if lieberman takes rummy's job...

[MalachiConstant]

what happens to lieberman's senate seat?

[Taverner]

1. I'm sure it would go to another Republican

[LaurenG]

3. Good answer, lol I can't stand lieberman. nt

[NewJeffCT]

2. The Republican Governor of CT would appoint a Republican

I just posted this elsewhere -

The Republican governor of CT would appoint a fellow Republican to the seat. While she is fairly moderate, she is still a Republican and a Republican appointee would have a leg up in the run for the empty seat in 2006, when Lieberman's term expires.

The top Republicans in CT
Nancy Johnson, long-term congresswoman in a Dem district, conservative
Rob Simmons, 3 term congressman in a Dem district, conservative
Chris Shays, long-term congressman, moderate.

If Rell appointed any of those 3, the House seat would likely be a Democratic pickup. It might also get popular AG Blumenthal into the race for the Senate next year. He's like a small state version of Spitzer.

[MalachiConstant]

4. no special election?

the governor just get to appoint whoever they see fit to replace an "elected" official. that sounds... counterintuitive?

[demigoddess]

5. Hey, they (reps) want to go back to the old way of the governor appointing

all the Senators instead of the citizens voting them into office. They don't think we are smart enough (and too dem) to vote for them directly. If they get enough votes they may actually repeal that amendment to the constitution.

[MalachiConstant]

6. yeah, somebody should probably fix that.

[ISUGRADIA]

8. A correction: Governors never appointed all the US Senators

it was a vote of the state legislature before 1913 and the constitutional amendment.

Still, a bad idea to revoke tat amendment and it's not going anywhere.

[ISUGRADIA]

7. It's the US Constitution

[MalachiConstant]

9. i didn't realize it was stated there

seems silly to me. maybe an amendment is in order.

[ISUGRADIA]

12. No prob, states can get around this with special election provisions as

Massachusetts has done. I think Oregon has the smae law as I cannot remember an appointed Senator after Packwood resigned, just a special election.

In states like these no appointed Senator serving until the next even year election as in New Jersey.

[garybeck]

10. EXACTLY. that is what's really going on here.

[mmonk]

11. Will his seat be liberated, confiscated, or remain the same?