Democratic lawmakers considering challenge to Trump's Electoral College victory

[DonViejo]

Source: Politico

By KYLE CHENEY 01/05/17 12:13 PM EST

Several House Democrats are weighing a formal challenge to Donald Trump’s election on Friday, when Congress meets in joint session to certify Trump’s Electoral College victory.

Reps. Ed Perlmutter of Colorado, Bobby Scott of Virginia and Jamie Raskin of Maryland are among a group of Democrats eyeing challenges.

Members have the right to lodge those protests when Congress officially counts the electoral votes on Friday. But for the protests to have any effect on the proceedings, they’ll need to secure the backing of at least one senator, and it’s unclear whether any Senate Democrats are weighing a similar challenge.

Either way, there’s effectively no chance the protests will alter the actual election outcome, given Republican control of Congress. Instead, the effort could give Democrats a new venue to protest Trump’s victory. And if the Democrats can secure a senator’s support, the challenges could delay the certification of Trump’s victory for hours while the House and Senate separately debate the merits of each protested electoral college vote.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/trump-electoral-victory-democratic-challenge-233224

[brooklynite]

1. If "sending a message" makes you happy...

It won't change the outcome; nor will it change any voters' opinions.

[MFM008]

9. sending a message makes me happy

first to maggot------------------anything to give him severe heartburn
second to my senators.................................grow a pair....even my 2 women senators.

[elleng]

23. Ditto and

glad to see my new Representative, Jamie Raskin, is among those setting this up.

[KamaAina]

2. One senator? How about Bernie?

[brooklynite]

11. Why should he?

Has he made any comments to the effect that the Electoral College vote was flawed?

[PoliticAverse]

3. Key point - for a formal challenge you need at least one House Member _and_ one Senator...

to make such a challenge.

In the Bush - Gore election some House members challenged but not a single Senator joined in.

[wryter2000]

6. I'll never forget that

Watching people of color (It was the Congressional Black Caucus) trying to do the right thing, and the Senate sitting on their hands. That was the hardest part of Fahrenheit 911 to watch. I was so grateful to Barbara Boxer for joining the challenge in 2005. It didn't change anything, unfortunately.

[Generator]

26. I remember that well

At this moment in history, I am taking names. Sorry but the lines are drawn for me. NO MORE passes. it's not purity test now its life and death and which side of history you decide to be on. The White Rose society didn't change anything either during Htler's reign nor did the French Resistance. But we remember them fondly. The collaborators not so much.

[Hekate]

7. Not even -- well, apparently no one

[triron]

4. Looks like dem senators

are whitewashing Trump too.

[SCantiGOP]

5. He got more votes

He won. That's how democracy works.

[denbot]

8. Hillary got more votes..

Trump got more Putin, that's how Oligarchy's work.

[SCantiGOP]

12. You are correct

I meant he got more electoral votes.
I'm just a bit confused as to why people are wasting time here with Alex Jones type scenarios that they think might keep Trump from taking the office on Jan20.

[No Vested Interest]

15. It's not a bad idea and not wasting time to keep making the point

that the person who received the most Electoral College votes fell nearly 3million votes short of his opponent, and therefore does not have the mandate he and his colleagues maintain they have.
That lack of a mandate can be brought up every day for the next 4 years, as far as I'm concerned.
His policies and behaviors should never be normalized - the damage may be forever.

[Ligyron]

18. Precisely.

This needs to be brought up at every possible opportunity on every level available. Whether someone thinking it will do any "good" is way beside the point.

Once Trump and his buddies start screwing up come the end of this month, we need to be able to say to his deplorables "Well ... we tried to tell you, sorry about your total lack of healthcare, now we're all screwed, huh. Back to the coal mines? wadda ya mean it isn't happening? He promised!"

[Generator]

28. This is not Alex Jones

They are doing whatever they feel is correct at this moment in history. Don't know why you are so eager to see DonnyPutin take the throne. It was really insulting to say Alex Jones and that pissed me off greatly! Alex Jones says Clinton is a murderer this is not the SAME.

[SCantiGOP]

30. I said

an Alex Jones type scenario. I am not "eager" to see DonnyPutin take the throne, but I am resigned to the fact that Trump will take the oath of office.
Sorry you are so pissed off greatly.

[denbot]

36. Go ahead and lay down and roll over

I prefer to fight, city by city, block by block, house by house. Fuck this shit!

[MFM008]

37. never be resigned to tyranny

even voted for by other stupid Americans.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

13. I'm not so sure I agree with you 100% on your police work there, Lou.

[atreides1]

14. Democracy works by rule of law

http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/least-50-trump-electors-were-illegitimately-seated-electoral-college-members


“Specifically, at least 16 electors lived outside the congressional districts they represented in violation of state statutory residency requirements, and at least 34 electors held dual offices, in direct violation of statutes prohibiting dual-office holding,”


He received more electoral votes, Hillary Clinton received more popular votes...to the tune of almost 3 million more then Trump!

