Meanwhile…Down in “the Sunshine State”…
Public meeting turns private when Cobb restricts access to reporters
Sunshine Week started off with the slamming of the secretary of state’s door Monday, when Leon County Commissioner Bob Rackleff and news reporters were shut out of an announced public meeting on county voting issues.
“I’ve always said I have no objection to the press, but we do make faster progress without people having to look at cameras – that’s a fact,” said Florida Secretary of State Sue Cobb.
Tallahassee Democrat Political Editor Bill Cotterell, Associated Press reporter Brent Kallestad and cameraman Dave Heller also were threatened with eviction from a hallway outside Cobb’s closed conference room by Capitol Police for trying to attend the meeting with Cobb, Leon County Commission Chairman Bill Proctor, Supervisor of Elections Ion Sancho and staff members.
“I’m very concerned and very confused,” Democrat Executive Editor Bob Gabordi said. “I have to know that when reporters show up to a meeting that has been given proper public notice, that they will not be harassed and threatened with arrest.”
This story is just incredible.
For those just jumping into this tale, SoS Cobb (Jeb’s recent political appointee) has been threatening Leon County’s elected Election Supervisor Ion Sancho because he revealed that the Diebold voting machines in Florida and elsewhere can be hacked and flipped without a trace being left behind.
In the bargain, all three Voting Machine Companies certified to do business in Florida have now refused to do business with Sancho. Nonetheless — and incredibly — the state is now targetting [PDF] the heroic Sancho with threats to remove him from his elected position.
All, at the same time that Florida sent a “technical advisory” to all Election Supervisors in the state, warning them of what Sancho found — but without mentioning their friends Diebold by name, and certainly not bothering to laud Sancho for discovering a huge electoral integrity issue in the “Sunshine State.”
And now, a meeting with officials which is supposed to be open to the press and the public — on the first day of Florida’s phony “Sunshine Week”, celebrating open government (no, seriously) — results in closed doors, reporters tossed and calls to the police.
Just amazing…Please read on…
Under Florida’s open-government law, which is being celebrated by state and national media this week, when two or more members of the board are together and may discuss issues of future board consideration, the meeting is open to the public and requires notice.
But when Rackleff tried to enter the meeting, he was turned away, along with reporters. With only Proctor inside, Cobb could call the meeting closed.
“This kicks it off with a bang,” said Adria Harper, director of The First Amendment Foundation. “The public was invited and now they are being told they can’t attend, and in the middle of Sunshine Week. It’s almost an ironic tragedy that it is occurring.”
In some instances, the Florida Supreme Court has ruled, even having a single board member present could constitute a public meeting if there is an effort to frustrate openness, Harper said. That was clearly the intent here, she added, but in any case, “they violated the spirit of the Sunshine Law.”
Cobb suggested the meeting should be closed because the public notice did not come from her office.
“The press is not invited to this meeting,” Cobb told reporters. “There might be a government-in-the-sunshine problem.”
When reporters refused to leave the hallway outside the meeting room, Department of State officials called Capitol Police officers. Four uniformed officers arrived, but since no trespassing complaint had been filed, they said they would not stop the group from entering the meeting.
Rackleff went in, followed by reporters, and Cobb stopped the meeting. Sancho, who said he had no problem conducting business in public, told Rackleff it was essential talks with state and county officials happen in advance of today’s commission workshop – and if the commissioner stayed those talks wouldn’t happen. Rackleff agreed to leave, and the door was again shut.
“We are going to ask the press to step out again,” Cobb said. “We are making some interesting progress.”
The Democrat’s editor praised the Capitol Police for the way its officers responded.
“It appears that Capitol Police exercised restraint in a confusing situation,” Gabordi said. “We are grateful for their good judgment.”
Standing in the hallway with a crowd of reporters as the closed meeting progressed, Rackleff said the day’s events showed Florida knew how to honor openness: “Happy Sunshine Week – slam!”
If you haven’t done so already, it’s not too late to send a note of support for Sancho to Florida state officials. VoteTrustUSA has made it very easy to do…
(Hat tip Pokey Anderson!)
Wow, the Reichstag Fire has nothing on this
The finest Fascism money can buy
Good one , Brad
Apparently it’s still true that vampires wither in sunlight.
Nice work, Brad.
Did you see Sue Cobb, she looks like Bill Frist in drag
The name says it all. BUSH !! You vill do as I say or you Vill go to zee gas chamber!!!!
and the masses….? *snoring sound*
thought so.
don’t know, don’t care.. "hey, if they want to discuss how to fix it in private, let them!".. uh.. moron? that’s how you "cover it up".. you FIX it in the OPEN..
