OLYMPIA — Those with long memories might recall a point last fall when the state received a waiver of the federal deadline for getting ballots to the troops overseas, and FOX News commentators briefly came unglued because they thought the state was trying to take the most precious right of democracy away from the brave men and women fighting and dying to defend those rights.

Or something like that.

No matter how hard then-assistant state elections director Katie Blinn tried to explain the state's system, FOX anchor Megyn Kelly couldn't seem to wrap her head around the idea that because the Washington continues to count ballots that come in the mail for nearly two weeks after “election day”, the state actually has a longer window than most for the troops — and anyone else overseas — to get their ballot back to be counted. The state GOP's executive and central committees passed a resolution calling for Secretary of State Sam Reed to withdraw its request for a waiver, without ever bothering to call Reed, who is a Republican.

You can read about that whole flap from the archives, here or watch the FOX report here.

So why bring this up? Because a new study on the record for states in getting ballots out and back to deployed troops and other overseas voters gives Washington high marks for the 2010 election… .

Read about it, inside the blog.

Sunday’s newspaper column, and a post Tuesday, discusses Washington state’s waiver of a federal rule requiring ballots be mailed to troops overseas no later than 45 days before the election.

Both deal with an exchange between FOX News anchor Megyn Kelly and state assistant attorney general Katie Blinn over whether Washington is shortchanging military voters. If you want to watch and judge for yourself who’s right, click here for the video.

Have you heard about how lunkheads in Washington state are trying to take the most precious right of all away from our brave men and women dodging bullets in Iraq and Afghanistan? And how those commie pinkos in the federal government are going to let them because it will help Democrats win some tight races in November?
Or something like that. It gets better – or, worse – with each retelling of the reports that Washington state received a waiver from the federal law requiring military and overseas voters to be sent their ballots a month and a half before an election.
If it’s making your blood boil, congratulate yourself on your concern for military personnel. And take a chill pill, as the kids would say.
We’ll explain why, inside the blog….