The Gay Old Perverts are desperate. Too bad you can't change your vote after the fact. Well, it didn't sway me, I voted democratic and felt good about it. Screw George Bush and his Oil War.

Especially beware of broadcasting companies who attempt to influence the election by running the Country Music Awards - the greatest celebration of southern music - the night before the election!

Come on over to MD, where the republican governor's campaign handed out bad sample ballots that listed the governor and the republican candidate for the US senate as DEMOCRATS. And where the same campaign has bused in dozens of homeless and unemployed people from Pennsylvania (many of whom believed they were coming here to work for the democrats)!

First it was in 2000 where republicans broke the law by not allowing votes. Now they purchase machines they later can hack to change votes. Last they try to fool people.

This is just a distraction trying to fool people. Neocons are playing the game to look desperate but they already have a plan up their sleeve to make it look fair but its not.

To simplify NWO is in play now. Bilderberg group along with large business will do anything to make it look fair but underneath the carpet cheat. Just like the WMD in Iraq.

You cry babies. All you Democrats do is whine and moan and claim foul. If you were so confident that you were going to win this election, you wouldn't be acting like little babies. Dirty tricks are a part of politics and they occur on both sides. If you don't believe that, you are nothing but a Democratic hack.

Republicans are nervous the money grab might be over. Send a message with your vote today!

The Republicans are really desperate this time around. Is there no low they will stoop to to steal the elections? What a bunch of lowlifes.

The post by the last poster shows 1. hatred and 2. the poster is misinformed. The hatred "Gay Old Perverts". The misinformation "Oil War". The allegation of calling this an "Oil War" is a hate statement as well. But is mostly misinformation. There is no evidence that would lead any rational person to believe that the war in Iraq is for Oil. Saddam is out of power. He is sentenced to Death. Al Queda leaders are encouraging their operatives to leave Iraq to attack US interests elsewhere. Al Queda by admission, has killed too many muslims. Saddam Hussein asked that Iraqis shake hands and stop the violence. Its sad to see how far skewed people have gotten on this War and how far off base guys like Dennis are.

This certainly has the stink of Karl Rove all around it. Of course he will be insulated by several layers of so called "Christian" evangelists.

I'm glad I voted absentee weeks ago. No tricks being played on me. The Republicans will stop at nothing to steal votes. I hope the Dems take both houses, so Bush can't destroy this country any more than he already has. IMPEACH BUSH!

Here in Ohio its the absentee voter ballot.

No ID needed to vote, the system is much like the Old Cook County of Ill. If the Democrats don't win I'd be surprized.

You left wing Democrats and your irrational comments. They should be published in the comic section of a newspaper. Keep them going, I love making fun of you all.

I bet Nicaragua had a cleaner election than we do.

Carter better get back on the plane - we need him.

Brian,

you are the investigative MAN! So get the heck off the phone and get back to work. That pic has got to go! You are above that!!!!!!

I know there is all sorts of Bush bashing and attempts to unjustiably connect him to big oil. The fact is that the United States has some control of 20% of the world's oil supply. That is hardly significant. Whay not let the free market system work? Competition from biofuels and from the pending development of oil extraction from the oil shales in Colorado and Montana will in time serve to make the oil market more competitive and ultimately bring fuel prices in line. As far as the deceptive pamphlets are concerned, in Tennessee it seems the Democratic factions think we are so stupid that they can just about put anything on radio or television and think the voting public will suck it up. I doubt that to be the case. I have seen no pamphlet related to any party.

Gee. All comments from the left decrying with certainty the immorality of the right. What a shock.

Sorry guys, I grew up in Daley's Chicago. No sale. Elements in both parties stoop if they think they can get away with it.

And fwiw, I am a JFK Democrat. You shame your party.

Here is a thought. Throw all of that crap you receive in the mail away and read the book the attorney general of your state sends you. Do what I do, vote with your mind and heart. Don't be a robot. People died for this right of ours to vote, don't take it lightly.

I'm so glad I read this. I actually received this mailer and immediately knew it to be fraudulent because it did NOT say "California Democratic Party". I was thinking of voting "no" on the cigarrette tax because I just thought $2.60 was too high and no gurantee that the money would be allocated appropriately. But now that the tobacco companies have blatantly perpetrated these morally reprehensible measures, I am now voting YES!

WHENever our desperate leaders decide to start behaving as believers and defenders of democracy instead of just preaching it, will there be anything that resembles what our forefathers envisioned. Right now, we're actively being used and repressed as common dupes by those who will do anything to retain their grasp on power as their accountability is flatly non-existent. There is no drug or kool-ade more potent than power or the ability to control who lines their pockets with what, and until we put the public back into Public Servant we should continue to expect more of the same.

