Posted on 12/30/2004 5:57:02 AM PST by crushkerry
Heretofore we have supported Dino Rossi’s struggle against the forces of thievery out in the Washington Governor’s race. We even wrote an article about how the Democrats stole the election, and can certainly understand the anger both he and his supporters feel about the Ukraine-style heist.
.But his latest move is silly, irresponsible and has probably already damaged his political prospects for the future.
To recap, Rossi won an very close Governor’s race against Democrat Christine Gregoire. He won again after the first recount. But yet another recount (and some “found” ballots in heavily Democrat King County) later, and Gregoire appears to have “won.” As we said before, chalk it up to old-fashioned election theft, Democrat-style.
At this point Rossi had two models he could follow. He could be Al Gore who, feeling strongly that he’d actually won the presidency in 2000, acted like a royal pain in the arse until he’d exhausted all credibility. You can still see Al on occasion these days ranting and raving about “no war for oil.”
Or Rossi could have followed John Thune’s model. Thune narrowly lost his 2002 Senate contest against Democrat incumbent Tim Johnson in South Dakota. Here, like in Rossi’s case, there was at least some reason to smell a rat. But Thune swallowed his pride and lived to fight another day. On November 2nd he retired Tom Daschle, onetime Hill power player, to public life.
Rossi has chosen the Gore model. In fact, Rossi may even have surpassed Gore with the inanity of his latest suggestion:
Edged out of the closest governor's race in state history, Republican Dino Rossi urged his opponent to accept a revote, saying the uncertainty surrounding the back-and-forth election was bad for the state. Democrat Christine Gregoire's camp immediately rejected the idea as "irresponsible."
Apparently a revote would actually be possible, although it would have to be approved by the Democrat-controlled state legislature, an unlikely scenario. So why advocate for something you know will never happen? And just because it could be done doesn’t mean it should be done.
Moreover, Rossi has taken a step that actually makes Gregoire look like the adult in this process. The Gregoire campaign’s reaction was swift, brutal and politically smart:
"This ain't golf. No mulligans allowed here, folks," said Gregoire's spokesman, Morton Brilliant. "It's irresponsible to spend $4 million in taxpayer money on a new election just because you don't like losing this one."
And just like that, the bad guys become the good guys.
One wonders if the Rossi forces wargamed this thing out at all. The better course for Rossi would have been to accept the voters decision and gracefully step out of the spotlight. Then, at about this time next year announce his campaign for United States Senate against hapless dimwit Maria Cantwell. With a little luck, the John Thune story could have replayed itself in the Pacific Northwest.
Sadly, it seems a little too late for that possibility.
OFF TOPIC - I must be getting old & senile. I read the headline as: Diana Ross jumped the shark.
Don't know who these guys are, but I surely smell a rat.
Bump what you said.
Polybius, you nailed it.
Quite frankly, a revote is the only credible answer at this point.
Oh she did, years ago. Although the tape of her DUI arrest made for some damn fine entertainment.
>>There so many irregularities in this election a revote makes perfect sense to me.<<
That is the exact point here. No matter who should win now, via court and other actions, their governorship would be seen as illegitimate by a large minority of citizens.
The only way to clean up this fiasco is to wipe the board clean and start again.
BTW, Rossi would win in a landslide, if you believe the comments being made from the democrats in this state that are discusted with Greguare. That is why she will fight a revote tooth and nail.
Stick a fork in him.
FR is not chock full of the classless raving buffoons that frequent the DU.
It's possible that some of those votes can be attributed to out of precint voting and absentee ballots.
Question for you then: How many votes did the Constitution Party "distraction candidate" receive in WA? More than 130 votes?
Second question: If given the choice to vote (D) or (R) what would such voters have done without such a distraction candidate (assuming that they didn't just sit at home and stew in their self-righteousness?). A simple point: Anytime anyone votes for a third party they have in effect voted for whoever wins -- (D) or (R).
Last question: If you voted for the "distraction candidiate" can RINOs -- as disgusting as they are -- be held to blame this time for the margin of loss, or the self-righteous third party devotees who had no chance to begin with?
I'll bet Clinton every day thanks the fact that Perot voters came along twice to his rescue his illegitimate Presidential aspirations.
Are you Dean Logan?
Nonsense, what drivel. Ignore it and the fool who wrote the words.
Huh???
(From Sound Politics)
Dear Sam,
We know each other well, and have mutually served together and supported each other for many years -- as a result I call upon our relationship to urge you to reconsider the certification planned for [Thursday].
I am disturbed to learn that your use of [the law firm] Perkins Coie in the recent Supreme Court action is a blatant conflict of interest, as that is the firm closely aligned with the Gregoire campaign. In addition, the lawyers involved shilled the Rossi people for information with the intention of earning their trust, and then completely reversed themselves using the information they gained through suspiciously unethical representations.
Sam, I urge you to NOT certify the election tomorrow. The entire election is plagued with discrepancies, inconsistencies, and even perhaps fraud.
As the State's chief elections officer, your responsibility to protect and preserve the integrity of the voting process requires you to delay the certification until all unanswered questions have been examined for their validity.
I am not prone to extremes, yet I have serious and profound concerns regarding the role of your office and the actions you intend to take.
Thank you Sam, I remain your friend and colleague,
Phil Dyer
(Former State Representative, 5th Legislative District)
(Former Mayor, City of Sammamish)
Dean Logan is probably the only guy that believes the King Co. numbers.
And I'm not even sure he believes them.
There was Rossi, Gregoire and Ruth Bennett, a lesbian Libertarian Party candidate that probably took votes from Gregoire.
I think that Rossi called for a revote to give Gregoire that opportunity before the Republicans uncover the massive Dim fraud. Rossi has extended them an olive branch to keep from having their shenaningans exposed. Rossi has one of the smartest attorneys in the state working for him and I'm sure he made this decision with good legal advice.
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