TechnoPolitics and Elections in the Middle East.

~~ The NYT's Thomas Friedman today puts forth that there is a real TechnoPolitical change going on in the Middle Eastern Body Politic. Internet and Cell Texting are fueling the pro-western the reform movements there.~~ posted from blackberry by technopolitical~~




http://mobile.nytimes.com/article?a=376648&f=76


By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

Published: June 14, 2009

mobile.nytimes.com

"Twenty years ago, I wrote a book about the Middle East, and recently I was thinking of updating it with a new introduction. It was going to be very simple - just one page, indeed just one line: "Nothing has changed."
".....something is going on in the Middle East today that is very new. Pull up a chair; this is going to be interesting."

" What we saw in the Lebanese elections,........., and what we saw in the provincial elections in Iraq, .........is the product of four historical forces that have come together to crack open this ossified region".

**"First is the diffusion of technology. The Internet, blogs, YouTube and text messaging via cellphones, particularly among the young - 70 percent of Iranians are under 30 - is giving Middle Easterners cheap tools to communicate horizontally, to mobilize politically and to criticize their leaders acerbically, outside of state control. It is also enabling them to monitor vote-rigging by posting observers with cellphone cameras. I knew something had changed when I sat down for coffee on Hamra Street in Beirut last week with my 80-year-old friend and mentor, Kemal Salibi, one of Lebanon's greatest historians, and he told me about his Facebook group!"***

"CYBERWAR Privacy May Be a Victim in Cyberdefense Plan"

~ We are at war.

A Government run Cyber Defense is needed.

The internet is a public forum that I choose to enter.

Am I willing to surrender some my cyber rights to enter cyberspace -- to surrender my internet privacy in the name of American national self defense?

I know for me I already personally-- but not politically-- censor myself online. Unlike others who really do completely open their life to the internet, I post almost nothing about my private life , or at least nothing shocking.

Nor do I visit any websites that I would want to later deny doing so.

For me there would be very little if any real impact on my personal internet use, in light of the proposed American Government measures of Cyber Defense.

I already guard my privacy online and do not visit sites of illicit or illegal activity.

Ido also do google myself often to find out what others could learn about me with a quick internet search. (With a little work one can mostly control their online presence.)

Now, I am still very much a civil libertarian when it comes to both private and mutually consenting personal interactions. I fully believe that the government has no right to regulate or monitor our private lives.

But again , I CHOOSE to go onto the Internet, with the understanding that it may be monitored and my online actions and interactions might be recorded by some government snoop, a snoop whose job it is to look for threats of violence against man or machine. But it is not his charge to monitor normal free speech, association, and/or political organizing. Those activities are fully protected rights in the USA.

My life online is not that exciting. And again purposely so. Privacy must be guarded by ones self, as only you can protect your own privacy. So I am careful what I post and write about myself on my various blogs.

When you drive the roads in your car there are traffic cops. On the internet too there does need to be a cyberpolice and I am willing to accept Government monitoring of the Internert in the name of Cyber National Security, as I for one do not see how it would change my techno cyber political behaviors in any way.

The First amendment of the US Constitution fully protects all my cyber activities. I have full free speech and free press rights here at TechnoPolitical. I post what I think and believe very freely and without constraint.

If I want or need Privacy I can turn the Computer Off.

We are at war. There are lunatics of all stripes out there who use the internet as a tool to further violence and terrorism. There has to be Government Cyber Security in the USA. The stakes are just too high.

Now below this post, there is another recent post about China's cyber crackdown attempt.

This is a different situation than the USA's, as China is working to suppress nonviolent speech and civil dissent. For there is no right to free speech and free association in China and the Chinese Government is quite totalitarian in its Electronic-Governance of Cyber Space.

