Posted on 01/11/2005 4:02:08 PM PST by nyg4168
OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Democrat Christine Gregoire was certified as the governor of Washington state on Tuesday, while outside the Capitol her supporters traded jeers with protesters across a line of state troopers.
Inside the Capitol, Republicans' attempt to delay the election certification failed after an hour of almost surreally polite debate.
Gregoire lost the first two counts in the amazingly close election, but won by just 129 votes after a hand recount of 2.9 million ballots. Next comes Gregoire's inauguration, planned for Wednesday - and then it's on to the courts. The first hearing in Republican Dino Rossi's election challenge is scheduled for Friday.
"No do-over, no delay," said Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane. "Let's move on with the business of the Legislature."
Republicans pleaded in vain for a waiting period.
A two-week delay is a small price to pay to restore confidence in this election," said Rep. Mike Armstrong, R-Wenatchee. "This is a historic time and we cannot afford to rush this process."
During the counting and recounting of the governor's election, many questions and discrepancies have surfaced. The main argument in the Republican's lawsuit is that King County, a Democratic stronghold and the state's largest county, cannot match more than a thousand votes to actual voter names. That discrepancy, Rossi argues, makes the election invalid on its face.
Democrats disagree, saying the state constitution sets a very high bar for throwing out the results of an election. They say the revote that Rossi wants would be unconstitutional.
While the debate in the state House and Senate's joint session was oh-so-civilized, supporters of Rossi and Gregoire screamed their frustrations at one another at dueling rallies on the Capitol lawn.
More than 1,000 Rossi supporters were there demanding a revote, and about 200 Gregoire supporters held a counter-demonstration. Chants of "revote!" overpowered the cries of "Go home Rossi!"
Norman Le, 70, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Vietnam, wore a sticker proclaiming "Dino Rossi is my governor."
"Three times they counted and they come up with three different results - it makes no sense at all," Le said. "They should fix it. It's not too late. ... If we have a governor who is elected in a flawed election, that governor does not have the respect of the people to govern. The whole state will suffer."
Pro-Rossi demonstrators held signs saying "Heal Washington: Revote," "Gregoire: Stealing Democracy," and "Re-Elect Rossi 2005."
Across the street, and separated by state troopers, Gregoire supporter Rhenda Strub held a homemade sign saying "Dino, your horse is dead."
"It's time for him to end his temper tantrum and move on," said Strub, 49, of Olympia.
No arrests were reported from the dueling rallies, which dissipated in the early afternoon.
A court hearing for Rossi's election challenge is set for Friday in Chelan County Superior Court in Wenatchee. The case will most likely end up in the state Supreme Court.
This in an outrage. Could you imagine the media hype and the protest if the GOP Candidate had won only after three counts.
A fraud case will never be heard. This is indeed a stolen election
Grow some balls and a spine, GOPers; dammit!!!!
Ping.
Possession is 99 points of the law, The Dems know this, Once she ia sworn in its basically over. However I dont think there is any doubt this election was criminally fraudulent
Those people should be preosecuted.
Well dear ol Chrissy baby better call UHaul and reserve a truck...she's going to need one in the very near future!
Once they went to a hand recount, it was over. I mean did anyone ever doubt that the Objective Dems in King county would find just enough votes, that those pesky partisan machines somehow missed.
What else do you expect them to do?
In future elections, King County will be watched like a hawk. Democrats will have to find another county to subvert the election process. King County's not going to get away with the chicanery any more.
That's one bright spot in this mess.
Could you please ad me to your ping list?
That's what the crooks always say. Forget the crime, let's look to the future.
You are correct.
The only conceiveably viable legal strategy is to block the inauguration, WITH THE GOAL of seating the really elected governor, Rossi.
Revoting is weak and stupid. Someone won the election, it wasn't a tie.
Do-overs are for losers and babies.
Prove Rossi won the real election in court and seat the real governor.
Forget the revote.
Yea know what.. let them have the scraps from the table.. Dont even get upset about it.. thats what they want.. On the 20th, we will see who is crying.
If all else fails, Rossi can still run for the Senate. Taking back the Left Coast, one state at a time...
THIS IS SICKENING!
THIS IS ALMOST ENOUGH TO MAKE A PERSON MAD.
There is a hearing before the court in Chelan on Friday. Maybe the court can tell her not to move into THE PEOPLES HOUSE until this matter is settled.
Also this article as well as most radio from Seattle area has the numbers of people who attended the rally to low. John Carlson talk radio went right to the State Patrol for the numbers and they said there was 1700 representing the revote crowd. (Which included Democrats as well as Republicans) and 300 for Gregoire. On another note. I just heard Gregoire had anticipated around 3500 people for her inaugural ball and there are over a 1000 tickets that have not been sold.
They need some sort of a massive protest as was seen recently in the Ukraine. That one showed the world that it can be done.
Because it is a matter of how much of my cash I keep, and whether or not I have to pull up roots and surrender my ground to the communists. Thats why it matters.We've rolled over for these animals for the past century. It needs to end here and now. Vote Fraud is an Democrat tradition because we've NEVER fought it.
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