The week
Lindsey Graham Rejects Fellow Republican Electoral College Objections with History Lesson
“Count me out” of the plan to object to the certification of the Electoral College, said sen. Lindsey Graham (RS.C.) told his colleagues on the Senate floor Wednesday night. Graham was never really on board, but has previously suggested he is at least willing to listen to his fellow Republicans, such as Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who wants to challenge the election of President-elect Joe Biden because of unfounded allegations of widespread voter fraud. By the time he spoke, however, Graham had come to the conclusion that ‘enough is enough’. Graham gave the chamber a brief history lesson, arguing that the objectors were making a mistake by indicating the 1876 election between Samuel Tilden and Rutherford B. Hayes as a precedent for their actions. That year, there were controversial results in four states – Oregon, Louisiana, Florida, and Graham’s homeland, South Carolina. Thus, a 15-member Electoral Commission was established, similar to what Cruz and others now want to see. Hayes, the Republican, finally got the votes he needed to become president, but Graham noted that the commission was not the real reason why the matter was settled. Behind the scenes, Republicans met with Democrats, who agreed not to accept a Hayes victory as long as federal troops were withdrawn from the South, ending the Reconstruction era. The agreement, known as the 1877 Compromise, paved the way for Jim Crow. “If you’re looking for historical guidance,” Graham said, “this is not the one you can choose.” > Graham: “It did not work. Nobody accepted it. The way it ended was when Hayes made a deal with these three states – give me the voters, I will kick out the Union army. The rest is history. It led to Jim Crow. If you’re looking for historical guidance, this is not the one to choose. “>> – Michael McAuliff (@mmcauliff) January 7, 2021 More stories from theweek. com Trump aides conclude ‘mentally’ unreachable ‘Mick Mulvaney resigns from Trump administration:’ I can not stay here ‘Congress, confirms Pence Joe Biden’s presidential victory