debilyn's blog

"Voting is the beating heart of democracy." - Thomas Paine. Now there is some true common sense. If you agree, then what would you call all the efforts underway to keep people from voting? Cardiac surgery? Mass murder?

While actual voting fraud has been overly scrutinized in the last ten years, it is consistently found to be as common as being struck by lightning according to the Brennan Center for Justice.

Over the last few months LUNCH WITH LOUDEN and the other Coffee Talk Radio shows, our Facebook page (JOIN THE COFFEE PARTY MOVEMENT) and many member posters and bloggers have been taking on the issue of voting rights.

Are we infringing on our voting rights with all the current and proposed new laws?  Or are we protecting our democracy?  We want to hear YOUR STORIES of voting, registering others to vote, obtaining ID and overcoming challenges to exercising your right to vote.  It’s always a conversation when you call in.  Join us!

LUNCH WITH LOUDEN
Thursdays at noon Pacific (3 pm ET)
Call in at 646-929-2495
Or click HERE to listen to archived show

Here are the current prongs of voting we’ll cover today:

• Voter ID Laws
• Voting Days and Times
• Voter Suppression Efforts
• Voter Fraud (including facts)
• Voter Purging
• Voting Machines
• Voter Empowerment
• Voter Instructions

How do you see the role of the U.S. military in the world? How can we be any more powerful without reconsidering our financial approach to providing a meaningful military presence? Is it worth the cost?

Ever since Condie Rice came out for ‘greater strength around the world’ at the GOP convention, right up to Mr. Romney’s endorsement of the same ‘world-enforcer’ position in the debate last week, the question arises ”How are these don’t-tax-ME-patriots going to pay for this?” Since we don’t know their financing plan, Here are four terms of agreement.

1. SAY YES TO WAR TAX, the good old-fashioned  kind that is top heavy, and enough to pay the actual costs. This presumes the peace and prosperity tax cuts, loopholes, and incentives still in place during time of war and recession, are ended.

2. SAY NO TO WAR PROFITEERING. Ike warned us that war would become a cash-cow when military contractors were allowed a profit! He was right.

3. SAY YES TO THE DRAFT. Yes, the real draft, the one where even Elvis takes a turn. Our fifth- and sixth-tour veterans are a national shame. And how they are treated when they just finally come home is an even greater shame.

4. SAY NO TO THE PRIVATE ARMY. No more contractor soldiers. No more State Department force not under the control of the Pentagon. No more mercenaries in tow with FEMA. Privatization has no place in our budget when it comes to “providing for the common defense”, a constitutional charge.

Something tells us that after we start paying-as-we-go for our bravery, after we take away the profit motive, after everyone has the “opportunity” to serve, and after the control of all of our forces is returned to the Commander-in-Chief, the rush to spend for “military might” will wane.

This show is for YOU to voice your opinion, so call in at 646-929-2495 starting at 12 noon PT.

LUNCH WITH LOUDEN
Thursdays at noon Pacific (3 pm ET)
Call in at 646-929-2495
Or click HERE to listen live

--adapted from Jeanene’s blog, Pointed Postcards

Today’s Blue Plate Special: Steve Spaulding of Common Cause joins us to review “Bullies at the Ballot Box,” a report and strategies he co-authored with others, outlining protections needed in 10 states to protect the freedom to vote against intimidation and wrongful challenges on election day.  This report is a response to strategic plans outlined by a voter suppression group, targeting minority and student populations.