Posted on 12/26/2006 3:08:59 PM PST by Kaslin
'Bottom line here is that nothing's off the table,' says spokesman for incoming speaker of House
The certified winner of an office in the U.S. House of Representatives may not be seated with other members of Congress by incoming speaker Nancy Pelosi next week for one reason.
He's a Republican.
In an extremely close race in Florida's 13th District, Republican Vern Buchanan defeated Democrat Christine Jennings by 369 votes. But ongoing legal challenges by Democrats are putting Buchanan's claim to the seat in jeopardy, now that the party in control of the majority has shifted away from the GOP.
"The bottom line here is that nothing's off the table," Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
The paper reports Pelosi has refused to shut the door on Jennings, until all audits, lawsuits and a House investigation are completed.
Aides for Buchanan say the Republican will be in the nation's capital next month despite the threat from Pelosi's office.
"Historical precedent is that when there's a contested race the certified winner be seated," said Buchanan spokeswoman Sally Tibbetts. "Therefore, we fully expect Vern Buchanan to be seated on Jan. 4."
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
But Pelosi's office says seating a certified victor is more of a Republican interpretation and not a concrete rule. For instance, in 1984, a Democrat-controlled House refused to seat Republican Richard McIntyre, the certified winner by 418 votes after a state-ordered recount.
Two weeks ago, national Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean said Buchanan should "absolutely not" be seated Jan. 4.
But not all Democrats appear to be jumping on the bandwagon to keep out the Republican.
"At most, he should be seated provisionally," said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., a close ally of Jennings. "In my mind, I can't really justify leaving the constituents of the 13th District without representation during the House Administration and the court's review."
At this point, neither a state audit of the touch-screen voting machines nor lawsuits by Jennings and voting groups have produced any evidence to suggest malfunction on Election Day.
The contested election is now in the political realm as Jennings has taken her challenge to Congress, filing a contest with the House Administration Committee seeking an investigation and, possibly, a new election.
Such a move could take months to resolve.
If Buchanan is indeed seated next week, history would be on his side for keeping it. Out of 105 contests filed since 1933, only twice has someone been unseated, with the last occurrence in 1967.
Waiting for the "Thanks to all you cut-and-run conservatives for staying home" knee-jerk post.
Florida................Ping
Any minute.
If Buchanan is indeed seated next week, history would be on his side for keeping it. Out of 105 contests filed since 1933, only twice has someone been unseated, with the last occurrence in 1967.Which is why Pelosi is wise to refuse to seat Buchanan.
well you didnt have to wait too long. see #5. LOL~
"But Pelosi's office says seating a certified victor is more of a Republican interpretation and not a concrete rule. For instance, in 1984, a Democrat-controlled House refused to seat Republican Richard McIntyre, the certified winner by 418 votes after a state-ordered recount."
Translation: It's a rule only Republicans need to adhere to. Democrats may violate it at will.
Qwinn
"We"?
You don't have a moose in this race.
The Speaker and the entire Democratic establishment are corrupt and dictatorial in nature.
Oh really now? Let's ask that of Leon Panetta, when he left a few votes in the box and allowed a Dem to be seated instead of the GOP winner. Mr. Newt says this is the day Bob Michel demonstrated his *loyalty* to the party when he went and congratulated the new Dem MOC knowing full well that Panetta had cheated.
I have a hard time following your logic, if history is on Buchanan's side. Furthermore, I personally feel that there's a BIG difference between making the rules where a fair majority votes and changing the rules to justify dhimmocrat chicanery.
A moose once bit my sister.
(Sorry but the thread was degenerating anyway)
But she *could* do the Right thing (no pun intended :(). I don't have high expectations..
I live in this district and it will make for some interesting times if this happens....It will not go over very well here....Unfortunely I am quite sure many voters in both parties did not vote in that particular race...It was very ugly as was the race to pick a Republican candiate...If they do this here then all hell is going to break loose here....In the letters to the editors here most are opposed to her being seated......If the Republicans in the house do not stand up to this nonsense....
OK, I'll throw my hat in the ring. Yeah, the cut and run SO-CALLED conservatives have just performed a remarkable exercise in cutting off their noses to spite their faces, and now whine that they no longer have noses. Fie on all of them.
I'll answer the inevitable question in advance: Yes. She can do that. The houses of Congress are the sole judges as to the credentials of their members. It's right in Article One. The Democrats are a majority in the incoming Congress. We can pressure them all we want, we can make it a campaign issue in '08, but ultimately, if they want to seat the Dem, they will seat the Dem, and she will be the Congressthing from that district. Welcome to the way it was before '94, guys. Enjoy.
The logic is tortured at best. I think a lot of folks on FR hope for 'Rat leadership. I'm not sure why, but they work pretty hard to achieve it.
Oh, well. Let them do it. They already have a solid majority, and this would look very, very bad to the average voter.
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