Some Handy Guides To WikiLeaks' Diplomatic Cables Release

Is another U.S. v. New York Times on its way down the pipeline?

Wikileaks:  "Publishing improves transparency, and this transparency creates a better society for all people. Better scrutiny leads to reduced corruption and stronger democracies in all society's institutions, including government, corporations and other organisations. A healthy, vibrant and inquisitive journalistic media plays a vital role in achieving these goals. We are part of that media.


Scrutiny requires information. Historically, information has been costly in terms of human life, human rights and economics. As a result of technical advances particularly the internet and cryptography - the risks of conveying important information can be lowered. In its landmark ruling on the Pentagon Papers, the US Supreme Court ruled that 'only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government.'  We agree.


We believe that it is not only the people of one country that keep their own government honest, but also the people of other countries who are watching that government through the media.


In the years leading up to the founding of WikiLeaks, we observed the world's publishing media becoming less independent and far less willing to ask the hard questions of government, corporations and other institutions. We believed this needed to change."

                         

1.  Sources and classifications of US documents

Source: Guardian.co.uk

2.  Browse the database

1.  All cables with tags (see Glossary, below)

2.  Glossary of keywords and tags

  

                                

1.  An interactive guide to the diplomatic cables

2.  How to decipher the codes used on the US dispatches:

 

For more background, see this Spiegel Online FAQ.

Texas Jury Convicts "Dancing With The Stars" Celebrity Thomas Delay For Money Laundering & Conspiracy. Dance World Stunned.

Cheryl, darlin., do you have Lady Gaga's cell number?

Today, an Austin, Texas jury found Thomas Delay, a veteran Dancing With The Stars competitive dancer admired for his forceful and ingenious moves, guilty of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The Texas jury took 19 hours to return its verdict on charges that may lead to a substantial prison term for the man best known for his smooth rhythm and confident hip slides.  In all likelihood, the guilty verdicts will force Mr. Delay to dance to a different tune, so to speak, one with a slow, monotonous rhythm measuring his day-to-day existence in a small ten foot by six foot cell. Delay's future dance partners, if any, will surely be far hairier, sweatier, and beefier than Mr. Delay's DWTS partner, the lovely two-time DWTS champion, 26 year old Cheryl Bautista Burke.

Mr. Delay's set-back today follows somewhat closely upon his untimely departure from 2009's edition of Dancing With The Stars after he developed a pre-stress fracture in both feet during rehearsal.  While Ms. Burke wished him well and enjoyed her brief tenure as his dance partner, other contestants expressed less sympathetic emotions at Delay's departure from the show.  Each DWTS contender we spoke with wished to remain unidentified due to concerns for their careers or, in many cases, their lives.  They all, however, revealed that Delay's heavy-handed tactics extended to intimidation by various means.  Secretly adding strong laxatives to hot chocolate provided for contestants at rehearsal was but one of the strategies he allegedly deployed.  In addition, Delay apparently threatened to "impeach" any judge who failed to follow the strict letter of both the DWTS By-Laws and the United States Constitution.

Here's but one of his iconic performances, demonstrating his wild thing stylings:




In any event, one must mourn this recent turn in Delay's life. To fall, within one year, from the top of the DWTS world to the hurly burly abyss of criminal conviction has stunned the world of dance.  One of Mr. Delay's early instructors had this to say:

"It's a shame.  A tragedy, really. Rarely in the world of dance does one see such footwork, such intuitive hips, such graceful dominance, such artful spins and dips. More remarkable still, all those attributes come wrapped in a competitive spirit so strong that Thomas would gleefully Texas 2-Step on his dear Mother's head if it would buy him but a single additional style point."

Until his sentencing, we can only wait, and, of course, pray, that Mr. Delay will - pardon the pun -  dance away with simple probation.  If he is to serve time, however, we can hope that even while there, in a Huntsville Penitentiary cell block, or at a lonely yet historic cotton belt prison farm, Thomas "Wild Thing" Delay will heed country singer Lee Ann Womack's words: "when you get the chance to sit it out, I hope you'll dance . . . " 

We here at TWSA, all of us, hope you'll D.A.N.C.E. . [click this --> ]  Dance, Thomas, for us all . . .

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Alaska Senate Election Vote Count - Joe Miller's State Court Filing.



