What's Fair About Letting Cheaters Win?

Smart well respected and even conservative pundits are saying that a Re-Vote for the Washington Governor is wrong.  Carol Platt Liebau (yet another lawyer/law professor/radio commentator/blogger), whom I respect a great deal, says it would be wrong:

But Rossi has called for an entirely new election -- which isn't the answer, either. Redo's would create a dangerous precedent, allowing for the stoking of intense partisan passions, and providing the "near occasion" for cheating, given that all parties would know of the high stakes. In addition, there must come a time when a close election is over -- and it might as well be on the first ballot as the second. If there is clear evidence of election fraud, Rossi should prosecute it vigorously. Otherwise, he shouldn't undermine the fragile trust in the electoral process that allows a democracy to function -- and should start raising money with which to take out Senator Maria Cantwell in 2006.

So Dino Rossi wins 32 of 39 counties in Washington.  He wins the initial vote count.  He wins the mandatory machine recount and finally when the last county (and a Democrat stronghold) to finish counting in the PARTISAN REQUESTED hand recount pushes the Democrat over the top by 129 votes, we're supposed to just say "oh well".

The level of fraud and incompetence in the King County elections process is STUNNING.  Yes, I said fraud.  So many folks are afraid to call it what it is.  Am I saying that Christine Gregoire or the State Democrat Party had organized fraud like we saw in Daley's Chicago years ago?  No.  But the safeguards and processes designed to prevent fraud in King County had holes big enough to sail an Aircraft Carrier through.  I believe that individuals and possibly small groups of individuals took advantage of that.

The fact that only 129 votes seperates the two candidates is a direct reflection of the incompetence, malfeasance, and fraud committed by individual poll workers, individual voters, individuals in the recounts and even public employees who registered the scores of homeless people without verifying eligibility.

There are documented cases of people voting with more than one absentee ballot.  There are documented cases of dead people voting (relatives voting for the recently deceased most likely, still wrong.  Still a felony.).  The large number of homeless voters...many of whom are listed as owning property...many of whom voted more than once...many of whom are probably ineligible due to felony convictions or because they are not even residents of this state!

Let's talk about the surprising number of votes not connected to a voter.  I voted in one of those Five largest counties.  They checked me off and I had to sign BEFORE they gave me a ballot.  Now my polling place was busy, but not overcrowded.  Still, how could a person get more than one ballot?  How could the poll workers let the polling place get so out of control that something like that was even a possibility.  That smells like fraud.  It may get busy enough at a crowded polling place that a few cretins would take advantage of it, but repeatedly?  Thousands of times over?  Sorry, no.  Some very dishonest people with access to ballots and machines must have been "stuffing" the boxes.  Stefan Sharkansky at Sound Politics has done a spectacular job of dissecting King County and finding the discrepancies.  Can someone explain to me how ONE GUY on his OWN TIME can cut through the BS and find all these problems, when the King County Elections Office has had an entire staff, spent millions of dollars, and more than SIX YEARS and they can't even tell you with any degree of confidence who should or should not be voting in King County.

Our government, both state and federal, depends on the "consent of the people to be governed", when we say that a Re-Vote would set "a dangerous precedent" or there is no law stating that we are "required" to do it haven't we just handed over one of our fundamental rights and freedoms?  Something like a government of the people, by the people, for the people should stand head and shoulders above a government of laws to rule the people (to protect us from ourselves? no thanks!).

Christine Gregoire has not legitimately won this election.  It is rife with fraud and incompetence.  However, because of that fraud and incompetence it casts a shadow of doubt over Dino Rossi's victory as well.  This is a unique situation in our state and country's history.  I believe it requires a unique solution.  A Re-Vote.

Comments

[ninme]

Or: (cuz they're never gonna get the revote)

Don't concede, let her get sworn in, unearth every fake ballot, hold the light up to every election worker who cheated, etc etc, and then have a recall election!

Gray Davis was way more shamed for being recalled than just losing an election. Are they legal here, I wonder?

[Josef]

You should be one of our 'poster troopers'.

I especially like:

- - - - -
Our government, both state and federal, depends on the "consent of the people to be governed", when we say that a Re-Vote would set "a dangerous precedent" or there is no law stating that we are "required" to do it haven't we just handed over one of our fundamental rights and freedoms? Something like a government of the people, by the people, for the people should stand head and shoulders above a government of laws to rule the people (to protect us from ourselves? no thanks!).
- - - - -

Now, as you point out, King County elections was aware for over 6 years (as of March 1998) about this as I found at http://josef-a-k.blogspot.com/2005/01/deja-vu.html . I will also hyperlink to your blog.

Also, just breaking: AG-elect Rob McKenna is adding a new department for public record compliance. Good man. I crossed party lines to vote for him.

[Josef]

Here's my meager attempt at a trackback (I have a different blogging system): http://josef-a-k.blogspot.com/2005/01/well-said-01.html

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