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Indy, Sparky.... Damn I missed you close-minded fellas.

Well here's the the LA. Times story about the arrest of McCain's GOP....Voters say they were duped into registering as Republicans

Stephen Osman / Los Angeles Times



"I am not a Republican," insisted Karen Ashcraft, 47, a pet-clinic manager and former Democrat from Ventura who said she was duped by a signature gatherer into joining the GOP. "I certainly . . . won't sign anything in front of a grocery store ever again."

It is a bait-and-switch scheme familiar to election experts. The firm hired by the California Republican Party -- a small company called Young Political Majors, or YPM, which operates in several states -- has been accused of using the tactic across the country.

Election officials and lawmakers have launched investigations into the activities of YPM workers in Florida and Massachusetts. In Arizona, the firm was recently a defendant in a civil rights lawsuit. Prosecutors in Los Angeles and Ventura counties say they are investigating complaints about the company.

The firm, which a Republican Party spokesman said is paid $7 to $12 for each registration it secures, has denied any wrongdoing and says it has never been charged with a crime.

The 70,000 voters YPM has registered for the Republican Party this year will help combat the public perception that it is struggling amid Democratic gains nationally, give a boost to fundraising efforts and bolster member support for party leaders, political strategists from both parties say.

Laws said the YPM staffer who instructed her to identify herself on a petition as a Republican assured her that it was a formality, and that her registration would not be changed. Later, a card showed up in the mail saying she had joined the GOP.

"I said, 'No, no, no. That's not right,' " Laws said.

It all sounds familiar to Beverly Hill, a Democrat and the former election supervisor in Florida's Alachua County. About 200 voters -- mostly college students -- were unwittingly registered as Republicans there in 2004 by YPM staffers using the same tactic, Hill said.

"It is just incredible that this can keep happening election after election," she said.

YPM and Republican Party officials said they were surprised by the complaints. The officials said the signature gatherers wear shirts bearing the Republican symbol, an elephant -- a contention disputed by some of the voters interviewed.

Every person registered signs an affidavit confirming they voluntarily joined the GOP, party leaders said.

"It does the state party no good to register people in a party they don't want to be in," said Hector Barajas, communications director for the California Republican Party.

The document that voters thought was an initiative petition has no legal implications at all. YPM founder Mark Jacoby said the petition was clearly labeled as a "plebiscite," which does nothing more than show public support.

(Cont'd)....

Typichal Bushney,s!!!!!!!!

Even when they becoming Gays...... they are not able to act as normal Gay,s..... probabely because of so much condumnation and hatered agaisnt them amoungtheir fellow republican mates.........

they get Bittered as well.........

and want to Be some thing..............

And then............

A sinclair decides to become the first republican Gay who is a celebrity amoung other republicans and creates a big fat lie!!!!!!!!

Well I could like that potted meat stuff...

I could probably eek out 5 years... I love bologna sandwiches.

Did you forget Fox News???

The thing is, I can't find much on this other than the Huffington post. I've checked the major networks and seen nothing (Not even CNN). If I find something I'll certainly respond but you know me. I want to see something a little more concrete. I would think the liberal media would have this all over the place. Maybe I missed something and I will surely reply if I find it.

I think we should because has done us absolutely no good...except closed companies that now have moved to Mexico or the U.S. so they can pay their employees cheaper wages...it has cost us more in jobs than it has benefited us in selling products....

Yes there is sparky apparently you didn't read my post

John McCain's campaign has directed $175,000 to the firm of a Republican operative accused of massive voter registration fraud in several states.

According to campaign finance records, a joint committee of the McCain-Palin campaign, the RNC and the the California Republican Party, made a $175,000 payment to the group Lincoln Strategy in June for purposes of "registering voters." The managing partner of that firm is Nathan Sproul, a renowned GOP operative who has been investigated on multiple occasions for suppressing Democratic voter turnout, throwing away registration forms and even spearheading efforts to get Ralph Nader on ballots to hinder the Democratic ticket.

In a letter to the Justice Department last October, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers said that that Sproul's alleged activities "clearly suppress votes and violate the law."

That Sproul would come under the employment umbrella of the McCain campaign -- the Republican National Committee has also separately paid Lincoln Strategy at least $37,000 for voter registration efforts this cycle -- is not terribly surprising. Sproul, who has donated nearly $30,000 to McCain's campaign, has been in the good graces of GOP officials for the past decade despite charges of ethical and potentially legal wrongdoing.

But his involvement with the Republican Party's voter registration efforts has the potential to create a political and public relations headache at a time when McCain can ill-afford one. For weeks the Arizona Republican and his allies have been seeking to tie Barack Obama to the community organization ACORN, which they have accused of potentially committing massive voter registration fraud. Sproul's contract with the GOP ticket -- in addition to news of Republican officials attempting to suppress Democratic turnout in California -- raises, for some, questions about McCain's own efforts.

I would break down the 3 and 4 syllable words. JMO

Facts...based on McCains man getting busted for voter fraud....the same thing Obama is being accused of with no proof at all.....

Obama will together with Hillary Clinton saving America form this Stupied Mess of a so called health care system Indy!!!!!!!

If you are rich............... You are going to PAY MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!

