Partisan warfare looms for Jennings-Buchanan

Floridians in Congress are bracing for the prospect that Sarasota's contested election could trigger a partisan war in the new House of Representatives.

Republicans worry that in January, the Democratic-controlled House will refuse to seat Vern Buchanan, the official winner.

"If that happens ... forget about any possibility of pretending to be civil," said Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Miami. "That would be an affront to democracy."

More on the sharpening controversy here.

Comments

[Bob]

Frankly, I do think that it is problamatic that so many "skipped" this important race in that community; however, if another election were held at this point, I bet that there would be a backlash against Congress refusing to seat the Republican resulting in a significant victory.

[Paul]

Wow, so Diaz-Balart is saying that even if the used car dealer is placed in Congress, the Republicans will "pretend to be civil" to Democrats.

Perhaps this is what is wrong, at the root, with our country. People are "pretending to be civil" to those who have different party affiliations, STRICTLY because of those party affiliations. Now, we even have Congressmen admitting to that.

The U.S. House of Representatives is part of the most powerful legislative body in the world. Perhaps it is time for them to realize that, to stop playing party politics with EVERYTHING and to do more than just PRETENDING to be civil.

Republicans are not even civil to their own people. Have you heard about the Republican Party of Florida's curruent fight within the organization, the dirt is flying.

"Bitter, table for one. Right this way." Dems need to get over themselves. They won the election, can't they just accept the fact they lost this one?

[BigBoy]

I know this 2006 saga will continue.

But there were 12,240 undervotes in the congressional race here in Sarasota County in 2004 and nobody said anything about it then.

It was such a negative primary and general this year, I am not surprised at the 6,000 more undervotes.

Many folks down here were just sooo 'turned-off' and didn't vote for that seat - on purpose! That includes my wife and a couple-dozen voters (on both sides) that I know personally.

"Florida Democrats caution that the House and courts need to finish their investigations into the election before anyone is sworn in.

"We need to make sure the voters who cast ballots are enfranchised," said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a South Florida Democrat"

What in the world?! By not seating the duly elected winner (according to THREE counts), the Democrats would not be "...make[ing] sure the voters who cast ballots are enfranchised." By ignoring the established vote, they are disenfranchising those that did participate in our process. Such blatant partisanship is needless when it comes to serving the people that they were elected to represent.

These tactics are the extreme wing of American politics, where the partisan Chairman for the Democratic Party says openly to disregard the will of those that did vote in this election. "Earlier this week, Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean called for another election in the race and said Congress should not seat Buchanan until it is sorted out."

This is among many reasons why the Republicans and Democrats "pretend to be civil." To comment to Paul at 12:08, the pretense of civility is not strictly due to party affiliations. People are members of political parties due to alignment of fundamental beliefs within the party's platform.

Each party has a core set of beliefs which are noble, until their partisan opponents twist it with rhetoric meant to create a negative image. If each of our representatives were in Washington D.C. for the purpose of serving the people and not themselves or their political agenda, then perhaps we would be better as a nation. What each of us need to remember, is that we are all Americans first.

"If that happens ... forget about any possibility of pretending to be civil," said Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Miami. "That would be an affront to democracy."

.................................

He's confused. The affront to democracy is NOT investigating and litigating the screw-up. And not resolving the matter to the satisfaction of our standards of what constitutes an authentic election.

Posted by: | December 09, 2006 at 02:10 PM
..............................

The comments reveal perhaps a spinning of your own as no mention of the 18,000 undervotes quandry - which is THE issue.

"If each of our representatives were in Washington D.C. for the purpose of serving the people and not themselves or their political agenda, then perhaps we would be better as a nation. What each of us need to remember, is that we are all Americans first."

Beautifully said, 2:10.

I only wish some of the RIGHT-wingers on this blog would keep that in mind as well as the left.

[Zhombre]

Yes, I will try to keep that in mind when some left wingers call me a fascist, an authoritarian, and a reptile. Sword cuts both ways, bud.

