Call To Action!
Don't Let the GOP Win the Battle for Public Opinion
The Seattle Times reports that Dino Rossi and the GOP have filed a lawsuit today in court challenging the results of the election. NPI predicted at the beginning of this week that a challenge would likely be filed on Friday. Not surprisingly, the suit was filed in Chelan County Superior Court.
The Republicans' main charges are that dead people voted in the election (a charge the Seattle P-I has spent way too much time covering), that felons voted (another dubious charge) and that some voters cast multiple ballots (more likely by accident than intentionally). But the main allegation here is that an unknown number, (perhaps hundreds) of provisional ballots were improperly fed into voting machines on Election Day.
Republicans, however, despite all their claims, do have to prove that fraud was committed, and that it was committed in favor of Gregoire. That's going to be a hard thing to prove. Republicans instead are going to try and say that there is just too much uncertainty and so the election should just be thrown out.
A Democratic attorney:
If we don't start acting to defend our candidate and the legitimacy of this election, the Republicans are going to seize the momentum and win the governor's race by tearing down people's faith in the election and pressuring lawmakers to do their will.
The recounting may be over, but it's absolutely foolish to stop campaigning now. The GOP just spent a lot of money on a radio ad buy, (you can listen to the ad HERE) and they are urging their activists to contact legislators, write letters to the editor, and contribute to the party's coffers.
They also have people signing a petition. No doubt they will be filing lawsuits soon. What are we doing in response? Sitting on our hands? Does anybody actually think Chris Gregoire is safe? She isn't.
We've got to defend both her and the legitimacy of our elections system, because the Republicans are doing everything they can to tear it down. Contact your legislators. Send them an email (go here to find your legislator's email address) or call the legislative hotline at 1.800.562.6000 to leave a message.
Write letters to the editor. We need to get our side's opinions out there. The following is a list of the state's major newspapers. Pick a couple and write letters to the editor. It really does make a difference. We have to increase the number of letters coming in expressing our side's point of view.
Seattle Times
E-mail: opinion@seattletimes.com
Fax: (206) 382-6760
Letters Editor
The Seattle Times
PO Box 70
Seattle, WA 98111
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
E-mail: editpage@seattlepi.com
Fax: (206) 448-8184
P-I Letters to the Editor
PO Box 1909
Seattle, WA 98111-1909
Spokane Spokesman-Review
E-mail: editor@spokesman.com
Fax: (509) 459-5482
Letters to the Editor
Spokesman-Review
PO Box 2160
Spokane, WA 99210
Tacoma News Tribune
E-mail: letters@mail.tribnet.com
Fax: (253) 597-8451
The Editor
The News Tribune
PO Box 11000
Tacoma, WA 98411
King County Journal
E-mail: letterstoeditor@kingcountyjournal.com
Fax: (425) 453-4233
King County Journal
PO Box 130
Kent, WA 98035
Everett Herald
E-mail: letters@heraldnet.com
Fax: (425) 339-3498
Letters Section
The Herald
PO Box 930
Everett, WA 98206
The Columbian (Vancouver)
E-mail: letters@columbian.com
Fax: (360) 699-6033
The Columbian
PO Box 180
Vancouver, WA 98666
The Olympian
Submit Comments Via Form
Fax: 360.357.0202
The Olympian
Letters to the Editor
PO Box 407
Olympia, WA 98507
Tri-City Herald
Submit Your Comments Via Form
Tri-City Herald
P.O. Box 2608
Pasco, WA, 99302-2608
Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
E-mail: letters@ubnet.com
Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
PO Box 1358
Walla Walla, WA 99362
Remember to include your name, address, and daytime phone number, or your letter probably will not be published. If we don't take action, we may end up regretting it for a long time. There is a battle for public opinion and we're not doing a very good job waging that battle right now.
The Seattle Times reports that Dino Rossi and the GOP have filed a lawsuit today in court challenging the results of the election. NPI predicted at the beginning of this week that a challenge would likely be filed on Friday. Not surprisingly, the suit was filed in Chelan County Superior Court.
