Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick announced at a press conference this afternoon that the special election to replace Ted Kennedy will be held on January 19, 2010.

A primary, which could be more important in the Democratic-leaning state, is expected to be held on December 8.

Under a state law passed in 2004, Patrick had to pick a time for a special election between 145 and 160 days after the vacancy.

The law was passed to prevent then-Republican Gov. Mitt Romney from appointing a successor to Sen. John Kerry had he won the presidency. But now, with a Democratic governor, there is a movement afoot, sparked by a letter Kennedy himself sent a week before he died, to allow Patrick to appoint a successor to serve in the interim before the special election.

In his press conference today, Patrick supported changing the law, and Massachusetts legislators have scheduled a public hearing on Sept. 9 to discuss it.

As for who will replace Kennedy in the Senate, speculation has been raging, but there appear to be two names off the list. Patrick said that he himself is not going to run (he's running for reelection as governor), and he reiterated that Kennedy's widow, Vicki, told him she is not interested.


http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/08/31/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5277764.shtml

I think the hearing on Sept. 9th will be interesting. Will the Dems. be able to change the law back to what it was in 2004 when they changed it to suit their needs?

I think it's contradictory to the whole Constitution

according to the intent of the original Constitution, Senators were to have been appointed by State Legislature. That was to avoid having TWO houses in the Congress beholden to special interest cash that comes from an election. It was a check and balance

but it was the House (the Senate resisted it, sorry that part was wrong) who pushed the 17th amendment changing the way our government was structured in 1913

That's one thing I don't really know much about. We have the US constitution, then each state has it's own constitution. It just seems to make things more complicated. But I guess it gives each state it's own different set of laws to argue over.

Government officials , changing the laws to suit their needs...?????


Say it isn't so.....