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Who says you can't have your cake and eat it to...

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout: Debate & Discussion' started by OddsOn, Aug 21, 2009.

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  1. OddsOn

    OddsOn Member

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    What Ted Kennedy Wants
    He's trying to change election rules—again.

    Senator Ted Kennedy, who is gravely ill with brain cancer, has sent a letter to Massachusetts lawmakers requesting a change in the state law that determines how his Senate seat would be filled if it became vacant before his eighth full term ends in 2012. Current law mandates that a special election be held at least 145 days after the seat becomes available. Mr. Kennedy is concerned that such a delay could leave his fellow Democrats in the Senate one vote short of a filibuster-proof majority for months while a special election takes place.

    "I therefore am writing to urge you to work together to amend the law through the normal legislative process to provide for a temporary gubernatorial appointment until the special election occurs," writes the Senator.

    What Mr. Kennedy doesn't volunteer is that he orchestrated the 2004 succession law revision that now requires a special election, and for similarly partisan reasons. John Kerry, the other Senator from the state, was running for President in 2004, and Mr. Kennedy wanted the law changed so the Republican Governor at the time, Mitt Romney, could not name Mr. Kerry's replacement. "Prodded by a personal appeal from Senator Edward M. Kennedy," reported the Boston Globe in 2004, "Democratic legislative leaders have agreed to take up a stalled bill creating a special election process to replace U.S. Senator John F. Kerry if he wins the presidency." Now that the state has a Democratic Governor, Mr. Kennedy wants to revert to gubernatorial appointments.

    Beacon Hill has long sported heavy Democratic majorities, so the state legislature has the votes to grant Mr. Kennedy's wish. But does it have the chutzpah? An election is the more democratic option. After witnessing recent attempts by incompetent Governors in Illinois and New York to fill Senate vacancies, Massachusetts voters may have soured on such appointments. Especially when Mr. Kennedy's motivation for changing the law is so obviously born of partisan interest, not principle.
     
    #1 OddsOn, Aug 21, 2009
  2. juicystream

    juicystream Member

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    To be honest, I think its ridiculous we have these super old unhealthy people in Congress. Our congressmen should be there for at least the majority of votes. Even McCain missing all those votes during his run for Presidency was wrong. It is unfair to the states not to be represented. I think they should step down if they are going to be out for over 6 months.
     
    #2 juicystream, Aug 21, 2009
  3. SamFisher

    SamFisher Member

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    Thre premise of the article is awful. Massachusetts should be without a senator for 145 days, because it would hurt democrats, and a Senator with brain cancer should be ridiculed for making a contingency in the even of his death.

    Congratulations, OddsOn, this thread sucks so hard, it has made

    [​IMG]
     
    #3 SamFisher, Aug 21, 2009
  4. MoonDogg

    MoonDogg Member

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    [​IMG]
     
    #4 MoonDogg, Aug 21, 2009
  5. OddsOn

    OddsOn Member

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    Apparently you neglected to read the part where it said he had already lobbied and had the law changed when Kerry was running for president and there was a republican governor who, under the current law, could appoint a replacement. Now that the field of play has changed he wants to again change the rules?

    Your callas responses suck my friend, not the topic of this article.
     
    #5 OddsOn, Aug 21, 2009
  6. SamFisher

    SamFisher Member

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    He's changing it to have a temporarily appointed senator during the election process, not to have one finish out the term.

    Big difference brah.

    Maybe you should have read it.
     
    #6 SamFisher, Aug 21, 2009
  7. rocketsjudoka

    rocketsjudoka Member

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    I'm curious to know more about the previous law prior to 2004. Did the previous law just allow for a government appointment of a senator to serve out the term of the senator leaving or did it make provisions for a temporary appointment with a special election being head at a date further or less than 145 days?
     
    #7 rocketsjudoka, Aug 21, 2009
  8. uolj

    uolj Member

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    I have to agree with this, although I don't know a good way to enforce it. I would hope these guys realize they are getting older and perhaps a retirement is in order if they're missing all the votes.

    And I'm not a fan of changing the rules to suit the situation. Overall, I probably like the idea that Kennedy is proposing best among solutions for replacing congresspeople who leave in the middle of a term, but I don't like the idea of changing it again. They should have done it this way when they changed it in 2004.
     
    #8 uolj, Aug 21, 2009
  9. okierock

    okierock Member

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    He's changing it to manipulate the political process in his favor, just like last time.

    He's a self serving tool and always has been. Our country will be better off when he has no power.
     
    #9 okierock, Aug 21, 2009
  10. mc mark

    mc mark Member

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    The man has brain cancer and is about to die.

    Can’t you freaks at least wait until he dies before you start denigrating him?

    Compassionate conservatives indeed

    The right has been completely disingenuous during the whole healthcare debate. If that's what they want; lying and distorting the truth to manipulate the ignorant masses, then I say Kennedy has every right to do all he can to pass legislation that he has spent his whole career championing.
     
    #10 mc mark, Aug 21, 2009
  11. basso

    basso Member
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    Brah- do you think we should wslick willy nilly change the laws depending on which party is in power? would the law proposed, do any more than ask the appointee to "pledge" to not run? would such a pledge carry any legal obligation?

    no, brah.

    TFPA
     
    #11 basso, Aug 21, 2009
  12. MoonDogg

    MoonDogg Member

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    I don't wish the man ill, but I wonder how much compassion he had for Mary Jo Kopechne. Fark him, the gov't will be better off when his corpulent stench is removed from congress(not dead, just removed from office).

    [​IMG]
     
    #12 MoonDogg, Aug 21, 2009
  13. mtbrays

    mtbrays Member
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    Gotta love those OddsOn Friday threads!
     
    #13 mtbrays, Aug 21, 2009
  14. KingCheetah

    KingCheetah Atomic Playboy
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    Who says you can't have your cake and eat it to...
    _____

    [​IMG]
     
    #14 KingCheetah, Aug 21, 2009
  15. Northside Storm

    Northside Storm Member

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    [​IMG]
     
    #15 Northside Storm, Aug 21, 2009
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