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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
Jan. 31, 2005
/ 21 Shevat, 5765
Political travesty
By
Rich Lowry
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
During the Florida vote controversy in 2000, Democrats always said they wanted to "count all the votes." Skeptics thought what they really meant was "count enough votes for Al Gore to win." In Washington state it is this latter mantra that has apparently been the operating principle. A Democratic governor, Christine Gregoire, has just taken office after the state kept recounting until she finally overcame the slight advantage of her Republican opponent, Dino Rossi, and — voilá! — all curiosity about getting ever-more accurate vote counts ended.
For years, experts have warned that the nation's election process is scandalously sloppy and prone to fraud. And that this risks creating elections that no one can have any confidence in. They were right. Look no further than the shame of Washington state. Granted, any election as close as the state's gubernatorial race — Gregoire "won" by 129 votes — will create great pressure on an election. But no one can have any confidence about who won in Washington, partly because the system is broken and some officials don't seem to care.
First, a principle: Elections are held in accord with rules. Those rules are necessary so everyone can agree beforehand on how the election will be conducted (e.g., will all felons be allowed to vote or not?) and so basic protections can be maintained against abuse (e.g., by having voters register with a valid address). All over the country, these rules are often not enforced, resulting in what John Fund, author of "Stealing Elections," calls "designed sloppiness." On the one hand, the problems might look like mere incompetence; on the other, they create the possibility of abuse by whichever party controls the jurisdiction in question.
In King County — home to liberal Seattle — that party is the Democrats. Rossi supporters suspect Democratic officials there have gamed the process to find new after-the-fact votes. Nine times, they say, King County discovered additional ballots that tended to favor Gregoire. Even if this wasn't partisan manipulation, county officials have been zealous in finding uncounted ballots and utterly blasé about excluding improperly cast ballots, creating a process inherently skewed against Rossi.
And there were plenty of improperly cast votes. The Seattle Times has reported that 129 felons voted in King and Pierce counties. Remember: Gregoire's margin was 129 votes. Election officials have shrugged and said they can't bother to keep felons from registering. The state Republican Party, which has just gained access to a statewide list of felons, now says it has identified 240 felons who voted and expects to find more.
Further irregularities abound. Roughly 350 provisional ballots — which are supposed to be closely inspected to see if they are legitimate — were directly fed into machines and counted in King County. There are some 1,800 "voterless" ballots in King County. These ballots were counted, but no one knows quite where they came from. The GOP says it has found votes across the state in the names of dead people and double voters. Rossi is asking for a revote, and deserves one.
Too late, you say? Fund points out that in 1975 there was a revote in a New Hampshire U.S. Senate race 10 months after the election. Well, you say, Gregoire has already become governor? In 1962, a Republican governor in Minnesota took office for three months, then was replaced when a court decided he hadn't really won. Old examples? North Carolina is preparing now for a state-wide revote of an agriculture commissioner race.
This all could be a mess coming to an election near you. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel just found 1,200 votes cast from invalid addresses in Milwaukee, prompting an FBI investigation. The paper reports that critics worry that "the problems signal either bureaucratic blundering or widespread fraud, though they can't determine which because the system is so messed up." Washington is now the poster state for such problems. It can provide a different kind of model by trying to get it right, tightening up procedures and voting again.
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Rich Lowry Archives
© 2005 King Features Syndicate
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