November 30, 2005
Norm Maleng to Ron Sims: Pound Sand

Ron Sims wants the Prosecuting Attorney to initiate a formal perjury investigation of Lori Sotelo for the inadvertent errors in the challenges of the illegal mail box voters.

But County Prosecutor Norman Maleng will not be joining Sims to applaud the fraudulent mail box voters, nor will he comply with Sims' Mugabe-style request to abuse the criminal justice system for political retribution: "Prosecutor to take another look at voters;
He vows to penalize disputed mailbox registrants
"

Maleng said he will work to strip from the rolls any voters who falsely list a residence address. That could mean doing more research than Sotelo did, he said. But he won't prosecute Sotelo for perjury. She acted in good faith, withdrawing 178 challenges filed in error, he said.

Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at November 30, 2005 12:16 AM | Email This
Comments
1. Maleng is correct.

Sims would be more believable (as would the Democrats who post on this website) if they were equally as appalled at the wrongful registrations as they were at Sotelo's incorrect challenges.

The difference, of course, between the Sotelo challenges and the unlawful registrations is simple (and important):

The presumption is that it is a lawful registration.

All the pre-election whining about the challenges was pure political rhetoric. Nobody's legitimate right to vote was taken away by illegitimately by the challenges.

Perhaps Sims should police-up the voters who are listed at his own residence, rather than attempt his usual underhanded tactics.

Posted by: YourGovernorCostsMillion$ on November 30, 2005 12:41 AM
2. This little episode certainly shows Sims' true colors: a Stalinist in politician's clothing. I suppose we should be relieved that Sims didn't try to send Sotelo to Western Washington State Hosptial for some "re-education." Maybe we should start calling him "Uncle Ron".

Posted by: Carol on November 30, 2005 04:13 AM
3. Oh my gosh...Maleng can stand on his hind legs.


Who knew?

Posted by: South County on November 30, 2005 04:23 AM
4. Carol-

You don't know how dangerously close you are to reality. Under Sims, people's brains have been illegally sold. Albeit, the people were dead already, but really... if one of my relative's brains had been sold away by King County, you would see me on the front page of every local paper (in a not-so-flattering way).

Sims makes no mention of illegal voter registration, and instead wants to defame those who attempt to fix the problem by auditing those who are registered at places where it is physically impossible to reside.

I feel sorry for Ron. He doesn't really want to be the King County Executive - (he ran for U.S. Senate, and, just recently for Governor). He has to "settle" for King County Executive. Unfortunately, the same dumbfounded voting patterns that happened with the monorail (wrong, wrong, right) is happening with Sims. Democrats have a rough learning-curve, but they'll get there in the end. [To all Dems reading this - you could have done Ron a favor and voted for another candidate].

I honestly don't mind Democrats - many of my friends are Democrats who I convinced to vote for Dino Rossi. What I want to encourage is the mentality of "If it IS broke, DO fix it." Our four year warranty on the defective product of Ron Sims has long expired.

Posted by: YourGovernorCostsMillion$ on November 30, 2005 04:27 AM
5. What the hell? Maleng is actually doing his job for once and not caving to political pressure?

Did someone buy him a backbone and reprogram him with a sense of honor?

Astounding - he may finally redeem himself to some small extent.....

Posted by: H Moul on November 30, 2005 07:01 AM
6. The only way a fascist dictatorship can maimtain power is by paying off corrupt local politicians. You seem to be positioning yourself for this role. But you won't succeed. Maybe in some yahoo red state , but not here.

Posted by: Apache Fog on November 30, 2005 07:38 AM
7. these quotes of Logan in the article are dejavu all over again.

How could someone just grab a ballot and walk off with it unnoticed?

• The numbers of ballots issued and voters voting squared in all but 34 of 2,519 polling place precincts, and in 15 of those 34, elections workers were able to explain why they didn't. An unexplained discrepancy could result if a voter took a ballot and, unnoticed, left without casting it, Logan said

And here's the deja vu part (granted the number is smaller than last year)

• The county tabulated 387,071 absentee ballots, 23 more than the number of valid incoming ballots recorded in the computer system. The discrepancy is far smaller than its 2004 counterpart. It could be due to data-entry errors, Logan said.

