Best,
Brad

Let’s be civil AND truthful.

I apologize for this comment being off topic, but I’ve just about had it with blogs that allow, support, and even egg-on such treatment of fellow Americans that are simply voicing their opinion, which last time I checked, was a right granted to me by the Bill of Rights.

It’s possible that the Dem on the committee made the nomination, but as far as I’m concerned, in truth, I couldn’t care less. Smith is about as inappropriate a person for such a committee as anybody could possibly come up with, no matter who nominated him, and it makes little diff to me whether it was Dem, Rep or Indian Chief whodunnit.

Issues concerning election integrity transcend Left/Right politics, and are matters of Right/Wrong instead, as far as I’m concerned. If we can’t oversee our own elections, and if we allow the continuing outrageous takeover of our public elections by private companies like Sequoia, Dominion, Diebold, ES&S, etc. and charlatan characters like Ed Smith and Michelle Shafer et al, then we might as well toss the idea of self governance (and the Constitution along with it), out the door.

Please don’t fall for the schemes of partisan scoundrels who would play such concern for political advantage. We either have self-governance via public elections, or we don’t. Anything short of that is an outrage, and it’s up to US to speak up and DO something about it. So I hope you will!

Best,
Brad

Though the EAC is an Executive committee, in fact, Obama had nothing to do with the shameful appointment of Smith. That was done by the 3 commissioners (2 Republicans, 1 Democrat) currently heading the EAC. There remains one vacancy on the commission, the other Dem commissioner, which Obama has yet to fill.

The three sitting commissioners were all appointed by Bush, and of the Republicans on that committee currently serves as its chair.

The EAC, formed during the Bush Adminstration, is a disastrous failure on all sorts of levels, and Obama has not yet done anything to correct that failure (to his shame), but the appointment of Smith, as horrible and embarrasing as it is, can’t be blamed directly on Obama, and certainly couldn’t be seen as a move by him to “undermine the 2010 election” as you suggest.

Nonetheless, this is a VERY important matter, and I much appreciate your coverage of my coverage, as well as linking to my additional history and background for all of this (and the disaster that is Sequoia Voting Systems!) over at the Gouverneur Times.

Brad Friedman
The BRAD BLOG (www.bradblog.com)

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Mr. Charlton replies: Thanks Brad for the comment; it’s an honor to receive it.

Actually, if Republicans did this on their own, then it’s even more shocking.

But let’s not presume that the Republicans were the one’s to nominate him. We ought not discount the possibility that the single Democrat nominated Smith.

Can you find out who nominated him? By “nominate” I mean brought the issue of his selection as an advisor up to the Commission and motioned his addition.

Readers will have to judge for themselves, if I am wrong here or not; I ask forgiveness if I have a very dark view of Obama; I will candidly admit that I do.

I therefore warn readers of the article, to read this comment of mine; I will leave the title as is, so that it will serve to indict me, if I am wrong; and to Indict Obama if I am right.