U.S. Senator Cruz leads long-shot Republican bid to overturn Biden's victory

[rooster59]

U.S. Senator Cruz leads long-shot Republican bid to overturn Biden's victory

By Jason Lange and Timothy Gardner

 

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) speaks at a campaign event ahead of runoff races in Georgia for control of U.S. Senate, in Cumming, Georgia, U.S., January 2, 2021. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senator Ted Cruz on Saturday said he will spearhead a drive by nearly a dozen Republican senators to challenge President-elect Joe Biden’s victory when Electoral College results are tallied in Congress on Jan. 6 – a largely symbolic move that has virtually no chance of preventing Biden from taking office.

 

Cruz's effort is in defiance of Senate Republican leaders, who have argued that the Senate's role in certifying the election is largely ceremonial and had been looking to avoid an extended debate on the floor about the outcome.

 

In a statement, Cruz, the U.S. senator from Texas, and the other 10 senators said they intend to vote to reject electors from states that have been at the center of President Donald Trump’s unproven assertions of election fraud. They said Congress should immediately appoint a commission to conduct an emergency 10-day audit of election results in those states.

 

"Once completed, individual states would evaluate the commission's findings and could convene a special legislative session to certify a change in their vote, if needed," they said.

 

It was not immediately clear which states would be subject to the proposed audit, Cruz's office said.

 

Democrats and some moderate Republicans blasted the move by the senators as undemocratic. A spokesman for the Biden campaign, Michael Gwin, dismissed the move as theater that is not supported by any evidence.

 

"This stunt won’t change the fact that President-elect Biden will be sworn in on Jan. 20, and these baseless claims have already been examined and dismissed by Trump’s own attorney general, dozens of courts, and election officials from both parties," he said.

 

The push for an audit is a political stunt that will not affect the outcome of the election, said Derek Muller, a law professor at the University of Iowa.

 

Muller said that, while the 1887 law governing how lawmakers validate the election is murky, most scholars believe that Congress lacks the legal authority to require the audit.

 

Even if lawmakers had that power, a majority of both chambers would need to support the audit, and there is virtually no chance of the proposal having that level of support, he said.

 

Biden beat Trump by a 306-232 margin in the Electoral College.

 

Under the Electoral College system, "electoral votes" are allotted to states and the District of Columbia based on their congressional representation.

 

Trump has been encouraging Republicans to prevent Biden from taking office, although there is no viable mechanism for them to do so.

 

Legal challenges by Trump and his allies in the courts to overturn the election results have met with resounding failure. On Friday, a federal judge threw out a lawsuit brought by Representative Louie Gohmert that sought to allow Vice President Mike Pence, who presides over the Congressional tally, to declare Trump the victor on Jan. 6.

 

Pence's chief of staff, Marc Short, said in a statement on Saturday that lawmakers have the right to raise their objections.

 

"The Vice President welcomes the efforts of members of the House and Senate to use the authority they have under the law to raise objections and bring forward evidence before the Congress and the American people on Jan. 6," Short said.

 

The effort by Cruz and other Republicans comes days after Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri became the first sitting member of the Senate to announce he would challenge the election result. A number of Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives also plan on contesting the vote tally.

 

Cruz was joined in the statement by Senators Ron Johnson, James Lankford, Steve Daines, John Kennedy, Marsha Blackburn, Mike Braun, along with Senators-elect Cynthia Lummis, Tommy Tuberville, Bill Hagerty, and Roger Marshall, all of whom will be sworn in as senators on Sunday in the new Congress.

 

In Cruz's statement, the senators said they did not necessarily expect their gambit to succeed.

 

"We are not naïve. We fully expect most if not all Democrats, and perhaps more than a few Republicans, to vote otherwise," they said.

 

Several Republicans senators have said they do not support any effort to derail the certification of the Electoral College vote.

 

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the Senate’s top Republican, acknowledged Biden’s victory on Dec. 15 and has urged other Republicans to refrain from objecting on Jan. 6.

 

Republican Senator Pat Toomey of swing state Pennsylvania, who is set to retire, criticized Cruz and others for undermining the will of voters to choose their leaders and said Trump's loss in his state is due to the decline in suburban support for the president and loss of support in most rural counties, not fraud.

 

"I intend to vigorously defend our form of government by opposing this effort to disenfranchise millions of voters in my state and others," he said.

 

Utah Senator Mitt Romney, the only Republican to vote to impeach Trump for seeking help from a foreign government to investigate his political rival, expressed dismay at his party's support of the effort to overturn election results.

 

"I could never have imagined seeing these things in the greatest democracy in the world. Has ambition so eclipsed principle?" Romney said in a statement.

 

(Reporting by Jason Lange, Tim Gardner, Jan Wolfe, Trevor Hunnicutt and Valerie Volcovici; Writing by James Oliphant; Editing by Noeleen Walder, Diane Craft, Daniel Wallis and David Gregorio)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-01-03

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

 

 

[herfiehandbag]

8 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

"I could never have imagined seeing these things in the greatest democracy in the world. Has ambition so eclipsed principle?" Romney said in a statement.

Yes, absolutely. Cruz and his mates have chosen to act thus, because they have reckoned that Trump will retain control of the Republican Party, and they wish to have his support. Not least with an eye on 2024.

Edited January 3, 2021 by herfiehandbag

[Surelynot]

Cruz......Probably one of the most disgusting human beings to have ever walked on the Earth.

[herfiehandbag]

15 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

Cruz......Probably one of the most disgusting human beings to have ever walked on the Earth.

Could certainly benefit from the attention of of a decent barber!

 

He is a disciple of Trump, so is excused morals, ethics, and a belief in democracy

Edited January 3, 2021 by herfiehandbag

[teatime101]

36 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

"I could never have imagined seeing these things in the greatest democracy in the world."

The US election system is far from being democratic. It needs a complete redesign. All citizens should be eligible to vote and they should elect one representative for their district. The Australian system is an excellent model, with compulsory and preferential voting. Nobody with a criminal record should lose the right to vote.

 

Significantly reducing the power of the president would be a big improvement.

Edited January 3, 2021 by teatime101

[TooBigToFit]

No doubt there are probably some stooges here and there working in in the election process who might try to add a few votes if they think they can get away with it but the numbers aren't there for any real amount to change the winner. And those stooges willing to try to send in an extra ballot or play with a few ballots at an election site come from both sides.  With that said, if there were large scale fraud proven, people need to be jailed for this crime. And if there isn't any large scale fraud found which seems to be the case and still some want to overturn the election results through their positions, those people should faces charges and be jailed for their crimes. My guess is Trump thinks his pardons will work up to the last minute of his presidency so all the stooges like Cruz will get pardoned after their coup attempt.

[mtls2005]

I'm sure it makes sense to some here but it seems weird that red state senators are telling blue states what to do.

 

Surely any "voter fraud" must have occured in red states too?

 

Also weird how cruz is trying to out-trump hawley et al.

 

Not sure who this guy is/was?

 

 

 

 

 

[Phoenix Rising]

Maybe some good can come out of this stinking mess:

 

Fox news: Rep.-elect Madison Cawthorn, 25, wants to create 'new Republican Party' that inspires young people

 

The perfect scenario; trump and his band of [what HRC said], including ted cruz and the rest of the bottom dwelling GOP establishment stay in the doomed "GOP" while the republicans who have not lost touch with reality form a new party on the right, a party the Dems can actually work with.

[pegman]

 I agree Ted Cruz should be charged with sedation. Then judged, convicted and deported to his birth country. Unfortunately I live there and we sure as hell don't want him and won't take him back. If he is such a proponent of one party rule then maybe he should be sent to his father's homeland, Cuba, where they can accommodate his belief. 

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) speaks at a campaign event ahead of runoff races in Georgia for control of U.S. Senate, in Cumming, Georgia, U.S., January 2, 2021. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage

 

 

Now and a few years ago. Somehow I think it's almost funny when some of those American politicians change their look to that wilderness rough guy look. Do right wing voters like that look?

 

 

[mtls2005]

9 minutes ago, Phoenix Rising said:

the republicans who have not lost touch with reality form a new party on the right

 

Madison Cawthorn? Reality? Good one.

 

 

[Eric Loh]

When will this subversion of democracy stopped. US is a laughing stock in the global community because of these minority of GOP lawmakers who are pandering to Trump’s base and not acknowledging the legitimate votes of the majority. Chinese social media users watched the aftermath of the election with bemusement and mockery. Most chided Trump attempt to destroy the appearance of American democracy. Just shocking the even China pour scorn on American democracy with a smirk on their faces. 
 

 

[Chomper Higgot]

I’m looking forward to what deranged minds will offer as Trump’s path to the WH after January 6.

 

I expect a few hours silence while someone dreams up something stupid, then a full-on blast of ‘on message’ repetitions of what has been ‘passed’ down.

 

 

Edited January 3, 2021 by Chomper Higgot

[pixelaoffy]

37 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

I'm sure it makes sense to some here but it seems weird that red state senators are telling blue states what to do.

 

Surely any "voter fraud" must have occured in red states too?

