Posted on 12/30/2004 9:28:58 PM PST by Josef1235
Here is Gov.-elect Christine Gregoire's victory speech, as delivered Thursday in the state Reception Room of the Capitol:
Well, an election night without end has concluded. The votes have been counted, the count has been certified and I am honored to stand before you as governor-elect of the great state of Washington.
Today could not have happened without the wonderful people who are with me today - the "First Mike" of the state of Washington, my husband Mike, and our two wonderful daughters, Courtney and Michelle, and we're joined by Speaker Frank Chopp today as well.
I want to start by congratulating Dino Rossi for running a strong campaign that helped sharpen the focus on the challenges our state faces in the years ahead. In the beginning, this was an election about many issues. But by the end, the election itself became the biggest issue. There were some unreasonable attacks during the recount. Fortunately, unfounded accusations were not enough to obscure the importance of what was happening.
Across the state, Republicans and Democrats dedicated themselves to protecting the integrity of our election system. They sat at the same table for days, counting ballots. And each time a ballot was counted, Democrat and Republican observers reached an agreement. That single gesture of bipartisan cooperation, repeated millions of times across the state, is a small symbol of our state's larger desire to be united. We showed that fundamentally, Washington will not allow itself to be divided by region or party or politics.
We worked together to ensure that votes were counted, problems revealed, mistakes fixed.
We proved that Washington is not Florida. And now, we will move forward.
Less than two weeks from today, I WILL take the oath of office as your governor of the great state of Washington. We may start with a narrow margin, the narrowest in the state's history, but we will not limit our goals. Whatever the issue and whatever the challenge, I will listen and I will lead.
The election is behind us, but not forgotten. We will review what worked, and fix what didn't. And let me be clear - change will not stop with our election system. We're going to tackle the tough issues that matter to all of us. We will give our kids a better education, we will insure health care for Washingtonians, and we will make Washington state a place where we are proud to live and proud to do business.
Ladies and gentlemen, there's much work to be done. And I have to say to you, I can't wait to begin.
So my fellow Washingtonians, Happy New Year. God bless each and every one of you, and God bless the great state of Washington.
BUMP Thanks for posting, Josef. Gad, she is a piece of work...
Cantwell? A centrist? Bwaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahahahaha
Tell ya what, Josef - Ask Maria Cantwell's opinion on the governor's race, and she'll defend King County, Gregoire, and anyone else - she will always put party first. Period.
I just might...
Welcome. And you betcha.
While Democrats like I growl at Dick Cheney over his energy council, Christine Gregovych hides stuff about the 7E7 deal... Just look for "public records", "Gregoire" AND 7E7...
Lie! Lie! Outright Lie! I WAS one of those ballot counters in King County, and no way did the Republicans and Democrats "reach an agreement" each time a ballot was counted. There were MANY disputed ballots, and those ballot disputes were not resolved at that table, they were sent on to the Democrat-controlled canvassing board, comprised of 2 Democrats and 1 Republican. (Guess how their votes went?)
Another big inaccuracy in her statement is where she says "And each time a ballot was counted, Democrat and Republican observers reached an agreement." The observers had no say in anything. They were not allowed to talk or comment. All they could do was try to see and hear what the counters were doing, but they played no role whatsoever in any decision. The counters actually couldn't have cared less what the observers thought, since more often than not, the observers were too far away to have a clue of what was going on at the counting table, and we were under orders to ignore them anyway.
I thought "Chris" was supposed to be such a sharp attorney. Ha! She can't even get simple facts right. If I recall correctly, she also can't remember to file appeals to cases she (as Attorney General) managed to lose for the state taxpayers either, costing us millions of dollars needlessly.
BTTT You tell it like it really is, HolyScroller!
choke, CHOKE, hack, barf, snort, fall over. Good? Moderate? Oh please! Who do you think you're telling that to, idiots? We live here and know her. I'll bet you think Bill Clinton was a good moderate president too, and Hillary's a voice of reason in the Democrat party.
Address later...
Total nonsense from the first sentence.
Totally agree...
So, has the Fat Lady sung or is there still a prayer for a new election?
I would hang on - for the inevitable election contest...