Dude, we could stay tangled up like this
for the entire 112th Congress!

Cry "Havoc!" And Let Slip The Moose of War!   Joe Miller, Alaska's GOP/Tea Party candidate for U.S. Senate, filed suit against the Alaska Division of Elections in state court on Monday. Under a federal district court order last week, Alaska was enjoined from certifying the election if Miller filed in state court by Monday. With this filing he has met that requirement, and the election outcome will remain uncertain for the foreseeable future. Incumbent Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski appears to have a lead in the votes as counted, but Miller, of course, objects to the procedures that the Division of Elections used to count those ballots. His Monday filing in the Alaska Superior Court in Fairbanks makes this quite clear, indeed, as you can read below.

I'll analyze his contentions tomorrow, and at first blush, they appear to have merit - if one is a member of the school of so-called "strict constructionists" who adhere, so they say, to the "plain words" of the statute.  The difficulty of defining and applying those "plain words," however, has vexed courts since time immemorial.  There's an old saw that goes something like this:

"We've looked at the volumes of legislative history, we've considered the intent of the legislature, we've analyzed judicial precedents, so now, let us look at the actual words of the statute." 

For now, here's the "plain words" of candidate Miller's complaint, filed yesterday in the Alaska Superior Court in Fairbanks:




For more on Joe Miller, and the 2010 Alaska Senate contest, see these posts.

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Government Mismanagement Or Just A Damn Fine Idea?

A far better friend than I deserve sent me this interesting - and doable - guidance on retirement planning. It's well worth your time to learn how easy it is to retire in style, with 100% tax sheltered gains on your working-life investments.

The plan below is for a 25 year work history, but one could, using this technique - and depending upon the level of income desired for one's retirement life - easily retire in 15 years or less 

I like it's simplicity.  It's almost . . . elegant.

This is the kind of "government mismanagement" I can warm up to. Free enterprise - Excelsior! 

(My friend and I are aware of a new city park that is just up the street and it definitely needs parking . . . guidance, yeah, that's it . . . guidance.)

Alaska Senate Election Dispute - Here Come Da Judge!

This afternoon, Ralph R. Beistline, Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska, provided a partial victory for GOP/TP U.S. Senate candidate Joe Miller in his bid to yet unseat incumbent Republican Lisa Murkowski, despite trailing her by more than 10,000 votes.

Responding to Mr. Miller's post-election request for a preliminary injunction to require Alaska election officials to count write-in votes for Murkowski in strict compliance with state law, for example, no write-in misspellings of Murkowski's name permitted. While not rejecting Miller's federal constitutional claims, Judge Beistline ruled that this controversy is a matter for state court consideration:

"The issue now is who should properly determine the answer to this question, the Federal Court or the State Court? And the answer appears clear to the undersigned. This is a State-wide election, conducted under State law, involving State candidates and impacting State citizens. The Courts of the State of Alaska are in the best position, at least initially, to apply Alaska law and to determine who won this election."

In a tactical win for Miller, though, Judge Beistline declared that the Division of Elections may not certify the election results if Mr. Miller files suit in state court by Monday, November 22. According to the Anchorage Daily News. "Beistline's unusual action was intended to 'ensure that these serious state law issues are resolved prior to certification of the election.'" The court order is here, courtesy of Election Law Blog.

For more background, see these posts.

Alaska Senate Election: Bush v. Gore, Franken v. Coleman . . . Miller v. Murkowski?

Pride goeth before destruction,

and an haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverbs xvi. 18.

2010 Alaska U.S. Senate Vote Tally

 Carter, Tim NA 922 0.36%  

Gianoutsos, Ted NA 456 0.18%

Haase, Fredrick LIB 1454 0.57%

McAdams, Scott T. DEM 60007 23.46%

Miller, Joe REP 90740 35.47%

Write-in Votes 102252 39.97%

Hubris, However, Is Communicable.  Yes, perhaps Joe Miller was a bit premature in his tweets back in September, but, lest I be found guilty of the same hubris, the Alaska Senate election is still not officially certified, despite Murkowski's 11,512 vote lead, and despite her victory lap. Miller has asked that all votes be recounted, not merely the write-ins and absentees. In addition, he has today filed an affidavit in federal court officially declaring his intention to ask for that recount.  Moreover, Miller's affidavit was buttressed by former (2002-2006) Alaska Lt. Governor Loren Leman's own. In it he stated that he would have "directed the Division [of Elections] Director to follow a 'strict interpretation' of election law . . ." regarding the counting of write-in votes, i.e. misspellings of a candidate's name would not have been counted during Leman's reign.

