The war on vote fraud continues

I've been thinking further about the underappreciated OSCE report on voting "iiregularities" in the United States. Yes, the wording of this report is gentle to a fault, but that fault is common to such documents. The important point is that international observers have understood most of the problems, and have suggested sensible ideas for rectification.

The understated tone of this piece may actually work to our benefit. Tom Delay cannot easily deride the OSCE as the "X-Files wing of the Democratic party."

How, then, do we bell the cat? Obviously, the Republican beast will not cease its predations simply because a group of Europeans issued a little-read study.

I would suggest these first steps, using the OSCE effort as a foundation. The goal is to set the stage for 2006:

1. Do everything we can to make sure people in the media (aside from the Nation) take notice of this report. Do not ignore the foreign press.

2. Key Democrats should not be afraid to refer in public to the work of a respected international body.

3. Focus on the demand for increased scrutiny by international observers.

Increasing the number of international observers should become a key issue, since the Bushites will surely do everything in their power to prevent more cops on the beat. Democrats must be in a position to say: "We welcome observers; why do the Republicans resist them?" Most Americans will understand that such resistance will speak volumes about the reality of vote fraud.

Foreign pressure could help immeasurably. If a single important European leader were to call for the implementation of the OSCE's common-sense solutions, the issue will receive greater publicity.

Books. One commentator on the vote fraud problem has asked: "Where are the books?" I know of two in the works.

One idea that occurs to me is a volume collecting all the published studies that have become key discussion points -- the USCV report, the Conyers report, the OSCE report and so forth. Yes, these documents are available on the internet. But a trade paperback version will not only provide handy reference, it will do much to add to the issue's legitimacy and visibility.

Maxwell's silver hammer: Brad Friedman points us toward this story by Scott Maxwell of the Orlando Sentinel, who has set his sights on Tom Feeney. Feeney, you will recall, is accused by Clint Curtis of asking for the creation of prototype vote-rigging software. Maxwell outlines Feeney's ethical lapses -- taking gifts and trip from lobbyists and so forth. Obviously, these scandals can only add credibility to Curtis' charges.

Exit polls. Blair won in the U.K., according to the exit polls. You can always trust the exits.