Why is Gov. Paterson (D, NY) flirting with impeachment?

Article I, Section 2, US Constitution:

When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State, the Executive Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies.

WHAM.com:

Henrietta, NY — Multiple Democratic sources now confirm that party chairs decided Monday night that Matthew Zeller is their candidate should a special election to replace Rep. Eric Massa take place.

As Jim Geraghty notes, there should be no ‘should’ here; the US Constitution is not ambiguous about the subject.  There is a vacancy in NY-2329 [OOPS!]: its citizenry have the Constitutional right to representation with all due speed; complaints may be directed to the former office holder. Subject closed.

I assumed that this report was simply an April Fool’s joke, but surely the governor is not seriously considering ignoring his mandated duty under the law?

Even if he is a Democrat?

Moe Lane

PS: Tom Reed is the GOP candidate for this district.

Crossposted to RedState.

LaHood: bikes good, freight transport bad.

Ah, there’s no insularity like urban insularity.

(Via AoSHQ Headlines) Elections have consequences.  Here, have some.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has announced a “major policy revision” that aims to give bicycling and walking the same policy and economic consideration as driving.

“Today I want to announce a sea change,” he wrote on his blog last week. “This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of nonmotorized.”

(Original italics restored) Well, it’s not like cities needed cheap fresh produce anyway*… oh.  Wait.  The entire history of civilization has been geared towards providing precisely that.  A pity that nobody explained to this administration how the food gets into supermarkets in the first place, yes?

Moe Lane

*I can’t wait to see what a pedal-operated eighteen-wheeler looks like.

No, really.  I can’t wait.

I hate to disagree with Instapundit on this…

[UPDATE] Welcome, Instapundit readers. To save time: we need implementation of the good ideas we’ve had already more than we need new good ideas; if I have a choice between bondage-themed clubs and more of this I’d like the bondage-themed clubs, thanks; and the grassroots activists that we have now are not public utilities, and many do not like being volunteered to work.

Glenn Reynolds:

My advice to GOP donors: Ignore ‘em, and send your money directly to candidates you like.

Moe Lane:

…Just resign yourself to the fact that doing so will limit November’s victories to candidates that can somehow manage to get your attention.

You don’t like the RNC, the NRSC, and/or the NRCC? Fine. You got something that will replace them? You have something that will allocate resources to every race, work with every candidate, keep track of the Other Side’s mistakes and pounce on them? Let me save you some time: no, you don’t.  You don’t have anything that’s even close.  And if there is anything that’s even close that’ll be in place in time to be a meaningful factor in November, I have not heard its name.

If you have a problem with the Republican party’s candidate selection system, join the Republican party and start doing all the boring scutwork involved with candidate selection.  You’ll be amazed at how quickly you’ll be in a position to do something about your problems.

Moe Lane

PS: Please note that this reflects my personal, private opinion and nobody else’s.

The 2009/2010 special elections, to date.

I’d like to unpack this paragraph from the Hotline, mostly because the assumptions behind it are in in large part why the Democrats all of a sudden have found themselves in trouble this election cycle.

But the elections present a problem for the NRCC, too. The 2 specials so far during Pres. Obama’s term have both been in GOP-heavy seats. Dems have won both. The DCCC knows how to run and win a race; special elections put pressure on the NRCC, which already has limited resources, to demonstrate they can too.

To begin: “The 2 specials so far during Pres. Obama’s term have both been in GOP-heavy seats. Dems have won both.”

Err. No. To quote a scientist friend of mine; that’s not even wrong. Continue reading The 2009/2010 special elections, to date.

#rsrh The DCCC’s Tony Hawk Ride* strategy.

I almost looked at the rapidly expanding irony of this and said “I got nothing”…

Van Hollen: Democrats to Once Again Run As Party of Change
By Tory Newmyer, CQ-Roll Call

House Democrats plan to revive the political ghost of former President George W. Bush in their bid to retain the majority this fall, according to Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), the head of the party’s re-election efforts.

Van Hollen, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, on Tuesday signaled House Democrats will try to repeat their success in the last two election cycles by once again running under a change banner.

…but my limited, secondhand awareness of video game culture has saved me. You know, it’s a rare day that one can successfully link to a Penny Arcade comic for the purposes of serious political commentary.

Today is a rare day.

Moe Lane

(H/T @jeffemanuel) Continue reading #rsrh The DCCC’s Tony Hawk Ride* strategy.