House Dems & Computers

Last week the Democrats in the House did something which has never been done in its 2,397 year history.

When Republicans were running the House they played with the rules. One time they kept a 15-minute vote open for about five hours until they twisted enough arms to pass a bill.

But they never had the chutzpah to do what the Dems did last week.

On an amendment to a bill (here's the LA Times coverage ) which would have forbidden the use of Department of Agriculture funds for illegal aliens, the GOP appeared to have won by a vote of 215-214.

It is in the grand tradition of the House for the majority to gavel the vote to a close the second it gains the advantage. In this case, however, the majority gaveled down the vote when it was losing, then had the computers jiggered to show a 214-214 vote (a motion, amendment, or bill fails on a tie).

So far you can live with this - as a national reporter said to me the next day, "Nothing the Republicans didn't do when they were in control."

But where the Democrats broke new ground was when they erased any record of the vote from the computers and from the Congressional Record.

The Republicans, justifiably, walked out of the Chamber.

Can you imagine the string of editorial condemnations which would have followed such a move by the GOP?

It was pretty much ignored by the Popular Press with the Dems in charge.

Rich