What if in 2000, during the whole presidential election crisis, Bill Clinton acted before the Supreme Court did and issued an order declaring Al Gore the winner in Florida and the election? Everyone would scream bloody murder. (Well, they did anyway, but that's not the point.) The point being is that's happened on a smaller scale in Berkeley.

I keep track of the old university once in a while and this caught my eye. The student government, ASUC, has always been a ridiculous organization, pissing away money every chance they get and holding long meetings to discuss pretty much nothing. Yet every spring, it manages attract 100 or so people to run for office, spouting off grand ideas to improve student life. After 4 years, I hadn't seen much except tons of flyers in the trash. This year, the dominant party of the last few years, Student Action, swept the executive offices but its party leader and the candidates were charged with obstruction of justice and perjury and stripped of their wins by the Judicial Council.

In his haste to settle the matter, the outgoing president, a member of Student Action, issued an executive order declaring the Student Action candidates the winners of their respective offices and that they assume their positions immediately.

Of course the entire thing smells fishy. It's probably illegal and it most likely will get worse before it gets better.

Side note: you didn't have time to hang out with us, but still I'll wish you a happy b-day Ak.