May 19, 2005
Sam Reed on Dori Monson
Sam Reed will be on Dori Monson's show (710 KIRO) today at noon, talking about the latest revelations from King County Elections. Based on what he said in his deposition, it won't be terribly complimentary.
UPDATE: Paul Berendt will also be on at the bottom of the noon hour.
Reed: "nothing is more fundamental to the integrity of this system than knowing how many ballots you have", likening it to a cashier balancing their till.
says: not necessarily a crime if they were just doing it to cover up their mistakes .. fraud is an organized attempt to change the outcome of an election ... this simply appears to be election worker "mistakes"
calls litany of King County "mistakes" "appalling" and "disturbing", calls for a "complete re-engineering of that operation".
Reed won't criticize Ron Sims too harshly. Praises King County for installing a new voter registration system (without mentioning that this was the same voter registration system that was blamed for not being able to keep a full audit trail of absentee ballots)
Paul Berendt says: "the [mail ballot report] wasn't phoney. It was quite accurate" Also says that voters shouldn't be concerned about phoney election reports, but should be more worried about election challenges.
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My take: Sam Reed is worse than worthless. Whether the election workers who intentionally falsified their work product did so to throw the election or simply save their jobs, is irrelevant. These are not just "mistakes". This is a conspiracy involving both fundamental disregard for the law and concealing material information from the public. If this isn't criminal fraud, I can't imagine what is. If Sam Reed feels it's more important to downplay election officials criminal acts as "mistakes" instead of standing up for the public's right to an honest election, then he is simply unfit to be the state's chief elections officer.
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at May 19, 2005
11:19 AM | Email This
1. Sam Reed is a big part of the problem.
2. Yes he is!
3. Sam Reed gave Dean Logan and Hunnekens all their training!!!!!!!!!
4. Your right otto, I can't tell what's up with him. He doesn't seem like a stand up guy. Can't tell where he stands.
5. What he is is a public nuisance and a menace to society. If I ever find out that the State Party has given one thin dime or lifted a finger to defend him regarding this election they will NEVER see another dime from me period.
6. Can you say two faced politician. He'll be used as a witness for the Dems, as in "they were just mistakes...."
7. Mealy mouth Mr. Milktoast. What a WIMP!!!!!!!
8. It's not up to Sam "see no evil" Reed to declare what is and what isn't fraud, it's up to Judge Bridges.
To quote John "I spent Christmas in Cambodia" Kerry... "Bring it on!"
Indeed.
9. IRAQI INFORMATION MINISTER:
I would have bought this cock and bull back in November, but honest mistakes don't require 6 months of cover ups and 6 months of lawsuits to discover the truth.
10. Looking back....
What if Sam Reed had refused to certify the election results. What if he had the balls to say that due to so many discrepencies in the KC count, I can't in good concience certify this mess. What would the result have been?
Just wondering.
11. What if Sam Reed had refused to certify the election results? This mess would have come to a 'full rolling boil' in December or January, the Pretender would not be occupying the Governors mansion and the Democrats would have come away from this without being 'tarred' to the extent that they will be at the conclusion of this trial. Mark my words, the national Democratic Committee will come to rue the day they didn't reign these clowns in back when it was still possible. The KC Democratic Machine is going to seriously damage teh entire party nationwide, and that is a good thing.
12. Reed must really enjoy ridin' that fence.
13. I certainly do not support Sam Reed now that he has shown his professional politician colors. However, he may have unwittingly done the state a service in that, after all is said and done, the Democrats will probably fall in power yet again. Since it is important to have at least 2 credible parties debating the issues and policy, the Democrats have done our state and our nation a diservice by sacrificing their credibility for the purpose of keeping power at all costs. I hope that the leadership of the party will come to the realisation that the price was too high.
14. Paul Berendt is spinning like the Tazmanian debbil.. :)
15. I agree with you REBEL, I have absolutely no use for career politicians. Damn few of them are interested in public service. That statment holds equally true for Republicans as for Democrats. If the State republican Party were to become as powerful as the State Democrat Party has been for decades, it would not be long before they would become as corrupt and insular as the State Democratic party is.
16. You know this would be even worse if Laura Ruderman had been elected instead of Sam, I know that is hard to believe but it is true!
17. Years back when I lived in Alabama, I looked out my window and saw a kid sitting over on my wood fence. One leg on each side and the creak of his butt right on top.
