Wash. election challenge puts politics on trial (Interesting week ahead!)

[MelissaB]

Wash. election challenge puts politics on trial

By Rebecca Cook
ASSOCIATED PRESS
11:19 a.m. May 21, 2005

WENATCHEE, Wash. – In a nondescript courtroom in this small farming town, America's electoral system is about to stand trial.

The battle over Washington's contested governor's election touches on many of the questions that divide this country between rural and urban, Republican and Democrat, red and blue – and echoes frustrations of the past two presidential elections.

Republican Dino Rossi is challenging Gov. Christine Gregoire's victory in the closest statewide election in national history, alleging widespread problems including illegal votes cast by felons and dead people.


>>>snip

Add to those regional tensions the continuous parade of errors from the King County elections division – officials acknowledged finding 94 uncounted ballots in boxes as recently as last month – and you get a Republican brew of suspicion and resentment that resembles how Democrats felt after President Bush won the 2000 and 2004 elections.

"For me there is a distinct parallel. I felt we should have had a revote in Florida," said Josef Kunzler, a John Kerry supporter who voted for Rossi and describes himself as an ardent "Dinocrat."

The 23-year-old blogger hopes Washington can hold a new election that will stiffen the spines of voters nationwide – both Democrats and Republicans.

"If we do get a revote, they can have hope," he said. "We can challenge this kind of garbage going on, we can crack down on voter fraud ... Stand up and draw the line."


>>>snip

The trial is focusing on problems involving human error in vote counting that are similar to allegations raised in Ohio last year and in Florida in 2000.

If the Republican challenge succeeds, experts say it would encourage more election challenges in close races across the country. Both national parties have rushed to the aid of their candidates and raised much of the millions of dollars the case has cost so far.

More: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20050521-1119-electionontrial.html

[ogradda]

1. Rossi can suck rock.

I hope the judge tells him to bite a big one.

[stellanoir]

2. okay

am fantasizing here. . .but wouldn't it be wonderfully ironic if the Repub's over reach in a gubenatorial race would expose the gross insecurities in our past three national elections.

Not to minimize how the people of that state feel but given the horrific atrocities our inappropriately "selected" leader has cruelly imposed on all of us and the rest of the world, I think it would be enormously humorous if they split hairs over this one and unwittingly expose the whole bloody canard.

Just saying. . .

[LeeB]

3. I'm with you, stellanoir!

I live in King County. I voted for Christine Gregoire. Like most everyone here, I've been following the national election fraud unfolding, with particular attention to Land Shark's report on the "anomalies" of Snohomish County electronic voting machines, all the while crossing my fingers that this huge effort on the part of Washington State rethuglicans to prove VOTER fraud just blows up in their faces. Please!

They have already put their foot in it by publishing the names of alleged felons, many of whom turned out to be big fat mistakes - then the Dems followed up by finding a bunch more voting felons in precincts favoring Rossi but that the Rossi contingent conveniently did not find on their own. Every time I hear of them whining about fairness I laugh myself silly. Whatever the decision at this trial, the Washington State Supreme Court will get the case.

Must go buy more popcorn before Monday.:popcorn:

[stellanoir]

4. I'll stock up on the popcorn as well

even though it's totally undigestible cellulose. It might just be a great ride.