In San Diego yesterday a lawsuit was filed trying to get the results of a June election thrown out because of counting and ballot security irregularities. It was a special election to fill the seat of disgraced Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham. Ever since Republican Brian Bilbray won the election, supporters of Democrat Francine Busby have been sounding like Dino Rossi backers circa 1995 2005.

The lawsuit took specific aim at the practice of allowing poll workers to take the machines home with them prior to the election - a practice Haas said is done to ensure that polling places open on time.

The same thing happened here. King County poll workers were allowed to take machines home from the weekend before the election. Of course last year it was Republicans complaining about the practice and Democrats trying to make it sound like wild-eyed conspiracy mongering.

The attorney who filed the suit in San Diego provides another local connection. He's Paul Lehto of Everett, an election activist. He told the San Diego Union-Tribune:

"The thing you've got to know about using computers in the election is that computers do whatever they're told to do, without any regard to law, ethics or morality," Lehto said, adding he believes some machines were tampered with. "When you send them on 'sleepovers' from anywhere from three days to over a week, then you've lost all illusion about any kind of security."

Maybe Rossi backers here should have enlisted the help of the Democratic National Committee and Howard Dean, who said in San Diego, "All I'm asking the Republicans to do is count every vote!"