The Oglala Sioux's Senator The Democrats stole two Senate seats (S.Dakota Thune)

Wall Street Journal ^ | Nov. 14, 2002 | WSJ Editorial

[FairOpinion]

The Oglala Sioux's Senator The Democrats stole two Senate seats--and still it wasn't enough.

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.

[FairOpinion]

I personally think that losing like a gentleman is no virtue in politics, when your opponent may have won by fraud. There were so many suspicious circumstances and proven illegalities, that for Thune not to challange the results is really unforgivable, and really ungrateful to President Bush and all Republicans who invested so much in the S. Dakota race and need another Republican Senator. The fact that he just gave up sends a message to the Democrats, that it is still possible to rig the elections, because Republicans -- at least some of them -- will just lie down and play dead.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

A sad day for the Republic.

[Greek]

The answer may be to nip this in the bud before it happens. We should have had ground operatives infiltrating precincts to uncover such activity during registration, and election night.

[Temple Owl]

Hopefully there is an FBI investigation into the matter. Again hopefully, if it turns out there is vote fraud here, the perps will be arrested, convicted and sent to jail.

[RANGERAIRBORNE]

Hey, if Thune doesn't have the guts to risk his future in S. Dakota politics by doing what is right (that is, insisting on a recount, at the very least) then the hell with him. He is just another gutless politician, looking towards his comfortable future in some taxpayer-supported office, with good hours, no heavy lifting, and a great retirement plan.'

God, how I despise politicians!

[pepsionice]

The lesson learned for the next election in South Dakota. We need to have people task each county commission to check registration and verify. No one should have been able to add that many 'new' registered voters without drawing attention.

[dalebert]

This is certainly a shameful day for the indians. Maybe if sombody attacked their honor over this scam it would stop it. The indians who committed this fraud have brought shame ukpon their whole tribe.Don't bother using the same tactic on Dems because they have no honor.

[Hugin]

I agree. As usual the Pubs try to fight like gentlemen while the RATS kick them in the groin. Just like Trent Lott agreed to split committee chairmanships when the senate was 50-50 with Cheney as the deciding vote. Daschle had no such compunction when he took over.

[Post Toasties]

Thune has made Senate Republicans in general more susceptible to 'Rat shenanigans by not challenging the questionable election results in some way, and he has done nothing for his political future by parading his lack of backbone either.

Thune wouldn't have hurt his political chances by contesting the results; look at Al Bore who pulled every illegal trick in the book in 2000, yet he is regularly being talked about as a leading Democrat presidential contender in 2004.

[Republic of Texas]

You would know, better than most I bet, that only under EXTREME PRESSURE, is your true character known. Now we know Thune's.

[Republic of Texas]

Gore only gets away with that because he is a socialist and the media gives him a free pass.

[canadiancapitalist]

Republicans continually show up at gun fights brandishing knives.

[rootntootn]

I believe the dims actually tried to engineer the fraud so the margin was exactly the same as the notorious Bush/Gore margin in Florida in 2000. The almost identical numbers is highly suspicious along with all the other highly suspicious circumstances of this "contest".

[jae471]

You too, eh? I thought the 524 vote margin compared to the 527(?) vote margin was very suspicious. Any ballots marked for Buchanan in SD?

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Way too many absentee votes. Perhaps the FBI can have a closer look.

[Digger]

You couldn't ever get me to vote for him again if I were a So. Dakotan.

[meema]

I don't understand...Why are Reps so concerned about requesting a recount, and/or investigating probable FRAUD?
Also, seeing to it that ALL candidates obey the law???

We don't have to be nasty to insist that the laws be followed. I'd like to know what 'Rosco', our chairman really thinks about this. I'm tired of our people being good losers!

[Cicero]

My own view of it is that Thune's decision to bow to fraud, far from preserving his future political career, should disqualify him from ever being nominated again. We don't need any more gentlemanly losers running for office.

[RANGERAIRBORNE]

Exactly right, CICERO! "You show me a good loser, and I'll show you a loser!"

[Grut]

Republicans continually show up at gun fights brandishing knives.

Oh, surely not brandishing!