Bush could be absent from ballot in Illinois?!?!

[jerryster]

Bush could be absent from ballot here
November 22, 2003

BY DAVE MCKINNEY Sun-Times Springfield Bureau Advertisement

SPRINGFIELD -- President Bush's spot on next year's Illinois ballot was threatened Friday after the state Senate killed a Democratic bid linking next year's presidential race with a controversial plan to forgive steep election fines against scores of Democrats.

Ending the fall legislative session on a fiery note, angry Republicans and a handful of Democrats defeated the measure, quickly taking the luster off a landmark ethics package the Legislature sent to Gov. Blagojevich on Thursday.

"Think about this, the irony of this," Sen. Peter Roskam (R-Wheaton) told the bill's supporters. "You're asking us to waive an ethics fine on the day after . . . we gave ourselves high fives on the Senate floor, and the governor did victory laps about reform and renewal in Illinois."

After quietly passing out of the House late Thursday, the omnibus elections package failed 27-23 in the Senate Friday, falling seven votes shy of the 30 needed to pass. Seven senators who voted for the bill faced pending election fines of up to $55,000. All were Democrats.

But in turning back the proposal, Republicans may have given their standard bearer in next year's elections a case of political heartburn.

In order to be on the Illinois ballot, state law requires that President Bush certify his candidacy for president in late August. But he won't be nominated by his party until Sept. 2, the last day of the Republican convention in New York City. The bill would have waived that filing deadline for Bush.

Democrats thumped their chests and taunted Senate Republicans for refusing to endorse the Bush provision and the rest of the package, including a change permitting the same type of flawed paper ballots to be counted in Illinois that the GOP fought against in Florida to hand Bush the 2000 presidency.

"Perhaps you don't want us to have a target because I want to go after him destroying the economy triggering the . . . war," bellowed Senate President Emil Jones (D-Chicago).

"I'm still looking for the weapons of mass destruction . . . in his personal war. It's ridiculous. I want him on the ballot," Jones said.

"I called the various news organizations that had colored charts in the 2000 presidential campaign and suggested they color in Illinois to whatever color there is for Democrats because we won," said Steve Brown, a spokesman for House Speaker and Illinois Democratic Party Chairman Michael Madigan.

Madigan's aide said Democratic lawmakers might revisit the issue next spring but likely would again try to tie the election fines, dimpled chads and more relaxed mail-in voting rules to Bush's ballot dilemma.

Contributing: Tammy Chase and Lynn Sweet

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-leg22.html

[smallprint]

1. Well, well, well.

It looks like the Bush-missing-the-ballot controversy is about to get some new life... interesting...

here's the thread from yesterday's LBN, about the House version passing:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=232683#233021

[a_lil_wall_fly]

2. Truly interesting....

how about those chads now TALKING HOUSE PLANT!!!!

[Catch22Dem]

3. I thought he was in danger of missing the ballot

In a couple of other states too. What became of that? From what I recall, they actually had to pass something in the state legislatures of these states and the legislatures were Democratic held.

[mikehiggins]

4. Nobody ever expects...the Supreme Court

It is beyond beleif that the US Supreme Court will allow millions of Illinois voter to be disenfranchised because of the GOP scheduling of its national convention.

Just will not happen.

The state will be ordered to place him on the ballot, even if it means all the ballots have to be recalled and new ones issued.

Let's get real, folks. The only way we're going to beat Bush is to get an overwhelming number of our voters to the polls on election day.

[jerryster]

5. Agree

I know. It was an amusing day, though, in Illinois. And hey, pissing off Republicans? Gotta enjoy it. have too few of those days.

[dfong63]

6. that would be illogical

It is beyond beleif that the US Supreme Court will allow millions of Illinois voter to be disenfranchised because of the GOP scheduling of its national convention.

don't buy that spin doctoring. if Bush fails to follow the state's rules, then leaving his name off the ballot would not be "disenfranchising" anyone. it'd simply be following state law. if you want to call it "disenfranchising", then put the blame where it belongs - on the GOP hacks who wilfully and knowingly scheduled their convention for a date that is too late to qualify for the ballot in SEVERAL states, in a cynical attempt to capitalize on the 9/11 tragedy.

SHAME on the traitor dems who are ENABLING this cynical GOP ploy by amending their state laws for the sole benefit of the ENEMY.

if the GOP wants their candidate on the ballot, they can damn well do it by holding their convention at the proper time, just like they have always done it in the past.

you know damn well that if the tables were turned, the dems would get ZERO help from the repubs. the repubs would laugh in the dems' faces.

[Padraig18]

7. The SC won't intervene.

It's an issue of sate law; if he wants to be on the damned ballot, then he'll follow the damned rules. We'll still have an election, but * will have to be a write-in, unless they change the law. :hi: