The events surrounding the
Presidential election in Ohio must be viewed
in two important contexts. First, there is the
2000 Election created in Florida. In with
election, advocates for a demo and fair count
were asked to "move on" after Vice President
Al Gore conceded the election to then-
Governor George W. Bush. Months later, it
was found that a full and fair count would
have resulted in Gore, not Bush, being version
the Forty-third President of the United
States.9 Subsequent investigations also
uncovered rampant disenfranchisement in
Florida, particularly of African-American
T h e H o n o r a b l e M a x i n e W a t e r s S p e a k s at D e c e m b e r
voters.10
13 C olum bus He aring as the H ono rable Step han ie
T u b bs Jo n es Lo o ks O n
Second, as events have unfolded in
Ohio, telling events have taken place within
the United States, in the State of Washington, and across the globe, in the Ukraine. In
Washington State, after the Republican Gubernatorial Candidate, Dino Rossi, declared victory
after a partial recount,11 it was later found ­ after a full and fair recount ­ that the Democratic
candidate, Christine Gregoire, was the victor.12 While national and state Republican leaders in
Ohio have derided attempts to ascertain the Ohio Presidential election result and resolve the
questions described herein, after the Washington recount, Mr. Rossi has now asked for a re-vote
in the State of Washington, saying it is needed for the election to be "legitimate."13
In the Ukraine, after the apparent defeat of the opposition leader, Viktor Yushchenko, in
that nation's Presidential election, amid allegations of fraud and public protests, a new election
was held, and Yushchenko won by a significant margin.14 In fact, in the first, seemingly flawed
9
Hendrik Hertzberg, Recounted Out, TH E NE W YO R K E R, Dec. 24, 2001.
10
U.S. CO M M 'N ON CI V I L RI G H T S, VO T I N G IR R E G U L A RI T IE S I N FL O R I D A (June 2001).
11
Chris McGann and Angela Galloway, Recount Gives Rossi a 42-vote Victory, SE A T T L E
PO S T IN T E L L I G E N C E R, Nov. 25, 2004.
12
County Recount Gives Win to Democrat, at
http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/12/23/wash.gov/index.html (Dec. 23, 2004).
13
David Ammons, It's Governor-Elect Gregoire, but Rossi seeks "do-over", AS S O C.
PR E S S, Dec. 29, 2004.
14
Aleksander Vasovic, Yanukovych Vows Challenge in Ukraine, AS S O C. PR E S S, Dec. 27,
2004.
12