The USA however is not looking suppress nonviolent speech and association, but to protect its citizens from Terrorism both domestic and foreign. Big difference.
~~
Posted from blackberry by technopolitical via AT&T.~~





"CYBERWAR Privacy May Be a Victim in Cyberdefense Plan"


By THOM SHANKER and DAVID E. SANGER



Published: June 13, 2009

mobile.nytimes.com



"WASHINGTON - A plan to create a new Pentagon cybercommand is raising significant privacy and diplomatic concerns, as the Obama administration moves ahead on efforts to protect the nation from cyberattack and to prepare for possible offensive operations against adversaries' computer networks.





President Obama has said that the new cyberdefense strategy he unveiled last month will provide protections for personal privacy and civil liberties.




But senior Pentagon and military officials say that Mr. Obama's assurances may be challenging to guarantee in practice, particularly in trying to monitor the thousands of daily attacks on security systems in the United States that have set off a race to develop better cyberweapons."

http://mobile.nytimes.com/article?a=376300&f=21

Website lets users rate Congress

~~ But will it make a difference ? Probably not.
It will be fun , but will it help shape public policy for the better ?
I doubt it .
~~~

Website lets users rate Congress

http://mobile.politico.com/story.cfm?id=21739&cat=topnews

By Victoria McGrane | 4/27/09 @ 4:21 AM EST

After 26 years spent working for the Senate, Elizabeth Letchworth knows a thing or two about Congress — including how much of a bubble it can be.

Now off Capitol Hill, Letchworth is poised to launch a new website next week that aims to keep members in touch with the rest of the country. Gradegov.com will allow users to give individual members a letter grade, A through F. The site will display each lawmaker’s average, as well as breakdowns by political party and by grades sent by voters who actually live in a member’s district.

“The more and more pundits you have, [and] it seems like everybody now does a poll, it seems like we’ve lost the American public’s ability to just say it in their own words,” said Letchworth, who worked for the Senate from 1975 to 2001, rising from a page to become the first woman Republican secretary of the Senate, an elected officer of the chamber.

Internet, activists help topple prominent US Democrat

~~` Lieberman would have lost w/o the internet ,, just like when Lieberman defeated Lowell Wicker to first enter the Senate in 1988 .

Please do not confuse the medium for the message. Unpopular incumbents loose primaries , because they lost the support of the core that first elected them. The internet reflected public sentiment that was already there, the internet did not create it. Plus Lamont had big $$$ , that helps more !!

-------------------

----------------

"Internet, activists help topple prominent US Democrat"
By Patricia Wilson
WASHINGTON, Aug 9 (Reuters) - "Fueled by opposition to the Iraq war and anger at U.S. President George W. Bush, liberal grass-roots and Internet activists on Wednesday claimed their most significant political victory -- the defeat of Democratic Sen. Joseph Lieberman.

The three-term senator from Connecticut was repudiated on Tuesday by voters from his own party who chose Ned Lamont -- a relative unknown with a fierce anti-war message -- to represent Democrats in the November election.

"The winner is people-powered politics," declared the Daily Kos Web site, a sentiment that echoed throughout the liberal blogosphere.
Lamont, a millionaire businessman who has never held state or federal office, had almost zero name recognition and very little political experience when he entered the race."

Conservative Christians Criticize Republicans - New York Times

~~ But can the Democrats capitalize on the Republican discord ?

The Dems still have no unified voice, and to me, come acrross as timid and pandering.

I would prefer to see them offering the leadership and inovation that marked the Clinton years.

Unless the Democratic leadership can excite their base, Dem voters ---and religious -right voters too, as we see here--- might just sit out the this year's mid-term elections for Congress & etc. Which more than likely would help the incumbents, thus keeping the GOP in charge of congress.
~
~~ `technopolitical
======================

5/15/06 :Conservative Christians Criticize Republicans - New York Times: "There is a growing feeling among conservatives that the only way to cure the problem is for Republicans to lose the Congressional elections this fall," said Richard Viguerie, a conservative direct-mail pioneer. I can't tell you how much anger there is at the Republican leadership,' Mr. Viguerie said. 'I have never seen anything like it.'"

Q: "Internet Injects Sweeping Change Into U.S. Politics ? A: " NO !!

~~ Yes the Internet is becoming part of the political campaign arsenals.
But has the internet produced better candidates or any major shifts in power ?

It is still the democrats and republicans.
The medium may be new but the players are the same.
Not only the mega- political players,
but the mega- media players too are the same .
In the end the Internet has re-enforced the status quo. See here for more .

Yes Blogs have some impact, but it is still the mega-media that makes "what is news" , so there too , the Internet has done little to tilt the power center.

The hope of the Digital Age was that people would produce a better, a fairer and more representative government through cyber involvment.

Well the Internet is only really 10 years old, so maybe there is still hope.


~~ technopolitical
-----------------------------------

Internet Injects Sweeping Change Into U.S. Politics - New York Times:
April 2, 2006
Internet Injects Sweeping Change Into U.S. Politics
By ADAM NAGOURNEY

"The percentage of Americans who went online for election news jumped from 13 percent in the 2002 election cycle to 29 percent in 2004, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center after the last presidential election. A Pew survey released earlier this month found that 50 million Americans go to the Internet for news every day, up from 27 million people in March 2002, a reflection of the fact that the Internet is now available to 70 percent of Americans.

This means, aides said, rethinking every assumption about running a campaign: how to reach different segments of voters, how to get voters to the polls, how to raise money, and the best way to have a candidate interact with the public. In 2004, John Edwards, a former Democratic senator from North Carolina and his party's vice presidential candidate, spent much of his time talking to voters in living rooms in New Hampshire and Iowa; now he is putting aside hours every week to videotape responses to videotaped questions, the entire exchange posted on his blog.

'The effect of the Internet on politics will be every bit as transformational as television was,' said Ken Mehlman, the Republican national chairman. 'If you want to get your message out, the old way of paying someone to" {end quote]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/02/washington/02campaign.html?hp&ex=1143954000&en=003299f756f21d88&ei=5094&partner=homepage
-

Internet Fosters Local Political Movements, AP News

