Late Sen. Craig Thomas replaced.
“Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal (D) today appointed state Sen. John Barrasso (R) to succeed the late Sen. Craig Thomas (R), who died June 4 after a seven-month battle with leukemia.” Barrasso has “been in the Wyoming Senate for about five years” and “was one of three finalists for the vacancy selected Tuesday by the 71-member state Republican central committee.”
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Heh. And the fool couldn’t actually appoint a D successor.
No wonder you keep losing.
June 22nd, 2007 at 2:36 pmI’d rather have some onion rings.
June 22nd, 2007 at 2:37 pmLynne’s lesbian novel sinks her yet again. Sigh.
June 22nd, 2007 at 2:39 pmYou’re right, MAF54. Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal (D)follwed the law. Republicans don’t feel that following the law is necessary, so they have been winning.
June 22nd, 2007 at 2:43 pmMmm…. lesbian sex.
June 22nd, 2007 at 2:43 pmMAF54,
The state law didn’t allow him to. Feel free to educate yourself before you talk.
June 22nd, 2007 at 2:44 pm#3 - that was a vicious thing to say about the Second Lady. Being that probably support gay rights, that was an ignorant statement on so many levels. Your a racist homophobe.
June 22nd, 2007 at 2:44 pm#4: Absolutely correct. We would have re-written the law or ignored it. That’s what I meant: no wonder you keep losing.
June 22nd, 2007 at 2:44 pmThe coverage of this story bothered me somewhat, both here and at DailyKOS and Talking Points Memo.
I’m about as left as they come: public educator who bikes to work, vegetarian, highly involved in civil rights issues, very environmentally conscious, etc. But why are people (including those of you running these sites) so upset about replacing a Republican with a Republican?
It seems the only honest thing to do, unless there are no qualified/interested Republicans to fill the post. If a Democratic Senator were to pass away while in office, I’m certain you would all want him replaced with another Democrat.
True, the Republicans would quite possibly play this one dirty. Some of you may be of the opinion that Democrats should employ the same techniques, to “balance the field.” But the only way to turn this country around is to put integrity above short-term personal gains, and if the people elected a Republican, then a Republican should finish out the term. Then we can have it out in the next election cycle.
It is very disheartening to see otherwise smart, progressive people encouraging the same dirty tricks that we find so repulsive in our opponents.
June 22nd, 2007 at 2:44 pmHe’s pro-choice.
F*ck you, trolls.
June 22nd, 2007 at 2:45 pm“And the fool couldn’t actually appoint a D successor.”
Uh, that’s the requirement of the state constitution, dumbass. The replacement has to be from the same party as the dead officeholder.
“No wonder you keep losing.”
Keep losing? I guess you slept through last November.
But yeah, we Democrats have this thing about actually following the law. No wonder your “best and brightest” keep ending up in prison.
June 22nd, 2007 at 2:46 pm#5: Kenneth, be careful. If you want to express your love of lesbian sex, which is what most of us men like to watch anyway, you’ve got to prepared for the feminist counterstrike. Apparently liberal chicks think that it’s wrong for a man to enjoy watching two women have sex.
June 22nd, 2007 at 2:46 pmIsn’t that the one of the three candidates that were put forward that has a little bit of Abramoff stink about him?
MAF54, Democrats lost in 2006?
June 22nd, 2007 at 2:48 pm#13: Oh really? Democrats won? I haven’t seen them accomplish much, then…
June 22nd, 2007 at 2:49 pmIt is very disheartening to see otherwise smart, progressive people encouraging the same dirty tricks that we find so repulsive in our opponents.
Comment by Fiddler
Hey Fiddler, read the comments. I don’t see any of us “normal” people upset that a Republican replaced a Republican. We knew that was going to happen from the beginning. I’m just glad it was a Dem governor who got to choose — it makes for a moderate choice.
So get over being disheartened on TP, cuz I haven’t seen us screeching about R replacing R.
June 22nd, 2007 at 2:49 pmAt least you admit to thinking you and the people you stooge for are above the law, MAF54. Fortunately, the Democratic Governer chose to follow law — you know, play by the rules. Oh, but how you would have been up in arms if he’d violated the constitution and tried to appoint a Democrat. But you see, he remembers that the law cuts both ways. Replace a Rethug with a Democrat, then down the road, the Rethug Governer replaces a Democratic senator with a Rethug.
June 22nd, 2007 at 2:49 pmFiddler,
I’m not sure I see people here treating this poorly. I agree with you. I think the Wyoming law is much more fair to the voters who made a political choice when they elected a Republican. The story as written here on TP however, doesn’t seem to be running anyone down. Does it?
It just seems to be reporting what happened
June 22nd, 2007 at 2:49 pm#16: We would have (and will, if the occasion rises again) appointed a R replacement without hesitation. Who cares if it is legal? When you’ve got the majority you can MAKE your own laws.
June 22nd, 2007 at 2:51 pmMAF54,…Feel free to educate yourself before you talk.
Comment by Crump’s Brother — June 22, 2007 @ 2:44 pm
I don’t know that your advice would work for Congressman Foley, CB. it would kinda cramp his style.
