Posted on 12/27/2011 3:48:28 PM PST by TBBT
Texas Gov. Rick Perry has filed suit in federal court against the Virginia Republican Party and the Virginia Board of Elections in order to gain a spot on the Commonwealth's primary ballot. Perry was excluded after the party found he had not submitted enough valid signatures by the deadline last Thursday. His campaign submitted 6,000 of the required 10,000, according to the suit. The lawsuit alleges that Perry's 1st and 14th Amendment rights were violated by the requirement that those circulating the petitions also be eligible or registered voters of Virginia. Failure to get on the ballot is a major embarrassment for the struggling Perry campaign — but he is not alone. Another one-time GOP frontrunner, Newt Gingrich, also failed to qualify. "Gov. Perry greatly respects the citizens and history of the Commonwealth of Virginia and believes Virginia Republicans should have greater access to vote for one of the several candidates for President of the United States," Perry communications director Ray Sullivan said in a statement. "Virginia ballot access rules are among the most onerous and are particularly problematic in a multi-candidate election. We believe that the Virginia provisions unconstitutionally restrict the rights of candidates and voters by severely restricting access to the ballot, and we hope to have those provisions overturned or modified to provide greater ballot access to Virginia voters and the candidates seeking to earn their support."
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
I see a lot of people on this thread willing to disenfranchise the voters of Virginia in their zeal to get the desired effect...either the exclusion of, or inclusion of one or another candidate. I say let the people decide...waive the rules, put all 7 candidates on the ballot.
This is great news! Very glad to hear it. Give ‘em hell, Rick!
To paraphrase the First Wookie(sort of), this is the first time in my life I’m embarrassed to be a Virginian.
McDonnell is not using what little power he has in this instance to do anything.
That usually alienates Republican voters. He can kiss his future career and his credit rating bye.
Bolling will end up like that hapless goober Democrat who owned a car dealership ~ out of state and out of money.
We really don't have the latitude in Virginia to put up with a handful of Fascist pigs at the top of the heap.
Tell us about the last time 5000 people signed up for a Virginia primary ~ frankly, you are nuts. That doesn’t happen. It’s a delusion.
Looks like Newt might be judicially handcuffed what with his threats and indictment on the judiciary and all. That’s why some thought it would have to be Perry to come forward in order to get a fair hearing.
After watching Perry today, he is ready to take on Obama. He was great!!
Ping to #51
I guess Newt was right then, judges aren’t fair.
Have you no shame?!
You favor that the signatures on the petitions are Democrats, and at the same time you are against allowing real Republicans on the primary ballot.
Have to believe that this fiasco will be settled with all candidates out of Court.
Set the voters of Virginia free...free to vote for their chosen candidate. Waive the recently adopted rules and let all Federal candidates for nominee of the Republican Party appear on the ballot.
Where did you see Perry today? I know he has really made great gains as folks get to see and hear him at the various stops and town halls he has been doing. Like someone here on FR said, we are not electing a smooth debator but a conservative with a real conservative record, and someone who can be trusted to do what he says he will.
Actually, they did meet the requirement. The requirement is to submit 10,000 or more names of registered Virginia voters, with 400(?) coming from each district.
Perry and Newt both submitted more than 10,000.
That the VAGOP supposedly checked the names is not a requirement. It is for local and state elections, but not for national elections. Furthermore, the VAGOP did not apply that standard to all candidates, selectively choosing to not do so for Romney and Paul.
That is an unequal application of law and is contrary to equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.
As precedence has already been set in past elections (ie: the non-checking of submitted names), then that is the standard they must uphold for all, not for some (Romney and Paul).
It’s pretty cut and dry here. The VAGOP disregarded it’s own rules and precedents, following them for Romney and Paul... but ignoring them for the rest.
Shannon Bream, BOR, and others, got their heads so far up Mitt's rump, they're gargling Grecian formula.
There’s also an article posted somewhere here about Newt doing the same thing, suing the VAGOP over this.
Bolling and his butt boys don't want anyone else on there. They don't even want Perry on there. They prefer IDIOTS because, as it turns out, they are IDIOTS. We knew Bolling and friends were IDIOTS when we elected them, but the Democrats were worse.
I talked to a reporter who had been in Council Bluffs in the am for an event for BAchmann, which only attracted a handful of supporters.
This was the second event of the day for the reporter with Perry. Both events were packed and I just saw a report on FOX with Perry in Osceola, IA. It, too, looked packed.
“...The Code of Virginia states:
Any candidate who submits at least 15,000 signatures
blah blah blah shall be deemed to have met the threshold...”
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You are spreading untruth.
That is NOT what Virginia code says.
They can reverse it in fact.
If it were the law per se I'd be out there leading the pitchfork brigade crying out for some hangings.
In fact, the old Lynching Tree for Fairfax County is right downthe street from me. The tree's long gone but we built the roads so they go around it.
No sense leaving a place like that go unused for so long ~
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