FL-13: Seating Buchanan Is Not the End

by jrb1968, Fri Dec 29, 2006 at 12:16:56 PM EST

Earlier today, Congressman Rush Holt (NJ-12) put out a statement that he will "take steps to put the U.S. House of Representatives on record as recognizing the justification of the electoral challenge filed by Congressional candidate Christine Jennings regarding the disputed election in Florida's 13th Congressional District, and making clear that any House proceedings on January 4, 2007, will not prejudice legal proceedings or legislative inquiry regarding the election's validity."

In other words, Holt will see to it that the House's seating of Republican Vern Buchanan is not taken as recognition of his victory (and thereby a rebuke of Jennings' challenge). Rep. Holt, the primary sponsor of the Voter Confidence and Accessibility Act, had this to say on the matter last month:

The inaccuracy of electronic touch-screen voting machines poses a direct threat to the integrity of our electoral system and to our nation's democracy. Once again this broken system has been exposed in Florida's 13th Congressional district where over 18,000 votes went uncounted. Without the means to fully guarantee that every vote is counted as fairly and accurately as possible, the authenticity of our recorded vote will always be uncertain and open to electoral and legal challenges.
Since then, others have speculated how to make matters right in this case. Following precedent, Howard Dean suggested Buchanan not be seated in the House, and Blue Jerseyencouraged Rep. Holt to lead that fight. Yet Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi has said little about the matter, and Jennings has now publicly relinquished opposition to seating Buchanan.

So, while Pelosi and other members of House leadership sit on the sidelines, Rep. Holt is getting in the game for democracy. In his latest statement, he clearly says

Under federal law, there is a procedure in place for reviewing contested elections. The House should do nothing to compromise or prejudice the case Ms. Jennings has before the Florida courts. I expect the evidence will show that the certification did not reflect the will of the voters and a re-vote is necessary. [Emphasis added]

Tags: 2006, 2006 elections, Christine Jennings, FL-13, House 2006, Howard Dean, Nancy Pelosi, Rush Holt, Vern Buchanan (all tags)

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Re: FL-13: Seating Buchanan Is Not the End

I'm guessing that Jennings got the word from Pelosi's office that they were going to seat Buchanan provisionally.  Thus she had the opporunity to appear gracious about it in advance.

by gatordem 2006-12-29 02:12PM | 0 recs
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Re: FL-13: Seating Buchanan Is Not the End

This is a frustrating move. If roles were reversed, the Publicans would fight for their man tooth and nail.

by lightyearsfromhome 2006-12-29 02:30PM | 0 recs
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Re: FL-13: Seating Buchanan Is Not the End

How could anyone doubt the compassion and good will of the Dyspublicans? Such impudence!!!

by blues 2006-12-30 12:20PM | 0 recs
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Re: FL-13: Seating Buchanan Is Not the End

Good luck to the Voter Confidence and Accessibility Act of Rep Rush Holt. I see some Republican names among the sponsors, e.g. Mary
Bono and Curt Weldon. With the new Congress, the sponsors will change slightly, and more will add their support, I hope. My repub representative is not behind the bill; I'll sent him an e-mail.

Thanks for the links.

by Books Alive 2006-12-30 05:45AM | 0 recs
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Re: FL-13: Seating Buchanan Is Not the End



This is an apalling act of cowardice and capitulation by Nancy Pelosi.

Here we have an election where some 18,000 votes went uncounted.  The clear and expected thing to do in such a situation is to declare the seat vacant and trigger a special election to resolve the dispute.

Instead, she does what? Awards the seat to the Republican anyway?

Just how is this successful Party Leadership?  

This then creates the false impression that Buchanan is the uncontested and fully legitmate winner
and that the matter is settled.  It also makes it virtually impossible for Jennings to get any proper legal
redress now after the fact.

I can tell you this, the GOP will regard the matter settled and Buchanan is now guaranteed two years.

Pelosi has no brains and no backbone and no integrity.  
Moreover, if she is trying to set a new example of ethics and integrity in the House, she just failed the test.

Why are Democrats always act like losers - even when they win, and, even when GOP cheating is transparent?

Nancy Pelosi has also taken Impeachment completely off the table even before any Investigations or witnesses of any kind have come forward.  Isn't an Investigation supposed to follow wherever the actual evidence and the facts lead it towards?  This is a little like a judge declaring that there will be no sentencing of any defendents before a Trial actually begins.  Just who's idea of upholding the law is this?

While Pelosi's at it, she may as well surgically remove the scrotums of every male Democratic Congressman as an act of ritual to commence the new year.

Nancy Pelosi ain't no leader.
Nancy Pelsoi is a timid little loser who is afraid to stand up for the public interest.

She's letting the GOP just walk all over them without even putting up a fight.

by DerekLarsson 2006-12-31 05:14PM | 0 recs

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