Self-serving as it may yet be judged, Miller's stated concern about the "validity" of the election has, well, validity;  the state's Diebold electronic voting system has been under attack since 1994, and has never been adequately addressed.  Here's a 2006 article about the 2004 national election:

According to the Division of Elections' vote reports that were produced by the state's Diebold computer system and are posted on the Division's official web site, a far larger number of votes were cast than the official totals reported in the statewide summary. In the case of President George Bush's votes, the district-by-district totals add up to 292,267, but his official total was only 190,889, a difference of 101,378 votes. In the U.S. Senate race, Lisa Murkowski received 226,992 votes in the district-by-district totals, but her official total was only 149,446, a difference of 77,546 votes.

In 20 of the 40 State House Districts, more ballots were cast than there are registered voters in the district, according to information on the state's web site. In 16 election districts, the voter turnout percentage shown is over 200%.

So, let's not prematurely announce Miller's political demise . . . although his chances are slimmer than slim. Below are the final results of the write-in votes.  Note the CC (Challenged Counted) and the CNC (Challenged NOT Counted) categories.  If Miller gets his hand recount (and that's not certain), and he prevails on, let's say, half of the CC's and all the CNCs then he could be within striking distance. Even then, however, he'd prevail only if the electronic voting hand recount revealed wild discrepancies like the one's discussed above in the 2004 election, and only if most of those (as yet unidentified) discrepancies ultimately go Miller's way.

State of Alaska 2010 General Election Unofficial Results United States Senator Write-In CC - Challenged Counted CNC - Challenged NOT Counted 11/16/10 16:55:49

Registered Voters 494876 -                                 Cards Cast 103569 20.93%

Num. Report Precinct 438 -                             Num. Reporting 438 100.00%

US SENATOR WRITE-IN Total Number of Precincts 438 Precincts Reporting 438 100.0 % Times Counted 103569/494876 20.9 % Total Votes 103569 Lisa Murkowski 92715 89.52% Murkowski (CC) 8153 7.87% Murkowski (CNC) 2010 1.94% Other - Misc. Names 612 0.59% Write-In Miller, Joe 20 0.02% Write-In McAdams 8 0.01%

 

Please Say It's Over.  Joe's road to the top, though, seems steep and slippery.  He's substantially behind in the vote count, but percentage-wise, as he points out repeatedly, his deficit is around 1% of 192,000+ votes cast.  To secure a tie vote, based only upon the pre-hand count numbers above, Miller would need to gain 5, 756 votes from Murkowski's ballots he challenged. And recall again the shameful state of the Diebold voting system that has prevailed since 2004 - and remains strangely unresolved.  

With tough sledding ahead of him, Joe might better tweet that he's looking for new office furniture, not in D.C., but in . . . Fairbanks. Yet, if the courts get involved more deeply . . . and with Diebold's well-earned dis-reputation . . . Hmmmmmm.  Maybe Joe will get a good deal on Lisa Murkowski's D.C. office furniture.

Little Damage Reported As Senate Met Last Week.

Wake me for the pay raise vote.

"Do you pray for the Senators, Dr. Hale?" someone asked the chaplain.

"No, I look at the Senators and pray for the country."

Edward Everett Hale, Senate Chaplain 1903-1909

How To Make 476 Bucks A Day, Every Day.  That's what Members of Congress make, based on a 365 day year. That's $174,000 per year. And as you know, our reps are back in town, D.C. town, all psyched up to change things, address fiscal emergencies, and earn that pay. Those who survived the campaign are relieved. Those who did not survive can kick up their heels - they're not coming back for the 111th Congress in January 2011, so why not propose a few constitutional amendments, earmarks for family members, and a substantial pay raise for the lame duck session?  Clearly, if you believed their campaign rhetoric, there's a lot to do. 

So, how hard are they working?  Well, the Congressional Record's Daily Digest provides a summary of each legislative day. Below you'll find the summary of our Senator's accomplishments for last Friday.

Friday, November 12, 2010 

Daily Digest
Senate

     Chamber Action               Committee Meetings
                                          (Committees not listed did not meet)    

Senate met at 9:30:05 a.m. in pro
forma session in accordance with the                No committee meetings            
provisions of H. Con Res. 321,                           were held.
adjourned at 9:30:39 a.m. until 2 p.m.,
on  Monday, November 15, 2010.       

No Gridlock Here!  And here is the video to prove it. Not a filibusterer or obstrucionista in sight!




This Trend Could Be Very, Very Good For Our Country.  Will Rogers, our homespun depression era social commentator, observed, "Ancient Rome declined because it had a Senate; now what's going to happen to us with both a Senate and a House?"   Not to worry, the House wasn't in session at all last week.  In the aggregate, since the election, the Senate has met for about four minutes. 

Why Do All Good Things Have To End?  The explanation for this Congressional indolence?  It's simple, the lame duck session doesn't get under way until November 15th, this coming Monday. Then, there's a full slate of shenanigans scheduled for next week. Stay tuned . . .

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Changes Afoot . . .

I'm learning a wee bit of HTML . . . be afraid . . . be very afraid.

There is NO brightside.

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Write-In Votes Pile Up For Alaska GOP/Tea Party Senate Hopeful Joe Miller.

Murkowski? Hell, I can't even spell Lisa!

Can U Spell "Desperation"?  As the spelling bee known as the Alaska write-in vote tally grinds on, the Miller count observers are questioning a goodly number of write-ins for GOP Senate incumbent Lisa Murkowski.  Some, they say, are illegible, some misspelled, some are illegible and misspelled, and some are just plain obscene.  Miller's minions hope, of course, to successfully challenge just enough  handwritten "Murkowskis" to close a vote gap that as of this evening is more than 10,000 strong. Unfortu-
nately, about 98% of write-ins cast are going to Murkowski.

In any event, the write-in vote count has taken an odd turn lately. According to the Daily Caller, as early as November 10th, Senate aspiring Joe Miller observed:

"Lisa Murkowski isn’t the only one getting write-in votes in the Alaskan Senate race.

'There are some write-ins for Joe Miller,' the Republican said by phone from Anchorage. 'Every one of 15 tables — when I checked this morning — had write-ins for Joe Miller, which is kind of interesting.'”

Interesting As Alphabet Soup.  Recall that after she lost the GOP primary to Miller, Lisa Murkowski ran her campaign as a registered write-in candidate, complying with Alaska's election law to do so. Mr. Miller did not wage a write-in campaign, for a simple reason:  He won the GOP primary, thereby landing his name on the November ballot. So, how did Miller suddenly become a write-in candidate as well?

A write-in vote claimed by the Miller camp.

There's irony in the answer, it seems, given Miller's insistence on the strict construction of Alaska election law (at least when applied to Lisa Murkowski's write-in votes).   You see on November 3rd - the day after the general election - Alaska Lt. Governor, Craig Campbell, reversed his original decision against counting Miller's write-ins. No explanation has been offered thus far for the Lt. Gov's sudden reversal.

The state's election law statute clearly indicates that write-in candidates must be registered properly.  

Candidates filing as a write-in candidate for a General Election must file a Letter of Intent and a Financial Disclosure Statement with any Division of Elections Office no later than five days before the General Election. Votes for a write-in candidate may not be counted unless the candidate has filed a Letter of Intent with the Division of Elections. [Italics added]

What's that frickin jerk's name??

 The Stealth Write-In Candidate.   In any event, this election gets stranger and harder to follow.  Despite Mr. Miller's obvious concern for the rule of law - particularly the rule that applies to spelling and proper form for valid write-in ballots - he seems pleased enough to accept the Lt. Governor's activism in voiding the election laws that apply to his own failure to register as a write-in. He could have legally registered within five days of the election. At the time, I'd surmise, Miller was busy redacting his employment records, shackling pesky reporters, declaring various federal laws and constitutional provisions void and unenforceable, failing to file his financial disclosure forms, and being fitted for his Benjamin Franklin wardrobe, silly hat and all. 

So, things are indeed different in the upper upper northwest, and, as it stands now, all write-in votes cast for Joe Miller will count. Of course, Miller would be the first to say that they must be write-ins of the highest quality, properly cast, spiffily spelled, and visually legible.  After all, that's the law, election style, in the land where one can see Russia from one's front porch, but - legend tells it - also the land where God lost His shoes.

No More "Lisa, Lisa, Lisa"!!  Since election day, it's been all Lisa this and Lisa that.  The missing - and inspiring - story line has been Tea Partier Miller's quest to secure as many write-in votes as possible.

Set out below, provided by Miller insiders I cannot identify without compromising (i.e. losing) my life, are examples of the Miller write-ins their bean counters have thus far proffered to election officials.  Miller's people promise to fight for the validity of each and every one - they assert that each demonstrates not only a vote aimed at Joe Miller, but a clear and unequivocal intent to get him out of Alaska and into Washington, D.C. as soon as possible.

With their permission, I publish an assortment of the Miller-proffered handwritten votes below. 

o Joe Millerkowski

o  That Tea Party guy

o  The nice looking man who once almost got fired from his lawyer job in Fairbanks. Is he married???

o  I vote for Sarah Palin's Man-Boy.

o  The fella who lied a lot, a whole lot

o   That dude who handcuffed some reporter at a town hall mtg. He rules!

o    (Sorry, I thought this here booth was a toilet)

o  Anyone but that Murcowski woman!

o   I shot moose out of season with ol' Joe. He's damn got my vote.

o   Where in HELL is the toilet paper in this thing?!!?

o   Joe Miller for me. He's a document redactin mother effer!

o   He had me at "unconstitutional"

Finally, for your examination, is a sheet full of write-ins claimed by Miller's monitors:

This election is far from over. The past is simply awaiting its claim as prologue. So, keep your eyes on this blog for more Northern light . . . illuminating the Alaska Senatorial spawning season.



Welcome to Washington, Senator!



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Alaska's U.S. Senate Race Vote Count: If Only Lisa Murkowski Had Been Named Lisa Jones.

Look, I've told you plenty times,
there's two "L's" in Miller!!

The Name Game.  The write-in vote counters in Alaska's election central wish Lisa Murkowski had an easier name to spell, and so did the voters last Tuesday, and so, quite possibly, does incumbent Senator Murkowski, now fighting for her senate career against GOP-Tea Partier Joe Miller. Joe Miller, though, is quite content with the tough spelling, and likely wishes his opponent's surname were even more difficult to spell, something like  "Murkowskicznoziak."

Just Call Me Lisa.  HuffPo reports that the Miller (R-TP) camp's write-in count observers are hewing to the letter of the state law, and bending over backwards to do so. Here's some examples from HuffPo's story:

"Shortly after the second day of write-in ballot counting began, a Miller observer challenged a vote for Murkowski that appeared to have her name spelled and printed correctly, though the "L" in "Lisa" was in cursive handwriting.  

Her damn name's about this long!

At another table later, at least 10 ballots in which Murkowski's name appeared readable were challenged, including one in which the vote read: 'Lisa Murkowski Republican.'

Miller's campaign said observers are simply challenging votes that don't meet the strict letter of the law – including those with minor misspellings of Murkowski's name or those with legibility or penmanship issues."

And the Alaska Dispatch reported:

"A bunch of the ballots in the 'challenged' pile are there because Miller observers objected to Murkowski's name being written with an overly loopy 'u,' or written in with an 'r' in cursive in an otherwise printed Murkowski."

Also checking in, the Anchorage Daily News revealed:

"[Division of Elections Director Gail] Fenumiai overruled the Miller campaign's challenges on ballots like those spelled 'Merkowski,' 'Murkowsky,' and 'Murcowski.'

[ . . .]

Miller campaign observers successfully challenged only 1.44 percent of the 19,203 ballots counted on Wednesday. Fenumiai agreed with challenges by the Miller campaign of ballots like 'McCosky,' 'Misskowski' and 'Morcowski.'"

How Do U Spel "I Lost"?  Mr Miller has cause to worry. The reports are that Senator Murkowski has received a8% of the write-in votes as of yesterday afternoon. . .  

(For background on the write-in vote brouhaha, and the Alaska Senate race in general, see my posts here.)

