Austrian Fritzl murder

I guess you expected the 'changed with murder' ... but the interesting thing is how this happened in the first place and more importantly for such a LONG time ...

As expected, prosecutors filed a murder charge Thursday against the man accused of imprisoning his daughter for 24 years in a rat-infested cell and fathering her seven children, saying one of the youngsters who died in infancy might have survived if brought to a doctor.

Josef Fritzl "deliberately decided not to intervene" and save the infant boy's life, said the indictment, which also charges the 73-year-old retired electrician with rape, incest, false imprisonment and enslavement.

Officials said they expected Fritzl to go on trial in March. He faces up to life imprisonment if convicted of the murder charge. Austria, like other European countries, does not have the death penalty.

Fritzl's lawyer, Rudolf Mayer, told reporters he would not appeal the charges.

Investigators say Fritzl has confessed to imprisoning and repeatedly raping his daughter Elisabeth — now age 42 — in a warren of soundproofed, windowless cellar rooms he built beneath his home starting in 1984, shortly after she turned 18.

Prosecutors released parts of the 27-page indictment, disclosing horrendous new details about the conditions in which his captives were held.

During her first year as a sex slave, Fritzl's daughter was bound in iron chains that were padlocked to a post in the cell, which lacked heat, warm water and fresh air and frequently was overrun by rats.

Fritzl regularly tortured her by beating the soles of her feet and forced her to perform sexual acts several times a day, often for hours at a time, the indictment alleges. It says Fritzl would turn off the electricity to punish his daughter, plunging the cramped dungeon into darkness for days at a time.

Police say Fritzl told them he tossed the body of the infant into a furnace in 1996 after the baby became ill and died. They say DNA tests have confirmed he is the biological father of the six surviving children.

Although nothing remains of the incinerated infant, prosecutors said they based the murder charge on interviews with Fritzl's daughter. They said Fritzl refused to take action "despite the baby's life-threatening situation" after the boy — a twin — developed severe breathing problems and turned blue.

"Whatever happens, happens," the indictment alleges was Fritzl's response as the newborn grew sicker. Prosecutors said they based the murder charge largely on that glib statement.

Prosecutors have said a psychiatric evaluation showed that Fritzl is mentally competent to stand trial. They reiterated that stance Thursday but recommended that Fritzl be moved to a special facility for mentally disturbed offenders so he can get counseling.

Prosecutors also said it will be the first time that an Austrian is tried on a slavery charge.

Fritzl imprisoned his daughter and the children beneath his apartment building in Amstetten, 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of Vienna.

Authorities say Fritzl brought three of the surviving six children upstairs to live otherwise normal lives, and claimed to his wife and neighbors that his daughter — who he said had run away to join a religious cult — had left them on the family's doorstep.

The three other children remained imprisoned along with their mother until last April, when one of the youths — a teenage girl — became ill and was taken to a hospital.

Officials said it was the first time the three imprisoned children had ever seen sunlight.

Fritzl, the indictment alleges, subjected his daughter to "multiple attacks" and terrorized her with threats that the cramped underground cell was rigged with booby traps to foil any attempts to escape. Fritzl also threatened to release poisonous gas into the homemade prison, the indictment said.

It said the daughter was completely dependent upon Fritzl for her survival and had no choice but to provide "sexual services," the indictment added.

The imprisoned children were forced to sew some of their own clothing from scraps of fabric, it said.

Police say they have no evidence to suggest that his wife was complicit.

His daughter, the children and Fritzl's wife have been getting counseling at an undisclosed location.

The case drew international attention to Austria, in part because it was reminiscent of another high-profile imprisonment case.

Natascha Kampusch was kidnapped as a 10-year-old while walking to school in Vienna. She was held in a windowless cell for 8 1/2 years but staged a dramatic escape in August 2006 while her captor was distracted by a phone call.

... OK we are hearing all of this things cumming out of Austria ... sure there are other places with similar ... but perhaps there IS something about Austria ... the fact that such things can go on for many years without detection ...

... is this something to do with the people its way of life - their trustworthiness ... these are good questions ... and we might not get the answers until the Fritzl case is done and dusted!

Obama warning about Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad letter ...

You must be careful what you say during any politivcal campaign ... but when you become president elect ... you have even a bigger problem when it come to controling your 'mouth' ...

Barack Obama may have pledged during his campaign to talk to Iran's leaders, but he could fall into a trap by replying to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's congratulatory letter, analysts warn.

A reply, they say, could undermine the president-elect's political support in the United States and rehabilitate Ahmadinejad's tarnished image in Tehran while missing Iran's key player: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Obama said at his first post-election press conference last week that he would "respond appropriately" to the letter but neither he nor his transition team has yet given any indication when or even whether he will follow through.

Two US-based Iran analysts said it would be better for Obama not to reply at all, while another recommended he take his time to write back.

"It is important for the Obama administration to ignore Ahmadinejad as much as possible because he is not a useful interlocutor and it looks like his political star has fallen," expert Gary Samore

"I think it makes much more sense to try to open a dialogue with the supreme leader who actually controls the nuclear issue and the other important foreign policy issues," said Samore, from the Council on Foreign Relations think tank.

Analysts say Iran lies at the nexus of US concerns about the region in which they see Tehran trying not only trying to build a nuclear bomb but to sabotage US interests in Iraq, Lebanon, the Palestinian territories and Afghanistan.

"I hope the Obama people ignore the congratulatory message from Ahmadinejad," Samore added.

"If Ahmadinejad could take credit for beginning a dialogue with the United States without conditions, then that would help to rehabilitate his political standing," Samore said.

Early in his campaign, Obama said he was prepared to hold tough presidential negotiations without preconditions with Iran but analysts said public criticism prompted him to temper his call by insisting first on proper preparations.

The outgoing administration of President George W. Bush has gradually eased its hardline toward Iran by taking part in multilateral negotiations offering Tehran both carrots and sticks to stop enriching uranium.

Analysts said the Bush administration -- when it sent top diplomat William Burns to a meeting in Geneva in July -- effectively dropped its precondition of refusing to meet with Iranians until it stops uranium enrichment.

The administration is also contemplating opening an interests section in Iran, the first diplomatic mission there since ties were severed in the wake of the Iranian revolution in 1979 and the taking of US diplomats as hostages.

It is setting up "a really nice platform for Obama," said Suzanne Maloney, a former State Department policy adviser on Iran.

Even if it says the interests section is to boost ties between peoples rather than governments, the Bush administration or its successor has to "engage in some direct ongoing discussions with the Iranians," Maloney said.

But Maloney said Obama runs "a political risk at home" if he replies to the missive from Ahmadinejad, widely reviled for his denial of the Holocaust, alleged support for terrorism and threats against Israel.

Maloney, who was privy to a debate that resulted in Bush ignoring a letter from Ahmadinejad, said Obama can still reassure Iran he is intent on direct talks by sending a "good signal" after his inauguration on January 20.

The new president could do that, she said, by appointing a high-level diplomat to deal solely with Iran.

Trita Parsi, president of the National Iranian American Council, said Ahmadinejad's letter "constituted somewhat of a political problem for" the incoming president.

"It's a way for Ahmadinejad to impose himself on Obama and essentially signal him 'you can't get around me,' while Obama is probably thinking about getting around him," said Parsi

Parsi, who said Obama will likely take his time to reply to the letter, underscored Samore's point that Obama should seek out Khamenei because he is the real decision maker in Tehran.

Like the other analysts, Parsi believes Obama's initial response to the letter and strong opposition to an Iranian nuclear weapon struck the right diplomatic balance.

The analysts also expected Obama, while seeking more direct talks with the Iranian leadership, to continue the multilateral talks begun belatedly by the Bush administration with Russia, China, Germany, France and Britain.

"From the European perspective, it would be a great problem if he didn't," Parsi said before adding: "He's going to work more closely with the allies rather than working around them."

... will there be more issues to deal with ... most likely yes.

Perhaps this is why there is such a large period of time during the transition of presidents ... you just need it to ensure that nothing is left to doubt and all is under control when the 'office' changes hands.

Paula Abdul Dead Fan Was Not Stalker

Speculation heightens as reports are saying that Goodspeed committed suicide outside Paula Abdul's home earlier this week.

"She was not a stalker," Charles McIntyre, Goodspeed's only brother, told E! News Thursday.

McIntyre, who lives with his family in Oakland, Maine, said his sister moved to California five years ago with only one dream: to be a star. "She went down there to have a career, and when she went down in front of those American Idol judges, it was over," said McIntyre. "She was just like anyone else, trying to make it big as an actor or singer."

McIntyre said their mother and Goodspeed's boyfriend are in L.A. waiting for the body to be released from the coroner's on Saturday. The funeral will take place in Maine.

As E! News reported yesterday, Goodspeed was a fan of Abdul since she was a kid. But her brother insisted, "It wasn't excessive like they said on TV."

Despite her disastrous Idol audition and Simon Cowell's predictably withering remarks, McIntyre said he never knew his sister to be depressed. "It did hurt her feelings, but I've never known Paula to be suicidal," said McIntyre.

"She didn't have any mental problems, as far as I know," he said, attempting to refute comments made by law enforcement officials.

"My sister doesn't' have a criminal record, she's clean as clean," McIntyre continued. "She doesn't even have a traffic violation."

McIntyre said his sister claimed she had even met with Abdul personally. "She told me she had coffee with Paula Abdul at a restaurant in 2005," said McIntyre.

Goodspeed, 30, was the youngest sibling in a family of five children.

"She was a great girl," said McIntyre. "I miss my baby sister."

... the world is full of wannabee celebs but unfortunately LA is their biggest magnet.

With so many wannabee celebs enjoying fame for just 'sleeping' with the right people ... its inevitable that someone will get hurt!

Obama 'dog' for White House decision ...

During the LIVE press conference taking place as we write ... Obama admitted that the 'Obama family' is looking for a dog to join them in the White House ...

... a noted comment when asked 'what type of dog?' ... the response was ... " not a mutt like me " ...

... unfortunately the 'joke' did not get any response from the press group asking the questions ...

Remember - Eliot Spitzer?

Its not surprising that 2 days after the U.S. presidential election we are now informed that disgraced Eliot Spitzer will not be prosecuted for his crimes ...

Conspiracy?

Sadly not.

We have come to expect this "rub my back and I'll rub yours" treatment of elected leaders, and in fact, we have become somewhat numb to it.

Coincidence that the decision came just two days after the election? You can decide for yourself. I wonder what all the people whose careers he toppled like Dick Grasso are thinking as they hear of this news today.

Eliot Spitzer, the fallen ex-governor of New York, will not face criminal charges for his involvement with a prostitution ring, US federal prosecutors said on Thursday.

Mr Spitzer resigned in March amid allegations he spent tens of thousands of dollars on call girls, ending the political career of a man who championed higher ethical standards on Wall Street and in government.

On Thursday, Michael Garcia, the US attorney for the southern district of New York, said that a “thorough investigation” uncovered no misuse of public or campaign funds in payments made to an international prostitution ring known as the Emperors Club VIP.

“We have determined that there is insufficient evidence to bring charges against Mr Spitzer for any offence relating to the withdrawal of funds for, and his payments to, the Emperors Club VIP,” he said. “In light of the policy of the Department of Justice with respect to prostitution offences ... we have concluded that the public interest would not be further advanced by filing criminal charges in this matter.”

Mr Spitzer has admitted he was a client of the prostitution ring and on Thursday apologised again for his conduct.

“I acknowledge and accept responsibility for the conduct [the investigation] disclosed,” he said in a statement. “I once again apologise for my actions.”

Many on Wall Street who felt the sting of Mr Spitzer’s tactics as state attorney-general had rejoiced in his demise, though some have suggested that it should not obscure his achievements.

What's next for Spitzer? Surely a lucrative book deal to explain what in his childhood or career drove him to abusing his office and patronizing prostitutes. With the help of experts who rebuild soiled brands and reputations, most likely an executive position with a large company, and/or seats on various boards.

What he will never earn back is his dignity or honor.

African Americans and 'Seven Pounds' MOVIE

With the euphoria of an African American president elect ... there has never been a better time for gifted African American actors - and Will Smith is about to show us why with his latest film - Seven Pounds ...

Will Smith teamed up once again with the director and producers he worked with in Pursuit of Happyness for the movie Seven Pounds.

The film is about the emotional story of a man who will change the lives of seven strangers.

In addition to Will Smith the film stars Rosario Dawson and Woody Harrelson and of cause - Italian director Gabriele Muccino.

Check out the trailer below:

Christiane Plante Hulk Hogan Affair Photos

You heard of Hulk Hogan ... sure you have ... he's the historic WWF superstar ... who has amased a fortune from what he loves doing ... er ... wrestling of cause ... that is UNTIL NOW!

Linda Hogan has revealed that the breakdown of her 24-year marriage to Hulk Hogan was caused by his affair with their daughter ‘s friend, Christiane Plante.

“When Linda discovered Hulk has [an affair] with Brooke’s best friend, Christiane Plante, she made the decision to call it quits on the marriage,” says Linda’s rep. “Hulk Hogan is saying anything he can conjure up to make Linda look bad in the media. Hulk has even implies that the VH1 hit show, Hogan Knows Best, was the cause of split in his marriage.”

