Today something that shouldn’t be unusual or unexpected happened. It should be a normal, expected, and predictable response to what some consider to be a weakening of the principles of self-governance that the United States of America were ostensibly founded upon. Today a single US Senator objected to the acceptance of a slate of electoral votes from a state that suffered a broad variety of rather severe voting irregularities. A single Senator had the nerve to show the appearance of standing up for democratic principle in resistance to the systematic disenfranchisement of hundreds of thousands of US citizens. I don’t think anybody actually believes that the objection to Ohio’s 20 electors will actually change who will have to mow the big green lawn at the White House this spring, but at least there will be a footnote in future history books showing that somebody thought things were fishy.

It is unfortunate that even making a minor procedural stand for voters’ rights is being viewed by 99 out of 100 Senators as political suicide. Thank you, Barbara Boxer, for not embarrassing your constituency today, unlike our other Senator, who apparently could not be bothered.

CNN Article: Democrats challenge Ohio electoral votes
Fox News Article: Lawmakers Dispute Electoral College Results
Fox News Archive: Raw Data: Boxer Letter
MSNBC Article: Congress debates Ohio, then to certify Bush win