32 out of 530

For only the second time since 1877, a challenge was issued to the counting of the electoral votes for president. The last time it occurred was in January 1969 when the two chambers were forced to interrupt their joint vote-counting session and meet separately due to a North Carolina elector designated for Richard Nixon, deciding instead to cast his vote for Independent challenger George Wallace. Both chambers agreed to allow the vote for Wallace.

A handful of members from the House and a lone Senator, Democrat Barbara Boxer (D-California) showed courage and integrity in trying to bring the voting irregularities to the floor for debate. When Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-Ohio) and Boxer formally protested the Ohio votes, it forced the House and Senate to convene seperately and debate the irregularities.

While the final votes on certification were not close at all, with the House voting 267-31 to uphold the Ohio votes (John Edwards was absent) and the Senate voting 74-1 in favor of the Ohio electoral votes, with Boxer being the lone Senator showing any courage and willingness to dissent. Democratic challenger for president John Kerry also was absent from the voting.

I've posted a link to the roll call votes for the House and the Senate.

While the Democrats didn't show themselves to be much of an opposition party today, the Republicans were absolutely lacking in any integrity, with not one GOP representative or senator breaking ranks and challenging the massive irregularities endemic during the the November vote for president.