You can recall a Governor (CA), Can you recall a Senator (CT)?

[kansasblue]

http://www.kulturjam.com/

I guess so...

"Consequently, we cannot rule out the possibility of a Lieberman Recall campaign and have reserved this domain just in case Senator Lieberman decides to betray the will of the voters which was so clearly expressed November 2nd.

Should it become necessary to remove Lieberman from office, we'll need to move fast. Please sign up below to be on our rapid-response team for petitions and fundraising should the need arise. Links to articles related to the question of Lieberman's possible defection are also included below"

[mcscajun]

1. Nope. Connecticut has no recall provision.

http://www.ncsl.org/programs/legismgt/elect/recallprovision.htm

[MonkeyFunk]

3. No state

has a recall provision for congresspeople.

The constitution lays out the conditions under which Senators or Representatives can be removed from office, and recall isn't one of them.


Edit: that site you listed appears to show at least New Jersey having such a provision, but I don't know if it would be held to be constitutional. There was a very big debate about recalling Senators during the constitutional debates, and no provision was put in. I also wonder if there wasn't a difference prior to the direct election of Senators.

[Warren Stupidity]

6. The constitution does not specifically limit this to impeachment.

It does define impeachment as a method to remove federal officers, it does not explicitly state that no other method exists.

"The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors. "

It is an open question if the phrase "all civil Officers of the United States" include representatives and senators. Only one congress critter has been subkect to an impeachment,(The 1799 impeachment of Tennessee Senator William Blount http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment_in_the_United_States) and that case never went anywhere as Blount was 'expelled' (which would imply there are other ways to get rid of a senator) and the case was dismissed. So far this issue has never been tested.

In fact the Senate thinks it can expell its own members outside of the impeachment process entirely.

"United States Senate Election, Expulsion and Censure Cases
Senate Historical Office (1995)




Article I, section 5 of the U.S. Constitution provides that each chamber of Congress “shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members” and may “punish its Members for disorderly Behavior.” Over its more than 200-year history, the Senate has developed procedures for judging the qualifications of its members in contested elections and for taking disciplinary action against Senators through such measures as formal censure or actual expulsion from the Senate. U.S. Senate Election, Expulsion and Censure Cases discusses in detail the 141 major cases of contested elections and disciplinary cases in the U.S. Senate from 1793 to 1990. "

http://www.senate.gov/reference/reference_item/election_book.htm

[mcscajun]

7. You're quite right. I suppose that if NJ (or another state) wanted to

do such a recall, and had the provision for it, it wouldn't have any force beyond moral persuasion on the Senate or House (as appropriate) to take removal actions open to them under the Constitution. Politics is a strange business. :)

In the case of CT, they don't even have the right to put a recall vote on the ballot.

[Ian David]

4. He needs to be found in bed with either a dead woman or a live boy. n/t

[iamjoy]

2. Why Would We Want To

the Republican governor would appoint his replacement.

[kansasblue]

5. I was hoping there would be a recall...then an election , like CA