"Almost every statement that comes out of Hulk's mouth is a diversionary tactic to deflect attention away from the real reason Linda filed for divorce, two words: HULK'S CHEATING!" the rep added.

Hulk, whose real name is Terry Bollea, has not commented on Linda’s claims.

Linda filed for divorce in January. Since then, she has begun dating 19-year-old Charlie Hill, who went to school with daughter Brooke and son Nick.

Christiane Plante was the original mistress that caused the rift between Linda and Terry.

New President Elect triggers Wall Street Stocks to tumble ...

Whilst we were busy electing a new president ... wall street was doing its own thing and in the last 2 days wiped 10% of the value of the market.

The plunge was triggered by computer gear maker Cisco Systems warning of slumping demand and retailers reporting weak sales for October. Concerns about widespread economic weakness sent the major stock indexes down more than 4 percent Thursday, including the Dow Jones industrial average, which tumbled more than 440 points.

Major indexes have lost about 10 percent since Barack Obama was elected president — a vote preceded by a steep rally — and the losses represent the Dow's worst two-day percentage decline since the October 1987 crash.

Paper losses during that time in U.S. stocks came to $1.2 trillion, according to the Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 Composite Index, which represents nearly all stocks traded in America.

Comments from Cisco that it saw a steep drop in orders in October and reports from retailers that consumers are skipping trips to the mall provided fresh evidence of the economy's struggles. Worries about automakers and the financial sector compounded investors' unease.

A day ahead of Friday's key October employment report, a widely watched barometer of the economy's health, the Labor Department said the number of people continuing to draw unemployment benefits jumped to a 25-year high. The increase by 122,000 to 3.84 million in late October marked the highest level since late February 1983, when the economy was being buffeted by a protracted recession.

"The economy is in a pretty significant downturn and I think that is broad-based because it is all interconnected," said Ed Hyland, global investment specialist at J.P. Morgan's Private Bank. "This is something that we haven't really seen, this level of this rapid and significant pullback both in the market and the economy."

Thursday's rout follows a drop of more than 5 percent in the market Wednesday that saw the Dow plunge nearly 500 points as investors fretted that weak readings on employment and downcast profit forecasts and job cuts from financial companies to steelmakers signaled broad economic troubles.

Still, the market's two-day slide follows an enormous run-up since last week so some pullback was expected, analysts said. Through the six sessions that ended Tuesday, the benchmark Standard & Poor's 500 index surged 18.3 percent.

Richard Campagna, chief investment officer at Provident Investment Counsel in Pasadena, Calif., contends the market's pullback isn't surprising given the size of the recent run-up, which gave the Dow its best run in 34 years last week. He said the weak economic readings aren't a surprise because of the freeze in credit markets that has disrupted lending and other economic activity since the mid-September bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.

Campagna said the light volume and overall fear among investors is exacerbating the market's volatility.

"Some people are pushing this market around more than they should be out of fear," he said. "Many everyday investors are sitting on the sidelines."

"Everyone has been shellshocked with the moves in the market," he said.

The Dow fell 443.48, or 4.85 percent, to 8,695.79 after falling as much as 502 in the final five minutes of trading. The blue chips remain 520 points, or 6.4 percent, above 8,176, their Oct. 27 closing low from the market's yearlong decline.

Broader stock indicators also posted sharp losses. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 47.89, or 5.03 percent, to 904.88, and the Nasdaq composite index fell 72.94, or 4.34 percent, to 1,608.70.

Over the past two days, the Dow is down 9.7 percent, the S&P 500 index is off 10 percent and the Nasdaq is down 9.6 percent.

The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 18.80, or 3.65 percent, to 495.84 on Thursday, bringing its two-day decline to 9.2 percent.

Declining issues outnumbered advancers by about 5 to 1 on the New York Stock Exchange, where consolidated volume came to 5.96 billion shares compared with 5.29 billion shares traded Wednesday.

The dollar traded mixed against most other major currencies, while gold prices fell.

Light, sweet crude fell $4.53 to settle at $60.77 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Cisco Systems Inc.'s comments added to investors' nervousness. The world's largest maker of computer networking gear said orders declined sharply last month, suggesting to the market that the weak economy and tight credit markets are taking a larger-than-expected toll on many companies around the world. Cisco fell 45 cents, or 2.6 percent, to $16.94.

