[Miss Marple]

I believe that the forged ballot applications were detected before the election, so this bunch of ballots, on which the charges were based, were not cast.

However, 30 investigators looks to be a bit more than is necessary to arrest one woman. My guess is that the DOJ is still investigating.

As far as the RNC, they are keeping a low profile on this until it becomes apparent whether enough there were enough fraudulent votes to tip the election. They do not want Thune to appear Gore-ish, insisting on a recount in the hopes that enough votes can be found. That would give us another Florida, only instead of Jesse Jackson we would have demonstrations by Native Americans, which is NOT to be desired.

[#3Fan]

I believe that the forged ballot applications were detected before the election, so this bunch of ballots, on which the charges were based, were not cast. However, 30 investigators looks to be a bit more than is necessary to arrest one woman. My guess is that the DOJ is still investigating.

Not only that, but the timing of this arrest looks to me like investigators are encouraging Thune to ask for a recount. If the investigators thought this was no big deal, they would've waited until the deadline had passed before making an arrest it seems to me.

[RobFromGa]

I agree totally with you on South Dakota-- we are only going to ask for a Recount when we know Thune will win.

Throwing some DemocRATS members of McAuliff's "Get-Out-The-Dead" Task Force-- South Dakota Chapter in jail sounds pretty good to me. Hope that they are doing a VERY THOROUGH investigation.

[KSCITYBOY]

I think your absolutely right. No reason to be gorish.

[appeal2]

You hit the nail right on the head. Gore had all of the subtlety of velvet hammer. This is the right way to handle this. How many feds does it take to detect voter fraud?

[hchutch]

Agreed.

What the Senate ought to do in January, when the new one starts, is to conditionally seat Johnson pending the results of the FBI investigation. I do think we have enough smoke here for an investigation, and if the FIB is allowed to do the fact-gathering, we have a very good chance of not only seating Thune, but we can force back vote-fraud operations AND not tick anyone off.

[jackbill]

They do not want Thune to appear Gore-ish

Brit Hume made a great point tonight on Fox News. He mentioned Thune not asking for a recount, and Ashcroft not asking for a recount in Missouri in 2000, when he ran against a dead man whose "legality" was questionable. Brit contrasted that with Gore contesting in Florida and the "Gov" of Alabama asking for a recount in Alabama.

Brit asked the panel if there was significance in that, i.e. that the Republicans give it up and the DemocRATs make a big deal out of it. Of course, Mara Liasson, the NPR liberal on the panel, was incensed.