nori e-mailed me to say:

"Diebold says they've fixed the flaws pointed out by the geeks in
October, but the report finds that they have not been. Maryland's
election officials don't appear to care that they've spent $55 million
in order to systematically disenfranchise its voters.

"This is the company, you will recall, whose CEO has promised to
deliver the votes of his home state (Ohio) to Bush this November.
Ought we not to be skeptical? Ought there not to be public outcry?
And there it is, buried on page A fucking FOURTEEN, labelled
"technology"!! Jesus H. Christ."

and she's so, so right. the nyt article she's referencing is here, and it seems to have sunk-without-trace. and while there's clearly a lot going on in the world today (as there was yesterday, when the article was actually out), there's not so much going on that this shouldn't be front-page news. in fact, i want it to be front-page news every day until diebold goes out of business.

relatedly: did anyone else watch major network coverage of the NH primary? why do CNN and its cronies, along with the overwhelmingly white 1.4% of the american population currently living in iowa and new hampshire, get to decide who our nominee's going to be? obviously, it's not as literal as all that -- but it's close, and that's very depressing. folks who want to have an honest conversation about which candidate would be best, on any number of levels, are being denied that chance, as the networks have apparently decided that kerry should be our nominee because he's the least fucking threatening.

it ain't diebold, but it sure is equally disheartening.