Washington State update

GOP Alleges Fraud in Washington Gov. Vote

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.

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.

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For those of you to whom the inability of functionally illiterate victims of public education to properly mark a ballot later mastered by eight year olds equates to "Bush stole Florida", we give you Washington State.

Take a look at Wisconsin '04 while you're at it.