Applaud Rep. Thaddeus “Crazy Train” McCotter, who resigned abruptly, and set off a series of awfully-coincidental events, first and foremost a special election that robs the only petition-qualified candidate (Kerry Bentivolio) of a fair primary race.
Clap your hands at the marvel of partisanship and establishment politics. This special election disenfranchises a district re-written for only one side of the aisle, completely sidesteps the process of our election law, and yet still is legal.
Welcome to the establishment. And remember, the $650,000 cost of the special election is courtesy of resigned and pitiful Thad McCotter. He knew what consequences his immediate resignation would have, and it’s a duty to yell out this true betrayal from the rooftops.
In the announcement by Lt. Gov. Brian Calley (who is King Cheese while Gov. Snyder is out of town), we’re going to have a special primary election before a special general election. For those in the old MI-11, you’re in for a doozy.
Fans of Kerry Bentivolio are incensed, because the special election eliminates the need for actually having due process of law, nomination petitions, and well, all the physical laws of a primary. We are in a quantum election state, because why follow the rules when you can simply bend space and time to achieve the desired result?
The timing of the announcement should be recognized as a final send-off for the completely and utterly specious Rep. Thad McCotter taking one for the establishment. When the news broke that Thad’s writings were going to David Wu him (channeling his inner Larry Flynt upon blogger SE Cupp) it was clear that Thad’s days were numbered. So they gave him the deal of a lifetime. Sell out the entire district by resigning, and force a special to allow the MIGOP to handpick a successor.
Add in a ridiculously verbose resignation by McCotter, with words unused since Botticelli had a brush, and you’ve got a “clean” narrative for resignation, and one that seems all the more suspect. After all, his staff betrayed him, but will AG Scheutte pursue criminal charges after this noble deed of helping the MIGOP hold the handcrafted district?
From the media angle, it’s a perfect storyline. A Representative publicly self-destructs, but actually doesn’t. Note that this current iteration of faux outrage started when someone leaked a script. It’s not Rep. Anthony Weiner, or even really David Wu. For McCotter, a well-timed resignation that just happens to also be perfectly timed to force a special election.
Here’s the kicker from the State of Michigan regarding the August 7th primary (my emphasis in bold):
“…the timing of McCotter’s resignation makes that impossible. Primary ballots already were printed and absentee ballots were mailed when McCotter made his announcement. In addition, ballots must be sent to Michigan voters who are overseas or serving in the military at least 45 days before an election, which means the special primary election must be held on a different date than Aug. 7. The special primary will be Wednesday, Sept. 5. That still allows for the special general election to fill the vacancy to be held in conjunction with the regularly scheduled Nov. 6 general election…By issuing the call for a special election today, the governor’s action allows candidates adequate time to collect the required 1,000 petition signatures for ballot access by Friday, July 20.“
Adequate time? Wasn’t it enough time already before this entire mess? That’s the key to why this is a partisan screen. They have to “re-mail” ballots, because nothing can be left to chance. As well, why are we talking about adequate time when ballots were already mailed? Mailed ballots are already out there, so the only benefit to change all of this is for the MIGOP primary election, not the Constitution-provided right for election of our House Reps.
This is only about the primary, not the claim of following the Constitution.
When Rep. Thad McCotter resigned, the date was effective as immediate. This creates the environment for a special election, but also “alternate rules” that allow ballots to be re-written or re-sent. Heck, Thad McCotter could requalify on the printed ballot under these alternative rules.
I won’t even go into the nonsense of gerrymandering, but the entire point of this election is simply to prevent Kerry Bentivolio from a fair race he rightly won. It’s not even about Democrats. For a special election, you have to go to “alternate rules”. Consider “alternate rules” as deciding that 2 weeks before the Super Bowl, other teams can “write-in” for the game, even if they didn’t qualify.
In the special, candidates are now basically free agents, removed of the need or requirement to do what they normally would have done in a general election. Now in “alternate rules”, you only need 1,000 petition signatures by July 20th to appear on the ballot.
Oh my, yes. These newly-qualified July 20th nominees will appear printed on the ballot.
They found a way to completely sidestep law. This is actually quite intelligent as well. Spend $650,000 to prevent Kerry Bentivolio from being the only printed nominee for the GOP primary, because “alternate rules” apply here. If it were normal rules, we would only see Mr. B’s (no relation to burgers) name on the GOP primary ballot, with a blank spot for write-ins.
Now that we are in “alternate rules”, special ballots will be printed, which means you can qualify for a spot on the ballot at a discount and past the deadline. Who needs rules here?
I also have information indigestion…While there’s a MI-11 mess, does this affect all of the other races? After all, why should it? The only problem here is in the MI-11th, but that means voters here have to vote three times. One for the Aug. 7th regular, one for the Sept. 5th special, and then one for the November 6th special general, which isn’t special for anyone outside the district…
For those in the old MI-11th, you will vote for a Rep. for November 2012 – January 2013, then on the same ballot, vote for a Rep. from January 2013 to January 2015. Per the law, the MI-11th that existed last year now has no representation. 650,000 people (ironic!) are now without representation until November, and we’re out $650,000 in tax revenue to boot. (**And from a news commenter, I realized that after redistricting, some local communities will have to pay for an election in a district that won’t exist next year!**)
Oh the Calumny!
Mako out.
