Can Anyone Follow The Damned Law?
This is not the same as the direct manipulation by the Dems in NJ, but this is just as damned infuriating:
Katherine Harris, the states Chief Election Officer, stepped down as Secretary of State to comply with Florida law after discovering that she had made a procedural mistake. Florida’s resign-to-run law requires candidates to file a letter stating their intent to resign immediately when he/she qualifies to run for another office. If candidates don’t do so, state law says they must resign immediately. When Harris qualified to run for the 13th Congressional District, the letter should have been filed that day.
You know what? I think I am just gonna go out and shoot up some drugs, beat some people, rob some stores, and then drive home drunk. Why? Cuz I can. The law in the United States apparently means nothing.
*** Update ***
Reader P.S. from Kent, WA, writes this:
“Regarding your claim today about the former Florida Sec’y of State: First, you’ve got the law wrong (but, almost everyone else does too). This peculiar law requires a current state officeholder who chooses to run for a different office (rather than run for re-election to his/current one) to resign immediately upon filing for the new position.
UNLESS, that person files a piece of paper notifying potential candidates for the office currently held, that, in effect, there will be no incumbent running for re-election. If that paper is filed on time, then the incumbent can continue in his/her office until the term expires, all the while campaigning for the new office to which he/she aspires.
Again, this is a peculiar law, that as far as I know is unique to Florida. However, Katherine Harris quite logically concluded it was moot in her case. Because the Sec’y of State position was abolished as an elective office. It is now an appointive office, thus there is no one to notify about an incumbent-free position available for which to run.
Interestingly, the Democrat state Attorney General Bob Butterworth also concluded this law didn’t apply to him, because he was term-limited and could not run for re-election. I don’t find his argument as strong as Harris’s.
But, Harris, when challenged about it, resigned the position. Contrast that with the conduct of the Democrats in New Jersey!
Further, I’ve heard this bandied about by recipients of DNC Talking Points Memoes (no doubt written by James Carville), including Alan Combs on FOX, that this has something to do with Harris’s eligibility to run for Congress. That’s not true. There’s no such penalty I’m aware of.”
So I stand corrected. She did not break the law. I didn’t do drugs, beat anyone up, rob anybody, or drive drunk last night either. Thank you for the correction.