Wash. Judge Upholds Gubernatorial Vote

[IChing]

WENATCHEE, Wash. (AP) -- A judge on Monday upheld Washington's 2004 gubernatorial election, rejecting Republicans' bid to nullify the 129-vote victory of Democratic Gov. Christine Gregoire.

Chelan County Superior Court Judge John Bridges denied Republican claims that election errors, illegal voters and fraud stole the election from GOP candidate Dino Rossi.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/ELECTION_CHALLENGE?SITE=MNMAN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2005-06-06-13-00-33

[LynnTheDem]

1. hey REPUBS!

YOU LOST. GET OVER IT!

[progressivebydesign]

7. Anyone want to rent a skywriter??

I'm thinking:

SURRENDER ROSSI!!!

[saltpoint]

11. With another plane right behind it that says EAT IT, CHUMP

[LynnTheDem]

12. LOL you both! Hell yeah I'd chip in for that! Can we add 2 more words...

SORE LOSERMAN!

[Pachamama]

27. How about - DINO YOU LOST! GET OVER IT!

What an ass....hope he goes back and crawls into the hole he slithered from....I used to live in Seattle and all my friends there say he's a joke....both politically and in business and socially...

[Darkhawk32]

47. Sorry, I will NEVER, EVER get over the 2 stolen elections.....

Oh wait, you meant Dino ROSSI.

I'm ashamed to say he's paisan.

[bunny planet]

29. This is great news!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :woohoo:

[goclark]

52. Yes! Yes! Finally a judge that speaks for TRUTH!!!

Oh happy happy day!

[johnfunk]

44. One more thing...

The West's goin' BLUE.
Move on... Sore Losermen!

[LibDemAlways]

2. The repukes will appeal.

They never give up.

[zanne]

53. I thought Supreme Court decisions were final.

Why was it "final" for us in 2000, but not for them now?

[rogerashton]

54. State supreme court. They will take it to the Republican

wups I mean Federal Supreme Court.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=8709469

[kurtyboy]

56. This was not the State Supreme Court

It was a Superior Court in a Republican-friendly county--and the GOP still got their asses beat like a rented mule.

I think Rossi might actually toss in the towel after this one....

mmmmm......blue states......mmmmm

[tavalon]

82. And so he did

It was reported on the local news at 5pm.

[Zorra]

55. Yep - 2010: "Republicans appeal to Vatican to overturn 2004 election

in Washington State...."

[UCLA Dem]

3. And what did they call Al Gore when he challenged an election???

He didn't even string it out nearly as long!!

[saltpoint]

10. That's true. And Gore actually won his race, too.

[merwin]

4. It will be appealed to the state supreme court now.

[Lone_Wolf_Moderate]

32. For all their contempt for activist judges, why is it that the

Republicans, when they can't win elections the normal way, always run to the Courts?

Rossi, you've lost. You need to let this go.

[Nothing Without Hope]

51. They want activist judges all right: activist judges like Scalia who will

make up "laws" as he goes along to further the agenda of the Bush cartel and its enablers. The more of their nutcase judges that confirmed - and for LIFE, the greater the chance that a case like this will land eventually in their court - and a blatantly political decision will be made.

[progressivebydesign]

5. Rossi has now guaranteed that he has no political smarts.

He would be well served to walk away.. NOW. He is becoming a laughing stock here, even amongst former supporters. He needs to move on... or become an embarrassing cartoon of a political figure. If he has any hopes of furthering his career, he needs to walk away... but he won't. WHat an ass.

[0rganism]

22. No, he's demonstrating that the GOP has got his ass covered

Remember, party loyalty is rewarded above all else. Rossi is probably sacrificing his future electability, true, but he's going to be getting something in return. I'm thinking a cush lobbyist gig, but we'll have to wait and see.

Meanwhile, the RNC can parade him around as a martyr to Democratic election fraud and liberal judicial activism.

[chicagojoe]

6. Okay, Republicans, Get Over It.

You lost, you whining fucks. A soon to be dubbed "activist" judge says so.

