Recounting the Wisconsin votes was like closing the barn door after the horse is gone. Never mind the obvious voter suppression and flipped touchscreen machines without paper trails. 830,703 completed absentee early votes sat around polling places in envelopes and were under the complete control of partisan county and district clerks for up to several weeks before being fed into the scanning machines on Election Day. They were alphabetized and available for adjustment well before they were fed in to the voting machines. The Wisconsin Election Commission even prevented voters from signing the voter lists during early voting so that there could be no comparison of the signatures on the absentee voter envelopes. Doing a recount merely diverted attention from the real fraud here. Other northern Midwestern states use the same absentee and early voter methodology. This is justified under the guise that voters can legally change their ballot prior to voting day.

Continuing along the belief in "No Taxation Without Representation", I propose this basic citizens' initiative for the ballot of any state:

If the state will not prove to me that my vote was counted correctly in the final tabulation, then I do not have to submit a state income tax return and property tax form.

A) File a lawsuit demanding the state prove to the voter that their vote was counted as cast in the election.

B) Put in on the ballot in states that allow voter initiated statutes or amendments: The state must prove to the voter that their vote was counted as cast in the election.

If they won't, then I feel compelled to demand, "trust me" when I report my income to the IRS! Of course the government would not stand for that. But connect these two issues together and you have the fundamental reason for our original revolution:

"No Taxation Without Representation!"

Here's some food for very serious thought on voting, which might spark an effort to change the "secrecy in our voting process": No one in American knows with certainty if their vote has EVER been counted correctly in the official tabulation. We are ordered by the government to "trust them" on this. Yet it is far from being too much to insist of our government this one small but essential function in each election: Prove to each voter that their vote was counted correctly in the final tabulation! Forbid "certifying the vote" until it's been proven that all votes have been counted as cast.

The neoliberal/disaster capitalism takeover began in earnest in the early '70s with the Powell Memo as a set of guidelines. The basic formula was 1) cut taxes then 2) starve the beast and 3) sell the commons (privatization). Reagan was just an actor/oracle to popularize the message.

By 2010, corruption was legalized with Citizens United and many Dems had or saw no choice but to join the club.

By 2012, I thought Obama would transform into Teddy Roosevelt but he didn't. I love the man, but he was neoliberalism in Democrat clothes. Dems, like Republicans, had to wine and dine the army of corporate lobbyists and raise funds. The whole system is corrupt. Money wins. We are a plutocracy and Putin will have proxy power through Trump. Putin is basically a czar, a theocrat, and a nationalist.

If the American people allow Trump's den of thieves to fulfill the Koch dream of total privatization of the Republic, the Powell Memo will have reached its apogee. Trump's generals and foxes guarding the henhouse will bankrupt the government, throw it into crisis and sell it off. The oligarchs will garner much of the proceeds from the fire sale. They will also create an economic depression (feudalism).

As per the Citigroup study on "plutonomy," there will be a backlash. As per Eric Hoffer's studies in "The True Believer" on movements, movements come not from the poor but from disenfranchised middle-class disgust. None of these things bode well for America. That's why we are in mourning. Trump isn't "making America great again"; he's flushing us down the toilet.

Yeah, the whole mess is reaching levels of ridiculousness that no one could possibly have imagined just thirty years ago, when we thought Reagan, a B-rated actor, was the epitome of a depraved, out-of-touch buffoon, who sold out to the wealthy elites and shifted power far, far away from the people. Then there was H. Bush and W. Bush and Darth Cheney, igniting the Middle East conflagration, lusting after black gold. And now ... Trump.

To be honest, it's not just Republicans; it's the whole stinking power structure that used to be our democracy. Clinton and Obama didn't, couldn't, or wouldn't stop the inevitable carnage of too much power in the hands of too few.

We hear a lot about how bad things are going to get. The sad fact is that things are already really bad, on all fronts, and have been for a long, long time, regardless of who sat or sits on the throne.

We're about to derail the whole damn train, and most of the passengers are totally oblivious -- blank stares at little flickering screens. The insanity is no longer contained within individual parties, or even individual countries. Humanity as a whole is nearing the end of it's ability to mitigate looming disaster.

The love of money is truly the root of all evil! Hope and positivity are wearing mighty thin these days!

