NJSC Dems can replace Tori's on ballot - Pubbies appealing

[Liz]

Pubbies may try for stay in circuit court.

[Rome2000]

Now this. Watch and learn, Republicans, watch and learn.

If they haven't learned by now they aren't going to, at least this generation thats there now.

Just wait a few years when the young Republicans who grew hating this national disgrace of a party take office and annihilate the democrats once and for all.

[OldFriend]

I know that G-d knows........and that is all I ask at the moment because I feel totally heartsick at the thought that so many have died for this country and this is the result. A total abuse of power.

[Political Junkie Too]

The equal protection is that the election is for a seat at a national office, the Senate, which affects everyone. If New Jersey can change the rules to influence the outcome, then that's not fair to the voters in Minnisota who can't do the same. It also has to do with the fact that Republicans in California, hoping for a change in majority in the Senate can't get it because New Jersey played loose with the rules.

The states can set their own deadlines, but all states operate under the assumption that each state won't mess with the rules once their legislatures write them. That is the equal protection.

-PJ

[My2Cents]

How many of the military votes went for Torch? Probably none (or not many). The question would be, now that the Democrats have goofed up the printed ballots with their gameplaying, will any returned absentee ballots that have Torch as the Dem candidate be declared "void". That is the issue the Republians should scream about, not only on principle, but because probably 99% of the military ballots were for Forrester.

[edsheppa]

... I read the statute and it's not clear that this is the wrong result.

In the interest of the voters of NJ having the greatest scope for public participation in the electoral process, how do I go about getting my name on the ballot?

Sure, I'm not from NJ and probably don't meet a bunch of other requirements, but surely expand the scope for public participation outweighs all those petty and arbitrary requirements - mere whims of the legislature.

Wait, why not a class action suit to get everyone's name on the ballot? OK, maybe that's just not practical. Instead we'll just have a blank ballot - write-in candidates only. Maybe we can even leave off the position. Voters can make up the position and the candidate.

[Dog Gone]

I don't see that happening, do you?

No, that was wishful thinking and cheerleading on my part. If it didn't happen in Florida, with a Republican legislature, after that debacle, it will never happen in NJ.

But at some point, the American people need to decide that judges don't get to write laws to protect political candidates. And it's going to be up to Republicans to make that case, and do something about it.

[Political Junkie Too]

Just wait a few years when the young Republicans who grew hating this national disgrace of a party take office and annihilate the democrats once and for all.

If they're allowed to. Another brick just went into the wall.

-PJ

[McLynnan]

They must have written their opinion last night. Christ, they don't even try to make it look good.

It makes you wonder, doesn't it? They turned out an opinion with citations very quickly. Even granting that they probably have a crack clerk staff and online legal research services, this sort of thing SHOULD take a little more time than half a day. They probably started researching it last week.

[texasbluebell]

This is all I can do right now:

[FreeTheHostages]

"Maybe we can even leave off the position. Voters can make up the position and the candidate."

I know you're trying to be sarcastic but -- sigh -- this is deadly seriously close to what actually happens here in DC.

That's why *I'm* voting for Diamond Joe Quimby for Mayor of DC this November!

[My2Cents]

I wouldn't be surprised if some sacrificial Republican in an overwhelming Demo district does this. It make for great street theater. And show the absurdity and the duplicity of the DemocRAT party which will assuredly oppose such a move by a Republian.

[Truth29]

It is time to start asking ourselves what to do when the machinery of government has been corrupted? When the courts can simply rewrite or make up new "laws" as they please to advantage the democrats, the whole system of government that this republic is based upon is failing.

In this case, my opinion is that this election is now just pro forma and the results have already been determined. Old Soviet Commissars would be proud. This election will be no more real that those of the former Soviet Union.

[FreeTheHostages]

"Just wait a few years when the young Republicans who grew hating this national disgrace of a [Democrat] party take office and annihilate the democrats once and for all."

Agreed. Whatever doesn't kill us makes us stronger.

[Political Junkie Too]

...it's not clear that this is the wrong result.

This has the effect of essentially banning landslide elections.

-PJ

[FreeTheHostages]

Take heart, Texas. This is still a race. I think Lautenberg may lose this.

[My2Cents]

The GOP doesn't fight loud or hard enough.

Republicans are too civil. In comparison, Democrats are freakin' non-human.

[mlo]

The equal protection is that the election is for a seat at a national office, the Senate, which affects everyone. If New Jersey can change the rules to influence the outcome, then that's not fair to the voters in Minnisota who can't do the same.

Nope. The seat is for a New Jersey Senator and is only up to New Jersey voters. They are the only voters to be considered. An equal protection claim would have to argue that some portion of New Jersey voters is being treated differently than the other New Jersey voters.

[Political Junkie Too]

I think that's too narrow thinking. The Senate is a national body and they should be allowed to show that the national body is being harmed because of unequal treatment in the selection.

Perhaps they can show that campaign donations came from around the country and not just from New Jersey, so that people outside of New Jersey were harmed as well.

-PJ

[Mute]

Care to elaborate on why the statute is vague? I'm not a lawyer, but the intent seems clear to me. If the "51 day" clause is not a prohibition, then why was it included? What other purpose could it serve?

[Truth29]

Who says that those young Republicans will be allowed to take office?

We had better win now because the next time there is a Democrat President or if Bush is able to push through broad illegal alien amnesty, the demographics will be so slanted against the GOP that the dems will never again lose national control.