Over to you. Closing out:
* THE ASTROTURF SCHOOL LOBBY: Here's an article from the Billionaire Boys Club blogosphere, in other words a site sympathetic to the end of egalitarian public schools in favor of a world where vouchers or quasi-private charter schools or taxpayer-financed home schools or anything that doesn't include a teachers union prevails. It features Laurie Lee (nee Masterson, the former Fayetteville school library book banner) and her new "grassroots" group. Grassroots my bippy. She and others listed in the Arkansas "reform" movement — such as devoted LR school critic Gary Newton, another professed 'reformer' — share significant financial support from the unlimited Walton pocketbook, either by a direct grant or support from organizations themselves living on Walton and other billionaire support. This article also cites the Arkansas affiliation with an anti-union teachers group that has also benefitted from Walton greenery.
* CONFIDENCE IN ELECTIONS: What do you think Republicans in Arkansas would be saying if they learned that Michelle Obama or Obama financiers had financial ties to ownership of electronic voting machines on which the Arkansas election is being conducted? Just asking. Because Tagg Romney is an investor in a company with ties to the supplier of OHIO'S voting machines. Right-wingers are saying Tagg Romney is removed sufficiently from ownership of the vote machine company, but it IS nonetheless led directly by major Romney campaign money men. Republican funny business, as you know, is a regular occurrence in national elections in that vital swing state. Just move along. If we only had Voter ID, we could trust our elections.
* ON THE OTHER HAND ... Bad news for Democrats in an apparent successful sting by right-winger Jame O'Keefe. The son and field director of Democratic Rep. James Moran's campaign has resigned after being filmed giving advice on how to evade alternate identification requirements of the Virginia voter ID law. No excuses for this if the facts are as presented. But I think this is worth noting: The Voter ID law in Virginia is the sort Republicans want. It now would seem to have the counter-intuitive effect of encouraging new ways to commit fraud. The scheme sketchily described is somewhat unclear as to how it would work in actual practice. Doesn't matter. It appears someone got caught encouraging it, whether it practically could have been used to any real effect or not.
* MAYA ANGELOU WROTE ME (AND A FEW JILLION OTHERS) TODAY:
Go, rise up, and let your friends and family in early vote states know where they can vote today. We must make our voices heard:http://my.barackobama.com/Help-Your-Friends-Vote-Early
Your vote is not only important. It's imperative.
* IMPERATIVE? NO DOUBT ABOUT IT: Check this report on a new study on the impact of a Medicaid budget based on Paul Ryan's blueprint — a $1.7 TRILLION slashing in 10 years. That just doesn't mean more sick and dying people — men, women and children — it means a devastating impact on the economy in lost health industry work.
* CITY BOARD CANDIDATE ADDRESSES THE LITTLE ROCK BOARD: Robert Webb doesn't get much time or attention from the Little Rock Board of Directors. He opposed the city sales tax. He raised enough of a ruckus that Mayor Stodola wouldn't reappoint him to the housing authority. He's running for board against the bullying Joan Adcock, for whom he has a few choice words in the following letter about the Board meeting last night: