Sometime mid-day, Christine Gregoire, a Democrat and three-term attorney general, will be sworn in as Washington state's 22d governor, just the second woman ever to serve in the post.
Repoublicans, meanwhile, are absolutely grasping at any straw in an attempt to convince a Chelan County Superior Court judge that this election should be set aside and a new one held. Regardless of that decision, the loser will likely appeal to the state Supreme Court (see more below). Also, it has been revealed that Dale Foreman, a Wenatchee attorney who had served as state House Republican leader and a 1996 primary candidate for governor, has been advising the Rossi campaign and the state Republicans. Apparently he convinced Republicans to file the case in Chelan County. I'm sure Clyde Ballard, the retired House speaker from East Wenatchee, had a hand in some of this as well.
The Seattle Times reported some trouble with the delivery of ballots to military members serving overseas. The ballots were mailed in October, after intense pressure and threat of a lawsuit by the U.S. Department of Justice to get a move on. Still, one soldier in Iraq complained that the ballot was finally delivered and was partially burned because of an attack on the delivery truck. I expect the Republicans to now blame an insurgent attack on the King County Elections Department.
To those who say the state can't afford a new election: A letter from a Republican activist in Douglas County printed in The Wenatchee World Jan. 11 reminds readers that the state saved $4 million by cancelling its presidential primary last winter. It had been determined that the primary was meaningless because the parties were allocating delegates from caucuses.
The state Supreme Court seated a new member Monday as well as a two who were re-elected. One, Richard Sanders, had been absent during the two cases since Nov. 2 dealing with this election. One decision was against the Democrats and one against the Republicans; both were unanimous. Sanders apparently is a libertarian who leans conservative. The new justice, Jim Johnson, is very conservative, though he apparently has bucked the state Republicans. However, he was introduced Monday by former U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton, for whom Sanders worked for 10 years when Gorton was state attorney general. Gorton called for a new election last week and has been a vocal Dino Rossi supporter since November.
The new crazy-but-not-impossible scenario: Gregoire is inaugurated Wednesday. The losers of the Chelan County Superior Court case appeal to the state Supreme Court. The Supreme Court sets aside the election and calls for a new election. Gov. Gregoire campigns as governor (can this be called running for re-election?). Or would she be removed from office and Lt. Gov. Brad Owen serve as governor? What if he wants to run? Then imagine if we have a virtual tie again or if Rossi should win convincingly? Imagine the power struggle with Gov. Gregoire, Acting Gov. Owen and Gov.-Elect Rossi! My goodness, but Washington would blast Florida right off the map as electoral laughing stock. In fact, Ukraine and several banana republics would look more stable than Washington.
-- Wenatchee, Wash.
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8 comments:
Have you ever noticed how evil Gregoire looks in all of her pictures? Seriously, add some horns, give her a trident, and the resemblance is rather uncanny. Considering the way she stole the election, I suppose her appearance is appropriate.
I just don't understand this election. When Rossi wins the first machine count by 261 votes, Gregoire calls it a tie. When he wins the second count by 42 votes, it is still a tie. Yet when Gregoire wins the hand recount by a mere 130 votes, a smaller margain than the first count, it is suddenly a decisive victory and you say that Rossi needs to shut up. It seems to me that Rossi leads 2-1 (2-0, really, when you consider that the votes that pushed Gregoire over the top were "found" in a warehouse and that hundreds of ballots supporting Gregoire were cast by dead people). Democratic officials have also acknowledged the inaccuracy of hand recounts versus machine recounts.
-- Regarding Gov. Gregoire looking like a devil: That is a cheap and unnecessary attack. Whatever my feelings about a person, I don't think I would say he or she looked like the devil. Former Sen. Rossi's facial scar could be used for plenty of snide remarks, but we'll stay away from them.
-- Regarding the way that Gregoire allegedly "stole" the election and how Rossi "won" two of three counts: An election is not best two of three. The law provides for specific procedures available to any candidate (and some which were triggered automatically). These include an automatic machine recount and a hand recount if the losing candidate pays for it; if the results change, the state reimburses the candidate. After these provisions, the law does not allow for any more counting. That's it. Gregoire won by what the law considers (and states will be) the final method. Gregoire won by 10 votes even without the nearly 800 ballots King County workers found just in time to be counted. Some of those votes, by the way, were for Rossi.
Now, Rossi and the Republicans are challenging the election in court, asking that the results be set aside due to irregularities and fraud. If they can prove it, fine. I doubt they will be able to do so. But the law allows it, and we follow a system of laws -- not personalities.
Not trying to get the last word ...
-- Wenatchee, Wash.
As a proud member of the Democratic party, I find Governor-elect Gregoire’s election troublesome. While I wholeheartedly support her political views, the election does seem suspicious. Finding boxes of uncounted ballots weeks after the election is never a good sign; even if they are legitimate, it is distressing that they were not handled with more care. Clearly, King County has some major issues to address before the next election. I’m thankful that Gregoire came out on top, but I can’t see her earning much respect or having any credibility with the people of Washington, even if the court rules in her favor. She certainly won’t succeed in uniting the state as “one Washington”. You really can’t blame Rossi for contesting the election; if the election were the other way around, Gregoire would do the exact same thing.
To whoever wrote the comment on Gregoire’s appearance: your statement regarding the resemblance may be accurate, but her appearance has nothing to do with her ability to govern. It is okay to dislike her for her political affiliation, but stay away from something as superficial as her appearance. Anyone who bases a vote on physical appearance is shallow, uneducated, and would be better off avoiding the polls. As Loganite pointed out, everyone has flaws, including Rossi.
Does it really matter what she looks like. The visual attacks are coming from dirty republicans that don't know what else to do. If they are looking for a devil look towards President Bush. He is the closest thing to Satan on this earth.
ya i agree republcans dont now any thing theyr dumb and shoud all be put in jale gregoire won becuse she got the most votes more than dino so she really won and dino didnt. ok so she looks evil so what she is still gooder than dino becuse she actully has a brain unlike dino who is dumb and would bring the whole state down puls he is ugly too. the guy who wrote the first coment shoud lern to write trident is a tipe of gum not a wepon it is really called a triten know words befre you use tehm.
Well with the Seattle Times (Jan 23) reporting that 129 felons voted illegally it appears that the straws that the R's have been grasping might be a bit more weighty than previously thought. I still think that Gov. Gregoire could go along way to take the steam out of this call for a revote, by filling all state govt appointed posts with 49.99% Republicans. Since by her own admission the election was a "tie" that would only seem to be a reasonable response. As far as I know Rossi has never used the "T" word and therefore will not be constrained by such logic when he is elected governor in the revote. CEA IV
I am glad you brought up Ukraine. Or perhaps we should refer to the movie The Gangs of New York. Given a chance history has shown people will cheat to win elections. The perception of a fair, clean contest is critical for our system of government to succeed for the long term. The way King County ran the election does not give any clear thinking individual that perception.
We have no idea who got the most legal votes for governor and we will never know.
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