Bev Harris speaks about Curtis, Madsen

Bev Harris at Black Box Voting provided a reasonable criticism of the Curtis and Madsen stories.

She coolly reminds us that audits take time and that jumping to conclusions about a large and intricate process is unwise.

In addition, she is careful to note that Madsen and Curtis attract a lot of attention but don't really speak to the hard issues of Votergate 2004, namely Ohio, voteswitching, specific programs and systems, and auditing.

She's not always agreeable, and she can also seem like a grandstander. At least we know her and her work. I think she has more credibility here than any of the other parties. The clincher is that she

• recognizes the impact of the Madsen articles and the Curtis Affidavit,


• sagaciously points out what's credible and what's questionable and why,


• demonstrates how disinformation [in this instance] distracts, and


• sounds logical and eminently cogent throughout.

The thing to do now is not take the bait, wait for the legitimate processes that are in place to work themselves out: the Conyers hearings, the Ohio recount, the Ahrenbeck challenge, Bev Harris's research. Jumping at a red herring could undermine the whole voting - investigative venture. Err with caution.

Additionally, Cannonfire has a lengthy summary of the election issues of the day. His work is not only broad in perspective, but the language is accessible. And he has a sense of humor. He introduces a link in his entry today that I had never heard of before, a muckraking work entitled Votescam, by the Collier brothers.