It's funny, until it's not

While I haven't blogged much about politics, or anything else, this fall - I am sure I won't surprise anyone by saying that I support the McCain/Palin ticket. I was extremely happy with the selection of Gov. Palin, and I like the lady's style, wit and brains. So it's no shock that I got a big chuckle out of this Youtube video portraying the Obamunist being mocked by the world's dictators. It's low humor, but funny. But the following video wasn't made to be funny, although it made me laugh as I watched it. I laughed at the idea that anyone seriously wants to vote for a man who couldn't even bring himself to show up on time for his committee meetings ... before he started his public campaign for the Democratic nomination. His constant apologies for his tardiness and absence during testimony, which he then (apparently) intends to comment on, would be disappointing in a high school senior. In a U.S. Senator it is highly unprofessional. From a man who thinks he deserves to be President, it is unforgiveable. This isn't the biggest reason *not* to vote for Obama, with his views on raising our taxes redistributing our wealth, and relieving us of our guns. But if you know anyone who really intends to vote for Obama/Biden, make sure they watch both videos, won't you?

A Veteran's Reasons

This is an eloquent and well-spoken reason for voting for John McCain this fall. Dear Mr. Obama From Warrior25, who I Thank for his service in Vietnam and for fathering this fine young man. H/T to BillT of Castle Argghhh!

RNC highlights Obama's energy plan

Pretty creative tactic ... I like it! RNC Delivers Tire Gauges to Obama Press Corps by Bonney Kapp When the Obama press corps arrived at the Elkhart, Indiana, Jameson Inn where the campaign is staying tonight, Obama staffers were on hand to distribute room keys - and a small white envelope from the RNC. That’s right, the Republican National Committee. Inside the envelope addressed to individual members of Obama’s regular traveling press, was a small tire gauge labeled “Obama’s Energy Plan” along the side, and a note that joyously read, “Happy Birthday, Barack Obama!” The RNC along with the McCain campaign seized upon Obama’s advice to a voter last week to properly inflate her tires to increase fuel efficiency, and have managed to create a sideshow to mock Obama’s “judgment” and “experience” when it comes to energy policy. Today Obama helped continue the story line when he accused the Republicans of being “ignorant” on the issue. At his Ohio town hall this afternoon, Obama said, “They think it is funny that they are making fun of something that is actually true. They need to do their homework because this is serious business.” The RNC doubled down on their humorous assault tonight with its “gift” to the press corps. “We hope you’ll enjoy this complimentary tool related to Barack Obama’s energy plan - your very own tire gauge. Because, instead of actually increasing America’s domestic oil supply, this is how Obama thinks you should try to alleviate your pain at the pump,” the note read.

No Real Surprise

My favorite Republican candidate of the field, and the best Conservative, in my opinion, is no longer in the race. Fred Thompson has announced his withdrawal from the race for the oval office. I could see the writing on the wall, especially after South Carolina, so I wasn't surprised to see the actual notice. But still, I'm bummed. So I reviewed the remaining candidates and concluded that I have to line up along with my friend Francis Marion, and throw my support to Mitt Romney. He's had some experience at turning this around, and has been an Executive in both the public and private sectors, and with the Congress we have now, he's going to need all of it. If any of you who have been Fred supporters are aiming in another direction, I would love to hear Who and Why. There's still a lot of Primary / Caucus activity to happen yet, and things are still up in the air.

Pretty close

Since the political season is heavy upon us, I snagged this quiz on political likeness from Uncle Jimbo over at Blackfive ... the results are not bad. Except for the fact that the outdated info still has Tancredo in it, it pretty much nailed my top choices. 83% Fred Thompson 81% Mitt Romney 80% Tom Tancredo 74% John McCain 64% Mike Huckabee 60% Rudy Giuliani 52% Ron Paul 30% Bill Richardson 30% John Edwards 29% Hillary Clinton 28% Joe Biden 24% Barack Obama 23% Chris Dodd 20% Mike Gravel 13% Dennis Kucinich 2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz I'm a little concerned about the 13% congruency with Kucinich, though ... I might need an intervention!

Give the mission time

As John of Argghhh points out, the troops are in Iraq and Gen. Petraeus is now fully implementing the plan for which the military deployments 'surged'. So it must be time for our short-sighted, instant-gratification driven culture to cry 'Failure'. How about we try something new? Let's allow the troops to actually have some space while they try to, ya know, perform the mission. Keep reporting on the actions in the Middle East, just don't make every IED explosion or terrorist who escapes into proof that 'the Surge is failing', for heaven's sake! As Eric of BlackTygrrrr says - Unless your name is General David Petraeus, your opinion on the war is irrelevant.

