POLITICS: Democrats Challenge Ohio Electoral Votes: Bush Victory Still Affirmed, page 1

posted on Jan, 7 2005 @ 06:34 AM

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Democrats upset at Ohio voting irregularities forced a challenge to the electoral collage vote. This rare occurrence which has only been performed only once since the 19th century forced a delay in the vote tally, but Bush�s victory was affirmed 286 to 251. The action initiated squabbling between the parties and starts the new congressional term with a partisan tone.

story.news.yahoo.com
WASHINGTON - A Democratic effort to highlight Ohio's Election Day voting troubles did not upend President Bush's official re-election, but did spark bitter squabbling that started the new Congress on a sharply partisan tone.

In a quadrennial joint session brimming with tradition, the House and Senate on Thursday affirmed Bush's Nov. 2 victory over Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass. With Vice President Dick Cheney presiding, lawmakers tallied the electoral votes and gave Bush a 286-251 victory � plus a single vote cast by a "faithless" Minnesota elector for Kerry's running mate, former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C.

But before the final verdict was in, some Democrats angry over the Ohio irregularities forced a challenge to the vote count for just the second time since the 19th century � a protest that prompted strong language from both sides.

"It is a crime against the dignity of American democracy," House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, said of the Democratic challenge, adding that it was guided by "spite, obstructionism and conspiracy theories."

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Well, did anybody believe that there was going to be any cooperation in congress? If there was hope this pretty much dashes it and set the tone for the upcoming year for sure. With tax reform and social security on the docket, it�s going to be ugly. I�m not sure what the challenge to the vote was supposed to accomplish, but its going to be a long year.

djohnsto77

posted on Jan, 7 2005 @ 06:45 AM

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Originally posted by FredT
... Bush�s victory was affirmed 286 to 251.

So Kerry had faithless elector? And everyone here is looking to the Republicans for conspiracy theory fodder?

Well, did anybody believe that there was going to be any cooperation in congress? If there was hope this pretty much dashes it and set the tone for the upcoming year for sure. With tax reform and social security on the docket, it�s going to be ugly. I�m not sure what the challenge to the vote was supposed to accomplish, but its going to be a long year.

Can't disagree there...let's hope the IRS is banished, abolished, demolished, deprecated, defeated, smashed, etc.

FredT

posted on Jan, 7 2005 @ 06:47 AM

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Originally posted by djohnsto77
[So Kerry had faithless elector? And everyone here is looking to the Republicans for conspiracy theory fodder?

Yeah that was a bit curious. My understanding is that the members of the electoral collage can vote for whoever they want to despite being well picked by thier state parties.

djohnsto77

posted on Jan, 7 2005 @ 06:50 AM

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Originally posted by FredT

Originally posted by djohnsto77
[So Kerry had faithless elector? And everyone here is looking to the Republicans for conspiracy theory fodder?

Yeah that was a bit curious. My understanding is that the members of the electoral collage can vote for whoever they want to despite being well picked by thier state parties.

Yes, Al Gore also had a faithless elector in the 2000 election...an elector from the District of Columbia turned in a blank ballot in protest of the lack of D.C. representation in the Congress.

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Since there are about 295 million people in the United States and only 538 electors, a single faithless elector disenfranchises over half a million people.

[edit on 1/7/2005 by djohnsto77]