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Veterans Day 2010

Siegfried Sassoon (1886-1967) - Poet-Soldier WWI

Served on the Western Front - No Man's Land

Awarded Britain's Military Cross in 1916

for "conspicuous gallantry" while
"collecting and bringing in the wounded."

Also, for capturing a German trench,
he was recommended for the Victoria Cross,
Britain's highest wartime commendation.

(click on graphic to enlarge)

In 1917, a year after receiving the Military Cross,

Sassoon publicly denounced the war (below) in which he had fought with

such courage that his troops named him "Mad Jack" for his bravery

and apparent disregard for his own safety.

Finished with the War: A Soldier’s Declaration (1917)

(click on graphic to enlarge)

Despite his war record, Sassoon was bitterly criticized for his words.

Although court-martial was considered, in the end,

Sassoon was classified as unfit for duty and sent

to Edinburgh, Scotland's Craiglockhart War Hospital

for treatment of "shell shock."

There, he composed many war poems, including "Does It Matter?"

Prior to his release from Craiglockhart Hospital,

Sassoon threw the ribbon accompanying his Military Cross

into

the

Mersey River.

For more, see:

BBC Radio

Digital Archive of Sassoon's Poetry

Biography & Two Poems Read By Sassoon (audio)

Wikipedia Biography

Siegfried Sassoon - mad, sad or heroically confused?

Just In: Federal Court Rules Against Alaska GOP/Tea Party Candidate Joe Miller's Write-In Vote Complaint.

First round to . . . Alaska!

The United States District Court for the District of Alaska has ruled against GOP/Tea Party U.S. Senate candidate Joe Miller's request for a preliminary and permanent injunction that would have halted the counting of write-in votes where (1) the write-in candidate's name was either misspelled or (2) "is not written as it appeared on the candidate's declaration of candidacy."

The outcome of the Alaska senatorial election contest remains uncertain, and will likely be decided by the number of write-ins for incumbent GOP Senator Lisa Murkowski. (Democratic party candidate Scott McAdams conceded defeat on Tuesday.) On Tuesday, Miller sought an injunction (and declaratory relief) to prevent the counting of the write-in ballots by the procedure decided upon by Alaska's GOP Lieutenant Governor Craig Campbell (see his statement regarding this procedure and Miller's lawsuit here).  This process permits vote counters to determine whether misspellings of a candidate's name are indicative of the voter's intent to vote, or to not vote, for the candidate.  State law, according to Miller, disallows this and requires that counters disallow any misspellings or failures to write-in the candidate's name as it appears on the declaration of candidacy.  No exceptions.

How did you spell Mur-kow-ski?

The District Court, Judge Ralph R. Beistine presiding, moved quickly to rule against Miller's request for an injunction.  Miller had hoped to have his complaint argued and decided within a short time period, thus impeding the state of Alaska from responding adequately. The court, however, found that to ask the state to respond to Miller's complaint within such a short time would be "patently unfair and that no exigent circumstances warrant such a briefing schedule."

Injunctions are extraordinarily strong remedies, and courts require that complainants show that, without the injunction, they would suffer irreparable harm.  Judge Beistine found that Miller's complaint fell short of that standard, and explained why:

"Based on Exhibit A attached to [Miller's] Complaint, the contested process for counting write-in votes in the Alaska U.S. Senate Race calls for segregating those ballots which reflect write-in votes for Lisa Murkowski where the name is spelled correctly and are not challenged, from ballots where the name written appears to be a variation or misspelling of 'Murkowski.' Given that the questionable ballots will remain segregated and subject to subsequent review, with the results recorded separately, the Court finds no good reason to enjoin counting the ballots while the underlying Complaint is addressed in due course. Plaintiff has shown no potential for irreparable harm by allowing the Division of Elections to proceed with its hand-count as scheduled. Plaintiff’s request for relief in this regard is therefore DENIED."

See you in court!



Judge Beistine gave the defendant state of Alaska until 3:00 p.m. Monday, November 15th to file a response opposing Miller's motion for preliminary injunction; Miller was instructed to reply to the state's opposition motion by 3:00 p.m. Thursday, November 18th.



