Bush still not on Illinois ballot

[newsguyatl]

By The Leader-Chicago Bureau
SPRINGFIELD -- The name "George W. Bush" or "Dick Cheney" may not appear at the top of Illinois' November 2 General Election ballot.

As the Illinois General Assembly went home on Tuesday warned they could receive a 24 hour notice to return if a budget agreement was made, there was no agreement to modify the state's election law to allow President Bush and Vice-President Cheney on the fall ballot.

“The Republicans will have to go to a federal judge and get a declaratory judgment to get Bush on the ballot,” Kris Kray, legislative liaison for the state's election board, said.

That is exactly what may happen, State Senator Wendell Jones (R-Palatine) told IllinoisLeader.com today.
"I think the federal judges would put the President back on the ballot," he said. " are not going to vote for it when it comes to the floor. We want a bill that puts Bush on the ballot without loading it up.”

more http://illinoisleader.com/news/newsview.asp?c=15467

[sniffa]

1. hmmm

i asked about this months ago, and supposedLy the repubs cut a deaL to get him on. can we count iLLinois now? :D

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. Can repubs write them in, though?

[sniffa]

3. i assume so

but in a 'swing' state Like iLLinois, i'm confident enough to predict a kerry victory there (and probLy the nation) if bush is a write in candidate.

[lastliberalintexas]

5. Illinois isn't a swing state this year

It's solidly Dem. We need some of the other states to show this kind of backbone, states like Alabama where it would matter. But I think the (Dem controlled) lege in Alabama agreed to put him on the ballot?

Are there any other states where Shrub is being denied special privileges to get on the ballot?

[trag]

4. Can repubs spell Bush? Cheney?

I recall one that couldn't spell morons. *lol*

[MallRat]

6. Yes.

But the very absence of Bush's name on the Illinois ballot could have interesting results.

First, there will be a small percentage (and remember, all it would take is a small number to win a battleground state) of independent voters who won't think of writing-in Bush's name. They'll look at the ballot and they just might assume that Bush was ineligible in Illinois, and they'll vote for Kerry or someone else instead.

To counter this, BC04 would have to rollout a major advertising effort to make Illinois voters aware that they have to write-in Bush's name. In a major media market like Chicago, that is going to be like burning money.

The alternative for the Bush campaign, of course, would be to concede Illinois altogether. And frankly, with races in other battleground states being much tighter and the real possibility that Obama is going to prompt a huge Democratic turnout, this would not be an unrealistic strategy for the Bushies. It would save them a lot of money.

-MR

[KharmaTrain]

7. The Repugnicans Are SOL in Illinois...They Deserve It

I saw Gov. Blagojovich on the tube last week...discussing how either uncooperative or unorganized the GOOP party is in Illinois. The Ryan factors (too many of them, including the game show host whose now attempting to run for Senate) and blowback for 30 years of GOOP arrogance in Springfield is taking root all over the state.

The problem is by scheduling the Repugnican 9/11 dog & pony show as late as they have and nominating Bunnypants after the closing date, the GOOP will not have a declared candidate to put on the ballot by the 9/1 filing date :evilgrin:. This was not a rule done by Democrats, it was set in the 1968 state constitutional convention, run by Repugnicans! I love when they fall on their own petard.

Blago and other Dems are hoping to squeeze Bunnypants to restore funding of some programs in Illinois that were cut and created a budget crisis here, as it has in other states. In specific, millions promised to "Leave No Child Behind"...restore the funding and I'm sure the Illinois legislature (Democrat control :grin:) will let Dim Son's name on the ballot.

Not that it matters in Chicago where the only Bush that would dare appear near a polling place charge by the hour :evilgrin:

I'm sure they'll work out some deal...but I am enjoying watching the GOOPs twist in the wind here. Maybe Fatass Jim Thompson should get his Winston & Strawn ass back here and clean out the mess his evil party has created. The mood, even in my mostly Repugnican burb, is disgust with the state Repugnican party and a growing uncomfort with Bunnypants. I could see Bunnypants losing this state by double digits!

Ah, Kharma is a wonderful thing :thumbsup: