January 06, 2005
Election Contest(s) Filed
"AP Exclusive: Two court challenges filed in governor's race"
Two people have filed challenges to the governor's election with the state Supreme Court, firing the first shots in the anticipated legal battle over the amazingly close contest.
...
The Associated Press obtained copies of the election challenges from the Supreme Court on Thursday. Both seem to be the work of private citizens and neither bear obvious fingerprints of the state Republican Party. State GOP Chairman Chris Vance said he had nothing to do with the filings, and that party officials are still working on a possible court challenge of their own.
The individuals who filed the challenges are
Daniel P. Stevens of Fall City and
Arthur Coday Jr. of Shoreline.
I heard Chris Vance say on the Dori Monson Show that the state GOP was not involved with these challenges.
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at January 06, 2005
02:52 PM | Email This
1. Hopefully there will be more challenges + what ever the GOP puts up (if any).
2. Jumped the gun, didn't they? Doesn't that let the court toss them right out?
3. Mark - clarify, please. Jumped what gun? how would this allow them to "toss them right out?"
4. I've talked to Coday. He's probably taking the tack that the paid-for recount is illegal because it goes against the provision calling for free and fair elections. The problem with the argument is that the election was free, it's just the recount that wasn't. I doubt any judge will give it much legal traction.
5. News coverage of these election challenges that I have read indicates that whoever talks to the press (radio, tv, newspaper) must speak slowly and clearly to the reporter to explain what the discrepancy between voters and ballots is. There is clearly a mis/dis-information campaign being conduced by CYA elections officials.
They say they just have to reconcile the lists of voters and ballots.
But, as I understand it, the discrepancy is between voters who have been identified as having voted and ballots cast. It doesn't matter who may have moved, or died, or cast provisional ballots - those people are supposed to be registered somewhere and their valid registrations verified. If not, they should not have been counted.
Stefan and others talking to the press, practice explaining this mess to your nearest fourth grader. If that child doesn't understand it, your average reporter won't understand it either. Don't be afraid to use visual aids - sometimes that helps.
Good luck - my heart goes out to all of you in Washington and I hope this never happens to us in Oregon! (Though it certainly could!)
6. I'd be concerned that some of these filers are D shills, or nutjobs, wanting standing to draw attention to themselves, get some press coverage and make oral arguments once the real challenge is filed by the Rs (they might also desire being a party to any negotiated settlement -- not to mention a footnote to history). The court will, of course, consolidate the challenges. I'd recall to you the Gore v. Harris contest from 2000 where several private individuals weighed in and had their own counsel make arguments -- the participation of these folks was largely a waste of time, though of course democracy demands it; and well it should.
7. The AP (almost as biased to the left as CNN), curiously used the phrase "fingerprints of the state Repeblican party." Usually, the people getting fingerprinted are Democrats. Or will be, after this mess is over.
8. I am neither a “D shill” nor a “nutjob”. I am not in want of attention or negotiated settlement. I did what I did cause I thought it was the right thing to do.
9. "D shills" and "Nutjobs"- I'm not even sure what these epithets mean; however, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to derive that they are certainly derogatory terms. Gee, maybe the author of this travesty is more intimately familiar with these terms as they have been utilized against his/her person at some point in time. Never-the-less, overlooking the trash talk and the idea that all citizens are self-seeking scene stealers rather than actually concerned Americans, Daniel Stevens and Dr. Arthur Coday represent individuals who have taken the time to care about what is going on with respect to the political and moral condition of our state. Unlike "barchester" and myself, who can only stand by and commentate on the actions of citizens like Stevens and Coday, these two individuals took action. Whether one agrees or disagrees with their position, they took the time from their schedule, on their nickel to be Americans and exercise their rights as such. For that, they should be applauded. They set the example for the rest of us who sit, criticize and do nothing!
10. "D shills" and "Nutjobs"- I'm not even sure what these epithets mean; however, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to derive that they are certainly derogatory terms. Gee, maybe the author of this travesty is more intimately familiar with these terms as they have been utilized against his/her person at some point in time. Never-the-less, overlooking the trash talk and the idea that all citizens are self-seeking scene stealers rather than actually concerned Americans, Daniel Stevens and Dr. Arthur Coday represent individuals who have taken the time to care about what is going on with respect to the political and moral condition of our state. Unlike "barchester" and myself, who can only stand by and commentate on the actions of citizens like Stevens and Coday, these two individuals took action. Whether one agrees or disagrees with their position, they took the time from their schedule, on their nickel to be Americans and exercise their rights as such. For that, they should be applauded. They set the example for the rest of us who sit, criticize and do nothing!