Short Attention Span Musing...

Mostly because I need to decompress after yesterday's events...

....Part of the AZGOTP's "dream" society - "2nd Amendment remedies" for business disputes

From the Arizona Republic -

An argument between a Phoenix homeowner and a roofer regarding the quality of the work left the roofer with a life-threatening gunshot wound, Phoenix police said.

At about 1:15 p.m., a three-man crew was working on the roof of a home near 59th Avenue and Encanto Boulevard. The homeowner, a 68-year-old man, was not satisfied with the work that the crew had done, police said. The homeowner began to argue with the crew's 42-year-old foreman, said Sgt. Tommy Thompson, spokesman for the Phoenix Police Department.

...There's a little justice in the world, no matter how much certain people want to downplay that fact.

From The Independent (UK) -

A jury has sentenced the leader of an anti-immigrant group to death for the murder of a young girl and her father, in what prosecutors said was an attempt to steal drug money to fund the group's activities.


Shawna Forde, the leader of the Minutemen American Defence, has become the third woman on death row in the state of Arizona. The 43-year-old was convicted earlier this month of first-degree murder and other charges related to a raid on a home in Arivaca, a desert community about 10 miles north of the Mexican border, in May 2009. Raul Flores, 29, and his nine-year-old daughter, Brisenia, were killed in the raid.

I should be clear here, I am opposed to capital punishment, for a variety of very rational reasons, and could never have imposed the death penalty on her (or anyone else.

However, I'm human, and humans have emotions. 

And the emotional side of me isn't bothered by the verdict or the sentence.  Not in the least.


...Daniel Scarpinato, late of the AZ Daily Star and Jonathan Paton's abortive 2010 campaign for Congress, is now the press guy for Kirk Adams' Congressional campaign communications director for the AZ House Republican caucus, is known for his interesting press releases, where "interesting" means "gets creative with the facts."

The latest release distributed by Scarpinato crowing about HB2718, a bill earmarking $5 million for "border security operations" to the Pinal County Sheriff's Office, headed by Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu.

Among other things, the reasons for earmarking the money to Pinal County listed in the press release include "...its unique border security operations and because it receives less federal funding than areas directly on the border."

Pinal County must have some truly "unique" border security operations - at no point does it border Mexico. another country, or even another state.

Arizona has 15 counties, and four of them have a border with Mexico - Yuma, Pima, Santa Cruz, and Cochise.


If Adams and the other Republicans are so concerned with border security, why no funds for those counties? 

Could it be because three of the counties - Yuma, Pima, and Santa Cruz - had the audacity to elect Democrats as sheriff?  Could be, but...

While as much as I'm sure the partisan factor played a part in Adams' decision to send "border security" money to a non-border county, the fundamental reason behind Adams' move to siphon $5 million in public funds to one specific county may be far more base than that.

Most Capitol watchers believe that Adams is running for Congress next year, and as a rising star in Republican circles, Babeu is being wooed by R candidates from all over the state.  The candidates will come looking for his endorsement next year. 

$5 million makes a helluva "quid" in a "quid pro quo" arrangement.

...On a related note, Scarpinato may have spent a little too much time at the Daily Star.  The last line of his press release (emphasis mine) - 

For more information or to schedule interviews, contact Daniel Scarpinato at 602-926-3233 or dscarpinato@azstarnet.com

Just for giggles, I sent a test email to that addy.  It bounced back almost immediately.  :(

I *so* wanted to write something about the Daily Star no longer bothering to hide its "in the pocket status," but all I can do is poke a little fun at him over the typo. :)

...Finally, look for a run on brown shirts at your local Wal Mart.

Today, House Appropriations passed HB2070, creating an armed force answerable only to the Governor and outside the National Command Authority, and funded by money siphoned from the Arizona National Guard.  You know, the organization that answers to the President.


Just another day in Sand Land...

Press release of the day...

...Didn't have to look far for this one - it's from the Republican caucus of the Arizona State Senate...

From the press release -

Senate President-elect Russell Pearce recently received a coveted national award for his dogged efforts to fight illegal immigration. Sen. Pearce nabbed “Daring the Odds: The Annie Taylor Award” from The David Horowitz Freedom Center. A ceremony was held for Sen. Pearce and other courageous award winners at Restoration Weekend 2010 at The Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida.

