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sabra Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-20-04 03:06 PM
Original message
"Wash. Supreme Court to decide fate of King County disputed ballots"
<<SNIP>>
Wash. Supreme Court to decide fate of King County disputed ballots

11:00 AM PST on Monday, December 20, 2004

By KING and AP Staff

TUKWILA, Wash. - Washington's Supreme Court will hear an appeal Wednesday morning by Washington's Democrats, who are asking the court to overturn a judge's decision and allow King County to include 723 disputed ballots in the hand recount of the Washington governor's race.

The historic race for governor comes down to one remaining county: King County. With every county but King reporting recount results, Republican Dino Rossi has a lead of 50 votes over Democrat Christine Gregoire in the extremely tight race for governor.


King County workers continue the hand recount at a center in Tukwila, south of Seattle. Dean Logan, King County elections director, said the count is expected to be complete by Wednesday.

<</SNIP>>
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uppityperson Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-20-04 03:11 PM
Response to Original message
1. They are waiting to see what the count is before deciding?
To see if they need to issue a ruling or not? If it is a non-issue (Gregoire gets enough votes to win), they won't rule on including the other votes, therefore not setting a precident in what uncounted votes to include.
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sabra Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-20-04 03:17 PM
Response to Reply #1
3. Good point!
I think it she be looked at in either case...
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RevolutionaryActs Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-20-04 03:12 PM
Response to Original message
2. Yes count them! COUNT THEM! I bet every one of them will be for her!
MWhahahhaha take that Dino you damn rat bastard.. go away forever you dont even really care about anything you just want power and money you dirty republican fucker! uh oh wow.. that was a nice rant eh? ok.. yes I feel better now.... :)
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Hamoth Donating Member (292 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-20-04 04:13 PM
Response to Original message
4. Four of the people at the Bellview Rally ...
Four of the people at Yesterdays' belleview rally were people who's votes are in that 700+ stack. They were really saddened that their votes were not being counted, and contrary to what GOP leaders say, NOBODY ever contacted them with a chance to validate their ballots.

The Dem leaders really feel like this will go our way, but I thought that I was seeing more of that classic Dem complacency and naivity regarding the degree of corruption we are facing. I was lectured to at length by one official who was utterly convinced that given the trend of the recount's findings, and matters of law, that not only would the votes be counted, but that regardless we would see a Gregoire vicotry with King Countie's numbers in.

Nobody believed in the possibility that the hand count could be compromised even when I pointed out how tabulated information from the hand counts were not secure and final totals were unverifiable. They would actually acknowlege the lack of security there but seemed to find it unthinkable that this would be exploited. I wonder at their trusting nature and how long we will last politically with this kind of thinking often at the helm of our party and press.

I fully expect, given the complacency and blatant puppy-like trust in the system's integrity, that Rossi will win by a slim margin. Probably by 1 vote so as to generate all kinds of news. I expect also that the supreme court will uphold the decision of the lower court. Failing that, we will see this go to scotus and be overturned to favor Rossi.

I just don't see the light at the end of the tunnel as a Washington Dem on the ground. Most people feel that the system is valid, and thereby uninteresting to strictly observe and police. Their rally was perfunctory and unenthusiastic compared to the counter-rally by Rossi supporters.

After about 1 hour of protesting, the dems left while beeing made fun of by the Rossi employees who were "rallying" across the street. I alone remained with one man who's vote wasn't counted standing beside me for another half hour. I remained yet longer for abotu another three hours. I watched the news crews and rossi supporters conduct about 3 hours of extra interviews and some staged rallies. Every now and then,employees of rossi's HQ (even the security guards) would come out and put on protest clothing, pick up a sign and rally in front of the camera for about 5 minutes, then go back inside. They were clearly staging this for the benefit of the news.

The news crews were going in and out of the Rossi building for hours, shaking hands, and using rossi posters as a backdrop for their broadcasts. As the last remaining protestor, nobody ever tried to interview me and I got the general impression that most were kinda laughing at me for standing there all by myself.

I did get some eye contract from Rossi himself who seemed rather nervous at the 3 hour parade-rest staredown that I offered his building and offices. Many people in the offices kept looking out the windows at me, and would point, or just wave. One guy had a hammer and I thought that he might have been making menacing gestures with it. Eventually every window in the building shut their blinds. I felt that my silent protest was getting to them eventually. I think silent stares can be quite effective.

