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Review changes beginning Thursday, January 2, 2003.

  • Friday, December 20, 2002
    • Alaska Governor names daughter to fill U.S. Senate vacancy
      • Governor Frank H. Murkowski (R-Alaska) has named his 45-year-old daughter Lisa, a state representative, to fill the "Class 3" U.S. Senate seat left vacant since Murkowski resigned as Senator in order to be sworn in as Governor back on 2 December. Lisa Murkowski, also a Republican, will serve until the term ends at Noon on 3 January 2005; the "Class 3" Senate seat from Alaska will be filled for a full 6-year term beginning on that date in the General Election to be held on Tuesday 2 November 2004, as per the regular election schedule for all "Class 3" U.S. Senate seats.
    • Lott to step down as Republican U.S. Senate leader
      • Senator Trent Lott (R-Mississippi) has decided not to serve as Majority Leader in the Republican-controlled United States Senate of the incoming 108th Congress (which officially takes office at Noon, 3 January next but will not formally convene until Tuesday 7 January 2003). It appears that the Mississippian will be replaced in that post by Senator Bill Frist (R-Tennessee), who is in the midst of his second 6-year term in the upper house of Congress: Frist was the head of the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee for the Midterm Elections held this past 5 November 2002 and is given a great deal of credit for the GOP's having regained control of the Senate from the Democrats as a result of those elections.
      • Lott's resignation as GOP Senate leader is largely due to a controversy that resulted from remarks the Mississippian made at the 100th Birthday celebration for retiring Senator Strom Thurmond (R-South Carolina) this past 5 December in which Lott- among other things- stated that the country wouldn't have had "problems" (unstated by Lott) it has had of late if Thurmond's Third Party pro-State's Rights and anti-Civil Rights so-called "Dixiecrat" Presidential bid of 1948 had been successful; however, much of the resulting acrimony surrounded Lott's later attempts to apologize for his remark in a manner that only served to deepen the controversy (most notably, a quite embarrassing appearence on Black Entertainment Television in which the Mississippian rather lamely backpedaled from his opposition- as a Congressman back in the early 1980s- to the establishment of Martin Luther King Day as a Federal Holiday).
  • Thursday, December 12, 2002
  • Tuesday, December 10, 2002
    • The Bush Administration: William Donaldson, former Chairman of the New York Stock Exchange, is nominated for CHAIRMAN, SECURITIES & EXCHANGE COMMISSION
  • Monday, December 9, 2002
    • The Bush Administration: John W. Snow is nominated for SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY.
  • Saturday, December 7, 2002
    • Louisiana Runoff Elections -- Saturday 7 December 2002:
      • Senate Class 2: Incumbent Democratic Senator Mary L. Landrieu has apparently defeated Republican Suzanne Haik Terrell by 51 percent of the vote to 49 percent.
      • House CD 5: Democrat Rodney Alexander (winner with 86,718 votes) vs Republican Lee Fletcher (85,744 votes). Mr. Fletcher has conceded.
  • Friday, December 6, 2002
    • The Bush Administration: Paul O'Neill, SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY announces his resignation.
    • The Bush Administration: Laurence Lindsey, CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL ECONOMIC COUNCIL announces his resignation.
  • Tuesday, December 4, 2002
  • Tuesday, December 3, 2002
  • Sunday, December 1, 2002
    • Vacancy in "Class 3" U.S. Senate seat from ALASKA
      • U.S. Senator Frank H. Murkowski (R-Alaska) is sworn in as Governor of the State of Alaska at noon Alaska Time today (2100 UTC, 2 Dec 2002); at that moment, Mr. Murkowski ceases to be a United States Senator, thereby creating a vacancy in the "Class 3" seat from that State. The relevant statute relating to filling this vacancy follows:
      • Alaska Statutes 15.40.010. Conditions and time of filling vacancy in the U.S. Senate by appointment and special election
      • When a vacancy occurs in the office of United States senator, the governor, at least five days after the date of the vacancy but within 30 days after the date of the vacancy, shall
        • (1) appoint a qualified person who, if the predecessor in office was nominated by a political party, has been, for the six months before the date of the vacancy, and is, on the date of appointment, a member of the same political party as that which nominated the predecessor in office to fill the vacancy temporarily until the vacancy is filled permanently by election; and
        • 2) by proclamation and subject to this chapter, call a special primary election and a special election to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term of the predecessor in office if the predecessor's term would expire more than 30 calendar months after the date of the vacancy.
      • [NOTE: Subdivision 2) of Alaska Statutes 15.40.010 does not apply in this case since the term of office to which the appointment would be made expires at noon on 3 January 2005- well within 30 months of the vacancy caused by Senator Murkowski's becoming Governor- and the "Class 3" seat would next be up for election at the General Election to be held on Tuesday 2 November 2004.]
  • Sunday, December 1, 2002
    • Vox Populi: Homeland Security and a National Police Force (one more time... with feeling!) by Kenneth Scot Stremsky
    • Hawii CD 2 107th Congress: Democrat Ed Case is the winner of the 30 November 2002 Special Election to fill the unexpired term of deceased Congressman Patsy Mink in the *107th* Congress. Note: There will be a special election to fill Congressman Patsy Mink's term in the *108th* Congress on Saturday 4 January 2003. The 107th Congress adjourned sine die on 22 November 2002 and the 108th Congress will convene on 7 January 2003, hence, there is a probability that the winner of this election might not be seated.
  • Saturday, November 30, 2002
  • Friday, November 29, 2002
  • Thursday, November 28, 2002
  • Tuesday, November 26, 2002
  • Friday, November 22, 2002
  • Thursday, November 21, 2002
  • Wednesday, November 20, 2002
  • Monday, November 18, 2002
  • Sunday, November 17, 2002
  • Thursday, November 14, 2002
  • Tuesday, November 12, 2002
  • Monday, November 11, 2002
    • Update: THE 2004 DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL/VICE-PRESIDENTIAL TICKET POOL
    • Dems Will Still Control U.S. Senate At Start of "Lame Duck" Session Tomorrow
      • Interim U.S. Senator Dean Barkley (I-Minnesota), who was appointed by outgoing Governor Jesse Ventura (I-Minnesota) to fill the vacancy in the State's "Class 2" Senate seat caused by the death of Democrat Paul Wellstone in a plane crash this past 25 October, has announced today that he will remain Independent and not caucus with either the Democrats or the Republicans. This leaves the Senate in the hands of the Democrats as the nominal Majority as the so-called "lame duck" session gets underway on Tuesday 12 November, as that body remains split 49-49 between the two Major Parties- with Barkley and James Jeffords of Vermont as the sole Independents in the Senate- until Friday 22 November which will be when Republican Jim Talent of Missouri, newly elected in the Special Election for his State's "Class 1" Senate seat, formally takes office as the replacement for Democrat Senator Jean Carnahan, until Mr. Talent's election is formally certified still sitting in the Senate by virtue of her having been appointed to serve in place of her late husband, who was killed in a plane crash a few weeks prior to being posthumously elected to the Senate back in November 2000.
      • The reason the Republicans will not immediately re-take control of the Senate- even with a 49-49 tie and a constitutional President of the Senate (the Vice-President of the United States, Dick Cheney) of their own Party- is a technical one: only when a Party has at least half the Senate seats (currently, this would be 50 out of the 100 Senators) does the ability of the Vice-President of that Party to break a tie vote come into play in leadership matters. When Senator-elect Talent officially replaces Senator Carnahan (again, come 22 November) the Republicans will have 50 seats in the Senate during the remaining weeks of the outgoing 107th Congress and then be able to reclaim the Majority insofar as Senate leadership issues are concerned.
      • None of these Senate leadership issues currently in play as regards the "lame duck" session of the 107th Congress has any effect on the fact that the Republicans will, of course, be the Majority Party in the U.S. Senate come the start of the 108th Congress this coming January. In addition to the fact that Senator-elect Talent of Missouri will most certainly be in office at that time, Senator Barkley of Minnesota will have been replaced by newly elected Republican Norm Coleman and, thus, the Republicans will- without question- have no fewer than 51 of the 100 seats in the U.S. Senate by then. (It is presumed that, once Republican Senator Frank Murkowski of Alaska has left the Senate upon taking office as that State's Governor at Noon on Monday 2 Decemner, he will name a Republican as an appointed replacement pending the regular election for his "Class 3" Senate seat in November 2004; meanwhile, the outcome of the Saturday 7 December Runoff in Lousiana between Democrat Senator Mary Landrieu and Republican challenger Suzanne Terrell for that State's "Class 2" Senate seat will not at all change the reality of Republican leadership of the U.S. Senate at the start of the incoming 108th Congress.)
  • Wednesday, November 6, 2002
    • Update: The Massachusetts Governor's chair was incorrectly listed as having a term limit. We stand corrected. An explanation:
      • Back in 1994, MA- like many States did back in the early 1990s- attempted to term-limit State elected executive and legislative officers... the pro-Term Limit group tried to get a constitutional amendment adopted doing this but, in MA, Initiative and Referendum does not apply to constitutional provisions (only adoption of mere statutes)-- the General Court has to pass any proposed constitutional amendment for it to get on the ballot in MA-- naturally, the pols in the State House with the Golden Dome were not at all interested.
      • The pro-Term Limits people in MA decided to try the statutory route via Initiative and Referendum... knowing that restricting specific terms of office by statute was unconstitutional, their proposal said, in effect, "we are not going to limit your terms of office per se... instead, we will make it difficult for you to get on the ballot to run for re-election once you've served a certain number of terms"... the proposal stated that, when a State executive officer or legislator has served a given number of terms, he/she can no longer be nominated by a Political Party but must either run as a write-in or petition (with all the hard work of gathering more than enough signatures... just in case) to be placed on the ballot if the officer wants to be re-elected beyond the stated number of terms...
