September 4, 2004
An interesting article today in USA Today about what might happen if the electoral college is tied.
The Constitution outlines what follows in case of a tie, which has happened only once, in 1800. The newly elected House of Representatives chooses the president from the top three finishers; each state has one vote. The newly elected Senate chooses the vice president; each senator has a vote.
(In 1800, running mates Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr each received 73 electoral votes, and the House gave Jefferson the presidency. Four years later, the 12th Amendment was ratified; it allows parties to nominate tickets rather than have candidates for president and vice president in effect compete with each other.)
This time, the process presumably would favor Bush. Republicans control 30 of the 50 state delegations in the House; the GOP almost certainly will keep control in the November elections. Republicans now have 51 Senate seats. But if Democrats regain an edge in the Senate — which is conceivable — the choice for vice president could get interesting.
A George W. Bush-John Edwards administration?
Electoral math offers number of nightmares
Mr. Bush also took issue with Mr. Kerry’s argument, in an interview at the end of May with The New York Times, that the Bush administration’s focus on Iraq had given North Korea the opportunity to significantly expand its nuclear capability. Showing none of the alarm about the North’s growing arsenal that he once voiced regularly about Iraq, he opened his palms and shrugged when an interviewer noted that new intelligence reports indicate that the North may now have the fuel to produce six or eight nuclear weapons.
He said that in North Korea’s case, and in Iran’s, he would not be rushed to set deadlines for the countries to disarm, despite his past declaration that he would not “tolerate” nuclear capability in either nation. He declined to define what he meant by “tolerate.”
“I don’t think you give timelines to dictators,” Mr. Bush said, speaking of North Korea’s president, Kim Jong Il, and Iran’s mullahs. He said he would continue diplomatic pressure - using China to pressure the North and Europe to pressure Iran - and gave no hint that his patience was limited or that at some point he might consider pre-emptive military action.
“I’m confident that over time this will work - I certainly hope it does,” he said of the diplomatic approach. Mr. Kerry argued in his interview that North Korea “‘was a far more compelling threat in many ways, and it belonged at the top of the agenda,” but Mr. Bush declined to compare it to Iraq, apart from arguing that Iraq had defied the world community for longer than the other members of what he once called “the axis of evil.” Nor would he assess the risk that Pyongyang might sell nuclear material to terrorists, though his national security aides believe it may have sold raw uranium to Libya in recent years.
David E. Sanger and Elisabeth Bumiller
The New York Times
I guess Saddam wasn’t really a dictator, since he did give Saddam a timeline.
Ah, yes, holiday.
And I’m off to work. And it will be slow, and I won’t make any money.
Dammit.
Bill Clinton awaits heart surgery next week
Best wishes to the 42nd President of the United States and his family.
“The former president went to Northern Westchester Hospital yesterday afternoon after experiencing mild chest pain and shortness of breath. Initial testing was normal and he spent the night at home in nearby Chappaqua, New York. After undergoing additional testing this morning at Westchester Medical Center, doctors advised he should undergo bypass surgery.”
I was on my second to last delivery when I tripped over a potted plant. Thanks for leaving it on your walk, folks. Scraped the hell out of my leg, and I didn’t even notice I was bleeding until I got back to the store and my leg was red.
Here’s an idea: if you’re not going to turn on your damn porch light, at least make sure you haven’t left any huge pots lying around randomly where innocent pizza guys can trip over them, ok?
