I am pleased to see that Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi has decided not to further challenge the 2004 election after Judge John Bridges ruled against the Republican Party.
The judge has ruled; let the governor govern. In his ruling, Judge Bridges stated what we all knew all along, that the 2004 gubernatorial election was flawed, but that there was no evidence, no evidence whatsoever, of fraud or other malfeasance that would lead him to invalidate the result. Bridges stated, and I am paraphrasing here, that once the voters have spoken, the courts need to be very wary of intervening.
This is certainly a big disappointment to Washington Republicans, but the Democrats need not gloat. When it appeared Rossi was on his way to the governor’s mansion, the Dems were raising the same kind of ruckus the GOP did. Had Rossi prevailed by as slim a margin as Gregoire, I guarantee her party would be in court making the same kind of claim. The fact is, there has never been a statewide election as close as this one, and, if nothing else, it has exposed a great many flaws in the election system that need to be remedied by the Legislature now.
One thing I have not had properly explained to me: How do the Republicans know all those contested votes would have gone to Rossi? Have they considered that they may have made Gregoire’s margin even higher? Or that the majority might have gone to Ruth Bennett, making the whole thing moot.
There is one point with which I do agree with the GOP – we should have a new election. How about November, 2008?
Russell Lorenzini
Monroe
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