Thom reveals himself to be a deficit "dove"... which enables deficit "hawks."

Read this for the alternative: http://neweconomicperspectives.org/2012/09/deficit-hawks-obama-romney-bowles-boehner-plan-to-shrink-your-economy-part-1.html

One money quote: "“Deficit doves”, i.e. left neoclassical economists and their followers, are generally more aware of the social and economic costs of cutting government spending during the current debt-deflation than “deficit hawks” and, as a group, are able to make some trenchant points against the “deficit hawks”. However they are often accusing the deficit hawks of being hypocrites about the deficit and that they, the “deficit doves”, are the people who care more sincerely about balanced government budgets than the deficit hawks. Senator Bernie Sanders, who is a relatively effective anti-austerity campaigner in the Senate, nevertheless hews to the “deficit dove” line recommending as a virtue, the reduction of deficits as a policy goal in itself.

In these beliefs, deficit doves are also mistaken, and they reinforce beliefs about the role of government and of money that in the end defeat the purpose of their protest. If “deficit hawks” are in fact insincere about deficits, which many of them are, the “deficit doves” are placing themselves into the position of “useful idiots” for believing in the importance of reducing deficits. If the actual goal of the deficit hawks is to reduce the size of or eliminate the welfare state but reserve government’s power, including its currency-issuing authority, for bailing out or funding favored industries like banking or defense, “deficit doves” are providing cover for them by reinforcing the notion that there is a fixed quota of government “scrip” which can run out."

What's needed are deficit "owls" who understand that for dollars issued by the Fed, it also issues "debt" in an equal amount. That means reducing "debt" by retrieving those dollars from the non-government sector will impoverish the private economy. The word "debt" is in quotes because it bears absolutely no resemblance to family debts.

I can't say that I am surprised that the rethugs are trying to get away with voter/voting fraud. I look for that to happen here in Ohio, again, where it's a common occurence. After the 2005 (stolen) elections, Ohio was visited by a non-partisan group that looked at the election process. If I recall correctly, there were somewhere around 500 to 600 "issues" of voting irregularities. (Not to mention that before the vote the CEO of Diebold, voting machine co., was caught on camera bragging that Bush would win.) But nothing was ever done about these irregularities, some reforms were made, but no one went to jail.

The Ohio Secretary of State, Jon Husted (R), sent out early voting ballots. My husband thinks that we should be wary of rethugs encouraging voting and we should worry about those votes being counted. People have to register as voting absentee--aren't those often the votes that are counted later, after the offical voting day, or lost, conveniently?

Reince Priebus is the man I blame for this fisasco. He is the head of the Republican Party, the buck stops with him. He should be investigated by the Justice Department. This is not a accident. If you cannot win with your ideas, then you steal the election. You steal elections by miscounting ballots, losing ballots, keeping Democrats from voting. You keep Democrats from voting by destroying voter registration forms, by only setting up a few polling stations in heavy Democratic precincts, by intimidating voters with bullies at the polls, by challenging Democrats right to vote. Republicans are engaged in everything except trying to get their ideas accepted by the public. Their ideas don't work so they cannot convince people to accept their ideas.

Unfortunately, I doubt that anyone will be charged as long at the current chicken-bleep Atty. General is in charge. One of Obama's real mistakes.

Thom --answering your question : the DoJ, the FEC?

There are so many criminalities involved. How could they not?

As a certified Election Observer I've observed our paper-ballot, voter-verified, vote-by-mail Election System some 5 or 6-years. It is, we agree, a very well designed procedure-based system, run by supervisors and experienced staff, all apparently dedicated to the sanctity of every Voter, every Ballot and every Vote, per our state's "inclusive, voter-intent" laws and rules. Still improving, we are proud of how it works.

The Registration, Return and Ballot Processing, and Tally systems are the result of close cooperation between an experienced and enlightened Election Staff, with support from several active Community Citizens Advisory Groups. The systems are highly structured with sufficient log, tracking and reports, that voters, ballots and votes are processed to our best reasonable ability, with results reconcilable and verifiable within relatively tight limits.

Good Elections ARE possible through careful design and execution. I certainly am aware of the corruption that plagues elections too many places in the US as well as around the world. Having watched our systems very closely I speculate: How could I hack the system; how much effect could I have, and could it be done -- how could it be done, without leaving tracks? In a well designed complex redundant secure system, it would be extremely tough.

Either a poorly designed system, one weak by design, or a sloppy over-stressed, poorly managed system, could produce either inaccurate or corrupt results. However, it would require either incompetence, or some degree of conspiracy.

As I watch our dysfunctional US political system of recent decades, where repeated-lies have become truth and reality for half our population, where faith-based ends justify means, where overwhelming money corrupts everything -- I think of those historic folks who really fought and in some places are fighting; and yes, dying for the rights to self determination. It's a hundreds of years old war between the rulers and the serfs. And we in the US, pacified by our affluence, and pandering media, dismiss corruption in our own political systems with a shrug.

Election Fraud requires conscious corrupt acts. Whether done for some false-greater-good, or some cynical superiority; futzing with the rolls, returns or results is wrong, and we know it. The stories are in the news, and the professionals within the parties do no more than ignore it, or report it for their own tactical advantage. There are no penalties that matter; most people don't or can't care.

Voter Disenfranchisement and Tally-Corruption enrage me -- it's not necessary. In the old war for self-determination, Election Fraud should be the equivalent of Treason, a capital offense. That might cause people to think about it differently.

Why isn't this story being reported in the main stream media?

A smoke-screen - they are great at "slight-of-hand" tactics - thank the Heritage Fdn (think tank) for that. Whatever they say/do is the opposite and they are now Very predictable. The only voter fraud found was in the absentee ballots. None of their voting restrictions address that because absentee ballots usually favor the Republicans. It was known a year ago that the AG wouldn't have enough time to fight all the battles. Then, they "invented" the Fast & Furious with the help of the NRA and were able to distract his time, too. As long as we spend efforts to fight the restrictions, we are thrown off the scent of Election Fraud.

What main stream media do you refer? The "New Right" has control of CNN (Clearchannel Network); Fox (Murdoch's NewsCorp); and actually - almost All newspapers, radio, tv and the net. We don't have a lot of choices, anymore. Sites like Thom Hartmann, Ron Reagan, Jr., The Nation, 1/2 of MSNBC (i.e. Rachel Maddow), Bill Maher. Some places don't get anything but Fox. We are starting to hear more and more about ALEC, Oligarchists, Theocrats; but, we don't get all the news. We don't see the thousands in the streets that are protesting (e.g. Mexico, spain, Greece, Germany). They're fighting against the Austerity Agenda, too, so, they don't let us see that news - can find it on the web, though. I just keep posting info on some of the shows and hope they do a segment one day SOON!!