<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:blogger='http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss' xmlns:gd="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005" xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1103309757546469414</id><updated>2024-09-04T15:21:27.046-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Think Sink</title><subtitle type='html'></subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thinksink.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1103309757546469414/posts/default?alt=atom'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thinksink.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><author><name>Unknown</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>5</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>25</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1103309757546469414.post-8219651892113204406</id><published>2007-07-13T08:46:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2011-01-19T06:45:29.347-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Illegal Alien Madness</title><content type='html'>Two stories in the news--one national, one local--highlight the sheer madness that is our immigration policy and enforcement.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://web.archive.org/web/20070716171322/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,289165,00.html&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 130%;&quot;&gt;Detained Man Leads Police to Body of Missing Washington Girl&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In  Tacoma, Washington, the body of 12-year old Zina Linnik was found; she  had been missing since July 4, when she disappeared from an alley behind  her house. The suspect in this murder--who gave police information on  the body&#39;s location--is a Thai immigrant, who is now being held in a  federal immigation detention facility, facing possible deportation based  on &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: red;&quot;&gt;a 1990 conviction for incest&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;. He is also a sex-offender who has failed to register as such.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://web.archive.org/web/20070716171322/http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070713/NEWS01/707130461&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 130%;&quot;&gt;Mom seeks to take slain son to Guatemala&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Here  in Louisville, Kentucky, the body of 4-year old César Ivan Aguilar-Cano  was found Saturday in a garbage truck; he had been missing since June  29, when he disappeared while playing behind his apartment building. The  mother wants to return to her native Guatemala to bury her son&#39;s body,  but fears she will not be allowed back in the US because she&#39;s an  illegal alien, who is under &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: red;&quot;&gt;a federal deportation order signed in 1996&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.  Neighbors say the boy was often seen wandering far from the apartment  with no adult accompaniment. The boy&#39;s father--to whom, apparently, the  mother is not married--will not be returning to Gautemala for the  burial.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I will leave these stories here without further comment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;blogger-labels&quot;&gt;Labels: &lt;a href=&quot;http://web.archive.org/web/20070716171322/http://thinksink.blogspot.com/search/label/bird%20cage%20liner&quot; rel=&quot;tag&quot;&gt;bird cage liner&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://web.archive.org/web/20070716171322/http://thinksink.blogspot.com/search/label/wet%20backs&quot; rel=&quot;tag&quot;&gt;wet backs&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://web.archive.org/web/20070716171322/http://thinksink.blogspot.com/search/label/whatever&quot; rel=&quot;tag&quot;&gt;whatever&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thinksink.blogspot.com/feeds/8219651892113204406/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://thinksink.blogspot.com/2007/07/illegal-alien-madness.html#comment-form' title='3 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1103309757546469414/posts/default/8219651892113204406'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1103309757546469414/posts/default/8219651892113204406'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thinksink.blogspot.com/2007/07/illegal-alien-madness.html' title='Illegal Alien Madness'/><author><name>Unknown</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>3</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1103309757546469414.post-2283220393316745842</id><published>2007-06-21T22:12:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2011-01-19T06:45:58.939-08:00</updated><title type='text'>I live in a frickin&#39; ghetto</title><content type='html'>Or, make that &quot;a frickin&#39; &lt;a href=&quot;http://web.archive.org/web/20070716171322/http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?barrio&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;barrio&lt;/a&gt;&quot;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://web.archive.org/web/20070716171322/https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg3Yj17jX_IwMw8yut_IL-4U3zSkplGIGV0sC6kHSWAtADHvL14TPZohPU0jHQHt2-0R2YSA8FQAxYJDZWBSRMeaP_M3Vlxt1yhSn3bJgZZ0gOdpET6Q2x1iSCKinvoSgDCphcC4zb4hoC/s1600-h/no-fumar-marijuana-a.jpg&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;img alt=&quot;&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; id=&quot;BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078707797914409874&quot; src=&quot;http://web.archive.org/web/20070716171322/https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg3Yj17jX_IwMw8yut_IL-4U3zSkplGIGV0sC6kHSWAtADHvL14TPZohPU0jHQHt2-0R2YSA8FQAxYJDZWBSRMeaP_M3Vlxt1yhSn3bJgZZ0gOdpET6Q2x1iSCKinvoSgDCphcC4zb4hoC/s400/no-fumar-marijuana-a.jpg&quot; style=&quot;cursor: pointer;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I felt--or more correctly, &lt;a href=&quot;http://web.archive.org/web/20070716171322/http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?smelt&quot; style=&quot;font-style: italic;&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;smelt&lt;/a&gt;--the need to post this sign in the stairwell at my apartment this evening.  