A range of industries have been bruised by the economy. Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp. lowered its annual profit forecast Thursday to less than a third of what it was in previous fiscal year. Toyota tumbled $13.28, or 16.5 percent, to $67.09. Other automakers fell ahead of quarterly results due Friday and worries about their health. General Motors Corp. tumbled 76 cents, or 13.7 percent, to $4.80, while Ford Motor Co. fell 11 cents, or 5.3 percent, to $1.98.

Among retailers, Wal-Mart fell 64 cents to $53.49 after reporting better-than-expected sales. But most other retailers didn't attract as many shoppers. Limited Stores Inc. fell $1.10, or 9.6 percent, to $10.41 while Ann Taylor Stores Corp. fell $3.09, or 26 percent, to $8.93.

... if you have been effected by the recent turbulence on the markets ... our advice is to 'sit-it-out' ... as there should be some signs of stability returning to wall street in January 2009 ... when a new president moves into the white house ...

What's happening with Joe Lieberman?

You may have noticed that Joe Liberman, the Democrat-turned-independent senator from Connecticut, has appeared with John McCain on numerous occasions.

What's going on ... now that McCain has been sidelined from the presidency ... what is happening with Liberman's future?

Well, Joseph I. Lieberman's future with Senate Democrats still hung in the balance Thursday after he met with Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

Lieberman, later said he and Reid are going to take a few days to mull his next steps within the Democratic caucus.

"It was a very good conversation between two colleagues and friends," Lieberman said of his 45-minute discussion in Reid's office.

"Today Senator Lieberman and I had the first of what I expect to be several conversations. No decisions have been made," said Reid.

Lieberman was elected as an independent in 2006 after losing a Democratic primary. He continued to caucus and vote with the Democrats, however, except for issues relating to the war in Iraq. On that front, he has been decidedly aligned with the GOP.

Lieberman made the biggest waves when he endorsed Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., for president and campaigned against President-elect Barack Obama.

"While I understand that Senator Lieberman has voted with Democrats a majority of the time, his comments and actions have raised serious concerns among many in our caucus," Reid said in a statement following the meeting.

"I expect there to be additional discussions in the days to come, and Senator Lieberman and I will speak to our caucus in two weeks to discuss further steps," he said.

Senators are expected to meet the week of Nov. 17.

Democratic leaders have a few options when it comes to dealing with Lieberman. Many party aides say that the most likely scenario would involve stripping Lieberman of his Homeland Security and Government Affairs gavel. He could keep seniority on his current committees and perhaps be given a subcommittee chairmanship.

Most doubt that he will be booted from the party, however. Lieberman's vote has been valuable on domestic issues, which lawmakers will be focusing on in the 111th Congress. Furthermore, the Senate's Democratic majority is still uncertain; three elections are still undecided -- and may remain undecided for weeks -- so it's unclear how close Reid will be to the 60 votes needed to prevent a filibuster.

Lieberman could always decide to extricate himself from the Democrats altogether, though few think it would do him any good to caucus with the Republicans. Nevertheless, one GOP Senate aide said that there was some talk among members about reaching out to Lieberman.

In recent days, Lieberman has pledged to work with Obama and the Democrats, a promise he reiterated today.

"This election is over and I agree with President-elect Obama that we must now unite to get our economy going again," he said.

Like Lieberman and Reid, Connecticut Democratic Senator Christopher J. Dodd was tight-lipped about Lieberman's future in the Democratic caucus, but indicated he had been talking regularly with Lieberman in recent days about the issue and planned to continue to do so. Dodd declined to comment on the nature of those conversations.

"I've talked to Joe this morning very briefly," he said. "I know he's had some conversations with others...Joe and I have known each either a long time. We've worked together a long time. So I am going to speak to him later today and tomorrow as well and we'll follow up with the conversations we've had already, but I don't have anything further to say at this point."


... well we can speculate that you have not herd the last from Joe 'the senator'!

Wha's going to happen to Joe the Plumber?

With the presidency going to Obama - does this mean that Joe the Plumber is going down the drain?

Well, with election season ending and Wurzelbacher’s main currency being McCain, how does he remain in the public eye?

Book, website

He was able to use his month in the limelight to secure a book deal and yesterday he launched a web site called called SecureOurDream.com.

The purpose of the site is to help people take control of their government he said.

“I have formed this organization to bring together individuals who want to help others, while at the same time ensuring our government keeps answering our tough questions,” reads a narrative attributed to Wurzelbacher on his new site.

Harsh spotlight

But in an interview with the Guardian, he seemed a little put off from the spotlight.

