observer

observer

First: Thanks Dan. That's a very nice compliment, and I appreciate it.

Second: Just back from the Tues eve writers' gathering down in Old Town. Strictly a social thing. Very rare when we discuss writing. Mostly talk politics.

So tonight there was the news that they'd counted those ballots where Donna Frye's name was written in, but the bubble not filled in. San Diego has had more damned problems trying to get this Mayoral election settled than we need. It's driving everybody up the wall.

The City Charter says one thing, the Municipal Code says another and State law agrees with only one of those. The info on voting first sent out had nothing about filling in the bubble. They reprinted and the second info booklet says the bubble must be filled in next to the write in candidate's name.

The present mayor, Murphy, won by a couple thousand votes, after the write-in ballots without the bubble being filled in were discarded. So Murphy was sworn in for a 2nd term. And now, here are 4000-plus ballots with Frye's name written in, but with the bubble not filled in. And it goes on. Either the Charter or the Code doesn't allow for a write-in. Gawd! So we wait...and wait...and wait.

Worse in the state of Washington, where the Repub candidate for Governor won by 42 votes. 42!!! Recount, of course.

I'm not about to bring Ohio and Florida's voting up. Got enough problems of our own. Sheesh!

What gets me is that, here the US is, running around the world telling other people how to run elections when we're not doing worth a damn ourselves, starting with the Presidential election in 2000.

One of the writers said they'd heard that Bush has nominated Asa Hutchinson to head up Homeland Security, now that Kerik is definitely on Bush's list...and maybe Guillani too. Which led to Hutchinson's part in the impeachment of Bill Clinton when Clinton was prez.

One of these days...