I have been so busy trying to clear my plate to accommodate my trip to Florida, that I have not had time for much else. As we get closer to the election, however, the media is running more stories about poll watchers and the dirty tricks that have already been occurring to reinforce the need for them. Someone recently put it very well in describing what we will be doing, saying "we are not there to observe voting rights irregularities and report them to the UN, we are there to make sure that all qualified voters are allowed to vote and have their votes counted." Another observer likened the poll watchers to the flying monkeys from The Wizard of Oz. Yeah, that works for me, especially if it means that I get one of those little pillbox hats. They're so versatile, so Jackie O, and they look great on people or monkeys!

I find the idea of foreign observers disquieting in some ways and encouraging in others. One of my heroes has always been Jimmy Carter. He was the first candidate I voted for in a Presidential election and I not only worked on his campaign, I also went to Washington for the Inauguration. I have long admired the work he has done as an election monitor in other places. I blame George II and his cronies for putting us in the position of needing international scrutiny to insure that this is a free and fair election but if that is what it takes, so be it. Excelsior!