I said, " Boy what ya doing crying on my fence?".
He said, " My butt hurts awfully bad, I can't get comfortable."
I said, "Well get off the fence."
He said, "Can't sir, one side of the fence Mrs. Stillman's sticker bush will surely get me, and thats gona hurt. On your side of the fence, your dog Maximos Bitus will get me for sure."
I said, "Whats ya gona do boy?"
He said, "I don't rightly know sir. Maybe I'll just set a while and consider my options."
18. Spot on Shark. Worse than worthless because SR has the position to get out there and speak as a state figure-head instead of quietly keeping that skewed logic to himself.
19. Smiling Sam Reed's certification of King County election results remind me of Steve Martin (Mavon Johnson) in the comedy "The Jerk". For those who've seen the classic, a group of young male gang members pull into the gas station with stolen credit cards bearing the name of an elderly Jewish women. They purchase anything and everything within eyesight, and when Mavon compares the woman's name on the card against the young male gang member presenting the card, he conveys that he will need someone to vouch that the young male gangmember card presenter is actually the elderly woman who's name is on the card. Another young gang member assures Mavon that the young male card bearer is indeed the elderly Jewish lady. At that point, Mavon Johnson declares that there is no credibility issue or problem, "As Long As You Have A Voucher!" This scene comes to mind everytime I hear or see Smiling Sam Reed who certified the King County election. I'm going to rename him from "Smiling" Sam Reed to Sam "As Long As You Have A Voucher" Reed. I heard him on Dorsi's show this afternoon and you could tell Sam cringed everytime Dori brought up the "F" word.
20. Reed seems odd...in an odd sort of odd way. Know what I mean.
It's almost as if he has some sort of Jim West-type affliction, know what I mean.
21. JohnB,
Great movie, and good scene. However, he played the role of Navin Johnson.
22. Mrs. Nussbaum was her name. Memorable scene.
23. Amazing. Paul Berendt SHOULD be concerned about election challenges. Because his candidate likely is there wrongly.
And yes, Sam Reed has long not shown enough concern for accuracy and fraud. It appeared that way long before this. And Laura Ruderman would've been even worse. Unless they are a Brian Sonntag-type democrat, putting a democrat in as SOS is very much like a fox guarding the henhouse--kinda like the head honchos at the King county elections office.
24. Shark,
Thank goodness you have finally seen the light!
I really have to wonder if part of the problem for Washington state republicans doesn't lie within their own party.
In any case, this is Sam Reed's last term as Secretary of State (unless he switches parties).
25. Hmmm...
I'd like to know what Sam Reed's story is....There is something deep and dark with that man....I wonder what the Dems have on him?
He inappropriately defends the Democrats during the hand recount and pre-trial hearings then waffles with luke-warm comments against them when the evidence is irrefutable....He is acting like a man walking on eggshells.....
A further investigation into his behavior would be a good idea after the contest....Something just isn't right about the man.
26. Reed is a RINO in every sense of the word. I won't vote for him again. He had no reason to cover for Sims. He would have sounded better if he said "No comment".
Dori Monson did a good job of asking the questions and also appreciated his commentary afterwards, where he expressed surprise at Reed's reluctance to tell it like it was and how utterly delusional alot of the Fraudoire sympathizers who called the Alan Prell show were - that "their heads were in the sand and in other dark places" if they didn't believe the latest revelation was any big deal. He also mentioned that this was the biggest newsworthy item so far in this Governor's contest. I am also convinced that Paul Berendt is Bagdad Bob's siamese twin after listening to his insane blather on several talk shows today.
27. Perhaps Reed ought to be part of the defendant party in a potential civil lawsuit, since he turned a blind eye the questionable results obtained in King County and he knew before he certified the final count that something was fishy and received an ample number of emails (including one from myself) asking him not to certify the manual recount until the legitimacy of the count could be reconciled. He blew it off and was in a hurry to certify. The other defendants in a potential civil lawsuit that would take place after the Election contest is over (regardless of outcome) would be King County (Sims, Logan, Huennikins) and throw in the former Attorney General herself for good measure. Any takers out there ?
28. Deborah has it right. Someone has something on Sam Reed. I can think of no other reasonable explanation. The name calling just doesn't work for me (RINO etc.). This guy seems to have been a friend of John Carlson, and although I usually appreciate his kind and gentle approach, this raises to the level of having to do something about it. I'd like him to try to find out what the "lever" is on Reed.