Anyone watching the Brown/Coakley race?

[1969912 0]

I won't even try to predict anything, but the fact that a Republican is biting at the heels of a Democrat in Massachusetts (of all places) says a lot. The last HC bill poll I looked at showed 34% "mostly agreeing" with the bill, and 54% "mostly disagreeing." I'm not a big believer in polls, but those numbers seem to be consistent with other polls. Perhaps it is a referendum.

I'm really curious about what level of sleaziness the Democrats will stoop to in order to pass their bill if Brown gets elected.

"Once we got to the point where twenty/something's needed a place on the corner that changed the oil in their cars we were doomed . . ."
-NickDG

[rushmc 23]

this is very interesting

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If Martha Coakley wins on Tuesday, it won’t matter, but should Scott Brown pull off the upset of the year, Democrats are going to have to defy long time historic precedent to keep Paul Kirk, the appointed Senator of Massachusetts, in the Senate.

Fred Barnes cites Republican lawyers on this precedent, but there is actually quite a lot of substantive detail that you can read here.

In addition to the text and purpose of the Seventeenth Amendment, the analysis relied on various Senate precedents, including an October 15, 1918 ruling by Vice President Marshall, who found that the phraseology of the amendment was “radically different” than that of various state laws that permitted appointees to serve until their successors were “elected and qualified.” Marshall concluded that regardless of the fact that Senators-elect must “run the gamit of executive, administrative, judicial and senatorial investigation before they are entitled to qualify and take their seats as Members of the United States Senate,” the terms of their appointed predecessors nonetheless expire on the day of election. While the Vice President noted that “[e]quitably, it would seem that the present incumbents ought to be permitted to hold until their successors elected on the 5th of November have been sworn in as Senators, [] such . . . is not the law.”

This also came up on November 8, 1938, when the same thing happened. George Berry, the appointed Senator of Tennessee, was ousted upon the election. The Senate Judiciary Committee said that, notwithstanding language in Tennessee law similar to that of Massachusetts, the interim Senate appointment ends upon the election of a new Senator, regardless of certification of the new Senator.

The Democrats have a problem. Of course, they’ve been willing to ignore two hundred years of Senate precedent to get health care passed. This probably will be one more speed bump they’ll just ignore.

http://www.redstate.com/erick/2010/01/18/will-the-democrats-ignore-this-precedent-too/

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[airdvr 210]

This will serve as a prelude to the mid-term elections.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[JohnDeere 0]

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view.bg?articleid=1225832
I think theres more than a few people that don't want another damn liberal in that seat! Cant wait for the results.

Nothing opens like a Deere!

You ignorant fool! Checks are for workers!

[Andrewwhyte 1]

While I can see the precedent is clear it does seem strange that Senators who are defeated in a regular election continue to sit until their successor is seated. I suspect that the SCOTUS will have to rule. Perhaps some ot the legal wizards here will opine on whether the bench will give any value to prior practice when interpreting the constitution.

[rushmc 23]

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While I can see the precedent is clear it does seem strange that Senators who are defeated in a regular election continue to sit until their successor is seated. I suspect that the SCOTUS will have to rule. Perhaps some ot the legal wizards here will opine on whether the bench will give any value to prior practice when interpreting the constitution.

I am interested as well
I had no idea this was even possible
And if true, will the rule be followed

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[Lucky... 0]

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That's the guy that Reid said he wouldn't seat, right?

I'm curious as to how that works if he were a clear winner, and the MA Sect'y of State certifies the result, does Sen. Reid really have a choice?

Evidently he thinks he does. Whether he has a leg to stand on in a legal sense in that regard, I don't know.

But all he has to do is delay it in order to allow passage of the HC bill, right?

I'm *certain* that the "most ethical and transparent administration EVAH" would *never* stoop to anything like that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_Texas_redistricting

I don't understand how it would be so hard for you to understand political games. And bring in Watergate and it's 90/10.

[mnealtx 0]

Let the games begin!

Anyone ELSE unsurprised about this?

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[quade 4]

Oh my god! You caught somebody handing out BLANK absentee ballots! Good god the world is going to collapse! Blank absentee ballots . . . before an election . . . BLANK . . . things that people will have to fill out for themselves if they can't go to the polls! OH MY GOD!!! RUN FOR THE HILLS!

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[mnealtx 0]

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Oh my god! You caught somebody handing out BLANK absentee ballots! Good god the world is going to collapse! Blank absentee ballots . . . before an election . . . BLANK . . . things that people will have to fill out for themselves if they can't go to the polls! OH MY GOD!!! RUN FOR THE HILLS!

