"I am compelled to emphasize that this signature-gathering process was the most deceitful and fraudulent exercise ever perpetrated upon this court." Just wait til the VOTE FRAUD COMES THROUGH, CHESTER!
Posted on 10/13/2004 4:34:07 PM PDT by pittsburgh gop guy
Court bans Nader from Pa. ballot Wednesday, October 13, 2004
By Tom Barnes, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
HARRISBURG -- Commonwealth Court today issued its long-awaited decision on the independent presidential candidacy of Ralph Nader, ordering the consumer advocate off the ballot in Pennsylvania.
The court said it had reviewed 51,273 petition signatures submitted by Nader campaign workers and found only 18,818 were valid -- far short of the 25,697 valid names he needed to run for president in Pennsylvania.
Commonwealth Court ruled in favor of eight objectors, most of whom were from the Pittsburgh area, who had gone to court after criticizing the validity of thousands of petition signatures that Nader had turned in to the state in August in an effort to get a spot on the ballot.
Democratic Party officials were also upset by the Nader petitions, claiming that many signatures appeared spurious.
In his lengthy opinion, President Judge James Gardner Colins said he has served longer on Commonwealth Court than any judge in the court's history and has reviewed more nominating petitions than any other judge in the court's history. That set up the following statement from the judge:
"I am compelled to emphasize that this signature-gathering process was the most deceitful and fraudulent exercise ever perpetrated upon this court." He said the conduct of the candidates, Nader and running mate Peter Camejo, "shocks the conscience of the court."
Colins noted hat the names on the petitions included Mickey Mouse, Fred Flintstone and John Kerry.
Democrats were cheered by the decision because they feared Nader would siphon votes from people unhappy with President Bush -- votes that likely will go to Democratic challenger John Kerry if Nader isn't on the ballot in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania, with 21 electoral votes, is considered an important swing state in the presidential election, where Republican Bush and Democrat Kerry are running a close race.
The Commonwealth Court's decision, however, leads to an important question -- what happens in several counties throughout the state, including large ones such as Allegheny, Philadelphia and Montgomery, where absentee ballots have already been mailed out with Nader's name on them? Will a second ballot, one without Nader's name, have to be sent out to those voters?
Allegheny County sent out between 25,000 and 30,000 absentee ballots last week, said county Elections Division Manager Mark Wolosik, who was checking with county lawyers today on how to proceed.
The ballots were sent out last week, he said, because "there was a possibility that the voters wouldn't receive their ballot and have a chance to complete it and return it by the deadline'' of 5 p.m. Oct. 29.
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More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Nader----
"He was a victum of the great compromise----"
Just to quote John Prine
I bet all of those absentee ballots will be the basis of a huge lawsuit if JFK loses Pennsylvania.
Ouch.
Do you really think that the people that are going to vote for Ralph Nader won't vote for him because he is not on the ballot?
This is all a stall tactic by the Dims to delay sending out absentee ballots. So they can disenfranchise our military vote!
OK. From the precedent creted here for a strict standard to verify the validity of signatures, the same standard should apply to verify the identity of newly registered voters, including my daughter. She will have no problem showing a driver's license or other ID. Can the same be said of the multiple voters in Philly?
Lawsuit already filed as they were under orders by judge not to send out absentee ballots until the ruling. Though I think there was another case filed today on behalf of soldiers that conveniently will not have time to send their ballots in.
"I am compelled to emphasize that this signature-gathering process was the most deceitful and fraudulent exercise ever perpetrated upon this court." Just wait til the VOTE FRAUD COMES THROUGH, CHESTER!
> ... absentee ballots have already been mailed out
> with Nader's name on them?
Having just voted-early today (in another state), I was
wondering if PA might have this issue.
It doesn't seem like much of a problem though. It's little
different from a late-resignation candidate. The vote is
not counted for that office (as much as the Dems might
like to argue that Nader votes are Kerry votes).
I noticed on our ballots that neither the Socialists
nor the Communists (by name) had Presidential candidates
this year. Kerry fits their requirements. Little wonder
that they've endorsed him.
Ouch is right.... These names are redundant.
Is Chester, PA still the filthy town is was for 80 years or did it change to become a wealthy burg of Philly? By your comment, I think the former still rings true. :(
Why aren't states just as scrutinizing, when dealing with registration and voting, eh?
What's the deal with Naderites? Grassroots rot? Or is it: 'The Lefter You Go, the Cheater You Get.'?
The Chester Pa of many years ago was a center of activity and jobs. They had Lee Iococca and the Ford Plant, Baldt Anchor, Congolium, Teledyne Lars, Ranger Joe Ceral, Sun OIl, Sinclair oil, Sun Ship, Medfords, Scott Paper, Chester Beer Company & Boeing in Ridley. Chester was a working mans community and is now problem filled with schools taken over by the state. There are some decent people in Chester but many have moved away leaving the community struggling. Boarded up homes and drug shootings along with failing schools. I do not think it can be turned around. Race track gambling was approved and Chester will have a slot parlor and harness racing. I wish them luck.
If only they reviewed voter registrations so thoroughly!
I was thinking the same thing. This election could take weeks if not months to finalize because the military won't be able to get their votes into the state on time and lawsuits will start springing up.
fred flintson is a green!
I always assumed he was a paleo conservative
He is also an abject socialist. Since socialism is slavery by every measureable measure. He is also an idiot.. He is also a democrat being for democracy. This republic is no democracy. Democracy is mob rule.. perfect for islamic countrys.
Thanks for the reply back. I should have used a better term than 'dirty town', considering all the manufacturing, as you mentioned, was done there. It was a true blue-collar town and I fondly remember it. I remember during the 60's, Chester High was always the eastern state representative playing for the state's high school basketball championship. The reason why no Philly high school team wasn't in the final game was because they were not academically eligible.
Why be so negative about Bush's prospects? Better to say nothing than to regurgitate negativity.
My understanding is that the Nader's campaign was paying $1 per line to the "volunteers" gathering the petitions. Lots of them opened a telephone book and faked signatures. Probably democrats at heart.
>> Why aren't states just as scrutinizing, when dealing with registration and voting, eh?
I'd bet you anything that these same cesspool-run states
that would stoop this low, already DO scrutinize registrations
(if they are registered R ) and voting (in R districts)
Why has the Nader campaign been so lame at this issue? It's lost a lot of state ballot slots. If I were Nader, I'd be livid.
George W. Bush will be reelected by a margin of at least ten per cent
Election 2004 threads on FR
Heaven forbid we allow people to make personal observations on the news that aren't quite the campaign-sactioned observations.
to bad....buy that man a corvair.....
"Why be so negative about Bush's prospects? Better to say nothing than to regurgitate negativity."
Life is not always roses and sunshine. Resources, both human and millions of dollars, are at stake. If W. can't win PA, those resources should be sunk into a state where he might win and the best return on the investment is possible. If W. has no shot here, time to pull out. November 3rd will be too late. The Dems will go to great lengths to make sure W. does not win PA. Massive voter fraud has already taken place.
In fairness, I have to admit, I'd have trouble letting someone on the ballot who had 'Fred Flinstone' and 'Mickey Mouse' signing for him.
Yea, too many Specter supporters are for the husband of the widow of the former Specter colleague, John Heinz, I presume.
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