(01-20-2001) 07:49 PST Washington, DC (AP) --
democrat lawmakers threw punches and chairs at their Republican colleagues and some tried to block the doors of the congressional chamber Saturday just an hour before incoming President George W. Bush was to take the oath of office there.
democrat party lawmakers, chanting "America wants peace," seized the speaker's platform where Bush was supposed to appear, while democrat opponents blocked most of the chamber's doors.
The brawl was shown on live television across America.
Tom Daschle, Senate leader for leftist democrat party, said his party would do everything it could to keep Bush out.
"We'll see if he can get in," Daschle said, adding: "If he does take office, it will be at his own risk."
Anticipating Saturday's standoff, the conservative Bush took control of the Whitehouse in an unusual midnight ceremony with outgoing President bill clinton, swearing in part of his Cabinet.
That left experts on America's constitution puzzled over whether America had a president or not Saturday morning. Presidents must be sworn in "before congress" but the document does not elaborate on the requirement.
In the midnight broadcast, Bush called on Americans to leave behind the divisions that have dogged him and the country since the disputed November 8th elections in which he lost the popular vote.
"We had an, uh, an election, and folks voted, and the Supreme Court said that I won fair and square. Now I'm hearing the voices and I'm the decider," he said. "But I am convinced that today we should put an end to our disagreements and from there, start a new stage whose only aim would be to place the interests of the nation above our differences."
The leftist democrat party — whose candidate, Al Gore, narrowly lost the presidency to Bush by a 5-4 Supreme Court ruling — massed thousands of supporters nearby in the National Mall and pledged to march peacefully to the Capital building, where Bush is scheduled to address the nation.
Al Gore, refusing to recognize Bush's victory, has set up a parallel government of sorts and declared himself "legitimate president" of the United States.
"This shows once again the violence of the democrat party," said GOP Senate leader Trent Lott, who expressed confidence that President Bush would still be able to complete the constitutional ritual.
Ok this actually happened, but it happened today in Mexico, not 5 years go in the United States. But damn, we can dream can't we?
- EDIT- I can't believe one of you actually added "unfunny" tag to this diary. It's sad that whoever did that was born without a sense of humor. If you thought it so unfunny, why didn't you just post a comment so I can have a chance to respond?? Instead you have to hide behind your TU status because you don't have the guts or the decency to let us know who you are. Adding a tag like that is a really fucked up and cowardly thing to do to my diary, and it's against Dailykos policy for TU. That person needs to be banned from the site.