Posted on 08/26/2009 5:33:31 AM PDT by kellynla
Unlike most states, a successor to fill Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's seat in the Senate will be chosen through a special election, not by the governor.
Massachusetts law requires a special election for the seat no sooner than 145 days and no later than 160 days after a vacancy occurs. The law bans an interim appointee.
The law was changed in 2004, when Sen. John Kerry, a Democrat, became his party's presidential nominee and Republican Mitt Romney was the state's governor. Before the change, the governor would have appointed a replacement to serve until the next general election.
That would have created the opportunity for Romney to install a fellow Republican in office, a move that Democrats who control the state legislature sought to prevent.
Last week, Kennedy asked Massachusetts lawmakers to change state law to give Massachusetts' current governor, Deval Patrick, a fellow supporter of President Barack Obama, the ability to appoint an interim replacement to Kennedy's seat should Kennedy be unable to continue serving.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Nope.
“Magic Fingers”
and yes I know Snowe is from Maine... I mean that’s the type of Republican.
Does anyone really believe that Kennedy wrote that letter?
The problem is that Romney-Care has turned to a total disaster for the state. Doubt they’d reelect him.
So what? Hillary never lived in NY before she decided to run for the Senate. If Mitt can get there and get registered before the election, I don’t think they can say squat.
What I find strange is that they were able to change the law so quickly in the first place. In most States, it would require a State Constitutional Amendment. Apparently not in Boston. Yet they could do nothing about gay "marriage" four years out.
I keep hearing the punchline from a Cheeh and Chong joke.
Don’t give him any ideas. I absolutely despise Romney, he’s a RINO.
Current law mandates that a special election be held at least 145 days after the seat
Only 127 days left this year!
I expect you are correct about the Kennedy “family” seat. Sounds more like the Mafia than the USA. They actually believe it is their “family” seat.
If Kennedy died last night, how was it that he penned a plea last week for the change in law? I suspect the plea was penned by his family. Probably, one of his family members who wants the seat.
No, the residency laws are different here than NY. I believe you just have to move to NY and state residency and then run for NY. Bobby Kennedy did this when he was senator for NY.
In Massachusetts you have to be a resident for at least one year to run for senator. JFK had to do this when he ran for congress. Joe Kennedy Jr. needed to do the same when he ran for congress.
I think Mitt has been out of state for over two years at this point.
DUH! This is mASSachusetts we're talking about ...
Mitt Romney has moved to far to the center-right for his home state.
Not even the MA dems would be brazen enough to try to do this after the fact.
The swimmer just cheated the dems!
GMTA see my post 58 and others.
I hold no illusions of this seat going to anyone not a Democrat.
How deliciously ironic though. When JFK ascended to the Presidency, Teddie wasn’t old enough to be a Senator. They appointed JFK’s college roommate, Benjamin Smith to the seat, purely to hold it until Teddy was of age, which Mr. Smith did.
Mr. Smith’s political carreer thereafter consisted of two terms on the Gloucester Board of Selectmen, he ran a cardboard box company and died in the mid-90’s. Google “Benjamin Smith” and you will scroll down about ten pages before coming to the right one. Nearly lost in the mists of time.
The libs have no awareness of the law of unintended consequences, which bit them on the a$$ again.
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