What about me?
I've been avoiding posting, but I HAD to comment on this: Pentagon Leaders Tell Ranks to Get Ballots and Use Them. I suspect you may not be able to go to the link. If not, just picking out from the first few pars will do:...a 20-year veteran of the Air Force, remembers that voting on American military bases was always a low priority...And who else to urge them? Why, good old Rummy (DoD bio, WhiteHouse bio) himself, and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Myers.
This time, the Pentagon wants 100 percent voter participation here and at many American bases around the world.
"It's very rare that you see a four-star general [Myers] getting on television, telling soldiers to register and vote. It's been a huge, huge push to get everyone registered. It was coming straight down from the secretary of defense."All very well and good, but who's concerned the Absentee Ballots for civilians are received in time? Not frickin' Donald Rumsfeld, that's for DAMN sure. Supposedly, according to the County Auditor who kindly sent me a letter asking me to vote for her, my absentee ballot was mailed out "on or around September 23". Given the transit time necessary, often two weeks or more between Australia and the US, this seems more than just a little ill-prepared. IF it got here in time, I would have approximately one week to complete and return it. It's been two weeks and I still have not received it. I could not possibly receive it now until Monday, giving me just a few days to send it back, and hope it goes quicker than it came. The County Auditor has not responded to my email requesting information. The embassy will be hearing from me first thing Monday. Who's making sure my vote is counted? No frickin' body. Bastards. Even the thought of being excluded from voting is making me livid.
On a lighter note, here's some inadvertent poetry by Donald Rumsfeld.
And, having previously only an inkling of the NY Post being a tabloid, I now realise it fully. Thanks Danya. I won't link the article that confirmed it for me. Just believe it was atrocious and move on.
the earley edition - Posted by Dave @ 10/09/2004 03:03:00 am || ||