@ DHBranski:

You're missing the whole point about how millions of Democratic votes were stolen, and you're glossing over and confusing two separate, very serious issues, which do not support your conclusion: "Whether the information released to the public had any impact on voting decisions is highly unlikely, for a number of reasons."

The "reasons" that you allude to but fail to present can only be assessments based on nothing but the partisan personal opinions and wishful thinking of those who are afraid that a stolen election might delegitimize their candidate in the eyes of the public. While it's okay to have opinions, that alone does not lend credence to declarative statements, such as: "... it had no impact on the election results."

Actual evidence outside your hypothetical arena indicates quite the opposite. According to extensive aggregate polling, voters were very much influenced by the steady drip, drip, drip of negative stories, hacked and leaked by the Russian government and completely slanted in favor of Trump over Clinton.

There was a constant barrage over the email non-scandal -- but, no criminal charges, no breach of sensitive secrets, regardless of how many false allegations were hurled at her.

There were endless headlines about the inner machinations of the DNC -- but, isn't it strange that the Russians withheld their GOP hacks (I'm sure the Republican operatives behind the scenes were perfect little angels.)

There were gross, absolutely false portrayals of the Clinton Foundation -- but, again, no criminality whatsoever, and it was rated the top philanthropic organization in the world by the three main watchdog agencies. Isn't it funny (outrageous) how there was very little equivalent coverage of the actual crimes of the jokes that are the Trump Foundation and the Trump University?

All this Clinton crap was kept on the front burner relentlessly by the salacious corporate media empire, helped along not only by Putin, but James Comey as well, the underhanded, immoral, partisan FBI director. Meanwhile, the very real ongoing scandals of a clinically narcissistic pathological liar, sexual predator, and self-dealing billionaire were largely normalized and excused as, "Oh, that's just the way Trump is; it's no big deal. He's just your average locker-room guy who's not a politician. The contemptible double standard and deplorable hypocrisy is astounding!

A foreign power -- a very real potential economic and military enemy -- meddling in our election process is one of the very serious issues that you have so cavalierly downplayed. The other one, which you are equally and sadly misinformed about, is not just about the simplistic hacking of voting machines or the tampering with the count; those are not the real issue, as likely as that potential may be with such outdated software. No, the all-out assault on the beating heart of democracy, which Thom has briefly outlined in today's blog, is by far the gravest threat we have ever faced as a supposedly "free" people in our 240 history.

The Secretaries of State in nearly two thirds of our states, especially the swing states, have engaged in a predacious, long-term campaign that has purged millions upon millions of Democratic voters from the registration rolls without good cause, using a bogus program algorithm called "Interstate Crosscheck."

Not only that, they have also passed numerous, unwarranted voter suppression ID laws targeted at Democrats -- some so crude that the courts shot them down. They have cut the number of polling places, early voting days, hours of operation, poll workers, and voting machines in heavily populated Democratic districts in key states, creating long discouraging lines. Then, for good measure, they have palmed off old, poorly maintained, error-prone machines and scanners onto those same, mostly minority neighborhoods, while the wealthier, whiter Republican districts enjoyed newer machines, shorter lines, and more reliable results.

This all adds up to one-party rule -- a fascistic oligarchy with an authoritarian strong man, as illegitimate as any third-world tin-pot dictator. Stupid people elect, well, stupid people, and this time they've really outdone themselves.

And none of this concerns you? Wow!

Finally, I dare you to post any credible, on-the-record evidence of wrongdoing (don't bother with all the usual ubiquitous, ridiculous, unsubstantiated falsehoods) by Hillary Clinton in her entire career. You can't, because there is none -- nada, zero, zilch!

Sure, she may not have been all that inspiring as a politician, (I was for Bernie in the primary but was more than glad to support Hillary in the general.) Yes, she made errors in judgment (Please name one politician who hasn't.) But she is a smart, experienced, dedicated, and sincere human being who has done a lot of good in her life, and the world is a better place for it. I know that drives Hillary haters nuts to hear that. Too bad; that's the record -- the real one!

No matter how long and loud right-wing swamp toads in La La Land scream and holler to the contrary, all the idiotic conspiracy theories surrounding this woman remain just that -- the worthless currency of truly stupid people. Repeating huge lies over and over may influence low-information voters and even swing elections now and then; however, the truth always comes out sooner or later.

