Can you read that? It’s from a GOP flyer telling Florida Republicans that electronic voting machines are unreliable because they don’t leave a paper trail. Never mind that jeb bush and his cronies are assuring voters that the machines are safe and there’s no cause for alarm. Never mind that they’re promising Democrats the machines are foolproof, while mailing Republicans to tell them the machines might lose their ballot!

Something here smells really bad. How can they now argue the machines are reliable? How can they claim the election is fair if they themselves are saying beforehand that the votes can’t be accurately counted?

It should be obvious now to everyone that we are heading toward a major train wreck in Florida yet again, and it may be even worse than last time.

Photo and story via All Spin Zone, which also has some good commentary on this bleak situation.

Hu Jintao was so irritated over bush selling $18 billion ins weapons systems to Taiwan that he picked up the phone yesterday and gave bush a personal call, sure proof of just how hot and bothered this issue is making him.

Chinese president Hu Jintao has phoned President George W Bush to warn the US against selling more military technology to Taiwan.

Washington is negotiating a deal to sell missiles and other weapons systems worth $18bn to the island – which China regards as a renegade province.

Mr Hu said Beijing would do its utmost to resolve the Taiwan issue peacefully. But he said China would never tolerate the island’s independence, or allow anyone to split it from China.

Spokesmen in Washington and Beijing said Mr Bush reaffirmed his backing for the one-China policy – which does not support Taiwanese independence – while reasserting America’s commitment to help Taiwan defend itself…..

President Bush says he opposes Taiwan independence. But from China’s point of view, his willingness to sell the island such advanced weapons is sending a very different message, our correspondent says.

I’d love to know what bush said to reassure Hu that there’s no cause for alarm. Actually, I suspect there was nothing bush could say, and that this has the potential to become yet another festering wound. Every day, a new source of fuel seems to be added to this bonfire.

The reader who clued me into this article sent me his own observations on why Chen continues to get under Hu Jintao’s skin:

President Chen wants a new constitution by 2008 – why? Unless
planning to go independent!

· Aims to modernise political institutions, increase efficiency,
enshrine human rights and review role of National Assembly – is a completely new constitution necessary?

· Though China says plan is the ‘biggest threat to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait’, Chen insists the changes will not touch sovereignty issues – is he double-talking again?

These seem like valid questions, and they reinforce my own belief that, however much I’d like to see an independent Taiwan, Chen is being provocative to the point of playing with dynamite. I mean, what’s his strategy, and where does he really think this will all lead?

The earlier thread on this topic got more comments than just about any other post in the history of this site. Hopefully we can pick up the discussion here.

This movie comes to us from South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and judging from the trailer, it’s going to offend absolutely everyone, the way Parker and Stone always do. Kerry, bush, Kim Jong-Il, al Qaida — all are victims of the satirists’ sword. (Matt Drudge is already telling us how furious the White House is over the movie, so we know it must be good.)

I know, I know, it’s in terrible taste — but everything they do is in terrible taste, which makes them so wonderful. Political correctness goes out the window, and it’s no-holds-barred parody, at least if this movie follows the usual Parker-Stone pattern. We’ll see, but it sure looks like Bush has yet another thorn in his side to deal with in the movie theaters this summer.

Interesting, and a tad ironic. Keep in mind, this is the conservative Telegraph, which may explain all the anti-China quotes.

British Army combat uniforms are to be made in China in a cash-saving exercise forced on the military by the latest round of defence cuts.

The Ministry of Defence has admitted that all combat clothes worn by soldiers will be made in Chinese factories, despite claims by human rights pressure groups that working conditions in them are appalling.

A five-year £50 million contract to supply two million items of combat gear a year has been awarded to a Northern Ireland-based company, Cooneen Watts and Stone, which will sub-contract the work to China.

No MoD officials have visited the factories which will make the uniforms to check on working conditions and practices, even though China is the subject of an European Union arms embargo because of its poor human rights record.

Lindsay Hoyle, the Labour MP for Chorley, Lancashire, who raised the issue in the House of Commons, said last week: “We don’t know whether British uniforms will be manufactured using child labour in sweat shops in terrible conditions.

“It seems a bit hypocritical to me that Britain will not supply weapons to China because of its human rights record but the Government is asking it, a communist country, to supply our Armed Forces with uniforms. It is absurd.”

