Breaking: NEY's "replacement "may have A DELAY Problem

[Perky]

By LIZ SIDOTI
Associated Press Writer

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CONGRESSMAN_WITHDRAWS?SITE=CATOR&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-08-08-12-04-25

NEW PHILADELPHIA, Ohio (AP) -- The leading Republican candidate to replace scandal-scarred Rep. Bob Ney on the November ballot may be ineligible to run, party officials said Tuesday, complicating GOP efforts to assure a smooth transition for the fall campaign.

State Sen. Joy Padgett was a losing contender for lieutenant governor in Ohio's Republican primary earlier this year, and a state law bars politicians who lose one primary from entering another one during the same year.

One Republican strategist, speaking on condition of anonymity, said lawyers had concluded Padgett was likely covered by the law and thus would not be eligible to run.

Padgett, already campaigning, sounded surprised. "As far as I know I have a green light. If this were the case, it's something I need to know about," she said. "Yesterday, everything was rolling forward."

She quickly consulted with national and state party officials. "I just told ... them that if there's something I should know about, call me back," she said.

Ohio GOP Chairman Bob Bennett said the party's counsel would ask for an opinion from the secretary of state on whether the law applies. The secretary of state is Kenneth Blackwell, a Republican and the party's nominee for governor.

"I see where people have raised the issue," Bennett said in a telephone interview, adding that there were conflicting interpretations of the law. "We do not think that it applies."

<snip>

My understanding is that if the nominee bows out at least 80 days before the November election, they have to call a new primary. If Padgett chooses to fight on this...they would not be able to pull the primary together in time..meaning either Ney stays on the ballot or if he is gone...there would be no Republican nominee.


Got a love this country....hee hee

[im10ashus]

1. You'd think a lawmaker would know the law.

Or is that asking too much from a repug?

:shrug:

[sinkingfeeling]

2. With Blackwell making the decision, my guess is that this GOP sponsored

'law' will NOT apply.

[Perky]

3. He is running for Governor.. I doubt he pushes for a interpretation

that favors this lady.....He does not need the controversy.

[fishwax]

7. it's hard to imagine blackwell ruling otherwise

[cspanlovr]

9. yes, its not the law, its how you interpret the law.

:sarcasm:

[gratuitous]

4. Doesn't Ney also have a DeLay problem?

Both Ney and DeLay won their party primaries for their respective House seats. Now I know that on is in Ohio and the other in Texas, but the laws governing national offices are pretty uniform across the 50 states. If Ney drops out after winning his party primary, the party can't just swap one name for another on the general election ballot, as Mr. DeLay is finding out to his great consternation.

Do Ohio Democrats have their act together sufficiently enough to bring a suit like the Texas Democrats did, and hold their state Republicans to the letter of the law?

[rock]

5. Look, as I'm doing it, it's not against the law

See?

[Norquist Nemesis]

6. Ummm, I'm pretty sure Alan Keyes is available!

Ohio RNC should give him a call!

[NNN0LHI]

8. I don't know? He has been pretty busy shaking down the Minutemen lately nt

[Norquist Nemesis]

11. He's got firsthand red meat!!!

LOL!

[Swamp Rat]

10. "We do not think that it applies... to GOP candidates."