"The most deadly, dangerous, and powerful enemy of African Americans,
Latino Americans, Asian Americans, and Native Americans in general,
Women in general, the poor in general, the working class in general,
children in general, Freedom in general and Democracy in general in
American society today is the truly heinous Republican Party and their
endless number of severely bigoted and demagogic minions,
mentors, sponsors, and supporters. Anyone who doesn't know or believes
this blatantly obvious fact is not only a hopeless FOOL but ultimately
deserves their "fate.”
—Kofi Natambu, July 15, 2009
"The Republican Party is the most dangerous organisation in human history. 'Has there ever been an organisation in human history that is dedicated, with such commitment, to the destruction of organised human life on Earth?' Not that I'm aware of."
--Noam Chomsky, April 24, 2017
"Trump is not just an ethically dead aberration. Rather, he is the successor of a long line of fascists who shut down public debate, attempt to humiliate their opponents, endorse violence as a response to dissent and criticize any public display of democratic principles. The United States has reached its endpoint with Trump, and his presence should be viewed as a stern warning of the nightmare to come. Trump is not an isolated figure in US politics; he is simply the most visible and popular expression of a number of extremists in the Republican Party who now view democracy as a liability."
--Henry A. Giroux, "Fascism in Donald Trump's United States", December 8, 2015
Election 2020
At Least 140 House Republicans Expected To Challenge Electoral College Result
by Andrew Solender
December 31, 2020
Forbes
[I write about politics and the Biden transition.]
As many as 140 Republican House members are expected to object to
certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory
as part of President Donald Trump’s continued efforts to overturn his
reelection loss.
PHOTO: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), surrounded fellow House Republicans, speaks during a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol December 10, 2020 in Washington, DC. McCarthy and House Republicans discussed their desire to extend the Paycheck Protection Program and provide relief for small business owners and their employees who have been hurt by the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Getty Images
“2 House Republicans tell me they expect as of
now that at least 140 Republican Members of the House will on Jan. 6
object to and vote against the Electoral College results,” tweeted CNN
host Jake Tapper on Thursday.
Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-Va.) told Forbes a “staggering number” of his Republican House colleagues will likely object, adding, "140 certainly seems possible… I wouldn't be surprised if it were a little higher."
Riggleman said he initially expected around a hundred objections but that “pressure [is] being exerted” on House Republicans – as evidenced by state delegations putting out joint statements vowing to object to the vote.
“I would be getting pressure right now,” said Riggleman – who lost renomination to a right-wing challenger in June – adding that the vote to object “keeps their base happy, they know it’ll keep the conference happy and they know it’s not gonna win anyway.”
Riggleman said there is “not a whole lot of excitement for that vote” because most of his colleagues don’t believe in the systemic fraud Trump has alleged, echoing Sen. Ben Sasse, who said, “When we talk in private, I haven’t heard a single Congressional Republican allege that the election results were fraudulent – not one."
Just one senator has confirmed they will join the effort: Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said Wednesday he plans to object because “some states, particularly Pennsylvania, failed to follow their own state election laws” – an argument repeatedly rejected by the court.
Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-Va.) told Forbes a “staggering number” of his Republican House colleagues will likely object, adding, "140 certainly seems possible… I wouldn't be surprised if it were a little higher."
Riggleman said he initially expected around a hundred objections but that “pressure [is] being exerted” on House Republicans – as evidenced by state delegations putting out joint statements vowing to object to the vote.
“I would be getting pressure right now,” said Riggleman – who lost renomination to a right-wing challenger in June – adding that the vote to object “keeps their base happy, they know it’ll keep the conference happy and they know it’s not gonna win anyway.”
Riggleman said there is “not a whole lot of excitement for that vote” because most of his colleagues don’t believe in the systemic fraud Trump has alleged, echoing Sen. Ben Sasse, who said, “When we talk in private, I haven’t heard a single Congressional Republican allege that the election results were fraudulent – not one."
