Reply #9: Rendell applauds this decision...

[Junkdrawer]

PA Governor Rendell Commends State Supreme Court for Clarifying That Counties Can Buy New Electronic Voting Machines

Counties can purchase electronic voting machines without a referendum

HARRISBURG, Pa., March 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania Governor Edward G.
Rendell commended the Pennsylvania Supreme Court today for taking action that
will allow Westmoreland County, and other counties, to move ahead with plans
to buy new electronic voting machines as part of a federal requirement before
the May primary election.

"The Supreme Court today has clarified the rules that will help
Pennsylvania counties appropriately prepare for upcoming elections," Governor
Rendell said. "With this prompt decision by the court, counties can now move
forward in meeting the federal requirements under the Help America Vote Act
(HAVA) and buy new electronic voting machines."

The state Supreme Court reversed a February 13 decision by Commonwealth
Court that had prohibited Westmoreland County from buying new electronic
voting machines (Mary Beth Kuznik, et al. v. Westmoreland County Board of
Commissioners, et al., No. 18 MAP 2006).

"Though the State Supreme Court soon will issue an opinion explaining its
order, we believe that the Court's ruling validates what the commonwealth's
position has been all along," Governor Rendell said. "Federal law supersedes
any state laws that hinder the commonwealth's compliance with mandates of
federal law.

...

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-02-2006/0004312542&EDATE=

I don't know if he's in on the fix, or just a victim of bad advisers. During one of the hearings in Pittsburgh I attended, one of his chief advisers (and a former chief consul to the National Democratic Party!) appeared as a paid advocate for Diebold - and he was so transparently paid-off that even the county commissioners were laughing at his "testimony".