~~~ It appears from this article the Internet is finally causing some political activity , that otherwise would not happen. But I still feel for the most, the Internet has done little to change the balance of powers in elections , nor seriously impacted how legislation is passed & public policy formed. Even in the the headline here, note the choice of the word "fosters" as oppossed to "galvanizes" or "energizes" . [Click HERE for another recent post & article on this suject] ~~` TP
.

----------

"Internet Fosters Local Political Movements"
By RON FOURNIER
AP Political Writer
http://wireservice.wired.com/wired/story.asp?section=Breaking&storyId=1135653

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Frustrated by government and empowered by technology, Americans are filling needs and fighting causes through grass-roots organizations they built themselves -- some sophisticated, others quaintly ad hoc. This is the era of people-driven politics.

From a homemaker-turned-kingmaker in Pittsburgh to dog owners in New York to a 'gym rat' here in southwest Florida, people are using the Internet to do what politicians can't -- or won't -- do."

Fla. attorney general says his e-mails aren't spam | CNET News.com

~~ Political emails may be propaganda, but to call them spam --- which is commercial -- is unfair. We expect politicians to stuff our real and virtual mailboxes with reasons why I should vote for them. I am just thankful to live in a country where election violence , bombings & etc does not occur [anymore ] . If the price for that is a little "political spam" , well I am cool with that ~ `~~ TP

Fla. attorney general says his e-mails aren't spam | CNET News.com: "Florida's attorney general has spearheaded an aggressive campaign against unsolicited e-mails, or spam. But as a candidate for governor, he appears to be generating some unwanted Internet clutter himself."

