Bush formally becomes President

Congress formally approved the electoral vote results today in spite of a more than three-hour delay caused by Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-Ohio) and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif).

One by one and in alphabetical order, certificates of each state's electoral votes were withdrawn from ceremonial mahogany boxes and read aloud. The session usually goes quickly, but when Ohio's votes were read 16 minutes into the meeting, Tubbs Jones and Boxer issued their challenge to Ohio's 20 electoral votes. The state had put Bush over the top.

By law, a protest signed by members of the House and Senate requires both chambers to meet separately for up to two hours to consider it. The Senate session lasted just over an hour and ended when the chamber voted 74-1 to uphold Ohio's votes, with Boxer the lone vote. The House used its full time and upheld the Ohio results, 267-31.

It was rumored earlier that Russ Feingold was considering joining Boxer in the challenge.

Kevin at Lakeshore Laments notes how Wisconsin's House members voted on the question of whether they agreed to the formal objection.

Here are how the Wisconsin 8 voted. A "Yea" vote was a vote to continue this madness. (GOP, Dems)

Yeas: None

Nays: Green, Moore, Obey, Petri, Ryan, Sensenbrenner

Not Voting: Baldwin, Kind

Yes, my thoughts too. Someone laced Gwen Moore's coffee this morning, or else she's thinking this would be a bad way to start a Congressional career.

Kevin adds this insightful prediction about Rep. Gwen Moore:

Only 58 more days to go before she goes crazy!!