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MINNESOTA DAILY EDITORIAL: “THE SECRETARY OF STATE’S OFFICE TAKES A STEP BACKWARDS IN EFFORT TO DE-POLITICIZE”
By Michael B. Brodkorb | November 26, 2007
"The Minnesota Secretary of State's office will hopefully never reach the levels of notoriety that Katherine Harris brought to Florida's or Kenneth Blackwell brought to Ohio's, but we are disappointed that the office has taken a foolish and unnecessary step backwards in the effort to remove the political taint of recent years from its operations. Last week, Secretary of State Mark Ritchie admitted giving his re-election campaign a list of participants in the state's nonpartisan 'civic engagement' program, so they could be sent a newsletter from his campaign and asked for a contribution. Ritchie, who has admitted this was a mistake, deserves criticism for blurring the line between politician and nonpartisan election overseer, his charge as secretary of state." Source: Minnesota Daily, November 26, 2007
Click here for the complete editorial.
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"We cannot overstate the importance of citizens in a democracy having confidence that their votes will be counted properly regardless of the political affiliation of whoever occupies the office that oversees elections. Secretary of State Ritchie's attempts to restore that confidence have been undermined by these developments, and we hope that in the future, he will keep his dual roles as political figure and chief election official isolated from each other."Source: Minnesota Daily, November 26, 2007
Click here for the complete editorial.
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20 Responses to “MINNESOTA DAILY EDITORIAL: “THE SECRETARY OF STATE’S OFFICE TAKES A STEP BACKWARDS IN EFFORT TO DE-POLITICIZE””
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November 26th, 2007 at 12:43 PM
The only reasons why harris and Blackwell became notable was that in close elections where the Democrats couldn’t get enough votes to win and they were trying to create phony votes after the fact that Harris and Blackwell were saying this is the law and you can’t do that.
That is a good Secretary of State doing their job and the Daily shouldn’t have implied that they were bad like Ritchie!
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
November 26th, 2007 at 1:22 PM
Yeah, Harris and Blackwell. To Secretaries of State that did their jobs extremely well… much to the chagrin of the Leftist mob who were trying to steal those elections.
November 26th, 2007 at 1:39 PM
Walter and Cheesenuts,
You wouldn’t happen to have any proof, would ya?
I know you Republicans are not use to having to back up what you say with facts.
It doesn’t add up. I know, I know it doesn’t have to, and there were WMDs found in Iraq and Valerie Plame was not a covert operative.
November 26th, 2007 at 2:03 PM
DJZ:
Facts do matter. The problem is when I or other people recite facts to you you just ignore them or pretend we’re lieing. And the premise of this comment was that the Daily was trying to saying they were hoping that Ritchie won’t became as famous as Harris or Blackwell. The problem is the reason why Harris or Blackwell became famous is they were roadblocks in effort to steal an election. Harris and Blackwell hadn’t done anything personally wrong. They hadn’t had to confess a month later they broke the law.
In short there was no need to mention Harris or Blackwell except as a cheapshot!
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
November 26th, 2007 at 3:09 PM
If this clown can’t keep the U of M Daily, he’s really lost it.
November 26th, 2007 at 3:22 PM
Again, Crazy Walter Hanson with no support to his accusations.
Exactly how were Harris and Blackwell roadblocks in efforts to steal an election. I’ll pay you six bucks if you can show us that- plus I’ll pay the other six you seem to need from Sean.
Go ahead. (or did you pull this out of your ass?)
November 26th, 2007 at 3:27 PM
“If this clown can’t keep the U of M Daily, he’s really lost it.”
I was thinking the same thing. The people who put that paper don’t have an independent bone (or thought) in their bodies.
November 26th, 2007 at 3:40 PM
Okay DJZ:
The line about six bucks has come from Sean on another website saying he will give a dollar to somebody who showed Mark Ritchie lied. I cited what I thought was six things so that isn’t crazy! To the best of my knowlede I haven’t done the foolish thing that Sean did.
I’ll have more later.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
November 26th, 2007 at 6:11 PM
Okay DJZ:
In Florida for example Katherine Harris was asked why don’t you delay in certifying Bush winning the state. That way to give the Gore camp more time to try to come up with recounts. She refused. And after the Gore team went to court she strictly enforced the court’s deadline (even showing up on Sunday afternoon) thus making the sloppy and proven illegal recount by Palm Beach county moot. There is a reason why Katherine Harris was hated by Democrats!!!
That’s two good examples. That’s why the parties really care who is Secretary of State of every state. Mary K was attacked by Democrats as being bad for the last four years because they didn’t want an honorable woman like Mary K holding the office.
