Washington State Elections Director Claims (innocent)Vote Mistakes

[Algorem]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/05/31/politics/p121931D33.DTL

By REBECCA COOK, Associated Press Writer

Tuesday, May 31, 2005

(05-31) 12:19 PDT Wenatchee, Wash. (AP) --

The state elections director testified Tuesday that he believes the problems in Washington's incredibly close 2004 gubernatorial election were innocent mistakes.

"I saw inadvertent mistakes and errors of human beings who were working their hearts out," said Nick Handy, who was appointed to the post. He said he disagrees with his boss, Secretary of State Sam Reed, a Republican, who has called the problems in heavily Democratic King County "appalling."

Handy testified as a trial to determine whether the results of the election should be thrown out entered its second week.

Democrats are trying to defend the 129-vote victory of Gov. Christine Gregoire. Republicans are asking Chelan County Superior Court Judge John Bridges to nullify Gregoire's win and open the way for her GOP challenger, Dino Rossi, to be declared the winner or for a new election to be held...

[droidamus2]

1. Typical Republican Spin

The statement by Sam Reed (the Republican) sounds like typical spin from the GOP sound machine. Its not enough to point out mistakes were made but they have to add it is "appalling". This is right out of Newt Gingrich's playbook where you always overstate for spin effect. If you are a Republican talking about your party you use words like strong, forward thinking, powerful. On the other hand if you are talking about Democrats and their ideas they are weak, regressive thinking and "appalling". They usually do this when they don't have a leg to stand on as if the additional verbiage will 'prove' their case.

[merwin]

4. Reed is generally a pretty good guy. He's the one that put the election

into Gregoire's hands in the first place, by allowing in the ballots that were misplaced, etc. Honestly, the amount of errors and mistakes made during the election is appalling, and shouldn't happen. However, there were more errors in King county only because it's the largest county in the state. There were problems in nearly every county.

[Rainscents]

2. Why did Sam Reed certified the election than? If he think there were

problems? Sounds like to me, Reed knows, there were no fraud.

[Demit]

3. Democrats are "trying to defend"? How bout Democrats "are defending"?

Bad phrasing..

[baby_bear]

5. Excellent point, DemItAllAnyway

You must be a writer to have caught that important nuance. ??

b_b