The Associated Press is now joining the Tallahassee Democrat in a complaint sent to the Florida Attorney General objecting to an open meeting in the state’s capital last Monday which Florida Sec. of State Sue Cobb suddenly took it upon herself to close. She then called the capital police and ordered them to remove reporters from the area.
Earlier this week, The BRAD BLOG reported on the aborted “open meeting” as called by Cobb with Leon County Election Supervisor Ion Sancho and two other county commissioners. The meeting was called in order to discuss the situation in Leon County, where Sancho recently revealed that Diebold optical-scan voting machines could be hacked without a trace left behind.
Sancho told The BRAD BLOG last night he felt “there was no reason” to close the meeting.
“There was nothing we talked about in there that needed to be kept secret. They just don’t like open meetings. They like doing their business in secret,” Sancho said.
Cobb, on behalf of the state, has been putting pressure on Sancho to purchase new voting equipment, threatening him with removal from his elected position, and suggesting that U.S. Marshall’s might come in to run the county’s election. That, despite the fact that all three companies certified to do business in the state have now refused to work with Sancho.
Voting Machine Companies, it seems, don’t like doing business in the open either.
The meeting last Monday — held on the first day of “Sunshine Week” celebrating “open government” in Florida — was suddenly closed by Cobb who then called the police to remove reporters.
“On the first day of ‘Sunshine Week’ it was a pretty stupid thing to do,” Sancho said.
According to the Tallahassee Democrat, both they and the AP have now sent letters of complaint to Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist and State Attorney Willie Megs “expressing outrage” at being barred from the meeting in apparent violation of state law.
As reported by the Democrat…
…
Crist, coincidentally, was honored with an award given by the state’s First Amendment Foundation to a person who makes significant contributions furthering open government.
The two news organizations also protested Cobb’s attempt to have police officers remove their reporters.
”As if the closure of the meeting was not enough, to then put our reporter in the position of being threatened with arrest is intolerable,” Gabordi wrote.
…
Cobb said cameras would be a hindrance to a candid discussion and twice had reporters escorted into an adjacent hallway.
A previous BRAD BLOG report on the matter includes a video of Cobb talking to reporters just after the incident, explaining her reasoning for closing the meeting.
Sancho reported to us that, during the closed portion of the meeting, he learned Cobb had no real evidence to show that U.S. Marshalls had any interest in coming in to take over Leon County elections.
The beleagured 18-year Elections Supervisor has been widely supported around the nation for his efforts in exposing flaws in Diebold’s voting machines. An email campaign in support of Sancho was reportedly so successful it is said to have shut down a number of Florida officials email servers. As well, in his own county, Sancho recently received a unanimous “vote of confidence” from County Commissioners during a raucous meeting held last Tuesday where supporters had turned out in throngs.
The supporters, Sancho says, were really fired up. “I believe they would have rushed the podium if the Republicans on the counsel didn’t back off. I don’t think they counted on that,” he added.
“They were really stunned by the crowd and by the citizens who turned out in support, he said, “They seemed like they didn’t really know what to do.”
Sancho told The BRAD BLOG that the controversy — which kicked off last December after he held a “hack test” which completely reversed the results of a mock election and has been “going non-stop ever since” — has taken its toll.
“I’ve lost 20 pounds, aged about 40 years, and haven’t been sleeping well at all,” he told us.
Ever the optimist, Sancho added, “But I’m able to fit into clothes I haven’t been able to wear in years! Good thing I keep everything!”
He hopes, however, to take a week or so off to catch up on rest while the state examines his his plan to use a new “vote-by-phone system” created by Kentucky firm IVS. The system, however, has yet to be certified by the state.
Now, Sancho is waiting on Cobb.
This is great, it’s getting better all the time. Looks like things are finally starting to roll!
As some mentioned in another thread here the hard work of everyone such as Brad, Bev, Ion and Debra Bowen seems to be catching on and maybe the MSM is starting to turn the corner and beginning to "get it".
Hope so.
Thanks again Brad!
Them 6 or 7 that showed up for the meeting must have been pretty raucous to make the big bad Republicans back down, it sure doesn’t take much to send them away quivering
Then it must all be true, the Republicans are stealing the elections, otherwise why are they fighting back so hard ?
(or should I say trying to fight back)
Sunshine (day light) is the best disinfectant…..
These folks function best in an environment
conducive the the growth of mushrooms and
fungus – on the nice cool DARK ceiling of a
frig-gin cave. No day light here,.. the use of flashlights are strictly controlled and prohibited.
Concealment – is the refuge of all scoundrels.
Keep their feet to the fire,.. let these issues burn,..
to the point of resolution.
This is all taking place within sniffing distance of Jeb Bush’s office. Don’t doubt for a minute that little brother Jeb and big brother W. are paying close attention to everything.
They can’t keep the press out, and they know it. If they try, the press won’t only take them to court, they’ll stop giving the Bushes a free pass in their coverage. There will be more "crooked election machine" stories. Clint Curtis will get more attention. So Cobb will have to back down.
Moral of the story: You can screw the public on two consecutive elections and get away with it, but if you try to screw the press, you’ll get screwed yourself.
Breaking News at BBV – First examination of Diebold TSx machines shows numerous problems (wireless capability; different firmware in machines that were distributed at the same time, and more). More reports due out shortly.
See this thread:
http://www.bbvforums.org/cgi-bin/forums/show.cgi?tpc=1954&post=18846#POST18846
The increasingly certain method for detecting election fraud is going to come from exit poll science:
"Exit polling is a well-developed science, informed by half a century of experience and continually improving methodology"
(link here, page 7, bold added). See also Polling and presidential Election Coverage, Lavrakas, Paul J, and Holley, Jack K., eds., Newbury Park, CA: Sage; pp. 83-99).
It is the number one weapon against fraudulent elections. But as with most fraud, the strength and the weakness in all systems is in the people of the system.
We know that "Edison/Mitofsky samples voters for a nationwide exit poll as well as for each state’s exit poll" (ibid).
We know then, where the attack to establish the coverup will come from. We can expect a major movement to corrupt Edison/Mitofsky from the inside. That is the pattern we see in the electronic voting machine industry.
Lets take a look around and check them out.
Thwop (slapping myself on the forehead)
Of course Dredd, thats where they are headed next !
I was trying to figure out which state they were going after, but now that the machines are slowly rolling into place, the only thing left to corrupt is the polling outfits
which will try to quash our movement
You have a diabolical mind (like me), and use it for good, thats what I like about you
BTW, sorry I missed that Cook troll downthread, he made another strawman argument as late as this morning
Thanks Floridiot
Vote by phone? Hmm.. not sure that’s progress..
I’m just waiting to see what the courts say/do about this..
Savantster, I think if that takes care of the disabled people, it would make it easier to get rid of those other rotten machines, Don’t you?
This is coming to a head. No doubt Bush is going to drop some bombs on Iran now.
For all the good it does, I have e-mailed my rep and sen to the problems with these machines. maybe if enough people do, they will listen.