This is a Kenny News alert!

It began with members of the House of Representatives, incl. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt) and John Conyers (D-Mi) have objected to the credibility of the electoral vote due to accounts of fraud in the Ohio election. At least one Senator was needed to prompt debate on this matter, and Sen. Babara Boxer (D-Ca) was the only one to sign on.

More on this story as it develops.

Look, Fox News has already posted an unflattering picture of Sen. Boxer:



Compare that to their pics of:


Alberto Gonzales

and


Condoleezza Rice

Senator to Object to Electoral College Results

Thursday, January 06, 2005

WASHINGTON — Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., has decided to contest the results of the Electoral College that will give President Bush a second term, FOX News has learned.

Boxer's decision follows a similar one by several Democratic House members. With Boxer's challenge, congressional rules stipulate that senators and representatives must recess to their respective chambers to debate certification.

The action would be the first of its kind in 36 years, but most likely won't add up to more than a procedural delay of the inevitable.

According to the choreography of the certification, after the House is called to order and the senators arrive from their chamber on Thursday, the joint session begins with Vice President Dick Cheney leading the activities.

The "certificates of vote" from each of the states will be called out and the number of votes designated for president and vice president will be reported on four separate paper tallies. At the end of the reading of all 50 states and the District of Columbia's votes, the four tellers responsible for recording the tallies will compare results and sign off on them. Cheney will then announce the totals and order them into the record.

However, as was also the case in 2001, when more than two dozen Democrats objected to the certification of Florida's disputed election, a new objection is expected this time. At least three House Democrats, Reps. Jesse Jackson Jr. of Illinois, John Conyers of Michigan and Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio, and possibly several others, are expected to object to the certification of Ohio's 20 Electoral College votes for Bush alleging voting irregularities in the decisive swing state.

If a Senate member also offers an objection, the House and Senate must then withdraw to their chambers so each body can discuss objections made on each state's certification. The discussion can last up to two hours for each state after which time each chamber votes separately on each objection. The two bodies would then return to the joint session to report their respective actions on the objections.

Boxer and several other senators had been approached by the House Democrats to launch the corresponding objection from the Senate that would force the recess of the joint session. An aide to Boxer told FOX News on Wednesday that the two-term senator may join the Democratic representatives or "may very well end up doing something short of it. What that means, I'm not sure yet."

Boxer apparently is not the only senator who was approached to cast an objection, her spokeswoman said, but she does appear to be the only senator to state publicly that she was considering contesting the results. According to informed sources, House Democrats also approached newly elected Illinois Sen. Barack Obama (search) to join the objection. Those sources said Obama has no plans to do so.

Sen. John Kerry, who lost the election to Bush and is currently overseas, said in a letter sent to supporters Wednesday he would not take part in a formal protest of the Ohio Electors because, despite widespread reports of voting irregularities, his legal team had "found no evidence that would change the outcome of the election."

Kerry said he planned to introduce election reform legislation and push for congressional hearings on the voting irregularities.

Asked about the political wisdom of deciding to join House members in contesting the results, the Boxer aide said, "These are credible folks in the House who say there are real problems out there. They need to shine the light on this. So they made an appeal to the senator for the right to shine the light on it. There are folks who think this is a not a fruitful exercise, because even the results are challenged, it still may not change the outcome, but for two hours, this might at least be worth discussing."

Boxer's consideration of an objection apparently has stirred the pot with new Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, who according to several sources was very upset with the proposal and tried to prevent a leak of the senator's plan from getting out.

Republicans say Boxer and a handful of leftwing house liberals are grandstanding. One Democratic leadership source also criticized Boxer, suggesting, "It would not be preferable or her to object."

Another Democratic leadership aide told FOX News that there is "not going to be a vote on this," referring to any objections, and explained that instead, Boxer may go the floor to talk about the voting problems that occurred in 2004.

FOX News' Carl Cameron, Julie Asher and Jim Mills and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

It's not being reported by the New York Times, and until it is, it's not news to me.

--PunkDavid

I got this email this morning:

Dear ara,

No American citizen should wake up the morning after the election and worry their vote wasn't counted. No citizen should be denied at the polls if they are eligible to vote. And, as the greatest, wealthiest nation on earth, our citizens should never be forced to vote on old, unaccountable and non transparent voting machines from companies controlled by partisan activists.

Tomorrow, members of Congress will meet to certify the results of the 2004 presidential election. I will not be taking part in a formal protest of the Ohio Electors.

Despite widespread reports of irregularities, questionable practices by some election officials and instances of lawful voters being denied the right to vote, our legal teams on the ground have found no evidence that would change the outcome of the election.

But, that does not mean we should abandon our commitment to addressing those problems that happened in Ohio. We must act today to make sure they never happen again.

