Speech: Floor Statement, 'Why Ohio Election Votes Are Valid and Why We Need to Put This Behind Us'

SPEECH: FLOOR STATEMENT, ‘WHY OHIO ELECTION VOTES ARE VALID AND WHY WE NEED TO PUT THIS BEHIND US'

Mr. President, I rise today as a member of this body who was recently sworn in for his second term. In my first six years in the Senate, the United States and this institution faced challenges unprecedented in this country's history, and I was honored to have been entrusted to help steer this country toward a better tomorrow. While we have made tremendous progress making our nation more secure, increasing America's competitiveness in the global marketplace and upholding the federal government's promise to seniors by enacting a prescription drug benefit through Medicare, we still have serious issues confronting our nation. On November 2, 2004, voters across this nation chose their government that will face these forthcoming challenges. Mr. President, the voters of Ohio and our nation chose President Bush. And even with a recount in Ohio, President Bush won my state by over 118,000 votes. As a Republican from Cleveland who has been elected to federal, state, county and municipal offices, I am living proof that Ohioans know how to count ballots and, more importantly, that we count fairly. It is clear that those who persist in "beating a dead horse" are desperate to create uncertainty and a partisan issue where none exists. That is why I am so disappointed that this body is squandering its time playing "Monday Morning Quarterback" when the result of Ohio's presidential election is clear: President George W. Bush won my home state of Ohio and its 20 electoral votes. Frankly, I am proud of how the election went in Ohio. Hundreds of thousands of new voters took part in their democracy this past November, increasing Ohio's voter participation rate to 72 percent, up from 64 percent in 2000. Unfortunately, prior to November 2nd unsubstantiated allegations were being made about the electoral process in Ohio. But at the end of Election Day - and at the end of the recount - Ohio's Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell and the bipartisan election boards across the state did a tremendous job to ensure that these elections were fair and the results without question. I want to publicly applaud the good work of these dedicated public officials. It is time to put this election to rest. Editorial boards from Ohio newspapers, many of which endorsed Kerry, agree as well: the so-called recount effort is a circus that needs to pack up and leave town. The Akron Beacon Journal, a newspaper that endorsed Senator Kerry, stated (December 24, 2004), (quote) "The allegations being thrown around are of the flimsiest nature…. Not one shred of evidence has been presented to show that Ohio's strictly bipartisan system of running elections was manipulated. There isn't any." Quoting from The Cleveland Plain Dealer (December 15, 2004), (quote) "Ohio's bipartisan elections system makes the kind of GOP conspiracy that some allege all but impossible to execute. Every county board of elections consists of two Democrats and two Republicans. So when (Jesse) Jackson and other national Democrats question Ohio's outcome, they demean their own allies. William Anthony Jr., the African-American who chairs both the Franklin County Democratic Party and its elections board, has been personally stung by Jackson's slander. He said, ‘Why would I sit there and disenfranchise my own community?' And The Columbus Dispatch (December 12, 2004) states, (quote) "(John) Kerry understand that Bush legitimately won the election, which is why he conceded on November 3rd. Those who claim that Ohio's vote was rigged have produced nothing that approaches credible evidence." An editorial that appeared on Tuesday (January 4, 2005) in my hometown newspaper, The Cleveland Plain Dealer said, (quote) "The 176 Democrats who sit on Ohio's county election boards pondered their jurisdictions' results, accepted their subordinates' good work, and are turning their energies toward the future." Across the country, people are moving forward after nearly two years of the presidential campaign. Mr. President, the country deserves to be able to put an undisputed election to rest. We need to stop wasting time and move on to the serious issues facing our nation. I yield the floor.

http://voinovich.senate.gov/news_center/record.cfm?id=231827