“You know, fame is fleeting, leaves you hungry, leaves you cold, leaves you tired. Fortune never comes with it,” he said using words that could just end up as a country western single.

McCain

In that interview, Wurzelbacher even seemed a little irritated with McCain himself.

He vented frustration at the way McCain thrust him into the spotlight by mentioning him more than a dozen times during a televised debate with Barack Obama, in which Wurzelbacher was held as an example of an aspirational working man.

“I was unhappy that my name was used as much as it was because I think there were real other issues that should’ve been discussed during the debate,” said Wurzelbacher. “I was happy that I was used as a focal point but I didn’t think I was going to be the only point.”

Not journalism

He’s not that happy with the media either. He said that reporters need to focus on reporting facts instead of “spreading personal views.”

“The media is on an agenda as it sealed the elections for Obama almost after the presidential debates, being off-limits on many issues and involved in character assassination,” he said.

... well Joe is correct ... the 'media' set an agenda and that was for Obama to be president ...

... at least this will guarantee more column inches for the days to come compared to a McCain victory ...

Check out Hannity.com and CNN

Arnold Swarchenegger is predicting a McCain victory ...

"Its not over" ... just wait and see ... McCain will win the election ...

A good way to 'gauge' the swing is to visit the two extream sides of the media - go to hannity.com and see what the right wing commentators are saying ... and then visit the left with our friends at CNN.com ... judge for yourself ...

Obama: I’ll make energy prices “skyrocket”

In another clip from the same January 2008 interview with the San Francisco Chronicle in which Barack Obama promised to bankrupt anyone foolish enough to build coal-burning power plants, he also made an interesting admission about his entire energy plan. Obama told the editors that his policies would make energy prices “skyrocket” as the energy industry passed along the exorbitant costs of his cap-and-trade policy.

Obama: We’ll bankrupt any new coal plants

The folks at Naked Emperor News have unearthed another interesting nugget from a Barack Obama interview from months ago. In January 2008, Obama spoke about his approach to global warming and cap-and-trade systems, and he had a warning for anyone foolish enough to invest in coal.


The End is in sight ... but for who?

After a campaign that has dragged on for two years, cost more than $2 billion, attracted record turnout in the U.S. and generated strong opinions worldwide, there are actually some voters who haven't made up their minds.

Among decided voters, Barack Obama has a commanding lead. But it's not an insurmountable one and John McCain could still win if he can nudge the numbers in his direction.

The undecided appear in most polls as four to nine percent of the sample. In several U.S. states that's enough to change the outcome.

That's a possibility that haunts some Democrats, offers a last ray of hope to Republicans and puzzles a lot of Americans who had no difficulty deciding.

Black Panthers poll intimidation

Just as Obama might be the 1st 'black' president ... out come the 'skeletons' which Obama is sure to dissociate himself from ...

Its inevitable that when a presidential candidate reaches the 'home straight' various factions will soon try to align themselves with the candidate ... and sure enough Obama has some undesirable supporters.

Black Panther party members in full uniform are stationed at some 300 polling places in battleground states. Are they trying to intimidate voters who would be voting for John McCain?

Well you can judge for yourself.





This video shows two Black Panther members, one carrying a nightstick, at a Philadelphia polling place. How many people were intimidated by these two before police made the one with the nightstick leave the premises? The other one is still there. Are any of you who voted for Obama having second thoughts yet?

Add this together with the illegal activities of ACORN, the failure to get ballots to the military on time and other voting irregularities. Some places have more registered voters (see Milwaukee and parts of Ohio and Indiana) than they have adults in the areas.

It really is obvious that Democrats are trying to steal this election. They have been aided by a media who refuses to investigate these things and in fact has tried to aid them by trying to suppress McCain voting by indicating that the outcome is inevitable.

In 2000, there were over 50 different investigations trying to prove that Gore actually won Florida. None were able to do so. Bush won again in 2004 despite the efforts of the Kerry campaign to suppress the military vote and again more voters than actual people in parts of Ohio. There were claims of problems with voting machines but Kerry declined an investigation possibly because he was worried that improprieties of his own campaign might be brought to light.

As the voting day progresses there are likely to be various reports of voting impropriaties throughout the United States ... lets hope that this will serve as a lesson for future voters and electoral administrators of the future.

Obama and McCain vote ...

As the time ticks on both of the presidential candidates cast their votes today.

Each candidate is certain of their victory and they continue to solicit last minute votes from those who are still undecided.

With voters standing in line at polling places around the country, many people didn't need a nudge.

