Traficant to Stay on Ballot (It's OFFICIAL!---WOO HOO!!!)

AP via Yahoo! News ^ | August 28, 2002

[PJ-Comix]

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (AP) - Former Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. will stay on the Nov. 5 election ballot, even though he has been expelled from the House and is housed in federal prison, elections officials said Wednesday.

The Trumbull County Board of Elections said it won't act to remove the expelled congressman from the ballot.

Prosecutor Dennis Watkins told the board it didn't have the authority to remove Traficant because the U.S. Constitution grants citizens the right to vote for and elect whomever they choose.

The only limits set by the Constitution for House members are that they be at least 25 years old, U.S. citizens and an inhabitant of the state from which they are elected.

Watkins said Traficant could be considered an Ohio resident because his wife lives there and his stay in a Pennsylvania prison is involuntary confinement.

Traficant, 61, was expelled from the House last month and sentenced to eight years in prison for bribery, racketeering and tax evasion. The nine-term congressman is an inmate at the minimum-security Allenwood federal prison in White Deer, Pa.

He petitioned to be on the ballot as an independent in Ohio's recently redrawn 17th District and vowed to run from jail.

[Benson_Carter]

with all due respect, I have to ask if for no other reason than to cure my own ignorance:
you use the term "ultra right-wing" to describe things that are primarily common sense, and secondly a true and proper interpretation of the US Constitution. Did you ever consider that some of your philosophy may be somewhat moderate?

President Bush started off on a great path: stoping the abortion money abroad was indeed a good start, but what happened to stopping ALL stem cell research, instead of the limp-wristed compromise he came up with, to stop any more NEW stem cells from being used? Did America already forget about the PATRIOT ACT?

you blame the increase in the size of the Federal government on "left-wing and libertarian parties", yet you do not give any sort of anecdotal evidence of this. It goes without saying that any "libertarian parties" are going to be against an increase in the size of government at almost any level.

if I am wrong, I would certainly like to hear your reasoning.

[BJungNan]

My team, huh? You don't have a clue about Traficant, do you?

Taking that as a literal question and not a rhetorical one, the answer is yes, I do have a clue about Traficant.

Your confusion over who is a conservative and who is not is likely due to the fact that there are so few in Congress these days.

[IronJack]

Will he be listed on the ballot as

James Traficant -- Democrat
James Traficant -- Felon
or Ole Poodle Head -- Laughingstock?

[PJ-Comix]

James Traficant---Probable WINNER.

[IronJack]

James Traficant is a lot of things: demagogue, buffoon, spokesmodel for Hair Club for Men.

But NEVER "winner."

[Fixit]

I had so much fun making the first graphic, I cranked out another one a few weeks ago.

My intent was to make the stripes on the flag look like jail bars...

Also, some other guy (really, it isn't me), set up FreeTraficant.com.

[AnnaZ]

We need to make a site of our own!

[Fixit]

Here you go:

http://cafepress.com/FreeTraficant

[Coop]

Your confusion over who is a conservative and who is not is likely due to the fact that there are so few in Congress these days.

Thanks much for your concern, but I have very little confusion when discussing this race. You, however, seem to have difficulty assigning teams.

[BJungNan]

You, however, seem to have difficulty assigning teams.

No difficulty, really. Just so few on my team it does not take long to count them. Goooooooo Conservatives!!!

[BJungNan]

I like it. Nice job on the graphic. Now I am going to http://freetraficant.com