We Three Jerks

Friday, 20 February 2004

If You Can't Beat 'Em, Cheat 'Em
Massachusetts Democrats are cooking up a plan to keep John Kerry's Senate seat in Democratic hands in case he wins the presidency. Ordinarily, the governor of Massachusetts would appoint a replacement to serve out Kerry's term - but the governor is a Republican:

Massachusetts Democrats are devising a plan to keep John F. Kerry's US Senate seat in their party's hands by blocking Governor Mitt Romney from naming an interim replacement if Kerry wins the White House.
Beacon Hill lawmakers want to pass legislation that would leave Kerry's seat vacant for two months or more, until a special election is held to fill it. That would prevent the Republican governor from naming an interim senator, as is currently required by state law.
The initiator of the proposal -- Representative William M. Straus, Democrat of Mattapoisett -- insisted he is not being partisan.

Yet another example of fair play from the party that elected a dead man's wife to the Senate from Missouri in 2000, and pulled a political dead man off the ballot at the last minute in the 2002 NJ Senate race.

Marc

Posted by thynkhard at 12:24 AM EST

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Friday, 20 February 2004 - 9:03 AM EST

Name: Tony

This is certainly unseemly, but you can't honestly tell me that if Republicans were in a similiar position they wouldn't try this same kind of thing.

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Friday, 20 February 2004 - 9:54 AM EST

Name: Sean

I'm not impressed until a crazy recall election is held that puts the New Kids On the Block, Ben Affleck, The Boston Pops, Sean Penn researching a role, Stephen Tyler, Larry Bird, and Gallagher into the running for that Senate seat.

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Friday, 20 February 2004 - 10:18 AM EST

Name: Marc

Tony, Tony, Tony - you are too young to be so cynical. It's like I always say, minds are like parachutes...

Anyway, the last similar situation I could find was the death of the Republican Senator from Georgia, David Coverdell. Democratic governor Roy Barnes appointed Democrat Zell Miller to replace him. The Republicans did not mount a legal effort to keep Barnes from making the appointment, but instead focused on getting the seat the old-fashioned way - winning the election:

Republican officials were attempting to unite behind one candidate, probably one of Georgia's eight Republican congressmen.

''I think (Miller's appointment) probably sends the strongest signal I know that we need to be focused and united behind a candidate in this race,'' state Republican Party Chairman Chuck Clay said.

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Friday, 20 February 2004 - 11:12 AM EST

Name: Tony

But if the Republicans had known Coverdell was going to die eight months before he did, you don't think they would have sought some sort of legislative remedy to prevent the Democratic governor from appointing a Democrat? This is about power -- wanting it, getting it and keeping it. That, my friend, is about the only thing that both sides of the aisle can agree on.

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