corrente

Well, well, well!

Ask a question and you get an answer: Just now (below) we pointed out that "The three companies that certify the nation's voting technologies are committed to secrecy in their contracts with the voting machines' makers - even though tax money ultimately buys or leases the machines." And we asked for information on the companies.

Well, thanks alert reader Susy of Suburban Guerilla, we now have this on CIBER and Wyle, two of the certifiers:

A Colorado company under contract to ensure that the nation's touch-screen voting machines are accurate has been a substantial contributor to Republican candidates and groups.

At Greenwood Village-based CIBER, employees and some spouses have donated more than $72,000 to GOP candidates and groups during the 2001-2002 and 2003-2004 election cycles, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan watchdog group.

Democratic donations linked to the firm were $3,000 during that time.

"What should raise eyebrows is that our U.S. government and state governments allow this to happen," she said. "There's been nothing done to dissuade the perception that there's partisan control over the voting process."

CIBER isn't the only company in the voting machine business at which people are actively involved in politics. Walden O'Dell, chief executive of Ohio-based Diebold Inc., the parent of electronic voting machine maker Diebold Election Systems, has helped raise funds for President Bush. O'Dell attracted attention last year after sending a letter to Ohio Republicans to raise money for the GOP, noting his commitment to "helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year."

Douglas Weber, a researcher for the center, called CIBER's donations to Republicans "substantial."

"They're not one of the major donors. But they do give a substantial amount of money," he said.

The Center for Responsive Politics found $5,750 worth of campaign contributions from Wyle Laboratories for this year's election. All of [Wyle] money went to Republicans, including $1,500 to President Bush.
(via Rocky Mountain News)

OK, now, let me see...

The voting machine manufacturers are Republicans...

The voting machine testers are Republicans...

The testing process is entirely secret....

The voting machine software is entirely secret...

Swing states Ohio (home of Diebold) and Florida (fraud in 2000, already) are using electronic voting machines that are manufactured, tested, and run by Republican firms...

No! They would never do that!


From the Incomparable Bombproof Vault, deep in the bedrock foundations of The Mighty Corrente Building, we present this archived "winger haiku" (back) from alert reader Beth:

From alert reader Beth:

Autumn colors, mist,
Birdsongs, Diebold-counted votes.
So much is fleeting.