      • In the November 1994 election, this Initiative passed overwhelmingly. In 1997, the commonwealth's Supreme Judicial Court struck down this Initiative-Referendum adopted statute as unconstitutional, arguing that making it difficult for an elected official to get on the ballot once he/she has served a certain number of terms is just as much a statutory term-limit as if there was an obviously unconstitutional attempt to specifically term limit by statute (yet the law itself- though, apparently, moribund thanks to the SJC decision- remains on the statute books). It appears that there are NO term-limits in MA and have not been for five years!
  • Tuesday, November 5, 2002
    • (added 10 December) Colorado CD 7: The recount is complete. Final tally: Republican Bob Beauprez (81,789 votes) vs Democrat Mike Feeley (81,688 votes). Mr. Freeley has conceded.
    • (added 22 November) Colorado CD 7: The current tally is Republican Bob Beauprez (81,530 votes) vs Democrat Mike Feeley (81,408 votes). The counting of provisional ballots in Adams, Arapahoe, and Jefferson counties is complete and Mr. Beauprez leads by 122 votes. Mr. Feeley has stated that he will not concede until the automatic recount is completed. The final results may not be certified until 16 December.
    • (added 17 November) Alabama Governor: Republican Congressman Bob Riley (670,913 votes, 49.26%) vs Democrat Governor Don Siegelman* (667,718 votes, 49.03%). Apparently, an extra several thousand votes were originally counted for Governor Siegelman in Baldwin County that were mistakenly counted twice; it was evidently on the belief- fueled, in part, by the original numbers- that a recount could possibly still give him the victory that caused Governor Siegelman to claim victory on Election Night even as Congressman Riley was doing the same. The county canvassing boards will certify election results no later than 20 November. Congressman Riley has asked the Alabama Supreme Court to block a statewide recount on grounds that, under State law, the seals on voting machines can only be broken under circumstances not applicable to the instant case: Oral Argument has been set for Thursday 21 November, the day after the deadline for the election results to be certified. For his part, Governor Siegelman is claiming that nearly 10,000 so-called "undervotes" (that is, ballots cast in which no vote for Governor appears to have been made) includes enough actual votes for Governor misread as "blank" to potentially give him the ultimate victory; in the unofficial returns, Siegelman is behind Riley by slightly more than 3,000 votes (as can be seen above). Nevertheless, it appears that- without question- this race was won by Congressman Riley.
    • (added 17 November) South Dakota Senate: Democrat Senator Tim Johnson* (167,481 votes, 49.62%) vs Republican Congressman John Thune (166,957 votes, 49.47%). Congressman Thune has apparently declined to request a recount. This race can now be called for Senator Johnson.
    • The Bush Administration: Harvey L. Pitt, CHAIRMAN, SECURITIES & EXCHANGE COMMISSION resigned.
    • U.S. Senate races called by 'The Green Papers'. Asterisk [*] denotes incumbent.
      • NOTE: The election of Republican U.S. Senator Frank Murkowski as Governor of Alaska means that an interim replacement will have to be named to complete the remaining two years of the term of that State's "Class 3" Senate seat: Murkowski will be sworn in as Governor on (and will, therefore, have to leave his Senate seat no later than) Monday 2 December 2002.
      • Alabama: Jeff Sessions* Republican, Alaska: Ted Stevens* Republican, Arkansas: Mark Pryor Democrat, Colorado: Wayne Allard Republican, Delaware: Joe Biden* Democrat, Georgia: Saxby Chambliss Republican, Idaho: Larry Craig* Republican, Illinois: Dick Durbin* Democrat, Iowa: Tom Harkin* Democrat, Kansas: Pat Roberts* Republican, Kentucky: Mitch McConnell* Republican, Louisiana Senate: Since no candidate received 50% the of the vote, the election proceeds to a 7 December runoff between Democrat Senator Mary L. Landrieu 46% and Republican Suzanne Haik Terrell 27%, Maine: Susan M. Collins* Republican, Massachusetts: John Kerry* Democrat, Michigan: Carl Levin* Democrat, Minnesota: Norm Coleman Republican. For the time being, Interim Independent Senator Dean Barkley (appointed by Governor Jesse Ventura) will complete the term of Democratic Senator Paul Wellstone who was killed in a plane crash on 25 October 2002., Mississippi: Thad Cochran* Republican, Missouri: Jim Talent Republican ***Special Election***: Talent will take office before the 108th Congress does- on Friday 22 November 2002, so it now appears., Montana: Max Baucus* Democrat, Nebraska: Chuck Hagel* Republican, New Hampshire: John E. Sununu Republican, New Jersey: Frank Lautenberg Democrat, New Mexico: Pete Domenici* Republican, North Carolina: Elizabeth Dole Republican, Oklahoma: James Inhofe* Republican, Oregon: Gordon Smith* Republican, Rhode Island: Jack Reed* Democrat, South Carolina: Lindsey Graham Republican, South Dakota: Senator Tim Johnson Democrat (certification pending), Tennessee: Lamar Alexander Republican, Texas: John Cornyn Republican, Virginia: John Warner* Republican, West Virginia: Jay Rockefeller* Democrat, Wyoming: Mike Enzi* Republican