OK, I'm not one who describes hatin' on brown-skinned people as "courageous" but given the makeup of the GOP caucus in the lege, we probably should be happy that white robes and hoods haven't replaced the bola tie as Arizona's signature clothing item.  Yet, anyway.

The fun part of the press release came later, in the last paragraph...

The Annie Taylor Award is named for Annie Edson Taylor, the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel. She braved the falls in 1901, in a barrel she designed herself. When she exited the barrel, she said “No one should ever do that again.”

Ummm...if I understand all this correctly, they are crowing about Russell Pearce receiving an award that equates Pearce's nativism with climbing into a barrel and going over Niagara Falls in that barrel.

Now, going over the Falls in a barrel is a great metaphor for what the Republicans are doing to Arizona, except they aren't the ones in the water, we are, and we don't even have a barrel to protect us (safety measures being signs of "creeping socialism" or some such blather).

Something tells me that there is going to be an opening in the communications office of the Republican caucus of the Arizona State Senate in the near future.

BTW - At least Ms. Taylor had the wisdom to realize that maybe what she did wasn't bright.  So far, there's no evidence that Pearce and his ilk have any such wisdom.

More on the Horowitz awards/Restoration Weekend here, courtesy the Canadian blog Enormous Thriving Plants.

Ben Quayle's Grueling Daily Campaign Schedule

I don't normally publish press releases verbatim, and Tedski at Rum, Romanism, Rebellion already has this one up, but it made me laugh. 

And that makes it worth a post of its own. 

From an ADP press release, Ben Quayle's daily schedule -

Ben Quayle - Daily Campaign Schedule


10:00 – 10:30 AM: Wake-up, get ready
Notes: Out of Frosted Flakes, order the maid to go buy more -- this time with a prize!

10:30 – 11:00 AM: Web surfing time
Notes: Use new password Nik gave me to get around Dad’s cybersecurity filters

11:00 – 11:15 AM: Fundraising meeting with Dad
Reminder: Don’t ask questions. Dad gets upset.

11:15 -11:30 AM: Check schedule to see if I have time to debate
Notes: I’m really very busy

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM: Gym
Reminder: Upper body, focus on abs

12:30 – 1:00 PM: Shower
Reminder: Wear the power suit that has the shoulder pads. Gotta look grown-up.

1:00 – 2:00 PM: Lunch – Stingray Sushi
Notes: Trainer says soy paper has fewer carbs

2:00 – 2:05 PM: Check schedule to see if I have time to debate
Notes: It still feels like I’m way busy

2:05 – 2:30 PM: Private tutoring session (Arizona 101)
Reminder: Ask tutor about those cities north and west of Scottsdale.

2:30 – 2:45 PM: Tynwald Capital
Reminder: Make sure Dad’s deposit into company went through so I can collect paycheck

3:00 – 4:00 PM: Play with Louie the Dog. My favorite campaign expenditure!

4:00 – 4:30 PM: Private tutoring session (Congress 101)
Reminder: Ask tutor about D.C. club scene. It better not be lame!

4:30 -5:00 PM: Check in with Dad on fundraising
Reminder: Don’t tell Dad I plan to go out tonight

5:00 – 5:02 PM: Check schedule to see if I have time to debate
Notes: Dude, where does the time go?

5:15 – 6:15 PM: Nap

6:30 – 8:00 PM: Invite bros over to party (keep it cool. no cops)
Notes: Show them new drinking game I invented. Cross between Flip Cup and Beer Pong – Super Beer Flip Cup Pong!

8:00 – 9:30 PM: Dinner at Barcelona

10:00 – 11:30 PM: Pre-club partying
Notes: Don't post any photos to Facebook this time!

11:30 PM – 2:00 AM: Hit the Scottsdale clubs
Notes: Dad’s folks following me, can’t let them catch me out like last time. Call for black Town Car to drive me home.

2:30 AM: Maid tucks me in
Notes: Tomorrow, I’ll think some more about debating. LOL!!!