I guess this post turned into a post-rally update...so there you have it. That's the news from Lake Washington, where all the men are good looking, the women are strong, and all the children are above average.

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lwesty Donating Member (114 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-20-04 04:23 PM
Response to Reply #4
5. Good for you Hamoth and
thank you for sticking it out. To stand there alone in the face of the opposition shows your strength of character and conviction. You should be proud of yourself!
I bet the people in the building and even Rossi himself were wondering if any "one" would have done that for them had the situation been reversed.
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Hamoth Donating Member (292 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-20-04 04:31 PM
Response to Reply #5
7. Thanks...but it wasn't for any candidate
I wouldn't expect anyone to strongly stand out there for just a candidate...I was there for democracy. The only time our rally totally shut-down the other side's was when we were chanting "democracy" in unison. There was no good counter to that.

We didn't have a single Gregoire sign in our midst and that WAS a good call on the Dem organizer's side. All our signs were abotu counting every vote and supporting democracy.
http://www.koin.com/news.asp?RECORD_KEY%5Bnews%5D=ID&ID%5Bnews%5D=471
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understandinglife Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-20-04 04:54 PM
Response to Reply #7
8. I am very proud of what you did. And, your message is exactly...
....the only message that matters at this critical time -- our American franchise of democracy is being systematically destroyed.

6 Jan 2005 is the last line of defense. If we do not succeed in challenging the national election of 2004, America will be a one party, totalitarian state and we will have set the clock back to 1775 in terms of options, thereafter.

Thank you.

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Helga Scow Stern Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-20-04 04:30 PM
Response to Reply #4
6. Wow! What a report. I am sending it to the international monitors,
just in case they really do have any integrity and care. :shrug:


And you, Hamoth, :yourock:
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Hamoth Donating Member (292 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-20-04 05:06 PM
Response to Reply #6
9. Nice avatar, check this pic of the rally.
Edited on Mon Dec-20-04 05:07 PM by Hamoth


Checkout the foreground and notice the "red hand".

(Note: Upon review this is a different rally from mine...lol)
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FreeState Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-20-04 07:35 PM
Response to Reply #4
13. Its spelled BELLEVUE
sorry a little home town pride here... born and raised in Bellevue....
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procinderella Donating Member (110 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Dec-21-04 01:53 AM
Response to Reply #4
17. Hooray!
You are fabulous. Where is everybody? How can people not want votes counted?

I just don't get it. We do live in a democracy don't we? Or at least a democratic republic. (as my republican friends remind me.)

Either way. Count the votes!
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baby_bear Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-20-04 05:59 PM
Response to Original message
10. If Gregoire picks up 51 more votes than Rossi in King Co.,,,
without the disputed ballots, don't you suppose that at that time Rossi and Vance and the other Republicans will want those disputed ballots to be counted? Won't it be their only chance?

b_b

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Hamoth Donating Member (292 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-20-04 06:04 PM
Response to Reply #10
11. I would love to see that
But they will know that these are mostly dem ballots. This has become clear by the people who themselves have come forward as those in that stack.
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mountebank Donating Member (755 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-20-04 06:48 PM
Response to Reply #10
12. That would be hilarious. Repukes with a sudden 180 start arguing
for counting the ballots!....

If King Co. breaks like the other large counties, and there is no reason to think it won't, things look good for Gregoire. She picked up 44 in Snohomish with less than 1/3 the votes of King Co.

Might not need those absentees - but still they should fight for them. Every vote counted.
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berniew1 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-20-04 08:33 PM
Response to Original message
14. What's the makeup of the Washington Supreme Court
There seem to be no honest nonpartisan judges anymore and on issues that affect politics they seem to just vote the way their party standing is
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Hamoth Donating Member (292 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Dec-20-04 10:20 PM
Response to Reply #14
15. An informed person at the rally
Reffered to it as "umm....well....I think they are ballanced...kinda."

So I take that to mean slightly conservative.
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baby_bear Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Dec-21-04 01:47 AM
Response to Reply #15
16. No, actually right now they are reasonably balanced
I am very concerned when Jim Johnson soon comes on board. He was elected by and for the building industry. The industry spent so much money backing him it was incredible. Before now, he just ran (unsuccessfully) on his name which is similar to another Justice's, Charles Johnson. This time he ran with big bucks behind him. And he beat a very good woman, Mary Kay Becker.

Our loss.

b_b



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