WASHINGTON: A sober, shaken Senate returned to its hallowed chamber Wednesday night to slap away a frivolous election challenge, but its secondary purpose seemed to be to rise from the wreckage of a shocking day in which they were forced to flee the Capitol by a mob of supporters of President Donald Trump.
The riot in the Capitol prompted more than half of those who had signed on to the protest to instead vote no. Catering to Trump’s supporters seemed less important than defending democracy.
Tennessee’s GOP senators abandoned the effort, as did Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., who lost her runoff election Tuesday, helping to deliver control of the Senate to Democrats. Wisconsin’s GOP Sen. Ron Johnson dropped out, as did James Lankford, R-Okla., a promising younger Republican who raised eyebrows when initially supporting the effort.
The 93-6 tally upholding President-elect Joe Biden’s win in Arizona was preceded by an unusually serious debate in which party labels were shed and…