Posted on 05/17/2011 12:19:57 PM PDT by Jean S
The Journal Sentinel Editorial Board is entitled to its own opinions but it is not entitled to its own facts. The board's speculation about my motives regarding the recount of the vote in the Supreme Court election is inaccurate. I appreciate this opportunity to set the record straight.
The recount process in Wisconsin is unfolding as prescribed by Wisconsin law. Votes are recounted in all 72 counties, and an official record is made of that process. When the Editorial Board says the recount is a "mere preamble to the court challenge," it is wrong on the facts and wrong to prejudge my intentions.
Wisconsin law specifically anticipates that there may be court challenges to the recount, but those challenges can only happen after the recount is done. The recount is not "merely" a preamble to anything: It is a process that proceeds in prescribed ways when an election is this close.
As I and my campaign have said repeatedly and consistently, I have not made the decision about whether to request judicial review. Once the recount is done and the record is complete, my attorneys and I will carefully review the evidence in that record and I will make a considered judgment based on the law and the facts. The Editorial Board has no evidence other than politically motivated claims by my opponent and his supporters on which to base its statement that "it appears" I will challenge the recount in court.
And, finally, it is the height of cynicism and the worst of politics as usual to undermine the rationale for, and benefits of, this recount in order to try to score political points as Justice David Prosser's campaign continues to do. When races are this close, there is a significant public interest established both by statute and by common sense in determining that votes were counted and counted accurately.
The recount has uncovered significant and widespread errors and anomalies in the securing of ballots and recording of votes on election day. There have been changes to vote totals in every county due to miscounted or missing votes.
Many bags of ballots have been found to be essentially unsealed or ripped to the extent that ballot security is compromised. A stack of ballots, unbagged, was found in a clerk's office. Ballots were found in voting machines where they had been left. Seal numbers on ballot bags and tags were not recorded in the inspector's reports, creating doubt that the bags were properly sealed on election night.
Touchscreen voting machine tapes were missing votes, or worse, were entirely blank and had to be reproduced from machine memory to allow a recount of the vote.
The most widespread and systemic errors and anomalies have been discovered in Waukesha County. That county was already under a cloud, and this recount has revealed more questions about elections practices there.
This election was close, and there were many who have expressed doubts about whether it was clean. The right to vote is fundamental. It is a right that courageous people fight and die for every day. In America, that right carries with it a promise: that elections are fair and open, that election results are untainted by deceit or fraud and that the electoral process provides every eligible voter with an equal opportunity to privately and independently cast a ballot.
In order to make that promise real, there are appropriate and established steps that help make sure the outcome of elections, when in doubt, can withstand scrutiny. That, no more and no less, is exactly why this recount is so important.
JoAnne Kloppenburg is an assistant attorney general who ran against Justice David Prosser in April.
Exactly! That’s been their goal all along.
She will not rest until every trunk-full of votes is counted.
She will have, on her headstone, the words "I WON DAMMIT".
Kloppy throws the bomb.
Increasing public distrust.
She’s playing with fire.
The only thing that makes it possible for a representative republic to function is the public confidence in the voting system. Kloppy is willing to damage that confidence with a lot of unfounded nonsense for her own narrow political gain. This is very destructive and grossly irresponsible.
What is the expiration date on this statement?
No doubt at all.
"Hello, this is bag 'o votes, how can I help you?"
I can help.
When Klopper was up 200+ votes after the initial count, it was to her advantage to argue that Prosser was hopelessly behind and should concede. Now that she's down 7000, it's to her advantage to argue that the system is badly flawed and that bags of votes in areas that voted heavily for Prosser should be thrown out.
Liberals (leftists) are completely and entirely consistent. They support any position that increases their power, and oppose those that threaten to reduce it.
Everything else is noise.
In other words, Kloppenburg is blowing smoke, her whiney little OP/ED is pathetic desperation.
So where exactly does this mess stand right now?
I don’t think Kloppenburg has any control over this now, her handlers handpicked her and they own her now. I am certain that she didn’t write this.
If Kloppenburg ran the US, we would be having a violent revolution. She is really that bad. Maybe she’s an active satanist.
Kloppenburg can sue any time after the certification.
4 years of Gore damage after 8 of the Slickster would have been more than any country could take.
Everything else is noise.
Dialectical Materialism is a downright handy guiding philosophy for socialists -- what's right is what's good for the party; and whatever's good for the party is good for you.
Vladimir and Karl would be proud.
They are much worse than Taliban.
Sorry, RECOUNT, not recall. We have those going on in Wisconsin too.
Possibly so, but it hardly matters.
If she lacks the integrity to refuse, she is still responsible for everything done in her name,
Wisconsin voters really dodged a bullet when they decided not to elect this lunatic.
refresh my memory here .. this is the gal who, up 240 votes on election night, implored her opponent not to put the state through a recount?
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