent of early votes four weeks ago to around 20 percent in the runoff.

For Republicans and strategists that think that the GOP can take the Congress back anytime soon cannot underestimate the celebrity and gravity of the President-Elect. He can push people out to vote that wouldn't do so anyway, and can even rope in some Independents and Republicans to boot. He was probably good for 8% of the difference on November 4. The Democrats have a strong down-ticket leader now. College kids and the like are less likely to pay attention to other officeseekers, just as long as they have the valuable "D" next to their name.

So is Sarah Palin the savior of the GOP? Obviously she got at least some of the vote out for Senator Chambliss. However, she was insignificant compared to President-Elect Obama.

Franken Stealing Election in Minnesota?

Considering that Al Franken hasn't been funny in about two decades, this funny business should come as a surprise. As the Wall Street Journal points out, Norm Coleman's lead appears to be shrinking despite the fact that the official recount hasn't even begun.

Considering how Bush "stole" the election in 2000, this should come as a surprise:

Mr. Ritchie is also an ally of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or Acorn, of fraudulent voter-registration fame. That relationship might explain why prior to the election Mr. Ritchie waved off evidence of thousands of irregularities on Minnesota voter rolls, claiming that accusations of fraud were nothing more than "desperateness" from Republicans.

Something's fishy and it appears that the Democrats are likely to pick up another seat in the Senate at any costs.

How Reagan Would React

Everyone's talking about how it's the end of the world for the Republican Party and the conservative point of view. However, it has to be remembered that the Party took a far bigger hit in 1964, being crushed by Lyndon Johnson and the Dems.

So how did Reagan react then:

Conservatives, he said, had only "lost a battle in the continuing war for freedom." Voters would rally to the conservative banner once they realized that Democratic liberals were the true radicals.

So, in the end, it's up to the Democrats to show their true colors. If a radical spending program or anti-military agenda is shown, then the American people may not be as keen on the hope of change. At that moment, a new generation of conservatives can take a hold of our message of stability, liberty, and our own change.

Obama Breaks Promise on Lobbyists

President-Elect Obama had stated repeatedly that lobbyists were not welcome in his administration. In fact, he admonished John McCain's campaign repeatedly for hiring former lobbyists.

Now that he's been elected, Obama is going to bring lobbyists into the White House. And consider that he said this:

During his campaign, Obama declared: "I have done more to take on lobbyists than any other candidate in this race. I don't take a dime of their money, and when I am president, they won't find a job in my White House."

Didn't John McCain take on soft money and the tobacco corporations? McCain has fought against corruption longer than Obama's been in Washington. Obama needs to change course and keep his promise.