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Used and Violated in Minnesota - Ventura temporary appointment may be long one if election disputed
GoGov ^ | 10/22/02 | Russell Betts

Posted on 10/30/2002 9:21:47 PM PST by BJungNan

Used and Violated in Minnesota

"I Feel Used. I Feel Violated" So says Jesse Ventura following his being snookered into attending what was supposed to be a memorial for the late Senator Paul Wellstone and by all accounts, even Democratic ones, turned into a Democrat Campaign rally - an appalling display by our account and that of many others.

As Governor of the great state of Minnesota, Ventura has the power to even the score. He can appoint a replacement to fill the seat of Wellstone and he has now said he will do just that.

Conventional wisdom says any such appointment, however, will be short lived. A Ventura appointee holding the seat would do so only until the seat is filled by election and the winner of that election is duly certified. Under Minnesota law, a person appointed to fill the seat of a senator that has died or has become incapacitated takes effect immediately, not in January as would be the case with a change of senators by election.

Conventional wisdom then gives any Ventura appointment about one week as a full fledged Senator. Not much time to do anything. However, in this era of challenges to election outcomes, it seems at least a possibility that conventional wisdom in Minnesota could be wrong.

Already there are rumblings of a contested election - Ventura said days ago he sees one coming. There are those who will no doubt feel "disenfranchised" either at not being able to recast their absentee ballot now that they find they have voted for a man that is deceased or under another discussed scenario, that their vote for that same deceased man has now been recast on their behalf to Walter Mondale, the appointed replacement candidate for the Democrats.

We can't think of every scenario that might come up post election - who would have thought a supreme court in New Jersey would so usurp established election law, even allowing that ballots already cast will be thrown out. The point is, it is not all that hard to imagine a challenge and its not entirely certain when the next senator from Minnesota will be elected, duly certified and cleared by the courts.

It would be mighty fast work if any election challenge were resolved by the courts in a week - do we need to bring up Florida? Every day longer it takes to resolve any election disputes will be another day for a Ventura appointment to serve as senator and that much more wrong conventional wisdom in Minnesota will be.

Before the Wellstone memorial, Ventura likely had taken all this into account as he considered whether or not to make a temporary appointment - he was not certain he would. Now upset at the tone of the memorial and feeling "used" and "violated", Ventura likely will make that temporary appointment and it's not likely to be one favorable to the Democrats as Ventura might once have considered.

Says Ventura, "I'm leaning toward appointing a regular citizen, someone you don't even know." Just how well we come to know that appointment may very well be determined by the courts.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Minnesota
KEYWORDS: minnesote; senatecontrol; venture; wellstone
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1 posted on 10/30/2002 9:21:48 PM PST by BJungNan
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To: BJungNan
I hope it won't be another wrestler.
2 posted on 10/30/2002 9:22:43 PM PST by Paul Atreides
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To: BJungNan
Aw c'mon, Jesse. Appoint Coleman.
3 posted on 10/30/2002 9:28:22 PM PST by Savage Beast
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To: BJungNan
If you want to "voice your outrage" on the Wellstone Memorial Service/Mondale Pep Rally, I encourage every conservative to visit the Norm Coleman website at www.colemanforsenate.com and make a modest campaign donation ($10.00 or more). This is a productive way that we can fight the Democrats and win back the US Senate.
4 posted on 10/30/2002 9:29:21 PM PST by ctnoell
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To: Savage Beast
Aw c'mon, Jesse. Appoint Coleman.

He should appoint a human being with a heart. That precludes it being a DemonRat.

5 posted on 10/30/2002 9:30:24 PM PST by PeoplesRepublicOfWashington
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To: PeoplesRepublicOfWashington
Hmm I thought Dems had bleeding hearts........
6 posted on 10/30/2002 9:31:45 PM PST by rolling_stone
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To: Savage Beast
I hope it won't be another wrestler.

Aw c'mon, Jesse. Appoint Coleman.

Economizing on replies, catching both at once.
- I would think we could do far worse than a wrestler, like a lawyer.
-He might be mad at the Dems, but not that mad. Good thought on Colemen though!

7 posted on 10/30/2002 9:32:40 PM PST by BJungNan
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To: rolling_stone
Hmm I thought Dems had bleeding hearts........

A malicious rumor. Just bleeding piles.

8 posted on 10/30/2002 9:35:34 PM PST by PeoplesRepublicOfWashington
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To: Paul Atreides
Pretty bad when an ex-pro wrestler describes himself as feeling "duped".

I loved his remarks today, but I am holding my breath regarding his selection.
9 posted on 10/30/2002 9:35:46 PM PST by DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet
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To: BJungNan
I wonder if there's any way to...inflame...that anger???
10 posted on 10/30/2002 9:41:40 PM PST by Savage Beast
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To: BJungNan
Question for someone familiar with Minnesota election rules about the absentee ballots that have already been sent out and still have the Wellstone name on them:

It is my understanding that 'currently' they are going to count the votes for Coleman and not the votes for Wellstone, without 'spoiling' the entire ballot. However, if the voter votes a straight Democratic ticket, is their vote counted for Mondale on election day? Do Democrats in Minnesota vote a straight ticket? It seems like most of them would.

11 posted on 10/30/2002 9:42:39 PM PST by belle99
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To: Savage Beast
I wonder if there's any way to...inflame...that anger???

Encourage it maybe. Call his office and suggest he do the right thing - but wait until he empties his mailbox in the morning. It is presently full.

12 posted on 10/30/2002 9:44:46 PM PST by BJungNan
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To: BJungNan
Pat Buchanan might be the independent for the job, LOL~
13 posted on 10/30/2002 9:45:59 PM PST by A CA Guy
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To: rolling_stone
I didn't know they had heart?
14 posted on 10/30/2002 9:49:38 PM PST by Chewbacca
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To: ctnoell
It was thoroughly disgusting, but frankly it's what Wellstone deserved. A vulgar spectacle like that was a fitting send off for someone who devoted his life to these low-lifes and their shenannigans.
15 posted on 10/30/2002 9:50:20 PM PST by Savage Beast
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To: belle99
Don't worry, Belle, the Democrats have ways of getting around little technicalities.
16 posted on 10/30/2002 9:52:29 PM PST by Savage Beast
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To: BJungNan
Roger Nelson or Prince or The Artist Formerly Known As Prince or (symbol). A little entertainment on the Senate floor would shake up that old boys club bigtime!
17 posted on 10/30/2002 9:55:08 PM PST by Russell Scott
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To: Paul Atreides
I hope it won't be another wrestler.

Jesse could do a whole lot worse than another wrestler.

I'll take The Rock over just about any Democrat.

18 posted on 10/30/2002 9:59:45 PM PST by Norman Arbuthnot
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To: Russell Scott
If you want entertainment people, how about Tom Waits? - Last I heard he was in living in Minneapolis
19 posted on 10/30/2002 10:03:12 PM PST by Ford Fairlane
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To: belle99
However, if the voter votes a straight Democratic ticket, is their vote counted for Mondale on election day? Do Democrats in Minnesota vote a straight ticket? It seems like most of them would.

AFAIK, there's no "straight ticket" vote. You have to vote in each race individually.
20 posted on 10/30/2002 10:03:55 PM PST by cryptical
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