Will she or won't she?

Updated below.

Tomorrow is the day when the American Electoral College casts its votes to confirm George W. Bush's second term. And tomorrow is the day when we may see something unusual happen. A group of congressmen led by John Conyers is set to challenge the electoral votes from Ohio because of the volume of irregularities in the voting and problems in the recounts. For that challenge to have any significance those members of the House of Representatives must be joined by at least one senator. Otherwise the challenge has no effect.

As of this writing there are rumours swirling that at least one senator will join in the challenge with attention focused on Barbara Boxer of California, who so far will neither confirm nor deny.

This has been a controversial issue at Daily Kos, with some of the Kossacks insisting that Dems should challenge the election results at every step while others feared that too many of the issues being raised amounted to conspiracy theories that undermined the credibility of those raising them.

But this post, which went up earlier today, seems to signal a change in heart for some in the latter camp. It summarizes some of the more blatant problems involving Ohio Secretary of State (and Republican) Kenneth Blackwell and makes a pretty compelling case that Blackwell's behaviour should be closely investigated. The post amounts to a call to arms for Democratic senators to join with Conyers and the other congressional representatives who intend to challenge the results.

At this point there are few, if any, who believe that the outcome of the election will change. But as Hunter, the author of the post, writes:

... we should expect and encourage, on the floor of Congress, a debate and a reinforcement of the basic belief that, of all our American institutions, the conduct of free and fair elections is among the most sacred, and that to act in such a way as to erode the basic fairness of those elections is to act against the interests, and against the ideals, of America.

Works for me. A week after the election I wrote that restoring the faith of Americans in their own electoral process was badly needed and that it shouldn't be a partisan matter. But with the GOP in control of both houses and the Oval Office, it is a partisan matter. If an obviously flawed electoral system is to be reformed, it seems to me that it's up to the Democrats to push the issue in as public a way as they can.

Tomorrow could be an interesting day in DC.

Update:

Apparently she will.

California Senator Barbara Boxer is planning to stand up and join House democrats in their requests for an investigation into the Ohio presidential vote. Certification of the vote takes place today in the Senate and due to Sen. Boxer's objection, a two hour debate will take place regarding Ohio election irregularities.

...

Many may recall the scene in January of 2001 in which the members of the Congressional Black Caucus were chastised on the floor of the Senate when they attempted to contest the Florida vote. Ironically, Vice President Gore in his role as President of the Senate had to reject their requests personally. The scene was made popular when included in Michael Moore's documentary, Fahrenheit 9/11.

Today history will record a different story as those same members, led by Michigan Congressman John Conyers will be heard due to the action of Barbara Boxer and possibly other Senate democrats.