So, the election that will affect the tenor of the Republican opposition in the Senate may not be quickly decided.  An official recount is possible, and then, court maneuvers are likely.  Yet, a big enough margin of victory for Murkowski or Miller after all write-ins and absentee ballots are counted would prevent that.  Will the GOP be adding a moderate Murkowski (as "moderate" as Republican get) to join the Maine contingent (Snowe and Collins) and thereby bolster the possibility for compromise with Democrats on certain issues.  Or will the Senate receive another Tea Partier intent upon taking no prisoners . . .?

Keep your eyes looking northward. North to Alaska!

Alaska's Lieutenant Governor Issues Statement About U.S. Senate GOP Candidate Joe Miller's Write-In Vote Lawsuit

How do you spell "George Bush"?

Lieutenant Governor Craig Campbell held a press conference regarding the lawsuit filed by GOP/Tea Party U.S. Senate candidate Joe Miller challenging the process of counting write-in votes decided upon by Lt. Governor Campbell.  In federal District Court on Wednesday, Mr. Miller maintained that the Lt. Governor has violated state law and federal Constitutional guarantees by allowing vote counters to make a determination of a voter's intent when considering misspelled write-in candidate names.  See Miller's complaint here.

Here is Lt. Governor Craig Campbell's statement:

"I have been consistent from the beginning in stating that minor misspellings of a write-in candidate's name will be counted. That continues to be my position today [Nov. 10], and we are continuing under that direction. We have a number of instances where the Alaska courts have weighed in on this issue in favor of not disenfranchising voters. In consultation with the [Alaska] Attorney General's Office we determined that the process being used today best serves the voters of Alaska in ensuring their votes count.

As we started the write-in count we reminded our ballot counters of their obligation to comply with the law. If a registered write-in candidate's name is spelled correctly, and the oval is filled in, that vote is to be counted for that candidate. If it's a minor misspelling, that vote will also be counted provided the oval is filled in. While I'm not going to get into a range of hypothetical misspellings out there I will tell you that if it's so badly misspelled that it cannot be recognized it will not be counted.

Each ballot is going to have at least four sets of eyes on them. You've probably been down there and watched the process that's been going on since this morning, so you've seen what I'm talking about. I trust the ballot counters to do their jobs correctly, but if either of the candidate's observers disagrees that ballot will be looked at and added to the challenged pile.

Ultimately, the courts may be making the final decision, but the intent is to not disenfranchise voters. We have a process in place which is unbiased, fair, and respectful of the electorate and state law. It is our intention to ensure that all valid votes are counted and that voters are not disenfranchised.

I would like to give my unequivocal praise to the Division of Elections, it's employees, and our ballot counters who are our friends, neighbors, family members, and fellow Alaskans. We need to remember these paid volunteer citizens who believe in the election process are doing this because they believe in Alaska. They are doing this because they believe in the democratic process and its historically demonstrated adherence to a strict non-partisan, objective, and fair process. The party affiliations of these ballot counters varies: we have six registered Democrats, six registered Republicans, seven undeclared, and seven non-partisan individuals. They're going to be operating from 15 different tables mixed up in a totally bipartisan/non-partisan way. They believe in the integrity of the process, and I trust them and believe they will retain the integrity of this election as they have for the years before.

Alaska has a great process and great people, and today we are proving that. The bottom line is that while today's counting of ballots is historically unique, we have a fair and objective election process in Alaska, and I'm looking forward to the results of the count process which should happen soon."

Hear the audio of the press conference - and, especially, reporters' excellent questions.

"Sarah Palin In Pants" - Taking Down Alaska's Tea Partier Joe Miller.

What we found lurking in Miller's closets was -- pardon the plain language here,

but the honest words are the right words --

the detritus of a conman and a liar.

Craig Medred, Alaska Dispatch, Nov. 4, 2010

Craig Medred of the Alaska Dispatch  - remember, the news organization Joe Miller called a "blog"? - wrote a dead-on analysis of Tea Party Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, Joe Miller. 

Miller, now hoping that the write-in vote tabulation beginning next Wednesday will miraculously vault him into the lead, and not incumbent "moderate" Republican Lisa Murkowski. In addition, more than 30, 000 absentee ballots will be counted as of next Tuesday, and, during the primary, they ran in Miller's favor. This race is still a close one. Potential conflict between Miller and Murkowski is virtually guaranteed.  Recall the 2008 electoral and legal battle for Minnesota's U.S. Senate seat  between Al Franken (D) and Norm Coleman (R). 


Craig Medred

Medved vs. Miller.  Mr. Medred, with 35 years of reporting under his belt, cuts through the bloviating and truthiness of the Miller campaign and calls the candidate out, but doesn't take cheap shots at devoted Miller supporters.

There are among Miller supporters a lot of good and decent people, people who love their country, people who yearn for American greatness, people who work hard to make the U.S.A. a better place and ask for nothing in return, people put off by the country's slow but steady march toward socialism because they believe, by God, that work is a part of life.

Although I can't pick anything I like about Miller's positions on the issues, I surely don't begrudge Craig Medred his opinion.

And I, unfortunately, like a lot of what [Miller] said. He was right about much.

The country has overspent. The country does need to deal with its financial problems. Government does have its fingers in too many pies. Business is in some cases choking on unnecessary regulation. And Alaska's future does rest in development of the state's resources, though which resources and how to develop them are things Alaskans have been fighting about since statehood.

In the final analysis, though, Medred - despite his support of some of Miller's positions - sees through Miller's smoke screen.

As to whether Joe Miller actually believes any of these things, I don't have a clue. All I know that Joe Miller believes is that he wants to be senator. He might even believe he deserves to be senator or is "destined" to be senator. Certainly he's showing no signs of giving up in that quest now even though 65 percent of the state has made it clear they want anyone but Joe Miller.

For Craig Medred's article - a remarkable mix of anger and sentimentality - head for Alaska . . . the Alsaka Dispatch.


Joe Miller's Senate Office.



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November 6, 2010: Guy Fawkes & Company - Questions Remain About The Gunpowder Plot.

Guy Fawkes: Why is this man smiling?

"History is the sum total of things that could have been avoided." Konrad Adenauer. Yesterday, I wrote of Britain's Guy Fawkes Night, the thankfully failed plot to literally destroy in one explosive blast the central figures of the English government, King James I of England, the Commons, and Lords.

If, the night before the planned attack, Fawkes had not been discovered attending to the explosives in a cellar beneath the House of Lords, would the 36 kegs of gunpowder have packed enough destructive power to accomplish the audacious scheme? In 2005, on the 400th anniversary of the plot, an enterprising group sought to answer that question in a British docudrama, The Gunpowder Plot: Exploding the Legend. The video below summarizes the result.

Astonishing that.  Yet others have questioned the experimenters' assumptions.  In fact, Professor Ronald Hutton, a professor of history at the University of Bristol maintains:

The other reason why the plot was a guaranteed failure was simply that the powder would not have blown. When it was moved to the Tower of London magazine after Guy Fawkes was caught, it was discovered to be `decayed'; that is, it had done what gunpowder always did when left to sit for too long, and separated into its component chemical parts, rendering it harmless. If Guy had plunged in the torch with Parliament all ready above him, all that would have happened would have been a damp splutter. [For more of Professor Hutton's interesting and credible speculations, go here.]

Yet, it happened as it happened. And the day is commemorated with fireworks, bonfires, and of course, Guy Fawkes effigies burned and scorned, like this:

Guy Fawkes Night in London

Oliver!
Oliver!
Never before has a boy wanted more!
Oliver! Oliver!

"A brave bad man"  Somewhat ironically, the toddler son of James I at the time of the Gunpowder Plot, later to be crowned King Charles I,  became the target of Oliver Cromwell, the Puritan "brave bad man"  who became Lord Protector of England after engineering his trial and public beheading.  The cause, partially, at least, was the usual one for the era - Protestant and Catholic mutual antipathy. . .

In the end, during 1658, Oliver Cromwell died, ending his "reign" as the Lord Protector, and was given a funeral befitting a great leader.  Three years later, though, upon the restoration of the Stuarts to the English throne under King Charles II, son of the beheaded Charles I, Cromwell's body was disinterred and "executed" as a traitor at Tyburn Hill in London (although some question whether it was Cromwell's remains that arrived at Tyburn).  As a warning for all, Cromwell's disinterred head was placed on a pike outside Westminster Abbey, and displayed for 20 years. 

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