As you can see.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://web.archive.org/web/20070716171322/https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXyP95d8ZFp9ey0JL3S2nI7Z2H7sQCovtuEDofu4gzpWfc0Sa0wF85HhUksB4FSCHdfEZN-b3XmzWHk8m3jZZlbrEph1xwNNyfFZbI1pIOVqY_WQnA6m8vR6FS5FIVYCyvsiTaNJSvxxeI/s1600-h/Jun21-2007_692a.jpg&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;img alt=&quot;&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; id=&quot;BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078709030570023842&quot; src=&quot;http://web.archive.org/web/20070716171322/https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXyP95d8ZFp9ey0JL3S2nI7Z2H7sQCovtuEDofu4gzpWfc0Sa0wF85HhUksB4FSCHdfEZN-b3XmzWHk8m3jZZlbrEph1xwNNyfFZbI1pIOVqY_WQnA6m8vR6FS5FIVYCyvsiTaNJSvxxeI/s400/Jun21-2007_692a.jpg&quot; style=&quot;cursor: pointer;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
And  yes, they&#39;re almost certainly illegal aliens.  They no habla.  Had to  call the police on them a few nights ago--at 1:00 am--because their  drinking party (from the back of a pickup truck) led one of them to take  a piss in the bushes right in front of the apartment building.  And  that was after I had politely asked them not to use &lt;span style=&quot;font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;&quot;&gt;my&lt;/span&gt; truck as their own personal bar stool.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Have I mentioned that &lt;a href=&quot;http://web.archive.org/web/20070716171322/http://thinksink.blogspot.com/2006/04/rant-on-i-hate-illegal-aliens.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;I&#39;m not particularly fond of illegal aliens&lt;/a&gt;?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;blogger-labels&quot;&gt;Labels: &lt;a href=&quot;http://web.archive.org/web/20070716171322/http://thinksink.blogspot.com/search/label/pics&quot; rel=&quot;tag&quot;&gt;pics&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://web.archive.org/web/20070716171322/http://thinksink.blogspot.com/search/label/wet%20backs&quot; rel=&quot;tag&quot;&gt;wet backs&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thinksink.blogspot.com/feeds/2283220393316745842/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://thinksink.blogspot.com/2007/06/i-live-in-frickin-ghetto.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1103309757546469414/posts/default/2283220393316745842'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1103309757546469414/posts/default/2283220393316745842'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thinksink.blogspot.com/2007/06/i-live-in-frickin-ghetto.html' title='I live in a frickin&#39; ghetto'/><author><name>Unknown</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1103309757546469414.post-3094513031126516116</id><published>2006-01-24T00:10:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2011-01-19T06:41:43.639-08:00</updated><title type='text'>And somewhere in the midst of it all...</title><content type='html'>...I got my 30,000&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; visitor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://web.archive.org/web/20060125031136/http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/101/2476/640/Site%20Meter%2030000%20Jan23%202006.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; src=&quot;http://web.archive.org/web/20060125031136/http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/101/2476/400/Site%20Meter%2030000%20Jan23%202006.jpg&quot; style=&quot;border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 2px;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Somebody from Westerfield, OH.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://web.archive.org/web/20060125031136/http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/101/2476/640/Site%20Meter%20visitor%2030000%20Jan23%202006.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; src=&quot;http://web.archive.org/web/20060125031136/http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/101/2476/400/Site%20Meter%20visitor%2030000%20Jan23%202006.jpg&quot; style=&quot;border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 2px;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Whoever  you are--and I think I know, &#39;cause I&#39;m pretty anal-retentive about  looking at my visitor stats--THANK YOU.  It helps make up for the lousy  numbers I&#39;ve had so far this year.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
And of course, a huge THANK  YOU to everybody who visits, especially those of you who keep coming  back for more.  I hope it&#39;s not out of a morbid fascination with  watching a human being go stark raving mad for all the blogosphere to  see, nor from a never-dying hope that I&#39;ll finally post something  interesting.  Whatever your reasons, it&#39;s a humbling experience, and I  wish to express my sincerest gratitude to all of you.</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thinksink.blogspot.com/feeds/3094513031126516116/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://thinksink.blogspot.com/2006/01/and-somewhere-in-midst-of-it-all.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1103309757546469414/posts/default/3094513031126516116'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1103309757546469414/posts/default/3094513031126516116'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thinksink.blogspot.com/2006/01/and-somewhere-in-midst-of-it-all.html' title='And somewhere in the midst of it all...'/><author><name>Unknown</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1103309757546469414.post-1347849929854752898</id><published>2006-01-22T06:41:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2011-01-19T06:42:22.227-08:00</updated><title type='text'>The Obama Tape</title><content type='html'>{transcript &lt;a href=&quot;http://web.archive.org/web/20060125031136/http://www.memritv.org/Transcript.asp?P1=1002&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://web.archive.org/web/20060125031136/http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/101/2476/640/osama_obama01.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; src=&quot;http://web.archive.org/web/20060125031136/http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/101/2476/400/osama_obama01.jpg&quot; style=&quot;border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 2px;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
