Karstar's blog

The Free Press speaks out -

Karstar — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:54:52 EDT

http://www.freepress.org/departments/display/19/2008/3152

Three key ways YOU can help protect the 2008 election
by Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman
July 3, 2008

The world has now endured the horrific consequences of two consecutive stolen presidential elections. So millions of Americans are asking how to stop it from happening again.

There are many things the average citizen can do. But much of it boils down to three simple phases:

1) BEFORE THE ELECTION: REGISTER PEOPLE TO VOTE, CONFIRM THEIR REGISTRATIONS, AND HELP THEM GET PHOTO ID

There are millions of eligible American citizens who have never voted. They are young and old, black and white, men and women, ethnic and native, Republican and Democrat, green and otherwise.

The nation has now been subjected to a focussed national campaign to keep these folks from registering. There have also been mass purges of voter rolls staged through shady computer operations and by other means. In Florida 2000, more than 100,000 alleged ex-felons were purged from the voter lists, almost certainly giving George W. Bush his first term. In Ohio 2004, more than 300,000 citizens were purged from the registration lists, a significant factor in giving Bush his second term.

In the lead-up to election day 2008, your commitment to registering new voters and working with ones who believe they are registered to confirm that belief could make a huge difference. Some states have gone to the trouble to suppress voter registration drives, which gives an indicator how important this really is.

Voting battles - The State of Indiana - Supreme Court kicks out thousands

Karstar — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:42:20 EDT

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/03/opinion/03thu1.html?hp

The Supreme Court abandoned its special role in protecting voting rights when it rejected a challenge to Indiana’s harshly anti-democratic voter ID law. Critics warned that the law, which bars anyone without a government-issued photo ID from voting, would disenfranchise poor people, minorities and the elderly, all of whom disproportionately lack drivers’ licenses. The critics were right. In the Indiana presidential primary, shortly after the ruling, about 12 nuns in their 80s and 90s were turned away at the polls for not having acceptable ID.

Voting battles - The State of Florida

Karstar — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:27:29 EDT

http://www.mercurynews.com/natbreakingnews/ci_9704807

Judge refuses to block Florida voter law
By BILL KACZOR Associated Press Writer
Article Launched: 06/26/2008 12:59:08 PM PDT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.â€"A federal judge has refused to block a new version of a Florida voter registration law that critics say could keep thousands of people from casting ballots this year.
U.S. District Judge Stephan Mickle issued the ruling Tuesday in Gainesville. Last year, he granted a preliminary injunction against an earlier version of the law. He was reversed on appeal and the Legislature modified the law.

Both versions require elections officials to match Social Security, state identification or driver license numbers listed on voter registration applications with numbers in government databases.

"This ruling puts thousands of real Florida citizens at risk this November based on bureaucratic typos," lawyer Justin Levitt said Wednesday.

Levitt represents the Florida Conference of the National Association of Colored People and other groups challenging the law.

Under the new version, if the state is unable to match a number, an applicant can still register by providing verification of either his or her driver license, identity card or Social Security number regardless of which one was entered on the application.

The old version required that the number on the application had to be verifiedâ€"no substitutes allowed.

The lawsuit alleges both versions of the law violate citizens' constitutional rights to vote and equal protection under the law.

In rejecting a preliminary injunction against the new law, Mickle wrote

that challengers failed to establish a likelihood of prevailing on the constitutional issues that will be decided later. The judge also found that matching up identification is justified "by the state's compelling interest in fair and honest elections."

Voting battles - The State of Missouri - Look alive people

Karstar — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:25:08 EDT

This is just one of many. Missouri is a key state - 100,000 votes may swing it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/17/us/politics/17missouri.html

Missouri lawmakers ended their legislative session on Friday without completing action on a proposed constitutional amendment that would have enabled election officials to require proof of citizenship from people registering to vote.

The bill failed to go to the Senate floor for a vote in part because of pressure by the secretary of state and grass-roots groups, said a Republican lobbyist who worked for the measure.

