Palast yesterday, speaking in Chicago, about the phone co's

[warrens]

He gave a great talk about a wide array of topics, but the stuff that leaped out at me was voter suppression. In 2004, the GOP sent out first-class, special delivery letters to selected voters. By coincidence, many of these were black soldiers, posted overseas, mainly in Iraq. The instructions were if that person was not there, do not forward, return to sender. They used these letters to have those guys (and their spouses, and even their parents) stricken from the voter rolls (addressee unknown would be on the letters....)

He says the data base from the phone companies will be used the same way, to find names and addresses of minority voters who then will become targets for voter suppression.

I haven't had a chance to read much of Armed Madhouse, but he gets into it in the book.

The Repukes know they can't win this time. And they've stolen two in a row. Each time they have to change their tactics, but it looks like passing ridiculous laws and mining this data base are their preferred methods this time around.

[307 MMS]

1. V VP B

If we can't get corporate $ out of elections and hand counted paper ballots back, the rest is moot.

[Cassandra]

2. He's here in NYC tomorrow..

with Paul Krugman, Randi Rhodes and Amy Goodman and I have a ticket! I'm looking forward to it.

[warrens]

3. Oh, man, would I love to be there

I wanted to talk to him about Krugman (he's an economist by training too) but he was flooded with earnest little old ladies with kinda stupid questions.

[donsu]

4. watch what you say about earnest little old ladies

nt

[faithnotgreed]

7. why are they congregating cassandra

that is an outstanding panel and so im wondering what the event is

thanks so much and have a great time

[Cassandra]

9. It's a fundraiser at Ethical Culture...

to raise some money for their outreach programs. The ticket was a very modest $12.

[LSK]

5. why didnt you post about this in the IL section??

I had no idea he was in town. :shrug:

[SeattleRob]

6. Saw him in Seattle

if you get a chance to see him go! Also get his book!

[MissWaverly]

8. explain, please, Deliberating depriving US soldiers in Iraq

of the right to vote, how does this equate with support the troops, - the GOP constant mantra?, we ask them to go thru the test of fire in Iraq every day and then these fat cats are scheming on how to take their vote away. So if you steal the vote from a US soldier in Iraq and then put a Yellow Magnet that says "Support the Troops" on your car then it's okay???