Senator-elect Scott Brown
What a difference a week makes. Last Tuesday, Scott Brown, the Republican Senatorial candidate won the Massachusetts’ special election. It was a huge upset. Within just days, the impact of this historic election became clear: Health care legislation is now “on hold”, the President is getting “folksy” trying to join up with the common man and “relate” to our anger, and many congressmen, of both stripes, are suddenly speaking up for the “little guy”.
What does all of this show? WE, THE PEOPLE, HAVE POWER! And our power is in our vote. It is our most important weapon in the fight to gain back our freedom.
But the only way our vote makes a difference is if all legitimate votes count and all improper votes do not count. In short, the only way our POWER can be effective is if our election system is fair and accurate. This is what John Adams, our second President and one of our Founding Fathers, was referring to when he said, “We should be unfaithful to ourselves if we should ever lose sight of the danger to our liberties if anything partial or extraneous should infect the purity of our free, fair, virtuous, and independent elections.”
With this vision in mind, it was disheartening to hear progressive radio celebrity Ed Shultz, defiantly claim, prior to last week’s election, “ If I lived in Massachusetts, I’d try to vote ten times. Yeah that’s right, I’d cheat to keep these bastards out. I would. Because that’s exactly what they are.”
And he’s not just some obscure little radio guy. His web site claims, “Ed Schultz is the most listened-to Progressive radio talk show host in America. He gets the newsmakers and earthshakers from Barack to Hillary and all the big names in between. He has spoken at numerous caucus meetings on Capitol Hill…and has been the keynote speaker at union conventions all across the country.”
It’s hard to believe that anyone would stoop to cheating in order to get the election results they want but, of course, it could happen, and probably has many times in our history. We must fight for the integrity of our election system!
The power of accurate elections is not just essential at the state or national level, it is equally important in our own community. One seat can make a difference here too. Our recent CdA city council races saw Jim Brannon lose by only FIVE total votes. That is less than 1/10th of 1% of those voting.
And now, with Jim’s legal challenge of that election fully underway, information is surfacing to show that our area’s election system is not fair and is certainly not accurate.
In an interesting twist, the city has asked the judge to throw out Jim’s case. And County Clerk Dan English signed on to the city’s request too. They think Jim’s case is “frivolous”. Really? It’s frivolous to expect that people voting in a city election would actually be residents of the city? It’s frivolous to expect that poll books would be filled out in a manner consistent with the rules? And that the number of absentee ballots received would match the number of absentee ballots counted?
Call me “frivolous”, then, because I expect our local elections to be extremely well organized, transparent, fair and accurate. If you agree, please join me at the fundraiser for Jim Brannon’s legal case, on February 8th, 5pm at Greenbriar Inn. The city could try to make Jim’s legal challenge as expensive as possible in order to slow progress or stop the effort entirely. Please come by to make a donation or send one in — every little bit helps. All donations from the fundraiser will go to protect voters and candidates.
Mailing address for donations:
CHRG (Citizens for Honest & Responsible Government)
PMB 119
212 Ironwood Drive, Suite D
Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814
Unfortunately, in my current location, I only get to watch the dem water carriers on cnn right now. The dem policy wonks on that station are making a concerted effort to compare Scott Brown to Obama. Saying their rise to national exposure is actually quite similar. I couldn’t disagree more and wonder what message these news hacks at cnn are tre trying to send. Any ideas?
Comment by Will Penny — January 25, 2010 @ 9:42 pm
I truly believe Obama is an extreme narcissist. I believe that in Obama’s mind the Brown reace was all about himself. Therefore he must link himself to Brown’s success. Hence the comment from Obama that people voted for Brown for the same reasons they voted for him. This is very twisted thinking. Does anyone else think Obama is a narcissist?
Comment by citizen — January 26, 2010 @ 6:49 am
It is unlikely that Judge Simpson will award summary judgment to Kennedy and the city. Here are the general guidelines Idaho courts use in motions for summary judgment.
Attorney Reed’s bluster and hyperbole does not establish fact or law to meet the Court’s criteria. The issues of fact and law Jim Brannon and Starr Kelso have uncovered should and most likely will be decided at trial, not in a hearing for summary judgment or dismissal. Jim Brannon’s evidence clearly raises ample issues of material fact. Thanks to a “citizen legislature” that doesn’t make much if any effort to recognize and resolve conflicting statutes, there are also genuine and valid issues of law for the court to decide.
Both Kennedy and the City desperately need to win summary judgment or dismissal. It isn’t the new election they fear; it’s the disclosure of information about the very sloppy and careless administration of City and County elections. “Sloppy” and “careless” are the least inflammatory terms that apply. It is likely that Jim Brannon’s discovery demands will further uncover the breadth and depth of this county’s poor election administration. It is that which Kennedy and the City hope to keep hidden from the voters. Their concern is that if the voters understand and are persuaded by the evidence, those voters will almost certainly begin to question the validity of earlier close local elections administered by the County Clerk.
Of equal concern to Kennedy and the City is that if Brannon’s lawsuit goes to trial, state legislators may rightly feel compelled to reexamine the new election administration statutes that take effect on January 1, 2011. Those procedures were heavily lobbied and promoted by Idaho Secretary of State Ben Ysursa and Kootenai County Clerk Dan English.
For Kootenai County voters who want elections administered lawfully and consistently, the news is not encouraging. If Kennedy and the City prevail, we’re still stuck with the same people who FUBAR’d the last election. If Jim Brannon prevails, we’re still stuck with the same people who FUBAR’d the last election. Allowing the same people to re-run the election in the mode and manner they did before and expecting a different result is close to the definition of insanity.
Comment by Bill — January 26, 2010 @ 8:08 am
Bill, don’t you think that this motion from the city was pro forma? I would have been amazed had it not been filed. They may hope it works, however I cannot believe this motion will prevail. Right now I believe the primary tactic will be delay as long as possible.
Comment by rochereau — January 26, 2010 @ 9:48 am
Bill has this right:
This elections case will confirm to me, what I already know or suspect OR it will give me a renewed belief in that our system can work,justly. I cannot respect Jim Brannon more for having the courage and the will to challenge this election.
Kelso is up against a bevy of sewer rats while Judge Simpson must weigh the hurdles of pissing off the people in power should he rule justly. It’s not pretty for either one of them.
VOTE – VOTE – VOTE – that is the general answer and message I get from every politician I talk to who can’t do anything. Now,the COURT has my vote in his hands, I hope he knows what to do with it – because the next time I vote for or against a judge, I want it to count.
Comment by Stebbijo — January 26, 2010 @ 11:02 am
rochereau,
I don’t know for sure why the motion was filed. It’s safe to assume Kennedy’s and the City’s attorneys hope to learn more about Jim’s case.
Comment by Bill — January 26, 2010 @ 4:03 pm
Stebbijo,
I think Judge Simpson will be as fair and even-handed as he can possibly be. He knows well that there is a very good chance that regardless of the outcome, his decision could very well end up in front of the idaho Supreme Court where it will be scrutinized to a fare-thee-well. This is a highly unusual case in Idaho.
Comment by Bill — January 26, 2010 @ 4:12 pm
Bill, all judges are as “even-handed” as they possibly can be – assuming that they are not suffering from “Judicial Burnout.” This issue is examined in The Idaho Judicial Family Handbook.
With that issue aside, Judge Simpson can decide the issue at his bench and save taxpayers a lot of money. The guts to make that decision might get him to the Supreme Court – that is if he doesn’t suffer from “Burnout.” We all make wrong choices, hopefully Judge Simpson has what it takes to restore our faith in our vote at the city government level and he doesn’t pass the buck and become another “burned out” and ineffective judge. Given your scenerio that his decision no matter what could present itself in front of the Supreme Court would prove entertaining, since his wife was appointed by the Idaho Supreme Court to serve on the Wellness Committee. Just another “even-handed” snag in our justice system or a conflict of interest?
Comment by Stebbijo — January 26, 2010 @ 7:14 pm