I urge you to join me in using this occasion to highlight our demand that Congress commit itself this year to reforming the electoral system. A Presidential election is a national federal election but we have different standards in different states for casting and counting votes. We need a national federal standard to solve the problems that occurred in the 2004 election. I will propose legislation to help achieve this.

Florida 2000 was a wake up call. But the Republicans who control Congress ignored it. Will they now ignore what happened in 2004?

There are nearly 3,000,000 of you receiving this email. We accomplished so much together during the campaign. Now let's use our power to make sure that at least one good thing comes from the voting rights problems of the 2004 election. If we want to force real action on election reform, we've got to demand that congressional leaders hold full hearings. Make sure they hear from you and help hold them accountable.

Speaker Dennis Hastert: 1-202-225-0600
Leader Bill Frist: 1-202-224-3135

And please report that you've made your call right here:
http://www.johnkerry.com/signup/electoral_reform.php

I want every vote counted because Americans have to know that the votes they stood in line for, fought for, and strived so hard to cast in an election, are counted. We must make sure there are no questions or doubts in future elections. It's critical to our democracy that we investigate and act to prevent voting irregularities and voter intimidation across the country. We can't stand still as Congressional leaders seek to sweep well-founded voter concerns under the rug.

Please join with me in calling Speaker Hastert and Leader Frist and telling them that you want action on election reform now.

A recent report from Representative John Conyers (D-Michigan) reveals very troubling questions that have not yet been answered by Ohio election officials. I commend the Democratic National Committee for its announcement this week that the DNC will be investing resources and reaching out to non-partisan academics in a long term study of Ohio voting irregularities. I am only sorry that we haven't seen the same from Ohio Secretary of State Blackwell and GOP officials.

Congress must play a positive, proactive role on this issue. That's why I will soon introduce legislation to reform our election system, ensuring transparency and accountability in our voting system and that all Americans have an opportunity to vote and have their vote counted.

Please remember to let us know that you made your call when you're done. We're hoping to ensure House and Senate leaders' offices hear our demand for action on election reform in meaningful way. Please take a moment to let us know you have made your call here: http://www.johnkerry.com/signup/electoral_reform.php

Thank you,

John Kerry

P.S. Thanks to all those who participated in our USO "phone home" campaign last week. The totals are coming in from the USO, and they are thrilled with your generosity and support for our brave men and women in uniform. We will send you totals as we get them.

Paid for by Friends of John Kerry, Inc.
*******************************************************************************
I'm glad to see that Kerry isn't going to bother fighting the results, but is choosing instead to focus on the larger issue of election reform. Good for him, and I still think he would've made a great president.

John Conyers? Imagine that! This is the same co-sponsor of the ridiculous draft bill in an attempt to politicize the Iraqi war even more than has been done. Whoop-di-do!

Great.



It would be nice if something came out of it, though. (cough!, cough!)

I just realized how lame this was.


Anyway, yah... nothing will come out of this... John Kerry doesn't support it.... yah yah... John Conyers politicized the Iraq war by calling for a draft even though he's opposed to the draft... yah yah yah.

Whatever.

No paper trail, the company making the machines was headed by Bush's friend, machines that can be reprogrammed from remote locations, recount observers having to stand 20 feet away, just to name a few things...

maybe John Kerry didn't want to win, or didn't care if he won or not. Maybe its crazy to think that. Or maybe its crazy to think there's nothing odd about two candidates from the Skull and Bones Society running for President. I don't know. My concerns are legit I think, but you know, life would be less of a headache if id just go back to not giving a shit about politics.

This is why I never play a liberal at Scrabble. There's always recounts, someone's bitching about missing vowels...

It's over.

And Barbara Boxer is ugly.

Give'em hell Barbara!

Barbara Boxer summons hell via her 666 Revlon Nails.

Stop giving us reasons to complain then!

Hey James, is that a "Z" in your pocket?

--PunkDavid

that is a scary word to use when discussing a bush presidency. ugh, i need a drink now.

i don't know what to think about this movement. i would love for bush to be booted the fuck out of office - but i feel like the dems may do themselves SO much damage by involving themselves in this process. i'm just keeping my eye on 2008...

The main point of this procedural maneuver today is to give the Dems a chance to speak and be heard about the voting irregularities in Ohio and elsewhere. In 2000, they didn't do this, because Gore told them not to, and for four years the Republicans in the House have not allowed anything related to election reform proposed by a democrat to come to a committee, much less to the floor of house.

Today they can speak and be heard.

--PunkDavid

^ absolutely right. also, Kerry cared if he won or not, I just think he'd like to be the bigger man in the face of Republicans. The man bowed out gracefully and I wouldn't be surprised if it was a political move for 08 if he decides to try again.

Oh GOD, NO!!!!!!!!!!

That is totally why I don't play Scrabble with Washington State Republicans!



Babs Boxer is ugly.

But Gonzo and Condi do nothing for me either.