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The Brad Blog: The same touch-screen systems to be used by millions of voters this November are easily hacked, without breaking the 'tamper-evident' seals

Just An Earth-Bound Misfit: You have to wonder how the 'ground zero mosque' controversy is playing on al-Jazeera

Crooked Timber: EU-US convergence?

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Rep. Mike Rogers was given a free ticket to another term in the House of Representatives, where he can continue with stupid like this, because of some very shifty sleight-of-hand tactics in Michigan's 8th district. (Details here)

MIKE ROGERS: When you think about any of the operations of a soldier in the field that's released could lead to their death, that is an act of treason. And an act of treason is a capital offense and it should be,

You have to stop this culture of disclosure. It's dangerous. It gets people killed.

CENK UYGUR: So would you have supported execution of Daniel Ellsberg for leaking the Pentagon Papers?

ROGERS: Well, I don't know all the circumstances around it. If it was information that certainly put soldiers at risk in the field and he was convicted of treason, absolutely.

I have my own opinions about WikiLeaks' responsibility with regard to releasing names. But I don't have an argument with them releasing documents, nor do I believe it is an act of treason, nor do I believe anyone should be executed as a result, including Afghans working with the US government.

But this man, Mike Rogers, was just granted another term without any effort. Lance Enderle did not receive enough votes to get onto the November ballot as the Democratic candidate, leaving the ghost rider, Kande Ngalamulume as the non-resident Democrat running for office in that Congressional District.

I don't usually make it a point to slam Democrats, but this begs for it. There is no excuse for the DCCC to have ignored this race and allowed such nonsense to prevail. For all the money they spent sending me little birthday cards to sign for the President along with my $50 donation, they could have actually spent the time to vet this candidate and look for a contender.

Instead, they just ignored it completely. They ignored the fact that a lunatic who thinks executing people for leaking documents is a good thing will now be the de facto winner in November. How hard would it have been in that state to find one candidate -- ONE -- who could have actually gotten something done?

The DCCC misses the point of its sheer existence when it allows nonsense like this and likewise, the DSCC in case of the monumental hairball in South Carolina with Alvin Greene.

For starters, it appears arrogant and entitled. It appears as though Democrats don't really care all that much about districts where they can't get high profile bang for their buck.

But mostly, it's undemocratic. That's all. It's undemocratic to allow stupid to take the place of democracy.

Lance Enderle received 9% of the vote as a write-in candidate. That's not so bad, given that write-ins almost never get even 1%. We made a difference, but not enough of one, given the time and money constraints. And so, Mike Rogers will now represent a district that has just about an even split of conservatives and liberals in it.

Undemocracy at work. Good job, DCCC.

(Brainwrap on Daily Kos has more to say about the MI-08 debacle, too)

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The Oil Spill Commission held its first hearing on the BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico Monday at the New Orleans Hilton. During the public comment portion, local residents came forward to tell their own stories of loss and fear and frustration over the oil spill and the moratorium.

When words failed, music prevailed.

I don't remember a time where I've seen a hearing like this. I hope another never needs to take place. Whether the Commission hears or not, I did. We all should.

But for all their passion and courage, they concerned me. Many comments concerned their fear that a moratorium would destroy their business and their livelihoods. Others expressed concern that New Orleans would die for certain under a moratorium.

Their testimony left me wondering how on earth drilling can be made safer without a moratorium. It's a no-win situation, unless there is a way to structure the ban in a way that fast-tracks safety measures or other procedures are put in place to keep these people from losing everything they've worked so hard for.

These are the voices of the ones on the front line. Six kids and a second chance slipping from the grasp of a mom. A fisherman. A musician. And a life they've known slipping away from them.

I don't envy this Commission. There aren't any easy answers. On the one hand, these people see a moratorium as insult to injury. On the other hand, not imposing a moratorium gives them at least a shred of a hope they'll survive.

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Praise be, Torchwood is coming to the States.

Acclaimed British cult TV favorite "Torchwood" is getting a U.S. makeover courtesy of Starz.

The premium cable outlet will share production costs on the show's upcoming season in exchange for domestic distribution rights. The 10-episode run will debut on BBC One and Starz next summer, and take on a more international scope. The bulk of the story will shift from UK to North America and key U.S. actors will join the cast.

Once again, stars John Barrowman and Eve Myles will return.

"This gives 'Torchwood' the chance to feel like a real global drama," said BBC Worldwide Productions executive vp Jane Tranter. "The story of 'Torchwood' will impact worldwide humanity and not just a small area of the UK. This will scale it up."

The most recent edition of "Torchwood" was a five-episode miniseries titled "Children of Earth" that was recently nominated for best miniseries by the Television Critics Association. The show chronicles a group that keeps Britain safe from hostile aliens and is led by an immortal named Captain Jack (Barrowman).

Producers previously were developing a U.S. version at Fox, which eventually passed on the project.

John Barrowman is an incredibly likable character who happens to be attracted to men, women and aliens. When I first read that FOX was thinking about picking up the show, I figured they would have to change his character and destroy it because there was no way they would let Capt. Jack make out with a guy on American TV, but now he'll be intact and so will the show. Something funny happened in the UK. The children didn't all turn "gay" after watching the show which is something the homophobes here would have screamed about.

Eve Myles plays the female lead who is in love with Jack, but never says it even as she marries her boyfriend and really is the heart of Torchwood even though Captain Jack Harkness was the character that sold the show after he appeared on season one of the newer Doctor Who. From what I'm hearing the story arc is brilliant, it will have American actors/characters to make up the team and it's just as dark as Children of Earth which was the BBC America's biggest hit to date ratings wise at the time.

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The campaign to dehumanize immigrants -- both those without documents as well all legal immigrants, especially Hispanics -- in America is on in full force. Microchipping them was just the start.

When I saw the grasshopper graphic I chuckled for a moment because it's so surreal, it's so not of this earth. It couldn't possibly come from a member of Congress, could it?

Speaking on the House floor last night, Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX), who has been a vocal voice in the bipartisan movement to increase border security, had a peculiar and offensive way of framing the issue.

Poe: "Now it seems to me that if we are so advanced with technology and manpower and competence that we can capture illegal grasshoppers from Brazil, in the holds of ships that are in a little small place in Port Arthur, Texas on the Sabine River. Sabin River, madam speaker, is the river that separates Texas from Louisiana. If we're able to do that as a country, how come we can't capture the thousands of people that cross the border everyday on the southern border of the United States? You know they're a little bigger than grasshoppers and they should be able to be captured easier.

Here's how Poe really feels about non-whites in America.

I was wondering if it came from a David Lynch movie. You know how he likes insects. Blue Velvet, maybe. The GOP, teabaggers and conservatives remind me of Frank Booth. (Not for children video clip.)

It sure looks like Republicans have been huffing the good stuff over this issue. As always, it brings out the eliminationist impulse, doesn't it?

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OFF THE BEATEN PATH: Letters to the Earth, Political Party Girl, Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

(Not work safe.) I've been thinking and thinking: How on earth do we get Congress to stand up and fight for us on healthcare reform? And then, I found this. The perfect solution!

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