~~ Big alarm bells here. If the internet becomes a place where the Internet Service Providers can favor some websites over others , the internet will simply be crippled and much less useful---especially as a political tool. Something tells me that common sense and the consumer market will not let this fragmentation occur. But who knows? ~~~ TP
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At Stake: The Net as We Know It

BusinessWeek

By Catherine Yang

"Google et al fear broadband carriers will tie up traffic with new tolls and controls. Ultimately, it could mean a world of Internet haves and have-nots

The Internet has always been a model of freedom. Today the Web is flourishing because anyone can click to any site or download any service they want on an open network. But now the phone and cable companies that operate broadband networks have a different vision. If they get their way, today's Information Highway could be laden with tollgates, express lanes, and traffic tie-ups -- all designed to make money for the network companies."

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/dec2005/tc20051215_141991.htm

" Sen. William Proxmire Dead At 90 "

~~ The second Senate giant to pass this week. Like Sen. Eugence McCarthy , William Proxmire is one for the history books. A unique maverick who often defied labels. Mostly "Liberal" , but against abortion. Thifty , but always bought home the milk-price supports to the home state. Most importantly Sen. Proxmire also led the charge to get the USA to sign the International Genocide Treaty. A very complex man indeed, and like Sen. McCarthy the type of politician who probably could not get elected today.~~ TP
----------------------------------

CBS News | Sen. William Proxmire Dead At 90 | December 15, 2005 "Long before the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform law was a twinkle in the eye of lawmakers, and at a time when millions were spent campaigning for Senate seats, Proxmire made a point of accepting no contributions. In 1982 he registered only $145.10 in campaign costs, yet gleaned 64 percent of the vote."

McCarthy's rare mold: USATODAY.com

~~~ I have been reading a lot of o-bits about Sen. Eugene McCarthy, and this one from 'USA Today' struck the chord I was looking for. ~~ TP
---------------------------------------------------

USATODAY.com - McCarthy's rare mold: "McCarthy's rare mold
Most politicians whose biggest claim to fame was a second-place finish in a presidential primary would barely rate a footnote from historians.

But Eugene McCarthy, who died Saturday at age 89, wasn't like most politicians." it is hard to imagine someone as quirky or principled as McCarthy surviving in today's political environment. He didn't take the oath of self-preservation and mindless partisanship that seems to be an officeholder's first action today. He didn't base his stands on the winds of the moment......

......The nation would be well-served if more people of McCarthy's unwavering integrity were drawn to public service. It would also do well to have more officials like McCarthy with interests in poetry and other areas beyond politics and the law.

......But he was an unusual politician at a unique moment in history. It's probably safe to say there won't be many more like him anytime soon. ~~` How True , and that is what is too bad . ~` TP

National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation

National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation: "NCDD brings together those who actively practice, promote and study inclusive, high quality conversations. We believe that elevating the quality of thinking and communication in organizations and among citizens is key to solving humanity's most pressing problems."

Young Voters Led Surge in 2004 Election - AP Wire

~~ For the record ~~~ TP

Young Voters Led Surge in 2004 Election - Yahoo! News:

"The 18-24 set made up 9 percent of the electorate last year, up very slightly from 8 percent the previous election. It's unclear what that might mean for the young vote in the future.

'Will it work for kids who were 14 years old in 2004? No idea. That work still remains to be done,' King said. 'But the 2004 campaign itself was an immense mobilizing event, bringing out the largest percent of young voters in 32 years.'

Democrats found hope in the statistics because, according to exit polls, Kerry won 56 percent of votes cast by people aged 18-24. Bush earned 43 percent of their votes."

"Blogs and text messages spread call to violence - Europe - International Herald Tribune"

~~~ The Internet seems to be perfect place for Anarchists to organize. { Yes, I know if they are "organized", then they can't truely be anarchists. But try to tell them that. }

The Republicans in the USA also use the internet much better than the Democrats in elections , with the GOP having larger email lists , , and more donations via the net.

This led to
a Republican base turn-out in the 2004 Presidental race that trumped the Democrats -- whose urban base failed to turn out .

Maybe the Democrats could hire the guys now running the tech-side of the Paris Ghetto Riots of 2005 .....

..... and put them in the voter-turnout "war-room" for next year's 2006 mid-term Congresional elections.