June 22nd, 2007 at 2:52 pm#15:
My comment was in response to the earlier posts about this story, as a whole. A consistent sentiment of disappointment has been expressed (in the actual blog posts, no less) that the Senator is being replaced with another Republican, or that it is “unfortunate” that the law requires the Governor to do so. This is something that I feel should be general practice, regardless of whether or not the law mandates it.
To be concerned that Tim Johnson wouldn’t have been replaced with another Democrat had he passed, and then turn around and express disdain at Thomas’ replacement with another Republican, seems self-serving to me.
June 22nd, 2007 at 2:55 pmRight. Yep, thanks for showing Republican morals and ethics so clearly again, MAF54. “We’re right, fuck being legal!” Go back to drooling over pages.
June 22nd, 2007 at 2:56 pmIt just seems to be reporting what happened
Comment by Crump’s Brother
Yep. I don’t see TP commenters weeping and wailing about R replacing R. Not when Sen Thomas died, and not now. I don’t know what Fiddler is talking about. Maybe it’s happening on DKos, I don’t know.
June 22nd, 2007 at 2:56 pmOI!
You mean TP and DKos aren’t connected at the hip?
June 22nd, 2007 at 2:57 pmTo be concerned that Tim Johnson wouldn’t have been replaced with another Democrat had he passed, and then turn around and express disdain at Thomas’ replacement with another Republican, seems self-serving to me.
Comment by Fiddler
I agree with what you’re saying, Fiddler, about congressional replacements — it’s only right and sensible to do it that way.
My gripe is that you seem to be accusing TP commenters of bitching about replacing members of congress this way — and it just ain’t so.
June 22nd, 2007 at 2:58 pmCan we please not make a gift of another thread to the piss-soaked trolls!?
June 22nd, 2007 at 3:02 pmblah, blah, fool…blah, blah, losing…blah, blah, lesbian sex…blah, blah, liberal chicks…blah, blah, TP and DKos, blah, blah, ad nauseum…
June 22nd, 2007 at 3:02 pmFiddler, could you cite some specific examples of “disappointment” from earlier posts? Because I don’t really recall anyone taking issue with the Wyoming law. In fact, as you mention, I recall a couple of people touting it as a good model for other states, especially in the wake of the right-wing ghoul-a-thon that surrounded Senator Johnson’s illness.
I remember similar speculation when Joe Lieberman was mentioned a s apossible Secretary of Defense nominee. I figured that was a done deal, as Bush could get an apparent Democrat in his cabinet, thus appearing to be “bipartisan” and could also have a Republican governor appoint a Republican to take Lieberman’s seat.
As others have pointed out on this thread, the only posters making a point about the possibility of gaining a seat through the death of a senator are the “Party Before Country”, “Rule of Law is for Sissies” right-wingers.
June 22nd, 2007 at 3:03 pm#3 - that was a vicious thing to say about the Second Lady. Being that probably support gay rights, that was an ignorant statement on so many levels. Your a racist homophobe.
Comment by TP Hate Machine — June 22, 2007 @ 2:44 pm
Someone famous once said that if you do nothing, you are complicit in the crime. So, by Lynn Cheenie(using Chris Matthews-speak here) NOT standing up for her daughter’s rights in the face of her party’s horrible attack on civil rights, then she is just as guilty as those who make their utterly uninformed, ridiculous comments..
June 22nd, 2007 at 3:04 pmOh Zooey. You know they can’t resist us.
June 22nd, 2007 at 3:06 pm#27 - whitey
Nice one, whitey. :)
June 22nd, 2007 at 3:08 pmMy comment was in response to the earlier posts about this story, as a whole. A consistent sentiment of disappointment has been expressed (in the actual blog posts, no less) that the Senator is being replaced with another Republican, or that it is “unfortunate†that the law requires the Governor to do so. This is something that I feel should be general practice, regardless of whether or not the law mandates it.
To be concerned that Tim Johnson wouldn’t have been replaced with another Democrat had he passed, and then turn around and express disdain at Thomas’ replacement with another Republican, seems self-serving to me.
When Republican Senators John Heinz and Paul Coverdell died, they were replaced with Democrats.
When Bob Packwood resigned, he was replaced with a Democrat.
When that turncoat Jim Jeffords ran for office, the slimeball ran as a Republican, then switched a few months later.
June 22nd, 2007 at 3:10 pmI apologize; I went back through the post history, and it is indeed Talking Points Memo, not ThinkProgress, where I read the offending posts.
June 22nd, 2007 at 3:11 pmThats It!!!
June 22nd, 2007 at 3:14 pmI’m going out right now and get some fried onion rings and clams!
MMMMMMMMMMMMMM GOOD
(Not meant to offend any lizards!)
Don’t forget lesbian sex.
June 22nd, 2007 at 3:19 pmI apologize; I went back through the post history, and it is indeed Talking Points Memo, not ThinkProgress, where I read the offending posts.
Comment by Fiddler
Thanks, Fiddler!
June 22nd, 2007 at 3:19 pmThanks, Fiddler.
June 22nd, 2007 at 3:38 pmWonder what John Barrasso owes to who or whom, or what clouds hang over his head, or what baggage he’s carrying.
June 22nd, 2007 at 4:48 pm