    • State Governors' races called by 'The Green Papers'. Asterisk [*] denotes incumbent
      • Alabama:Congressman Bob Riley Republican (recount pending), Alaska: Frank Murkowski Republican, Arizona: Janet Napolitano Democrat, Arkansas: Mike Huckabee* Republican, California: Gray Davis* Democrat, Colorado: Bill Owens* Republican, Connecticut: John Rowland* Republican, Florida: Jeb Bush* Republican, Georgia: Sonny Perdue Republican, Hawaii: Linda Lingle Republican, Idaho: Dirk Kempthorne* Democrat, Illinois: Rod Blagojevich Democrat, Iowa: Tom Vilsack Democrat, Kansas: Kathleen Sebelius Democrat, Maine: John E. Baldacci Democrat, Maryland: Robert Ehrlich Republican, Massachusetts: Mitt Romney Republican, Michigan: Jennifer Granholm Democrat, Minnesota: Tim Pawlenty Republican, Nebraska: Mike Johanns* Republican, Nevada: Kenny Guinn* Republican, New Hampshire: Craig Benson Republican, New Mexico: Bill Richardson Democrat, New York: George Pataki* Republican, Ohio: Bob Taft* Republican, Oklahoma: Brad Henry Democrat, Oregon: Ted Kulongoski Democrat, Pennsylvania: Ed Rendell Democrat, Rhode Island: Donald Carcieri Republican, South Carolina: Mark Sanford Republican, South Dakota: Mike Rounds Republican, Tennessee: Phil Bredesen Democrat, Texas: Rick Perry* Republican, Vermont:James H. "Jim" Douglas Republican. Since no candidate received 50% of the vote, Governor's race in will be decided by the Republican controlled State Legislature. On 6 November, Democratic Lieutenant Governor Racine (42%) conceded to Republican Jim Douglas (45%)., Wisconsin: Jim Doyle Democrat, Wyoming: Dave Freudenthal Democrat
  • Monday, November 4, 2002
    • Minnesota Governor Ventura Appoints Independent as Temporary Replacement for the late Senator Wellstone
      • Governor Jesse Ventura (I-Minnesota) has appointed an Independent, Dean Barkley, to temporarily fill the vacancy left by the late Senator Paul Wellstone (D-Minnesota) who was killed in a plane crash last month along with his wife and daughter. Mr. Barkley will serve only until the results of the 5 November 2002 General Election for the "Class 2" U.S. Senate seat are officially certified by the Minnesota Secretary of State, a process that could take up to several weeks.
      • The appointment of Mr. Barkley makes the new political breakdown of the U.S. Senate in the waning weeks of the 107th Congress 49 Democrats and 49 Republicans with 2 Independents. Although Mr. Barkley's service in the Senate will be limited by the legal requirements cited in the previous paragraph, it is conceivable that his service could extend into the "lame-duck" session of Congress which could convene as early as 12 November- a week after the Midterm Elections, with concomitant effects on which Party then controls the Senate (assuming that either the 2 Independents remain completely aloof from voting with either Party or even should they split between the Parties in any leadership vote, the Republicans will technically be in control of the Senate for the time being [pending the results of the 5 November Special Election for the "Class 1" seat from Missouri, because- should the Republican, Jim Talent, win- he would then become a freshman Senator immediately upon his own election being officially certified (that is, he would not have to wait until next 3 January to take office)], as the Major Parties are now tied at 49 and Republican Vice President Dick Cheney would then be able to break any tie votes along Party lines were the Senate to be in session today [which it is not]).
      • Minnesota State Law regarding the Governor appointing a temporary replacement to fill a vacancy in the United States Senate from that State and when a duly elected successor then replaces the temporary appointee.
        • MINNESOTA STATUTES 204D.28: United States senate vacancy; manner of filling.
        • Subd. 11. Temporary appointment. The governor may make a temporary appointment to fill any vacancy. An appointee shall hold office until a successor is elected and qualified at a special election or until a successor is elected pursuant to subdivision 12.
        • Subd. 12. Succession by regularly elected senator. An individual who is elected to the office of United States senator for a regular six-year term when the office is vacant or is filled by an individual appointed pursuant to subdivision 11, shall also succeed to the office for the remainder of the unexpired term.
    • RACES TO KEEP AN EYE ON ... A Spectator's Guide to Election 2002
  • Wednesday, October 30, 2002
    • Former V.P. Mondale Formally Named Replacement Candidate for Senator Wellstone
    • In a Minneapolis meeting of the State Central Committee of the Democrat-Farmer Labor Party (as the Democrats are known in Minnesota), 74-year-old former Vice President and one-time U.S. Senator Walter "Fritz" Mondale was formally nominated the Democratic candidate for the State's "Class 2" U.S. Senate seat once held by the late Paul D. Wellstone and for which Mr. Wellstone was running for re-election at the time of his death as the result of a plane crash on Friday 25 October. The State Central Committee is made up of nearly 900 delegates and alternates and functioned as a rump Convention for purposes of nominating a replacement for Mr. Wellstone on the 5 November General Election ballot.