~~ `~~ TechnoPolitical ~~

------------------------------------

"PARIS The banners and bullhorns of protest are being replaced in volatile French neighborhoods by mobile phone messages and Skyblog, a Web site hosting messages inflammatory enough ..........."

from :
Blogs and text messages spread call to violence
- Europe - International Herald Tribune:
By Thomas Crampton International Herald Tribune

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2005

President Bush's Walkabout - New York Times

~ ~ Pretty heavy words from the NY Times editorial page.

I really do not like agreeing with NYT's editorials. Doing so often leaves me haunted that I may be mis-informed on the issue at hand.

But in this case, there is no mistake -- the Bush Presidency is a ticking time bomb of more disasters.

We are in a war that seems to have been engineered from even before Bush II took office. { I saw Jimmy Carter say that on TV , to promote his new book .}

A very serious change of both staff & policy is needed from the Oval Office before there are more wars & ill-handled natural disasters..

May G-d help America !!~~ ` TP
-----------------------------------------------------------

"After President Bush's disastrous visit to Latin America, it's unnerving to realize that his presidency still has more than three years to run."

"An administration with no agenda and no competence would be hard enough to live with on the domestic front.

But the rest of the world simply can't afford an American government this bad for that long."

========================================

from :

President Bush's Walkabout - New York Times:

"Published: November 8, 2005

Advertising in the Age of the Empowered Voter - A View from Washington

~ I Got this by e-mail.
This event wil explore lobbying and activisim from a TechnPolitical view.

~~~ enjoy ~` TP ~~ `

=================

"Advertising in the Age of the Empowered Voter - A View from Washington"
When:Wednesday, September 21, 2005 1:00 PM - 7:00 PM

How do mobile, blogs, and podcasts change political and advocacy communications?

E-Voter Institute is hosting bipartisan events to delve into the ways in which these and other new technologies are changing the political landscape.

Join campaign strategists, online pioneers, researchers, journalists, and media experts for the first of three lively discussions about the role of Internet and wireless technology for politics and advocacy.

Wednesday, September 21, 2005 1:00 PM - 7:00 PM

"The Council for Excellence in Government works to improve the performance of government at all levels; and government's place in the lives and esteem

http://www.excelgov.org/

--To promote e-government as a revolutionary tool for improving performance and better connecting people to government; and

--To improve the connection between citizens and government and encourage their participation in governance.

The Council is supported by members (called Principals)---

private sector and nonprofit leaders who have served in

government and are united by a strong, sustaining

commitment to Council objectives-

--and by project grants and

other funding from government agencies, corporations and

foundations. [ Zzzzzzzzz, worst sentance ever. ~` tp}

Former Presidents Carter, Ford, Bush and

Clinton are honorary chairs of the Council.
===============================

~~~ Sound like a bunch of young idealiastic kids to me . They'll learn. ~` ` ` ` t p

"The Rise of Open-Source Politics"; By Micah L. Sifry, The Nation.

~~~ Really great article here below by Micah L. Sifry from 'The Nation" .
The interenet as a Political Tool is still evolving, and right now the Repulicans have a slight Cyber-Political edge. The Republican rank and file , the religious right & Big Biz , are all simply more lkely to give money or take other direct cyber -inspired -action, mostly because wealthier folks are more likely to have broadband internet , whithout which , one is quite cyber-limited in expresing political power.

However as broadband & wireless internet trickles down into the the many urban & rural areas with lower incomes , and now little broadband , a shift may still come , to where the 'political power' of cyberspace may tilt back towards the left ~~TP

The Rise of Open-Source Politics
By Micah L. Sifry, The Nation
Posted on January 20, 2005, Printed on January 21, 2005
http://www.alternet.org/story/21032/
Whether you're a Democrat in mourning or a Republican in glee, the results from election day should not obscure an important shift in America's civic life.

New tools and practices born on the internet have reached critical mass, enabling ordinary people to participate in processes that used to be closed to them. It may seem like cold comfort for Kerry supporters now, but the truth is that voters don't have to rely on elected or self-appointed leaders to chart the way forward anymore.

The era of top-down politics – where campaigns, institutions and journalism were cloistered communities powered by hard-to-amass capital – is over. Something wilder, more engaging and infinitely more satisfying to individual participants is arising alongside the old order.

View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/story/21032/

Suppress the Vote? , By BOB HERBERT

August 16, 2004

OP-ED COLUMNIST http://www.nytco.com/

Suppress the Vote?

By BOB HERBERT

he big story out of Florida over the weekend was the tragic devastation caused by Hurricane Charley. But there's another story from Florida that deserves our attention.

State police officers have gone into the homes of elderly black voters in Orlando and interrogated them as part of an odd "investigation" that has frightened many voters, intimidated elderly volunteers and thrown a chill over efforts to get out the black vote in November.

The officers, from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which reports to Gov. Jeb Bush, say they are investigating allegations of voter fraud that came up during the Orlando mayoral election in March.

Officials refused to discuss details of the investigation, other than to say that absentee ballots are involved. They said they had no idea when the investigation might end, and acknowledged that it may continue right through the presidential election.

"We did a preliminary inquiry into those allegations and then we concluded that there was enough evidence to follow through with a full criminal investigation," said Geo Morales, a spokesman for the Department of Law Enforcement.

The state police officers, armed and in plain clothes, have questioned dozens of voters in their homes. Some of those questioned have been volunteers in get-out-the-vote campaigns.

I asked Mr. Morales in a telephone conversation to tell me what criminal activity had taken place.

"I can't talk about that," he said.

I asked if all the people interrogated were black.

"Well, mainly it was a black neighborhood we were looking at - yes,'' he said.

He also said, "Most of them were elderly."

When I asked why, he said, "That's just the people we selected out of a random sample to interview."

Back in the bad old days, some decades ago, when Southern whites used every imaginable form of chicanery to prevent blacks from voting, blacks often fought back by creating voters leagues, which were organizations that helped to register, educate and encourage black voters. It became a tradition that continues in many places, including Florida, today.

Not surprisingly, many of the elderly black voters who found themselves face to face with state police officers in Orlando are members of the Orlando League of Voters, which has been very successful in mobilizing the city's black vote.

The president of the Orlando League of Voters is Ezzie Thomas, who is 73 years old. With his demonstrated ability to deliver the black vote in Orlando, Mr. Thomas is a tempting target for supporters of George W. Bush in a state in which the black vote may well spell the difference between victory and defeat.

The vile smell of voter suppression is all over this so-called investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Joseph Egan, an Orlando lawyer who represents Mr. Thomas, said: "The Voters League has workers who go into the community to do voter registration, drive people to the polls and help with absentee ballots. They are elderly women mostly. They get paid like $100 for four or five months' work, just to offset things like the cost of their gas. They see this political activity as an important contribution to their community. Some of the people in the community had never cast a ballot until the league came to their door and encouraged them to vote."

Now, said Mr. Egan, the fear generated by state police officers going into people's homes as part of an ongoing criminal investigation related to voting is threatening to undo much of the good work of the league. He said, "One woman asked me, 'Am I going to go to jail now because I voted by absentee ballot?' "

According to Mr. Egan, "People who have voted by absentee ballot for years are refusing to allow campaign workers to come to their homes. And volunteers who have participated for years in assisting people, particularly the elderly or handicapped, are scared and don't want to risk a criminal investigation."

