New, from the I-hate-government crowd: mandatory voter ID!

The last time fiscal and moral folly merged so shamelessly with political opportunism, we invaded Iraq.

The primary question in my mind, as I ponder the latest assault on rationality to emanate from our GOP-controlled Congress (how much longer, Lord?), is to what extent these radicals believe they're doing the right thing - as they set about methodically circumventing the principles that define who we are as a nation - and to what extent they're just cynically serving their short-term interests. Or has that line simply vanished?

HR 4844, which passed the House along party lines last week, is, unfortunately, more than just sputter and bluster about the peril of illegal aliens invading our voting booths, i.e., another piece of fantasy legislation to "protect" Americans from one more right-wing bugbear, like smoldering flags and gay wedding cakes.

Ohio election protection activists have won a landmark court battle to preserve the ballots from 2004’s disputed presidential election, and researchers studying those ballots continue to find new evidence that the election was, indeed, stolen. Among other things, large numbers of consecutive votes in different precincts for George W. Bush make it appear ever more likely that the real winner in 2004 should have been John Kerry. Meanwhile, indictments and prison terms are mounting among key players in that tainted contest.

In King Lincoln Bronzeville Neighborhood Association et. al. v. J. Kenneth Blackwell, three community groups and five individuals have won a precedent-setting federal decision preserving the ballots from the 2004 election. By federal law those ballots could have been destroyed en masse September 3, twenty-two months after the November 2, 2004 balloting. Republican Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell gave every indication that he would order the records to be destroyed as soon as he could. Admissions have already come from a few counties that illegally disposed of election-related materials well before the

Today in Cleveland at the gubernatorial debate,  which only included the Dems. and Republicans, two of Libertarian Gubernatorial candidate Bill Pierce's supporters showed up dressed as giant chickens named "Ted" and "Ken" and were arrested supposedly for being in the street.

Blackwell was accompanied by a contingent of boisterous, (that is obnoxious and rude) supporters who at one point chanted in unison "commie, commie, commie" at the Fitrakis supporters who were holding signs about the stolen 2004 election.

But of course the most egregious violation of democratic principles was that both the Libertarian and Green candidates were excluded from the debate.

The Libertarians have some good pictures up on their website at: http://peirceforohio.com.