Boxer lives up to her name - Begin Round One

from CNN.com

House Democrats involved in this year's protest worked for weeks to enlist the support of a senator, and Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-California, agreed in a letter Wednesday to join the effort.

"I have concluded that objecting to the electoral votes from Ohio is the only immediate way to bring these issues to light by allowing you to have a two-hour debate to let the American people know the facts surrounding Ohio's election," Boxer wrote to Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, D-Ohio. "I will therefore join you in your objection to the certification of Ohio's electoral votes."

Good. At least now the mainstream media has no choice but to report the background of this issue. We'll see if they frame it as political sour grapes (the way the White House spokesman did), as a waste of taxpayer dollars (as the clearly partisan Ohio election officials did), or as a necessary step to ensure that the world's pre-eminent democracy is administering its elections fairly, properly, and in a non-partisan fashion.

The Conyers report indicates some very disturbing tactics were used both to supress voter turnout and to invalidate (disenfranchise) votes cast in the Presidential election. There also exists a lingering question over the wisdom of relying on tabulation systems that have no capability of providing a legitimate recount, if one is needed. Then there's the issue of the vulnerability of these voting terminals to hackers and re-programming.

Ultimately, there can never be complete confidence in the results of elections unless there is standardization of voting, based on a "least-common denominator" technology. Just an aside here - something for later debate perhaps - How can politically appointed election officals ever be truly non-partisan? Are you listening, Mr. Blackwell? Ms. LoParo?

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