I was the original poster of this and can't comment anonymously, so I am posting this addendum. Thank you to CBridge for getting us the answer to that question. It is clear from that process that, if the 2 candidates end up with 269 ev's each, Republicans would end up with another four years in the White House. Unless I'm missing something.
Clearly, the House of Representatives is tilted to the Republicans, as well as the Senate. If they are allowed to choose "up to 3 top finishers", they would use their majority in Congress to make Nader, who will finish third, part of the equation. That, of course, would work against Kerry in the ensuing process. If the states then chose by either a quorum or a majority (I can't really tell from the 12th amendment wording which it would have to be), then one of 2 things would happen.
1) If a "quroum" of 2/3 of the states is required, Bush probably wouldn't get that. But that would leave no result. The Bush camp could then file a bunch of lawsuits to tie things up in the Courts, like they did in 2000, and "run out the clock", like they did in 2000. The clock being March 3, 2005, apparently. If THAT were to happen, then (are you ready for this? are you sitting down?) DICK CHENEY WOULD TAKE OVER AS PRESIDENT on March 3, 2005. He would be the VP still, if no result had been acheived by that time, and that is what the 12th amendment says.
2) If a majority of the states is required, as opposed to a quorum, then Bush wins because he clearly has more than 25 states in his column. The 12th amendment says that each state is worth 1 vote, in this case. In 2000, Bush won 30 of the 50 states, but it was very close because Gore won the states with huge EV's (California and New York). But if each state was worth only one vote, which it would be in this process, then California would be no more important than each of the smaller states supporting Bush (mississippi, alabama, ect.). And there are more of those supporting Bush than there are supporting Kerry. In fact, if we use the example in my original posting, I can tell you what it would be already. It would be Bush 28, Kerry 22. So either way, the Republicans win if the election on 11/2/04 ends up as 269-269 electoral tie.
Before you vomit, keep in mind that this is not particularly likely. It is POSSIBLE, perhaps more possible than in any election that I can remember, but it is still not likely. You should have that waste basket ready and lined with plastic by 11/2/04, election night. You've been given a heads up, so you will need it sooner than anyone else if this happens. They will have to scratch their heads for a while before they vomit, but you'll be ready right off!