| This week marks the first anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection. In an op-ed for The Post, four election experts get at one root cause of the attack on the U.S. Capitol. No, not that one. What Edward B. Foley, Michael W. McConnell, Richard H. Pildes and Bradley Smith write about is the Electoral Count Act of 1887 — specifically, the way members of Congress of both parties have come to think it empowers them to second-guess slates of presidential electors designated by the states. Last Jan. 6, it was that long-simmering misconception that boiled over into violence. The message of the authors, who note that they come from across the ideological spectrum? Revise the outmoded law to make clear that Congress is not some sort of "national recount board." "If Congress has the final say, it is virtually guaranteed that partisan political calculations will overwhelm any good-faith legal judgments," they write. Better to leave any disputes with the states, where the judiciary can serve as a backstop. Maybe we should take their advice and tidy up this dusty corner of our democracy before, say, 2024?  (J. Scott Applewhite/AP) The 1876 law was never meant to turn Congress into some sort of national recount board. By Edward B. Foley, Michael W. McConnell, Richard H. Pildes and Bradley Smith ● Read more » | | | | We expect digital start-ups to fail. We don't expect them to put people's lives in danger. By Megan McArdle ● Read more » | | | | The wise way to survive today's pace of change is not to cling to the past, but to pour energy into the new. By David Von Drehle ● Read more » | | | Facebook's 24-hour ban of Greene is just the latest evidence of its irresponsibility. By Dana Milbank ● Read more » | | | | Something has happened to us, and we need to figure it out — now. By Kathleen Parker ● Read more » | | | | He should identify the crime, at least. By Jennifer Rubin ● Read more » | | | | Good, methodical work is being done, but it's time to start working up the ladder. By David Ignatius ● Read more » | | | When people invest their money in a car or truck, they expect to be able to count on it even in extraordinary conditions. By Charles Lane ● Read more » | | | | They should think back on all the conservative policies they delayed and derailed in the minority thanks to the filibuster. By Marc A. Thiessen ● Read more » | | | | Because GOP opposition is seen as a foregone conclusion, it gets far too little media scrutiny. By Greg Sargent and Paul Waldman ● Read more » | | | | It will not only help Republicans retake the House but also pull the Democrats leftward. By Henry Olsen ● Read more » | | | |
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