repubgazette8-30-07demsnabclintontablegamesuglyend

This was ugly. The Kanawha County table games election is behind us, thank God, but there are few who came out of it with anything to be proud of.

Kanawha County Commissioner Kent Carper can't stop embarrassing himself every time he speaks on the subject. Racetrack owner Dan Adkins is still whining about the original June 9 election date being postponed, and even tried to tell Hoppy Kercheval on Wednesday that money spent by Tri-State on the June date doesn't count toward election spending. Then, some table games opponents contradicted their own rhetoric by gambling $7,000 on a recount, with no real reason to believe anything would actually change. Then, more uncounted votes kept showing up every time there was a count, a canvass or a recount. Makes you wonder whether there are a few hundred more uncounted votes in the precincts that weren't recounted on Wednesday, or whether votes are sometimes like dandelions -- they just keep popping up no matter how often you think you've killed them.

All in all, this election is not one that should be added to any democracy in action textbooks.

Secretary of State Betty Ireland is right to conduct an audit of this election. As Ireland said, the purpose is not to assign blame, but to make find ways to make the election process better.

One way might be to require disclosure for issue elections in West Virginia. There was nothing more bizarre to politicos than seeing signs, flyers and billboards with no disclaimers.

Pressed by Kercheval on his "Talkline" program Wednesday, Adkins finally admitted that Tri-State spent about $2 million for the right to shuffle and deal, after trying to claim that money spent on the aborted June 9 election date somehow didn't count. Hoppy wasn't buying it, and Adkins sounded silly trying to sell it.

Carper, of course, is an endless treasure trove of contradictions and outrageous claims. While Mayor Danny Jones was also front and center for Tri-State, he has had the wisdom to keep relatively quiet since the election, knowing how to accept his victory and move on. Carper, though -- also appearing with Hoppy on Wednesday -- was again a politician in search of the snappy soundbite, which he seldom actually finds.

This time, he likened the election to David versus Goliath. He seemed to be trying to say that while the racetrack may have been Goliath, everyone should remember that David won that bibilical confrontation with a small rock. In other words, Tri-State had an uphill battle, no matter how big and how rich it is, and how small and unfunded the opposition was. Of course, all Carper succeeded in doing was casting Tri-State in the role of the villain, and the opposition on the side of the angels, since that's what David v. Goliath is all about.

What Kanawha Countians will remember is that the president of their county commission originally wanted to ignore the law (on legal notice), took the lead in selling the referendum (despite the fact he would be serving as an official election canvasser), and now wants to shut down neighborhood slots so everyone has to go to Tri-State to gamble. If Carper ever finds himself out of a job, surely he has a future as a Tri-State greeter, just like those faded sports stars and celebrities at the Vegas hotels.

As embarrassing as the commissioner consistly is, the neverending discovery of uncounted votes -- something which has only ended because they finally stopped counting -- is every bit as unsettling. While spending thousands on a hopeless recount was a wasteful move, what it did demonstrate is that the method for counting votes, especially early ones cast before Election Day, is a system in need of a plan. The problem was exacerbated by the use of paper ballots, and would likely not be an issue with electronic voting. It would also not be an issue if there were no ridiculously long three-week early voting period.

Is it too early to vote right now in the May 2008 primary? Just barely.

Betty Ireland's

statement on

election audit

“Due to the many questions and concerns raised during the table games special election my office will conduct an audit of Kanawha County’s election procedures in preparation and execution of the special election, the canvass and all other related events. The purpose of this audit is not to find fault or blame for any mistakes, but rather to bring resolution to the problems faced in this election. I fully anticipate that the outcome of this audit will bring about recommendations of better practices for the entire state, not just Kanawha County. As the state’s chief elections official I am focused on making the election process better for the future to ensure that the citizens’ most basic right, the right to vote, is protected and secure. Our office strives to provide clean and fair elections to the people of West Virginia.”

The West Virginia Democratic Party has snagged Bill Clinton for its annual Ocotber fundraising event, and while the natural inclination of Republicans might be to attack the former president, and talk about Monica-gate, or how Clinton failed to kill or capture Osama Bin Laden when he had the chance, or a myriad other things, the obvious truth of the matter is that Clinton is the biggest star in the party and the one to get if you can get him.

If I was a Democratic Party leader trying to raise money, "Get Bill" would be my first priority.

Clinton's visit is a sign the Democratic National Committee and the Hillary Clinton campaign are taking West Virginia very seriously, and also no doubt was helped along considerably by Gov. Joe Manchin's growing friendship with the former president.

Last year, the Dems had Barack Obama, another potent fundraiser. Frankly, these high profile appearances serve as a

Several catch phrases have entered into popular culture thanks to Elvis Presley. "Thankyouverymuch" comes to mind.

But the most famous Elvis catch phase has to be "Elvis has left the building." The phrase is often jokingly used anytime someone of importance or prestige makes an exit.

For Elvis, the phrase came about out of necessity. While it became best known for being used at the end of Elvis' 1970s concerts, it actually began in the 1950s. After a show, fans would hang around forever hoping to mob their idol, or at least get an autograph, and finally Col. Tom Parker decided to have someone announce that Elvis had left the building, so fans would give up and go home.

In the 1970s, the phrase was employed for much the same reason, but also to let the crowd know that there was no use hanging around for an encore. By the '70s, concert goers had grown accustomed to performers coming back out on stage for one, two or even three encore songs. In Las Vegas, encores were practically required, even to lukewarm applause. The "phony" encore -- wherein a perfromer acts as though the audience has demanded a return, even when they could care less -- became an almost embarrassing ritual.

Elvis didn't like to do encores -- always leave them wanting more was a staple of his -- and never did. So after his final song -- always "Can't Help Falling in Love" -- and exit from the stage, an announcer would intone, "Ladies and

gentlemen, Elvis has left the building." And it was true. Elvis was always hustled straight to his limo and out of the building as his band continued playing his closing vamp.

The familiar voice that made that announcement usually belonged to Al Dvorin, a longtime crony of Col. Parker's from Parker's carnival days. Dvorin died only recently in a car crash.

Today's trivia question, and the final one for this year's Elvis Month -- let's make it tough, Tommy, since it's the last one -- who is the man in the picture leading Elvis out of the building?

Yesterday's question was, what was the last Elvis album released during his lifetime? The answer, "Moody Blue," was correctly submitted by Tommy Phillips, Gary Howell, and Steve Harrison -- who reports he still has the blue vinyl album in the form it was issued.