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
Can you explain how that would bring the nominees out of committee? I don't know what the Senate rules are but I'd bet to get to the floor for a vote they have to come through the Committee. And unless the Senate reorganizes then Leahy will control the committee, won't he?
If I'm not mistaken, if Barkley cauceses with the Republicans like Jeffords does with the Democrats, it would mean a 50-50 split. With Cheney as the President of the Senate, that would throw the leadership to the Republicans.
Though I'm sure Daschle will try to block it.
That's my point at this stage. They have some legislative work to get done but reorganization, etc. isn't part of it, imo. It took them a long time just to get things worked out the first time, Jan. 01 so I don't expect them to accomplish much between Nov. 12 and the end of the year. The Senate has some strange rules and procedures. Thus quirky things happen with them.
Anyway thanks for sharing your thoughts with me. I just hope we have the true majority on Jan 3, 03 and then we can get this thing rolling.
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