Posted on 11/04/2002 8:50:10 AM PST by Temple Owl
Ventura names Barkley to succeed Wellstone
On the eve of the most hotly contested U.S. Senate vote in decades, Gov. Jesse Ventura threatened to throw the election into still more disarray today with the appointment of state planning commissioner Dean Barkley to complete the term of Paul Wellstone, who died in a plane crash on Oct. 25.
Ventura announced his plans for filling the vacant seat at 10 a.m. -- just as a scheduled debate between Democratic candidate Walter Mondale and Republican hopeful Norm Coleman began.
Barkley would "put the people's interest before the party's interest" in the Senate, Ventura said. He said his announcement had been triggered by the dispute over whether third-party candidates would be allowed in today's broadcast debate.
"Today, three very powerful institutions -- the DFL, the Republican Party and the media -- are conspiring to limit the hard-earned rights of ordinary citizens to rise up and compete for elected office without having to be a Democrat or a Republican," Ventura said.
Ventura earlier had said he would not appoint an interim senator until after the election on Tuesday.
© Copyright 2002 Star Tribune. All right
This move sucks period. If the GOP gains control, Coleman is one of the seats that on taking the oath would give the GOP ASAP. It also can be done w/ the MO seat. But Jesse just pissed on that, a pox on both you house so I will screw you both.
With all due respect to his service as a Navy Seal, this bald headed moron just ticks me off more and more with every political move he makes, I can't wait for him to leave the stage, what a jerk.
Bump
Doesn't this mean that the Senate is now composed of 2 Independents; 49 DemocRATS; and 49 Republicans? Since the Vice President cas't the "tiebreaking" vote...does this now mean that the Republicans control the Senate?
Personally, I look for the RAT Jeffords to make the switch fully to DemocRAT late this week.
I completely agree. Yet, I would rather have him as Governor of Pennsylvania than Ed Rendell who really makes me sick.
Sure it is, it's just not a funny joke. The joke is on us.
The joke is on anyone who thinks anyone in the Incumbent Party cares about their rights or the constitution.
Not at all. As I tried to say, I would have preferred that he appointed the independent "garbageman" that received all the publicity. I think it would have been a proper signal to the politicians/media.
The Ventura Press Conference is worth a listen. He says that the people who organized the Senatorial candidate debate held over the weekend (which Mondale skipped) should have stuck a cardboard cutout of Mondale on the set and asked it questions.
Barkley just said he's in the catbird seat and will do what's best for Minnesota. He also said he's a strict constructionist on the law! Hopefully he'll go GOP and get those judges appointed!
Doesn't this mean that the Senate is now composed of 2 Independents; 49 DemocRATS; and 49 Republicans? Since the Vice President cas't the "tiebreaking" vote...does this now mean that the Republicans control the Senate?
It took them some 20 days or so just to complete their rule making and organizing when they began the 107th Congress in Jan. 2001. I'm not sure what the Senate rules say but I'd bet there is no way to bring a Judicial nominee to the floor without it coming from or through the Judiciary Committee.
If he cauceses with the Republicans, the nominees will come out of committee.
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