 

Also weird how cruz is trying to out-trump hawley et al.

 

Not sure who this guy is/was?

 

A hypocrite and political opportunist..scum 

 

 

 

 

[spidermike007]

Ambition, combined with a blind sense of fealty to the master, has absolutely eclipsed loyalty to democracy, honor, decency, truth, righteousness, dignity, common sense, and reason. The republican congressmen and senators who support Trump's election fraud nonsense, are absolute traitors to their nation. Cruz is chief amongst them. If he ever had any credibility, it is gone, baby gone. Even McConnell has come to his senses, after years of supporting the divider in chief. 

Edited January 3, 2021 by spidermike007

[Jeffr2]

What a disgusting politician.  He should be tried for sedition.  Hopefully, the new Biden AG will do just that.

 

The GOP party is seriously broken.

[Kelsall]

All this is going to do is cause an extended debate where more facts will come out.  Nothing wrong with that.

Go for it, Ted!

Edited January 3, 2021 by Kelsall

[Kelsall]

2 hours ago, Surelynot said:

Cruz......Probably one of the most disgusting human beings to have ever walked on the Earth.

Looking at his picture in the OP, I see your point. ????

[Phoenix Rising]

7 minutes ago, Kelsall said:

All this is going to do is cause an extended debate where more facts will come out.  Nothing wrong with that.

Go for it, Ted!

More facts? After weeks of investigation by an army of GOP lawyers who have all been summarily dismissed when they've brought their "facts" to the courts do you really think there are more "facts" to be unearthed? Seriously??

[Kelsall]

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

  A spokesman for the Biden campaign, Michael Gwin, dismissed the move as theater that is not supported by any evidence.

Biden himself should chime in, perhaps with one of his firey speeches!

Edited January 3, 2021 by Kelsall

[placeholder]

12 minutes ago, Kelsall said:

Biden himself should chime in, perhaps with one of his firey speeches!

Ya mean blow smoke like Trump?

[ChouDoufu]

28 minutes ago, Phoenix Rising said:

More facts? After weeks of investigation by an army of GOP lawyers who have all been summarily dismissed when they've brought their "facts" to the courts do you really think there are more "facts" to be unearthed? Seriously??

 

it's time for trump to finally release the kraken!  obama's kenyan birth certificate he claims to have.....

[Phoenix Rising]

18 minutes ago, Kelsall said:

Biden himself should chime in, perhaps with one of his firey speeches!

Wow, game, set and match...

[Jeffr2]

48 minutes ago, Kelsall said:

All this is going to do is cause an extended debate where more facts will come out.  Nothing wrong with that.

Go for it, Ted!

Sad supposedly patriotic Americans are OK with sedition.  Look it up...horrible what these people are doing.  And getting others to believe the BS, like yourself.

 

NO fraud.  Great elections.  A man child for a president.

[Jeffr2]

26 minutes ago, Kelsall said:

Biden himself should chime in, perhaps with one of his firey speeches!

After 4 years of 'firey' speeches by Trump, we've had enough.  Bland is great.

[johnnybangkok]

52 minutes ago, Kelsall said:

All this is going to do is cause an extended debate where more facts will come out.  Nothing wrong with that.

Go for it, Ted!

The GOP and Trumps “elite” lawyers have done nothing but present their “facts” since the election, failing in 59 court cases and ultimately before the Supreme Court. What you are seeing here is nothing short of a systematic undermining of the US democratic process, bordering on a coup. 
Why “patriots” like yourself are not up in arms about this obvious abuse speaks volumes about what you put first; Trump or country. 

[mtls2005]

1 hour ago, Jeffr2 said:

What a disgusting politician.

 

He's Raphael, from Calgary. 

 

Another Whig republican Sen, from Montana chimes in. Of course he easily won reelection by 10+ points in a state where almost all counties sent every voter a mail ballot and about 87% of the electorate voted by mail. 

 

 

[bendejo]

Looks like they're now starting to gang up on their own

Pro-Trump Lawyer Lin Wood's Claims Against Mike Pence Prompt Calls for FBI, Secret Service Scrutiny

 

 

[bannork]

The sands of time are running out, Donald.

[Jeffr2]

10 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

 

He's Raphael, from Calgary. 

 

Another Whig republican Sen, from Montana chimes in. Of course he easily won reelection by 10+ points in a state where almost all counties sent every voter a mail ballot and about 87% of the electorate voted by mail. 

 

 

This guy is a nutter.  Sad some voted for him.  The big problem is the electoral college. And gerrymandering by the states, and GOP.  Change is desperately needed.  Along with redoing the senate so states like Montana don't have more influence than, say, Texas.