I’m not crazy DJZ. I recite history and facts like I just did here. So it’s obvious you’re making that up. It’s also obvious that you’re the person doing the things that you’re accurssing me of (the typical Democrat logic blame somebody else for the things you do)
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
November 26th, 2007 at 10:16 PM
Any citation for that that’s not from the EIB network? No of course not.
Here’s what Ms Harris pulled off:
Knowingly purged felons from states where voting rights were automatically restored upon release, contrary to clear court rulings. Knowingly included non-felons in its purge through its “wide net” policy (accepting a 90% name-match in 1999, and an 80% match in 2000). That’s called disenfranchising legal voters.
20 counties never did the mandatory machine recount as required by state election law.
Allowed illegal overseas absentee ballots to be counted and included in the certified total.
She had an inconsistent application of hand count law: accepted manual recounts from some counties, but denied Palm Beach permission to conduct hand count.
Allowed Republican operatives Andrew Goodman and J.M. Stipanovich to use her state computers and offices during the recount; Communications Director Donald Tighe admitted writing partisan speeches during the campaign.
These political activities were found on Harris’ computer. 1) On 1/29/00, a speech written for a Republican meeting that declared: “We are READY TO LEAD!” 2) On 3/14/00, a set of campaign talking points for George W. Bush. 3) On 11/14/00, an examination of the campaign finances of FL Supreme Court Justice Barbara Pariente – who was reviewing important election cases. 4) A list of contributors to Harris’ 1998 Democratic opponent, Karen Gievers (undated).
Harris claims Stipanovich and Goodman were “volunteers,” but Goodman billed Harris $12,000 for his work, and Harris initially approved the bill (Palm Beach Post, 8/23/01).
I’m sure with your outrage over Ritchie, you cannot condone this. As a GOP loser, you’ll find a way.
November 27th, 2007 at 4:18 AM
Bull DJZ. Those overseas ballots were military ballots and were legal. The DFL wanted to disallow them, and did in several counties, because the military people tend to vote Republican. Also, military mail sent from APO addesses NEVER have postmarks on them, which is what the DFL was trying to use to disallow them. Guess what, trying to disallow the military personels LEGAL absentee ballots is disinfranchising voters.
ALso, how can Harris have disallowed felons votes in other states? If Florida law states that that felons aren’t allowed to vote, then it doesn’t make any different what state the felony occured in if they are trying to vote in Florida. Until April of this year, Florida was one of three U.S. states, along with Kentucky and Virginia, that required ex-felons to take action to restore their civil rights no matter how long they had been out of prison. If you live in Florida, you have to abide by Florida’s laws.
One thing you fail to mention is that LIBERAL media outlets continued to do the recount even after the court ruling said “No, you can’t keep counting just certain counties.” Guess what they found………BUSH WON FAIR AND SQUARE, and that was after they, like the DEMOCRATS doing the offical recounts, tried to read the intentions of the voters to give Gore additonal votes. I guess you missed those itty bitty articles they tried to buried deep inside the pages of their papers.
November 27th, 2007 at 6:46 AM
DJZ says:
“Walter and Cheesenuts, You wouldn’t happen to have any proof, would ya?”
I could reply that the Left has said recklessly accused Bush of steeling those elections, in spite of the fact that they have no evidence to support those lies.
However, I will instead cite as proof of Al Gore’s desperate attempt to steel Florida the fact that the Gore team forcibly threw out over 2,000 votes from soldiers (because they tend to vote 60+ percent Republican), and because he was trying to force multiple re-counts only in traditionally Democrat districts… even after the first re-Count (and the Second) showed a Bush victory… I’ll further cite the Democrat created butterfly ballot, designed to confuse voters.
I know you Democrats are not use to having to back up what you say with facts… and are accustomed to having baseless claims taken for fact, but none of your bullshit adds up.
… and yo’re right… Valerie Plame was not a covert agent.
November 27th, 2007 at 9:06 AM
You know DJZ there was a book written called “At any costs” which goes a great deal into this. But to try to get some of your spewing.
The state of Florida had entered into this ruling with the Justice Department to count the overseas ballots when Carter was President. Keep in mind Carter was a Democrat. People had never paid attention to those ballots until 2000 when they realized it could make Bush’s margins so big that Gore couldn’t create enough new votes to win.
So Democrat lawyers in every county in Florida went in with a memo and challenged ballots throwing out the votes of military overseas people to help Gore get elected. It was so bad that Gore’s Florida Chairman (I believe he was the AG) said the votes should count (after it was believed they legally couldn’t be changed). And Joe Libermann (wasn’t he Gore’s Vice President) said the votes should count. I remember seeing Liberman on meet the press say that so how can that have come from EIB.