Wow, anyone conspiracy much?

This very same tactic was used in 2004--as a matter of fact, they only bothered to change the photo and the "guide" text. You can see a picture of this same flyer, circa 2004 with John Kerry's picture, using the link.

Carl Rove must be helping big oil and tobacco. Today is the day to take back America from the coruption of the Republican Party and their corporate allies.

I live in San Francisco and received the specific mailer referred to above. At first glance I thought it was an offical Democratic Party mailer endorsing/opposing certain California ballot initiatives. The title of the mailer, its general style, and the official-looking photo of Diane Feinstein added to its official appearance. I already knew where I stood on these initiatives, so it wouldn't have swayed my vote, but I suspect I'm a more serious consumer of political news, policy, etc. In any event, I took the time to peruse the document, and didn't notice the fine print until I really started looking for it. The mailer is actually more underhanded than described above. It purports to be a "Democratic Voter Guide" and consistent with this facade, it lists all of the ballot initiatives (including some that would fit into the liberal description) and suggests a yes or no for each initiative. The sponsors of this shady document (oil and tobacco) even went so far as to endorse "yes" votes on several initiatives that have Liberal support. The only real differences between this and the official endorsements were the no-votes regarding the tobacco and oil tax initiatives. What scares me is that I only looked for the discrete fine-print identifying the sponsor of the mailer AFTER remembering that the tobacco/oil tax measures were both in fact supported by Di-Fi, as well as every other prominent Democrat in California. I mention all this because at the time I read the document (last Friday) it really did irk me to realize this mailer was a scam. And I think it upset me more because I'm probably a far more discerning consumer of politics than the average voter (Dem or otherwise) -- and I wondered how many people would be fooled or confused by the mailer. I haven't researched the law on this subject, but if the mailer was not a violation of election/campaign laws, then we ought to consider closing the loophole that allows that kinda thing. I have no problem with tobacco and oil companies expressing their views on the initiatives. But they ought to do so an a straight-forward, non-deceptive manner. If theirs is the more persuasive path, they ought to be able to convince voters through rational discourse. And let me be clear, there can be no doubt that the mailer was intended to deceive voters (Democrats in particular) and thereby improperly influence their votes. Caveat emptor may be appropriate in the marketplace for goods and services, but I don't think we can expect little old ladies with failing eyesight to read a mailer such as this and realize that it's a fraud.

In any event, I voted (in favor of Prop 87, but against Prop 86); and as a Reserve Soldier (and recent war vet) I wore my uniform to the polling place near my home in San Francisco to remind anyone who might have forgotten that this election and our national political condition, is effecting real, actual people. Given where I live, the symbolic effort was probably wasted (I'm pretty far left, and my neighbors here are probably even further left of me), but it felt good to do. I hope other soldiers out there are doing the same: reminding their neighbors that the reductive political gamesmanship of Rove et al actually bears on the lives of real people -- not just in terms of taxes, but in the most literal sense.

Why is a voter guide from an oil company considered to be "phony," when guides from AARP and LCV aren't? What makes AARP so special?

I am so sick and tired of the corrupted Republican Party and our current administration. I received the "Voter Information for Democrats" mailing sent to California residents. Fortunately I caught on to the misleading print before actually voting. I feel sorry for those that didn't and voted already. There is so much election corruption across this country and it appears to all be coming from the desperate Republicans and hypocritical Right Wing (along with their ignorant supporters). They simply cannot tolerate a fair election. I am confident that the Republican/hypocritical Right Wing days of rule and ruining this country are coming to an end. When that happens, the world will be a much better place!

Wow, you folks must be Oliver Stone disciples. You're side is probably gonna win. Why don't you save the whining for tomorrow or the next election.

Support our troops, period.

Vote if you know the issues, stay away if you don't.

Remember it was teh loyal and persistent that built this country, the traitors and deserters that jeopardize our way of life!

i guess that's why maybe you should make up your own mind about your vote. really, if you can't educate yourself and make a decision do the rest of us a favor and just stay home.

To ExCIMan:

I'm an ExCIMan also, and it is my opinion that you are a paranoid conspiracy theorist.

It amazes me that all polls indicate that the Dems will take control but in the end it's a tight race after all. I recall the time that the underlying statistical mathematics that gives foundation to polls held water. Hmmm...I can only wonder why they aren't so reliable these days... I predict the Republicans maintain their majority and the following week fresh polls will show that only 38% of the people said they voted Republican. I hope I'm wrong but if I'm right, this country is in the toilet. Emigration, not immigration, is going to be the wave of the next 20 years. All that crap about this still being the best country in the world is just that - a bunch of crap. It's now officially a green world, not a red, white and blue one. I'll take, as would you, 30 million and a mansion on the outskirts of Moscow or Madrid or Manila any day over all this garbage. People are laughing all over the globe at us. I'm embarrassed to be a part of this country.