There's nothing I can add.  I'm a wiseass, but this one is out-of-my-class funny.  Probably because it's closer to the truth than the Quayle camp would care to admit...

Press Release of the Day

And amazingly enough, it doesn't involve Russell Pearce, Jan Brewer, or any of Arizona's other nativists masquerading as public officials.

From the website of PR Newswire, a press release from the "Campaign for Working Families" -

Former presidential candidate Gary L. Bauer on Tuesday endorsed former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton in the GOP Senate primary in Colorado, calling her a "committed conservative who will unapologetically defend the commonsense values of the American people."

In and of itself, there's nothing particularly newsworthy there - Bauer is a far-right GOPer endorsing another far-right GOPer in a race that doesn't even involve Arizona (though Colorado is a "four corners" state, so it's one of our neighbors).

The biggest item of interest was the "Campaign for Working Families" part.  It made me wonder if the GOP has finally caught on to the fact that their ideology/policy of striving to protect and serve only large corporations and the wealthiest Americans is limiting their long-term viability as a political force in this country.

Then there is this line later in the press release (emphasis mine) -

The Campaign for Working Families (CWF) exists for the express purpose of supporting candidates who will proudly promote conservative values, such as the defense of the traditional family, the sanctity of human life and the promotion of individual liberty and free enterprise.

Turns out that the only place CWF expresses any concern for "working families" is in its name.

Among the many beneficiaries of its largesse over the years (according to FEC records):

Michele Bachmann, current Congresswoman and noted loon - $16K
Trent Franks, current Congressman and embarrassment to Arizona - almost $20K
Sydney Hay, industry lobbyist and Congresscritter wannabe - $6500
James Inhofe, current Senator and climate change denier - $10K
Rick Renzi, former Congressman and current indictee - $7500
Tom Tancredo - former Congressman and hardcore nativist - $13500

Not a lot of support for working families on that list, or among the hundreds of other candidates/officials that CWF has supported.

I'd call CWF an "astroturf" group, but other than the name, there is relatively little deception going on here - they've made it clear that they only support "working" families that are rich, white, conservative, Christian and don't actually need to work.


CBS News coverage of the Norton race in Colorado here.

Unseemly corporate influence doesn't just come in the form of direct contributions

Came across this press release, and since it involved both Arizona elections and Arizona American Water, it really piqued my interest...

From the press release:

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz., July 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Arizona American Water will team up with members of the Arizona Investment Council, the Grand Canyon State Electric Cooperative Association (GCSECA) and the Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce to sponsor a candidate forum for the six candidates running for the two vacancies at the Arizona Corporation Commission. Each candidate will give opening remarks and then answer various questions by a moderator.


WHAT: ACC Candidate Forum

WHEN: Wednesday, July 28th, 2010 from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

WHERE: Little America Hotel, 2515 East Butler Avenue, Flagstaff, Arizona 86004

WHY: All six candidates for the two vacancies on the Arizona Corporation Commission have expressed a commitment to participate in the forum. The candidates include: David Bradley (D-Tucson), Brenda Burns (R-Phoenix), Jorge Luis Garcia (D-Tucson), Renz Jennings (D-Phoenix), Gary Pierce (R-Mesa), and Barry Wong (R-Phoenix)

Arizona American Water, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 350,000 people.

OK, it's not a direct contribution, nor is it even a third party expenditure on a race.  What it is, however, is some "regulatees" ponying up some cash for the privilege of schmoozing with "regulators."

And if you don't think that this kind of investment can pay off for Arizona American Water and various utilities. you should remember that the Corporation Commission is the body that approves/disapproves utility rate hike requests, requests that can generate millions of dollars per year in addition revenues and profits for the utilities and their corporate owners like Pinnacle West (APS) and American Water (Arizona American Water.)

Oh, and AZAm Water's press release boilerplate about "providing high-quality and reliable water"?
Thousands of residents in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley would beg to differ.
 
 
BTW - I'm not *entirely* down on all of the ACC candidates who are participating in the corporate sponsored forum.   
 
Forecast high temp for Phoenix tomorrow: 101.
 
