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SOURCE: OpEdNews

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February 4, 2010, BlackBoxVoting's Bev Harris Tackles the Holt Bill, Part Two, By Joan Brunwasser

Welcome back for the second half of my interview with BlackBoxVoting's Bev Harris. If people in the EI Election Integrity movement have serious reservations about the Holt Bill, Bev, why don't you just talk with Rep. Holt and give him your input? Who knows more about this than the actual people who have been in the trenches all these years?

Mr. Holt doesn't have the slightest interest in anything I have to say -- or anyone else advocating for restoration of public right to see and authenticate all steps in our own elections. What we are looking for won't line the pockets of the e-voting industry (and all the related little support industries that have developed). In fact, the kinds of solutions that will move us towards restoration of public elections:

SOURCE: OpEdNews

February 3, 2010, BlackBoxVoting's Bev Harris Tackles the Holt Bill, By Joan Brunwasser

Bev Harris is an investigative journalist and founder of non-partisan, election watchdog BlackBoxVoting.org. Welcome back to OpEdNews, Bev. The Election Integrity (EI) community is once more abuzz regarding Rep. Holt's proposed election legislation, the "Voter Confidence Act." Why is this such a constant lightning rod for people who care about election integrity?

The Holt Bill has literally split the election reform community into two camps, and that may turn out to be a good thing. On the one side are those of us who see current US election processes as a violation of human rights. On the other side are advocates willing to forego the right to public elections if they can just tweak the way concealed election processes are administered. I say this could turn out to be a good thing, because it forces us to articulate the end goal.

NEWS RELEASE FOR DISTRICT FIVE January 27, 2010 FROM DEBORA B. PIGNATELLI, Executive Councilor

January 27, Concord, NH - Listed below are some of the items that were approved at the Governor and Council Meeting on January 27, 2010 that might be of interest to District Five constituents.

The next Governor and Council Meeting will be held on Tuesday,

February 9, 2010 in the State House, Concord, NH.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCE AUTHORITY

Authorized to enter into an agreement with the City of Nashua, NH, for the purpose of establishing financing mechanisms for purchase and redevelopment of foreclosed upon homes and residential properties; purchasing and rehabilitating homes and residential properties that have been abandoned or foreclosed upon, in order to sell, rent, or redevelop such homes and properties; demolishing blighted structures; and redeveloping demolished or vacant properties in the amount of $1,500,000. Effective upon G&C approval through March 9, 2013. 100% Federal Funds.

SOURCE:DailyKos

Original Interview

The Road To 'Global Zero': An Interview With Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan

by Plutonium Page

Sun Feb 07, 2010 at 10:00:39 AM PST

Last week, a rather extraordinary summit took place in Paris. Over 200 leaders and experts in the field of nuclear arms control and national security gathered to discuss the threat of nuclear proliferation and terrorism, and a plan to:

...end the nuclear threat once and for all by setting the world on the course to the elimination of all nuclear weapons.

Presidents Obama and Medvedev sent statements to the summit; Ellen Tauscher, the US Undersecretary for Arms Control and International Security, even spoke at the conference, as did UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.

Dan Pfeiffer, White House Communications Director, wrote on the White House blog that

Let's be clear: Sen. Shelby is preventing qualified nominees who will help protect the American people from being confirmed. He’s not alone, though. This is just the latest example of this kind opposition for opposition’s sake that the President talked about earlier this week.

Which is accurate, as far as it goes, but really just a symptom of a bigger problem.

According to MSNBC.com, Senator Susan Collins of Maine issued a statement to the press, but it hasn't been indexed on her official web site. So, it's unclear how much credit it should receive.

The President's Press Secretary, Robert Gibbs, obviously thought refuting the ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee important enough to address the Senator's "concerns" point by point.

And there's NH's own, DFNH co-founder Zo Tobi right there too!

Check out Recovery.gov to see what's happening in your neck of the woods.

SOURCE: Alternet.org

BY Chris Hedges

The Obama Brand: Feel Good While Overlords Loot the Treasury and Launch Imperial Wars | Brand Obama makes us hopeful. We like our president and we believe he's like us. But we're being duped into doing a lot of things that are not in our interest.

January 25, 2010

Editor's Note: The following is an adapted excerpt from Chris Hedges' book, Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle (Nation Books, 2009) that first appeared in Tikkun magazine.

Barack Obama is a brand. And the Obama brand is designed to make us feel good about our government while corporate overlords loot the Treasury, armies of corporate lobbyists grease the palms of our elected officials, our corporate media diverts us with gossip and trivia, and our imperial wars expand in the Middle East. Brand Obama is about being happy consumers. We are entertained. We feel hopeful. We like our president. We believe he is like us. But like all branded products spun out from the manipulative world of corporate advertising, this product is duping us into doing and supporting a lot of things that are not in our interest.

Gov. John Lynch released the following statement today regarding the death of Pfc. Marc Decoteau who was killed in action in Afghanistan on Friday:

“My thoughts and prayers, and those of my wife Susan, are with the family of Pfc. Marc Decoteau.

“Pfc. Decoteau served our nation with courage and honor. He sacrificed protecting all of us. On behalf of the citizens of New Hampshire, our deepest sympathies go out to the Decoteau family, and the entire Waterville Valley community. ”

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SOURCE: OpEdNews

ebruary 1, 2010

Roger Shuler on Recent Supreme Court Decision

By Joan Brunwasser

Roger Shuler is an Alabama journalist and The Legal Schnauzer blogger. Welcome back to OpEdNews. The big news of late is the recent Supreme Court decision striking down limits on corporate campaign contributions. Everyone feels strongly about it. How about you, Roger?

My primary interest is how it possibly reflects on the apparent political prosecutions of the George W. Bush Justice Department. In the Paul Minor case in Mississippi, Minor's attorneys have already raised the Citizens United v. FEC ruling in their motion for reconsideration with the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.All sidesseem to agree that a quid pro quo--something for something deal--remains illegal. But Minor's attorneys argue that there was no quid pro quo in his case, and the jury instruction did not require one. Therefore, based on Citizens United, the prosecution and conviction that Minor faced was aviolation of his First Amendment rights.

In a previous diary I called attention to the fact that our (the American people's) generosity, dispensed via low interest loans from the Commerce Department's Fisheries Program, had been repaid by the Shafmaster enterprises by polluting the waters of Great Bay. That is, to recap, Jonathan S. Shafmaster, either in his own name or as Lordco Pier Associates, had collected, over a period of six years, at least nine million dollars in low interest loans from the U.S. Department of Commerce and yet couldn't manage to keep from fouling the Bay.

SOURCECare2.com

A Washington-based PR firm is running for Congress. Not supporting a candidate, but running as a candidate, to demonstrate the outrageous nature of last week's Supreme Court decision that treats political campaign spending by corporations as free speech.

In a satirical move by polished pros, PR firm Murray Hill has launched its election campaign with all the tools of a "regular' campaign, including a website and an "inspiring" election ad:

For Immediate Release

CONCORD – Gov. John Lynch issued the following statement on today’s Supreme Court split decision regarding the Joint Underwriting Association:

“The people of New Hampshire created the Joint Underwriting Association to make sure health care providers could access affordable malpractice insurance, which otherwise would not be available to them. The Supreme Court’s decision is very disappointing, and we believe the strongly worded opinion of the dissenting justices correctly highlights the majority’s misapplication of the law.

“But even without the JUA funds, we will continue to responsibly manage the state budget and ensure that it is balanced. The current budget counted on about $22 million a year from the JUA for 2010 and 2011, which is less than one percent of our state general fund budget.

“The Departments of Justice and Insurance will be reviewing other legal options for the future regarding the Joint Underwriting Association.”

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For Immediate Release

Federal Energy Stimulus Funds Will Be Used to Help Innovative

New Hampshire Companies Bring Products to Market, Create Jobs

CONCORD – Gov. John Lynch and the Executive Council today approved an agreement to use $750,000 in federal energy stimulus funds to create the Green Launching Pad. The partnership between the state and the University of New Hampshire will help New Hampshire companies bring clean energy products to market and create jobs for New Hampshire workers.

Gov. Lynch announced the creation of the Green Launching Pad in his State of the State Address delivered last week.

“Our top priorities are helping New Hampshire businesses and citizens get back to work now and attracting the jobs of the future to New Hampshire,” Gov. Lynch said.

“Clean energy holds great potential for bringing new jobs to our state and there are a number of companies across New Hampshire that are already leaders in their fields. Still, other New Hampshire businesses are developing new products with tremendous promise, but they need help bringing their products to market,” Gov. Lynch said. “That is why we are partnering with the University of New Hampshire to help clean energy companies grow in our state. The University will put its vast expertise to work helping innovative companies grow and create jobs.”

I'm sure that there's an entirely logical explanation, but, whatever it is, you'd think that the beneficiaries of Uncle Sam's munificence would, out of simple gratitude, do their best to comply with all environmental rules and regulations. But, you'd be wrong.

SOURCE:The Hill

Top Republican blasts Bernanke foes for 'pandering populism'

By Michael O'Brien - 01/25/10 10:14 AM ET

Opponents of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's second term are guilty of "pandering populism," Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) argued Monday .

Gregg, the top Republican on the Budget Committee and a member of the Banking Committee, decried a growing tide of populism spurring senators to oppose Bernanke's nomination to a second term, and support stringent new rules on large financial institutions.

"That's pandering populism," Gregg said during an appearance on CNBC in response to some Democrats' and Republicans' criticisms of the Fed chairman. "There's a lot of populism going on in this country right now, and I'm tired of it."