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Michael Shelby serves democracy as an aggressive progressive and "equal opportunity abuser". An independent election integrity activist in Arizona, he is also an active member of Progressive Democrats of America. A veteran of Vietnam era antiwar protests, Mike serves in the 82nd Pajamahadeen/101st Keyboard Division continuing the fight against war and Republicans.
SHARE Sunday, October 12, 2008 Avaritia mala est - Greed is bad
"Wealth is never destroyed . . . it just changes location." So describes the greatest wealth transfer in modern history today as the rich, once again, raid everyone else on the planet.
(2 comments) SHARE Saturday, September 6, 2008 Sarah Palin missed her calling . . . she's a good actor.
Sarah Palin's polished speech making proved she is a quick study (she even learned to say nuclear instead of nucular) who can master the thick of thin things. It reminded me of another female politician.
(2 comments) SHARE Monday, March 17, 2008 In Praise of Patriots - Then and Now
The election transparency movement has many dedicated, passionate, and committed advocates. Not unlike the founding fathers who faced long odds, the unknown, with the possible loss of status and fortune (not to mention being hanged for treason); modern day election transparency advocates have committed themselves to the defense of the democracy our founding fathers made for us. Truly, they are modern day patriots!
SHARE Friday, September 28, 2007 IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH - Movie Review
IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH is a counterpoint movie to THE KINGDOM. Not an anti-war movie but more a whodunit and a study in psychology of the characters. Brilliantly acted and directed, IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH brings the effects of war from far away deserts to small town America where most of our soldiers are from. You won't be unmoved and you will leave the theatre asking the question, what next? Both movies open Friday.
(3 comments) SHARE Friday, September 14, 2007 Irreversible Death - the end of the Republican Party - Part 1
The Republican Party is dead! It just doesn't realize it or have the decency to lie down and be dead. Using the analogy of the medical diagnosis of 'irreversible death', this series of essays will build the case for the inevitable death of Republicanism and then conservatism as a political philosophy.
(28 comments) SHARE Monday, August 20, 2007 Dennis Kucinich stole my line!
This morning's ABC/Iowa Democratic Candidate debate once again weighted its questions and attentions on the front runners disproportionately and unfairly. Rep. Kucinich was last to be addressed and was shut out for fully 30 minutes into the debate. Still, as in other debates, he delivered the most presidential, cogent, content driven, affirmative answers of all the candidates. His answers were "Straight from the Shoulder."
(2 comments) SHARE Tuesday, August 14, 2007 Good Riddance To Bad Rubbish
The resignation of "Bush's Brain" Karl Rove is not a cause for celebration. Karl Rove is a devotee of Machiavelli and never makes a move without thinking it through. I'm not letting down my guard down against this evil, manipulative, nasty little man for a second. If we are ever to be free of these reprehensible Republicans we must be as vigilant in watching for their assaults as we are when guarding against terrorism.
SHARE Wednesday, August 8, 2007 Gov. Bill Richardson Wins MSNBC Post Debate Analysis
Richardson won only if this were a golf tournament where the LOWEST score wins. Biased mainstream media (MSM) coverage of annointed candidates is not just unfair, it is dangerous. In this article I took note of the actual mentions of each candidate during the post forum analysis. Clinton got 62 hits, Obama 39, and Edwards 25. Dodd picked up 8, Kucinich and Biden were tied at 5, and Gov. Richardson received not one mention.
(2 comments) SHARE Friday, November 17, 2006 STILL VOTING?
Electronic voting machines are much too leaky a vessel to put any faith in. Time for a paradigm shift back to the future in how we go about conducting the next election in 2008. Let's begin now to educate, agitate, and eliminate any thinking that electronic voting machines are a viable option in preserving and propagating our democracy. Let's not be forced to give out lapel stickers in 2008 that say, I think I voted!
SHARE Tuesday, November 14, 2006 Bi-partisanship and Cooperation . . . are you serious?
It is vital not to forget who put the Bush administration in power, supported its vile agenda, and carried its water through three elections and six years. It was the Republican Party, anyone still registered as a Republican, and the coalition of the brain-dead X-tian right, neocons, and various hate groups. "Those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it," must become the mantra of the American people.
(2 comments) SHARE Tuesday, November 14, 2006 POST ELECTION AUDIT A FARCE IN ARIZONA
Perhaps I was too optimistic, perhaps I wanted to believe we had made some progress despite my writing about and knowing that nothing really had changed; that the machines were just as flawed, vulnerable to hacking and vote manipulation, that pre-testing the machines would reveal nothing of bugs, vote flipping programs, Trojan Horses, or trap doors in the secret software. Maybe this audit would provide some confidence? Nah!
SHARE Thursday, November 9, 2006 ARIZONA CONDUCTS FIRST OFFICIAL AUDIT OF ELECTION MACHINES
Election reform to allow the manual audit of electronic voting machines has been a circuitous and flawed journey. Finally, an audit of Tuesday's mid-term elections may actually happen. But only because people from both the Democratic and Republican parties have willed it to proceed.