Forecast high temp for Flagstaff tomorrow: 78.
 
:)
 

Press Release Of The Day - AZ5 Edition

Well, it's an even-numbered year, and Memorial Day has come and gone, so that means that gas prices are going ever higher, Arizona temperatures are racing to catch up to gas prices, and campaigns are pumping out election year attack press releases.

Of those three sure signs of summer's arrival, campaign press releases are the most fun - they can be counted on to make creative use of misinformation, incomplete information, out-of-context quotes, misleading statistics, and outright lies.

All of which is perfect fodder for a snarky but enterprising blogger. :)


The Ogsbury for Congress campaign in CD5 is taking shots at Harry Mitchell in this press release, trying to say that Harry Mitchell is out of step with his district because he has voted with the Democratic caucus 88.8% of the time (according to the Washington Post).

What the press release neglected to mention is that of the 240 Democratic members tracked, the average adherence to the Democratic position was 92.2%.

So Mitchell was far above average in straying from his party's line; in fact, only 11 other Democrats voted the party line less frequently.

That covers "incomplete information," "misinformation," and "misleading statistics" in one fell swoop.

As for the "outright lies", the Ogsbury release talked about Mitchell's "strident opposition to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)."

OK, this one I didn't even need to look up.

Last August, the House passed S. 1927, The Protect America Act (aka - FISA modernization). The bill gave George Bush and then-Attorney General Gonzales the authority to, virtually without oversight, wiretap and otherwise electronically eavesdrop on foreign terror suspects' communications and any Americans suspected of being associated with them.

41 Democrats, including Harry Mitchell, crossed over and voted with the Republicans.

While I've disagreed with Harry on many of his votes, this one remains the only one that I was truly upset about.

As such, I remember it *very* well.

In this regard, Ogsbury's statement that Mitchell opposes FISA, "stridently" or otherwise, is utterly false.

About the best thing that can be said about Ogsbury's press release is that it didn't use an out-of-context quote from Harry Mitchell.

Republicans shouldn't worry, however - summer is just getting started and campaign season, like Arizona, is just warming up. There's plenty of time to get his fear, smear, and lie machine fully up to speed.

Less snarky analysis of the Ogsbury press release from PolitickerAZ here.

Later!

Press Release of the Day

...Haven't done one of these in a while, but this is the creepiest press releases in, well, *ever.*

Thanks for the heads-up goes out to (of all people!) Jay Leno.

From the Senate website of U.S. Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) -

Craig Accepting Applications for Summer Interns

Deadline Quickly Approaching

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Idaho Senator Larry Craig is currently seeking intern applications for the summer term, which runs from May to August. The application deadline is March 15, however if more time is needed for the application process, please contact Senator Craig's office for an extension. Craig offers paid internships within the Washington, D.C., office. Preference is given to Idaho applicants attending Idaho schools who are in their junior or senior years of college (including graduating seniors).

'"Interns have the chance to be an essential part of a working congressional office," said Craig. "They participate in the legislative process as well as ensure that constituent services run smoothly. For those interested in politics, it is an incredible opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at how our government functions while serving the people of Idaho."

Interns are paired with staff members based on experience and interests, in order to best utilize their talents...

Rumor has it that good candidates will get their own cubicles; special candidates will get their own stalls.

Is Jon Kyl getting 'creative' with his press releases?

Blogger ThinkRight has the text of a press release that Kyl's office issued today, lauding the Senate's passage of an SCHIP extension (S2499).

From ThinkRight's post -

Senate Extends Children's Health Care, Averts Medicare Physician Payment Cuts

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate today approved legislation that will avert a scheduled 10 percent payment reduction to doctors who provide Medicare services and temporarily extend funding for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

When I first looked into this, I couldn't find any evidence that the Senate had even considered an SCHIP bill today, much less passed one. The only recorded votes concerned the omnibus appropriations bill and a judicial appointment.

I started salivating at the thought of catching the good Senator in a fib, but continued to research, and found this article in the Hartford Courant that indicated that the measure was approved by unanimous consent.

Still, while Kyl's press release may not have been an outright lie, he was rather creative with it.

