The United States is built on the voice of the people. We voice our opinions, dissent, and hope for the future at the ballot box. In many States we see lower voter turnout and voting systems in place that can make it more difficult for some people to exercise their right to vote. If we hope to have a democracy of the people, by the people, and for the people, then we should take a hard look at the tools available to allow as many eligible voters to cast a vote when elections come around.

A New York Times article from yesterday on swing voters, "Few Voter are Truly Up for Grabs, Research Suggests", is worth the read...even if you disagree.

Across the media, the headlines got it wrong when they claimed “Judge Upholds Voter ID Law in Pennsylvania,” or some variation of that assertion.

The latest report from the Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor shows that first time unemployment claims increased by 2,000 last week. According to the report, there were 366,000 initial claims in the week ending August 11.

The son is in and the father out. Senator Rand Paul (KY) is scheduled to speak at the Republican National Convention later this month in Tampa while the senator's father and Republican presidential candidate, Dr. Ron Paul (TX), has not been scheduled to speak, disappointing his many supporters.

Not another Paul Ryan story! Those in-tune with the political debate might be thinking that, but the selection does pose an interesting dynamic.

The last time a third party candidate realistically challenged the two-party duopoly was in 1992, when Texas billionaire Ross Perot ran against President George H.W. Bush and Democratic candidate Bill Clinton.

...and it's Joe Biden:

Craig Murray is a former UK diplomat who was fired after going public with reports about torture and brutal suppression in Uzbekistan. He is a well-lknown activist in Britain now. He blogged this morning of his disgust with the British threat of raiding the Ecuador Embassy in London to get Assange. His site immediately went down with a Denial of Service attack. This happens routinely when he posts against the government.