Michigan primaries

[JMO]

I haven't seen this talked about lately. here is the latest that i have seen. if anyone has any information that would be great. this is a travesty to the election process if the peoples voice is not heard.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071116/NEWS06/711160413/1008

Court hears appeal over Michigan primary election

November 16, 2007

BY DAWSON BELL

FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

A three-judge panel of the Michigan Court of Appeals expressed skepticism about the legal standing of Michigan's imperiled Jan. 15 presidential primary at a hearing Thursday afternoon. But the judges also indicated they need more time to decide whether to overturn a lower court decision to block it.

The judges closely questioned lawyers representing Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land, the state's chief elections officer, about the justification for restricting access to voter lists generated by the election to the Democratic and Republican parties, a practice the Ingham County Circuit Court found to be unconstitutional.

Advertisement
click here
Lawyers defending the primary law said the Legislature could restrict access if that was deemed necessary to make the election possible and secure the participation of several million voters who would not participate if the two parties used a caucus or convention nominating process.

The appellate trio -- Chief Judge William Whitbeck and Judges Patrick Meter and Donald Owens -- also pressed state lawyers, who had requested a decision by today, for a few more days to consider the case.

Elections officials said they need a decision as soon as possible so that absentee ballots can be ready for distribution 45 days before the election as required by law.

The lawsuit was filed by East Lansing political consultant Mark Grebner and a group of citizens and activists that included former Free Press political columnist Hugh McDiarmid.

After Thursday's hearing, Grebner said the plaintiffs have no objection to the primary, only to the method for handling the voter lists that was devised by party leadership and muscled through the Legislature.

"If some method can be devised which allows the primary to proceed, while rejecting the idea of election records as property of the two major parties, the plaintiffs would be very happy," he said.

 

[pcosmar]

We are waiting to see how it will go.
It could be done already if it was not for the political (Democrat) games.
I hope we will have the opportunity to vote.
We are all watching and waiting.

 

[M.Bellmore]

How's "we're screwed" sound?

Hm. Dems raise taxes, drive out businesses. Dems block primary. Bad day for MI.

BREAKING: Court of Appeals says NO to primary

By Nick, Section News
Posted on Fri Nov 16, 2007 at 06:09:34 PM EST

The Court of Appeals literally just issued their decision on the MRP and MDP appeals to protect the January 15th joint primary. Unfortunately, they said NO.
Details are just starting to emerge. Looks like it was a 2-1 vote with Chief Justice William Whitbeck the dissenting voice.

So where does this leave us? Not in a good place. Absentee ballots have to be in the mail by December 1st. If they're going to go out they have to be printed. What we're looking at is an unofficial Tuesday deadline for the legislature to come up with a fix.

The Senate already acted but the Senate Dems blocked the measure, effectively killing it. That means the House Democrats hold all the cards. If they want a primary they can make it happen Tuesday. If they want to disenfranchise millions of Michigan voters they can refuse to act.

I'm not holding my breath.

If they fail to act then the Dems will caucus and the GOP will go to a convention in late January. National attention will wane significantly and Michigan suddenly loses it's last bit of national clout. Nice, huh?

So, Andy, what are you going to do?

 

[JMO]

How's "we're screwed" sound?

Hm. Dems raise taxes, drive out businesses. Dems block primary. Bad day for MI.

Michigan voters need to flood the office with calls saying this is not acceptable.

 

[pcosmar]

This Sucks

From Saul's Site.

http://migop.blogs.com/blog/2007/11/mi-court-of-app.html

MI Court of Appeals reviews Presidential Primary

The fate of the January 15 presidential primary will be decided by the courts, not by the estimated 2.5 million Michigan voters who would participate in this election, and not by their elected representatives, the Legislature. The Ingham County Circuit Court questioned the validity of keeping private which Party's primary each voter participated, and turning over this list only to the Democrat and Republican Parties. So because of a list that could be purchased from the Secretary of State for less than $100, 2.5 million Michigan voters could be deprived of an election if the Ingham County Circuit Court ruling is not reversed or modified.