We really have walked through the looking glass.
BradBlog and bloggers,…
Thank God the eyes of the world were brought to
focus,.. upon this issue,… by the combined efforts
of all. When/if people speak in unison,… only then
will our cherished Democracy prevail, irregardless
of the incredible assault being waged by those
who give not a damn about these issues.
Has this story been spread over the web and other outlets? This is disgusting. Maybe it’s time to try again to get MSM attention. Dobbs or Oberman might be tempted.
I see one good thing in this … and surely the reporters will get it too ???
Which is the fact that the SoS of Florida does not want the truth to be known about fraudy election machines, and Ion Sancho’s outing of them, and that the SoS will take very forceful action to try to make sure the press does not know the truth.
That is good if the press gets it.
Because they may turn on the SoS and Florida like a firestorm and put some focus on the corruption.
This is consistent with the pattern of government shutting out the public. It’s like Alberto Gonzalez always saying, "I can’t comment on that" when the press asks him questions. The government is not accountable to the public anymore. It’s like they are a club that we are not a part of.
Media info:
Cobb/Sancho meeting,…
Media Report :
Multi-media download available
to those who wish to keep on top of this issue,..
(clink link,.. blue box on right side,.. top,.. video can be seen.)
Link: To Video
Ion Sancho,..
Did not get (Poop) canned !!!!…… Yet.
Last grab for power. They are going down.
Why on earth would Jeb Bush or his Secretary of State, Sue Cobb, want honest voting machines that record votes accurately? They can’t swing elections if they are honest.
Moreover, Ms. Cobb is in violation of Florida Sunshine Laws in addition to being malfeasant in her duties as Secretary of State. She needs to be sued by the Democratic Party in Florida.
Sunshine Laws mean Sunshine—all is open. Democracy means democracy. Democracy is not democracy with machines that record votes inaccurately. GET OVER IT SUE AND JEB. You are both traitors to the State and to all Floridians.
Our nation’s Articles of Organization and Operating Agreement provide a remedy for ALL of the ails facing this nation, but do we have the intestinal fortitude to follow through?
The only surefire way to fix the rampant corruption and cronyism so pervasive in both major politcal parties is to scrap the current system and start anew. Until then money will rule and we serfs are truly fucked.
It’s all so wrong! How can this be stopped! Why can’t citizens recall all elected (or not) officials?
And Why didn’t the Democrats back up Fienstein? What pussies, I’m so sick of them saying we can’t do this in a time of war? Of course they’ll never let the war end since they can apparently do what ever they want regarless of it being legal or not. Censure was not enough, he should have been impeached DSMs ago, lying to congress ago, wire tapping ago…….Stop the madness!
Jon Stewart (Daily Show) will love this shit
where is the fbi here. why aren’t they actively investigating possible serious violations of federal law. time for a new director.
History Buff #15
You said "Articles of Organization and Operating Agreement" are the documents evidently made at the beginning of your nation.
What nation? We have here The US Constitution, which was also a good set of ideas.
We are not using it right now, so perhaps we could loan it to your nation for awhile. You might like it.
Why are the Dems. still not on the same page?. Even if Sentator Fiengold knew it didn`t have chance they should stand behind him .Is this the way it is going to be up to time to vote?. IT is heart breaking watching our county getting hated across the world.
re: #5 (snoring sound)
Did anyone happen to catch Boston Legal last night? Priceless.
A client didn’t pay her taxes because she was "embarassed" about what was happening to America so she was arrested. Allen (Spader) gave a speech in court about how there was no outrage in our nation when there were no WMD’s found in Iraq. Then there were yawns when the torture happened. More yawns when spying on citizens occurred. With each example, Allen says something like: "Surely this would wake up America, but it didn’t."
Does anyone think that the Florida thing will enrage the masses? Since Bush’s first stolen election, there has been an absence of outrage.
I don’t know what it will take to wake up America.
PS: Does anyone know where I could find the clip from last night’s show? I’d love to watch Spader giving that speech over and over again–a John Quincy Adams moment. Why do our great statesmen exist only in history or fiction?
It would be great to have a printable version of your posts. best, Joe
Support the Constitution
buy silver
http://www.goldismoney.info
Re #21, the Boston Legal video can be found here:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/03/15.html#a7532
Jon Stewart (Daily Show) will love this shit