Give Elton What He Asked For -- Another Term
by Mike Houston - Political Law Correspondent
3-11-2006 1:39 am
There has been lots of e-ink spilled on this blog in the past 10 hours about Elton Gallegly's strategic decision to wait until literally the 11th hour to announce he has no plans to seek another term in Congress. In doing so he has prevented several well qualified candidates from seeking that seat, nonetheleast of which is former Assemblyman Tony Strickland (full disclosure, I am general counsel to his wife, Assemblywoman Audra Strickland).
Here is one solution: Instead of the grass roots getting worked up about Mr. Gallegly's chicanery and instead of engaging in Quixotic legal efforts to get an extended filing deadline, I say let the voters call Mr. Gallegly's bluff and elect him to another term. He obviously has high name ID, and he is the "incumbent" (whatever that means given his circumstances). A few well placed mailers should get him re-elected to another term. If he then decides he isn't up to serving, he can retire and a special election can be called so that a real campaign can be had to fill his replacement.
That's once solution, particularly if a person is a supporter of the Tom McClintock/Tony Strickland faction of the GOP (which is opposed by the Elton Gallegly faction).
Excellent idea !