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McCain: No Plans To Resign From The Senate "Right Now"
Some comments yesterday from John McCain will do nothing to stop a rumor that's been going around, that he plans to resign from the Senate in order to campaign for president full time, just as Bob Dole did in 1996.
Asked by the Arizona Republic whether this is true, McCain said that he has no plans to resign "right now," but he was clearly leaving the door open:
"Look, if I have the nomination, then we will decide whether I would remain in the Senate until after I'm elected president, if I'm elected president, or not. And the time to begin that process of thinking is after I have the nomination of the party. But right now, I have no inclination to leave the United States Senate early. So that's my position at this time. But ... if and when I win the nomination, I will then make that decision. But, right now, it is my intention to remain in the United States Senate."
If McCain were to resign, state law dictates that Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, a Democrat who supports Barack Obama, would have to appoint a fellow Republican to replace McCain.
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How does that law work- what determines whether someone is a Republican for purposes of appointment? Voter registration? Surely that can be gamed pretty easily. Or does the appointee have to promise to vote R for majority leader?
February 14, 2008 9:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
I was thinking the same thing. She nominates a "Republican" to replace McCain, and then after acting like a RINO for a few months, the new senator has a "change of heart" and changes party.
I'm not recommending this tactic, merely wondering how one can legislate against it…
February 14, 2008 10:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
Actually, it's fairly simple to set up such a law - you just have to require the governor to work with the state party officials (or the leader of the party in the legislature). Either they submit a list of candidates to her and she is required to choose from that list, or they have to approve her choice before she submits it. In either case, slipping in a ringer isn't really possible - you can be sure the Republicans will only allow a loyal member to be appointed.
February 14, 2008 2:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
On a somewhat unrelated topic, did anyone hear the interview last night on NPR (All things considered) where one of McCain's campaign directors (I think--or pollster) said that if Obama is the candidate in the general election, he would still support McCain, but from the sidelines, because the campaign would have to attack Obama, and, this person said, he didn't think that would be good for the country????
February 14, 2008 12:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
There is no national standard for Senatorial replacement. Each state has its own process.
Arizona's law sounds similar to Wyoming's. In fact, this actually happened in Wyoming in the middle of last year. The Democratic Governor had to appoint one of 3 nominees chosen by the state Republican party.
At the time there were suggestions that the law was somehow not valid and could have been challenged by the Governor. He didn't challenge it, he simply picked one of the three Republican's put forward by the Wyoming party.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=3306551
February 14, 2008 2:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
The concern has less to do with the Governor selecting a rogue RINO, but that she'd choose an obviously weak Republican that the Democrats would feel is easily beatable in the next election. I don't know what Arizona's law is, but I assume it is similar to Wyoming.
My question is does the new appointed Senator have to run for election at the next general election? I know here in CA an appointed person needs to run as soon as the nearest general election. That happened in '92 when both Boxer and Feinstein were elected to the Senate. Boxer was elected for a full six year term, and Feinstein was elected to the remaining two years of Governor Wilson's Senate seat that was appointed to a Republican (I think it was Seymour?) in the interim.
February 14, 2008 6:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here's the Arizona law:
16-222. Vacancy in the office of United States senator or representative
A. When a vacancy occurs in the office of United States senator or representative in Congress by reason of death or resignation, or from any other cause, the vacancy shall be filled at the next general election. At such election the person elected shall fill the unexpired term of the vacated office.
B. For a vacancy in the office of representative in Congress, if the next general election is not to be held within six months from the date of the occurrence of the vacancy, the governor shall call a special primary election and a special general election to fill the vacancy. The special primary election shall be held no less than seventy-five nor more than one hundred five days after the occurrence of the vacancy, and the special general election shall be held not less than thirty-five nor more than forty-five days after the special primary election.
C. For a vacancy in the office of United States senator, the governor shall appoint a person to fill the vacancy. That appointee shall be of the same political party as the person vacating the office and shall serve until the person elected at the next general election is qualified and assumes office.
February 14, 2008 6:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
A couple of interesting points:
1) Long-time Republican Rep John Shadegg unexpectedly announced this week that he would not run for re-election - people have been speculating that he intends to run for McCain's seat (he had also replaced McCain in the House when McCain moved to the Senate). That is what prompted the Republic to ask McCain about his Senate seat, no doubt.
2) Gov. Napolitano had the opportunity to appoint a Republican replacement to the Arizona Corporation Commission (regulates utilities, etc). (The vacancy was caused by the removal of a scandal-plagued Republican Commissioner.) Commissioners are elected officials. The Governor appointed Kris Mayes, who was a moderate (some described her as - gasp - liberal) Republican who had been working as the Governor's press aide. The Republican party was FURIOUS!
Delicious side note: Kris Mayes is exploring a run for Congress (to replace scandal-plagued Rep. Rick Renzi). Could Gov. Napolitano slingshot Mayes AGAIN?!?
February 14, 2008 7:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
I live in Arizona. McCain has defacto resigned since the primary season started, with constant "no vote" registered in the Senate. Many people are upset by this.
February 14, 2008 9:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
McCain, who yesterday supported Bush's torture bill, and previously came around to support Bush's tax cuts -- seems to have checked out in so many ways.
See, it proves the point. We don't need the waterboard or the shock prod: they "broke" a pretty tough guy without physical coercion of any kind.
February 15, 2008 6:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
Regarding Kris Mayes...I've met her a couple times (briefly, she wouldn't know me) and have a friend who is close to her family. My perception is that she is not yet ready for the prime-time that is a U.S. Senate seat. Could she be someday? Maybe. But she has a lot of work to do to make herself more acceptable to the R establishment here in AZ. As a corporate commissioner, she has been a "maverick" in some ways that McCain once was with many moderate/liberal stances (i.e. pro-choice) that does her no favors among the party base.
While it may seem attractive from our perspective for her to be appointed by Gov. Naps to fill McCain's seat, it would be a serious middle finger to the GOP here in AZ. Even though Mays is considering a run at AZ-1 congressional race, she'll have a hard time getting past more conservative options in the primary.
I wish the GOP had more people like her in it - they might become a reasonable group of people. But the squeeky wheels won't go for it.
February 15, 2008 12:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Off this subject but on this page. TPM has chosen to show the outlier ARG poll that shows Obama ahead of Clinton in Texas. The ASG poll is an outlier compared to two other contemporary polls that show Clinton with leads from large to very large.
A not so subtle hint of where TPM's advocacy lies.
Disgusting. Why not just come right out and admit it.
February 15, 2008 6:46 PM | Reply | Permalink