    • The nomination will be made official when, as per State Election Law, the Democrat-Farmer Labor Party formally files Replacement Nomination papers with the Minnesota Secretary of State by the close of business on Thursday 31 October. Mr. Mondale will then face a five-day campaign for the Senate against Republican candidate Norm Coleman.
  • Sunday, October 27, 2002
    • Former Senator/V.P. Fritz Mondale Likely To Replace Late Senator Wellstone on Minnesota Ballot.
    • A new Democratic candidate for the "Class 2" U.S. Senate seat from Minnesota once held by Paul D. Wellstone, who was a candidate for re-election before he was killed in a plane crash on Friday 25 October, is expected to be officially named by the close of business at the office of the Minnesota Secretary of State on 31 October as per the State's Election Law (see 'MINNESOTA STATUTES' below). It currently appears that the replacement as Democratic candidate for U.S. Senator on the ballot will most likely be former U.S. Senator and Vice-President Walter "Fritz" Mondale, who lost the 1984 Presidential Election to then-U.S. President Ronald Reagan.
    • The Democrat-Farmer Labor Party, or DFL- as what is known in the rest of the Nation as the Democratic Party is formally called in Minnesota- will hold a rump Convention in Minneapolis beginning at 7 PM CST on Wednesday 30 October (0100 UTC, 31 Oct); this Convention will be made up of the some 875 delegates and alternates who make up the DFL's State Central Committee and will officially ratify the choice for replacement candidate formally nominated by the DFL's Executive Committee earlier that day. This will give ample time for the DFL State Chairman and the DFL State Secretary to then file the necessary paperwork with the Minnesota Secretary of State before the legal deadline (the following day, Thursday 31 October) has passed.
  • Friday, October 25, 2002
    • Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone, His Wife and Daughter- plus Five Others- Killed in Plane Crash in Northeastern Minnesota
      • United States Senator Paul Wellstone (D-Minnesota), along with his wife Sheila and his daughter Marcia- as well as three members of his staff and two crew members- were all killed in the crash of a King Air B200 turbo-prop airplane in St. Louis County, Minnesota. The crash occurred at approximately 10:20 A.M. CDT (1520 UTC) today. Mr. Wellstone was the Democratic nominee for re-election to his "Class 2" Senate seat in the upcoming 5 November Midterm Election. The Senator's name will not remain on the General Election ballot but will be replaced by a new candidate as per Minnesota Election Law (see below).
      • The plane carrying the Wellstones was approaching a small airport serving the town of Eveleth, MN in icy conditions including possible freezing rain before crashing some 2 miles short of the runway. Mr. Wellstone and the others on board were enroute from the State capital of St. Paul to attend the funeral of the father of a local state legislator from the region in which the crash occurred.
    • Minnesota Governor Ventura Does Not Yet Know Whether He Will Appoint Interim Senator to replace Wellstone
      • In a press conference during which he formally expressed the grief felt by Minnesotans upon learning of the tragic death of Senator Paul Wellstone, Governor Jesse Ventura (I-Minnesota) indicated that he did not know if he would appoint an interim U.S. Senator to serve the rest of Mr. Wellstone's term (that is, until Noon on 3 January 2003- when the U.S. Senator elected this coming 5 November would then take the "Class 2" seat from Minnesota); the Governor only indicated that he would not be arranging things so that he himself could be appointed to fill the vacancy. In the meantime, the Democratic-Farmer Labor [DFL] Party, as the Democrats are known locally in Minnesota, has until 1 November to choose a new candidate for the six-year term beginning at Noon on 3 January 2003 who would replace Mr. Wellstone on the ballot (see below).
    • Minnesota Election Statutes re: Replacement of Nominee Who Has Died
      • MINNESOTA STATUTES 204B.13... Vacancy in nomination
        • Subdivision 1. Death or withdrawal. A vacancy in nomination may be filled in the manner provided by this section. A vacancy in nomination exists when:
          • (a) A major political party candidate or nonpartisan candidate who was nominated at a primary dies...
        • Subdivision 2. Partisan office; nomination by party.
          • (a) A vacancy in nomination for partisan office shall be filled as provided in this subdivision. A major political party has the authority to fill a vacancy in nomination of that party's candidate by filing a nomination certificate with the same official who received the affidavits of candidacy for that office.
          • (b) A major political party may provide in its governing rules a procedure, including designation of an appropriate committee, to fill vacancies in nomination for all offices elected statewide. The nomination certificate shall be prepared under the direction of and executed by the chair and secretary of the political party and filed within seven days after the vacancy in nomination occurs or before the 14th day before the general election, whichever is sooner. If the vacancy in nomination occurs through the candidate's death or catastrophic illness, the nomination certificate must be filed within seven days after the vacancy in nomination occurs but no later than four days before the general election. The chair and secretary when filing the certificate shall attach an affidavit stating that the newly nominated candidate has been selected under the rules of the party and that the individuals signing the certificate and making the affidavit are the chair and secretary of the party.
  • Thursday, October 24, 2002
    • New page: Contests to Watch. A digest of possible 5 November 2002 outcomes for House, Senate, and Governors races.
