NYT op-ed on Congress's role counting electoral votes

I have this op-ed in today’s New York Times, “Democrats Have Been Shameless About Your Presidential Vote Too.” It begins:

As Republicans in Congress prepare to formally contest the outcome of the 2020 presidential election on Wednesday, many of them have cited precedent for their effort: similar complaints lodged by Democrats in other presidential elections. After Republican victories in 2000, 2004 and 2016, for instance, Democrats in Congress used the formal counting of electoral votes as an opportunity to challenge election results.

But the history of Democratic efforts to contest the outcomes of presidential elections is not a history worth emulating. On the contrary, it only underscores that the certification of a president-elect’s victory by the House and Senate is an improper forum for the airing of political grievances and an inappropriate occasion to readjudicate the decisions of the states concerning things like vote tallies, recounts and audits.

In today's WSJ: "Trump Can't Postpone the Election"

In today's Wall Street Journal, I have an opinion piece entitled, "Trump Can’t Postpone the Election." It begins:

‘Mark my words, I think he is going to try to kick back the election somehow,” Joe Biden recently said of President Trump during an online fundraiser. To “try” is one thing. But there are constitutional and legal reasons why a president can’t delay a federal election or extend his term of office, which should dispel any worries.

In the Los Angeles Times: "California's election rules make it hard to hold politicians accountable"

I have this piece in the Los Angeles Times entitled “California’s election rules make it hard to hold politicians accountable.” It begins:

On Dec. 18, when the House of Representatives voted to impeach President Trump, some members of California’s congressional delegation voted “yea” and some voted “nay.”

You might want to run against your representative in the 2020 election if you disagree with the way he or she voted that day. But thanks to California’s top-two primary and its March primary date, you’d have to wait until 2022.

As of Dec. 11, no one could throw his or her proverbial hat in the ring from California. In other words, every member of California’s House delegation was insulated from challengers before the impeachment vote happened. That’s not a good system for political accountability.