[onenote]

38. Yes, and the evidence regarding the so-called illegitimate electors is dubious

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=8434687

[Coolest Ranger]

19. No let me remind you how "he won"

1. Cross check

2. 2 billion dollars of free media

3. Gerrymandering

4. Reducing polling station

5. negative ads against Hillary Clinton

6. Voters staying home pissed off because a certain candidate they like did not get iin

7. Jill Stein

8. Gary Johnson

[Generator]

31. You forgot Russia!

(reminds me of that moment when Bush said "you forgot Poland" oh good times) And Jill Stein is also a Russian stooge. Also don't forget our good friends at the FBI!

[Coolest Ranger]

39. I knew

I left something out

[MFM008]

33. lol

you still getting your news by pony express? HRC won by 2.9 million votes.
Maggot got the electoral college because apparently California and New York voters no longer count....
The electoral college is not democratic , last time I checked the vote of the people was.

[bowens43]

35. check again......

[MFM008]

41. check what again?

That she won 2.9 million votes?
Ahead of the asshole?
That he only won the EC?
what part isnt true?

[Hoyt]

10. Hope they decide not to pursue the challenge, it won't change anything at this point.

[Plucketeer]

20. Yeah

We've ignored SO MANY inequities in this election. Screwed up tallies and vote counts: fugettabouttit! - more machine registered votes than ballots: fugettaboutit! - determined blocking of ballot counts by hand: fugettaboutit! - the CrossCheck fiasco: fugettaboutit! - the impediments thrown up to short change minority voters: fugettaboutit!. Why get worked up at all? What's a few more screwings? If we get enough of them, we might actually grow fond of them!

[Hoyt]

24. It's a technicality. I bet some Clinton delegates were improperly credentialed too.

It's not going to change anything.

[Plucketeer]

27. You're probably Right

Why DO WE have nuisance laws like that anyway?

[MFM008]

34. why are we democrats

afraid to give pig shit some grief?
We don't want to upset little maggot?
No we don't want to give him anything to TWIT about because it wont change anything.
Dont shake a jello bowl.

[Hoyt]

40. Rather than look like a whining loser, I prefer to concentrate on things that will matter.

[MFM008]

42. So anyone that complains is a whining loser?

we should just lay down and take it from this horrible creature.
No thanks
not me.

[Hoyt]

43. Vain efforts to block Trump at this point, look like we are a bunch of whining losers, not unlike

GOPers in 2008-2016. I prefer to be better than GOPers.

Challenging the electoral votes would be a technicality at best, and Clinton votes would probably be challenged too. At best we end up with Pence as Prez, and I don't think we accomplish anything with that. More likely they certify new Trump electors or re-certify the original ones.

[MFM008]

45. Sigh

We always try to be better than the GOP and we lose.
May make someone feel good inside but then WE have to watch THEM make the rules WE have to follow.

[orangecrush]

16. Good!

I hope Trump is repaid for the "birth certificate" fiasco, and then some.

I see every act of resistance as worthy and commendable.

[Generator]

29. Thank you!

[elmac]

17. Don't consider it

Just DO IT! If this blatant voter suppression and russian interference happened in any other country the election would be null and void.

[Plucketeer]

22. That's what boggles my mind

Shit - we send voting monitors to other countries so they can judge the validity of the results. Yet HERE.... in the supposed cradle of democracy - we just knuckle under without so much as a whimper. Yeah, that's what I went to war for. And thank you for your disrespect!

[turbinetree]

21. Just called Senator Cardin's office to ask him to stand with these Democrats

to challenge this electoral vote. He hasn't issued a statement yet or if he would support this.
Van Hollen is going to look into and that this is the first time that he has heard about but the aid will pass it along


Wado

[Plucketeer]

25. I called Cardin too.

I hope he or ANY other Senator has the cahones to stand up for the American people.

[turbinetree]

32. We will see, he's pretty laid back, but when riled he does fight

I explained to them that these congressional leaders need just one senator, and when I called Van Hollen office they didn't know anything about this challenge, now they do, lets hope , it will start the recovery, that this twit doesn't have a mandate, and neither does Eddie Munster and the turtle, they lost seats and we gained even in gerrymandered system, and by 3 millions votes

Going to the protests this upcoming s**t day, when a racist swears in a racists.

[Plucketeer]

44. What really boggles my mind

is the apathy I see about this here on DU. We RAIL ON about how our Dem reps won't FIGHT. And then the folks here say: "Won't make a difference - why bother?" If Clinton had the same sort of debacle going on, the Rethugs would be ALL OVER IT like rabid dogs.

So WTF do we have these laws for???? Here's the "voter fraud" the thugs are so angry about! Let's air it out!

[YOHABLO]

46. What about the 50 electors that were ineligible to vote and voted anyway?