We&#39;re  here to discuss the war in Iraq, and how to bring closure to this  embarrasing episode in America&#39;s history.  Conditions continue to get  worse and worse, while the insurgency gets stronger and stronger.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
We  were compelled to speak out in response to the lies of this  administration.  Polls clearly indicate Americans want the troops  brought home.  But the president continues to worry about &quot;sending the  wrong message&quot; to the insurgents.  He thinks by fighting this illegal,  immoral war on foreign soil, he can assure the security of our homeland.   This is clearly folly.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The war rages on.  The number of dead  American soldiers continues to rise.  And our nation&#39;s reputation in the  capitals of Europe continues to take a beating.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;center style=&quot;color: red; font-style: italic;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 85%;&quot;&gt;Pssst--Fred!!!  You&#39;ve got the wrong name on the graphic!!!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/center&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://web.archive.org/web/20060125031136/http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/101/2476/640/osama_obama02.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; src=&quot;http://web.archive.org/web/20060125031136/http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/101/2476/400/osama_obama02.jpg&quot; style=&quot;border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 2px;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Iraq  has become a breeding ground and a recruiting tool for terrorists.  Our  continued presence there will ensure this remains so.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
And our  presence there has not brought security.  The capitals of so many  European countries who made the ill advised choice to join us in this  illegal, immoral war have been targeted by terrorist attacks.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The  lack of such attacks on American soil would seem to be more a matter of  blind luck.  We know al Qaeda continues to plot against us, untroubled  by all our illegal, unconstitutional efforts at stopping them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;center style=&quot;color: red; font-style: italic;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 85%;&quot;&gt;Crap, Fred!!!  That ain&#39;t right, either!!!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/center&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://web.archive.org/web/20060125031136/http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/101/2476/640/osama_obama04.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; src=&quot;http://web.archive.org/web/20060125031136/http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/101/2476/400/osama_obama04.jpg&quot; style=&quot;border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 2px;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It  is obvious this administration and this president lied us into this  illegal, immoral war.  Polls continue to show Americans grow weary of  the war and want the troops brought home.  It would be a far more  prudent course of action to enact a long-term cease fire, to be  monitored by the United Nations.  If we don&#39;t attack them on their soil,  they won&#39;t attack us on our soil.  And then the work of reconstucting  Iraq from the ravages of this illegal, immoral war can begin, making  sure under the oversight of the United Nations that huge, multinational  corporations in which senior officials of this administration have  holdings, such as Haliburton, are not enriched in the process.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;center style=&quot;color: red; font-style: italic;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 85%;&quot;&gt;Dammit, Fred!!!  Get it right this time, he&#39;s wrapping up!!!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/center&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://web.archive.org/web/20060125031136/http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/101/2476/640/osama_obama05.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; src=&quot;http://web.archive.org/web/20060125031136/http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/101/2476/400/osama_obama05.jpg&quot; style=&quot;border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 2px;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In  conclusion, even if, when all is said and done, it appears we have  &quot;won&quot;, we will truly still have lost -- in the erosion of our civil  liberties, in the damage to our international reputation and diplomatic  relationships, and in the ruin of our expectations of this  administration to conduct itself in a legal and moral fashion.  And we  will not, in the end, have truly addressed the scourge of terrorism, for  it springs from the very kind of conditions created by this illegal,  immoral war, as we witnessed in the desperate acts of desperate men on  9/11--when they clearly felt they had no other way to effect positive  change in their region of the world other than to strike at the 800  pound gorilla that we have become to them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
We have invaded and  occupied their land, and violated their honor and sovereignty, as well  as international law and the wishes of the international community.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