  • Sunday, October 13, 2002
  • Saturday, October 12, 2002
  • Friday, October 11, 2002
  • Monday, October 7, 2002
    • Justices of the United States Supreme Court: New Term of Court begins today.
    • US Supreme Court Will Not Hear GOP Appeal re: NJ Senate Race
      The U.S. Supreme Court, starting its new 2002-2003 Term of Court today [Monday 7 October], has decided not to hear the appeal of the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee and the campaign of Republican US Senate candidate Doug Forrester from a 2 October ruling of the New Jersey Supreme Court which allows the Democratic State Committee to replace the name of Senator Bob Torricelli [D-NJ], who withdrew from his re-election bid last Monday [30 September], on the Democratic line of the General Election ballot re: the "Class 2" U.S. Senate seat from New Jersey with that of former Senator Frank Lautenberg.
    • GOP goes to FEC to try and block transfer of campaign funds to Lautenberg
      The Forrester 2002 campaign has- today [Monday 7 October]- gone to the Federal Election Commission in an attempt to block the transfer of up to $5 million in campaign funds from the now suspended campaign of Senator Torricelli to former Senator Lautenberg for use in the Democrat's campaign for the U.S. Senate seat from New Jersey.
  • Sunday, October 6, 2002
  • Saturday, October 5, 2002
  • Friday, October 4, 2002
    • Vox Populi: Response to 'Garden State Election Follies... Continued' by Kenneth Stremsky
    • Vox Populi: Counter-response for 'vox Populi' regarding the decision of the New Jersey Supreme Court by David Pittelli
    • Democrats ask that US Supreme Court not hear GOP appeal from NJ court ruling re: replacing Democratic candidate in US Senate race
      • U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice David Souter- in his capacity as "Circuit Justice" for the 3rd Federal Circuit, which includes the State of New Jersey- has asked Democrats to respond to the Republicans' appeal to the full court from the Wednesday 2 October ruling by the New Jersey Supreme Court that the Democrats can replace Senator Robert Torricelli- who withdrew from active candidacy for re-election to his "Class 2" Senate seat on Monday 30 September- with former Senator Frank Lautenberg on the General Election ballot, even though Senator Torricelli withdrew after a statutory deadline for replacing withdrawn candidates. In reply, the Democrats have asked that the U.S. Supreme Court not hear the GOP appeal on grounds that the New Jersey court's decision was a proper interpretation of state law and not at all unconstitutional (that is, violative of the Federal Constitution); the Republicans have countered that many of the same issues the Nation's highest court had to deal with in the case of Bush v. Gore resulting from the Florida debacle re: the 2000 Presidential Election are now involved in the New Jersey situation as well and that the U.S. Supreme Court should, indeed, hear the GOP appeal.
      • The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to make a decision over this coming weekend [5-6 October] whether or not to take up the Republican appeal of the New Jersey case. The high court formally begins its new 2002-2003 Term of Court next Monday [7 October], which would be the earliest the full court could possibly hear oral argument in the New Jersey case.
  • Thursday, October 3, 2002
    • Commentary: GARDEN STATE ELECTION FOLLIES... CONTINUED ... So, what makes them all do it in the first place?
      by RICHARD E. BERG-ANDERSSON, TheGreenPapers.com Staff
    • Vox Populi: Response to the Commentary regarding the New Jersey Senatorial Contest by David Pittelli
    • GOP seeks to overturn NJ Supreme Court ruling (regarding the race for New Jersey's Class 2 Senate seat) in US Supreme Court
      • Attorneys for the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, on behalf of Forrester 2002 [the organization behind Doug Forrester's candidacy for the "Class 2" U.S. Senate seat from New Jersey], have filed an expedited appeal to the United States Supreme Court of the New Jersey Supreme Court's ruling allowing the New Jersey Democratic State Committee to replace Senator Bob Torricelli's name on the General Election ballot with that of former Senator Frank Lautenberg. The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether or not to hear this appeal by late tomorrow [Friday 4 October].
      • The GOP's appeal is based on many of the issues brought before the Nation's highest court two years ago in the case of Bush v. Gore arising out of the infamous debacle involving the 2000 Presidential Election in the State of Florida. The Republican argument is essentially that Article I, Section 4, clause 1 of the United States Constitution, which states that [t]he Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof... precludes a State's Judiciary from at all altering such State regulation of Federal elections (taking the view that "Legislature" here literally refers to the State Legislature only); the Democrats' counterargument, as was the case in Bush v. Gore, will almost certainly include the notion that a State's Legislature (=the legislative branch itself) cannot be divorced from that State's Judiciary (which applies and interprets the acts of the Legislature to cases- including this one- which come before it) and that, in any event, the term "Legislature"- as used by the Framers of the Constitution- refers to the whole of State Government and Administration (Executive and Judiciary as well as the Legislature per se), since- to take one obvious example- State Governors (not inherently part of a State's Legislature itself) have to sign acts of the Legislature regulating elections into law or have any veto of same overridden by the Legislature.
