Hardball in Ohio

[autorank]

Jennifer Brunner, a Democratic Secretary of State in Ohio, was our chance to investigate the
worst examples of voter suppression and other forms of election fraud. She turned that down but is
now happy to muck up the U.S. Senate race by going against the choice of Gov. Strickland, his
running mate and Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher. This is like Wall Street. Don't do you job and get a big
promotion.

Ohio Hardball & the Lost Ballots: Democrats May Lose Big with Brunner Senate Bid

March 26, 2009 – Washington, DC – Ohio election politics now rival the political hardball of Texas, Illinois, and Florida at their best. As a result, the state's Democratic Party may once again snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in the 2010 election cycle. Through a bid for the open United States Senate seat, the self described election reform Secretary of State, Jennifer Brunner puts two critical goals of Ohio Democrats at risk.

The first is the Senate seat held since 1999 by Republican George V. Voinovich who announced plans to retire at the end of his term this January. This provided a short-lived advantage for a unified Senate candidacy by Democrats. But the unity ended when the candidacy of Lt. Governor Lee Fisher, the party favorite, was challenged by Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner. SNIP

Brunner's qualifications for the United States Senate seat depend largely on her record as Secretary of State. How did she do?

Brunner promised a fair and open elections program if elected. She was tested early. When a federal judge ordered the collection of 2004 presidential ballots from Ohio County election boards, 58 of 88 failed to return some to all of their ballots.

This was a prime time opportunity for Brunner to open up an investigation into the sorry state of Ohio elections. What did she do? She offered this statement shortly after hearing of the lost ballots.

"If I had evidence of a cover-up, I would investigate," Brunner said. "For me, the bigger question in 2004 was, 'How many people were prevented from voting,' (something) you can't quantify." -- Jennifer Brunner, Cincinnati Enquirer, Aug 12, 2007

Brunner was never asked to explain how she could have any "evidence" without an investigation. SNIP

Democracy is mocked by the Senate candidacy of the chief elections official, Jennifer Brunner, who did absolutely nothing about the massive defiance by the 58 county election boards that lost or destroyed the legally mandated records of the 2004 presidential election. Some champion of democracy, some Democrat.

More: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0903/S00321.htm

[knowbody0]

1. This gives me a tummy ache

what a moron! promoted already beyond her capacity. now, On to the Senate!

[autorank]

4. She should finish, starty, her job as SoS

2004 is the Emerald City of election fraud. She was elected in 2006 and things were still live and
available, including the 2004 presidential ballots. But nooooo - no investigation.

After letting those people get away with this, who would believe election results again from these
boards.

If we did that, it would be hard time. The privileged do it and they get a pass.

:hi:

[DemReadingDU]

22. Brunner should stay as SOS

She's doing well as SOS, and it would avoid a costly runoff in a primary

[ihavenobias]

2. Thanks, interesting read.

K & R

[azureblue]

3. got a link

to a US or Ohio source?

[autorank]

5. There are a bunch in the article. n/t

[Me.]

6. When It Comes To Politicians I'm Beginning To Understand The Frustartion Henry II Felt

Take Your Pick

“* "Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?"
* "Will no one rid me of this troublesome priest?"
* "Who will rid me of this troublesome priest?"
* "Who will rid me of this turbulent priest?"
* "Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?"
* "Will no one revenge me of the injuries I have sustained from one turbulent priest?"
* "Will none of the knaves eating my bread rid me of this turbulent priest?"
* "Are you all cowards, who will rid me of this troublesome priest?"
* "What a band of loathsome vipers I have nursed in my bosom who will let their lord be insulted by this low-born cleric!"
* "What miserable drones and traitors have I nourished and brought up in my household, who let their lord be treated with such shameful contempt by a low-born cleric?"
• "Who shall rid me of this troublsome priest?" <5>”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Becket

[autorank]

9. "Who will leave me alone Sunday morning so I can just sleep!"

Very erudite
:hi:

[Me.]

17. The One About Vipers

is pretty good

[UTUSN]

7. Oh. Thought Tweety was in Ohio doing a college pep rally with Mc5PLANEs

Though that would be counter-intuitive since he ditched Mc5PLANEs after all those "Hardball College Tours."

[autorank]

8. haha

No Tweety here. Those shows are painful memories for the few minutes I watched.

[EFerrari]

10. Jennifer Brunner, the un-Debra!

Yikes.

[OhioBlue]

12. absolutely not.

Senator Ted Kennedy honored both women for their courage in cleaning up the election systems in their respective States. See here: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Education+and+Public+Programs/Profile+in+Courage+Award/Award+Recipients/Jennifer+Brunner/Remarks+by+Senator+Edward+M.+Kennedy.htm

A snippet:

Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown says of Brunner, “I’ve rarely seen anyone in public life so focused and persistent in fighting for the right causes.” As we honor her here, I know President Kennedy would agree.

[OhioBlue]

11. That story is ridiculous.

First of all... Jennifer Brunner formally announced her candidicy BEFORE Lee Fisher - he was still "thinkin'" about it.

We need a charismatic, top notch candidate to win the Senate seat and Jennifer Brunner is exactly the person to do it. She is a progressive, a fighter and extremely intelligent with political savy.

Further, the article is ridiculous to try and suggest that she has been anything but an answer to our prayers in Ohio to return integrity to the election process. Her first move was to clean up the Cuyahoga BOE - which had been plagued with incompetence and voting troubles. She risked political capital within her own party to do this. She also started a very detailed study of the election system which she fought with the Republican controlled legislature to get funding for.

She won the Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for her diligent and courageous work. http://www.jfklibrary.org/Education+and+Public+Programs/Profile+in+Courage+Award/Award+Recipients/Jennifer+Brunner/Remarks+by+Senator+Edward+M.+Kennedy.htm

If she made a comment that she needed proof - I would guess that it is because (1.) she was previously a judge and (2.) she knew she would need hard core evidence to go up against the Republican controlled and very partisan legislature in Ohio.

She spent her political capital, the financial resources of her office and her diligent time to clean up the election system in Ohio to hold an honest and open election. That is what she told us she would do when she ran for office, that is why I volunteered for her and that is exactly what she did.

The only hardball I see in Ohio right now is this BS hit job on one of our finest public servants in the Democratic Party that is now going to run for the Senate to fight for all Americans. It is total BS. Jennifer Brunner is an exceptional Democrat, an exceptional SOS and would be an exceptional Senator.

[autorank]

16. Destruction of evidence is "ridiculous"? . Stolen elections, forgotten?

That's what happened in 58 Ohio counties. 1.8 million 2004 ballots destroyed by county election boards.

Go read the letters. They're ridiculous excuses for violating federal and state law and a court order by a federal judge hearing a case on 2004 election fraud where the ballots were critical evidence.

The evidence was destroyed and just a short time after she found that out, Brunner pronounced the boards innocent ... without investigating..

Do you realize how serious it is to destroy evidence? It's very serious whether the destruction is through negligence or intentional acts. Read the letters and read these articles on the letters.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0710/S00300.htm & http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0711/S00161.htm

If you destroy evidence willfully or through negligence, then your liable for court sanctions and the mere act can be used as evidence of guilt. Having ballots destroyed by coffee, janitors, or to meet a need for more space are all examples of negligence. These are the records of an election. There is a standard of care associated with holding ballots. 22 months required by federal and Ohio law.

When the federal court order went out to secure the ballots, none other than then Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell sent a memo out to all the boards saying they were to obey the court order.

But 58 counties allowed 1.8 million ballots to be destroyed.

That says that these boards were, at the least, grossly negligent in this act, apparent from the outcome.

But that's OK to you? It isn't to me because I've lived with Bush for four years because of what happened in Ohio. Fixing that system was of paramount importance. This was the smoking gun. These boards couldn't/wouldn't even keep ballots ordered preserved by a federal judge.

But like the Wall Street manipulators, the boards got a pass. Who gave them that pass?

