Posted on 07/19/2007 12:24:43 PM PDT by TWohlford
Walberg subject of recall Thursday, July 19, 2007
By Chad Livengood
clivengood@citpat.com -- 768-4918
A Jackson man has started a recall campaign against U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, six months after the Tipton Republican took office.
James Carr, 77, filled a recall petition in Lenawee County, where Walberg is registered to vote as a Tipton resident, said County Clerk LouAnn Bluntschly.
Carr submitted petition language earlier this month saying Walberg should be recalled because his support of the Iraq war is increasing the federal deficit.
"I wanted to recall him the day he was elected, but you can't do that," Carr said.
The Lenawee County elections commission will meet Monday afternoon to determine if the recall language is clear enough to be understood by voters, Bluntschly said.
Carr hopes to attract anti-war activists to sign his petition.
"Whether it comes to fruition or not, that's going to depend upon a lot of other people," said Carr, a Democrat and retired teacher from the former State Prison of Southern Michigan. "I am far too old to go around collecting whatever number signatures."
Walberg, who is aware of the recall effort, is standing by President Bush's troop surge plan, which was fully implemented three weeks ago, a spokesman said. "The congressman believes the surge plan should be given time to be implemented," Walberg spokesman Matt Lahr said. "We really don't have a comment on the petition."
If his petition language is approved, Carr would have 90 days to gather signatures totaling 25 percent of the number of 7th District voters who voted in the 2006 gubernatorial election, said Ken Silfven, spokesman for Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land.
Silfven said it's unclear how many signatures would be needed, because the congressional district is comprised of entire counties -- like Jackson -- and portions of other counties, such as Washtenaw and Calhoun.
The May 6, 2008, election would be the earliest date a recall could go before voters.
Carr said he hasn't consulted any of the current Democratic contenders about his recall plan. With the August 2008 primary less than 13 months away, Ann Arbor attorney David Nacht, former state Sen. Jim Berryman of Adrian and Sharon Renier of Munith are vying for the Democratic nomination.
No Republicans have declared their candicacy, although former U.S. Rep. Joe Schwarz has not ruled out challenging Walberg in the Republican primary.
Obviously, the antiwar nuts are busy these days.
Obviously the Left doesn’t give a damn about the Constitution or elections. They are criminalizing the conservative party.
I loathe communists.
Elected officials of the federal government cannot be recalled. The Constitution does not have any recall provisions.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
A thing like this which is bound to fail will just strengthen him politically.
Sounds like this guy should be “recalled” back to Michigan.
LOL. How stupid. If the recall effort works, he wouldn’t get re-elected anyway!
Actually there is a very simple recall provision for the house of reps. It is called an election every two years.
“Actually there is a very simple recall provision for the house of reps. It is called an election every two years.”
You took the words right out of my mouth.
I'm not sure why but this struck me as funny.
The United States Constitution expressly establishes the exclusive qualifications for congressional office, sets the specific length of terms for Members of the House and for Senators, and places the authority within each House of Congress to judge the elections and qualifications of, and to discipline and remove, its own Members. These provisions of the United States Constitution, with respect to federal officials, have supremacy over State laws and provisions, and State laws in conflict with such constitutional provisions have been found by the courts in the past to be invalid. Although the language of some State recall laws might be broad enough to include Members of Congress, or might even explicitly include such federal officers, such statutes would not appear to be effective in overriding the provisions of the United States Constitution with regard to terms of office, elections and removal of Members.
As to removal by recall, the United States Constitution does not provide for nor authorize the recall of United States officers such as Senators, Representatives, or the President or Vice President, and thus no Member of Congress has ever been recalled in the history of the United States. The recall of Members was considered during the time of the drafting of the federal Constitution in 1787, but no such provisions were included in the final version sent to the States for ratification, and the specific drafting and ratifying debates indicate an express understanding of the Framers and ratifiers that no right or power to recall a Senator or Representative from the United States Congress exists under the Constitution. Although the Supreme Court has not needed to directly address the subject of recall of Members of Congress, other Supreme Court decisions, as well as the weight of other judicial and administrative decisions, rulings and opinions, indicate that the right to remove a Member of Congress before the expiration of his or her constitutionally established term of office is one which resides exclusively in each House of Congress as established in the expulsion clause of the United States Constitution.
“As to removal by recall, the United States Constitution does not provide for nor authorize the recall of United States officers such as Senators, Representatives, or the President or Vice President, and thus no Member of Congress has ever been recalled in the history of the United States.”
sounds like he’s doing something right if he’s irritating dems this much.
I like having this guy as my rep, haven’t disagreed with anything he’s done yet.
You should email that to Rep. Walberg and/or his staff.
I presume they have precincts, and those precincts don't cross either the gubenetorial OR congressional boundaries (If not, I both understand the problem and think they are stupid).
Therefore, they just have to count up the total number of voters in each precinct of the congressional district, and look at how many people voted in the governor's race.
Kind of an odd rule though, why not just use the number of voters in the last CONGRESSIONAL election for a congressional recall?
“You should email that to Rep. Walberg and/or his staff.”
Done. She was thankful.
Also mailed to the newspaper and the election commission and the State Sec of State.
I wonder if that is east Calhoun? I grew up in Albion so he would rep my mom and in-laws.
My Mom-I-L might sign this petition. She’s a socialist. My Dad-I-L and Mom would tell them to drown themselves in a shallow puddle
And as a Michiganian, I want to recall Senator Carl Levin because he is a flaming idiot whose idiotic ideas have raised the federal deficit far more than the war has.
Thanks for your excellent and thorough explanation of the Constitutional issues involved in recalling members of Congress.
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