Just to follow up on the post immediately below this one, Senator Barbara Boxer did join with some of her Democratic colleagues in the House of Representatives today in challenging the Ohio electoral votes. She didn't get much in the way of support, though.
Democratic leaders distanced themselves from the effort, which many in the party worried would make them look like sore losers.
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The Senate session lasted just over an hour and ended when the chamber voted 74-1 to uphold Ohio's votes. Boxer was the lone vote.
Somehow I don't think the Democrats quite have the hang of this official opposition thing. I understand that they weren't going to win but right now winning isn't the point. The point is to provide an obvious and highly visible alternative to this:
"There's a wise saying we've used in Florida the past four years that the other side would be wise to learn: Get over it," said Rep. Ric Keller, R-Fla.
It was entirely predictable that some GOP hack would say that. In fact I predicted it. And by leaving Boxer hanging by herself, the Democratic senators denied themselves the opportunity to go on the record as saying that "get over it" isn't the proper response to voters when there's any question about their votes being counted and an election being conducted fairly. We're talking about one of the most fundamental processes in democracy. The GOP are sneering at the idea that serious problems should be investigated and the Democrats just let them get away with it.
Right on....thank you!
You said it. It shocks me how willing the Democrat Senators and Congressmen are so willing to not raise a fuss.
The only thing Democrats need to 'get over' is this ridiculous fear of being painted as bad guys by the Republicans. Unless they stop being afraid of what the other side is saying about them (and that includes most of the major media, which seem to report without question whatever Republican press releases say), they're doomed, and so is the U.S.
The Dems may as well get over that fear because they're going to be painted as bad guys no matter what they do. If they try to move to the right, the GOP will just move further to the extreme right and keeping painting the Dems as evil liberals. So the evil liberals may as well stand their ground. And stand up and be counted so they actually look like an alternative.
One amusing thing -- this conversation about the need to stand firm -- it mirrors exactly the sorts of exchanges that the rank-and-file members of the CPC are having over on the conservative blogs.
Standing firm wins elections, much of the time...