Posted on 02/26/2010 11:35:02 AM PST by Tigen
Republicans' chances to retake the Senate are limited by the fact that only a third of the chamber is up for re-election this year, but some conservative activists are pushing to force more Democrats onto the ballot in November by trying to recall them.
It's a long-shot approach, the legal hurdles are tremendous - no member of Congress has ever been recalled - and it's limited only to states with recall laws that are broad enough to include federal officeholders.
But the first test comes Tuesday, when a judge will hear oral arguments from the Sussex County Tea Party, which is trying to recall Sen. Robert Menendez, New Jersey Democrat.
"Nine states, including 12 Democratic senators who are not up for re-election otherwise, could all be on the ballot with a recall," said Peter Ferrara, a lawyer for the conservative American Civil Rights Union, which is helping the tea partiers with their case. "Given what they're doing on health care this year, that's just going to be a huge boost to the recall effort."
The legal obstacles are daunting.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
I agree. It is up to the States, and if the states provide for recall in their constitutions, then it would be unconstitutional for the Federal Government to interfere.
I agree with you. Also, it’s a bad idea, that in the end will fail, wasting a ton of energy. Furthermore, Lautenberg, btw, could be recalled for the same reason.
Its unseemly and any replacement politician brought in under such circumstances would be tainted.
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Arnold in California wasn’t “tainted”.
I've always thought that this might be a weakness in the Constitution, that if there were an sufficiently ruthless evil bunch in power with enough gall to deny, and ignore the results of elections adverse to them...they could hang on forever refusing to recognize being 'dis-elected' and never seating their replacements.
I would not put it past this current bunch:
I hadn’t been able to think of a good rationale for getting a recall campaign going for a congressman/senator, given its slim chances of unseating one, but here you’ve come up with one. A recall campaign would certainly provide a means of building momentum against an incumbent, even if you couldn’t get him out of the seat before the next election. I would just suggest that people be cognizant of the extreme unlikelihood of an incumbent congressman/senator being expelled over citizens’ policy disagreements (as opposed to illegal acts, extreme ethics violations, etc.) and allocate resources accordingly.
I bet even if a congressman/senator lost a recall referendum, though, even a good number of members of the other party in his house of Congress would vote against expelling him, for fear of the precedent it would set.
No back in 96 I used My nickname and the first # that popped into my mind. Then I was gone for a little over a year so bingo add 2 years. U couldn’t remember my old password. very simple.
...the first test comes Tuesday, when a judge will hear oral arguments from the Sussex County Tea Party, which is trying to recall Sen. Robert Menendez, New Jersey Democrat. "Nine states, including 12 Democratic senators who are not up for re-election otherwise, could all be on the ballot with a recall," said Peter Ferrara, a lawyer for the conservative American Civil Rights Union, which is helping the tea partiers with their case. "Given what they're doing on health care this year, that's just going to be a huge boost to the recall effort."We have a recall provision, it's called the Second Amendment. Thanks Tigen.
So Shall it be spoken, so shall it be done.
Why recall McCain ..?? He’s already on the ballot.
We have a recall provision in NY, but it has to be done in a short time and you need a lot of people to sign onto the petition.
It is near imposable to get done. :-(
I thought there was some Constitutional provision that had been interpreted to prohibit recalls of federal officeholders.
It may be nearly impossible but it will never happen if the people don’t start. One thing about starting something like this is that it lets the people know it can be done and it lets the politician know that people are serious.
Your right, but what I fear is that you get so few signatures that it gives the wrong impression to the senators.
Perhaps they get the feeling that people actually approve of what they are doing.
If you get my drift.
That may be.....But had Norm Coleman actually acted like he had a set of balls, instead of the normal panty waisted ankle grabbing Republican that he was, He would have won.
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