Hot off the campaign trail

Following are news items by Knight Ridder’s political bloggers.

IN E-VOTING WE… Following are news items by Knight Ridder’s political bloggers.

IN E-VOTING WE TRUST … OR DO WE?

The last thing we need is another hanging chad. (See also: Florida, 2000.) But perhaps we have another chadlike controversy looming over us. The latest voting issue is over e-voting machines, which were billed as being safer than their manual ancestors.

But computers and the like, or so the rumor goes, can be hacked. This may be the same for the e-voting machines. Furthermore, the machines do not leave a paper trail, so there’s no way to check up on the results. Other concerns being discussed: fraud, hardware and software glitches and human error.

SiliconValley.com has launched a moderated roundtable discussion on the safety and reliability of e-voting. Participants include computer experts, those concerned with election reform, technology reporters, researchers and the registrar of voters for San Bernardino County, Calif.

-By Ellen Dunkel, Knight Ridder Digital

SO, SENATOR, HAVE YOU SEEN YOUR OWN COMMENTS?

The Kerry campaign can be a finely tuned machine, reacting to the news with speed. Consider Wednesday morning. By 6:45 a.m. Eastern time, the campaign had issued a statement from the candidate, criticizing Treasury Secretary John Snow for praising President Bush’s economic record earlier this week. “Callous disregard,” Kerry’s statement said. “Outrageous slap in the face to America’s middle class.” Tough words.

Later in the morning, the candidate had a chance to elaborate. He emerged from his hotel in Santa Fe, N.M., to depart for Wednesday night’s debate in Tempe, Ariz., and reporters asked him to react to Snow again. The candidate looked back blankly. Did he know what Snow said?

“I haven’t a clue,” he replied.

-By Jim Kuhnhenn, Knight Ridder Washington Bureau

SWING-STATE FARE SPECIALS!

OK – I think America’s getting a little too caught up in these elections. Every week I get a promo e-mail from Travelocity.com with some creatively themed specials. This week we have …

Swing State Salute: Last Minute Deals from $255

(Here’s the letter:)

Dear Alan,

You have two choices this election year: Sit on the couch and yell at the television, or get out and participate in the political process. Campaigns across the country are in desperate need of volunteers to help with voter turnout and more. This weekend, make a difference and book a Last Minute Deal to one of over 20 battleground swing states and pitch in!

Check out these great deals from Washington, DC: Madison, WI: There’s Nothing Average About Middle America.

Flight, Hotel, Taxes ‘ Fees from $255 for 2 Nights. Badger believers, progressive minds and outdoors enthusiasts team up in this quirky state capital. …

Etc., etc. Travelocity also offers a “Philadelphia Freedom” special and some cheap flights to Arizona and Oregon. So there you have it – political activism as an airline marketing pitch. God bless America.

-By Alan Bjerga, The Wichita Eagle

IT’S ENDORSEMENT SEASON

Ohio’s newspapers should begin making their presidential endorsements Sunday. The debates will be finished, the candidates vetted.

There have been some interesting developments in the early endorsements compiled by Editor’Publisher. Four newspapers that endorsed President Bush in 2000 have opted for Sen. John Kerry – The Oregonian (Portland), The Seattle Times, The Day (New London, Conn.) and The Albuquerque Tribune. No newspapers favoring Al Gore in 2000 have so far switched to Bush.

The only Ohio newspaper on the list is The Courier in Findlay. It has endorsed Bush. The combined circulation of the pro-Kerry papers is 2,637,297 compared with pro-Bush circulation of 724,728.

-By Steve Love, Akron Beacon Journal

(c) 2004, Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.