From the MA Elections Division:

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Due to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday, the deadline to apply for absentee ballots for the January 19, 2010 special election for US Senate is 5:00 p.m., Friday, January 15.

Now - you were saying?

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[quade 4]

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Due to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday, the deadline to apply for absentee ballots for the January 19, 2010 special election for US Senate is 5:00 p.m., Friday, January 15.

Now - you were saying?

I must have missed the time code stamp on that video and I also must have missed where absentee ballots couldn't be handed out by people at any time up to poll closing.

I'm sure the rules vary from state to state. Got link?

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[kelpdiver 2]

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From the MA Elections Division:

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Due to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday, the deadline to apply for absentee ballots for the January 19, 2010 special election for US Senate is 5:00 p.m., Friday, January 15.

Now - you were saying?

How can a state allow such registration up to the last business day before an election and have any sort of controls against fraud?

[mnealtx 0]

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Due to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday, the deadline to apply for absentee ballots for the January 19, 2010 special election for US Senate is 5:00 p.m., Friday, January 15.

Now - you were saying?

I must have missed the time code stamp on that video and I also must have missed where absentee ballots couldn't be handed out by people at any time up to poll closing.

Tell me what part of "the deadline to apply for absentee ballots is 5pm, 15 Jan 2010"(paraphrased) gave you the problem and I'll try to explain it.

I'm sure the rules vary from state to state. Got link?

[rushmc 23]

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Due to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday, the deadline to apply for absentee ballots for the January 19, 2010 special election for US Senate is 5:00 p.m., Friday, January 15.

Now - you were saying?

I must have missed the time code stamp on that video and I also must have missed where absentee ballots couldn't be handed out by people at any time up to poll closing.

Tell me what part of "the deadline to apply for absentee ballots is 5pm, 15 Jan 2010"(paraphrased) gave you the problem and I'll try to explain it.

I'm sure the rules vary from state to state. Got link?

Google is your friend - first hit.

[mnealtx 0]

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Due to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday, the deadline to apply for absentee ballots for the January 19, 2010 special election for US Senate is 5:00 p.m., Friday, January 15.

Now - you were saying?

I must have missed the time code stamp on that video and I also must have missed where absentee ballots couldn't be handed out by people at any time up to poll closing.

Tell me what part of "the deadline to apply for absentee ballots is 5pm, 15 Jan 2010"(paraphrased) gave you the problem and I'll try to explain it.

I'm sure the rules vary from state to state. Got link?

Google is your friend - first hit.

I heard the report on the way home this evening that the Coakley camp release a memo today complaining about voter issues in three big metropolitan areas. The memo was dated yesterday

I'm sure it was just a simple oversight on the part of the Coakley camp....

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[kelpdiver 2]

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I heard the report on the way home this evening that the Coakley camp release a memo today complaining about voter issues in three big metropolitan areas. The memo was dated yesterday

This can be accidental (wrong date written), or it could be quite intentional. It's not good form to complain about supposed voter issues before the election. Voters think you're obnoxious.

[rushmc 23]

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I heard the report on the way home this evening that the Coakley camp release a memo today complaining about voter issues in three big metropolitan areas. The memo was dated yesterday

This can be accidental (wrong date written), or it could be quite intentional. It's not good form to complain about supposed voter issues before the election. Voters think you're obnoxious.

Ya, mistakes happen. I guess it only matters if you get bitten in the ass because of it in the end

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[mnealtx 0]

40% of the precincts reporting:

Brown 53%, Coakley 46%, Kennedy 1%

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[mnealtx 0]

52% reporting:

Brown 52%, Coakley 47%, Kennedy 1%

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[nanook 1]

votings over. They are calling 53% brown 46% coakley

_____________________________

"The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you can never know if they are genuine" - Abraham Lincoln

[rushmc 23]

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40% of the precincts reporting:

Brown 53%, Coakley 46%, Kennedy 1%

I'm watching it real time on Drudge

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[rushmc 23]

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votings over. They are calling 53% brown 46% coakley

well that spread at least seems big enough to be another MN
Sad part is, Brown is no conservative

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[JohnDeere 0]

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votings over. They are calling 53% brown 46% coakley

well that spread at least seems big enough to be another MN
Sad part is, Brown is no conservative

Progressive light?

Nothing opens like a Deere!

You ignorant fool! Checks are for workers!

[rushmc 23]

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votings over. They are calling 53% brown 46% coakley

well that spread at least seems big enough to be another MN
Sad part is, Brown is no conservative

Progressive light?

Ya

But even if he cant stop the HC bull shit, he will at least expose the Pelosi Reid Obama socialism train a bit more leading into November

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[rushmc 23]

She just conceded

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln