BREAKING: Dem. Ted Deutch wins Florida special election!

By GottaLaff

Good news!

Murtha death triggers special election

By GottaLaff

Congressman John Murtha has died, as I posted earlier. As you might have figured out, that means a special election is in store for Pennsylvania's 12th district.

The governor has 10 days to pick a date, and the special election must not come before 60 days after that date has been set.

Chris Cillizza has more, including reporting that May 18, when federal primaries would take place, would be special election day, too:

The only semi-serious challenge to him in recent years came in a redistricting-forced primary race against then Rep. Frank Mascara in 2002, which Murtha won easily.

With Murtha gone, however, the special election will be seriously contested.

Here we go again.

Romney Voted in Massachusetts Election from Son's Address

By GottaLaff

Willard, Willard, how many homes do you really need? Oh, of course. What was I thinking? A dedicated one for voting purposes is a must:

TPM: "Despite selling his only home in Massachusetts, former Gov. Mitt Romney (R) voted last month in the state's Republican primary to choose a candidate for Sen. Ted Kennedy's seat using his son's address and has already mailed in a ballot for the Jan. 19 special election."

More via TPM:

Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said despite selling his home in Belmont last year, Romney never gave up his Massachusetts residency. When he is in the state he stays with his son Tagg.

I understand his Residential Consultant is Ann Coulter.

Scozzafava Drops Out of NY-23 Race

By GottaLaff

Sarah Palin steps in to endorse a conservative rival, others pile on, and Scozzafava says buh-bye:

Dede Scozzafava (R) announced "that she is suspending her campaign for the 23rd Congressional District and releasing all her supporters," the Watertown Daily Times reports. [...]

A new Siena poll this morning found the race too close to call between Owens at 36% and Hoffman at 35% with Scozzafava falling way back to 20%.

A Public Policy Polling survey still in the field also had Scozzafava trailing the pack at just 17%.

It's a Rushpublic district, and until Scozzafava dropped out, there was a chance that Owens could pull off a win. Now? Not so much.

Additionally, it will be interesting to watch the Conservapubs continue to cause a split in the Rushpublic party. Popcorn, anyone?

BREAKING: MA Gov. Deval Patrick holds news conference on Kennedy Senate seat

By GottaLaff

MSNBC is airing the press conference as I type this.

Deval Patrick supports a special election, but wants to work on legislation for an interim appointment for the five months until the election happens to ensure Massachusetts representation in the Senate.

January 19, 2010 will be the date for the special election.

Again, Vicki Kennedy says she's not interested.

Vicki Kennedy not interested

By GottaLaff

There's about to be a news conference from Deval Patrick on the date of a special election to replace Ted Kennedy, but meanwhile:

The trial balloon launched yesterday by Sen. Christopher Dodd and Sen. Orrin Hatch quickly deflated.

A "solid source" tells George Stephanopoulos that Vicki Kennedy won't run in a special election to fill the Massachusetts Senate seat and she's not interested in an interim appointment if it becomes available.

Meanwhile, all eyes turn to Joe Kennedy...

Dates proposed for Massachusetts special election

By GottaLaff

And so it goes:

The special election to fill Massachusetts' vacant Senate seat will be held on either January 19 or January 26, the Massachusetts secretary of state confirms.[...]

If a primary is needed that would be held either December 8 if the earlier general election date is chosen or December 15 if the latter one is chosen.

Russ Feingold Wants to End Senate Appointments

By GottaLaff

What Blagoeuoeuboiqvozhesvich and Paterson have wrought... or rotten:

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) plans to introduce an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to end appointments to the Senate by state governors.

Said Feingold: "The controversies surrounding some of the recent gubernatorial appointments to vacant Senate seats make it painfully clear that such appointments are an anachronism that must end. In 1913, the Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution gave the citizens of this country the power to finally elect their senators. They should have the same power in the case of unexpected mid term vacancies, so that the Senate is as responsive as possible to the will of the people. I plan to introduce a constitutional amendment this week to require special elections when a Senate seat is vacant, as the Constitution mandates for the House, and as my own state of Wisconsin already requires by statute."

A Constitutional amendment? That won't be easy.

All 50 Dem senators call on Blagojevich to resign

Huge thump on Blago and huge props to Obama.

If the Democratic caucus had a vote it would be unanimous: All 50 Democrats in the Senate have signed a letter calling on Gov. Rod Blagojevich to resign.

Of course the senators have no vote, but the pressure in Washington on Blagojevich to resign is now just as great as it is in Illinois. The Democratic senators also have some skin in the game -- they want a new Democratic governor in Illinois who could appoint a successor for Barack Obama so that the new senator won't have the taint of the Blagojevich scandal.

Sen. Dick Durbin, the senior senator from Illinois, has already called for a special election.

Illinois Legislature to Consider Special Election

By GottaLaff

No surprise here:

The Illinois state House "is set to reconvene Monday to consider a bill that would fill President-elect Obama's old Senate seat by special election," according to The Hill.

"Emil Jones, the outgoing state Senate president, has also said he will call a special session of that chamber to take up the bill."