    • GOP also appeals for enforcement of Voting Rights Act as well as Overseas and Military Ballot deadline re: NJ US Senate race
      • In addition, the New Jersey Republicans- headed by the entire Republican delegation from the State to the U.S. House of Representatives- have formally asked Attorney General John Ashcroft to enforce the Voting Rights Act and thereby force the clerks of the 21 counties in New Jersey to release any absentee ballots with Torricelli's name on them as the Democratic US Senate candidate to those who have applied for them and not yet received them and, in addition, allow for the eventual counting of any such ballots already received by the county boards of election throughout the State. The GOP is also arguing- in a lawsuit filed today [Thursday 3 October] in U.S. District Court- that a deadline for sending out overseas and military ballots to those eligible to receive them [reported as being 35 days prior to the General Election] has already passed. It is estimated that some 1600 New Jersey voters have already returned completed absentee, overseas and military ballots.
  • Wednesday, October 2, 2002
    • Vox Populi: Comments on the New Jersey US Senate race post-Torricelli by Daryle Hendricksen; by Kenneth Stremsky
    • Vox Populi: Response to the Commentary regarding the New Jersey Senatorial Contest by Dan McElwee
    • New Jersey Class 2 Senate Seat: NJ Supreme Court Unanimously Rules in Democrats' Favor
      • The New Jersey Supreme Court, the State's court of last resort, has ruled, by a vote of 7-0, that the Democratic State Committee can legally replace Senator Bob Torricelli, who had withdrawn from the race for the "Class 2" US Senate seat on Monday 30 September, on the Democratic line of the 5 November General Election ballot with former Senator Frank Lautenberg.
      • New Jersey Republicans have said that they will introduce an appeal from the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court tomorrow morning EDT [Thursday 3 October, early afternoon UTC]. In addition, the State Republican Party is also apparently petitioning the Federal Justice Department headed by U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft to force the 21 counties of New Jersey to mail out absentee ballots with Senator Torricelli's name as the Democratic candidate and which have been held in abeyance pending the decision of the State's highest court.
  • Tuesday, October 1, 2002
    • Commentary: GARDEN STATE ELECTION FOLLIES
      The Legal and Political Ramifications of Senator Bob Torricelli's Withdrawal
      by RICHARD E. BERG-ANDERSSON, TheGreenPapers.com Staff
    • New Jersey Class 2 Senate Seat
      • New NJ Democrat Senate Candidate To Be Named Wednesday Evening EDT
        • The Democratic State Committee of New Jersey will meet during the evening of Wednesday 2 October (wee hours of the morning UTC, 3 October) in order to consider and then approve a replacement for Senator Torricelli as the Party's candidate for the State's "Class 2" Senate seat... during the evening of Tuesday 1 October [wee hours of the morning UTC, 2 October], former Senator Frank Lautenberg was introduced by New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey as the intended Democratic Party candidate for Senator Torricelli's seat.
      • Hearing To Be Held Re: NJ Senate Election Ballot Issues
        • The Supreme Court of New Jersey, the State's court of last resort, has agreed to hear legal arguments- beginning at 10 AM EDT [1400 UTC] tomorrow [Wednesday 2 October]- from attorneys for both the Democrats (seeking to replace Senator Torricelli's name on the General Election ballot with a new Democratic candidate for the State's "Class 2" Senate seat) and the Republicans (seeking to keep Senator Torricelli's name on the ballot on grounds that the time limit for a Party's changing Senate nominees [51 days prior to the General Election] has passed) re: the issue as to whether the ballot for the 5 November General Election in New Jersey should be allowed to have someone other than Senator Torricelli as the Democrat nominee for the U.S. Senate. The Republicans have already indicated that, should the New Jersey Supreme Court rule against them, they will seek redress in the Federal courts.
      • Statute (New Jersey Revised Statutes) in dispute re: Senator Robert Torricelli [Democrat- New Jersey]'s withdrawal from the U.S. Senate race, 30 September 2002
        • 19:13-20. Vacancy procedure
          • In the event of a vacancy, howsoever caused, among candidates nominated at primaries, which vacancy shall occur not later than the 51st day before the general election, or in the event of inability to select a candidate because of a tie vote at such primary, a candidate shall be selected in the following manner:
          • a. (1) In the case of an office to be filled by the voters of the entire State, the candidate shall be selected by the State committee of the political party wherein such vacancy has occurred...
          • d. A selection made pursuant to this section shall be made not later than the 48th day preceding the date of the general election, and a statement of such selection shall be filed with the Secretary of State or the appropriate county clerk, as the case may be, not later than said 48th day, and in the following manner:
          • (1) A selection made by a State committee of political party shall be certified to the Secretary of State by the State chairman of the political party.