How is it that a list that does not even exist yet can possibly be the basis to prevent an election? Using a legal term called "ripeness", are not we putting the cart before the horse here? Is this not like two children fighting over dear Dad's Estate when Dad is still alive? According to the United States Supreme Court, a claim lacks "ripeness", and there is no justiciable controversy, where “the harm asserted has [not] matured sufficiently to warrant judicial intervention ....” This list does not exist until after the January 15, 2008 election, so how is this case "ripe" for review by the courts? Why not have the election and then determine the fate of this list? At least then, 2.5 million Michigan voters could participate in an election.

As the Michigan Republican Party pointed out in its pleadings filed in this case, a presidential primary has never been enjoined in the history of the State of Michigan.

Because of the devastating consequences of eliminating the presidential primary and the undisputed harm to the public interest that this action could cause, perhaps an intermediate step that the courts could take would be to put this list issue "on hold" until after the January 15 election. Remember, only if the new presidential primary law is found to be invalid will the primary be eliminated. Putting the issue on hold to analyze this in more detail or to give the Legislature more time to provide a legislative fix, is a sensible alternative to depriving Michigan voters from participating in an election.

Posted by sanuzis on November 16, 2007

 

[freelance]

State by state, they're going to disenfranchise people!

 

[westmich4paul]

This could be really sad for all of us that have spent tireless hours in Michigan canvassing, rallying, and promoting Dr.Paul to the general public. The issue is not dead yet and we as grassroots supporters will not give up spreading the word. The biggest issue right now is the time factor. They need to rule on this quickly because the longer it takes the chances get slimmer for Jan 15th primary.

I urge all Ron supporters in Michigan to become delegates. It is as easy as getting ahold of your local meetup group and they will guide you through it. Although I am new to this and I am not sure if is too late now or what to participate as a delegate in the convention if it should come to that. They have talked about a Feb primary and at the county GOP meeting when Saul was there trying to explain all of this he said they would support a primary for either date but then like two days later he said if Jan was done in a primary was done because Republican would move to convention. I am not sure why the sudden turn around in stance but this is the reality of it.

For those in other states let Michigan be a rally cry to step it up a notch and really give it a big push in their states before their Primary's to help Ron if the Michigan convention ends up hurting him.

 

[Thomas Paine]

What's ironic is that the Democrats decried the U.S. Supreme Court's purported disenfranchisement of millions of voters in 2000 when it ruled in favor of President Bush in Bush v. Gore but today the Democrats certainly don't have a problem using the courts to disenfranchise millions of voters in Michigan from having a say in who the nominees will be for both major parties.

 

[pcosmar]

Bump, as a warning to others.

 

[westmich4paul]

Ok here is the lastest news on this. Appeals court voted to uphold lower courts decision to cancel the Jan 15th Primary. They could take it to the Supreme court but as it stands now there just isn't enough time. So it looks like Michigan goes to a convention. Unless some kind of miracle takes place.

 

[MsDoodahs]

State by state, they're going to disenfranchise people!

Yep.

 

[Naraku]

I suggest Michigan meetups flood the phones of any of their state officials to get legislation on this NOW! As an open primary Ron Paul stands a very good chance of winning, in a convention, he may not stand a chance.

 

[pcosmar]

I have sent E-mails. Many others have also. This is in the hands of the judges.
This is DIRTY politics. They (Democrates and Republicans) don't want our voice.
Period. !

 

[MsDoodahs]

Is there any other kind of politics in this country anymore?

 

[walt]

We are waiting to see how it will go.
It could be done already if it was not for the political (Democrat) games.
I hope we will have the opportunity to vote.
We are all watching and waiting.

How do you know that guy that tried to ban ron paul from the debates isn't behind this? You don't.

There is one party the Money party and it has two different divisions.

 

[MsDoodahs]

How do you know that guy that tried to ban ron paul from the debates isn't behind this? You don't.

There is one party the Money party and it has two different divisions.

Azuni's revenge?

 

[pcosmar]

How do you know that guy that tried to ban ron paul from the debates isn't behind this? You don't.

There is one party the Money party and it has two different divisions.

Your right, I don't. My local GOP chair is openly and rabidly Anti-Paul.
The Dems. are not even campaigning in Michigan, They have anointed Hillery and don't care.
The GOP as a whole has not been helpful. They have been in oposition from the beginning.

 

[MsDoodahs]

My local GOP chair is openly and rabidly Anti-Paul.

Same here.

 

[pcosmar]

Same here.

And yet we get a dozen threads telling us we have to group smooch the GOPs ass.

 

[paulitics]

This is BS.