Jennifer Brunner. Now she's supposed to get a promotion.

Respond to that. You didn't respond to anything else in the article other than the timing issue (and it was widely known that Strickland was going to support Fisher, the guy who teamed with Strickland to win with 60% of the vote).

Brunner is running on a record of manifest failure at the one task where she should have succeeded -- investigating election fraud. No way.

[seemslikeadream]

13. Do not worry every thing is fine

[EFerrari]

14. LOL!

[stellanoir]

15. Hardball . . ."rilly". . . ?

It's more like a wicked wet noodle.

K & R'd

toodles & smooches

[mod mom]

18. As an Ohioan, I have to disagree with you Auto. I wholeheartedly support Brunner.

I worked voter protection in Ohio during the summer and fall ending with working the Obama ODP boiler room on election day. Despite a constant barrage of baseless GOP attacks, SOS Brunner has worked hard to bring fairness and openness to our totally f-up (after Blackwell's reign) election system. She encountered election officials, especially in the rural counties (Ohio has 88 in which about 6 are urban)that were not open to change. I believe she did a great job in just 2 years.

As far as the 2004, I do believe she followed orders from Democratic leaders who were afraid a witch hunt would hurt their chances of victory and hence change. The change must come from the federal level with correction of HAVA.

I believe Jennifer Brunner has the dedication, intelligence and temperment to fight for Ohioans. I can't think of one accomplishment of Lee Fisher. What has he done as Lt Governor that warrants his rise? I believe if you asked Ohio election integrity activists you would find ample support for Jennifer Brunner.

Both my husband and I have contributed to her campaign and I intend to work hard for her election to US Senator!

:hi:

On edit...she was elected in 2006. She had to stay focused on correcting the mess before the 2008 general. Fighting battles over past election could be done afterward, but she need to focus on preparation for what she was elected for running the upcoming (and very important) election in '08.

[Botany]

19. you know nothing

Brunner has done an outstanding job as Sec. of State.

Look she knows that Ohio 2004 was dirty but if she had fought that fight she
could not have done what she did in 2008 .... paper ballots, open voting, early
voting, and shit canning a whole bunch of County BOE people who would not
get w/ the program.

Ohio still has a many dirty "good old boys" in power & a right wing media
Jennifer has to very careful on how she pushes certain issues ....

BTW

1) She is suing Diebold for faulty machines

2) She won the John F Kennedy profiles in courage award for her work on clean elections

3) Her Everest study on voting machines is the gold standard

4) She got death threats because she stood by the right for people to vote.

5) She gave up a very lucrative legal biz & judgeship to run for Sec. of State because she was sickened by Blackwell.


Once again she knows Ohio 2004 was very dirty but she has to deal w/ the politics of "the real."

[mod mom]

20. THE EVEREST Report is a gold standard! Here it is for those who have forgotten:

The Evaluation & Validation of Election-Related Equipment, Standards & Testing report, known as EVEREST, is a comprehensive review of voting systems revealing startling findings on voting machines and systems used in Ohio and throughout the country. The Ohio study tested the systems for:
- risks to vote security,
- system performance, including load capacity,
- configuration to currently certified systems specifications, and
- operations and internal controls that could mitigate risk.

The $1.9 million study, paid for using federal funds, was structured to allow two teams of scientists, corporate and academic, to conduct parallel assessment of the security of the state’s three voting systems - Election Systems & Software (ES&S), Hart Intercivic and Premier Election Solutions (formerly Diebold) - in both voting and board of elections environments. Separate research was conducted on each voting system’s performance, configuration and operations and internal controls management. A bipartisan team of 12 election board directors and deputy directors advised the study and evaluated all reports, participating with the secretary in making recommendations for change.

-snip

http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/elections/voterInformation/equipment/VotingSystemReviewFindings.aspx

[cmd]

21. I love Jennifer

I just don't want to lose that SoS seat. Reapportionment is coming up. I have a lot of mixed feelings here.

[truedelphi]

23. K & R for reading later. n/t