Delays are due to secret bargaining
Permalink +Sat, Mar 13, 2004, 5:42 pm // John Servais
Will Gov Locke veto the 'Top 2' primary process and allow the Montana process to become law? Probably, but not necessarily. He may sign the entire bill - getting himself off the hook with voters - and let the Republican and Democratic parties file a lawsuit to overturn the 'Top 2' process.Locke and party bosses are probably negotiating the prices for each others actions. A delay is not caused by Locke staring at the horizon and trying to decide what is the right thing to do. Delays are due to secret bargaining. If Locke vetoes the section, then what will the parties give him or his favorite candidates? What is in it for him? He is not running for reelection, so he has good leverage on the parties.
Our representatives in Olympia designed bill SB6453 such that Locke could negotiate with the parties over his partial veto. They designed the bill so that the 'Top 2' primary process does not have a chance. Give them credit for intelligence. And political savvy. Those who voted for the bill will claim they tried - and they will be lying.
Not one of them - not one of our 147 elected legislators - has had the courage or integrity to speak out and tell us that the bill is a purposeful fraud on the voters. You only need scroll through the bill (you may need to key in 6453) and scan the sections to see how it is set up. Part One is the 'Top 2' and is numbered 1 thru 57. Part Two is the 'Montana' primary and is numbered 101 thru 205. The governor is expected to veto Part One. Very neat.
If Locke does not veto, then the parties can sue. Read section 101. This section is an invitation to a lawsuit by the parties. Our legislators removed words from the original bill that would have defeated efforts by the parties to overthrow the 'Top 2' primary. Our representatives purposely worded the 'Top 2' primary bill to be defeated in the courts.
Here is the original section 16 that allowed a candidate to avoid using the label 'Democrat' or 'Republican'. I have bolded the important part.
If, as provided in RCW 29A.24.030(3), a court of competent jurisdiction holds that a political party has the right to control the use of its name in a manner inconsistent with the provisions of that subsection, then the following process applies:This section was purposely taken out because it would have prevented a lawsuit by the political parties from overturning the 'Top 2' primary process. The bill was reworded to allow easy legal challenge by the parties. In open session, our legislators spoke openly that they had taken out the "three words" description, thus making the bill subject to a lawsuit. If available, you can check the video tapes. I watched it on ch. 23.
For those offices defined in section 4 of this act, a place for the candidate to submit a description of up to three words that the candidate regards as best approximating his or her own political philosophy. The sole purpose of allowing a candidate to submit a three-word description is to provide to voters information about each candidate's political philosophy, which the voters may consider when casting their votes at a primary or general election. The secretary of state shall adopt rules as necessary for the implementation of this section.
Strange you have to read this here first. Your corporate news media have not told you. Your representatives will tell you they voted for the 'Top 2' system. Your representatives will stumble and slide sideways trying to avoid admitting they knew what they were doing. Those who voted for and against the bill knew they were all participating together in a fraud on the voters. Now you know. They are tinkering with the basics of democracy and trying to avoid accountability.
Related Links:
-> Primary Election Bill SB6453
Comments
Commenting is disabled for this post
No Locke on SB6453
Wed, Mar 31, 2004, 5:06 pm // John Servais
Gov. Locke is not scheduled to act on the primary election bill today. This the 20th day since the legislature adjourned and supposedly the last…0 comments
For those who are in awe of the ‘experts’ in Olympia
Tue, Mar 30, 2004, 5:12 pm // John Servais
For your morning entertainment. And for those who are in awe of the 'experts' in Olympia. Gov Locke vetoes three sections of a bill meant…0 comments
They all know they violated the public trust
Sun, Mar 28, 2004, 5:19 pm // John Servais
Before Wednesday, Gov. Locke will act on SB6453, the primary election bill. There has been no news on his deliberations these past two weeks. All…0 comments
Let the parties use the caucuses
Fri, Mar 19, 2004, 5:24 pm // John Servais
Gov. Locke has not acted on the primary election bill. No doubt he is wondering how his reputation will be hurt if he vetoes the…0 comments