I certainly hope you make more than 250 k a year Indy.............Because you will have to be a part of payments of the poor homeless dude who becomes sick or the honurable family who are doing their best and working hard but can not afford a propper health care any way............

I really like Particulary YOU to pay more Indyfella .... like participating more responsible in the faith of your own country

Now if Colin Powell had endorse Mccain there would have been so many people in here calling him a great man for that

Nafta-Plus
Canada looks to Europe in anticipation of Obama protectionism.

Barack Obama's promise to unilaterally rewrite the North American Free Trade Agreement if Canada and Mexico won't go along with his ideas on labor and the environment has not gone unnoticed in Ottawa. If Canadians are going to have a tougher time selling their goods and services south of the border, who can blame them for looking east -- across the Atlantic to Europe.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy looks on as Prime Minister Stephen Harper responds at a press conference, Oct. 17, 2008.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and President Nicolas Sarkozy of France signed an agreement Friday to begin negotiations for a free trade pact between Canada and the European Union. A Canada-EU study released last week outlines the joint economic benefits of such a partnership, with two-way trade estimated to increase 22.9% by 2014.

The proposed partnership goes a lot further than Nafta. In addition to allowing free trade in goods and services, it would harmonize regulations, open up the air-travel market, and boost opportunities in government-procurement. Most important, it would free the labor market so that skilled workers could move easily back and forth across the Atlantic.

The free-labor point is key. As recently as half a century ago, Canadians and Americans were pretty much free to work in either country without the visa restrictions that apply today. Under the proposed Canada-EU agreement, a computer geek from, say, the University of Waterloo -- one of whose alumni developed the BlackBerry -- would be able to take a job in Hamburg or Dublin if he wished; forget about Silicon Valley.

At a news conference on Friday, Mr. Harper said, "We must stand against protectionism and work to lower and eliminate barriers." If Canada and the EU are successful in liberating their economic relationship, we have a question: Can the U.S. join too?

I would like to see one shred of evidence tha OBama endorsed or even knew what SOME MEMBERS of ACORN were doing. Not suppositions or inuendos. But proof that OBama was a part of a conspiracy to commit voter fraud!

Now that's peanuts...that won't fly OBAMA 1 from here to Hawaii....

The most "Lovely" story of the day:

____________________________Oops! McCain asks Russia's U.N. envoy for money!

John McCain's presidential election campaign has solicited a financial contribution from an unlikely source -- Russia's U.N. envoy -- but a McCain spokesman said on Monday it was a mistake.

In the letter, McCain urged Russia's U.N. Ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, to contribute anywhere from $35 to $5,000 to help ensure McCain's victory over Democratic rival Sen. Barack Obama, currently ahead in voter preference polls.

"If I have the honor of continuing to serve you, I make you this promise: We will always put America -- her strength, her ideals, her future -- before every other consideration," McCain assured Churkin.

Moscow's mission to the United Nations issued a terse statement on the Republican presidential candidate's letter, saying that the Russian government and its officials "do not finance political activity in foreign countries."

A spokesman for McCain, a long-time critic of Russia, had a simple explanation for the fundraising letter's arrival at the Russian mission in New York: "It was an error in the mailing list."

The letter was addressed to Churkin and sported a McCain signature near the bottom.

Earlier this month, both McCain and Obama harshly criticized Russia for invading Georgia two months ago, but neither was willing to say yes when asked if Russia under Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was the "evil empire".

It is illegal for U.S. presidential candidates to accept funds from foreign sources. The McCain campaign accused Obama earlier this month of not doing enough to screen for illegal contributors and asked U.S. election officials to investigate.

McCain has agreed to public financing for his campaign and therefore cannot accept funds from private donors.

(Reporting by Louis Charbonneau; Editing by Sandra Maler)

__________________________________________'

McCain..... oh my god..... this guy truely Sucks Major time

And the upside, Pelosi & Reid pushed and signed off....and Obama gave his blessing.

I received an email from my ex-girlfriend today. This requires a little set-up.

We had dinner some 2 1/2 months ago. We've always been cordial, and stay in touch. Went to the nice little Italian place across the street, just like we always used to. It was nice and awkward at the same time. It always is. This time, even a little more awkward, as she told me she had parted company with her boyfriend.

We said our goodbyes, and promised to stay in touch. Paralysis by Analysis followed. I know we loved each other very much. I am also a firm believer that we were not together for a reason (mostly, I blame myself). I struggled with what to do, sometimes mightily. In the end, I accepted things as they are. I did nothing.

I sent a "hey, how are you?" type note last night. Told her about my father in the hospital, and that I got a new bike - siginificant since I had to sell the one we more-or-less bought together to get the new one. I also suggested dinner sometime.

I got a reply today. She said sorry to hear about my father, nice bike, and, well, she reconciled with said boyfriend and they are engaged.

Wow.

Of course, I am very happy for her, and she deserves to be happy. In fact, made it a point to tell her so. But why do I feel so odd? Did I not fully let her go? I am the sort that reconciles things and moves on. Why, in this particular situation, am I finding this difficult?

I know we must live with the decisions we make. I accept this. I have to. This chapter of my life has been closed for me.

Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation? How did you react?

Apologies for the long-winded typing. Feels good to tap it out.

I would be more worried about the test the people in his own country put him through than any generated international crisis with the exception of those that are already on-going that is...