Posted by: Mark on November 30, 2005 07:40 AM
8. Maybe Sims ought to ask Maleng to investigate Sims for violating the anti-cronyism Executive Order in hiring incompetent Cynthia Sullivan after she lost her election. $70,000/yr. for a 70% job!! NICE!
Is Sims personally and financially responsible for his "mistake"? Perhaps Maleng ought to look into the financial consequences of what Sims did?
Sims wants us to believe he made a "mistake" even though he clearly violated a standing Executive Order??!!!
In Sims World....when Sims F*CKS up and gets caught, it's a MISTAKE.
When Sims enemies F*CK up, it's perjury!
Maleng made the right call.
Trying to prosecute Sotelo would be not only wrong....but open Pandora's Box on Sims and his CLOWNS

Posted by: Mr. Cynical on November 30, 2005 08:01 AM
9. Get the Fog another cup of "Joe" Stalin. "The only way a fascist dictatorship can maintain power is by paying off corrupt local politicians." I believe he's got it! Gregiore needs the most populated county in the state (KING) to keep feeding her votes, so she will keep feeding the beast (Sims) money and political cover. Sims then protects the elections department from having to account for prior indescretions and misinterpretations of election law. Imagine all this right in King County, forget Memphis, Seattle is the home of the "Blues".

Posted by: Roscoe on November 30, 2005 08:06 AM
10. Of course, the 23 extra ballots are just data entry errors. People are supposed to vote once, when you count two ballots for one perseon you get an extra ballot, when you count 23 double votes, you get 23 extra ballots.

Posted by: sgmmac on November 30, 2005 08:18 AM
11. Roscoe: Joe Stalin and Joe Goebbels were cut from the same cloth. The same cloth you're cut from. It's just like a lying , dictatorial right-wing fascist to lie about who they are. You're like Joe Stalin , not me.

Posted by: Apache Fog on November 30, 2005 08:22 AM
12. Good for Maleng! I am happy to see common sense coming out of King County. You don't punish the people making sincere attempts to stop vote fraud. You punish the ones COMMITTING IT!

Posted by: Michele on November 30, 2005 08:29 AM
13. CREDIBLE - Committee to Restore Ethics, Democracy, Integrity, Balance, Leadership and Efficiency to King County government.
This man is completely sick. He's out of control and needs to be stopped. It's great that Norm has finally stepped up to the challenge but we need to do more. We need to get aggresive! The committee will be meeting with top officials in DC in a few months. In the mean time we will be preparing a document full of all of "Chairman" Sims "mistakes" in the hopes that the Feds will take charge and formally investigate. Anyone having information that could prove useful, please email it the committee.

Posted by: CREDIBLE on November 30, 2005 08:31 AM
14. Sim's proposal to initiate an investigation of Lori Sotelo is purely a red-herring. He's using this heavy-handed tactic to break the will of KCGOP and everyone else who wants the voter system fixed. He's not going to get away with it.

To KCGOP and Lori, keep fighting, your making headway and Sims (and henchmen) don't like it. Perhaps this will all lead to a formal investigation of Sims, Logan and Gregoire.

Posted by: joer on November 30, 2005 08:34 AM
15. So, was it possible that both Logan and the Shark were correct?

Logan in that it was not his job in elections, but a job for the Prosecutor?

And Shark because it is the government by the people and for the people and hell be damned, why can't Logan go to the Prosecutor instead of making it a spectacle?

Posted by: swatter on November 30, 2005 08:38 AM
16. It is amazing - libs are now defining commies (USSR) and socialist (NAZI) as right wing fascists. Is no word not up for redefining? I guess that depends on what the meaning of is is.

Posted by: fred on November 30, 2005 08:49 AM
17. As I have said in other threads, any changes need to be made at the local level.

Maybe state republicans are finally getting a backbone, time will tell. I have totally given up on Sam Reed. Anything that he does now I will view as shameless politicking, nothin more. As far as Norm Maleng? I am still undecided.

Trust me, most commonsense washingtonians do not want a system that is laced with scandal and corruption but they need to see a legitmate contrast to what we currently have.

The "socialistic" tendencies of some in King County do not represent the majority (why else would there be so many "independants"?). They will not turnover power, however, to someone that can only offer the "Kerry" solution; "I can do it better"(Use Kerry sounding voice when saying).

I hope I can be pleasantly surprised.

Posted by: jaybo on November 30, 2005 08:50 AM
18. Thanks Stefan and others for keeping up the fight on this one. Even if one is concerned with this fraud- taking the time and energy as a volunteer is a huge investment.

Posted by: Andy on November 30, 2005 08:53 AM
19. The KingCo Neo-Socialists are amazingly self-absorbed and silly. The bottom-line is they want the benefits of Socialism for themselves....but the COSTS of Socialism imposed on everyone else. They want others to give up individual rights for the "good of the Community" and property rights, buy when someone comes after their property & rights, they squeal like the stuck pigs thay are!!

You are also correct...any PERMANENT movement to the RIGHT requires local organization. Too many R's are waiting for the Messiah to do it for them, rather than roll up their sleeves like STEFAN!!! It is hard work. No shortcuts. Too many R's sit back, feel offended and DO NOTHING!!!

Posted by: Mr. Cynical on November 30, 2005 08:57 AM
20. Mr. Cynical,

I couldn't agree with you more. Washington State Republican leaders have been able to hide their incompetence in the past by claiming that King County is too big to overcome.

As long as we buy into that load of you-know-what, they can hold their positions and do more of the same. The time is long past for state republicans to hold the leadership responsible for their failures.

Posted by: jaybo on November 30, 2005 09:05 AM
21. It's just like a lying , dictatorial right-wing fascist...

You forgot fundamentalist and/or Taliban.

Posted by: South County on November 30, 2005 09:18 AM
22. The only lying going on around here is with the group that has "controlled" the process in this State and King county for the last 20 years. Singing the "Blues" tune is about the only thing Ron and Christine are good for. How can the "minority" possibly wield the power of an Autocratic Dictator like a Stalin or a Sims? The answer obviously is that they cannot. Unless of course you are suggesting the circumvention of the legal process and taking direct action. If you don't like the KC governmental structure that has an independantly elected prosecutor, change the law. I am sure that Ron would love to appoint a prosecutor to do his bidding much like Dean Logan at elections.

Posted by: Roscoe on November 30, 2005 09:21 AM
23. In Sims statement he says he wants the registrations cleaned up and that each of the voters will be personally contacted by KCRE to get their correct residential addresses, that's after he says he wants Maleng to investigate and prosecute Sotelo.........

Posted by: sgmmac on November 30, 2005 09:24 AM
24. People, people — let’s not congratulate Mr. Maleng just yet. I do not see him as standing up, but as following orders.

If he stood up, he’d have been standing long before now. Mr. Sharkansky has provided proof after proof of abuse and fraud. But has Mr. Maleng done anything about that? No.

Instead, Mr. Maleng’s probably following orders. While Sims and etc. are screaming for prosecution of Sotelo to keep their followers happy, the real process would be them telling Mr. Maleng NOT to prosecute, because if he did take it to court, you betcha the Republicans wouldn’t miss a second chance to drag everything out into the spotlight. Would Sims and etc. want that? No. They are blustering for the public, and reining in in private.

Did Mr. Maleng do anything worthy of congratulations? No. And the fact that everyone is happy that he’s doing what he doing just shows how far our expectations of him have fallen.

Posted by: HappyGoLucky on November 30, 2005 09:28 AM
25. Calls for "Feds" to investigate the obvious corruption in the King County election process definitely have merit. Shaking the trees would likely bring out information that would make even the most politically calloused break out in a cold sweat.

However one has to ask "Do you really think the 'Feds' would be allowed to get involved?” Think about it. Murray and Cantwell benefit from the KingCo machine that has been allowed to metastasize for years and is now under the care of Ron & Dean.

Just look back at Cantwell’s “Count ‘em again” win over Gorton. Is it too unreasonable to believe that the powers that be would (or possibly might already have) pick up the phone and suggest “Don’t go there – t wouldn’t be good for your civil service career.”

Posted by: WhoYaGonnaCall on November 30, 2005 09:32 AM
26. King County's elections are now more corrupt than Chicago's.

Congratulations, Apache Fog. People like you have done so much to make this possible. You should be very proud.

Posted by: ScottM on November 30, 2005 09:39 AM
27. I WOULD LIKE TO CLEAR UP A FEW THINGS:

JOE GOEBBELS: RIGHT WING, NAZI, FASCIST, FUNDAMENTALIST...AND ACCORDING TO ROM SIMMS...BAD

JOE STALIN: LEFT WING, COMMIE, DICTATOR, SECULAR
...AND IN RON SIMMS EYES...GOOD.