The lobbyist asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak for the backers. Sponsors of the amendment, which would have required voter approval to go into effect, say it is part of an effort to prevent illegal immigrants from affecting the political process. Critics say it could lead to disenfranchising tens of thousands of legal residents who would find it difficult to prove their citizenship.

After passing the House last week, the measure had more than enough votes for approval in the Senate. This week, Gov. Matt Blunt and Senator Christopher S. Bond, both Republicans, expressed strong support for the measure.

I never thought I'd see a Black president or a Female president in my lifetime.

Karstar — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:41:42 EDT

I was born in 1959 in St. Louis and grew up in East St. Louis. My entire existence was Black in East St. Louis. Black schools - black politicians - black doctors - black teachers.

While I have lived in many different places in America I never got a great feeling about the majority of Whites. I saw them too tied to a regime that favored skin color and a male in certain places. I thought many Black individuals and many women were qualified enough - just that they wouldn't get the opportunity.

This year was a game changer.

Biff - I promise Obama's regime will not increase Social Spending

Karstar — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:26:11 EDT

without fixing the budget first.

Praise for Hillary Clinton - From an Obama Supporter - Also Edwards - Kucinich and others

Karstar — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:51:20 EDT

The other thing that was absolutely clear to me while reading and not posting is how it is imperative for Democrats to praise all the people who participated in the Primary process.

No matter what anyone says about being a Hillarycrat for someone else - do not offer anything but praise for Hillary and other candidates.

We know that Obama came from a long way back in November to apparently win the nomination. What we don't talk about is the high number of new voters in the party that came in because of all the Democrats.

This benefits every democrat in all the states. Georgia and North Carolina for example have added a combined total of 500,000 new voters.

http://southernstudies.org/facingsouth/2008/07/voter-registration-surges-in-georgia.asp

We should be thankful for all who participated. It has made us a much stronger party.

The Democratic Candy Store - Party Builder issues

Karstar — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:03:10 EDT

First - sorry to break my fast from this place. But I have a couple of things to say.

When a person walks into a candy store - they are there to buy candy - or look at candy. If they walk into a shoe store - they are there to buy shoes or look at shoes.

When a person comes to the Democratic blog site you would think they were there to buy democrats or look at democrats. This is not the case here.

Individuals at the Democratic blog are actively campaining against the top Democrat. Furthermore they are actively promoting a rival.

The analogy would be someone going into a candy store and setting up shop to sell candy of a competitor. As if this wasn't bad enough they would then constantly blast information over the loud speaker about how bad the candy sold in this shop was.

Obama leads national polls vs McCain.

Karstar — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:06:09 EDT

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/

Projected to take over 300 electoral votes.

Brownie - your doing a Heck of a Job - Or not

Karstar — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:04:34 EDT

Hurricane Katrina - The world saw us fail.

The Day The Republicans lost the election of 2008

Karstar — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:02:30 EDT

Mission Accomplished - May 1, 2003.

Surprise - Surprise - Surpise - Obama has collected more money from military men than McCain.

Karstar — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:09:22 EDT

http://news.yahoo.com/page/election-2008-political-pulse-military-voices

That Obama attracts support from some in the military is evident in dollars and cents: Among people who have donated at least $200 to a presidential campaign this election cycle, Obama has collected more than $327,000 from those identifying themselves as military personnel, while McCain has collected $224,000, according to an analysis of Federal Election Commission data by The Associated Press.

The lesson's from tragedy - For Laura Schneider

Karstar — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:19:19 EDT

The lessons of any tragedy are all the same. The key's are prevention if you can but most importantly love as much as you can at all times.

The scale of tragedy changes the tragic effects do not. Being 1 person killed in a car accident is no less tragic to the family than the family of 1 person killed in a plane accident in which everyone perishes.

The family must find a way to move forward through heartache and grief. The only thing that makes it better is remembering the love that was shared. That you gave as much as you could at all times. The picnics - the movies - the smiles - the meals - the lessons learned together - the sharing.

In the end - finding out why a tragedy occured brings only little peace of mind. Remembering the love heals.

In this presidential race - it's not about who will make us safer - who will kill our enemies - or who will turn war into profits for companies.

