All Four Republican Candidates For Lieutenant Governor Want To Repeal the 17th Amendment
Thursday evening at a forum in Clear Lake, all four Republican candidates for Lieutenant Governor stated their support for a repeal of the 17th amendment, which allows for direct election of US Senators rather than election by a state's legislature.
Let that sink in: the four Republicans vying for the #2 job in the state don't think Texas voters should select their own US Senators.
What happened at the Clear Lake Tea Party forum, why is it obvious that David Dewhurst and Dan Patrick support this, and how did this become the cool new trend for Tea Party-elected outsider candidates?
Some history on the 17th Amendment: it was formally adopted in May of 1913 after a campaign by progressive reformers such as William Jennings Bryan, and yes, Texas did ratify it along the way. At the time, US Senate elections were perceived to be "bought and sold" by corrupt legislators. Interestingly, one of the outcomes was a rise in influence of city-dwelling voters, as legislatures tended to gerrymander districts such that 1 rural voter had as much influence as 200 city voters. (And keep in mind, this was far before women and minorities had the right to vote, and before the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of one-person-one-vote.)
More at http://www.burntorangereport.com/diary/14188/all-four-republican-candidates-for-lieutenant-governor-want-to-repeal-the-17th-amendment .
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