To the best of my knowledge Katherine Harris never had anything to do with the design of that butterfly ballot. And the amazing thing about Palm Beach county is because Democrats were so eager to try to win the election they have now gone out and conviced thousands of people who properly voted for Al Gore that they didn’t know what they were doing. Katherine Harris didn’t do that!
As for Palm Beach County here is where the fun began. Palm Beach County started a hand count which if finished properly by Gore could’ve been used in any lawsuit. Katherine Harris after instructed by the Florida State Supreme Court that any county that turned in a recount by the Sunday after thanksgiving was suppose to accept it. katherine Harris showed up and Palm Beach county didn’t turn in anything. So obeying the order of the Supreme Court she certified the election.
Palm Beach county turned something in too late. And when Gore sued the Florida state Supreme Court ordered the votes counted, but even though Palm Beach county had accidentally inflated Gore’s total (a mistake caught by a Palm Beach person) the inflated number still didn’t give Gore enough votes. So no matter how you spin it DJZ PALM BEACH WAS COUNTED IN THIS MESS DESPITE WHAT KATHERINE HARRIS WAS DOING SO YOU CAN’T CLAIM THAT PIECE OF PROPAGANDA THE LEFT HAS DONE FOR YEARS!!!
The fact that you don’t know the Palm Beach history let alone the military votes shows you’re the one spinning fiction not me and Chestnut.
If Mark Ritchie had been Secretary of State of Florida you bet he would’ve been eagerly trying to do everything to help more illegal votes get created.
And my original point a long time ago in this post was that Katherine Harris had done nothing wrong to have to be mentioned with Mark Ritchie.
No matter how you spin Ritchie is wrong big time and should resign. You sound like an honorable person DJZ will you have Ritchie resign?
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
November 27th, 2007 at 11:07 AM
Ritchie effed up. That’s all.
Its not a resigning offense. Some kind of sanction maybe but, the public elected him and he’s accountable to them not the legislature or Ron Carey.
Speaking on the facts at hand, a public list which could have been purchased, but wasn’t, was used for solicitation. Not a crime. Keep digging.
Find a criminal offense as opposed to a question of ethics and we’ll talk.
Did you feel this way when Governor Pawlenty was slapped with breaking campaign finance rules as a candidate? He was fined the largest amount in Minnesota history but, didn’t drop out of the race for cheating. Should we have expected him to be a cheater from then on? Sure but, the people made the decision.
Same here except again Mark Ritchie broke no laws and we haven’t uncovered a pattern of this behavior.
For the record- I supported Christian Sande.
I’m going to stop this re-living Florida fiasco over again. You’re wrong but, were successful in stealing Florida.
Those military votes were late, forced and questionable. If you say Palm Beach were too late, then you’ve got to apply the same rule for the military votes. Felons can vote after serving their time and probation period. The state has the burden of reinstating and updating their records. This wasn’t done. No need for twelve paragraphs to explain this.
Don’t call me honorable to draw out an agreeable response from me. Here on MDE, honorable Democrats get their asses handed to them so, I choose to fight fire with nukes.
Now get your butt back to work Walter. Those T.P.S. forms aren’t going to fax themselves.
November 27th, 2007 at 12:59 PM
Hey DJZ:
I’m off today, but thanks for wanting me to earn my salary.
GORE WAS THE PERSON WHO TRIED TO STEAL FLORIDA! WHAT DO YOU FAIL TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT THAT!!!! How else do you explain lawyers trying to not count ballots from overseas military people? Oh that’s right those weren’t real votes, but a dimple on a ballot that could’ve easily been a democrat who said I can’t vote for Bush, but I won’t vote for Gore was in some cases being counted as a vote for Gore. We have no idea what intention that voter had, but the ballot in front of the county board with the voter known like those oversea military can’t be identified.
Oh don’t throw Palm Beach into this part of the argument. The process of counting overseas ballots was created to work out with the Justice Department agreement with the Carter Administration. They were counted on a known date (and challegned on the known date). Palm Beach county on the other hand had a date set by the Florida State Supreme Court and didn’t meet that deadline. FYI since Miami Dade county which Gore wanted recounted and had about the same number of votes as Palm Beach county stopped their recount because they thought they couldn’t meet the deadline. That First Florida State Supreme Court ruling if you wanted Gore to win did a lot of damage to Gore even though it was a proGore ruling.
