The WA State GOP sued today to stop King County from hand counting ballots rejected by the scanning machines, but a federal judge refused to issue a restraining order. [Judge denies request that some King County ballots not be counted.] I suppose they’re hoping this will ultimately go to the Supreme Court, riding the sorry precedent of Bush v Gore.
Meanwhile, the Rossifarians are busy blowing smoke, trying to spin the recount into a bad trip. There’s no real news coming out of the recount thus far, but that hasn’t stopped conservative blog Sound Politics from posting tales of scandal and fraud based on such hard-nosed reporting as a Chris Vance press release.
Oh please. I know a lot about press releases, and one thing they ain’t, is news.
Oh, they may look like news — and they’re certainly intended to influence news coverage — but they are pure, unadulterated spin. I know. I’ve written hundreds of them, many of which have generated gobs of local, national, or trade-industry coverage.
Why would Sound Politics stoop so low as to cite a GOP press release as evidence of vote tampering? I’m guessing it’s because they’re afraid of what might happen if every vote is counted. Rossi might… lose.
Personally I think it’s a bit premature to be whining about a stolen election. If I were a betting man, I’d still put my money on Rossi. But clearly, the righties are worried. It makes me wonder if maybe they really do know something about the recount that the rest of us don’t?
In-a-gadda-da-vida…
Ya’ll still arguing politics? There’s better things in life…
Hey… people are still coming to this site for election information, and I’m giving them a little circus with their bread.
And I’ve gotten into my Johnny Walker Blue, and just lit up a Don Tomas… There are serious concerns to be fought out- like on Tuesday, Lucas is releasing the Ewok movies on dvd- a serious infraction of decent movie-making (although not as bad as Jar Jar…
Decades from now, no one will hardly remember Dino or Chris, but Jar Jar and the Ewoks will still be major blots on a great movie series…
Thank Gawd Peter Jackson didn’t go for cute and fuzzy…
Well, hope you don’t mind a bit of clown with the bread and circuses… Although lions and Nascar drivers would be interesting…
Gee, David, you’re not the only one in town who knows what a press release is. If you think I was posting Vance’s press release as anything other than a press release, why would the first line of the post in question be “Washington State Republican Party chairman Chris Vance issued a press release earlier today alleging …”
I guess it must be a slow news day in your world too.
Okay, I’ve written press releases. And taken questions on them. I know damn good and well it only takes ONE misstatement of fact (or worse) to blow your credibility. If Chris Vance wants to start telling lies, then he’s not going to be credible. So I take his word for it. The guy’s not going to lie about something like this. Nor is his side of the story the truth, the whole truth and nothing but. I realize that.
But I think, with the other intel streaming in, that he’s onto something. Besides, “Governor Dean” Logan’s own words are rather incriminating – like “It won’t serve any of our purposes” to secure the blank ballots! Go figure.
I also believe that with zero vote tampering, Rossi will Save Our State.
Goldy-
Jim is right…there are more important things than politics. Like Country Western Music (94.1 KMPS). Most of those songs have a way of simplifying life. You are wound mighty tight in your self-righteousmess. It’s time for you to leave “your suds in the bucket and the clothes hanging out on the line”–Sarah Evans.
Or how about a little Toby Keith “what goes on in King Co. stays in King Co”!!!
Sadly Paul Berendt seems to subscribe to the line “sometimes you gotta get some mud on the tires!”
And we all get a little lift from the revenge feeling in the Dirks Bentley line “how you doin’ since you did what you d-d-done to me!”
You know Jim, kickin’ our feet up on the desk drinkin a little whiskey and smokin’ a fine cigar sounds pretty good. But add Country Western music and you got heaven!! Hell, even Rudy could get into this…you know “save a horse, ride a cowboy!!
As long as we support shady characters like the Far Right does and keep on placing ‘big business’ ahead of health care and education we will be stuck in a society that is going nowhere except down in the eyes of the world. Wake Up America!!!!!
Mr. C – glad you are concerned about my social life- and must confess fallen bullriders have a certain appeal- so creast fallen and bruised. Grab a brush and scrub their backs in the- feel so good hot shower- better than country music……
QUESTION- from you harcore R party folk- Is Chris Vance and his super legal team going to appeal to the 9th Circuit? That appeal will bring this into National full time media. I am sure vapid Van wants to be on all the talk shows braying and bellowing- should enhance his control over the state GOP for a decade more.
Might drive to Everett and try to find out what happened to Snohomish. Is the recount undrway or just stalled by the North County malaise called Wat the Hell Are We going to Do?
What is that old country saying about fat and fire? Seem to me perhaps in several counties indeed, the fat is in the fire. I do trust Klicitat, Asotin, Garfield and Columbia. If the R’s had any real faith in country values they whould be chanting ” As Klicitat goes so goes Washington.”
Can someone explain to me why Rossi is still running ads?
Everyone’s voted; at whom are these ads aimed?
Can anyone explain to me why Rossi is still running ads?
Everyone’s voted; at whom are these ads aimed?
I can’t say I listen to much country music (I’m too much of an an east-coast-educated, liberal intellectual snob for that), but I do appreciate the lyrics… and, they buy my rhyming dictionary software. (I probably have more customers per square mile in Franklin TN, than anywhere else in the country.)
Absolutely. And a good opportunity to keep up a friendly rivalry.
Come now Goldy…they are trying to determine what the voter INTENDED? The damaged votes I can buy into a manual recound BUT if you cannot obey the simple instructions written in every language exept Klingon (in Oregon even Klingon), it should go thru the machine and let the chips fall as they may. Your mother doesnt work for the election office so take care your own things!
Rossi isn’y still running ads- that is an OLD story that somehow got recycled by the P-I onto it’s website…
As for an appeal to the 9th Circuit- premature. The District Court rejected the tro- no ruling on merits (and no chance of tro from 9th Circuit). Anyway, the lawsuit is about facetime in the media…
And yeah, kick-ass country- DIXIE CHICKS!!!!! I don’t care if they shoot their uninformed mouths off, they do country with a rock ‘n roll ATTITUDE! GOODBYE EARL- and feed Vance and Berendt some black-eyed peas! Soon!
Just remember- What goes on in Vegas stays in Vegas- What goes on in Olympia screws us all!
As predicted, the group in the lead claims foul while the group behind claims votes aren’t being counted.
I wish one group (either the Rs or the Ds) would stand up and stop pretending they care about all votes being counted or about consistency in which votes get counted.
Tell the Truth: “We’ll say whatever we need to in order to GET OUR GUY elected, pure and simple.”
Even better, more truth: “If our candidate were (behind/ahead), we’d be doing EXACTLY what the other side is doing — because all we care about is getting OUR GUY elected!”
One other proof point. If either party really cared about counting votes, etc., they would pursue the same efforts in each and every county, regardless of whether their guy had the lead!
But they don’t! What a sham. What a shame.
Nicely put. The GOP seems to be interested in making sure that some votes are not counted.
If we used my ballot idea there wouldn’t be a fight like this between the Ds and Rs. So elect me Secretary of State and I’ll end this bickering once and for all! And BTW it is important to each and every voter to get at least the impression their vote is being counted and counted right, be the Ds or Rs! Otherwise what’s the use of making the effort to vote at all.
Ray- what makes you think they didn’t use the same efforts elsewhere? Many of the 39 counties are small, few contested ballots. Some only have 2,000 – 5,000 votes counting the total vote in all races……including the graveyard and some cows.
I know Dems were working a handful of counties, media is very King/Sea focused. Big vote, big action, big story, big, BIG viewing audience.
Easy place to send the camera crew- on short notice. I really think most everyone wants every vote counted. I bet some ausute polling would show an amazing yes to that question.
Not sure I think is is the Dems reason d’etre to turnout the R base or vice versa. And in any circumstance voter fraud and deliberate voter supression should be criminal acts and there should be some highly publicized prosecutions.
ONE MORE – this recount is mandated by state law. Period. No party involment at all for it to click into the stream. Plop, recount time by State of Washington Law. Party braying about how strange this is is pure bullshit. Been done many times in many places going back many decades—-always ballot by ballot. The promise/premise of a well executed recount is total accuracy. Love the result or Hate the result.
Goldy,
Where’s that bread you promised?? I see the circus…
1 ballot in Jeffco was outstacked as an overvote. The voter connected the arrow for Gregoire and also connected the write-in arrow and wrote in Gregoire’s name. +1 for Gregoire and rightfully so. These are the no-brainers. They are being forced to summarize the write-ins….1 was for RoD Simms…that got a small groan from Dem observors. Also 1 for Dave Reichert…that got an equal small groan from R observors. And so it goes.
This will likely come down to King County decisions about voter intent and a hand recount. It will also come down to some clear indicators of voter fraud in a few cases. Perhaps some occurred after the original count. You’ve got enough smart people on both sides to make sure the judges get all the facts. If Ballot Security has been breached in anyway, I think the judge ought to allow the original count to stand.
Back to my Country Western focus of Travis Tritt and John Mellancamp—“WHAT SAY YOU?!!”
Jim–My wife keeps playing the Dixie Chunks Live CD over & over again. I’ve long since forgiven the fat mouthy one. I figured it was some brain malfunction caused by eating so many Twinkees!! Hey the Twinkee defense has been used before.
If we piped in Country Music around King County for the next 4 years, the R’s would really kick ass. Rudy–Now everytime you hear a Country song on the radio you can screech that it’s part of a vast right-wing conspiracy theory!!! And you know it for a fact because you read it on Goldy’s 100% reliable site from a real Republican (although I did vote for 7 Dem’s this time—more D’s than R’s). SHHHHHHHHH!!!
And I’m listening to Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song- “We are your overlords!” New GOP anthem…
Rudy – I heard it on the radio (I guess that’s not very reliable)
It ain’t lookin’ good Rudy. But you just might get that free handcount. Id love nothing better than to see the Dems lose by 151 and have to pay for it. Then Berendt would really be crying on his way to the Food Bank!!
Ain’t no free handcounts coming. This is the only “free” count. If either candidate or party wants a handcount after this, they pay for it (only getting their money back if the count changes the outcome of the election). And, actually, they could pay for a machine recount, too- but why? Most likely, if it got really close, Gregoire would want to try a hand recount in King (yes, you can do partials- you can even pick what precincts)- if the partial changes the outcome, the state then does a complete statewide- again.
You are right again Jim…
Some Auditors seem to misunderstand whether or not a Party can pick precindts to recount. In Jefferson County, Rossi lost 1 vote in 4 different precindts. So the Machine counted 1 total the first time, and another the 2nd time. Obviously if you came right down to every last ballot, you would choose those 4 precindts. Was the machine count right the 1st time or the 2nd time??? All other precindts were the same both times…so why bother.
Comment by ray— 11/22/04 @ 9:34 am
Folks, the problem is the absolute, incredible failure of one Dean Logan to secure blank ballots to the reasonable requests of State GOP Chairman Chris Vance. If those ballots were secured, then there’d be no lawsuit. Please remember what precedes the next headline and preferably have a bit more depth than that!
Josef- the blank ballots have nothing to do with any of this. There are not even any allegations from the politburo chair that any blank ballots have been snuck into the mix. The argument is over the enhancing of the original ballot- either on that ballot, or on the appropriate blank ballot which would have been openly removed from the secured area and used, even if Logan had locked everything up (but gee- it IS all locked up). Politburo Chief Vance did not have his cue cards from the national GOP last Friday, and made the wrong arguments…
It’s all over but the shouting- only 500 more ballots total reported in King County, can’t steal an election with that paltry sum- Christine would need 80% or more of them to beat out Dino, and since these ballots come from the entire universe of ballots- early absentee, late absentee, poll votes, and provisionals- that is so unlikely as to be true only in Paul Berendt’s most erotic dreams.
Tonight it is single malt from the Isle of Islay, and Macanudos…
Aerosmith and the Stones- thinking of Pauk and Christine (and Deborah and Laura and Mike) as I listen to “Can’t get no satisfaction…”
http://www.secstate.wa.gov/office/20041119.htm.
Republican lawsuit will be denied, based on the document listed above. The document lists the proper procedures for counties to follow who use scan-trons to count ballots. King County is consistent with this. Any county not would find themselves in the same trouble the republicans are accusing King County of.
By the way, as much as I enjoy poking fun at the righties over at SoundPolitics.org, I have to give them credit for the obscure vocabulary word of the day: “haruspex”.
I divined the general meaning by context (and man was it messy) but I still had to look up the word.