Torricelli News Conference 5 pm EST LIVE THREAD

[justshe]

He would be my choice as well. He was excellent in Florida.

[aristeides]

Barry Richard was the legal expert on FL election law. Jim Baker made very sure to hire him right after the 2000 election.

He must have NJ equivalents. The Forrester campaign and the RNC should be hiring those NJ equivalents right now. Keep them from taking the side of the Dems (who are short of money.)

[Mad Dawgg]

"Trebec: This dead man received 168% of the dead vote in November, 2000."

Buzzz

Mad Dawgg: Who is Mel "I took one for the cause" Carnahan?

[marajade]

But it speaks to the issue that the party leaders are willing to do this and in effect negate who the people have chosen...

[Timesink]

If the RATs and their "independent" and RINO ilk brethern manage 51 seats, then as long as there's no election, the appointed ilk will get to stick around until 2004 (the Senate does have final say as to who gets to sit there).

I would think, though I'm not 100% certain, that they can't get away with having no election at all. See Amendment XVII:

The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each state, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each state shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the state legislatures.

When vacancies happen in the representation of any state in the Senate, the executive authority of such state shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, that the legislature of any state may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.

This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect the election or term of any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution.

I don't have a clue how this Amendment has been interpreted by the SCOTUS over the last 90 years, but you'd think it makes it clear that upon resignation, the governor can fill the position with a person in whatever fashion the New Jersey Legislature has set up, and then must order an election within a reasonable period. (And obviously, the one in November would be the most reasonable, since it's already set up and ready to go.) But it's all just vague enough that....who knows?

So yeah, we'd be right back in Florida again, with the RATS attempting to twist the federal and state constitutions to within an inch of their lives in order to achieve their power-mad goals. And hopefully failing again just like last time. BRING IT ON, RATS.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Agree. There's some bad IRS-related legal trouble just over the horizon for Torricelli.

[cake_crumb]

"Whoops! I forgot...the teacher's union backed Torch....because of them, taint no one can spell tuu gud heerre."

ROFLOL!

I'd like to see the unions who endorsed Toricelli get really ticked at this tactic....Unfortunately, McAuliff and the DNC will just tell them to instruct their members to vote for whatever shill the Dems "replace" the Torch with.

[VRWC_minion]

Torch will resign from his seat and McGreevy will then appoint a replacement

I wonder what happens to campaign funds. How can they legally be transferred ?

[Miss Marple]

Well, as a bright spot, Fox is back to dumping on the Baghdad Three. HA! Crooks and traitors, the lot of them!

Floor mopped. Now off to dust. Back in a bit.

[tip of the sword]

This is like Singapore or some third world nation, I still cannnot believe the Rats are going to go through with this!

It seems like political hari-kari

[Dianna]

I heard that too.

So what is the deal with Menendez? If he's a Congressman, he's up for re-election too, right? What happens to that race?

I'll bet Menendez is ahead and doesn't want to take a chance on losing.

[bioprof]

McGreevy's poll numbers have been slowly but steadily declining. King James has a survival instinct....will be interesting to see how he plays this.

Remember that Torricelli tried to pry the gubernatorial nomination away from McGreevy last year....Torch got singed royally over it. Now he & McGreevy have made a big act out of "making bygones be bygones"....oh yeah? Let's see what happens.

[Dianna]

Is that the "Toch toady" thread? LOL!!

[aristeides]

Menendez has a leadership position among the Dems in the House, but he has long wanted to be in the Senate. And he is much more likely to be a member of a house majority if he is in the Senate, not the House, next year. So, if he's not willing to go along with this ploy, I think that says something about his opinion of its chances of succeeding.

[savedbygrace]

I don't think that will prove to be the case, but if it is, it doesn't mean the Senate will SEAT the replacement. I'd like to see the pubbies play hardball for a change, and supply the equipment.

[Woodman]

Can someone explain this to me. If a name appears on the ballot, how can that person have withdrawn? In NY primaries Cuomo quit, but his name was still on the ballot. Let’s say he won, how could the DEMs legally put McCall on the ballot in November? I would ask the same question in NJ as a legal challenge. If the Torch appears on the ballot, he hasn’t withdrawn from the election, he has only stopped campaigning. Legally I don’t see how McGreevycould claim that a legal election hadn’t taken place and that his appointment should serve until the next general election.

The best I can see the DEMs getting out of this is that the Torch can’t drag them down any further or that he actually wins and resigns again.

[Dog]

Neets could this TORCH is quitting be coming from DC .....??

Make it almost a done deal then the TORCH has no choice but to walk away..

[Timesink]

New Jersy -- Call radio shows, and write to editors. Get the word out - BEFORE anything happens. Refer to it as a "what if."

This also means bombard the NYC talk radio stations: WABC, WOR, etc. Their signals cover practically all of New Jersey, and regularly take on NJ politics.

[tip of the sword]

Yep, the FR cocktail hour has begun a little early today about 3PM EST..

[concerned about politics]

Torch will resign from his seat and McGreevy will then appoint a replacement who will be automatically eligible for the ballot without even filing and getting the required signatures!

How can they do that? It seems as though elections are for people to choose the canidates. Since when are they chosen for everyone? Something is wrong with that idea.