[progressivebydesign]

9. And Chelan County is as red it as it gets.

The judge will now be attacked by the Right wing crazies, just as our republican Sec. of State was when he spoke out against Rossi. They turn fast..

[saltpoint]

8. I wish Rossi would hold a "You won't have Dino Rossi to kick around --

-- anymore!" press conference.

A spectacular spoiled-brat fit by Rossi before a slew of media cameras would be great to lessen the chance that he rises from the grave to run for something else.

[BR_Parkway]

21. I was hoping for a slip during testimony "We had the machines

rigged...um....I mean, the votes weren't counted...um...I plead the 5th, your honor."

Glad to see them slapped down.

[saltpoint]

25. Yes. A slip like that would really be great.

I acknowledge the close election, but dammit, Bush-Cheney stole two in a row at the national level and I'm happy to see a judge frustrat Dino in this one.

[cascadiance]

49. Next thing we'll see is Rossi suing Diebold or whoever the evoting

machine company was that handled Washington's voting machines. Going to claim that his victory wasn't delivered as he'd paid for and expected it to be... He'll claim favoritism and ask why Bush/Cheney were given their election and he wasn't given his! I can dream! :)

[Rainscents]

50. LOL...

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[geniph]

57. Only a couple of counties used e-voting

and those counties couldn't really do recounts, as the machines could only re-tally the information they already had. There was absolutely no vote validation in those counties. If anything could point up the flaws in e-voting more clearly than an election this close, where every single ballot needed to be verified, I'll be damned if I know what it is.

[Rainscents]

74. Yea, Shohomish County was one of them and GOP pre-programed

the voting machines to Rossi. Snohomish Couty is Democratic County and for some un-God reason, Roosi win. Mail in Paper ballots, Gregoire Win 56% to Rossi 42% and on Touch Screen machines (no paper trail), Rossi win 59% v Gregorie 41%... Go figure!!!

[annabanana]

70. someday, somewhere..

There will be a Republican clueless enough to actually DO this...

(Like the kid who killed his folks and pleaded for mercy because he was an orphan.)

[Stand and Fight]

30. Yeah...

Nixon came back though... I don't want this idiot to come back -- he's a real "sore loserman."

Get over it already!

[saltpoint]

80. Nixon did come back. That's so.

But when he overreached and Mark Felt decided to undo the guy, it became apparent that he shouldn't have.

If he didn't come back we couldn't have enjoyed the pleasure of watching him bail out of the White House in august of 1974!

(You're quite right with your point -- I don't want Rossi to return.)

[Ken Burch]

69. But Crusoe,

Nixon DIDN'T go away after his press conference.

[saltpoint]

81. He didn't leave because the animal politician in him insisted on --

-- grabbing the ultimate prize.

That same animal politician in him also brought down his presidency and made him the disgrace of all U.S. presidents.

I agree that his famous "kick around anymore" speech didn't make him go away. Would that it had.

But it marked him forever as a loser. It was prepubescent schoolyard frustration that he showed that day, a far cry from the smooth lying that Dick Cheney gets away with nowadays.

[renaissanceguy]

13. Ha-Ha!

Poor baby can't get his way... let's see what he pulls after this!


http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues/466053

[Mr.Green93]

14. They should have to pay

all costs and set out the next election.

[sasquatch]

15. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! SORE LOSER REPUBLICANS!!

:rofl:

[Rainscents]

16. I am soooooooooooooooooooooo Happy!!!

ROSSI.................GET OVER IT, YOU SORE LOOSER!!!

:nopity:

[Guckert]

17. Damn "liberal" activist Judge!! doesn't Judge Bridges know the GOP is the

Party of God???? I guess NOT..

:rofl: :rofl::rofl: :rofl::rofl: :rofl::rofl: :rofl::rofl: :rofl:

[merwin]

23. It's funny, since Judge Bridges is a Republican himself.

[Richard Steele]

18. Well, this is certainly good news!

Rossi's case was utter CRAP and he knew it!

I'm looking foreward to reading some actual transcripts of this ridiculous travesty.

[kurtyboy]

59. The Judge agrees with the "utter crap" contention

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2002319056_webverdict06.html

Judge upholds election, rejects every GOP claim

<snip>
On the Republicans' fraud charge, the judge repeated the fact that there was no official fraud claim in the case, but then said that in any case, he saw no evidence of fraud.

Bridges did accept the claim that some people voted illegally in the election, but said there was little proof of which candidate benefited from those votes.

He ruled that 1,678 illegal votes should be subtracted from the total number of votes cast. That was important to the Secretary of State's office, which uses the total from the general election to determine how many signatures are required for citizen initiatives.

Still, Bridges did not apportion the vast majority of illegal votes to any candidate. The only votes he did subtract from any candidate were five that had been proven by Democrats, through depositions taken from the voters themselves. Of those five, four had voted for Rossi and one for Libertarian Ruth Bennett.

To review, the GOP should have deposed every voter they suspected of illegally voting and submitted the depositions--just like the Democrats did. The bottom line is that Gregoire's victory margin just grew to 133!!! Enjoy the real estate business, Dino. Don't let the capitol door hit you in the ass....

[uppityperson]

19. Bridges: Overturning election would have meant "judicial egotism"

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002284497_trialnotes.html
"An election such as this should not be overturned because one judge picks a number and applies a proportional deduction analysis," Bridges said. "To do so within the context of the facts of this case would constitute the ultimate act of judicial egotism and judicial activism."

At the risk of sounding pessimistic, the repubs can still appeal.At the risk of sounding immature, hahahahaha, wahoooo, neener neener neener. neener neener neener.

[countryjake]

26. My thoughts, exactly!

WaHoooooo!

[AX10]

20. Christine Gregoire is the duly ELECTED Governor of Washington State!

Take that Dino!

Dino Rossi is a thief!
Dino Rossi is a scumbag!
Dino Rossi is a racist!
Dino Rossi is a bigot!
Dino Rossi is a POS!
Dino Rossi is a septic tank!
Dino Rossi is a SORE-LOSERMAN!

www.deanforamerica.com

.....please feel free to ad to the "Dino Rossi is a..list" at any time!

:D

:kick: :kick: :kick:

[uppityperson]

28. I like "Lawfully" elected governor rather than duly

keep "lawfully" in use, sort of a not quite so subtle dig at mrbush etc

[progressivebydesign]

77. Dino LOSSI is a Sore Loserman!!! ha ha!!!!!!!!!! n/t

[AlGore-08.com]

24. Let's not count our chickens before they're hatched

Smirk took his bogus case all the way up to the Extreme Court, and the decision they issued was built on an argument they had refused to even listen to a few days earlier, because it was so f*ing bogus.

Does anybody know if Rossi is planning a further appeal?

[Stand and Fight]

33. It is assured.

They've already said if they lost they would appeal to the State Supreme Court. Frickin' morans.

[geniph]

58. Oh, they'll almost certainly appeal to the State Supreme Court

in which they have virtually no chance of winning. If they can't win with their trumped-up nonsense in a RED county in front of a REPUBLICAN judge, what chance will they have in front of an essentially liberal-to-moderate-leaning State Supreme Court? Zippo.

Waste of money, but since the BIAW is putting up the money, and they're rolling in dough, I imagine they'll proceed anyway.

[Stand and Fight]

64. I hope they do...

That way they look like even bigger idiots than they already do!

[Raster]

36. yep, rossi and the pukes will appeal to the WA Supreme Court

There were irregularities in the election, but as the judge inferred, they tended to help rossi, not hurt him. We had several solid red counties where Democratic voters (at the last minute, of course) seemingly voted against their party affiliation to help boost rossi's county total. Dirty tricks were used, BY THE REPUBLICANS. Maybe now that fat fuck chris vance (state gop chair) will sit down and shut it. However, I don't count on it.

The WA state election only reinforces the glaring fact that if we, the voters of this country, don't assert ourselves and take back the election process, we will never have clean, fair elections in this country again. Already the same forces that tampered with the 2000, 2002 and 2004 elections are working overtime to tamper with the upcoming 2006 congressional elections. There is no way bushco* can allow a democratic congress. Think of the investigations. Think of the impeachment proceedings. Now is the time people. Now is the time.

[cascadiance]

65. Agreed we all need to win all the different battles we can!...

Even though it wasn't California, I'm feeling that the donation I gave to help do the Washington recount was money WELL spent now! We need to unite and try to help those in critical and winnable battles around the country to win, and not wait for others to step up to the bar.

I hope you all will do the same and help and make sure that Donna Frye gets a fair election to finally help validate how the voters voted her as San Diego Mayor in November, but only Murphy resigning as mayor has given her a second chance now.

[meganmonkey]

31. Hee hee

BUT WHY CAN'T WE GET THIS KIND OF ATTENTION IN OHIO WHERE THERE ACTUALLY IS A SHITLOAD OF EVIDENCE OF IRREGULARITIES AND FRAUD?

Sorry for the all-caps. I get a little emotional :P

[Rainscents]

34. I wonder, how MSM is going to spin this!

[Old Vet]

35. OT: John Kerry to present downing St memo to congress

John Kerry Reportedly To Present "Downing Street Memo" To Congress

June 6, 2005 10:18 a.m. EST


Douglas Maher - All Headline News Staff Reporter

Washington,D.C. (AHN)- After remaining almost silent since losing the 2004 election by thirty four electoral votes, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts is reportedly planning to to present Congress with The Downing Street Memo, reported last month by the London Times.

The memo purports to include minutes from a July 2002 meeting with Tony Blair, in which Blair allegedly said that President Bush's administration "fixed" intelligence on Iraq in order to justify the Iraqi war.

The Downing Street Memo is a leaked Top Secret document that details the minutes of a 2002 meeting between top-level British and American government officials.

The memo states that George Bush "was determined" to attack Iraq long before going to Congress with the matter, and that "the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy."

Rumblings across Washington and the Internet claim this is a step from Democrats towards impeachment of President Bush.

Fellow Democrat Rep. John Conyers of Michigan has issued a statement on the U.S. House of Representatives stating that he is seeking information regarding the meeting minutes.

"I am seeking information regarding the charges made in the so-called “Downing Street Minutes” that there was a secret agreement between the U.S. and the U..K to invade Iraq by the summer of 2002, well before the president sought congressional authority." Conyers said.

"Please provide us with any information or leads you might have regarding such a secret pre-war deal, or other efforts to manipulate intelligence or provoke a response to justify war. We will treat any information provided on this site as confidential. Thank you for your assistance in this important matter."

However, All Headline News has re-discovered that a bill signed by then President Clinton named "The Iraqi Liberation Act of 1998" could have given President Bush all of the legal recourse necessary for the war.

Stating directly from the bill: "Iraq Liberation Act of 1998 - Declares that it should be the policy of the United States to seek to remove the Saddam Hussein regime from power in Iraq and to replace it with a democratic government. "

The H.R. 4655 law was signed into effect October 31,1998.

Republicans plan to issue a response to Senator Kerry by using his own words against him, a tactic used in the 2004 Election. Where Sen. Kerry was quoted as saying the war was justified and Saddam Hussein needed to be removed.

[merwin]

40. However, twisting evidence and lying is still illegal.

Great journalism, guys!

[Rainscents]

42. Thanks... I agree!

BTW... Welcome to DU! Always love to see newbies!

:hi:

[MissB]

37. Yippeeeee!

The Repubs sure shopped around for a judge they thought would see it "their" way.

I'm sure they'll now denigrate him as an "activist judge".

[merwin]

38. Anyone find it amusing that the people striking down the GOP in WA

are GOP themselves? That's because the Republicans that are in power in WA are generally much more levelheaded than your average neocon.

[BigBearJohn]

39. on YAHOO!: Washington Judge Upholds Gubernatorial Vote

WENATCHEE, Wash. - A judge on Monday upheld Washington's 2004 gubernatorial election, rejecting Republicans' bid to nullify the 129-vote victory of Democratic Gov. Christine Gregoire.

Chelan County Superior Court Judge John Bridges denied Republican claims that election errors, illegal voters and fraud stole the election from GOP candidate Dino Rossi.

"Unless an election is clearly invalid, when the people have spoken their verdict should not be disturbed by the courts," Bridges said as he announced the decision from his courtroom.

The judge agreed that the state's election system is flawed, but he said he was not the proper person to remedy those flaws.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050606/ap_on_el_gu/election_challenge&printer=1

[Cha]

41. I'm so happy, I'm so happy,

I'm so happy!:D

That was a close one! I hope Gov Gregoire turns out to be a good Gov and worth it!

Sounds like she's got to be better than the rossi who was nipping at her ankles.

[bluestateguy]

43. There must be no appeal

Court decisions are to be complied with, not appealed.

[whometense]

45. Fantastic news!! n/t

[onehandle]

46. Poor SoreLosermans! nt

[Rainscents]

48. I was just watching KOMO4 news here in Seattle and Judge did add

4 fruad Rossi votes to Gregoire! Her final vote now is... 133 votes she win by!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[roguevalley]

60. She's governor. Unless they can find a defect in the ruling on a

point of law, they won't win. Buh-bye!

[deadparrot]

61. Awesome news!

Hopefully the state Supreme Court will rule in a similar fashion. :)

[LeahD]

62. Democrats Need Money

I heard on the Ed Schultz (sp?) show that the Democratic Party in WA needs money. I didn't get the spokesman's name, but he said that they have spent over $3 million dollars on this fight, and if it's appealed to the Supreme Court, they are going to need more money. There's a link on their web site, at the top of the page, for contributions.


www.wa-democrats.org

[cascadiance]

66. If the Dems win, will it be like at the state level

in the recount where Rossi and his cronies will have to foot the Dem's bill for having brought the lawsuit and having lost. It would seem that if Jane Akre and the reporters in Florida had to pay Fox's legal costs for having lost the appeal that Fox made on their court ruling, that Rossi would have to pay the Dems back for their legal costs with this "flagrant" lawsuit...

If so, then hope that would be money that the Dems could also use to help out with other legal battles that are going on too, and that they'd commit themselves towards putting that money to that use (or for fair elections efforts).

[Rainscents]

72. I donated the other day... I will donate again! This is good cause!

[LeahD]

85. Just read on LBN that Rossi threw in the towel,

and there won't be an appeal!

[RetroLounge]

63. Bwwwwahahahaha

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

RL

[damntexdem]

67. The GOP will appeal it to the Wash Supreme Court.

Were the election overturned, the decision would have interesting ramifications -- I'd certainly trade Wash 04 for Ohio 04.

[Roland99]

68. "The judge threw out a few illegally cast votes & raised margin to 133"

SWEET!

[cascadiance]

84. Hey Rossi, you're down and out now!!

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

71. BWAHAHAHAHA

Lossi's press conference isn't till 5 P.M. west coast time.

Hopefully he'll have cried himself out by then. :cry:

:evilgrin: :party: :toast: :bounce: :wow: :beer: :thumbsup: :kick: :loveya: :grouphug: :rofl: :patriot:

[Rainscents]

73. LOL...

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[derby378]

75. Hurts, don't it?

All you GOPers telling us "Bush is YOUR President" - shoe don't feel so good on your own damn foot, does it?

[pmbryant]

76. Good and reasonable decision

It really couldn't have gone any other way.

--Peter

[jazzjunkysue]

78. A while back I posted that we had turned a corner

And so we have. No stadium in NYC, impeachment proceedings, the 14 taking power from the repubs in the senate, stem cell mutiny, delay is on the way to the big house, we keep washington, new jersey is electing a dem mayor tomorrow, and chris matthews is interviewing the senate. FINALLY!!!!!!

Sanity, people. Sanity is coming back. :toast: :bounce:

[cascadiance]

83. And hopefully a Dem mayor finally in San Diego in July too!

[ismnotwasm]

79. I'm working nights, and woke up to this news

God, it's a great day. Those idiots wanted to the judge to rule in part on bullshit "statitical analysis" Assholes.