Wanted: One Decent US Senator

Both Michael Moore and William Rivers Pitt today make emotional calls for JUST ONE SINGLE US SENATOR to back the call for an investigation into the Ohio Vote.

Pitt explains what could happen after that, if it happens:

If Conyers and company stand and object with the support of a Senator, the Electoral College hearing will adjourn, and both the House and Senate will hear two hours of testimony on the reasons behind the objection. After the testimony, the House and Senate will have a straight up-or-down vote on whether to entertain the objection. Given the GOP dominance in both chambers, the outcome of such a vote is preordained.

Even if, by some miracle, both chambers vote to uphold the objections based on the merits of the testimony, and Ohio's 20 votes are removed from the Electoral College count, the waters beyond are muddy. The constitution is vague as to whether the 270 Electoral College threshold is an absolute, or whether the candidate with the most Electoral College votes is to be declared the winner, regardless of whether or not that 270-vote line is crossed. Bush would still lead Kerry 266 to 252 if Ohio were subtracted, and in all likelihood, would carry the day with that lead.

That is outrageous. If it is admitted that the Ohio vote was invalid, the citizens of Ohio must still have their voices heard. Rather than subtracting the 20 electoral college votes and disenfranchinsing them, a re-vote must be arranged (either nationally or for Ohio only) to ensure the basic principle of Democracy - that every vote is counted. If the Bushies can get away with subtracting a whole state's votes from the electoral college count, they will. And they'll do it again and again.

You cannot claim to be the World's Greatest Democracy, you cannot even talk about "exporting democracy abroad" if you do not count EVERY SINGLE VOTE at home.