New Olbermann blog: Challenge Ohio's electors

[Newsjock]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6667405/#041208a

... These minority members, who now say they are headed to Ohio to conduct field hearings to listen directly to the grievances of voters there, have provided an invaluable service in forcing at least part of the mainstream to provide a platform for the 20% or more of the citizenry who suspect error or subterfuge.

But to stop there is to subject themselves to accusations of political cowardice and grandstanding. If, in Ohio, or in the calculations of the academics, or in subsequent developments, they conclude there is reasonable evidence that the vote there was rotten - merely accidentally so - one of them in the House and one of them in the Senate should stand up and produce that written challenge to the Ohio electors’ credibility.

As Jonathan Turley suggested - and logic confirms - for the formal challenge to get anything but token support in the Senate and the House, there would have to be overpowering, dramatic, conclusive, evidence to suggest not merely a sour vote but one so screwed up that it could produce a different outcome. And the likelihood of such evidence turning up in the next month is infinitesimally small.

But the challenge itself, even if it garnered exactly one vote each from the Senate and House, would be a powerful protest, and an earnest signal that a full investigation of what happened in Ohio should take place, even after the inauguration. It could even be relevant, legally, in terms of the impounding of voting machines and records, to serve as the basis for some later examination to determine what, if anything, failed - and how it could be prevented from failing again.

There is no question it would be a short-term political liability - even a fatality - to the Representative and Senator who signed it. But, especially with that realization, it would not be an act of partisanship, but of patriotism.

more

[ClintCooper2003]

1. That's a good post. "Patriotism" seems to be in short supply...

these days. Corporatism, however, is abundant.

[Window]

2. Dare I hope?

It would definitely be an act of 'heroism' if, indeed, we could get the necessary support to spearhead this investigation with formal hearings. Thanks for sharing.

Peace

[WyLoochka]

3. Depressing prediction

There will be more than one Representative but not one - not one - Senator who will summon up the courage to do the right thing and sign a challenge to the electors.

Deja vu 01/06/2001 is what we will see.

I am hoping to be wrong on this, because I think there are a handful of Dem Senators who would be supported by their own home blue state constituencies if they took a stand. But even these will probably crumble just thinking about the media massacre echo chamber.