Good news on Free Speech in Washington State

During the 2004 election cycle, ballot initiative I-912 was introduced to repeal the 9.5 cent per gallon additional gas tax that had been voted into law by the state legislature. I-912 was a polarizing issue, and drew hot debate. Sadly, many of my fellow inmates citizens voted against I-912, and the gas tax increase stayed the law of the land. Why does this relate to Free Speech? Because local KVI radio hosts Kirby Wilbur and John Carlson were accused of using their platforms as free advertising for I-912, and were ordered to report their online support as a political contribution, which I posted about in July of 2005. They have been fighing this finding ever since, and today we have the determination from the Washington State Supreme Court, by way of Michelle Malkin: Breaking: Free speech victory in Washington state There's an important breaking court decision on a political free speech case involving my friends at KVI radio in Seattle. A reader e-mails: A unanimous Washington state supreme court ruling, issued this morning, reversed a lower court ruling that held radio commentary by Seattle's KVI-570's Kirby Wilbur and John Carlson made "in-kind" contributions when they promoted an anti-gas tax voter initiative on their shows in 2005. Majority Opinion by Justice Barbara Madsen. Concurring opinion by Justice James Johnson, scolding the abusive prosecutors. Seattle Times coverage: The state Supreme Court said in an opinion released this morning that KVI talk show hosts did not need to report their advocacy for an anti-gas tax campaign as an in-kind political contribution. And the court has reinstated a countersuit filed by the No New Gas Tax (NNGT) campaign against local governments that initially sued. We hold that RCW 42.17.090 did not require NNGT to disclose the value of KVI's radio broadcasts supporting the initiative campaign as an in-kind contribution. The statutory media exemption, RCW 42.17.020(15)(b)(iv), excludes from the definition of "contribution" political advocacy for or against a political campaign by the hosts of a regularly scheduled talk show, broadcast by a radio station that is not controlled by a candidate or political committee. We reverse the order dismissing NNGT's counterclaims and remand to the trial court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. Great news, and a solid statement for free speech! I was listening to Kirby this morning, and he indicated that if this decision had gone against them, he and John were prepared to take it to the US Supreme Court. I'm glad that the justices of my state were able to see the light.

An Inconvenient Chart

Sorry, Al -- the data is in ... Chart created with this template in Excel 2007.

Best and Worst of 2006 in local politics

The folks at Sound Politics have pulled together a list of the best and worst of (local) politics and journalism for 2006.  If you aren’t from the Seattle region, most of these will be lost on you, but I found it quite amusing.   My personal favorite was this one: Worst non-elected official: Mrs. Gregoire  (our supposed governor, after many recounts and much controversary) But this one is worth a mention, as a prime example of the mind-set of the local academia: Worst new word definition that won't make it into Webster's dictionary: Seattle Public Schools entry for 'racism' Racism: The systematic subordination of members of targeted racial groups who have relatively little social power in the United States (Blacks, Latino/as, Native Americans, and Asians), by the members of the agent racial group who have relatively more social power (Whites). The subordination is supported by the actions of individuals, cultural norms and values, and the institutional structures and practices of society.

There they go again

Just when I think the Dems have reached their lowest level, one of them grabs a shovel and starts digging. The Washington 8th District Congressional race has been closer than I would have liked, with incumbent Dave Reichert (R) battling against newcomer Darcy Burner (D) to retain his seat.  This is Washington, after all - home to "Baghdad" Jim McDermott.  However, the Burner campaign is doing something that could be just the lever we need to throw water on their efforts.  A new flyer from the Burner campaign uses/abuses the well-known image of an American Soldier comforting a dying Iraqi child captured by Michael Yon last year.  The flyer features this iconic image along with the words "They won't tell the truth about how bad it is."!  First to report on this was Stefan Sharkansky, at Sound Politics.  His update today confirms that the image was not used with Yon's permission... "It's a copyright infringement, it's a legal matter," D.C. attorney John Mason told me ... Mason said that Yon turned down a request from the Republican Party to use it in campaign literature this year. "Mike's not a political guy. Mike does not want the photo used for any message. He wants it to stand alone." Stooping pretty low there, dems.

