First Door on the Left

There are at least a few of our representatives in Congress who are earning their salaries and honoring the oaths they took to protect our Constitution and our democracy from those on the right who would see them destroyed.

Keith Olbermann reports:

Nothing is in writing and daybreak is a long way away, but it appeared all but certain in early evening Wednesday that House Democrats had secured the support of up to half a dozen Senators to formally challenge the Electoral College slate from Ohio, when the votes are opened before a joint session of Congress tomorrow.

Congressional sources tell this reporter that the house half of the written objection ? which has the declared support of more than a dozen Representatives ? is expected to be signed by Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio. Republican leadership expects the Senate signatory to be Barbara Boxer of California, but this has not yet been formalized. The Majority is also worried about the possible absence of many of its members in both houses, and the prospect that a quorum might not be achieved, leading the process into uncharted, albeit not very threatening, constitutional grounds. There is a mathematical, if not practical, chance that the ratification of the Electoral College vote could be delayed past tomorrow.

As it is, a written challenge would require the joint session to suspend for several hours, during which the Senate and the House would meet separately and debate the merits of the objection.

The ad hoc group formed by Representative John Conyers of Michigan has also today published its staff report, concluding that before, during, and after the election in Ohio, many state laws may have been broken, in every area ranging from the allocation of voting machines, election day “anomalies,” and the recount. It recommended a formal Congressional inquiry, and additional legislation to reform voting laws.

We shall learn tomorrow whether we have a democracy left to protect.

Gonzales Promises Non-Torture Policy

WASHINGTON (AP) - Attorney General nominee Alberto Gonzales is promising senators that he will abide by treaties prohibiting the torture of prisoners, despite deriding the restraints as relics in 2002.

White House counsel Gonzales, in line to become the first Hispanic attorney general, had a hand in much of the White House’s post-Sept. 11 terrorism policies as President Bush’s top lawyer.

His confirmation hearing Thursday offered Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee a fresh chance to criticize Gonzales and the advice he gave Bush. Among the most contentious matters is a memo Gonzales wrote in January 2002 in which he argued that the fight against terrorism “renders obsolete” the Geneva Conventions’ prohibitions against torture.

A month later, Bush signed an order declaring he had the authority to bypass the accords “in this or future conflicts.” Bush’s order also said the Geneva treaty’s references to prisoners of war did not apply to al-Qaida or “unlawful combatants” from the Taliban…

In testimony prepared for his hearing, Gonzales said Bush has made clear that the government will defend Americans from terrorists “in a manner consistent with our nation’s values and applicable law, including our treaty obligations.”

Gonzales added, “I pledge that, if I am confirmed as attorney general, I will abide by those commitments,” according to the testimony obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press.

Anne Applebaum: Does the Right Remember Abu Ghraib?

Robert Scheer: Backing Gonzales Is Backing Torture.

Via The Blue Lemur…

Ohio Republican Secretary of State brags about delivering Ohio for Bush in gubernatorial fundraising letter.

You’ll have to read it yourself to believe it. It’s a pretty amazing letter.

As you are reading, remember that this is the man who was charged with the responsibility of ensuring that the election in Ohio was fair and that every citizen of that state had an equal opportunity to vote and have his or her vote counted.