You can't have a party without a Hammer
Sticking to politics for a moment, Kriston asked me earlier if I knew what the hell was going on with the special election that will have to be held to replace Hot Tub Tom once he finally emerges from his long hours of prayer and actually resigns. It happens that I do, but it's all very, very complicated:
First, DeLay decided he had to win the primary for, I dunno, pride and one last joyride around the block with his backroom power. By doing so, he locked himself into the party's nomination for the general election in November.
Later he announced his resignation, probably slated for mid-June, but he hasn't yet formally resigned.
Until he submits his letter of resignation, Perry can't do anything.
Once DeLay actually gets the paperwork in, Perry has two options:
1. He can call for an emergency special election in the district to finish out the remainder of DeLay's term — which amounts to only a few months at this point.
2. He can call for a "regular" special election, which must be held on one of two pre-scheduled days in Texas (called "uniform election dates"). One is May 13. The other is Nov. 7, the same as the general election.
Perry has discretion solely over the special election, and what he said today was that he doesn't feel an emergency special election is necessary.
Here's the catch: Because of requirements in Texas law that say there must be an adequate time period between when an election is announced and when it is held, the deadline for Perry to declare a "regular" special election on May 13 is tomorrow (Friday). So Perry's hands are tied unless DeLay's paperwork magically makes it to the governor's desk tomorrow. No one expects that to happen, so Perry gets to shrug his shoulders and say he doesn't want to spend the taxpayers' money on an emergency special election, since DeLay's term has only a few months left on it (and several of those while Congress is out of session), anyways.
This is why Nick Sampson has been calling on DeLay to resign immediately, because it actually helps the Republicans to have the special and general elections on the same day.
So, why would DeLay do this, and what are the ramifications?
If I understand it correctly, it all comes down to — brace yourself! — money.
In a special election, any number of candidates can file to run. But now that DeLay's out in the general, the man (or scarily hardline woman *cough*Wohlgemuth*cough*) who will take his place will be determined by a committee appointed by the Republican party chairmen in the four counties that comprise HD 22.
So when Nov. 7 rolls around, HD 22 is actually up for grabs twice. The special election will be a free-for-all, with the winner earning a grand total of about three months in office. But the general election, which will have a candidate handpicked by the Republican Party with, probably, no small input form DeLay himself, will determine who gets to hold the seat for the next two years, starting Jan. 07.
Since there are actually two elections, a candidate who has filed for both elections can collect campaign contributions for both races. This means that one donor can "max out" his/her contribution twice, donating once to the DeLay's Whipped Mule General Election fund and once to the DeLay's Whippped Mule Special Election fund. Of course, all the political ads this candidate buys will, in effect, go only toward bolstering his/her chances in the general election. Repubs get the square!
It also has the added bonus of giving the GOP more time to pick DeLay's errand boy and then build party support behind him.
Sampson, of course, wants to get the special election out of the way, because it's kind of a joke anyways. But what's not really funny, and what he keeps saying he's most pissed about, is that from mid-June until the special election is decided, HD 22 will have no representation in Congress. And I mean, it's only hurrican season, and it's not like there are any big battles over, say, immigration coming up, so what's the big fuss?
First, DeLay decided he had to win the primary for, I dunno, pride and one last joyride around the block with his backroom power. By doing so, he locked himself into the party's nomination for the general election in November.
Later he announced his resignation, probably slated for mid-June, but he hasn't yet formally resigned.
Until he submits his letter of resignation, Perry can't do anything.
Once DeLay actually gets the paperwork in, Perry has two options:
1. He can call for an emergency special election in the district to finish out the remainder of DeLay's term — which amounts to only a few months at this point.
2. He can call for a "regular" special election, which must be held on one of two pre-scheduled days in Texas (called "uniform election dates"). One is May 13. The other is Nov. 7, the same as the general election.
Perry has discretion solely over the special election, and what he said today was that he doesn't feel an emergency special election is necessary.
Here's the catch: Because of requirements in Texas law that say there must be an adequate time period between when an election is announced and when it is held, the deadline for Perry to declare a "regular" special election on May 13 is tomorrow (Friday). So Perry's hands are tied unless DeLay's paperwork magically makes it to the governor's desk tomorrow. No one expects that to happen, so Perry gets to shrug his shoulders and say he doesn't want to spend the taxpayers' money on an emergency special election, since DeLay's term has only a few months left on it (and several of those while Congress is out of session), anyways.
This is why Nick Sampson has been calling on DeLay to resign immediately, because it actually helps the Republicans to have the special and general elections on the same day.
So, why would DeLay do this, and what are the ramifications?
If I understand it correctly, it all comes down to — brace yourself! — money.
In a special election, any number of candidates can file to run. But now that DeLay's out in the general, the man (or scarily hardline woman *cough*Wohlgemuth*cough*) who will take his place will be determined by a committee appointed by the Republican party chairmen in the four counties that comprise HD 22.
So when Nov. 7 rolls around, HD 22 is actually up for grabs twice. The special election will be a free-for-all, with the winner earning a grand total of about three months in office. But the general election, which will have a candidate handpicked by the Republican Party with, probably, no small input form DeLay himself, will determine who gets to hold the seat for the next two years, starting Jan. 07.
Since there are actually two elections, a candidate who has filed for both elections can collect campaign contributions for both races. This means that one donor can "max out" his/her contribution twice, donating once to the DeLay's Whipped Mule General Election fund and once to the DeLay's Whippped Mule Special Election fund. Of course, all the political ads this candidate buys will, in effect, go only toward bolstering his/her chances in the general election. Repubs get the square!
It also has the added bonus of giving the GOP more time to pick DeLay's errand boy and then build party support behind him.
Sampson, of course, wants to get the special election out of the way, because it's kind of a joke anyways. But what's not really funny, and what he keeps saying he's most pissed about, is that from mid-June until the special election is decided, HD 22 will have no representation in Congress. And I mean, it's only hurrican season, and it's not like there are any big battles over, say, immigration coming up, so what's the big fuss?
posted by Matt at 9:21 PM
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