Sen. Boxer?s office won?t confirm MSNBC, Hill claim that she will challenge electoral result
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By John Byrne | RAW STORY Editor   05 January 2005

The San Francisco office of Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) denied claims that a final decision had been made on whether she would challenge the electoral college result on the floor of the Senate Thursday. Boxer?s Washington press office has not returned RAW STORY calls for comment over the last several days.

Asked to confirm or deny reports that Sen. Boxer had made a decision to challenge, a spokesman said, ?The Senator has made no public statment on that, we are still taking down opinions and I can forward them to the senator.?

A receptionist at Boxer?s Washington office said the senator had ?no public statement.?

MSNBC reporter Chip Reid reported Wednesday afternoon that Boxer was likely to challenge, but the network has not posted a story online. Rush Limbaugh also made a similar comment during his radio program Wednesday.

A source on Capitol Hill told RAW STORY that a challenge from Boxer was expected, but would not elaborate.

If Boxer did challenge, it would be the first time a senator has challenged
  
the electoral tally since 1877.

Some suggest that it would be imprudent for Boxer to announce that she was planning a challenge in advance because it would allow others to attack the senator before the actual vote.

Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, recently announced that on January 6, he and several other members of the House will object to the counting of the Ohio electors.

Protesters convened Monday in the San Francisco office of Sen. Boxer to deliver petitions urging her to challenge Thursday?s congressional ratification of the electoral college tally, based on alleged voting improprieties.

Developing?