Dem Chair John Walsh Stretches Truth on Sen. Succession, Mass GOP Offered Interim Appt. in 2005/06

by: Rob "EaBo Clipper" Eno

Tue Sep 08, 2009 at 18:24:27 PM EDT

First and foremost, remember this: NO DEMOCRAT voted in 2004 against the proposal that Senator Kennedy put forward in the days before his death: that Massachusetts voters fill a Senate vacancy via special election, that the governor name an interim Senator to represent our state until voters can make their choice, and that whomever the governor selects not run in the special election. Nor did Democrats vote against the proposal that has been filed for consideration and will be discussed at a hearing on Wednesday.

Well gee whiz Mr. Walsh, that's a way to spin it. Nobody voted against the probably unconstitutional provision of barring an interim appointment from seeking office.  Nice way to spin that one.  Of course a majority of Democrats did vote against allowing an interim appointment, not only in 2004 but also in 2006 as George Peterson(R-Grafton) explains in the video below.

Some quick digging finds the text of HR 50 which was introduced by Representative Lepper of Attleboro in 2005 and voted on in March of 2006.

PETITION -- HOUSE

CHIEF SPONSOR:

Representative Lepper of Attleboro

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General Court assembled.

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the passage of the accompanying bill or resolve.

PETITIONERS:  LEGISLATOR/CITIZEN

DISTRICT/FULL MAILING ADDRESS

John A. Lepper
2nd Bristol

Scott P. Brown
Norfolk, Bristol, Middlesex

Bradley H. Jones, Jr.
20th Middlesex

Jeffrey Davis Perry
5th Barnstable

Lewis G. Evangelidis
1st Worcester

Susan W. Pope
13th Middlesex

Shirley Gomes
4th Barnstable

Michael J. Coppola
1st Bristol

Elizabeth A. Poirier
14th Bristol

Paul K. Frost
7th Worcester

Seal of the CommonwealthThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts

-------
IN THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND FIVE

An Act             RELATIVE TO VACANCIES IN U.S SENATE

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the

authority of the same, as follows:

          SECTION 1. Subsection (a) of section 140 of chapter 54 of the General Laws as amended by section 6 of chapter 236 of the acts of 2004, is hereby further amended by inserting after the second sentence the following sentence:-

          The governor shall appoint a person to serve as senator in congress for the interim period until a successor is sworn and qualified.

Not only did the House Republicans fail in trying to change the law to allow an interim appointment in the politically charged 2004 election season, they also tried in 2006 when there was no impending possibility of a vacancy.  The roll call of that vote can be found after the flip.

John Walsh is playing loose and fast with the facts.  What else would one expect from the head of one of the most corrupt political organizations in the Nation?

MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

   H. 50 On substituting bill for adverse report
   Yea and Nay 03/22/06 02:50 PM
   No. 362 22 YEAS 133 NAYS 4 N/V
   N Mr. Speaker N Flynn N Murphy, K. N Teahan
   N Rogers N Forry N Nangle N Timilty
   N Harkins N Fox N Natale N Tobin
   N Rushing N Fresolo X Naughton N Toomey
   N Petrolati N Galvin N Nyman N Torrisi
   N Atkins N Garry N O'Brien Y Travis
   N *Atsalis N Gobi N O'Flaherty N Turkington
   N Ayers N Goguen N Owens-Hicks N Turner
   N Balser N Golden N Parente N Vallee
   N Binienda N Grant N Patrick N Verga
   N Blumer N Greene N Paulsen N Wagner
   N Bosley N Guyer N Pedone N Wallace
   N Bradley N Haddad N Peisch N Walrath
   N Broadhurst N Hall N Petersen N Walsh, M.
   N Cabral N Honan N Petruccelli N Walsh, S.
   N Callahan N Hynes N Pignatelli N Walz
   N Canavan N Kafka N Provost N Welch
   N Candaras N Kane N Quinn N Wolf
   N Canessa N Kaprielian N Reinstein Y Jones
   N Carron N Kaufman N Rice Y Rogeness
   N Casey N Keenan, J. X Rivera Y Peterson
   N Connolly X Kennedy N Rodrigues Y Lepper
   N Correia N Khan N Rush Y Coppola
   N Costello N Kocot N Sanchez Y deMacedo
   N Coughlin N Koczera N Sannicandro Y Evangelidis
   N Creedon N Koutoujian N Scaccia Y Frost
   N Curran N Kujawski N Scibak Y Gifford
   N DeLeo N Kulik N Sciortino Y Gomes
   N Dempsey N Lantigua N Smizik Y Hargraves
   X Donato N Leary N Speliotis Y Hill
   N Donelan N LeDuc N Spellane Y Humason
   N Driscoll N Linsky N Speranzo Y Loscocco
   N Eldridge N L'Italien N Spiliotis Y Perry
   N Fagan N Malia N Stanley H. Y Poirier
   N Fallon N Mariano N Stanley T. Y Polito
   N Falzone N Marzilli N St. Fleur Y Pope
   N Fennell N Miceli N Story Y Ross
   N Festa N Moran N Straus Y Smola
   N Finegold N Murphy, C. N Sullivan Y Webster
   N Flanagan N Murphy, J. N Swan

   *=AFTER VOTE P=PRESENT X=NOT VOTING