Well, who didn't see this one coming...?

[Eidolon Faer]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/ALLPOLITICS/01/ ... index.html

Democrats challenge Ohio electoral votes
Move delays official certification of election
Thursday, January 6, 2005 Posted: 1:54 PM EST (1854 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Citing widespread irregularities on Election Day, a handful of House Democrats and one senator objected Thursday to the counting of Ohio's 20 electoral votes, delaying the official certification of the 2004 presidential election results.

The Democrats said they were not trying to overturn President Bush's re-election but want to draw attention to the need for aggressive election reform in the wake of what they said were widespread voter problems.

In a letter to congressional leaders Wednesday, members of the group said they would take the action because a new report by Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee found "numerous, serious election irregularities," particularly in Ohio, that led to "a significant disenfranchisement of voters."

The House of Representatives and Senate met Thursday afternoon in a constitutionally mandated session to count the electoral votes. Vice President Dick Cheney, in his role as president of the Senate, presided over the session.

Four years ago, after the disputed election results in Florida, members of the Congressional Black Caucus attempted to block Florida's electoral votes from being counted. In a scene recalled in the movie "Fahrenheit 9/11," lawmaker after lawmaker was gaveled down by Vice President Al Gore because no senator would support the objections, as the law requires.

House Democrats involved in this year's protest worked for weeks to enlist the support of a senator, and Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-California, agreed in a letter Wednesday to join the effort.

"I have concluded that objecting to the electoral votes from Ohio is the only immediate way to bring these issues to light by allowing you to have a two-hour debate to let the American people know the facts surrounding Ohio's election," Boxer wrote to Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, D-Ohio.

"I will therefore join you in your objection to the certification of Ohio's electoral votes."

If one member of each body of Congress objects, congressional rules require that lawmakers return to their chambers to vote on the merits. A simple majority vote in each chamber would overturn the challenge -- something that should be easily achieved in the GOP-controlled Congress.

Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic nominee for president, released a letter Wednesday saying he would not take part in the protest.

"Our legal teams on the ground have found no evidence that would change the outcome of the election," Kerry said.

Bush carried Ohio by more than 118,000 votes, with the Buckeye State win providing the margin of victory in the Electoral College race. The president received 286 to Kerry's 252 electoral votes.

But the senator from Massachusetts said voting problems need to be addressed "to make sure they never happen again."

Kerry was not on hand Thursday. He's in Iraq, thanking U.S. troops for their service there.

Comments please. I'm not sure where to even start.

[Klast Brell]

Will it change the results of the election? NO
Will it bring national attention to some of the tricks used to alter the vote YES

[Embar Angylwrath]

Will it change the results of the election? NO
Will it bring national attention to some of the tricks used to alter the vote YES

Will it make the Dems look like a bunch of sore losers? YES

[rajavengerGIA]

arent all polititians sore losers anyway???

[Partha]

People already claim that anyways.

Are you for free, fair, honest federal elections, with a standard procedure, or do you want it all left up to partisan shills?

[Eidolon Faer]

Which tricks, exactly, were those? You mean paying 'volunteers" in crack cocaine to forge voter registrations for such esteemed citizens as Mary Poppins and Donald Duck?

Or perhaps you were referring to Daschle's lawsuit in South Dakota?

Or perhaps the fascinating controversy surrounding the Washington State Gubernatorial race.

You see, I'd feel much less irritated by the Democrats grandstanding on this whole "we must be sure the elections are fair" issue if it wasn't the Dems doing most of the cheating.

Especially since it was these same morons in 2000 bitching that Gore won the popular vote and that's the only thing that REALLY mattered. Guess they changed their minds, huh.

[Embar Angylwrath]

Eidolon - 1
Partha - 0

[Partha]

You see, I'd feel much less irritated by the Democrats grandstanding on this whole "we must be sure the elections are fair" issue if it wasn't the Dems doing most of the cheating.

Been listening to Rush again, eh?

If the Dems were doing so much of the cheating, how come they 'lost'? You're not going to put on a straight face and try to sell us the idea that Bush actually had 54-55%+ of the vote, are you?

In rebuttal, I offer this.

http://georgia10100.tripod.com/

[Partha]

And Embar, I guess you won't mind that day when the Dems get the whip hand and do all this shit to Republicans. And I guess, as a "Libertarian" *cough*, you're not feeling too bad that your man's paid for recount (paid for mostly by people like me, 10's and 20's at a time) wasn't allowed to be done according to state law.

[Embar Angylwrath]

If the Dems were doing so much of the cheating, how come they 'lost'? You're not going to put on a straight face and try to sell us the idea that Bush actually had 54-55%+ of the vote, are you?

Because they have a knack for losing?

[Relbeek Einre]

I think nobody in this thread really knows the extent of the voter fraud, or on what side it falls.

I think it may well wind up costing the Democrats face as Embar described, particularly if solid evidence of voter suppression or voter fraud doesn't come forth. And though I firmly believe there was seriously illegal dirty trickery going on in Ohio (though I believe that without it, Bush would still have taken the state), I give one in three odds that anyone will be able to produce convincing evidence of such.

It's a shame the Democrats didn't have this courage in 2000. There -was- convincing evidence then.

Oh, and for the record, I'm totally not concerned about false registrations that'll never be used being filed. That won't alter an election's outcome.

[Partha]

All I can say is, dowload that file. Read it, and no matter WHAT political party you're in, there is much there to be concerned about.

[Ddrak]

You see, I'd feel much less irritated by the Democrats grandstanding on this whole "we must be sure the elections are fair" issue if it wasn't the Dems doing most of the cheating.

How on earth did you get "most of the cheating"?

Dd

[Burz]

Waste of taxpayer dollars. Several million dollars later they'll will still have no case. Funny how these anti-electoral college people are suddenly hoping it will get their man in. Best part of this is Kerry staying away from it. Writting a letter = noninvolvement. Don't need tape of him looking like more of a horsefaced lurch so he can have some chance in '08 primaries against the she-devil.

[Klast Brell]

denying sufficient voting machines to precincts is a dirty trick.

[Kulaf]

Historically the Democratic party has always benefited the most from voter fraud. Whether or not they activly organized said fraud is immaterial. I come from the Chicago area.....we know about voter fraud.

[Tholiak Eladamri]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6794307/

Both Houses of Congress rejects Democrats Challenge

[Relbeek Einre]

There was a Republican machine in Philadelphia as nasty as the Daley machine in Chicago.

[Embar Angylwrath]

Welfare... our way of saying Thank You for your vote....

The Dems

[ZanypherCocoapuffs]

If the Dems were doing so much of the cheating, how come they 'lost'? You're not going to put on a straight face and try to sell us the idea that Bush actually had 54-55%+ of the vote, are you?

You're not paying attention to Washington State's Gubernatorial Fiasco are you?

54% of Washingtonians basically reject the idea that the recount that gave Cristine Gregoire the election was legit. And that's starting to grow even more with all the accusations being thrown around now.

I live in the State and am quite appaled by all this. I thought the issue was done with the first and second recount. The third (and final because Gregoire won 9_9) has been a farce. While I can accept that there may have been quite a few votes for Gregoire in King County that didn't get counted, I can assure you that there are probably just as many in the 38 OTHER counties in Washington State that didn't get counted at all.

This is Florida's bullshit all over again. Count the votes in the DEMOCRAT strongholds, not the whole fucking state.