Critical Exponent

The New York Times editorial page has a link to its archive of articles on the flaws of our electoral processes.

In this article, Frank Rich of The New York Times further explores the crescending voice of religion in the American public sphere. As Unitarian Universalist Rev. Debra Haffner says in the article, there is ‘an overall “understanding” in the media that religion “is one voice — fundamentalist.”‘

Rich ponders:

What is this about? How can those in this country’s overwhelming religious majority maintain that they are victims in a fiery battle with forces of darkness? It is certainly not about actual victimization. Christmas is as pervasive as it has ever been in America, where it wasn’t even declared a federal holiday until after the Civil War. What’s really going on here is yet another example of a post-Election-Day winner-takes-all power grab by the “moral values” brigade. As Mr. Gibson shrewdly contrived his own crucifixion all the way to the bank, trumping up nonexistent threats to his movie to hype it, so the creation of imagined enemies and exaggerated threats to Christianity by “moral values” mongers of the right has its own secular purpose. The idea is to intimidate and marginalize anyone who objects to their efforts to impose the most conservative of Christian dogma on public policy. If you’re against their views, you don’t have a differing opinion — you’re anti-Christian (even if you are a Christian).

The New York Times is reporting on the Right Wing’s rally to “save” Christmas from those heathen PC liberals who are out to prevent the God-fearing faithful masses from celebrating their holiday (see my previous post). No matter that many of the attacks are unfounded or distorted (from the article: “The A.C.L.U. defended the child in Massachusetts who wanted to distribute candy canes with a religious message” and “the performance [of "A Christmas Carol" at a school] was canceled because the group wanted to charge admission, against school policy”).

As the article points out,

Of course, for many conservatives, this controversy is not just about Christmas; it’s a way to talk about a whole float of issues. Bill O’Reilly warned viewers that store clerks no longer saying “Merry Christmas” foretold the imminence of “a brave new progressive world” where gay marriage, partial birth abortion and legalized drugs run rampant.

Once again, we see the Religious Right in this country successfully portraying itself as the victim of liberalism run amok. Never mind that the Right has been on an upswing in America over the past twenty years, gaining power in Congress and control of the White House. Never mind that the recent election indicates at worst a nation very evenly split on social issues. No, as the social conservatives see it, civilization itself is on the line and they, the long-suffering defenders of all that is good and righteous, are under siege.

You can implement logic gates using simple LEGO blocks!

At a hearing in Ohio, the House Judiciary Committee was told by a software engineer that one of its members asked him for software to rig election results four years ago: http://adam-t.dailykos.com/story/2004/12/13/18416/541

It has also been alleged that an employee of Triad, a manufacturer of optiscan voting equipment, attempted to tamper with an Ohio recount: http://www.bluelemur.com/index.php?p=490

Keith Olbermann from MSM writes about it here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6210240/
and cites a New York Times article.

From salon.com: “Battling the homosexuals, liberals and Jews, Bill O’Reilly and friends are making America safe for Christmas.”

This looks like an interesting site. I have not fully explored it yet…

“There isn’t enough to prove fraud, but there have been very significant problems in running elections in Ohio this year that demand reform,” said Edward B. Foley, who is director of the election law program at the Ohio State University law school and a former Ohio state solicitor. “We clearly ended up disenfranchising people, and I don’t want to minimize that.”

According to thisACLU action alert,

Recently released documents indicate that FBI agents have been spying on innocent people under guidelines relaxed by Attorney General John Ashcroft.