bush missed the filing deadline for the Florida ballot

[welshTerrier2]

is this true ???

check this out from the Green's website (http://www.gpus.org/press/pr_09_13_04b.html):


Green Party members across the U.S. are supporting the demand from Florida Greens that President George W. Bush be removed from the Florida ballot, in accord with Florida election law.

Florida Republicans missed the September 1 filing deadline to place Mr. Bush on the state ballot, but Florida Democrats are refusing to hold them to state election rules.

<snip>

Florida Democratic Party chair Scott Maddox defended his party's refusal to make an issue of Republicans' failure to meet the deadline for presidential candidates: "To keep an incumbent president off the ballot in a swing state the size of Florida because of a technicality, I just don't think would be right." (St. Petersburg Times, September 11, 2004)

<snip>

Greens said that the free pass given by Florida Democrats to Mr. Bush recalls Al Gore's refusal to demand a recount in every county during the 2000 Florida election debacle and the failure of Florida Democrats to challenge Republican election officials' disqualification of thousands of Florida voters, especially African Americans.

[dennis4868]

1. "I just don't think would be right"

and not counting all the votes and keeping african americans off the voter rolls is not right either but the repubs did it....

[welshTerrier2]

4. why is this even something Democrats can decide?

shouldn't this be a matter for the courts ... either a candidate meets the ballot requirements or they don't ... democrats, even if they want to, should not have the authority to override the law ...

to argue that voters would be cheated is nonsense ... that determination should have been up to the Florida legislature ... they wrote the law knowing that even a technicality meant a candidate was not in compliance and could not be on the ballot ...

it might be a stupid law but it's the law ... you can't just change the rules because you don't like them ... bush should not be on the ballot because he does not qualify to be on the ballot ...

[dennis4868]

6. I did not get on the ballot....

on time in Florida and neither did Bush....why does Bush gets special treatment over me? I dont plan on running for Prez but you know what I mean....what is the use of having deadlines if they are really not deadlines?

[Joylaughter]

2. The rule of law does not apply to *

only to the rest of us.

[Renew Deal]

3. That would be all bad

but too cool.

[AuntPatsy]

5. You don't seriously think this Bush camp would forget to

register? Think, of course the Dems want Bush in thier, they know Florida is theirs and so does the Bush camp, the Bushies are absolutely terrified of this embarrassment...

[buycitgo]

8. it's not that....same thing happened here in Illinois

other states, too

they waited SO long to officially nominate him---take advantage of the 911 desecration-- that they can't put him on the ballot

those states all have September 1 as their filing deadline

they'll make an exception, just as Illinois did

non issue

[AuntPatsy]

16. Florida voting a non issue? I'm not sure I can believe that..

[Digit]

7. But if the shoe had been on the other foot????? eom

[welshTerrier2]

9. the shoe IS on the other foot ...

democrats have been bending over backwards to keep Nader (i.e. the Reform Party) off the ballot ... read the whole article on the Green's website ...

anyway, this isn't about feet ... the law was written by the Florida legislature ... deciding on this issue should NOT be up to the Democratic Party ... it's a matter for the courts ...

whether you like the law or not, it's the law ... do you think the legislature only had "minor parties" in mind when they passed this law ... do you think the two "major" parties are above the law?

it is irrelevant how I would feel if Kerry had missed the deadline ... I'm not in charge of enforcing Florida law ...

[elperromagico]

10. If Jeb Bush can interfere in Michael and Terri Schiavo's lives,

he can most certainly get his brother on the ballot.

[tedoll78]

11. Prediction for if this reaches the U.S. Supreme Court:

They'll allow Bush onto the ballot, citing the 2002 ruling allowing Frank Lautenberg onto the New Jersey senate race ballot. The reasoning from then? Technicalities can't unjustly deny voters a choice.

Shaky reasoning, indeed. I remember when states were allowed to set their own election rules..

[buycitgo]

12. this is all it takes

from Chicago Sun Times, via freeperville

Illinois lawmakers agreed Monday to grant President Bush an exception from the usual deadline for placing candidates' names on the fall election ballot. Illinois law requires the ballot to be finalized 67 days before the election. But Republicans are holding their convention unusually late this year, and Bush won't be officially nominated until 61 days before the election.

Democrats and Republicans have been wrangling for weeks over granting an exception so Bush's name can appear on ballots this fall. Democrats originally tried to link the issue to some changes they wanted in state election law. The House voted 108-0 Monday for a bill limited just to the Bush deadline issue. There was no debate. The measure passed the Senate earlier and now goes to Gov. Blagojevich, who says he plans to sign it into law.

[leftofthedial]

13. BFD laws don't apply after a coup

especially election laws

[LisaL]

14. Well, if Greens are angry, why don't they go to court

to challenge Bush being on the ballot?

[Doohickie]

15. Exactly.

Maybe he will.

I think Illinois looks like it's been dealt with, but what about Florida? Could it be that the Dems are going to let Nader be the bad guy and take action? Could it be they will hold it in their back pockets and try to bring it to court if there are shennanigans in Florida?

[jmags]

17. The larger question should be

with a campaign as well organized and well funded as the Bush/Cheney campaign is, when they can't even get themselves on the ballot properly, what does that tell you about their ability to run the country, besides the gigantic failure that has characterized the last 4 years?

[EndElectoral]

18. As Mrs. Knox said, "He felt he didn't have to play by the rules."