We should just surrender right now.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Anybody got a white flag?  Nancy, weren&#39;t you supposed to bring that?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;center style=&quot;color: red; font-style: italic;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 85%;&quot;&gt;&#39;Bout time, Fred!!!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/center&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;center&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://web.archive.org/web/20060125031136/http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/101/2476/640/teddy_cspan.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; src=&quot;http://web.archive.org/web/20060125031136/http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/101/2476/400/teddy_cspan.jpg&quot; style=&quot;border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 2px;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/center&gt;&lt;center style=&quot;color: #000099; font-style: italic;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 85%;&quot;&gt;I keep telling you, my name is not Fred!!!&lt;br /&gt;
Can&#39;t you even get a simple thing like my name right???&lt;br /&gt;
Besides, I don&#39;t think Senator Osama...  er, Obama Bin...  I mean, Ben Osama...&quot;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/center&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;center style=&quot;color: red; font-style: italic;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 85%;&quot;&gt;Fred, give it up.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/center&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thinksink.blogspot.com/feeds/1347849929854752898/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://thinksink.blogspot.com/2006/01/obama-tape.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1103309757546469414/posts/default/1347849929854752898'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1103309757546469414/posts/default/1347849929854752898'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thinksink.blogspot.com/2006/01/obama-tape.html' title='The Obama Tape'/><author><name>Unknown</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1103309757546469414.post-3777219116928095076</id><published>2005-02-04T21:39:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2011-01-19T06:41:09.814-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Bad news in Washington State</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href=&quot;http://web.archive.org/web/20050205232904/http://www.soundpolitics.com/archives/003700.html#003700&quot;&gt;Sound Politics: What really happened in Wenatchee?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The  judge overseeing the Republican Party&#39;s contest of the clearly  indecipherable Washington State gubernatorial election has made a ruling  that appears to set an impossibly high evidentiary standard.  At a  first reading, it seems to insist that the election can be ruled invalid  only if it can be proven that there were enough illegal votes cast for  Christine Gregoire (the Democrat who lost both the initial election  count and a machine recount, but who then in a hand recount ended up  being credited with 129 more votes than Republican Dino Rossi, out of  over 2.9 million votes cast/counted) to have made up that 129 vote final  margin.  But since voting is confidential--there is to be no way of  determining after the fact how any individual voted--how is it going to  be possible to prove, for instance, how the dozens of known felons who  voted illegally cast their ballots?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Stunningly bad news.  Worse,  the judge indicated he would not order a new election, even if it is  proven Gregoire won due to illegal votes.  It is left open what rememdy,  if any, would be imposed in such a case.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Keep your fingers crossed.  Maybe the judge just had a hangover today.&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: bold;&quot;&gt;UPDATE:&lt;/span&gt; from Tim Goddard, &lt;a href=&quot;http://web.archive.org/web/20050205232904/http://www.timothygoddard.com/blog/index.php?p=856&quot;&gt;more info on the judge&#39;s ruling&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;
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The judge &lt;span style=&quot;font-style: italic;&quot;&gt;&quot;said,  essentially, if the Republicans can prove their allegations as they  have stated them, then their election contest will prevail. This is,  obviously, quite good news.&quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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&quot;Second, the he ruled that he won’t  be ordering a special election because he doesn’t have the authority.  Some people have said this means “no revote,” which would be pretty  deadly, but that’s not exactly true. Before Bridges even made his  ruling, the Republican counsel said that the question before the court  at that point was not “whether” to have a revote, but “when.” That is to  say, would the court be able to order an election immediately, or wait  until the next general election in November? The court has essentially  said that the soonest there could be another Rossi-Gregoire showdown is  in November, because the court’s power doesn’t extend far enough to  order a new one immediately. The likely outcome of a successful contest  now would be for the election to be nullified, Gregoire booted from  office, leaving it vacant, meaning that the Lt. Governor Brad Owen would  take over until November. While Republicans are dissappointed with this  ruling, it’s hard to be too bummed about a judge admitting that his  powers aren’t infinite.&quot;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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OK, that&#39;s somewhat clearer, and slightly more palatable.</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://thinksink.blogspot.com/feeds/3777219116928095076/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://thinksink.blogspot.com/2005/02/bad-news-in-washington-state.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1103309757546469414/posts/default/3777219116928095076'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1103309757546469414/posts/default/3777219116928095076'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://thinksink.blogspot.com/2005/02/bad-news-in-washington-state.html' title='Bad news in Washington State'/><author><name>Unknown</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry></feed>