More thoughts on voting

Monday's post ended with an exhortation to honor the sacrifice of our troops, and to make each vote count. This includes the brave men and women who have given the last full measure. It also includes every other service person in uniform today, doubly so for those deployed around the world, and a hundred-fold for those trying to heal from their wounds. One of those currently serving, returned this year from a deployment in Iraq, is Wayne of Savannah Dreamin'. He stopped by and left a comment to my post that I have to highlight. Thanks very much for this post, especially reminding the folks that we are at war and this isn't the time to be voting for the "run for the hills" types out there. That's what would happen if we toss the party out with the bathwater, you see. We'd be cutting and running ... and the troops would be left hung out to dry. Don't be a Murtha *spit*, stay in the fight.

Don't throw your vote away

Beth has the right of it. Voting is our right and responsibility in this country, and the talk I've heard of conservatives voting for the Dems or not voting at all, as some kind of statement to the Republican party just drives me up a wall. I believe that you should vote for the person who you feel will represent you. Old fashioned, I know. Don't vote for the Democratic challenger to your Congressman or Senator just because you are pissed off at the party. Especially if you didn't write to them or call them during the legislative sessions to tell them exactly how you felt. Vote for the best person, or leave that box empty if you must. Read the initiatives, the pros and cons on the candidates, and go to the polls and weigh in on every issue you have a right to. Don't throw your vote out the window like a child throwing a tantrum, for heavens sake! Also consider helping candidates outside of your district/state. I agree with Hugh Hewitt, we must support the best candidates in the tight races. Protect the political strength of the party. The alternative is too awful to consider: So, the Dems will finally return from the political wilderness and Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Murtha, and Chairmen Conyers and Rangel will team with Majority Leader Reid and Chairman Leahy to: Force a retreat from Iraq; throw money at Kim Jong Il; talk to Ahmadinejad and then throw him a Framework Agreement; Refuse to extend the tax cuts and thus cost every American real dollars every month and large chunks of the estates of their Greatest Generation parents as they pass away; Refuse to confirm qualified judges and blockade Bush nominees in the event any of the Supreme Court's aging elite retire? *shudder* The very thought makes my skin crawl. After the dust of this election settles, if you want to make changes, then go out and get involved. Get hooked up with your local party connections, and make the system work by bringing fresh ideas into the party. As you vote this year, remember that we are at war, that we have men and women in uniform around the world who are fighting to help the citizens of Iraq and Afghanistan to keep their new voting rights. Don't you dare let them down.

Shootin' with the Sheriff!

Okay, so I didn't actually shoot with the Sheriff, who is now Congressman Reichert, at the fund-raising event in Bellevue this week. But I did shoot, and got to meet 'n' greet some fellow R's at the Shootin' for Victory event last night in Bellevue. As noted by both John of Argghhh and Dave from Heartless Libertarian, this is my kind of fund-raiser. The chance to go throw lead down range with a group of like-minded folks was too good to pass up! The donation included dinner (BBQ -- YUMM!), use of the firearms, and 2 boxes of ammunition. Of course, I brought my own guns, including my Ruger Security-Six, and enjoyed shooting it as always. But I really had a nice time shooting my friend Dunnermeister's Ruger GP100. Whooo -- what a sweet handgun --- I was quite happy with the results! Almost forgot ... I got to meet Dave Workman as well. Any locals who are into firearms should have a copy of Dave's book Washington Gun Rights and Responsibilities. Unfortunately, mine was at home, so I couldn't get it autographed ... *grin* All in all, a fun event, and a few bucks were raised for the King County GOP. Next on the political agenda -- SEATTLE TIMES DEBATE - WASHINGTON'S EIGHTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT CANDIDATES WHERE: Meydenbauer Center 11100 NE 6th St. Bellevue, WA 98004 click here for directions and parking info WHEN: Tuesday October 10th - 7pm MORE INFO: kellie@davereichertforcongress.com JOIN US NEXT TUESDAY TO SUPPORT DAVE REICHERT AS HE DEBATES THE ISSUES WITH DARCY BURNER I plan to be there to cheer on Congressman Reichert - we conservatives may be surrounded here in King County, but we don't give in!

