Posted on 05/25/2005 5:16:58 AM PDT by Nasty McPhilthy
WENATCHEE, Wash. - A trial to determine whether the results of Washington state's gubernatorial election last fall should be thrown out opened Monday with Republicans charging Democrats "stole" the contest for Christine Gregoire, who won by 129 votes out of 2.9 million cast.
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The GOP wants Dino Rossi declared the winner or a do-over election held.
"This is a case of election fraud," GOP attorney Dale Foreman said in his opening statement in the trial, which is being heard by a Superior Court judge without a jury. "This election was stolen from the legal voters of this state by a bizarre combination of illegal voters and bungling bureaucrats."
Democratic attorney Kevin Hamilton argued Republicans lack the "serious proof" they need to make their case and justify the removal of the governor. He also said the Republicans' belated claim of fraud demonstrates "desperation" on their part.
"Imperfection is not enough to overturn an election," Hamilton said. "It's not enough to throw a lot of dust in the air and make allegations."
Foreman surprised the court with a new claim: that the Democrats rigged the election by stuffing ballot boxes in Gregoire's two strongest precincts and by "losing" votes in two of Rossi's strongest precincts.
The findings in Seattle's heavily Democratic King County show "partisan bias and not random error," Foreman said. "If it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck."
Up to now, the Republicans have largely complained of bungling rather than outright fraud on the part of election officials.
Chelan County Superior Court Judge John Bridges ruled that GOP lawyers could present evidence about possible fraudulent actions during the nine-day trial, though he said the court "does not believe there is a fraud causation element to this case."
Rossi, a former state senator and commercial real estate agent, won the first count last year by 261 votes and a machine recount by 42 votes. But during a hand recount of 2.9 million ballots, the Democratic stronghold of Seattle made Gregoire, a former attorney general, the winner by 129 votes.
Gregoire was inaugurated in January amid protests from Rossi supporters.
Neither Gregoire nor Rossi planned to attend the trial.
The rats will fight like the Japanese in the Pacific Islands. As we close in on their strong hold of voter fraud they will blow themselves up if need be in order to keep on cheating in elections. This should be fun.
The only saving grace in this is that the case is being heard In Wenatchee. ANYWHERE outside of Seattle and King County is a help. My guess is that if Rossi is eventually declared the winner as he should be, the situation will be like a mini-version of the Pres election results. For the whole period he is in office we will hear the Dems endlessly whine abot how the election was "stolen" from them.
Could order a special election, although this possibility is remote.
Apparently the state election law only allows the judge to rule on the outcome of the election, not order prescriptive remedies. This judge seems intent on following the law and not making it up as he goes along. If Greigore is ruled to have been elected in a fraudulent election she is removed from office and the Lt. Gov (of whom no such charge has been made) takes over. I believe we then get to vote for Gov. again in 2006. The legislature might be able to call a sooner election, not clear. That might violate the State Constitution. It really is more about principle, believe it or not, because pretty much regardless of the outcome a donkey is going to be in the capital for the next two years.
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