It looks a lot like it's over. The Electoral College vote was taken on December 18, and now all that's left to do is for the Republicans and the media pundits to keep telling us to rally around their guy because, after all, he won. It doesn't matter that he didn't win fair and square, because he still got all the electoral votes he needs to be called POTUS (and, I suppose, the right to have the same embroidered on a nice new jacket). Plus, as we've all heard, we need "closure" on this thing that has happened. We need to "heal". The coup in Florida is complete, and it appears very little can be done to nullify the state's tainted electoral votes except to hope that some US Senator or Representative has the cajones -- and enough of a conscience -- to stand up on January 6th and challenge them. If one does this will buy exactly two hours of debate in whichever house the challenge is made before the final rubber-stamp certification can take place.

But while we've all been dazzled by the stunning grab for power by Bush and Cheney in Florida, and distracted by their tortured logic as to why the votes in Martin and Seminole Counties (that were clearly illegal) are legal, and why the under-votes in Miami-Dade and Duval Counties (that were clearly legal) are illegal, be aware that the pea is still in play in this shell game.

The pea has changed, now. Instead of trying to hide votes in Florida, the Republicans are trying to muff their way past a problem that Bush and Cheney have with the Constitution. They'd have you believe that it is a small problem, and one that they had "handled" back in July. The little problem that the Bush/Cheney ticket has is with the 12th Amendment to the US Constitution, which says that the electors of a state may not cast their votes for two individuals who are inhabitants of the same state as they are.

When Mr. Cheney was invited to have an audience with the dauphin-who-would-be-king last summer, to discuss the vice-presidency, they obviously anticipated a problem with the 12th Amendment. That's why we were all treated to news reports showing Cheney arriving in Jackson Hole, Wyoming to register as a voter there. It was to show us all that he's really from Wyoming, even though he lives in Dallas, and worked at Halliburton until he left to be Bush's running mate. Immediately after he registered, he got back on his plane, and returned to his Texas residence. I don't think he even stopped at his property in Jackson Hole to pee. This was supposed to convince us all that he's not a Texan anymore, but rather, he's from Wyoming.

The Texas electors are all from Texas (duh). George W. Bush is and will remain a legal resident of Texas - even after he takes up squatters' rights at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Richard Cheney has been a legal resident of Texas since he moved there to take over Halliburton in 1995, the same year he bought his Highland Park residence. The ONLY thing he's done to show he's from Wyoming, not Texas, is to register to vote in Wyoming last July (although after the election he listed his house for sale, and was frightened into getting a Wyoming driver's license, too).

As property owners, and as legal residents of Texas, Mr. and Mrs. Cheney have filed their federal income taxes from there since 1995. They have registered and paid taxes on all but one of their vehicles there since 1995. Mr. Cheney was registered to vote there until this past summer, and Mrs. Cheney is STILL registered to vote in Texas (are they planning to separate?). Mr. Cheney changed his driver's license to Wyoming, which nullified his Texas license, but Mrs. Cheney has not surrendered her Texas drivers' license, nor applied for one from Wyoming (again, are they planning to separate?). Until after the election, the Cheneys had a standing request at the United States Post Office in Jackson Hole, Wyoming that any and all mail addressed to them be forwarded to their home in Texas.  But, if all this isn't enough to convince someone that Mr. Cheney is not from Wyoming, there's more.  The Cheneys also claimed what is called the General Homestead Exemption on their property taxes on their Highland Park home, starting in 1995, and up to November 30, 2000 when the sale of the home was closed.  (Continued on NEXT PAGE)