We all have choices

Simple choices such as eating healthy or splurging on the triple dip cone, and tough choices like working for less money at a job closer to your kids' school so that you can spend more time with them. Some of them don't have a "right" answer, just a lesser of evils. The political season is upon us. In fact, my absentee ballot for the Washington primary is sitting here patiently awaiting my selections. In some states, the races to be decided this year will help determine the balance of power in Congress. So when this article from the Weekly Standard arrived in my email, I was in a good frame of mind to digest it. Will We Choose to Win in Iraq? The war is frustrating. That doesn't mean we ought to get out. by William J. Stuntz Thirty-eight years ago, American politics was rocked by another politically controversial war. Then, as now, liberal Democrats competed for the allegiance of an increasingly powerful antiwar left. Then, as now, that constituency flexed its muscles in a key Democratic primary that seemed to turn American politics upside down: In March 1968, Eugene McCarthy almost defeated President Lyndon Johnson in New Hampshire; earlier this month, Ned Lamont triumphed over Senator Joe Lieberman in Connecticut. And there may be one more parallel. According to Michael Barone, the gold standard in political commentary, many of the voters who pulled the lever for McCarthy were dissatisfied with Johnson's conduct of the Vietnam war not because they believed the war was wrong or wasteful, but because they believed America was losing it. As Barone puts it in Our Country, voters dissatisfied with Vietnam wanted to "win or get out." I would like to see us win, so that we can get out. Are we doing all we can to achieve that goal? There is one more possible reason to head for the exits in Iraq: Victory is either impossible or (what amounts to the same thing) prohibitively expensive. And there is a sure-fire test of whether or not victory truly is impossible: See whether a rising number of American soldiers in a given city or neighborhood tends to produce more violence or less. If the answer is more, then it is pointless to send more soldiers; the ones who are already there are doing net harm. But that is not what the evidence shows. Recently, as part of the Army's effort to reduce the killing in Baghdad, soldiers were pulled out of Mosul--and violence in Mosul escalated. Iraq the Model, a blogger who knows far more about conditions in Baghdad than most Western reporters, fears not that American soldiers will cause more killing, but that we have too few soldiers on the ground to pacify territory and then hold it. I encourage you to go read the complete article. One section in particular caught my eye. It's not a new sentiment, but useful to remember as we head into our election season for this year... Our side in Iraq holds elections. The other side kills people who stand in line to vote. America's military is fighting not to protect one set of thugs from another, but to allow a democratically elected government to establish itself in a society a majority of whose members want it to do so. It's hard to imagine a more morally worthy goal. And that would be true even if our enemies were not uncommonly murderous--which they plainly are. Rarely has a militarily powerful state fought for nobler ends. Go read the whole thing, and let me know what you think. How much does the war in Iraq (and don't forget Afghanistan) and the tension with Iran and Korea affect your thoughts on voting this year?

Transparency in Government

I found this via Castle Argghhh, and I completely support it... An Appeal from Center-Right Bloggers We are bloggers with boatloads of opinions, and none of us come close to agreeing with any other one of us all of the time. But we do agree on this: The new leadership in the House of Representatives needs to be thoroughly and transparently free of the taint of the Jack Abramoff scandals, and beyond that, of undue influence of K Street. We are not naive about lobbying, and we know it can and has in fact advanced crucial issues and has often served to inform rather than simply influence Members. But we are certain that the public is disgusted with excess and with privilege. We hope the Hastert-Dreier effort leads to sweeping reforms including the end of subsidized travel and other obvious influence operations. Just as importantly, we call for major changes to increase openness, transparency and accountability in Congressional operations and in the appropriations process. As for the Republican leadership elections, we hope to see more candidates who will support these goals, and we therefore welcome the entry of Congressman John Shadegg to the race for Majority Leader. We hope every Congressman who is committed to ethical and transparent conduct supports a reform agenda and a reform candidate. And we hope all would-be members of the leadership make themselves available to new media to answer questions now and on a regular basis in the future. N.Z. Bear, The Truth Laid Bear We voters can only force a better system by using the power of our votes. The power to vote *for* those who will ethically represent us in our government, and to vote *against* those who don't. We will always get the government we deserve if we don't follow this rule. Would this mean voting against a republican in favor of a democrat? Yes, if that's what it takes. Neptunus Lex says it best: We’re not looking for more of the same, and be very clear: We won’t come to the polls and vote for it. If the leadership of the Republican party can’t offer their voters something else than the same old sleaze, self-interest and scandal, we’ll leave the field to the other side and gladly let the party develop a new philosophy of ethics in government. From the minority side of the aisle. Because the Republic will survive a Democratic Party ascendancy. What it will not survive is the sense that all of it, the whole democratic experiment, is some great fraud foisted by whichever set of pigs can muscle itself most closely to the trough. If you agree, visit N.Z. Bear's and sign on.

