I wrote about this in an update to my diary entry about Krugman's article (the first of the day I believe), and some commenters suggested I post it as a diary all on its own, so here it is.
I skimmed the last bit of the piece--when I saw a mention of the Florida election machines, I assumed it was about the recent memory flap. I was wrong. Here's the paragraph:
P.S.: Another story you may not see on TV: Jeb Bush insists that electronic voting machines are perfectly reliable, but The St. Petersburg Times says the Republican Party of Florida has sent out a flier urging supporters to use absentee ballots because the machines lack a paper trail and cannot "verify your vote."
From today's
South Florida Sun Sentinel:
An embarrassed state Republican Party apologized Thursday for a GOP campaign brochure that urged voters to use absentee ballots, undermining efforts by Gov. Jeb Bush and Secretary of State Glenda Hood to inspire confidence in new touch-screen voting machines.
snip
The Republican apology stemmed from a glossy mailer paid for by the GOP and sent to Miami voters in a hotly contested state House district primary race between two Republicans. Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach are among 15 counties who switched from punch-card ballots to touch-screens after the 2000 presidential recount.
The flier featured a smiling President George W. Bush and urged voters not to take a chance with the touch-screen machines.
"The liberal Democrats have already begun their attacks and the new electronic voting machines do not have a paper ballot to verify your vote in case of a recount," the front page of the mailer reads. "Make sure your vote counts, order your absentee ballot today."
Talk about cognitive dissonance.