Trib gets it wrong -- it's no sin to ensure every vote is counted

In this editorial today, the Tribune lumps in Phil Crane, Alan Keyes, Dino Rossi and the Reverend Jesse Jackson as sore losers unwilling to 'lose gracefully.'

They point to Al Gore and John Kerry as examples of how to lose gracefully, going so far as to say that John Kerry "did the nation a great service by publicly accepting defeat with grace" and not, the editorial implies, ensuring that the Ohio results are not tainted by mistakes or intentional misconduct.

The editorial cites Richard Nixon as another example to follow who "put the country first in the 1960 presidential race, declining to call for a recount that might have upset the nation at a particularly crucial point in its history."

What a condescending view of the citizenry. I can just imagine the nation, swaddled in diapers and sucking on a bottle, reacting to Nixon's call for a recount: "you mean. . . .Nixon thinks that the election was stolen. . . and he wants a recount to stop vote fraud. . . .but that might mean it takes an extra three or four weeks to see who won the election! Waaaaaaahhhhh! Why won't mean old Richard Nixon concede so we won't get *upset* by accuately counting the votes! Waaaahhhhhhh!"

We all need to get over this obsession with instant election results. There's a good reason why federal and state officeholders don't get sworn in for two months after the election -- that gives us all time to accurately count all the votes and weed out any vote fraud.

Dino Rossi in Washington has every right to call for a recount or a revote. I'm *delighted* that Democrat Christine Gregoire pushed hard for three recounts to make sure every vote was counted. And if there's any evidence that there was any vote fraud in Ohio, then the Congress should investigate that in a congressional debate by challenging the certification of Ohio's vote.

Or. . . .will the nation get upset? Are there some tears forming in the nation's eyes at the mere *mention* of trying to weed out any voter fraud in Ohio? Uh oh. . . don't get anyone upset. Just be still.

Look, Republicans still believe that Mayor Daley stole the presidential election in 1960. If they believed that, then Nixon should have demanded a recount!

To lump the pettiness of Phil Crane and Alan Keyes who refused to ever concede with the righteous demands that every vote should be counted is disingenuous of the Tribune.