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DonViejo

(60,536 posts) Tue Dec 18, 2012, 10:46 AM Dec 2012

Dukakis Says He Will Not Replace Kerry In The Senate

Source: TPM

TOM KLUDT 8:28 AM EST, TUESDAY DECEMBER 18, 2012

Michael Dukakis, the former Massachusetts governor and one-time Democratic presidential nominee, ended speculation on Monday that he will serve as interim senator following the expected nomination of Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) as Secretary of State.

“That’s a no,” Dukakis said in a brief interview with Boston-based CBS affiliate WBZ-TV.

If Kerry is tapped to head the State Department as anticipated, Gov. Deval Patrick (D) must fill the seat until a special election is held.

-30-

Read more: http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/dukakis-says-he-will-not-replace-kerry-in

9 replies

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Dukakis Says He Will Not Replace Kerry In The Senate (Original Post) DonViejo Dec 2012 OP

Not surprising to anybody with half a brain. Not that he would have been a bad choice for an interim Mass Dec 2012 #1

Smart man. ............nft plethoro Dec 2012 #2

Good. We need someone who wants to run for the seat outright when the special election is held. eom Purveyor Dec 2012 #3

I'm not sure of that Purveyor... DonViejo Dec 2012 #4

The Governor and Dems painted themselves into a corner in the past to FailureToCommunicate Dec 2012 #5

Appoint Rachel Maddow! Kelvin Mace Dec 2012 #6

HAH!!!! blm Dec 2012 #8

+1 nt ProudProgressiveNow Dec 2012 #9

Do these temporary Senators bucolic_frolic Dec 2012 #7

Mass

(27,315 posts)

1. Not surprising to anybody with half a brain. Not that he would have been a bad choice for an interim

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Tue Dec 18, 2012, 10:48 AM

Dec 2012

senator, but we already knew that.

This said, also an additional sign the media do not know what they are talking about.

plethoro

(594 posts)

2. Smart man. ............nft

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Tue Dec 18, 2012, 10:49 AM

Dec 2012

dddddddd

Purveyor

(29,876 posts)

3. Good. We need someone who wants to run for the seat outright when the special election is held. eom

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Tue Dec 18, 2012, 11:00 AM

Dec 2012

DonViejo

(60,536 posts)

4. I'm not sure of that Purveyor...

Reply to Purveyor (Reply #3)

Tue Dec 18, 2012, 11:17 AM

Dec 2012

The interim Senator is going to be tied up with D.C. business in a new Senate term, leaving little time for her/him to campaign for a special election. I'm not advocating for a Dukakis appointment either.

FailureToCommunicate

(14,018 posts)

5. The Governor and Dems painted themselves into a corner in the past to

Reply to Purveyor (Reply #3)

Tue Dec 18, 2012, 11:20 AM

Dec 2012

defend against Republican appointees...

So it's not so straightforward...

From AP:
"During the 2010 special election - prompted by the death of longtime Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy from brain cancer - Gov. Deval Patrick said he would only appoint someone as interim senator if they agreed not to run in the special election, and he appointed former Democratic Party chairman Paul Kirk.

Under current law, if Kerry resigns Patrick would appoint an interim senator to serve until a special election could be held.

Asked recently if he would seek the same promise if Kerry stepped down, Patrick said it was too soon say.

Patrick has said he would prefer a system where he could appoint someone to serve until the next statewide election in 2014, but said there's no appetite on Beacon Hill to change the law."