Geez, I'm a nerd

Cheerfully stolen from Jim at bRight & Early. For an even nerdier score, check out Linda at Right As Usual. Other Scores ... Check the comments below for some Interesting results! And for the best score I've seen so far, go visit Beth -- She ROCKS! UPDATE To address the discussion in the Comments regarding Nerd versus Geek, I offer the following from Wikipedia. Nerd Traditionally, the designation nerd (occasionally in the form nurd) applies to an intellectually gifted (probably > 120 or so IQ) but lonely and socially awkward person, one fascinated by knowledge, especially science and mathematics, and less interested in physical and social activities. Visual impairment (hence the glasses) and some form of High-Functioning Autism are also common characteristics, and the social impairment can often be explained by the latter. Beginning in the late 1990s, many nerds on the Internet reclaimed the word nerd as a badge of pride, and began using it as a positive description of any technically competent person, with less implication or focus on social awkwardness. Dispute continues as to whether to regard nerd and geek as synonyms, or if not, as to exactly how they differ. Geek A geek is a person who is fascinated, perhaps obsessively, by technology and imagination. Geek may not always have the same meaning as the term nerd (see nerd for a discussion of the disputed relation between the terms). The definition of geek has changed considerably over the years. Below are some definitions of the word "geek", in order from newer to oldest. All are still in use. * A person who is interested in technology, especially computing and new media. Comparable with the classic definition of hacker. Late 20th century and early 21st century * A person with a devotion to something in a way that places him or her outside the mainstream. This could be due to the intensity, depth, or subject of their interest. This definition is very broad, and allows for mathematics geeks, band geeks, computer geeks, politics geeks, geography geeks, geeks of the natural sciences, music geeks, history geeks, Good Eats geeks (Briners), linguistics geeks, sports geeks, figure skating geeks, SCA geeks, gaming geeks, ham radio geeks, public transit geeks (metrophiles), anime and manga geeks (otaku), Stargate geeks (Stargate SG-1/Atlantis fans, Gaters), Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel geeks, Star Wars geeks, Star Trek geeks (Trekkie), Tolkien or fantasy geeks (Tolkienite), geeks of many colours, genders, and styles, and last but not least, Wikipedia geeks. Late 20th Century and early 21st century * G.E.E.K. as an acronym came from the United States Military. It stands for General Electrical Engineering Knowledge. It is unclear if this was the origin of the current meaning for geek, or if the acronym was used in a joking way toward the pre-established meaning for geek (a backronym). * A person who swallows live animals, bugs, etc., as a form of entertainment at fairs etc. This often included biting the heads off of chickens. The Geek would usually perform in a "geek pit." This probably comes from the Scottish geck, meaning 'fool', in turn from Low German. 19th century

Plan B

I've been thinking about Monday's decision on the election challenge here in Washington, and Rossi's choice not to file an appeal. What should we do next? How can we get started on cleaning up the election process, and how should we get rid of the entrenched County Executive and Council? Stefan Sharkansky at Sound Politics proposed something several months ago called Plan B. To truly understand the point of the plan, you have to know two things ... (1) Larry Phillips is the County Councilman who discovered to his horror that his absentee ballot had not been counted due to unscanned signatures, leading to 561 *new* votes in King County to be added to the 2nd *recount* (3rd count), and (2) Precinct 1823, in downtown Seattle, had 763 registered voters, of which 527 listed their residence as the King County Administration Building Keep these in mind as you review the gist of Plan B ... So here's Plan B. Let everybody who voted for Dino Rossi in November re-register to vote giving the King County Administration Building as their residence. We can then all vote in this year's elections for both a Republican to unseat Larry Phillips, giving the council a 5-4 Republican majority, and also for a Republican to replace King County Executive Ron Sims. Visualize the housecleaning that will ensue when we win. If every Washingtonian who is sick and tired of being disenfranchised by King County simply plays the game by King County rules and registers and votes in Precinct 1823, we can't possibly lose. Tell all your friends in other states and countries to "move to" Precinct 1823 too (as long as they're U.S. citizens, of course). Of course - this is all tongue-in-cheek. Really, I swear!

Rossi chooses not to appeal

I just found this via Sound Politics ... Rossi won't appeal judge's decision: THE NEWS TRIBUNE Published: June 6th, 2005 05:13 PM Republican Dino Rossi is abandoning his quest to overturn Gov. Christine Gregoire's victory last fall. The former state lawmaker from Bellevue said he won't appeal today's decision by Chelan County Superior Court Judge John Bridges. "...With today's decision, and because of the political makeup of the Washington State Supreme Court, which makes it almost impossible to overturn this ruling, I'm ending the election contest," Rossi said. "Now I don't make this decision lightly. But I don't make it also with bitterness or hard feelings. I continue to believe - and I think most Wasingtonians believe - that mounting this election challenge and shining the light on the various problems in our election system was the right thing to do." The light has definitely been shed. The cockroaches are dancing under the furniture, though - just waiting to come back out again. Our next job will be to fix the system so that they can't get back in again ... and that is NOT going to be easy.

History: Old and New (Updated)

We should remember that today is the 61st anniversary of D-Day - but there are other events sharing this date in history. And some new history in the making... John of Argghhh has some great pics and links to refresh our memories on D-Day and other June 6th events in our history, as it is Quite a Day! UPDATE Judge Bridges has ruled that the evidence shows that King County and Washington State elections are severely flawed - but that there is no specific evidence to allow him to turn over the 'will of the people' ... Judge rules in favor of Democrats (registration required, sorry) Here's my favorite part ... In turning back the Republican challenge to the Democrat, Judge Bridges said there was no evidence of fraud in last fall's election. The judge did find there were more than 1,600 illegal votes, but he said it's up to voters to fix errors in the state's election system. *blink, blink* Let me get this straight ... We have a broken voting system, and we are supposed to fix it IN AN ELECTION??!! He's dead a$$ serious, too. I wish he was joking ... it sounds like Who's on First to me. TANJ ... Anyhow, the case is headed for the state Supreme Court. *New* Heartless Libertarian adds a succinct summary ... In order to overturn an election, the challenger must prove that there votes were counted illegally, and who those votes were for. However, ballot secrecy laws make it impossible to know how any one individual voted. Which makes the contest statue almost meaningless. --------------------------------------------------------- Thanks to Stefan Sharkansky and others at Sound Politics for the fantastic coverage and background info on the case. From beginning to end, they have been the best resource on the challenge. In case you are not from Washington State, or you live here but have been hiding under a barrel - the suit was brought by the Republican party to contest the November Gubernatorial election circus. The evidence presented in the case includes voting by felons and dead people, lack of controls for ballots, improper handling of provisional ballots, mysterious appearance of new ballots during recounts, invalid counts of ballots, and failure to perform the proper due dilligence before certifying the results to the canvassing board. For a complete layout of the events to date - start with the Timeline. For the results today, you can connect to the live streaming from TVW starting at 9am/pacific, and I'll add an update later today.

Washington election fraud update

While I haven't written about it lately, the controversy continues over the election results for Governor here in the state of Washington. But I found it interesting this morning to find that former Senator Slade Gordon is calling for a criminal probe... Former U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton yesterday joined the call for a criminal investigation of King County's handling of the November election, even as county officials acknowledged a breakdown in the process for accounting for absentee ballots. Gorton, appearing at a news conference with state Republican Chairman Chris Vance, said the U.S. Department of Justice or some other agency should conduct an investigation. He said he didn't know if any criminal acts were committed in the county's failure to count 93 valid absentee ballots in the tight governor's election in November. The mistake could have been fraud or "colossal incompetence," he said. The whole article is worth reading, as it lists many of the issues that have been uncovered over the last few months. Taken as individual acts, each of the problems uncovered might be viewed in either the light of fraud, or simple incompetence. At one time, I felt that was immaterial, but I've become certain that each spot act is part of the larger picture, and fraud and incompetence are going hand in hand here, it seems to me. Regardless, this is further proof that as citizens of the state, we had better take steps to get it right. As of this moment, I have no confidence in the election system in the state, and most especially, here in King County. I did have to laugh at this paragraph : King County Executive Ron Sims, a Democrat, dismissed Gorton's call for an investigation as "pure partisanship." Heh ... If that isn't a case of the pot calling the kettle black, I don't know what is!! This is just one small slice of the political circus here, but there is some good news. As reported by Stefan Sharkansky at Sound Politics, the trial date for the legal challenge has been set for May 23. I meant to post an update on Bryan Suits, local radio host on KVI, and a recent returnee from Iraq where he served with the Washington National Guard. So I found it interesting when I read that his absentee ballot is one of those NOT counted in this election. As Shark says, That was the wrong ballot to "misplace"!