Breaking: Romanelli off PA Senate Ballot (cheaters/liars don't win)

[Perky]

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/P/PENNSYLVANIA_SENATE?SITE=CATOR&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-09-25-12-50-33

Green Party Candidate Off Pa. Ballot

By MARTHA RAFFAELE
Associated Press Writer






HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- A judge on Monday ordered the Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate removed from the November ballot because the party did not have enough valid signatures in its nominating petitions.

Carl Romanelli's candidacy had been challenged by state Democrats. Romanelli's bid was backed by Republican Sen. Rick Santorum, who hoped that Romanelli could siphon votes from his Democratic opponent, state Treasurer Bob Casey.

Santorum has consistently trailed Casey in polls.

Commonwealth Court Judge James R. Kelley ruled that Romanelli, a railroad industry consultant from Wilkes-Barre, was 8,931 signatures shy of 67,070 he needed to qualify as a minor-party candidate.




Clifford Levine, an attorney for the Democrats, said the ruling "allows there to be a head-to-head matchup between Bob Casey and Rick Santorum, which is what obviously, in our view, Sen. Santorum was trying to avoid."

State Democrats had said about three-quarters of the 94,000 signatures Romanelli gathered included fake names, unregistered voters and illegible signatures.

Romanelli's lawyer had argued that many of the signatures were incorrectly invalidated because of problems with the state's computerized voter registry, but Kelley concluded that it was too late to take up that claim.

[meegbear]

1. Whoa! Another strike against Santorum ...

:woohoo:

[Perky]

2. Great news in my view

[KingFlorez]

3. All right!

So much for that trick, Rick

[Perky]

4. I'd rather have a pro-life dem than Santorum anyday.

[Perky]

5. kick to the top droppped waaaay too fast