So, yeah, It is the record, stupid.

I agree. Thank you, sally7 (#25) for reminding us that the real health care debate starts with life care - what serves fundamental health in the first place. The questions of who pays for what, and how in monetary terms, pertain more to the health of insurance and conventional consumer industries and have been driven into the ground - still no relevant solutions.

If I recall, back in the 70's it was illegal to practice homeopathic/naturopathic medicine ((probably associated with witchcraft by those oh-so-enlightened experts of the up and coming modern era.))

When it finally did pass legal muster, many traditional (alternative) approaches to health and healing became available, only, as so many of us know, payment still has to come out of pocket, as insurance generally will not cover those practices.

The good news is, a lot of good-hearted, well-meaning people are employed in the industries. Those folks deserve a chance to serve life without useless industry/economic constraints that obstruct health and effective life care, just as wee people will better serve health for ourselves, and the world we share ... if we can learn to live in peace and harmony with the body of life, to which we are born.

I agree with turbineguy, actually. "It's the record, stupid." People were pointing out from the start that if Clinton were selected, a Republican would be elected -- because of H. Clinton's own record.

@ turbineguy #27:

Although there is a large element of truth in what you say about shadowy, nefarious factions within the military-industrial-Congressional complex lobbying for a more robust military stance toward Russia, why are you pointing the big fat finger of blame exclusively at Democrats with no mention whatsoever of Republican culpability?

In fact, the individual members of these hawkish factions -- the generals, lobbyists, and politicians -- almost always are members of the Republican Party, as are most of the influential players in the FBI and the CIA.

"Neoconservative" (aka "neocon") is a label traditionally applied to a faction within the Republican Party that believes in aggressively furthering American interests (read, corporate interests) anywhere in the world by any means necessary. (Damn the treaties!) It's a mindset left over from decades of cold war with Russia, but also extends to any other country within the United States' perceived sphere of (corporate) influence. These are the same warmongers who brought us the illegal oil wars in the Middle East during "Dubya's" reign of terror, hardly a Democratic initiative.

Furthermore, your accusation against the DNC that "Keeping a negative focus on Russia really serves two purposes; One to deflect criticism of their inept handling of the campaign, the other to further that neoconservative agenda." is just flat out false with absolutely no evidence at all to back it up -- because there is none!

It's the corporate media "keeping a negative focus on Russia" because our intelligence services have presented the conclusions of their investigations to the White House, Congress, and the public. How is that in any way being orchestrated by the DNC to "deflect criticism" or to "further that neoconservative agenda?"

You are really out there in whack-job Crazyland, turbinguy. For your own sake, you need to recognize that. Two recommendations: First, get your head out of the asses of the right-wing liars; second, ask your shrink either to increase your medications or to decrease them, because the current dosages are clearly not working for you.

@ Carol Jones #26:

Watch "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy" by Greg Palast. You can find it on Amazon. It's definitely worth the three or four bucks! Palast also has published several books on vote-stealing by Republican Secretaries of States and the various shenanigans of billionaires over the last decade and a half or so. He has a wonderful sense of humor and presents his extensive fact-finding excursions in an entertaining way. He's a highly qualified and seasoned former FBI investigator, but still comes across as a rather humble ordinary Joe with many funny stories to tell. Hope this helps a little. :)

@Kend#24:

Well done! This concise synopses of misinformation has condensed reams of right-wing propaganda into a quick, easy to digest blurb. It reflects a streamlined command of rapid-fire talking points that seems well-honed, almost routine, like it just slips off the tongue without much thought. Evidently, years of practice sitting glued to Faux "News," or the equivalent, absorbing vacuous lies and half-truths with large, trusting cow eyes has paid off well, developing into a special talent, devoid of bothersome critical thinking, to very smoothly itemize each canard.

Karl Rove coined the phrase "dump-trucking," whereby so many big lies are dumped into a sound bite that it's virtually impossible to adequately respond. I won't even bother to try, other than to list each one -- your preferred method -- and leave it up to you to do the research. You probably won't, of course, but on the off chance that you do, here's some really good advice: Stay away from the fool's paradise of wing-nuts.

#1 Lie: "...they lost touch with middle America." (Truth: If all the votes were counted, the Democrats won middle America overwhelmingly.)

#2 Lie: "Average working Americans are tired of watching their good paying jobs leave the country," (Truth: Historically, legislation allowing corporations to profitably offshore jobs was always initiated by Republicans from the very get-go and always opposed by large majorities of Democrats in Congress. Presidents Clinton and Obama were very much out of step with the rest of their party when they so foolishly adopted corporate-Republican so-called "free" trade agreements.)

#3 Lie: "...they are sick of watching illegals pour into their country driving down wages and taking their jobs." (Truth: Obama deported more undocumented immigrants than all the other Presidents put together, down to and including Reagan. Also, during his eight years, more people have moved to Mexico than have moved to the United States. Finally, it's not an illegal immigrant problem; it's an illegal employer problem -- mostly Republican businesses deliberately hiring undocumented workers to discourage unions and better pay for American workers.)

#4 Lie: "...although LGBTQ rights are extremely important they don't feed their families." (Truth: That's just crazier than hell, making no sense whatsoever ... and terribly bigoted!)

#5 Lie: "...they have been told the oceans are going to rise for 30 years ... New York is still above water." (Truth: No, wrong! Such a misinformed statement grossly misconstrues what qualified scientist are actually warning us about. Go to the I.P.C.C. website for accurate information on anthropological climate disruption.)

#6 Lie: "...they where forced to watch Al Gore in school..." (Truth: Nobody was ever forced to watch Al Gore in any school in America or anywhere else.)

#7 Lie: "...the sitting government was going into debt almost trillion dollars a year..." (Truth: Saint Reagan tripled the national debt, and every Republican president since has increased deficit spending and the national debt much more than any Democratic presidents have ever even dreamed about. George W. Bushed never put his trillions in war debt on the books. Obama did it for him upon assuming the presidency in 2009, therefore taking the blame in right-wing media. Both Presidents Clinton and Obama have resided over periods of very significant reduced deficit spending. In fact, Clinton handed W. Bush a fairly well-balanced budget and a roaring economy, which the village idiot quickly squandered, sending the U.S. into a spiraling cycle of debt to the tune of trillions. Check out the Republican "Two Santa Claus" strategy.)

#8 Lie: "Clinton gave them no hope. She said nothing to make them feel better about their future." (Truth: Yes, she did! On her website and in most of her campaign speeches she repeatedly offered a better and brighter future for America -- much more realistic than whatever nightmares rapacious Republicans and their head clown and sexual pervert have in store for us. In the general campaign she adopted, rightfully so, eighty percent of Bernie's platform. It wasn't her fault that corporate media and the right-wing swamp only adopted the more sensational -- and more profitable -- negative narratives and lies of omission. And, it wasn't her fault that people like you never paid any attention to what she was saying, other than through the opaque filters of false news.

Bonus Lie And Truth: The Russian hacking scandal is not perpetrated by Democrats looking for excuses; it is the solid conclusion of all of our major intelligence agencies. Take up the issue with them.

Conclusion: Passive consumers of right-wing propaganda will believe almost any anti-Democratic spin that emanates from the mesmerizing screens of their devices, no matter how absurd. The pertinent question they must ask their inner selves is, "Why is it so easy to believe the lie and so hard to believe the truth?"

Thom, Could you explain how the votes are eliminated. I called the local Elections Director for Pima County, AZ and was told that there is no way to identify a absentee ballot to a specific person after they have voted. They submit the county ballot totals to the AZ Secretary of State after they have been accepted and approved. Yet when I check the status of my specific absentee ballot at the SOS for AZ website, it shows my vote was not found and tells me to check with my County Elections Office. I did and they said my vote was tabulated. I have a common name so wonder how cross check eliminates votes. I checked my husbands ballot also at the SOS for AZ website and received the same response, which indicated his absentee ballot vote was not found. When I called them (the AZ Secretary of State) directly to check my vote they put me on hold and researched, came back and told me they did not find my ballot. I am baffled. Could they eliminate votes at the state level even though accepted and counted by the county I live in? The Election Director in our county was unfamiliar with Interstate Cross Check and I had to explain it to him. That was unbelievable. He could not tell me how votes are eliminated by this program. He didn't know about the program. I encouraged him to read the Rolling Stone article. I asked him to check into it and call me back, which he didn't do.