Republicans explain donation to Brannon

The Press received the following release this morning.

On July 27, 2010, the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee

(KCRCC) voted to contribute $2,500 toward the election contest lawsuit

involving the Coeur d’Alene City Council race between Jim Brannon and

Mike Kennedy.

This motion was passed after three months of debate. Some among the

committee feared that the voting public would view the Republicans as

whiners and sore losers and believed that the funds would be better

spent on current races rather than a past one. The majority, however,

felt that only honest and legal elections are the very foundation of

our Republic, and it is of utmost importance that the people of

Kootenai County can cast their votes with complete certainty that it

will be counted fully and according to the law.

The race between Brannon and Kennedy was decided by a mere five votes

in Kennedy’s favor. However, independent audits have shown legal

discrepancies with regard to as many as 877 absentee ballots. These

discrepancies include signatures that do not seem to match the name on

the ballot, more than one ballot in a single absentee envelope,

improperly stamped ballots, etc.

Further, it has been discovered that several votes were cast by people

who do not reside in the city of Coeur d’Alene, and thereby are not

legally allowed to vote in city elections.

The KCRCC acknowledges that, even if the votes were counted properly

under the law, Kennedy may well have won the election anyway, possibly

by an even greater margin than the official count indicated. Even so,

we believe that there is enough evidence of negligence with regard to

the count that the integrity of the entire election process could (and

should) be called into question and given a thorough and public

investigation. Of course, it would be disingenuous to imply that the

KCRCC would not prefer that Brannon were the victor. But Republicans

have lost tight races before, and we have never gotten involved in a

lawsuit over such a loss, financially or otherwise.

The only concern here is the integrity of the voting process when so

many Americans feel their vote does not matter.

A lot of time, effort, and money go into any race for public office,

regardless of political affiliation. Strategies are carefully devised

and implemented. Numbers of volunteers make phone calls and distribute

literature. Ordinary citizens give many thousands of dollars to their

preferred candidates for television, radio, and print advertising to

ensure their freedoms are retained and their voice are represented.

Entire organizations are formed and endure countless meetings in an

effort to get their candidates elected. However, if the voting process

is at best inept, or at worst corrupt, then all is for naught. It

doesn’t matter how much time, effort, and money was invested. It

doesn’t matter whom you voted for. We might as well do nothing, sit

back, and wait to see whom the powers that be foist upon us.

This is not a partisan issue. This is an American issue. The KCRCC has

decided to put its money where its principles are. Above all partisan

ideologies, we believe in honest elections. We believe in the right of

the people to choose who governs them. We believe that every vote

should count… and count only once, and only if the voter meets the

legal requirements. Without an honest election process, everything

else is absolutely irrelevant.

The KCRCC understands that the Democrats put just as much effort as we

do in the election process, and we believe that elections should be

decided by the merit of the candidates and the will of the voters, not

by glitches in the system or negligence by those charged with

implementing it.

The KCRCC thereby asks the Kootenai County Democrat Central Committee

(KCDCC) to also demand a thorough and public investigation into the

election process as administered by the County Clerk’s Office.

We, the members of the KCRCC also issue a public challenge to our

fellow Americans within the KCDCC to demonstrate and equal commitment

to honest elections by matching our donation to ensure our fellow

Americans their voting rights, regardless of party affiliation.

The election process itself applied to every political race should be

based on an honest voting process without the slightest shadow of

impropriety. Americans demand honest elections.

Should we do anything less in City, County or State elections?

Respectfully,

The Kootenai County Republican Central Committee

765-8259