Court case could alter Nev. outcome

[babsbunny]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080117/ap_on_el_pr/nevada_caucus

By KATHLEEN HENNESSEY, Associated Press Writer
14 minutes ago



LAS VEGAS - A last-minute federal court battle over caucus rules demonstrates just how important a tight three-way Democratic presidential contest in Nevada has become in the battle for momentum headed into Super Tuesday's votes.


Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards are in a statistical dead heat in polling here before Saturday's caucuses. And Nevada's sizable blocs of Hispanic, union and urban voters could provide an indicator of where the race is headed on Feb. 5, when hundreds of delegates will be awarded in states with significant minority populations.

[Joe the Revelator]

1. What legal basis does the Education union have?

I seem to have missed that part.

[thunder rising]

2. They donated to Hillary and they don't want to loose

[Barack_America]

3. There is speculation that the lawsuit might sink...

Timing may sink lawsuit aimed at Strip voting
By David McGrath Schwartz
Wed, Jan 16, 2008 (2 a.m.)

Not all votes in a caucus are created equal, and Nevada’s Saturday contest is no different.

But that doesn’t mean a legal challenge to stop the party from holding special precinct meetings for Strip workers will succeed.

The lawsuit seeking to block the Democratic Party from having caucus sites on the Strip faces significant legal obstacles, election law experts said Tuesday.

U.S. District Court Judge James C. Mahan is to rule on the lawsuit Thursday; his decision could reverberate throughout Nevada and the national political contest.

A doctrine allows courts to throw out a challenge if the person bringing it has unduly delayed taking action, to the detriment of the opposing party.

Called the doctrine of laches, “it gives the court the power to say, even if a suit has merit, you’re bringing it up too late,” said Richard Hasen, a professor specializing in election law at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.

It appeared that the plaintiffs, another legal expert said, “just waited too late in the day to entertain these types of issues.”

more

[Barack_America]

4. Did you see the last line...

One graveyard shift worker last week posted this message to union canvassers outside a home: "Yes! We are caucusing with the Culinary ... Please do not knock (sleeping)."

And that, my friends, is why union endorsements, no matter how some may dismiss them, are important.