Look at the entire post history here DJZ. You’re the one who first asked me to show how Harris was considered a roadblock to the Democrats and I proved that! Than you tried to show how she tried to steal Florida for Bush instead and I had to rebut that!!! So to suddenly be retreating on Florida shows that you know you were wrong on Florida. If I’m wrong keep trying to show me because on the two big things about the recount (overseas ballots and palm beach county) I have laid out my nukes. Simple facts that can’t be refutted.
Okay Tim P’s campaign messed him up in 2002. Keep in mind the ruling came before the election and he was ordered right at the end of the campaign to count a lot of the money he had planned to spend down the stretch to become nonspendable! Furthermore the bad press didn’t help. He paid his very big penalty!!!!
In the primary you voted for Sande so did you sit out the general or did you vote for Ritchie? I voted for Mary K because she did a fantasic job as Secretary of State and having met the lady she understood concerns about only legal voters voting.
You say that Ritchie is to be held accountable by the people. To use President Bush for a second he officially can’t be held accountable for by the people since he can’t run for reelection. He’s held into account in part by the legislature holding hearings, impeachment if warrented, people writing him letters. What is going on MDE is an effort to try to hold Mark Ritchie accountable.
Last time I looked Ron Carey was a citizen of the state of Minnesota so doesn’t he have a say to try to hold Mark Ritchie accountable. Since the legislature approves the Secretary of State’s
office budget so they have a right to hold Ritchie accountable. Especially when Ritchie comes to testify and say this might make a good law.
And if you honestly thought that Ritchie shouldn’t have to resign are you saying Nixon shouldn’t have to resign and been impeached. After all it wasn’t Nixon who broke into the Watergate hotel. What got Nixon into trouble was when he found out he tried to coverup. Years ago President Clinton was answering questions in a lawsuit. All he had to do was say yes to having fun with Monica it would’ve been embarassing, but stopped there. Instead he tried to coverup which led to a bunch of problems for him.
A Secretary of State office employee has given false information as per Ritchie’s own statements now. The legisator auditor is now wanting people to give testimony under oath because he thinks he has been lied to. And with the mainstream media beginning to pay attention this is troublesome.
Okay simple question. Mark Ritchie has said he takes full responsibility. What’s his penality? Nixon resigned!
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
November 27th, 2007 at 1:15 PM
You know Walter, you don’t just drink the kool-aid, you bathe in it.
You go ahead and think that. Nixon? Really?
Serously, I was going to rag on you some more for being a public employee protected by a union for which both you vote to submarine but, the more you write that more I realize that without the protection afforded to you instead of accountability as a public employee, you’d be fired and on our dole anyway.
You’re a tard with a little knowledge (I’m sure on something) but, here you are nothing but a better spelling version of Andy Aprilowski, without the intellectual content.
November 27th, 2007 at 4:13 PM
DJZ:
You’re the person who drinks kool-aid and bathes in it. Do you use cherry? Strawberry? Grape?
I’m the tard? A tard is a person who brings up a debate point (how Katerhine Harris was stealing Florida for Bush) and when totally rebutted retreats. Since you didn’t bother to keep talking thank you for conceeding that it was Al Gore who was trying to steal the election in the year 2000!!! Everybody reading this DJZ has just said Al Gore was trying to steal Florida in the year 2000.
I have never claimed to be a perfect speller and when I type I might not catch all of my spelling errors. No thank you for your low opinion of my working abilities and how I don’t help my union.
And you still haven’t answered the simple question. Ritchie has said he will take full responsibility. If he doesn’t resign what does he have to do to take full responsibility?
Have some kool-aid (I recommend grape) to come up with a smart answer. It might help.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
November 27th, 2007 at 5:03 PM
Oh DJZ:
How were you spinning Ritchie out of this mess and into the second term. This is a minor story which is why I have to be shot with a transquizler gun according to you.
Come on DJZ if you’re going to threaten me I at least will like to know how you’re getting Ritchie out of this mess?
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
November 28th, 2007 at 3:49 AM
DJZ, the military votes weren’t late, and they weren’t questionable………well except to Democrat kool-aid drinkers such as yourself.
There was no successful stealing in Florida, Gore wasn’t able to manufacture enough votes to do it. And as I said, even the Florida papers reported this.
By the way, is that the best you can come up with? A personal attack on somebody? You have yet to actually cite any facts, just the manufactured and unsupported talking point LIES that the Democrats put out.
November 29th, 2007 at 12:53 AM
DJZ:
As you can see by the time I obviously can’t be at work. Where is your brilliant response. Or are you hiding because you know that Gore tried to steal Florida and there is no way Ritchie didn’t do anything wrong.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN