Could Ohio have gone for Kerry?

[whometense]

It's still out there.

Dan Froomkin:

Could Ohio have gone for Kerry?

James Dao writes in the New York Times about a new study for the Democratic National Committee which suggests that Republicans had tried to suppress the vote in heavily Democratic districts in Ohio.

James Drew and Steve Eder wrote in the Toledo Blade on Sunday: "In the final weeks of the 2004 presidential race, the nation focused on Ohio as both campaigns carefully choreographed every move by their candidates, knowing one misstep could throw the keys to the White House into the hands of the opponent. . . .

"At the same time - beneath the surface and out of public view - allegations were swirling that Tom Noe had laundered contributions into President Bush's campaign, and facts were emerging that the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation had lost $215 million meant for injured workers in a Bermuda hedge-fund.

"Now, more than six months later, those bombshells have created the biggest state government scandal in decades in Ohio. Democrats are charging that Republican leaders suppressed the potentially explosive information until all the votes were counted to save the President's re-election campaign."

The Toledo Blade is doing an incredible job with this corruption story that has huge potential to expose the repugs' money trail in Ohio - and even nationwide.

[TayTay]

1. This type of scandal well could have swung Ohio

This is a massive scandal. It's about losing $250,000,000 in the people's money. It is also about the state putting 5-7 Billion in jeopardy by putting it in a risky venture. (Thank gawd they didn't lose it.)

The Governor of the state of Ohio has lawyered up in response to this scandal. And, according to some reports, Noe and his wife have decided that if they are going down, they are taking their Rethug friends with them. Yeah, this could have swung the race to Kerry, even with the fraud.

[NYFlip]

2. I'm glad it's still out there

I believe Kerry did win Ohio. Between the computer paperless trail voting machines that defered to Bush and the voter suppression. He won. He's my president.