DONKEYS 3, ELEPHANTS 1

[Jade Fox]

Update on Republican sore loser Dino Rossi's attempt to get Washington
State to give him another chance to be defeated as Governor:
http://www.seattleweekly.com/features/0522/050601_news_election.php

The lawyers for Republican Dino Rossi, who seeks to
overturn the 129-vote election of Gov. Christine Gregoire,
spent May 23-27 making their case to Chelan
County Superior Court Judge John Bridges in Wenatchee.
This week, the Democrats were presenting rebuttal
witnesses and evidence. Bridges will rule from the bench
on the landmark case, which is certain to go to the state
Supreme Court no matter who wins. Here's how I scored
the proceedings, taking into account how the trial affects
political reality outside the courtroom:

1)The GOP case depended largely on expert
testimony about statistical analysis that suggests individual
illegal voters, scattered in precincts throughout the state,
each voted like other people in their neighborhood. Rossi
and the other GOP plaintiffs hoped to show that Gregoire
got 129 more illegal votes than Rossi. Democrats had
other experts testify that this theory is flawed. And although
Bridges admitted the testimony and evidence into the
record, he seemed quite dubious the argument would
convince him to toss out the governor's election.
Democrats 1, Republicans 0.

2) The Republicans also claimed they would show,
through circumstantial evidence, that someone committed
fraud. They highlighted precincts in King County that
supported Gregoire where there were more votes than
voters (ballot stuffing!) and ones that supported Rossi
where there were more voters than votes (ballot stealing!).
Their evidence didn't pass the giggle test, and the judge
ruled that the fraud argument was too late, in any case.
Democrats 2, Republicans 0.

---continued

[Demeter]

1. But, But, But

Statistical analysis is too scientific to be legal when counting people in the census--you know, that great national headcount that determines how many representatives a state gets in the House, and other important decisions? We need to count actual heads, even if they don't want to be counted and are afraid of the government!

Jeez, who wouldn't be afraid of this government?