The Democrats stole two Senate seats--and still it wasn't enough ~ WSJ.

The Wall Street Journal. editorial page ^ | November 14, 2002 | The Wall Street Journal. Editorial Board

[Elle Bee]

It's not enough for John Thune to just talk about "unethical" voting practices.

Republican John Thune threw in the towel on his South Dakota Senate race yesterday, notwithstanding the suspicious circumstances under which he lost by a mere 524 votes. We think that at a minimum he owed his many supporters a recount.

[Elle Bee]

Click Logo to go to:

.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

I just don't understand why Mr. Thune and the GOP are so passive on the SD election results.

[gaspar]

Hopefully, this will be the end of Thune's political career. The Republicans don't need another eunuch.

[xm177e2]

Maybe they will try to get their revenge by unseating Daschle in two years. That would be the best revenge.

Thune doesn't let the Daschle machine destory his image among moderates, while Republican anger simmers... it will come to a boil in 2002.

If the Democrats go with Pelosi-style far leftism, and lose handily, Thune could take Daschle's seat.

[Elle Bee]

Hopefully, this will be the end of Thune's political career. The Republicans don't need another eunuch.

Well said ......

.

[Elle Bee]

I just don't understand why Mr. Thune and the GOP are so passive on the SD election results.

Perhaps they're grooming him to become the next GOP Attorney General

[governsleastgovernsbest]

On Election Night, Thune seemed strangely passive, and I remember asking myself "what's wrong with this guy?"

I think Fund has nailed it - Thune figures that in heavily Republican SD, he'll have his shot in the future, so it's not worth "sullying" himself in a recount catfight now. He probably wants to avoid looking like an Al Gore "Sore Loserman."

The difference is that in this case, there apparently was fraud, blatant fraud, that cost Thune the race. And Thune's responsibility goes beyond himself. It goes to his party, and above all to the majority of SD voters who probably supported him.

[Elle Bee]

I just don't understand why Mr. Thune and the GOP are so passive on the SD election results.

I thought he was taking a high road because he has some inside on a soon to be broken scandal

He seems to be the one who 'broke'

.

[mewzilla]

Gee, so much for the rule of law then, huh? Thune rolls over, turns his back on the commission of some major felonies all to better feather his nest further down the road. Lovely. Just the kind of guy we need in office. How hard is it to prove dead people voted, for pete's sake? Or that some people double-dipped? This isn't rocket science. But one does need a spine and a determination to see that the rule of law is respected. Sounds to me like Thune lacks both.

[Elle Bee]

I think Fund has nailed it - Thune figures that in heavily Republican SD, he'll have his shot in the future, so it's not worth "sullying" himself in a recount catfight now. He probably wants to avoid looking like an Al Gore "Sore Loserman."

Backbone in a party of invertibrates is not rewarded, i.e., Hatch, Ashcroft; Lott, Specter, et. al.

.

[Elle Bee]

Remember how they treated B-1 BoB Dornon when Sanchezes & the AFL stole his election?

Pubes don't know how to act as victors

.

[RWG]

Shannon County is largely Indian country...which means that corruption and alcoholism abound. Don't believe it? Check out the data. Bury my vote at wounded knee.

[KeepUSfree]

Anyone who won't stand up for himself in a fight, most certainly will not stand up for his constituants when the going gets tough. Sure he would be smeared in the press. But, sometimes you have to get your clothes dirty to do what is right. I hope Mr. Thunes political career is over. He's not fit for public office.....

[longtermmemmory]

Just as the Senate campaign started in 2000. I believe the next campaing has started. This is a strategy right or wrong it is a plan. Doing a political version of the charge of the light brigade will serve no future. Besides we have the Alabama situation to deal with and we have another senate race to focus our attention.

[roderick]

Have any vote stealing/fraud rat operatives ever been tried in court and sent to prison?

[Elle Bee]

Have any vote stealing/fraud rat operatives ever been tried in court and sent to prison?

Just the fact that none come to mind serves as an example that election laws are not a deterant

Cheat and win ..... no one cares .. and history tells you that you can do so with relative impuinity

.

[MsLady]

I think this is wrong. Mr. Thune has an obligation, not to himself, but, to the citizenry, to have this thing investigated.

[MsLady]

You said it!!!

[MsLady]

I'm praying that they do go with Pelosi. That would be a huge nail in their coffin. Just what the country needs to help wake the rest of the people up. And it would be an end, I would hope, to a morally bankrupt party.

[Miss Marple]

In a recount, all you are doing is recounting the fraudulaent votes. If there were a chance that the recount would have given him the win, he would have probably done it. However, look at the numerous Gore recounts in Florida for your answer to recounts. The ONLY reason Gore kept pressing for a recount is that they hoped to be able to manufacture fraudulent votes. Thune wasn't going to do that.

An INVESTIGATION continues. If proof of fraudulence surfaces (very diffficult to find, but there are 30 DOJ investigators on the reservations) then that is a whole different story.

A South Dakota freeper said that most vote totalling is done by blue-haired grandmas who have done the job for years and are proud of their effort. Not a good thing to put them through this for a doubtful outcome.

Thune is following the right path, in my opinion.