If you watch this all the way through, and read the transcript below, the differences in the procedure of the two electoral vote certifications of these elections is clear.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQrs_5KOIRc
Though the complete text is muffled in the video,
here’s the transcript, point being that Gore did
follow the prescribed Constitutional procedure and
called for objections. For whatever godknowswhatreason,
VP Cheney did not:
REP. CHAKA FATTAH, (D) Pennsylvania: This is the one we have all been waiting for. Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the state of Florida seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that George W. Bush of the state of Texas received 25 votes for President, and Dick Cheney of the state of Wyoming received 25 votes for Vice President.
VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE: Is there an objection?
KWAME HOLMAN: There was, from Florida Congressman Alcyee Hastings.
VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE: Is the gentleman’s objection in writing, and signed by a member of the House of Representatives and by a Senator?
REP. ALCEE HASTINGS, (D) Florida: Mr. President— and I take great pride in calling you that— I must object because of the overwhelming evidence of official misconduct, deliberate fraud, and an attempt to suppress voter turnout.
VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE: (pounding gavel) The chair must remind members that under section 18, title iii, United States code, no debate is allowed in the joint session.
REP. ALCEE HASTINGS: Thank you, Mr. President. To answer your question, Mr. President, the objection is in writing, signed by a number of members of the House of Representatives, but not by a member of the Senate. Thank you, Mr. President.
KWAME HOLMAN: But that didn’t stop 13 other Democrats, primarily members of the Congressional Black Caucus, from stating similar objections.
VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE: Is the point of order in writing, and signed by a member of the House of Representatives and a Senator?
REP. CORRINE BROWN, (D) Florida: Mr. President, it is in writing and signed by several House colleagues on behalf of— and myself— the 27,000 voters of Duval County, of which 16,000 of them are African Americans that were disenfranchised in this last election.
VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE: The gentlewoman will suspend.
KWAME HOLMAN: The parade of objections lasted 20 minutes.
REP. MAXINE WATERS, (D) California: Mr. Vice President, I rise to object to the fraudulent 25 Florida electoral votes.
VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE: Is the objection in writing, and signed by a member of the House and a Senator?
REP. MAXINE WATERS: The objection is in writing, and I do not care that it is not signed by a member of the Senate. (Applause)
VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE: The chair will advise that the rules do care, and the signature of a Senator … (Laughter and applause)
KWAME HOLMAN: Through it all, the Vice President tried to remain businesslike, but he couldn’t ignore the irony of the situation in which he found himself.
REP. JESSE JACKSON, JR., (D) Illinois: And it is a sad day in America, Mr. President, when we cannot find a Senator to sign these objections. New Democratic Senators will not sign the objection, Mr. President. I object.
VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE: The gentleman will suspend. The chair thanks the gentleman from Illinois, but — hey — on the basis previously stated, the objection is not in order.
KWAME HOLMAN: Finally, Congressman Hastings stood one last time to inform the Vice President his supporters had done all they could.
VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE: (Laughs) The chair thanks the gentleman from Florida. (Laughter)
KWAME HOLMAN: With that, members of the Congressional Black Caucus quietly left the chamber. The vote tallying continued, and George W. Bush was certified as the President-elect without further interruption.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/congress/jan-june01/certified_01-08.html
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http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/procedural_guide.html
“*snip*
The Congress is scheduled to meet in joint session in the House of Representatives on January 6, 2009 to conduct the official tally of electoral votes.
The Vice President, as President of the Senate, is the presiding officer. Two tellers are appointed to open, present and record the votes of the States in alphabetical order.
The President of the Senate announces the results of the vote and declares which persons, if any, have been elected President and Vice President of the United States. The results are entered into the official journals of the House and Senate.
***The President of the Senate then calls for objections to be made.
(...also referenced by Cornell University Law School,
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/3/15.shtml ... “Upon such reading of any such certificate or paper, the President of the Senate shall call for objections, if any. Every objection shall be made in writing, and shall state clearly and concisely, and without argument, the ground thereof, and shall be signed by at least one Senator and one Member of the House of Representatives before the same shall be received.”
and likely all authorities and credible educational institutions who reference historical fact.)
If any objections are registered, they must be submitted in writing and be signed by at least one member of the House and Senate. The House and Senate would withdraw to their respective chambers to consider the merits of any objections according the procedure set out under 3 U.S.C. section 15.”
Thank you. That’s exactly what I was talking about. I had forgotten who posted it. The difference is glaring, as you say. Twenty minutes’ worth of people trying but not managing to come up with a valid objection between them all.
Versus the question not even being asked.