Posted on 12/13/2002 7:26:54 PM PST by sinkspur
Trent Lott, in a conference call with 27 GOP Senate Republicans today, said that he would leave the Senate if forced from the Leader position.
Jonathan Karl said three or four of the Senators viewed this as "blackmail," but that the majority still support Lott and want him to continue as Leader.
Not that there's anything wrong with that...</Seinfeld voice>
Here's the pertinent excerpt from the statute again. § 23-15-855. Elections to fill vacancies in office of U.S. Senator; interim appointments by Governor.
(1) If a vacancy shall occur in the office of United States Senator from Mississippi by death, resignation or otherwise, the Governor shall, within ten (10) days after receiving official notice of such vacancy, issue his proclamation for an election to be held in the state to elect a Senator to fill such unexpired term as may remain, provided the unexpired term is more than twelve (12) months and the election shall be held within ninety (90) days from the time the proclamation is issued and the returns of such election shall be certified to the Governor in the manner set out above for regular elections, unless the vacancy shall occur in a year that there shall be held a general state or congressional election, in which event the Governor's proclamation shall designate the general election day as the time for electing a Senator, and the vacancy shall be filled by appointment as hereinafter provided.
(2) In case of a vacancy in the office of United States Senator, the Governor may appoint a Senator to fill such vacancy temporarily, and if the United States Senate be in session at the time the vacancy occurs the Governor shall appoint a Senator within ten (10) days after receiving official notice thereof, and the Senator so appointed shall serve until his successor is elected and commissioned as provided for in subsection (1) of this section, provided that such unexpired term as he may be appointed to fill shall be for a longer time than one (1) year, but if for a shorter time than one (1) year he shall serve for the full time of the unexpired term and no special election shall be called by the Governor but his successor shall be elected at the regular election.
I am not a lawyer. I don't even play one on TV or the movies; however, the way I interpret the Statute is if Lott resigns his Senate seat prior to the Senate reconvening in January, Musgrove can appoint an interim but he has to call a special election for the seat in 90 days. If Lott dilly dallys and waits until the Senate reconvenes, Musgrove doesn't have to call the special election until the next MS general election which is in November 2003.
If the 90 day rule is true, are there any Republicans that can step up to the plate & win? The Lt. Governor? Barbour?
A "gay affair" when he was in college? No doubt because he was a cheerleader.
George W. was a cheerleader in college, too.
Is he "gay"?
This is such bullshit.
If Lott goes, and somehow the Dems pick up one more seat by Chaffee or McCain bolting, what is the impact?
Yes, two years more of Daschle in the majority. We survived the last two.
We are going to pick up seats in 2004. The lay of the land is such that it would be difficult for us not to. Our incumbents are in safe areas (except for Fitzgerald), theirs are not. The seats which will be contested are all in Bush country. We simply should not be paralyzing ourselves over what might happen in the next two years when the real goals are much longer term than that.
If Lott made this threat, then he should be called on it immediately.
believe it, or don't believe it. i don't care.
it actually went out on kogo-am 600, broadcast from washington d.c. kogo is heard from central california well into mexico.
interesting, lott never demanded a retraction.
don't shoot the messenger.
What price are you willing to pay when Lott pulls off his next dunderheaded stunt? He will do something like this again. You know he will.
And how much are you willing to contribute to the "pandering pot" while Lott tries to buy back his reputation with taxpayer dollars? Because you know it is we, the taxpayers, who will pay for his mistake.
And if Haley Barbour, who's running for governor in Mississippi, ever belonged to an all-white country club, or ate in a Chicken Shack in Yazoo City when there weren't any black people in the place, he'll get raked over the coals too.
When the long knives are out, nobody's safe. Nobody.
Wouldn't we get about as much accomplished with either?
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