SO IN THE FUTURE PLEASE REFRAME FROM COMPARING COMMIE'S WITH NAZI'S, THEY ARE TWO COMPLETLLY DIFFERENT POLITICAL THOUGHTS.

BESIDES COMPARING RON SIMMS TO THE NAZI'S, MAKES THEM LOOK GOOD!

Posted by: TACOMA PHLASH on November 30, 2005 09:57 AM
28. Tacoma P,

You are very wrong, and have fallen for the leftist's definition of Nazi and of Fascist.

Nazis are NOT right wing. They are (National) Socialists.

Fascists are not necessarily right wing either. Fascism only implies an autocratic state. It originated in Italy, where it was a very socialized leftist government.

Posted by: Bob in SeaTac on November 30, 2005 10:29 AM
29. Ummm... Tacoma... the NAZIs were socialists, and thus left wing, not right wing. And they weren't fundamentalist (assuming you mean in the Christian sense).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi

The NAZIs and communists hated each other, true, but they were two very different flavors of basically the same thing.

And frankly folks, I think comparing Sims to a NAZI doesn't do anyone on our side any favors, other than make us look like a right wing version of the luny moonbats (i.e Apache Fog).

Posted by: Mike H on November 30, 2005 10:30 AM
30. The left are masters of reframing the argument, surrounding it in fog, as they are doing while trying to re-shape their Dean - Hillary - Conservative party:

Iraq - "I origianally voted for the war but knowing what I do now......I F'd up...blah blah blah ....Oh did you know Bush Lied?

to

King County - The Republicans are stealing our right to vote....Blah blah blah...a partisan stunt which made a farce of established elections procedures.....We did that? Really?

But our party are masters at holding our course through their fog towards our final goals, of which most have been achieved.

We have the Supreme Court of this land
We have the Presidency of this land
We have the Congress of this land
We have the Senate of this land

We were within 129 votes of having a Republican Governor in Washington in their so celebrated and so claimed Democratic stronghold.

Keep the heat on, continue to clean up the voter registration data base voter by voter, and clean up King County elections (make it an elected position).

Steer the ship clearly through their fog, there are a few more folks about to be keelhulled!

Posted by: GS on November 30, 2005 10:50 AM
31. Maleng first....

How about Sam Reed turning to our side for a week or so...that would sure be a cool trend

Naw, he's a demo tool...

Posted by: righton on November 30, 2005 12:10 PM
32. Leave us not ignore the one mention of the Secretary of State's response in the P-I story.

"...Assistant Secretary of State Steve Excell said Reed's office agrees with Maleng and will ask the Legislature to drop the true-address requirement."

What do these people not understand about the word "fraud"??

Posted by: NWconservative on November 30, 2005 12:16 PM
33. FASCISM: ANY MOVEMENT,TENDENCY OR IDEOLOGY THAT FAVORS DICTATORIAL GOVERNMENTS, CENTRALIZED CONTROL OF PRIVATE ENTERPRISE, REPRESSION OF ALL OPPOSITION.

YOU ARE RIGHT BUT YOU MISSED MY POINT. THESE FORMS OF "GOVERNMENT" ARE EVIL BUT THEY ARE EXTREMS AND ONE CAN DEAL WITH THEM.

HOWEVER WHEN EVERYTHING IS DONE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS WITHOUT PUPLIC COMMENT. WHERE OUR POLITICIANS FEED AT THE TROUGH OF THE QUICK PRO-QUE AND KNEEL DOWN TO THE GOD OF IMPERTINENCE, ALL AT TAXPAYERS EXPENCE. I HAVE TO ASK THE QUESTION; WHICH FORM OF THESE "GOVERNMENTS" IS REALLY MORE EVIL; NAZIS, COMMIES OR THE "FASCISM" WE LIVE WITH IN THIS STATE?

LALDATOR TEMPORIS ACTI

Posted by: TACOMA PHLASH on November 30, 2005 12:35 PM
34. This just proves that illegal voters vote for
democrats and Sims knows it. All ya gotta do is
"Ax me"

Posted by: mark on November 30, 2005 12:47 PM
35. I HAVE TO ASK THE QUESTION; WHICH FORM OF THESE "GOVERNMENTS" IS REALLY MORE EVIL; NAZIS, COMMIES OR THE "FASCISM" WE LIVE WITH IN THIS STATE?