Rebuttal is at http://josef-a-k.blogspot.com/2004/12/cocky-thief.html
Hard to believe that this isn't an outright lie, based on two solid pieces of evidence I've seen posted on these threads. The first is the picture we've seen of the WA state ballot with no ovals filled in, just a scratch of a black pen mark along the edge of the ballot that "just happens" to be near the line where Gregiore's name appears. Of course, the canvassers and observers "reached an agreement" that this just had to be a vote for Gregoire.
The other was the write-in ballot that was for "Christine Rossi". Somehow the canvassers and observers (so they say) reached an "agreement" that this also should count as a vote for Gregoire, even though both candidate's names were listed. I guess they based their "agreement" on such irrefutable facts like the name "Christine" appeared first among the two, or that it has more letters than Rossi, or comes first in an alphanumeric collating sequence. After all, in the interests of "bipartisan unity", those are all valid indicators of voter intent.
That single gesture of bipartisan cooperation, repeated millions of times across the state, is a small symbol of our state's larger desire to be united."
Strange that there was no desire of the state to be unified until there were somehow, by some miracle, just enough votes to put Gregoire ahead. Before that, there was only disunity and discord. Only when 'Rats are declared the winner can there be unity.
I hate 'Rats, I really do. It disturbs me to have to face that fact, but it's true. This latest scandal is just the final nail. I know we shouldn't hate anybody, but there comes a point where we just can't stand to take one more shaft in the hole cornhole. Rossi and those who voted for him, who are the legitimate winners of this election, really should think about doing a Ukraine and taking this one to the streets. I know they probably won't, since most conservatives are people who have jobs and families to support, but this brazen, outright, in-your-face theft is getting to be too much.
Before anyone flames me for sounding too much like a DU post, let me point out an important difference, and that is, every other word is not the f-word or some other profanity.
>>>>>>Oooh, you want to bash a centrist senator who could become an ally in the War on Gregoism...
Are you calling Cantwell a centrist? She's a worthless political hack.
I note that you are new here (member 2004-12-31) maybe you should lurk a bit...
cpu
__I think Rossi should pull a Thune. "For the good of the state.. and in order to move forward..."
--IOW, bend over, spread your cornhole, and take it like a man?
Don't put your words in my mouth. Christine has not the equipment to take advantage of the position you suggest.
--Conceding and thereby legitimizing an outright theft is not for the good of the state, or anyone else. That will move the state backward into more chaos, not forward. Giving in to evil only encourages it.
I grew up outside Chicago. I may have seen more of this than you have. The fraud in this election was so crude and open I think that more will be gained by a position of pained self sacrifice and upright interest in serving the public good as opposed to fighting to the last lawyer.
Another possibility is that Rossi will wait for King Co.s lame explaination of the 3500 extra votes. The new gov is to be sworn in 1/12 , Rossi has until 1/22 to contest the election. What if Christy is sworn in then King Co can't explain the 3500 votes?? Chaos is your friend.
---Go for the consolation prize, eh? Rossi has said he isn't interested in a political career. Even if he won against Cantdowell (something that would have to be considered a long shot at best)
Remember, Cantwell beat Slade on the third day of counting when King Co found a box of votes. Sound familiar??
Cantwell was my congressslug in the early 90's. For 2 years only. Beating her will help the state more than the dogfight for Gov. Whoever is the next Gov faces a disasterous mess in Olympia.
I appologize for my spelling. Long late night last night.
cpu
Call me old fashioned, but I believe that you never gain by giving in to evil and wrongdoing. You always gain by opposing it, within the rules, whenever and however you can. Those who suggest that Rossi concede and slink away to the sidelines in the face of a theft of this magnitude are only encouraging, whether they realize it or not, more open, brazen, in-your-face theft like this in the future.
How much longer are you going to suggest giving in to the liars, the thieves, those who would destroy the foundation of elective government? When are you going to stand up and say, enough of this lying down? How many more times are you going to accept defeat at the hands of the cheaters when you know they cheat, and they know that you know but they also know that you will lie down for it? Don't you see that by allowing it to happen and then standing by and accepting it, it only encourages more of it? I know 'Rats are shameless, but what is there to lose (especially if we've lost already, and take the advice of those who say lie down) by at least fighting against and exposing the fraud? Is there a chance enough honest people are left in WA and elsewhere who will see the evil and dishonesty for what it is and say, enough?
I don't know, but the principle alone, as well as the chance that people will wake up, is worth fighting for.
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