"I'm stoked. This is a historic event," said Andrew Lind, a 28-year-old underwriter from Ventura, Calif., who wore a green Obama T-shirt.

Obama, accompanied by his wife and two daughters, turned in his ballot at his Chicago neighborhood precinct — "I voted," he told reporters, holding up a validation slip — and then headed to neighboring Indiana for a last-minute speech designed to prompt as many Democrats and independents as possible to vote in the Republican swing state.

"The journey ends," Obama told reporters, "but voting with my daughters, that was a big deal."

In Phoenix, McCain left his high-rise condominium to cast a ballot at a nearby church before preparing to fly to Colorado and New Mexico, two battleground states he would likely need to score an upset victory. He gave supporters a thumbs-up sign and was in and out of the polling place within minutes.

"Nobody knows what the voter turnout's going to be," McCain told "Good Morning America" on ABC in an interview hours before polls opened. "I'm very happy with where we are. We always do best when I'm a bit of an underdog."

The running mates were voting, too. Democrat Joe Biden gave a thumbs-up after casting a ballot near his hometown of Wilmington, Del., his mother, wife and daughter at his side. He turned to his 91-year-old mother and joked, "Don't tell them who you voted for."

Republican Sarah Palin arrived overnight in Anchorage, Alaska, to drive up to her tiny hometown of Wasilla to vote before returning to the airport for a flight to Phoenix to join McCain. She cast her ballot in the town's council chamber, where she had presided as Wasilla's mayor.

"Here in Alaska, where we've cleaned up the corruption and we've taken on some self-dealing and self-interests, we've been able to really put government back on the side of the people," Palin told reporters after voting. "I hope, pray, believe I'll be able to do that as vice president for everybody in America, helping to transform our national government, too."

Although the path to an Electoral College triumph appeared narrow for McCain — polls showed Obama with an advantage in many of the battleground states they have contested in the campaign's final weeks — the Arizona senator remained hopeful for a surprise victory.

"I think these battleground states have now closed up, almost all of them, and I believe there's a good scenario where we can win," McCain told CBS' "The Early Show" in an interview broadcast Tuesday.

Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said he was confident that new voters and young voters would fuel an enormous turnout to benefit the Illinois senator.

"We just want to make sure people turn out," Plouffe told "Today" on NBC. "We think we have enough votes around the country."

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who lost the nomination to Obama in a bitter primary battle but campaigned for him after he received the Democratic nomination, voted with her husband, the former president, near their home in upstate New York. She told reporters, "I feel very good about what's going to happen today."

Waiting in line at polling places, voters appeared determined to have their moment after watching from the sidelines since the candidates were nominated by their parties more than two months ago.

Ballots in Florida ... not again?

You would think that after all the focus on the Florida polling stations and ballots ... the lesson would be learned - not to 'mess' with the polling system ...

Well there is news coming in from Florida which reports that ...

"A Supervisor of elections says he is filling out new ballots for people who made 'mistakes'. Although he says he is being closely watched, but unfortunately not so closely monitored as he rewrites people's ballots"

... if you think this is funny .. then you should see some of the you tube videos on this subject ...



The above video animation is for our entertainment ... but just remember - what you see here can and has happened in the past ... not exactly in the humerus way as depicted above - but nevertheless ...

Here is a video clip of a testimony that confirms the above practice ...





OK ... now that you seen what can happen - do we dare to ask the question ...

Where is it happening now?

... as its very likely that somewhere in the U.S. there is a system which may or may not truly represent the public vote - your vote!

... will we ever learn?

First past the post ... exit polls 2008

Today happens to be a SPECIAL day ... the polling day for the U.S. presidential election.

There is a big BUZZ and all the news networks are spinning their web of speculation and theories as to who will be the next president.

Do you believe in exit polls?

As the saying goes ... there are lies dam lies and statistics ...

Polls can never give you a definitive result ... in fact sometimes polls are a good way to influence the actual voting process.

So what does this mean? Will Obama win ... because he is in the lead - according to the polls ... or will this mean that more McCain supporters will cast their votes with more vigor?

There are many theories as to the influence of poll data on the actual voting process.

In short ... a candidate who is 'in the lead' according to the polls ... does not do as well in the actual vote compared to the 'underdog' candidate.

Now that the voting process is well underway ... the focus is on the EXIT POLLS !

The networks will follow strict rules Tuesday on projecting election results, examining not only the data from exit polls but actual vote tabulation and turnout data.