First, and I give him (or more likely, whichever staffer was relegated to writing the press release) credit for not saying that Kyl voted for the bill, because no Senator actually did vote for it. "Unanimous consent" simply means that none of them expressed an objection to it.

Second, while the press release sort of implies that Kyl supported the bill, it never comes out and says so.

Which is a good thing, because he has never supported the extension of SCHIP.

To whit:

- when HR1591 was passed by the Senate on March 29, he was one of 47 Senators to vote against it. That bill was later vetoed by President Bush and died when the House failed to override that veto.

- when HR976 was passed by the Senate on September 27, he was one of 29 Senators to vote against it. Again, Bush vetoed the bill and the House failed to override the veto.

- when HR3963 was passed by the Senate on November 1, he was one of 30 Senators to vote against it. The bill was vetoed and is awaiting a January override vote.

So with that kind of consistent track record of opposition to SCHIP, why didn't he derail the unanimous consent on the new SCHIP renewal?

Because it protected Medicare reimbursement rates for doctors and health care corporations.

From the press release -

"This legislation prevents a scheduled cut in physician payments..."

Note: I don't actually have a problem with ensuring that physicians receive reasonable compensation for their services, but I find it rather telling that Kyl opposed health care for poor children until his campaign donors in the health care industry* got something.

This does not speak well for Sen. Kyl's character and humanity.

Of course, he's a United States Senator; his 'character' won't be an issue until his next reelection campaign. In 2012.

After all that, I've come to the conclusion that Sen. Kyl needs to give a raise to whoever wrote the press release - it's not just creative, it's a work of art. While never actually presenting an actual lie, the release nimbly avoids actual truth.

Of course2, the ability to give credit where it's due requires a little character, and it's already obvious what I think of Sen. Kyl's character.

* - According to OpenSecrets.org, Kyl received more than $1.2 million in campaign contributions from the health care industry during the 2005 - 2006 election cycle.

Good night...

Press release of the day

I'm starting to get the hang of knowing which press releases are from astroturf groups - just look for the one with the counterintuitive position.

Today's press release is from The 60 Plus Association.

The first paragraph of the press release -

A report documenting that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is understaffed, underfunded and underperforming is all the evidence Congress should need to reject proposed legislation that would add responsibility for tobacco regulation to that overburdened agency.

Sounds awfully considerate of this group that purports itself to be a "national senior advocacy organization."

Perhaps a little out of its bailiwick, but considerate nonetheless.

Then the release goes on the urge Congress to reject HR1108, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, because, besides adding workload to the already overburdened FDA, it's "unnecessary or already handled by other agencies."

Why would a "senior advocacy" group care about tobacco regulation?

That kind of inspired me to look a little further.

According to Public Citizen's StealthPAC.org, The 60 Plus Association is an astroturf lobbying group, headed up by Jim Martin (a Bush associate for nearly 40 years), funded primarily by the pharmaceutical industry, advocating for Republican candidates and causes.

Besides the electioneering cited in Public Citizen's profile of the group, it also gives out phony, campaign bio-puffing awards (here, too), involves itself in court cases while presenting themselves as a senior advocacy group, while in fact working to protect corporate interests, lobbies for the shutdown of the Legal Services Corporation, and advocates for the release of two would-be murderers with badges.

How does any of that benefit the elderly, other than elderly wealthy Republicans?

Note: CD5's Harry Mitchell is a cosponsor of HR1108. In fact, every AZ Democrat in Congress cosponsored the bill; none of the Republicans has signed on.

Press Release of the Day

Courtesy PRNewswire.com -

Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today released its preliminary analysis of H.R.3222, the Fiscal 2008 Department of Defense Appropriations Act.

The release went on to list 17 or so earmarks that the group considers to be the most "egregious" before closing with a bit of standard boilerplate (emphasis mine) -

Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonpartisan, non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, mismanagement and abuse in government.

The only problem with the group's assertion that it's "nonpartisan"?

14 of the 17 were sponsored solely or in part by Democrats.

Adding to its credibility problems?

It's a right-wing front group that, among other things, has been used by Jack Abramoff to launder payoffs to Congressmen (Washington Post), served as an industry lobbyist (TampaBay.com), and taken hundreds of thousands of dollars from the tobacco industry to lobby against tobacco regulations (TampaBay.com).

Oh, and Congress.org reports that all of the campaign contributions made by CCAGW's PAC during the 2005-2006 election cycle went to Republicans, including AZ's own Jeff Flake, John Shadegg, and Jon Kyl.

And here I was thinking that Jeff Flake was untouched by even a whiff of the Abramoff scandal.

Guess you learn something new every day. :)

Note: CAGW is the 501c3 charity wing of the non-charity 501c4 Council of the Citizens Against Government Waste (the 'CCAGW' above)

SourceWatch.org has a more complete write-up on CAGW and CCAGW.

Later!

Press Release Potpourri

I was a little bored and doing a some light reading over at PRNewswire.com and lo and behold, there were a few gems among the usual corporate dreck.

To wit -

...The Department of Justice announced "the Ingersoll-Rand CompanyLimited has agreed to pay a $2.5 million fine as part of an agreement withthe U.S. government regarding charges brought in connection with an ongoing investigation of the U.N. "Oil for Food" program..."

Ingersoll-Rand is a subsidiary of Halliburton. Halliburton reported revenues last year (period ending December 31, 2006) in excess of $22 billion.

Think they'll notice a paltry $2.5 million??


...The Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) issued a release criticizing a report from the American Institute for Cancer Research as based on "sketchy" science. The report, Food, Nutrition,Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer, recommends, among other things, that people reduce their intake of red meat.

Earlier in the day, the CCF issued another press release, this one equating the report and its supporters to PETA.

The only problem with CCF's criticisms? The CCF is an astroturf lobbying group fronting for the restaurant, alcohol, and food industries.

Perhaps they should consider that they have a bit of a credibility problem, and a high volume of press release won't make up for their low volume of quality.


...The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) issued a press release blasting presidential candidate John McCain's health care proposal in a Halloween-themed release as "all trick and no treat."

Other prime Hallo-quotes -

"...he presents a health care reform plan that would bring the Bush Administration's failed health care policies back from the dead."

"...The frightfully feeble plan includes a Bush-like tax credit gimmick..."

"...Channeling President Bush, McCain also ignores the plight of the 47 million Americans..."

"...McCain ought to dress up as George W.Bush today, because he's clearly offering the same failed leadership."

No more snarkiness needed; I just wanted to use some cheesy quotes. :)

Note1: The NCSL release is drawn directly from a DNC release.

Note2: The Council for Affordable Health Insurance has a non-partisan summary of the health care plans of the presidential candidates here.


...and in the most poetic public service announcement of the day, Erie Insurance reminded us to

As You Steer, Fear the Deer

It was a gentle reminder that this time of year is the period when the greatest number of car/Bambi collisions occur and that drivers should be alert.

Not really a metro Phoenix problem, but northern AZ folks might find it to be good advice.


Later!

Press Release Of The Day

Inspired by last week's post on the press release of the astroturf lobbying group, the American Consumer Institute, I've decided to add a new feature on the ol' blog -

The Press Release Of The Day.

This intermittent series (No, it won't be an everyday thing :) ) will shed light on some of the ummm...."finer" examples of misleading flackery that are foisted off on an unsuspecting public every day.

Today's example is from the grossly misnamed 'Department of Justice," courtesy PRNewswire.com -

Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Massachusetts

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Justice Department today announced that on Sept. 25, 2007, it will monitor special preliminary elections in Boston, Mass., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act.

While I'm sure that the partisan hacks that comprise the legion of Bush appointees that run the DOJ love the idea of monitoring a state as wholeheartedly Blue as Massachusetts, there is one part of the exercise that must gall them, and the Republican Party, to no end.

Especially the Russell Pearce wing of the party.

Also from the press release -

The city of Boston has an obligation to provide all election information, ballots and voting assistance information in Spanish pursuant to Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act.

Left unmentioned in the press release is any election monitoring in areas with much more well-documented election fraud issues.

What about Ohio? ...Florida? Hell, what about just keeping an eye on the activities (not just election-related) in Jena, Louisiana?

Later!