Florida is a state that's very much in play in the presidential election, with some polls showing John Kerry in the lead. A heavy-handed state police investigation that throws a blanket of fear over thousands of black voters can only help President Bush.

The long and ugly tradition of suppressing the black vote is alive and thriving in the Sunshine State.

Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company

Congress Online: Much Sizzle, Little Steak

Copyright 2003 The New York Times Company
http://www.nytco.com/

June 24, 2003

Congress Online: Much Sizzle, Little Steak

By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE

ASHINGTON, June 23 — By now, almost every representative and every senator in Congress has a Web site. The sites offer a cornucopia of personal and hometown lore, in most cases virtually everything except what becomes legends most: their voting records.

For example, Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Republican of Colorado, bursts from his home page in a leather jacket, showing off his motorcycle, which is decorated with stars and stripes. Senators John B. Breaux and Mary L. Landrieu, Louisiana Democrats, give links to recipes for down-home Southern cooking.

None of these sites disclose the lawmakers' votes. And these sites are the rule.

A New York Times analysis of the Web sites has found that only 11 percent of senators and 40 percent of representatives provided some kind of information about their voting records, either a partial list of their major votes or a link to a vote-listing service. Many list their opinions, the bills they have sponsored and press releases. Only one senator, Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California, provides her complete voting record.

Surveys by other groups suggest a strong desire by citizens to see the voting records of their lawmakers. Extensive work has been done on this subject by the Congress Online Project, a program financed by the Pew Charitable Trusts to improve electronic communication between members of Congress and the public. In addition, Ralph Nader, the consumer advocate, has organized Congressional interns to prod their bosses to post their voting records on their Web sites. Focus groups told the Pew researchers that they were not interested in every vote but wanted know the important ones.

The Times analysis found that besides Senator Feinstein's, the model sites were those of two Republican representatives, Christopher Shays of Connecticut and Frank R. Wolf of Virginia. Links to their voting records are heralded prominently on their home pages.

Others offer links to services like the Library of Congress's Thomas service (http://thomas.loc.gov/), Project Vote Smart (www.vote-smart.org) or congress.org, which can direct viewers to individual votes.

Some legislators are overhauling their sites to provide such links. Senator Breaux, for example, is in the midst of a redesign. His spokesman, Brian Weiss, said it would include a link to the Thomas service.

Some sites are so poorly designed that even when a link is available, it is not easy to find. Nothing on the site of Senator Daniel K. Akaka, Democrat of Hawaii, who appears on his home page with a green lei around his neck, refers to his voting record. Only by clicking on "links" and then stumbling into "federal government" — not the obvious repository for a voting record — can one then click on www.senate.gov and find a vote by navigating from there.

Paul Cardus, Senator Akaka's press secretary, said the site was being updated and would probably add a direct link and call it "voting record" to take the viewer to Thomas.

Some Web pages offer no links at all. Representative Richard A. Gephardt, the Missouri Democrat who is running for president, does not list his votes on his fairly limited House Web site or on his flashier campaign site. His spokesman, Erik Smith, said he knew of no demand for the votes but thought that listing them might be a good idea.

Critics like Mr. Nader say that while the links to services can help find a vote or two, trying to compile a voting record by year and by issue from these links is cumbersome, confusing and time-consuming.

Mr. Nader says some members are trying to obscure their votes.

Others take a more benign view. Brad Fitch, deputy director of the Congressional Management Foundation, which helped with the Congress Online Project, said many members were just getting up to speed with online technology.

"There is a learning curve," Mr. Fitch said.

He said some members had told him they did not provide quick access to their voting records because they did not want to do the research for their challengers back home.

Mr. Fitch says he responds like this: "I tell these members that I'm letting them in on a little secret — that the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee have computers, and this information is available."

He added: "The only thing a member does by not providing this information is send the wrong message to constituents. You're inviting them to go someplace else, and that's a lost opportunity, from a political and a communication standpoint."

It is not clear, however, that all lawmakers are behind the technology curve. Representative Wolf said he started making his voting record available by newsletter as soon as he was elected to Congress in 1980; an opponent had told voters they could "look up" his record, so Mr. Wolf promised to send his record out.

He adapted to the Internet without difficulty and lends his assistant to help others set up sites.

"It's like opening up a book," Mr. Wolf said. "You want everything to be there. And of course your votes should be. Ye shall know them by their fruits, they say, and our votes are our fruits."

Copyright 2003 The New York Times Company