Key ruling on rerunning race for governor to come today (SeattleP-I)

[icymist]

Friday, February 4, 2005

Key ruling on rerunning race for governor to come today
Chelan County judge could toss case or set ground rules for trial

By LEWIS KAMB
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

The battle over Washington's gubernatorial election resumes today in Wenatchee, where a Chelan County judge is expected to decide a host of issues that could determine whether a Republican court challenge to Democrat Christine Gregoire's controversial victory has the legal legs to stand trial.

"It's a huge day for this case," state Republican Party Chairman Chris Vance said. "What the judge decides will lay down the ground rules for everything."

What Superior Court Judge John Bridges decides on a variety of motions brought separately by the state Democratic Party and several Washington counties could range from abruptly dismissing the GOP lawsuit to building a nuanced framework for judging the election's legality, should the case be allowed to move forward in his court.

<snip>

Meanwhile, state Republicans now claim that, by their count, the number of illegal ballots confirmed to have been cast during the election is nearing 1,000 -- a tally they say includes nearly 500 ballots from felons who'd lost their right to vote and ballots cast for at least 44 dead people. Such alleged voting irregularities are the basis of the Republicans' legal challenge.

Filed last month, the GOP lawsuit names Republican Secretary of State Sam Reed, individual county auditors and election directors and all of the state's 39 counties among some 81 defendants.

More:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/210740_gov04.html

[ThorsHammer]

1. Wow, I didn't know this was still going on

[Andy_Stephenson]

2. Oh yeah it's still going...

I think we are going to have a revote on this issue.

Just my humble opinion.

[Walt Starr]

3. See, this is why Republicans win

they never stop pushing and fighting.

Dems give up like wimps.

[bluestateguy]

4. Gregoire needs to make it clear that she will not leave office

That her term ends in January of 2009. Period. End of story. She should not acknowledge the legitimacy of any court decision mandating a "revote". If need be, she should call out the state troopers to protect the Governor's Mansion from invasion by this snake oil salesman Mike Rossi.

[icymist]

5. That's Dino Rossi.

And I believe he made his money in real estate...probably one of those pathetic 'nothing down' guys you see on those infomercials on late night tee-vee.

[satya]

6. You're close--his old boss did prison time for fraud

He hasn't shown good judgment in his business associations; he continued to follow his old boss from one agency to another even after the guy did time in federal prison for defrauding investors. Rossi claims not to know what was going on because, in his words, "I didn't take the newspaper at the time." Must have been pretty naive, other employees seemed to know what was up:

Seattle Times story

"If I was running for governor, it wouldn't be something I'd be bragging about," said Stuart Looney, a Missoula, Mont., accountant who left his job as Capretto's vice president and controller in 1982, a year before Rossi arrived.

"The people who got hurt were little old ladies," he said. "Schoolteachers who put in their life savings."
<snip>
Some agents, even those who said they remember Rossi fondly, questioned his continued association with Heide.

"I lost all respect for anyone who went to Imperial," former Capretto agent Linda Schaeffer said. "It meant you're incredibly stupid or you're willing to lay down with dogs, not to disparage dogs. After what done to people, it would be very hard for me to have confidence in anyone who would stick around such a tainted operation."

[icymist]

8. Well that explains a lot about Rossi!

It also explains how the Republicans found so many felons voting....probably for Rossi! This'll be sad news for the talk radio people assuming that all felons and dead people voted Democratic.

[Ediacara]

7. I can't imagine that any sane judge would rule the GOP's way

There is absolutely nothing in the state constitution allowing a "re-vote" or anything close to it. Everything that is layed down in constitutional and statuatory law has been done and they have no realistic legal recourse to continue this. The GOP has to prove that close to 60% of their "questionable" votes went to Gregoire for Rossi to even have a 1 vote win. This is obviously unlikely since Gregoire only got 48% of the vote, and ultimately unknowable since it's a (supposedly) secret ballot. PLUS, the only instance of dead voting where the vote is known is a vote for Rossi. They are grasping at straws here and they know they can't actually win anything, and they are ONLY doing this to cast doubt on Grgeoire's win.

ON EDIT: I think that Gregoire would be justified in suggesting that counties demand reparations from the GOP for all the time wasted on this effort.

[icymist]

9. I'm mad about how much this lawsuit is costing tax-payers!

We need new infrastructure for crying out loud! If any good comes out of all this, at least the voting system is being closely examined and we all found that Sec. Sam Reed actually follows the law! Imagine that, a honest Republican! Probably the first since Lincoln!