Locke is working _with_ the party machines
Sun, Mar 14, 2004, 5:29 pm // John Servais
Today's Bham Herald editorial is well meaning but hopelessly ignorant of the process in Olympia. Naive may be a better word to describe their editorial…0 comments
Delays are due to secret bargaining
Sat, Mar 13, 2004, 5:42 pm // John Servais
Will Gov Locke veto the 'Top 2' primary process and allow the Montana process to become law? Probably, but not necessarily. He may sign the…0 comments
Expect a partial veto
Wed, Mar 10, 2004, 10:40 pm // John Servais
The 'Top 2' primary election bill has a poison pill in it. Our legislators tonight have changed just three words that will allow the Republican…0 comments
Voting against democracy
Tue, Mar 09, 2004, 6:04 pm // John Servais
We have Kelli Linville and Doug Ericksen voting against democracy and for the iron grip of the two political parties on our election process. Shame…0 comments
They always say they “suspended the rules”
Tue, Mar 09, 2004, 1:07 am // John Servais
SB6453 passed the House late this evening by a vote of 51 to 46. Now - if Gov. Locke will just sign it. More when…0 comments
Democracy on the line
Thu, Mar 04, 2004, 6:14 pm // John Servais
On Friday morning at 8 am, the WA House committee on government will hold a hearing on the "Top 2" primary election bill - Senate…0 comments
Top 2 primary election bill, SB6453
Wed, Mar 03, 2004, 6:17 pm // John Servais
- Senate Bill number 6453 - has passed the Washington State Senate by a vote of 28 to 20. This is the primary that allows…0 comments
Traffic and Western Washington University
Mon, Mar 01, 2004, 6:20 pm // John Servais
If WWU gets their way, $20 million in state taxes will be spent on jack-hammering out good roads and building new ones a hundred yards…0 comments
NwCitizen 1995 to 2008
Early Northwest CitizenNew
Citizen TedSkookum.us
WikiLeaks.org
Current Interest
Auditor election pageSkookum.us
WA State Elections
Local
Bellingham HeraldBham Politics & Economics
Bob Sanders
Carl Weimer
Cascadia Weekly
Citizen Ted
Ferndale R-J
Foothills Gazette
John Watts
KGMI
Latte Republic
Lynden Tribune
Mainstreampolitics
Northern Light
Northwest Review
Sam Taylor
Skookum.us
Twilight Zoning
Wally Wonders
Washington Outsiders
Western Front - WWU
Whatcom Watch
Local causes
Bham CofC political blogChuckanut Mountains
Citizens of Bellingham
City Club of Bham
Conservation NW
Cordata & Meridian
Futurewise - Whatcom
Lake Whatcom
N. Cascades Audubon
N. Sound Conservancy
Neighborhood Schools Coalition
No Leaky Buckets
NW Holocaust Center
RE Sources
Skookum.us
Transition Whatcom
WA Conservation Voters
Local Leisure
Adventures NWEntertainment NNW
Climate & Weather
Climate AuditWatts Up With That?
Weather by Cliff Mass
Cascadia
Crosscut SeattleJoel Connelly
Orcinus
Portland Indy Media
Seattle Indy Media
Washington Votes
Leisure
Am Cup - GGYC viewAm Cup legal fight
Worth checking out
Al-Jazeera onlineAlaska Dispatch
AlterNet.org
Antiwar.com
Arab News
Asia Times
Atlantic, The
Buzz Flash
Common Dreams
counterpunch
Daily Beast, The
Daily Kos
Daily Mirror
Drudge Report
FiveThirtyEight
Foreign Policy in Focus
Guardian Unlimited
Gulf News
Haaretz
Huffington Post
Innocence Project, The
Intrnational Herald Tribune
James Fallows
Jerusalem Post
Juan Cole
Le Diplo
Media Matters
Middle East Times
MoveOn.org
Nation, The
New American Century
News Trust
NMFA
numbers
Online Journal
Palestine Daily
Palestine News
Personal bio info
Politico
Progressive Review
Project Vote Smart
Reuters
Sea Shepherd
Slate
Talking Points Memo
The Onion
Tom Paine.com
truthout
War and Piece
WikiLeaks.org
ynetnews.com
Governments
Auditor election pageBellingham
Bham - PFD
Skagit County
The White House
WA State Access
WA State Elections
WA State Legislature
Whatcom Auditor
Whatcom County
Other - for whatever
BushFlash.comChickehhawks
Doonesbury
George Bush
Info Clearing House
Michael Moore
Reality News
The Crisis Papers
Third World Traveler
Unity08
Election 2009
- Candidate Forum - video- Mike McAuley endorsement
Bham #6 - Catherine Chambers
Bham #6 - Michael Lilliquist
Bham At Large - Orphalee
Bham At Large - Seth
County #1 - Dan McShane
County #1 - Kathy Kershner
County #2 - Ken Mann
County #2 - Mary B Teigrob
County #3 - Carl Weimer
County #3 - Michelle Luke
County At Large - Bill
County At Large - Laurie
Port #1 - John Blethen
Port #1 - Scott Walker
Port #2 - Doug Smith
Port #2 - Mike McAuley
2010 Winter Olympics
Amy Goodman InterrogationNo 2010 Olympics
No women ski jumpers
Olympics muzzle free speech
Olympics Resistance Network
Page of Links
Spectacle Vancouver
Zirin on Olympics
Less active
Eye on WhatcomPost-Oklahoman Confessions
The American Telegraph
Quiet, offline or dead
David HackworthGitmo prisoner 345
Mega Awesome
Not in my county
Parkenfarker
Pro-Whatcom