Tomorrow is November 7th 2006, a critical day in the American political landscape. Millions of Americans across the nation will go to their respective voting sites and decide the new balance of power in Congress. Due to the possibility that Democrats might take back both the Senate and the House from the Republicans, this election cycle has been especially scandal filled. Let’s take a look at all the great stuff our politicans have been up to in the last 6 months:
- Fraud (Nov 6th) – Voting Fraud (Slashdot discussion here)
- The NRCC (National Republican Congressional Committee) hired Conquest Communications Group to conduct a massive nationwide robocalling campaign with calls specifically scripted to appear as if they’re coming from the Democratic candidate.
- Iraq (Nov 5th) – Saddam Sentenced (BBC Story here)
- Saddam Hussein has been found guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced to death by an Iraqi court for his part in the killing of 148 Shia Muslims in Dujail in 1982.
- Iraq (Nov 3rd) – Neo Culpa (Vanity Fair Story here)
- Led by Richard Perle and Kenneth Adelman, the war’s neoconservative architects blast the Bush administration for what even they call the “disaster” in Iraq.
- Middle East (Nov 3rd) – Six Arab States enters nuclear arm race (TimesOnline Story here)
- The spectre of a nuclear race in the Middle East was raised yesterday when six Arab states (Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, UAE and Saudi Arabia) announced that they were embarking on programmes to master atomic technology.
- Gay Marriage (Nov 3rd) – Ted Haggard Impodes (BBC Story here)
- The leader of the 30-million-member National Association of Evangelicals in the US has resigned after being accused of paying for sex with a man.
- Electronic Voting (Nov 2nd) – HBO’s Hacking Democracy (Google video here)
- A new HBO documentary exposes the vulnerability of electronic voting machines. The film follows investigative journalist Bev Harris as she investigates the security and accuracy of electronic voting systems.
- Electronic Voting (Oct 30th) – Venezuelan ties to voting machine firm (BBC Story here)
- A US supplier of voting machines has agreed to a probe into its takeover, saying it will dispel “baseless” allegations about ties to Venezuela.
- Stem Cell Research (Oct 25th) – Rush Limbaugh attacks Michael J. Fox (Washington Post Story here)
- Conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh yesterday attacked actor Michael J. Fox, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, for inserting his voice into the U.S. Senate campaign in Missouri. Limbaugh suggested that Fox was “acting” in a commercial where he’s shown shaking while endorsing the importance of stem cell research.
- Iraq (Oct 13th) – British troop withdrawal (BBC Story here)
- The presence of UK armed forces in Iraq “exacerbates the security problems” and they should “get out some time soon”, the head of the British Army has said.
- Fraud (Oct 13th) – Bob Ney pleads guilty to bribery (BBC Story here)
- A senior Republican congressman linked to disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff has pleaded guilty to bribery charges in Washington.
- Iraq (Oct 11th) – Hopkins Death Toll Study (BBC Story here)
- An estimated 655,000 Iraqis have died since 2003 who might still be alive but for the US-led invasion, according to a survey by a US university.
- N. Korea (Oct 9th) – North Korea conduct nuke test (Washington Post Story here)
- The White House pushed yesterday for aggressive new sanctions on North Korea, including measures to limit trade in military and luxury items, as Pyongyang’s claim that it conducted an underground nuclear test defied the administration’s efforts to stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction.
- Fraud (Sep 29th) – Mark Foley quits over minors scandal (Washington Post Story here)
- Six-term Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.) resigned yesterday amid reports that he had sent sexually explicit Internet messages to at least one underage male former page.
- Betrayal (August 9th) – Lieberman loses democratic primary (BBC Story here)
- Mr Lieberman’s opponent, political novice Ned Lamont – who was unknown six months ago – campaigned hard on an anti-war platform and became the first man in decades to beat an incumbent senator in a primary race.
- Net Neutrality (June 9th) – Net neutrality defeated (BBC Story here)
- US politicians have rejected attempts to enshrine the principle of net neutrality in legislation.
Keep in mind, these are only the issues I can remember off-hand!
GO VOTE PEOPLE.