A spokesman for Amnesty International said: “Poor conditions for Chinese workers are widespread, with low wages, mass lay-offs and corrupt management practices. Those attempting to form trade unions have been met by the authorities with intimidation, arrests and long prison sentences….”

There was no one available to comment from Coneen Watts and Stone, the company which was awarded the contract. A senior military officer said: “This is laughable. Apart from China’s appalling human rights record, it is also potentially the Western world’s most powerful enemy and we are paying them £50 million to make our uniforms.”

I think the officer is being somewhat outspoken, and I have mixed feelings on the topic myself. I want China to get the work and the money. If, however, it goes to encourage sweatshop conditions and child exploitation, I’ll be less enthusiastic. Right now we don’t know, and it sounds like some critics are jumping to the most extreme conclusions, with no meaningful evidence.

Zheng, 18, killed himself over an $80 debt to his school

The New York Times has begun a new series on the huge economic divide separating China’s urban rich and rural poor starting with a mammoth article by Joseph Kahn and Jim Yardley, including an excellent slide show narrated by Kahn. The story uses the horrifying story of Zheng Qinming as a metaphor for the plight of China’s poor.

PUJIA, China — His dying debt was $80. Had he been among China’s urban elite, Zheng Qingming would have spent more on a trendy cellphone. But he was one of the hundreds of millions of peasants far removed from the country’s new wealth. His public high school tuition alone consumed most of his family’s income for a year.

He wanted to attend college. But to do so meant taking the annual college entrance examination. On the humid morning of June 4, three days before the exam, Qingming’s teacher repeated a common refrain: he had to pay his last $80 in fees or he would not be allowed to take the test. Qingming stood before his classmates, his shame overtaken by anger.

“I do not have the money,” he said slowly, according to several teachers who described the events that morning. But his teacher — and the system — would not budge.

A few hours later, Qingming, 18 years old, stepped in front of an approaching locomotive. The train, like China’s roaring economy, was an express.

That’s just for starters. The story of his family and the situation with the school that led to his suicide is maddening. You want to reach into the past and do something to help him. You feel utterly helpless.

Reading the story is unbearably painful. At times I just wanted to stop; why should I inflict such misery on myself? But I forced myself to read it to the end, for better or worse. We can’t pretend this situation doesn’t exist when it involves such a staggering number of people — at least I hope we can’t.

Thanks to Kahn and Yardley for taking on this huge and depressing subject. I look forward to the next installment, not because it’s in any way uplifting, but because they’re telling a story of which many in the West are ignorant.

Kos tells us:

Just saw this on MSNBC after Bush stopped talking, take it for what it’s worth….

THURSDAY SAMPLE
BUSH/CHENEY 47
KERRY/EDWARDS 49

FRIDAY SAMPLE
BUSH/CHENEY 41
KERRY/EDWARDS 54

Also, tied on handling of Iraq.

It’ll die down over the next few weeks, then bush will get his convention bounce, and then it’s off to the debates. I don’t want to set the bar too high — that way, if bush even comes out alive some will say he “won” the debates. But in my heart of hearts, I know Kerry will eat shrub alive.

Update: Another one, conducted by Newsweek.

In a two-way trial heat between the Republican and Democratic Presidential candidates, among registered voters, Sen. John Kerry/Sen. John Edwards lead President George Bush/Vice-President Dick Cheney 52-44 percent, according to the latest Newsweek Poll. In a three- way race with the Ralph Nader/Peter Camejo ticket added, Kerry/Edwards receives 49 percent of the vote; Bush/Cheney, 42 percent and Nader/Camejo, 3 percent, the poll shows.

Someone has created his own campaign commercial for Bush-Cheney — or is it? It definitely goes over the top and I disagree with some of its points. But there’s no denying it’s brilliant. Upsetting, thought-provoking and brilliant. You really have to see it.

Via All Spin Zone, one of my favorite political blogs.

…choose your hospital carefully. Yikes.

You think I’m joking?

A South Florida woman who died this week had an unusual last request. Instead of flower or contributions in her name to a charity, she asked those who loved her to try to make sure President George W. Bush is not re-elected

Loved ones said that Joan Abbey was committed to her political passions, even in death…..

Abbey was buried the day after the Democratic convention ended. Her unusual death notice in the Miami Herald said: “You can honor Joan’s values by voting against George Bush and contributing to a liberal or Democratic cause.”

Abbey’s nephew, Martin Shapiro, said, “What she cared most about was improving circumstances in this country… getting rid of George Bush and making this a better country for all people.”

Let’s help Joan Abbey’s great dream come true. All of you who are still resisting, I beseech you, vote for John Kerry — don’t do it for me; do it for Joan Abbey.

Here’s what Zogby says:

The most recent Zogby poll shows deeper trouble for President George W. Bush beyond just the horserace. Mr. Bush has fallen in key areas while Senator John Kerry has shored up numerous constituencies in his base. The Bush team’s attempted outreach to base Democratic and swing constituency has shown to be a failure thus far, limiting his potential growth in the electorate.

Oh frabjuous day. Holden distills the numbers from today’s Zogby poll:

Among Hispanic Voters:
Kerry 69%
Bush 19%

Among Southern Voters:
Kerry 48%
Bush 46%

Viewed Favorably in the South:
Kerry 55%
Bush 55%

Approve of Bush’s Job Performance in the South: 44%

US Headed in the Right Direction in the South: 43%

Among Young Voters (18-29) :
Kerry 53%
Bush 33%

Among Single Voters:
Kerry 69%
Bush 19%

In the Red States:
Kerry 46%
Bush 48%

In the Blue States:
Kerry 50%
Bush 38%

Among People Who Did Not Vote in 2000:
Kerry 50%
Bush 25%

There is no way you can spin these numbers and say they’re positive for bush. This has to be alarming to the GOP, and I’ll bet the farm they’re working on their next set of dirty tricks right now.

I didn’t get a chance to blog Kerry’s speech last night because I had relatives over for dinner, and by now there are more than enough posts about Kerry’s performance. The one thing that’s amazed me is how so many bloggers and pundits came to wildly different conclusions about it. Sully said he liked Kerry less after the speech but went on to note lots of things in it he liked; Billmon hated the first half and liked the last half; Kevin Drum didn’t like the last half but liked the first half. InstaPuppy found plenty of bloggers who hated it (surprise) but Mickey Kaus said it served its purpose well. CNN interviewed a very conservative columnist for the NY Post immediately afterward (sorry, don’t remember his name) who said he now believes Kerry could really win. David Brooks on PBS thought it was great. Tom Oliphant didn’t. Reaction is more all over the map than I’ve ever seen. Not at all llike the reaction to Clinton’s speech, which was praised across the board, by his bitterest enemies and staunchest supporters.

My relatives and I sat transfixed over dinner as we watched Kerry speak last night, and we all thought it was masterful. Sure, there were some promises that will be impossible to keep, but there always are at conventions. What he did was instill confidence that he can be the commander in chief, and looking at the poll numbers above, there is no denying he was effective. Argue about his record and his alleged waffling, call him the No. 1 liberal, attack him for driving an SUV or not being clear whether he threw medals or ribbons, it doesn’t matter. Our nation, suffocating from Bush fatigue, longs for a change, and Kerry proved he can step up and take the reins.

The best moment for me was when he extended the olive branch to bush, asking if the negative attacks could be ended. Brilliant. Now, whenever the negative attacks come (and they sure will), the Dems can remind the public of Kerry’s offer and say, “There he goes again,” as Reagan said so effectively of Carter.

Looking at the poll above, I see how irrelevant most of our pundits are. The only true measure of the speech is those numbers, and we’ll see a lot more of them over the next few days.

One of the most interesting polls last week showed that the No. 1 concern of most Americans is, by far, the economy — and not taxes, which was way down the list. Iraq was next, and then terrorism. On the first two, bush is demonstrably weak. I believe he’s even weaker when it comes to terrorism, but he’s still perceived as Mr. Tough, though that image should fade more and more, especially as more Americans realize just how disastrous both Iraq and Afghanistan have become.

So bush is vulnerable on all fronts, while the Kerry campaign is infused with energy, enthusiasm and cash. Karl Rove sees this too, so I’m sure Bush’s Brain is running on overdrive. Hopefully the public has by now become immune to bush’s last-minute dirty tricks, but there’ll nevertheless be more on the way.

Apologies if this post rambled, and apologies for not giving links to some of the bloggers cited above; I’m just too tired to hunt them down.

Don’t forget to get your absentee ballots and to send them in on time. We finally have a chance to save our country, and the election really is Kerry’s to lose. Dethroning bush depends on each of us. Let’s make it happen. Even you, Conrad. Just do it.