HOW ABOUT A RICO PROSECUTION?:

When Missouri seats its senator could tip balance of power (KEVIN MURPHY, 10/21/02, The Kansas City Star)

There is speculation in Washington that Gov. Bob Holden, a Democrat, would hold off certifying Talent's election Nov. 5 because it immediately would shift control of the Senate to Republicans by one seat -- at least until the new Senate is sworn in in January.

Holden and Secretary of State Matt Blunt, a Republican, need to sign a certification for submission to the president of the Senate, according to federal law.

"I think Senator Carnahan will be elected," Holden said. "If she's not, we'll get our attorneys (together) to see what appropriate action should be taken. We will move as expeditiously as we can with the facts that we have."

Scott Holste, spokesman for Attorney General Jay Nixon, a Democrat, declined to say what advice Nixon would give Holden.

A federal law says "it shall be the duty" of a governor to certify a candidate's election to the Senate. But it does not say how soon that must happen.

"It does not have a time frame in the statute at all," said Terry Jarrett, general counsel to Blunt. "Who really knows?" [...]

"You occupy the seat as soon as you get elected," said Don Ritchie, associate historian of the Senate.

The Democrats are truly beginning to resemble the Mafia. They are barely a political party anymore, opting instead to become a criminal enterprise based on the maintenance of power at any cost. From giving Bill Clinton a free pass during Impeachment to all the shenanigans they pulled in FL to the initial Ashcroft vs. both Carnahans mess to the replacement of Bob Torricelli to what now appears to be systemic vote fraud (for example in SD) to this new threat not to seat a duly elected Senator--Democrats display a contempt of the democratic process that is despicable.
Posted by Orrin Judd at October 21, 2002 9:54 AM