A and B. Sorry, but as much as I loath the current administrations of Gregoire and Sims... comparing them to the likes of the regimes Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, and Kim Jong Il is a wee bit of a stretch, and really does only makes you look like a right wing version of the loony lefty moonbats (like Apache Fog) for saying it.

True, they are corrupt and tend toward socialism... but they aren't starving the population to death while they feast three times a day or butchering 6 million Jews because they make a conveniant scapegoat.

Posted by: Mike H on November 30, 2005 12:47 PM
36. Don't be too quick to judge - Norm Maleng hasn't done anything yet. Will he ? I am dubious, but will be less dubious if he becomes more exposed to outrage from the people. If Sam Reed gets involved, he especially needs to be made aware of our feelings about the corruption and lawlessness of KCRE. So don't hesitate to contact them...

Apache Fog is the epitomy of a useful idiot for the extremists who speaks for the ignorant masses.

Posted by: KS on November 30, 2005 12:54 PM
37. Wow, foghat casting aspersions (earlier in this thread) towards red staters. Something about yahoo red staters. Mr. Injun Joe there might want to tread lightly when uttering such aspersions, or at least be sure to be surrounded by a bunch of metrosexual, multi-colored hair, plethora of piercings, tarred with tattoos, grooming issues, tree-hugging, agnostic, pseudo intellectual birds of a feather. Lord knows there's no danger of an actual fight breaking out in that crowd. Too many cowards, too little backbone.

Posted by: Danny on November 30, 2005 01:38 PM
38. MIKE H

THAT IS NOT WHAT I SAID, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE READ MY STATEMENT AGAIN.

Posted by: TACOMA PHLASH on November 30, 2005 01:51 PM
39. Hey PHLASH, I have to ask -- why the all caps in your posts? It's real poor netiquette, sort of like shouting in a library. If you have some sort of vision impairment or technical disabilty (ie, lost your caps lock key) please forgive my mentioning it.

Posted by: starboardhelm on November 30, 2005 04:19 PM
40. This from the man (Sims) who has for years had an illegal voter registered at his home? The Democratic double standard is alive and well.

What's with Maleng? Is the illegal activity getting so pervasive that he cannot cover it up and hide it any longer?

Notice Seattle MSM bias? Dems whining about Republican challenges are all over the front page of the papers for days. Maleng admitting that the charges are legitimate and the registrations illegal...is hidden in small print in some back section of the paper. Typical, probably why their readership is down significantly more than the national average.

Posted by: dl on December 1, 2005 08:02 AM
41. I am glad that Norm at least finally did what was right.For now we may need to work with KCGOP
untill it get's a new leader who is more concerned about being accurate.I ? is when are they going to have a meeting to do this?? NO one ever have an answer.

Posted by: Laurie on December 1, 2005 09:32 AM
42. Does anyone here actually argue that Sotelo didn't commit perjury? I hear a lot of people saying good for you about Maleng not doing what Sims said, anyone actually considering that Ron was right? did she sign her name stating that she had personal knowledge that the registrations were illegal? did she alter documents illegally?
what would she have had to do to be guilty in the eyes of the mainstream conservatives if there are any here?

Posted by: Patrick on December 6, 2005 03:34 AM
43. Yes patrick, normal people recognize that Sotelo didn't commit perjury. That is the reason Maleng isn't pursuing this.

"what would she have had to do to be guilty in the eyes of the mainstream conservatives if there are any here?"

Umm, being convicted of committing a crime?

Posted by: alphabet soup on December 7, 2005 07:15 AM
44. would you consider her guilty if you knew that she signed her name stating that she had personal knowledge that the registrations were illegal? or if she altered documents illegally after they were subpoenaed? I am simply asking if she should be tried for perjury when she signed something that stated under the penalty of perjury she had personal knowledge of the voter not being legally able to vote with the registration that they have.

Well, should that be reason enough to try her for perjury? if not, how about altering documents that are requested?

really, what kind of evidence do you need before considering something worthy of investigation? She wanted those voter rolls purged before the election without an investigation, that itself is worthy of an investigation.

Posted by: Patrick on December 7, 2005 01:25 PM
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