Spin on, oh spinner!

"Okay, players, it's time for round two of Spot the Spin! Let's see how you do with this one. It's from the Baltimore Sun for Friday."

Tacoma, Washington - A judge Friday granted a state Republican Party request to block the counting of hundreds of recently discovered King County ballots in the governor's race, which the GOP's candidate is winning by just a few dozen votes.

Even if the election workers wrongly rejected the ballots - 150 of which were discovered Friday - it is too late for King County to reconsider them now, Pierce County Superior Court Judge Stephanie Arend said.

The issue of the ballots could prove pivotal: With all but two counties finished with a hand recount, Republican Dino Rossi was leading Democrat Christine Gregoire by 43 votes. ...

State Republican Party spokeswoman Mary Lane said the judge made the right decision.

As for those whose ballots aren't counted, she said: "That is King County's fault. We cannot be held responsible for the fact that King County made a mistake."

"How about it players? Can you Spot the Spin?"

[theme music plays]

BONG!

"Oh, too bad, players, but time is up. The spin here is in the statement 'We cannot be held responsible for the fact that King County made a mistake.' That's true, they can't. But they can be held responsible for actively seeking to keep the county from correcting that mistake. Remember, players, spin can be as much in what you leave out as in what you say.

"We'll be back after these messages...."