Exactly right. While the Iraqi army may not have been much, it did at least seem to have the ability to get from point A to point B and get their vehicles there with them. It was almost certainly a better base to work with than 250K raw recruits.

I really found the recent "Phase 3" articles in Salon interesting because they pointed out that even though the army was dispersed when Bremer came in, there were negotiations going on to bring it back piece by piece. I hadn't realized that before. And, as far as I know, they were still being paid (something like $20/month).

I don't know how much the mid-terms had with his decision. There are other reasons he'd have trouble:

1) Allegations of insider trading with HCA

2) Watching paint dry is more exciting than watching him speak

3) Terry Shiavo

4) In that vein, he seems to have had his social-conservative reawakening very recently. No one really thinks he is serious, just a panderer

As for how well panderers from Tennessee fair, see Harold Ford.

The reason you don't get a receipt when you vote is simple. Party operative comes to someone and says "I'll give you $10 to go in there and vote for Joe. Just show me the receipt and I'll give you the $10." Or in a slightly less kind location "Get in there and vote for Joe. If you don't show me the receipt, I'll kill you."

In our system now you can (illegally) pay someone to vote, but except with an absentee ballot, you can't know HOW they voted.

This running tape that the writer advocates is not without problems either. Generally you know (through accounting or otherwise) what order people voted on in a machine or you can figure it out. If you also have a running receipt, a persons vote is no longer secret.

It sounds worse than it is. I think in my area, challengers and observers are really the same thing and they can be placed in a precinct by the parties or organizations. They have to register beforehand.

If a challenger thinks a voter is not who they claim to be, they speak with the head judge who then consults with the other judges and the voter to determine the status. There are three judges and they must be unanimous to deny the voter (or make them cast a provisional ballot).

It is also illegal to disrupt or impede the voting process, so if the challenger or observer is making baseless challenges or intimidating voters, the judge is with their rights to remove the challenger from the precinct.

One of the reasons something like this might be needed: One of my workers would not ask to see ID or a voter reg. card from the people she knew (neighbors). I don't allow that. You have to present the correct ID or (in TN) fill out a form afirming your identity. No exceptions.

Also, in TN anyone in the polling place legitimately (see Elephantman's list) may issue a challenge, so one voter may challenge another.

It's great you went out to protect the integrity of the process, but it would be even better if, now that you've done it, you recognize that having capable people doing the job is even better than having capable people watching others do the job (perhaps less capably). I hope in the next election, you will sign up to work rather than observe. Someone who let you work even though you were supposed to observe likely broke the law.

"I proudly entered to VOTE wearing my "IMPEACH BUSH AND CHENEY" shirt."

In most places, no one, including voters, is allowed into the polling place with any campaign material visible nor are they allowed to discuss politics in the polling place. What you were doing could be viewed as campaigning inside the boundary, which is not allowed.

Your judge was likely just doing his or her job, not discriminating against you. As a judge, I've had to do this several times, mostly to people whose views match mine. The integrity of the process is important.

Thanks for writing this. I've been a poll worker in Tennessee now for a couple of years and this last cycle was still challenging with a very high turnout and lots of people who've moved since the last time they voted. Please remember that when you vote, the people that are there to help you do it are basically volunteers. 2-3 times a year they sign up to spend several hours in a class (that can't possibly prepare them to deal with all the intricacies of election laws) and then pull a 13-14+ hour day to help you vote. Some may be better at their jobs than others, but they are almost all doing the best they can.

For this service they may earn around $100.