Ken Blackwell appeared as a talking head on Hardball with Chris Matthews the other night. He was introduced as a Senior Fellow at the Family Research Council. Of course hes best known as the former Secretary of State of Ohio, where he spent precious little time running the Department of Motor Vehicles and handing out drivers licenses he was far too busy making sure that the states electoral votes would go to George W. Bush in the 2004 election. Thats a polite way of saying he was dedicated to rigging the election.

"Blackwell professed to see no inherent conflict during the 2004 election between simultaneously serving as secretary of state and co-chairman of Bushs Ohio campaign. As the arbiter of election rules, Blackwell issued a series of rulings that limited the use of provisional ballots, a tactic that undermined traditionally Democratic inner-city voters. At one point, until he finally rescinded it, Blackwell tried to maintain the absurd position that only voter-registration forms on heavyweight 80-pound paper would be accepted."
-Walter Shapiro, The Votes Dont Add Up, Salon.com

Actaully, rigging is too polite a term to describe Blackwells blatant attempts to suppress Democratic voter turnout. He was named in more than sixteen lawsuits alleging voter disenfranchisement and conflict of interest. No, stealing is more like it. You could argue that the mans criminal behavior could label him something of a thief, a crook. Call him whatever his actions should hardly merit him a place on television. He epitomizes partisan politics at its very worst disgustingly dishonest and immoral.

But yet here he is, with Chris Matthews gushing over him, referring to him as Mr. Secretary. He even closed out the segment with a chummy, When are you gonna run again, Ken?

Are you kidding me? Run for public office again? After getting thrashed in his bid for Governor in 2006, losing to a Democrat by 24 points in a red state? Unlike the voters in Florida who awarded Katherine Harris a seat in Congress after her efforts on Bushs behalf, Ohioans were outraged. They booted him out of Ohio politics. There was no place for him to go, but to a dubious organization like the FRC.

Lets not let him land on his feet at MSNBC. Sure hes qualified to be a Republican talking head; hes got the resume. But there are plenty of others available. Please contact the network by email. I cant find an email address for Hardball, but we can litter Chris Matthews blog with a blizzard of comments. Or do it the old fashion way - write them a letter, or call them.

NBC News
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, N.Y. 10112
212 315-9016

As the Republicans are fond of saying: we cant reward bad behavior. Take a moment today, and do something to encourage MSNBC to drop Ken Blackwell from its broadcasts.