Just a simple question: How many votes do Democrats have to win by in order to win the election?

News reports say that the Prince of Darkness went hunting today. Maybe he'll shoot himself in the foot !! Or will the voters rise up to expose and defeat his Orwellian view of America's future?

Well I won't be buying Chevron gas anymore.

Republican strategy to win elections is
to rig and CORRUPT the voting process at
the polls with their rabid fanatics creating obstacles to voting, and the
use of rigged Diebold electronic voting machines.

What are we going to do about the aggressive Republican corruption of the election process?

It's time to fix this mess and to PROTECT THE VOTER'S VOTE!!

For the most part, I agree with the folks about Bush. He and his merry terrorist henchmen are incompetent criminals who deserves to be locked away under there own rendition laws, never to see a lawyer or a courtroom the rest of their lives.

But I will in fact vote NO on Proposition 86, the cigarette tax. And it has nothing to do with the mailings or the tax itself, but a little-publicized provision which would exempt hospitals and hospital corporations from state and federal anti-trust laws.

This means companies like Kaiser could engage in collusive price-fixing, shut down hospitals they deem not a profitable as others, and deny people such as the disabled specialty medical services, even if they have full-coverage insurance. They claim 40% of the money goes to deferring costs associated with people hospitalized for smoking-related sicknesses, but there is no oversite as to how this money is actually used by the Kaisers of the world.
This means Kaiser and companies like it can pocket the 400+ million in annual revenue, deny specialty services to people and force these people onto the state social services network, costing taxpayers hundreds of millions annually.

In addition, the revenue from the tax will only fully available for about 2 years, decreasing afterwards and will ultimately run out in about 10 years.

This measure is a bandaid to a bigger problem. We deserve better.

No, I'm not a lobbyist for a tobacco company. I'm all for stop-smoking programs. But the reasons stated above are enough for me to vote NO on 86.

By the way, I'm also the parent of a disabled child who is 6 and has had 22 surgeries, so I know quite a bit about how insurance companies and hospital systems work here in California.

David

Why is everyone so hateful?

TO: LMH

Until you do the investigating yourself explain your point.

Stating an opinion is one thing but just blurting out opinion without proof is another. I have already researched it and have found out otherwise. I don't make claims.

Also in a democracy freedom of speech and the dissent is written in the constitution. BUSH himself just keeps saying "It's just a piece of paper" Bohemian Grove also is a main place Karl Rove decided to initiate Schwarzenegger into the Republican party.

2000 Vote if you look at the technicals in Florida many ballots were not counted because the Attorney said some voters had a criminal record. Exact laws do not make a vote uncountable. Many tricks that was not published in main stream media.

Now these new machines or should I say new but old software is being used. They are easily hackable and the NeoCons will hack them just to win. But it will look fair but underneath the table they have that ability. That is why people keep saying leave a paper trail.

Patriot Act and also the recent military act passed targets civilians. A political tactic that is used often is lie in the beginning but then put an excuse later. NO WMD's excuse bad intelligence. As a leader must take be responsible for his/her action Bush and a majority of neocons are not.

THINK, INVESTIGATE, RESEARCH. Don't take what the media always says.

I got those guides. The only reason I knew they were fake is because I study the issues. I believe the average voter votes one party or another and would dutifully follow a guide like this. This is very deceptive and Feinstein ought to sue. We can be assured that the Republican Secretary of State McPherson sure as hell won't do anything about it. Especially after he approved failed electronic voting machines.

Gee, the oil companies are found to be dishonest. Is anyone surprised? These companies and their republican toadies are part of the disgusting landscape that is American politics.

Everyone is so hateful because Bush has fulfilled his prophecy as a uniter and not a divider.

Feels good, huh?

"Why is everyone so hateful"? Where have you been the last 6 years? I hate this administration with a passion. They've ruined this country, hurt the middle class, and the good ole USA is considered a big joke all around the world. We're in debt up to our eye balls, and frankly I'm way beyond constructive criticism and the let's work together BS. We need these destructive and corrupt idiots out of office.

To Kirk:

We're not whining, we're screaming bloody murder. Spineless hacks like you who say 'that's the way it is, get used to it.' are responsible for the mess this country is in. Well the votes are in pal. Read 'em and weep.