"They can take over our country without firing a shot," Matulka said, "just by taking over our election systems."

. . . "I suspect they're getting ready to do this all across all the states," Matulka said in a January 30, 2003 interview. "God help us if Bush gets his touch screens all across the country," he added, "because they leave no paper trail. These corporations are taking over America, and they just about have control of our voting machines."

I have since had my suspicions confirmed. Every commentary written or broadcast about why the democrats lost that midterm election is about as relevant to the truth as a blank piece of toilet paper. I credit Bartcop for being one of the only people to bring this up and keep it up. Here is one of his pages called: Diebold Magic? (I believe he has put together at least one other page on this topic but I couldn't find it just now.)

Ladies and gentleman, look over the facts. Why has this story received little or no coverage? Maybe because of the successful campaign on the part of right-wing hardliners to label anything which even approaches a news-story that they don't want known as a "conspiracy theory?" (Combined with a corporate media blackout of anti-Bush facts, including and even up to correcting his quotes.) Forget labels. Look at the data. Look at the numbers. Look at the facts. If Bush & Co. are willing to massacre thousands, maybe tens of thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians on the first day of their invasion of that country in order to accomplish their greedy, murderous, megalomaniacal goals--you think they're above stealing elections? Er, scratch that--you think they're above stealing more elections?

Helen Thomas was right: this is the worst president in the history of America. Maybe this is why he doesn't care about the black vote when he comes out against affirmative action on MLK's birthday--what the fuck does he need votes for? All he has to do is spread the Diebolds, and you goddamn proles can suck eggs for your democracy.

This story is potentially the most important threat to our (past) American democracy that this country has ever encountered, and you shouldn't let a little fear of a loaded Rush-ian slur like "conspiracy theory" stop you from looking into it--and if you do look into it and think that there are more questions to be answered based on the data, based on the numbers, based on the facts, then you need to spread the word, and you need to spread it now. Gore Vidal recently referred to the term 'conspiracy theory' as bearing the present meaning of 'uncomfortable truth.' The possibility that our American election was stolen at the ballot box right under our noses, and that this situation is only going to get worse--is quite possibly the most uncomfortable truth of all. Face it. Fight it. And rip it's fucking heart out.