NBC — which keeps its decision desk isolated from the calls made by competing networks — will call a winner only once its statisticians conclude that the chance of an error is less than 1 in 200. And no calls will be made until all the polls have closed in a state.

Extreme measures are being taken to ensure that early information from exit polls does not leak out, as it did in 2004, when the first wave of surveys showing John Kerry in the lead rocketed through cyberspace.

For much of the day, only a small group will have access to the exit polling, which is being conducted by Edison Media Research and Mitofsky International for the National Election Pool, a consortium of the networks and The Associated Press.

"Exit poll information in the hands of trained professionals is perfectly fine," said Sam Feist, CNN's political director. "Exit poll information in the hands of the general public, who may not understand what it means or stands for, can be dangerous."

That's because exit polls are designed to provide a demographic portrait of voters, not to predict the winner of a close race. The early waves of data can be especially misleading because they do not necessarily reflect an accurate sample of the electorate.

This year, there's another factor: the huge surge in early voting.

To measure those voters, Edison/Mitofsky has been doing an extensive telephone survey in the past week, focusing on the 18 states with the highest concentration of absentee and early voting.

Voters Focus On Early Exit Poll Results Of 2008 Election As U.S. voters focus on getting out to vote and checking to see if their candidate won, more attention will be paid to early exit poll results in the 2008 election.

Late yesterday afternoon the McCain campaign issued a memo, actually a cautionary word about prejudging the exit poll results.

The memo suggested that in 2004 the early exit poll results were misinterpreted by the media, thus causing some U.S. Voters to stay at home and not cast their vote.

The memo went on to further state that the early exit polls overstated the Democratic candidate's support, therefore more Republican voters were more encouraged to cast their vote for the win.

Basically, this should be a message to all, do not let any early reports from the media that may leak out to influence your vote.

Take nothing for granted, and do not focus on the exit poll results of this 2008 election.

Here are some things to remember about early exit poll data and the U.S. Voting stats that are leaked early:

As a rule, exit polls lean toward the Democratic vote for some strange reason. Thus causing registered, eligible U.S. Voters to focus on their televisions and radios instead of actually going to the polls to vote.

Meaning, the early exit polls may give Obama the edge, when the actual tabulation and accurate counting of the votes have not been done.

Unfortunately that also has translated into a Democratic skew in past elections where there was a high voter turnout, like in 1992 and 2004. U.S. Voters are very engaged in the 2008 election, and therefore there will be a natural tendency to watch the early returns.

It's important to keep in mind that those conducting the early exit polls will poll voters who have a resemblance to their own demographic. Remember John Kerry in 2004?

The exit polls focused heavily on Democratic voters and showed Kerry over performing by 5.5 net points better than the actual results showed.

The National Election Pool concluded that Democrats are more likely to participate in exit polls during U.S. Elections. Recently, Fox News conducted a survey asking U.S. Voters how very likely they were to participate in early exit polls in the 2008 election and 46% of Barack Obama supporters said they would, while 35% of John McCain supporters were.

So, whatever numbers are presented by the media today in regards to exit polls, may be heavily focused or skewed toward the Democratic vote.

"Exit polling is a very valuable tool for understanding what people were thinking about as they voted," said Michael Oreskes, managing editor for U.S. news at The Associated Press.

"I think as a tool to actually gauge how things are going to turn out, we're likely to be very cautious about it." who know their territory and its history and trends.

In light of this report, the networks will be focusing on true results. They will attempt to play fair and follow strict rules in projecting early 2008 election early exit polling results.

NBC has already said they will only provide early exit polling results once their statisticians have concluded that the error margin is less than 1 in 200.

Stating further that no early election results will be released until all the polls have closed in a particular state.

Early exit polls are really designed to give a picture, a snapshot of voters, not to predict the winner of a presidential race.

Focusing on the early data and stats of voting trends can be very misleading and dangerous. U.S. Voters should not allow exit poll information influence their vote; instead realize that these samples are not an accurate of the voting electorate.

Today, the media will be attempting to put a lid on the leaks that have been attributed to them in the past when it comes to focusing on exit polls in the 2008 U.S. Election.

Are the exit polls 'honest'?

Now here is the real question ... how honest are responses people make at the exit polls?

Its 'trendy' to vote for Obama - so many want to be seen to vote for him ... but in the privacy of the polling booth - will they really vote for a 'black' president?

As you can see - there is one message for the pollsters ... and possibly a totally different one when it comes to the ballot paper.

Don't trust the polls!

If you have not voted as yet - go and make it count ... and as a added bonus try to make the pollsters wrong!