Posted on 10/20/2006 10:25:57 PM PDT by Alex1977
Parties at odds over court ruling
A vote for former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley on ballots in the 16th Congressional District will count as a vote for his lawfully nominated replacement, fellow Republican Joe Negron.
That message may be simple. But government actions to communicate it to voters has resulted in controversy over whether the actions amount to "electioneering."
But the controversy may have had an unintended effect. It has "energized" local Republicans into an all-out campaign to make sure voters aren't confused, according to Bob Starr, chairman of the Charlotte County Republican Party.
"I've got people coming out of the woodwork to make calls, work the polls, anything they can do," he said. "I never had that before ... not even for a presidential election."
Foley withdrew from the race Sept. 29 amid reports he sent salacious messages to teenage boys who had worked on Capitol Hill.
The state Republican Party's top committee nominated Joe Negron, a Florida House member since 2000, to replace Foley in his race against Democrat Tim Mahoney, a Royal Palm Beach entrepreneur, and Emmi Ross, an unaffiliated candidate.
Under Florida law, if a candidate withdraws after the August primary results are certified, his name can't be removed from general election ballots. A vote for the withdrawn candidate counts for his replacement.
The message became controversial after the Florida Division of Elections advised elections supervisors in the eight counties of Foley's former District 16 to post an explanation in absentee-ballot mailings and in voting booths.
A judge ruled Wednesday that the state law prohibits elections supervisors from posting notices naming candidates in those places.
Negron and Florida Secretary of State Sue M. Cobb, also a Republican, appealed the ruling Thursday to the state's First Court of Appeals.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. State Department have also posted similar messages or sent e-mails notifying Americans stationed or residing in Iraq about the "Foley" ballots.
The military posted a notice titled "Special Instructions for Voters in the 16th Congressional District" on its Federal Voting Assistance Program Web site.
The U.S. State Department's embassy, which regularly sends a variety of messages to Americans residing in Iraq, copied all the messages on the DoD's voting assistance Web site and e-mailed them all to Americans in Iraq, said Laura Tischler, State Department spokeswoman.
When the Mahoney campaign first learned the federal government had sent notices to Americans in Iraq, a spokesman reacted with alarm.
''Here they go again -- Karl Rove and his crowd are interfering with another Florida election," said Charles Halloran, a spokesman for the Mahoney campaign, in an interview with the Miami Herald.
The Mahoney campaign did not immediately respond to the Sun's request for comment Thursday.
The Florida Democratic Party has no objection to the military posting the information on its voter-assistance Web site, said Mark Bubriski, spokesman for the FDP. He also said the party is not concerned with the U.S. State Department's e-mails.
However, the message would have been more fair if it cited the names of all the candidates in the race, he said.
The FDP's beef is with the state because it was poised to post the messages in the polls, he said.
"That's undue influence before somebody votes -- and that's why Florida law prohibits it," Bubriski said.
Mahoney, in a statement Wednesday, called the judge's ruling "a victory for Florida voters." He said Florida law states electioneering must occur at least 100 feet from the polling station.
"In order to protect the integrity of our democracy, we must protect the sanctity of the ballot box," Mahoney said. "I will continue to fight to ensure that every vote is counted as fairly and accurately as possible on Election Day."
Negron, in announcing his appeal Thursday, said, "It is outrageous that Tim Mahoney and the Democrats believe that the voters of the 16th Congressional District are better served by receiving less information about their candidate choices, as opposed to more.
"It is equally outrageous that Mahoney believes that men and women in uniform who are fighting overseas should not be notified about changes to their ballot. He must think that the soldiers and Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan are second-class citizens who don't need or deserve any information about voting and ballots."
Retired U.S. Army Brigadier Gen. Rufus Lazzell, an active Charlotte County GOP organizer, said he feels the court's ruling resolved the issue. However, he also doesn't object to an appeal.
"At least it's gotten full coverage and full review, so whatever's decided is what will be done," he said.
Lazzell also believes the U.S. military should inform its personnel overseas of a confusing ballot issue.
"We're asking a lot from (American soldiers), so I don't have any problem with that at all, and I think it's the proper thing to do," he said.
Sounds like Mahoney and his band of Commies are trying to screw over the military. Typical 'RAT garbage.
Did the courts rule only against Foley's seat or did they also rule against Littlefields' seat in the Florida 61st, too?
-PJ
Negron should appeal because telling people there has been a candidate change is not electioneering. Make sure the military ballots get back before Nov 7th.
Expect them to try and have all the overseas absentee ballots tossed if Negron wins.
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