Monday, June 05, 2006

Debra Bowen and Francine Busby

If you live in California, tomorrow gives you the chance to participate in one, and perhaps two, of the most important races in the country.

Debra Bowen is running for Secretary of State. She insists on keeping the vote clean. Her knowledge of computers has led her to be wary of all computerized voting systems. By comparison, Arnie-appointee Bruce McPherson seems determined to Dieboldize the voting booth, despite the havoc these machines have created, and despite the scientific proof of security flaws. If Bowen does not win, the Republicans may get a hammerlock on California's electors, which means that no Democrat will ever again have a fair shot at national office. A Debra Bowen victory is a must -- for all of us.

In San Diego, Democrat Francine Busby hopes to take the seat vacated by the corrupt Republican Duke Cunningham. Her opponent, Brian Bilbray (who lied about his place of residency), has been hitting her hard on the hot-button issue of immigration. The race is close. The advantage, alas, belongs to the Republican, who has nudged ahead in the latest poll, and who runs strongest among older voters. Busby leads in the youth vote -- but don't bet the rent money that a surge of young voters will storm the polls. If she wins, a Democratic resurgence in Congress will seem very possible. If she loses, the pundits will sneer and snarl at the chances of Democrats everywhere else.

4 comments:

gary said...

Off topic, but I would to take note that this is the anniversary of the assassiation of a great man,whose son has been in the news in the past few day, Senator Robert Kennedy.

Peter of Lone Tree said...

"Dieboldize"? Only too aware of that.
The headline from the AP/Gannett rag reads, "Iowa rolls out new voting machines for June 6 primary"


A quote: "We can thank the great state of Florida for this business," said Wilbur Eason, a poll worker in Greene County."

Another: "Another poll worker, Cleo Duff, 78, also of Scranton, said she felt good about the training."That went really slick, I think," she said."

Being an AP/Gannett rag, there is of course no mention of the allegations about Diebold.

The not-so-hideous or surprising news: The Secretary of State, Chet Culver, who is running for governor is a Democrat. PoLT will now review and restudy those articles that maintain there is only a one-party system in the U.S. Whadda they call it? The Pathocratic Party?

'Course, maybe Chet Culver is unaware of all the allegations about Diebold. In that case, he's too stoopid to be governor. Or Secretary of State.

Joseph Cannon said...

I never believed in this "one party with two names" crap. That's just a myth erected by conservatives to discourage progressives fromm participating in the Democratic party.

That said, I am fully aware that there are corrupt Dems. People with money and power can use the usual carrots and sticks to make people follow instructions.

Why are the Bushies spying on Americans, scooping up private email and such? Certainly not to combat terror. They are looking for blackmail material. I'm not saying that's the case with Culver. But that IS the way my suspicious mind works whenever a Dem acts the way Culvr is acting.

macromayhem said...

Bowen will put a stop to the Diebold issues in California. Most of us are still not sure why Kevin Shelley left his position as Secretary of State. When Busby wins, it will be one more good person to put a stop to the neo-conservative movement down here in Southern California.