      • Squelching A Rumor: A Public Service of 'The Green Papers'
        • There have been reports- as well as quotes from various sources, including Democratic Party operatives and even at least one attorney for the New Jersey Democratic State Committee- that, should Senator Robert Torricelli happen to resign his seat at any time after this coming weekend of 5-6 October 2002 [that is, 30 days or less before the 5 November General Election], not only could Governor Jim McGreevey [D-NJ] appoint a successor [True] but that the General Election for the "Class 2" Senate seat from New Jersey could then also be postponed for up to a year [that is, until the November 2003 General Election]... this last statement is patently FALSE!!! Below is the relevant statute from the NEW JERSEY REVISED STATUTES:
          • 19:3-26. Vacancies in United States senate; election to fill; temporary appointment by governor
          • If a vacancy shall happen in the representation of this state in the United States Senate, it shall be filled at the general election next succeeding the happening thereof, unless such vacancy shall happen within thirty days next preceding such election, in which case it shall be filled by election at the second succeeding general election, unless the governor of this state shall deem it advisable to call a special election therefor, which he is authorized hereby to do.
          • The governor of this state may make a temporary appointment of a senator of the United States from this state whenever a vacancy shall occur by reason of any cause other than the expiration of the term; and such appointee shall serve as such senator until a special election or general election shall have been held pursuant to law and the board of state canvassers can deliver to his successor a certificate of election.
          • This statute clearly refers to a vacancy occurring 30 days or less before a Special Election which does NOT coincide with the General Election for the full six-year term of the U.S. Senate seat in which the given vacancy occurs. The key words in the above-quoted statute are "whenever a vacancy shall occur by reason of any cause other than the expiration of the term"; there is no legal way for the Governor of a State to have any authority whatsoever to supersede the terms of U.S. Senators prescribed by the Constitution of the United States itself!
      • Senator Torricelli's term ends at Noon EST [1700 UTC], 3 January 2003; should he resign his seat in the U.S. Senate at any time before then (and there is no indication that he would even be doing this-- the Senator has publicly stated that he intends to finish out his term of office), any successor appointed by Governor McGreevey would then only be able to serve until that time on that date: the regularly-scheduled General Election of 5 November 2002 will alone determine who will serve as U.S. Senator from the State of New Jersey for the six-year term beginning at Noon EDT [1700 UTC], 3 January 2003 and ending at Noon EDT [1700 UTC], 3 January 2009-- there is absolutely no statutory authority for the Governor of New Jersey to postpone that election for upwards of a full year! Any reports to the contrary are incorrect!!
  • Monday, September 30, 2002
    • NJ's Torricelli No Longer Seeking Re-Election; Will, However, Complete Term in U.S. Senate
      • Senator Robert Torricelli, a Democrat, is ending his campaign for re-election to the "Class 2" seat from the State of New Jersey; however, he will not be resigning from the United States Senate and intends to complete his present term in office, which ends at Noon, 3 January 2003.
      • Much Confusion About What's Next
        Mr. Torricelli, in a 5 PM EDT [2100 UTC] press conference at the State House in the state capital of Trenton, indicated that he already had attorneys petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to have his name removed from the General Election ballot in New Jersey; however, Governor Jim McGreevey- at the same press conference- indicated that the Democratic State Committee would be petitioning the Supreme Court of New Jersey, the state's court of last resort, for such removal of the Senator's name. In truth, neither of these courts would have original jurisdiction in this matter: a state court-based petition would have to begin in the Superior Court, New Jersey's court of general trial jurisdiction, and a federal case on the matter would have to be brought before the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey; any appeals from each would, of course, go to the Supreme Court of New Jersey or the U.S. Supreme Court, depending.
      • A Politico-Legal Battle Already Brews Between The Major Parties
        Most likely, there will be lawsuits brought in either State or Federal court- or, perhaps, both- by both Major Parties of the State; the problem is that New Jersey election statutes do not at all deal with the issue of a party nominee withdrawing from a statewide race less than 51 days before the General Election. The Republicans, or so it will appear, will argue that Mr. Torricelli's name must remain on the ballot (a situation that aids the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, Douglas Forrester) because State law does not contemplate just such a scenario; the Democrats will likely counter that the State's laws were never intended to be so construed as to hinder the conduct of a valid election contest for a U.S. Senate seat in which the State's voters would have a choice as to who should represent them in the upper chamber of Congress. Functionaries of both Major Parties- on the national as well as the state level- were already- within moments of the conclusion of the press conference at the New Jersey State House- accusing each other of merely using legal maneuvering to allow "party bosses" to dictate the outcome of the upcoming November Senate election!
      • New Democratic Senate Candidate To Be Named By Wednesday Afternoon EDT
        At the State House press conference, New Jersey Governor McGreevey indicated that the Democratic State Committee would meet soon in order to be able to approve a replacement for Senator Torricelli as a candidate for the State's "Class 2" Senate seat within 48 hours [that is, by late afternoon Eastern Time (mid-evening UTC) Wednesday 2 October].
  • Saturday, September 28, 2002
    • We extend our condolences to the friends and family of Democratic Congressman Patsy Takemoto Mink (Hawaii CD 2), 74, who passed away today. She had been hospitalized since 30 August with viral pneumonia. She had served 12 terms in the House of Representatives (1965-1977 and 1990-current).

Review changes prior to Saturday, September 28, 2002.
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