The Republicans' main charges are that dead people voted in the election (a charge the Seattle P-I has spent way too much time covering), that felons voted (another dubious charge) and that some voters cast multiple ballots (more likely by accident than intentionally). But the main allegation here is that an unknown number, (perhaps hundreds) of provisional ballots were improperly fed into voting machines on Election Day.
Republicans, however, despite all their claims, do have to prove that fraud was committed, and that it was committed in favor of Gregoire. That's going to be a hard thing to prove. Republicans instead are going to try and say that there is just too much uncertainty and so the election should just be thrown out.
A Democratic attorney:
An attorney for the Democrats said she doesn't think Republicans will find any strong evidence for an election contest.We will continue to bring you the breaking news as it develops.
"Suspicion is not proof," said Jenny Durkan, a Gregoire confidant representing the state Democratic Party. She is not worried about a judge throwing out the mishandled provisional ballots.
"There is a strong presumption in law that you don't throw out votes just because someone made a clerical mistake," she said. "There's not even a 50-50 chance a court would rule with Republicans to set aside this election."
If we don't start acting to defend our candidate and the legitimacy of this election, the Republicans are going to seize the momentum and win the governor's race by tearing down people's faith in the election and pressuring lawmakers to do their will.
The recounting may be over, but it's absolutely foolish to stop campaigning now. The GOP just spent a lot of money on a radio ad buy, (you can listen to the ad HERE) and they are urging their activists to contact legislators, write letters to the editor, and contribute to the party's coffers.
They also have people signing a petition. No doubt they will be filing lawsuits soon. What are we doing in response? Sitting on our hands? Does anybody actually think Chris Gregoire is safe? She isn't.
We've got to defend both her and the legitimacy of our elections system, because the Republicans are doing everything they can to tear it down. Contact your legislators. Send them an email (go here to find your legislator's email address) or call the legislative hotline at 1.800.562.6000 to leave a message.
Write letters to the editor. We need to get our side's opinions out there. The following is a list of the state's major newspapers. Pick a couple and write letters to the editor. It really does make a difference. We have to increase the number of letters coming in expressing our side's point of view.
Seattle Times
E-mail: opinion@seattletimes.com
Fax: (206) 382-6760
Letters Editor
The Seattle Times
PO Box 70
Seattle, WA 98111
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
E-mail: editpage@seattlepi.com
Fax: (206) 448-8184
P-I Letters to the Editor
PO Box 1909
Seattle, WA 98111-1909
Spokane Spokesman-Review
E-mail: editor@spokesman.com
Fax: (509) 459-5482
Letters to the Editor
Spokesman-Review
PO Box 2160
Spokane, WA 99210
Tacoma News Tribune
E-mail: letters@mail.tribnet.com
Fax: (253) 597-8451
The Editor
The News Tribune
PO Box 11000
Tacoma, WA 98411
King County Journal
E-mail: letterstoeditor@kingcountyjournal.com
Fax: (425) 453-4233
King County Journal
PO Box 130
Kent, WA 98035
Everett Herald
E-mail: letters@heraldnet.com
Fax: (425) 339-3498
Letters Section
The Herald
PO Box 930
Everett, WA 98206
The Columbian (Vancouver)
E-mail: letters@columbian.com
Fax: (360) 699-6033
The Columbian
PO Box 180
Vancouver, WA 98666
The Olympian
Submit Comments Via Form
Fax: 360.357.0202
The Olympian
Letters to the Editor
PO Box 407
Olympia, WA 98507
Tri-City Herald
Submit Your Comments Via Form
Tri-City Herald
P.O. Box 2608
Pasco, WA, 99302-2608
Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
E-mail: letters@ubnet.com
Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
PO Box 1358
Walla Walla, WA 99362
Remember to include your name, address, and daytime phone number, or your letter probably will not be published. If we don't take action, we may end up regretting it for a long time. There is a battle for public opinion and we're not doing a very good job waging that battle right now.