Just one senator has confirmed they will join the effort: Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said Wednesday he plans to object because “some states, particularly Pennsylvania, failed to follow their own state election laws” – an argument repeatedly rejected by the court.
Chief Critic
Hawley’s plan to object is in defiance of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has instructed members of his caucus not to object to the electoral college because the eventual vote on whether to sustain objections would put Republican senators in a difficult position. Hawley was absent from a call with Republican senators Thursday morning in which McConnell hoped to challenge him on his position, according to Politico and Axios. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) also opposes Hawley’s move.
Just 49 Republican members of Congress have publicly acknowledged Biden as president-elect – 25 House members and 24 senators, including McConnell and Toomey. Biden said during an interview with Stephen Colbert earlier this month that several Republicans called him to ask for time to recognize his victory because they are in a “tough spot” politically.
Hawley’s plan to object is in defiance of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has instructed members of his caucus not to object to the electoral college because the eventual vote on whether to sustain objections would put Republican senators in a difficult position. Hawley was absent from a call with Republican senators Thursday morning in which McConnell hoped to challenge him on his position, according to Politico and Axios. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) also opposes Hawley’s move.
Just 49 Republican members of Congress have publicly acknowledged Biden as president-elect – 25 House members and 24 senators, including McConnell and Toomey. Biden said during an interview with Stephen Colbert earlier this month that several Republicans called him to ask for time to recognize his victory because they are in a “tough spot” politically.
Big Number
9. That’s how many objections Biden himself – as President of the Senate – shut down during certification of Trump’s victory at a joint session of Congress in 2017. All the objections came from House Democrats alleging Russian meddling, voter suppression and civil rights violations, but because none had a senator backing them, Biden repeatedly said the objections “cannot be entertained” and that there was “no debate.”
Key Background
The last time a senator and a House member teamed up to challenge an electoral college vote was 2005, when Sen. Barbara Boxer and Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones challenged President George W. Bush’s 2004 victory in Ohio on the basis of civil rights violations. The objections precipitated two hours of debate in the House and one hour in the Senate before being rejected by wide margins in both chambers.
What To Watch For
The number of House members who object is non-salient in terms of the strength of objections. With Hawley’s Senate vote, the objections will result in debate but will undoubtedly be rejected by the Democrat-controlled House – and, likely, the Republican-controlled Senate. Thus, certification of the result will be delayed but not thwarted.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andrew Solender is a news reporter covering politics and the Biden transition. I have previously worked for MSNBC and Chronogram Magazine. I attended Vassar College and the London School of Economics.
9. That’s how many objections Biden himself – as President of the Senate – shut down during certification of Trump’s victory at a joint session of Congress in 2017. All the objections came from House Democrats alleging Russian meddling, voter suppression and civil rights violations, but because none had a senator backing them, Biden repeatedly said the objections “cannot be entertained” and that there was “no debate.”
Key Background
The last time a senator and a House member teamed up to challenge an electoral college vote was 2005, when Sen. Barbara Boxer and Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones challenged President George W. Bush’s 2004 victory in Ohio on the basis of civil rights violations. The objections precipitated two hours of debate in the House and one hour in the Senate before being rejected by wide margins in both chambers.
What To Watch For
The number of House members who object is non-salient in terms of the strength of objections. With Hawley’s Senate vote, the objections will result in debate but will undoubtedly be rejected by the Democrat-controlled House – and, likely, the Republican-controlled Senate. Thus, certification of the result will be delayed but not thwarted.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andrew Solender is a news reporter covering politics and the Biden transition. I have previously worked for MSNBC and Chronogram Magazine. I attended Vassar College and the London School of Economics.
PHOTO: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), surrounded fellow
House Republicans, speaks during a news conference outside the U.S.
Capitol December 10, 2020 in Washington, DC. McCarthy and House
Republicans discussed their desire to extend the Paycheck Protection
Program and provide relief for small business owners and their employees
who have been hurt by the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Drew
Angerer/Getty Images) Getty Images
