Chad (according to wikipedia) refers to paper
fragments created when holes are made in a paper, card or similar
synthetic materials, typically computer punched tape or punch
cards. Sometimes chad has been used as a mass noun or as a
countable noun, and the plural is commonly either "chad" (as in "a
pile of chad") or "chads" (as in "the multiple hanging chads").
Chad were made infamous in the highly contentious 2000 United
States presidential election where many of Florida votes used
Votomatic punch card ballots. Incompletely-punched holes resulted
in partially-punched chad, where one or more corners were still
attached, a hanging chad, dimpled chad or pregnant chad - where all
corners were still attached, but an indentation appears to have
been made. These votes were not counted by the tabulating machines.
When a chad is not fully detached from the ballot it is described
byvarious terms corresponding to the level of indentation. The
following terms generally apply when describing a four-cornered
chad:
- Hanging chad are attached to the ballot at only one
corner.
- Swinging chad are attached to the ballot at two corners.
- Tri-chad are attached to the ballot at three corners.
- Pregnant or dimpled chad are attached to the ballot at all four
corners, but bear an indentation indicating the voter may have
intended to mark the ballot. (Sometimes pregnant is used to
indicate a greater mark than dimpled.)
Chadd refers to a formally un-employed neophyte
cacher who in a few short months managed to place over 349 caches
and find over 1100, truly a testament to his determination and of a
rotten economy.
Joseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman (born February
24, 1942) is the junior United States Senator from Connecticut.
First elected to the Senate in 1988, Lieberman was elected to a
fourth term on November 7, 2006. In the 2000 United States
presidential election, Lieberman was the Democratic nominee for
Vice President, running with presidential nominee Al Gore, becoming
the first Jewish candidate on a major American political party
presidential ticket. The Gore–Lieberman ticket won the
popular vote but ultimately failed to gain the electoral votes
needed to win the controversial election. Lieberman ran for
re-election to the U.S. Senate while he was also Gore's running
mate, and he was re-elected by the voters of Connecticut. He was an
unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination
in the 2004 presidential election.
During his re-election bid in 2006, he lost the Democratic Party
primary election but won re-election in the general election as a
third party candidate under the party label "Connecticut for
Lieberman." Lieberman has been officially listed in Senate records
for the 110th and 111th Congresses as an "Independent Democrat" and
sits as part of the Senate Democratic Caucus. But since his speech
at the 2008 Republican National Convention in which he endorsed
John McCain for president, Lieberman no longer attends Democratic
Caucus leadership strategy meetings or policy lunches. On November
5, 2008, Lieberman met with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to
discuss his future role with the Democratic Party. Ultimately, the
Senate Democratic Caucus voted to allow Lieberman to keep
chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs. Subsequently, Lieberman announced that he
will continue to caucus with the Democrats.
Lieberman remains a registered Democrat. He was one of the
Senate's strongest advocates for continued prosecution of the war
in Iraq. He is also an outspoken supporter of the U.S.-Israel
relationship. On domestic issues, he strongly supports free trade
economics while reliably voting for pro-trade union legislation. He
has also opposed filibustering Republican judicial appointments.
With Lynne Cheney and others, Lieberman co-founded American Council
of Trustees and Alumni in 1995. Lieberman is a supporter of
abortion rights and the rights of gays and lesbians to adopt
children and be protected with hate crime legislation. Lieberman is
one of the Senate's leading opponents of violence in video games
and on television. Lieberman describes himself as being "genuinely
an Independent," saying "I agree more often than not with Democrats
on domestic policy. I agree more often than not with Republicans on
foreign and defense policy."
Lieberman's approval rating is 25% approve versus 67% who
disapprove, making him one of the least popular Senators currently
in office.