" Dear Editors, Dear Readers, How this story ever got to be a story is very, very sad. Take a quick re-read of what this story actually discloses and see if you agree: Three men who are computer experts were able to take an out dated computer (voting machine) which ran on an abandoned operating system - and hacked it. When you strip it down to the facts - that’s it ! What really should have been the story is this: That the Associated Press was willing to take a self published paper which is void of any peer review and run with it. Hmmm, ... If it makes you wonder why, let’s think about it. One of the men is a university Professor. Certainly, he knows the procedure of peer reviews and that such reviews are needed to debunk junk science. “Radke (machine spokesman) also question why Felten (the Professor) hadn't submitted his paper for peer review, as is commonly done before publishing scientific research.” “Felten said he and his colleagues felt it necessary to publish the paper as quickly as possible because of the possible implications for the November midterm elections.” THAT is exactly what this effort is all about. An effort to put our elections back into the hands politicos for hand counts. Further, we will see more of these stories in the coming months to cushion we voters to the possibility that the 2008 National elections will be taken with paper ballots. Paper ballots and hand counts are the way - the only way - to really manipulate the outcome of an election. I am not saying that there is any out and out, formal conspiracy. But I am willing to say that with a wink and a nod and the, perhaps sincere, belief that “the end justifies the means” on the part of enough simpatico “hands”, and we are back to the Chicago election model. As voters we deserve the right to keep our votes out of the hands of party members. Either party. Thanks and keep an eye out "