This decision is based upon who will give us the opportunity to love our loved ones the most. Which health care program will keep more people alive? Which education program will provide answers to make our children smarter? Which ethics reform bill runs lobbyist away from our most critical health areas.

The rest will take care of itself.

Having said that - I'm out a week.

Happy 4th everyone - Don't drink and drive.

Stealing the 2004 election - How the Republicans stole Ohio and the White House.

Karstar — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:19:44 EDT

http://harpers.org/archive/2005/08/0080696

It seemed at times that Ohio's secretary of state was determined to try every stunt short of levying a poll tax to suppress new voter turnout. On September 7, based on an overzealous reading of an obscure state bylaw, he ordered county boards of elections to reject all Ohio voter-registration forms not “printed on white, uncoated paper of not less than 80 lb. text weight.” Under public pressure he reversed the order three weeks later, by which time unknown numbers of Ohioans had been disenfranchised. Blackwell also attempted to limit access to provisional ballots. The Help America Vote Actâ€"passed in 2002 to address some of the problems of the 2000 electionâ€"prevents election officials from deciding at the polls who will be permitted to cast provisional ballots, as earlier Ohio law had permitted. On September 16, Blackwell issued a directive that somehow failed to note that change. A federal judge ordered him to revise the language, Blackwell resisted, and the court was forced to draft its own version of the directive, which it ordered Blackwell to accept, even as it noted Blackwell's “vigorous, indeed, at times, obdurate opposition” to compliance with the law.

Under Blackwell the state Republican Party tried to disenfranchise still more Democratic voters through a technique known as “caging.” The party sent registered letters to new voters, “then sought to challenge 35,000 individuals who refused to sign for the letters,” including “voters who were homeless, serving abroad, or simply did not want to sign for something concerning the Republican Party.”

Will you be voting for the party that said WMD's are certainly in Iraq

Karstar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:16:33 EDT

I certainly will not be.

George Bush and John McCain

Karstar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:53:11 EDT

Joined at the hip.

The Maverick has voted 100% with Bush this year.

Lets see - 3 trillion for an unwinnable war.

The worst economy in modern times.

International support at the lowest ever.

I don't know - seems silly to suggest letting either keep a job.

Where we are today.

Karstar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:48:51 EDT

As we stand today - Obama leads the presidential race. We will pick up as many as 10 Senate seats. We will pick up as many as 40 House seats.

What we need to focus on is - our platform.
Helping those Democrats that need it.

Victory is ours - but we will have to work for it.

Lets Go Dems.

Those wonderful people at PUMA - Article on Spray Painting 60 Cars - Not saying Puma did it.

Karstar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:46:09 EDT

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/06/29/politics/main4217775.shtml

AP) Police on Sunday were investigating vandals' spray-painting of dozens of city vehicles here, some with disparaging messages about the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

Authorities think the vandalism to about 60 vehicles, estimated at $10,000 in damage, was done Saturday afternoon, police spokeswoman Sgt. Barbara Jones said.

The vehicles were parked across from City Hall and investigators said culprits tagged messages including "Obama smokes crack" and a racial epithet.

Why Democrats must win in November - The next 200 years

Karstar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:43:33 EDT

America stands at a crossroad. We are an aging power that is being challenged by internal problems and external forces.

Power is an ego status issue. People aren't. The people that make up America are suffering. We are suffering not only in our inability to share the wealth among the masses but in our inability to provide the basics of care for those of us with the longest roads to travel.

The great republican strategy is trickle down. This is the same strategy designed by David Stockman who then fessed up about it not working.

Our government cannot continue down the path of greed for business and little for the people. We need a fix for healthcare - education - and the environment.

Wealth not shared is greed.

Kay Hagen Needs Your Support

Karstar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:22:39 EDT

Good monday morning everyone.

Elizabeth Dole needs to be sent home. We are just the people to do it. I will be blogging in as many North Carolina newspapers as I can tomorrow. Any help will be appreciated.

Here is Kay Hagen's website.

http://www.kayhagan.com/home