2:10 was written by a Right-winger...it is the Left-winger who seems to find fault in everything American.

[Pyro]

I would like to see Diaz-Ballart get really mad, face turn red, and head blow up. Could we get that on You-Tube?

please don't seat the loser so we can see them cry, whine, and not act civil. God knows they don't get upset over Iraq death tolls, or lies that got us there.

[maf54]

And they also don't get upset over their comrade emailing boys. No wrongdoing, we're just negligent, so let's move on now.

GOP Grand Old Pedophiles!

[Einstein]

It's perfectly understandable that more voters were turned off by the negative ads in Sarasota County than any other county in this district.

Wait a minute, more turned off percentage-wise than any other county in the nation. It's the only place where negative ads are run, you know.

People in Sarasota expect only positive ads, and these voters would never want input on who their Congressman would be, even though it was the hottest race on the ballot.

I appreciate the enlighted who get on here to keep repeating this fact about disgruntled voters in Sarasota, and I fear the day that Diaz-Ballart and Feeney would get so upset.

What we need is another member of the Florida delegation in the minority, so that they can do nothing together. Then again, is there any difference if he's not seated? Can't he still hang out in Diaz-Ballart's office?

[Nancy]

I didn't become Speaker by listening to Tom Feeney and Mario DiazBalarto.

I really didn't care about this seat until I heard these wimps would get mad and "uncivil."

So enjoy the holidays, Mr. buchananan. I miss you already.

[KPW]

If and when ballots get "None of the above" as a choice on each election race it will be much easier to tell when people are saying "neither of these candidates deserves my vote" and didn't just "miss" that particular race on the ballot. The State of Nevada has it now. I'd call it true democracy and, boy, wouldn't the candidates act a whole lot different.

5:33 - get it. There is NO "screw-up". There is just a Democrat loss. Democrat losses are interoreted by the Democrats as "screw-ups" in an attempt to turn them around into Democrat wins. In other circles it is called "cheating".

But then, they are the Party of Kennedy (Swimming Hall of Famer); the Klansman Byrd and that model Husband of the Year, Clinton. Cheating? Naaaaah!

[George Washington]

7:27, You guys lost Congress bc of Iraq lies, corruption, and your desire to keep a pedophile in the ranks to help raise $ in Palm Beach. Therefore, you are the "Screw Ups."

Since you and the other rightwing loons continue to lie about this seat, instead of admitting that there was a major problem with voting in this race, I hope the Congress refuses to seat Buchananan. When rightwingers are mad, it makes me ecstatic. Merry Christmas!

The dems are alreday planning to take the seat in January. The moving truck is scheduled and the staff is alreday picked. Nancy has choosen to fight this battle and she will capture the knight.

I'd love to see the Republicans get mad. My feeling is that after the hyper-partisanship of the last 12 years, the Dems shouldn't even let the freaking Repugs in the doors of the House. It would serve them right after all the crap they've puled.

[Jay Red]

Remind me how absentee voters in Sarasota undervoting at about 1% in this race and touchscreen voters undervoted at about 13% somehow makes sense? I'm a little lost on that.

Someone screwed up in running this election. The only fair option is a revote. Hell, if Buchanan thinks he has enough support to pull off a win he can simply try to buy this election like the last one.

Gee, Jay, maybe is you offered a relationship between these apples and oranges...

Just count the votes that were cast. Anything else is just speculation. And speculation is not the basis for deciding an election.

[KPW]

Gee, DUH (7:44), that'd be nice IF ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINES HAD A PAPER TRAIL!

[texxs]

Seems like this (and Iraq) are the only countries in the world that aren't bothered by election fraud. Look at the riots that happened over in eastern europe last year, how about Mexico now?

I'm NOT suggesting we riot, but damn, all this election fraud going on and all there is some small demonstrations here and there.

Americans seem like thier really into denial. They don't seem to even consider the last two presidential elections as fraudulent even with overwhelming evidence that, at very least, something horribly bad happened and there was a group of powerful people behind it. COME ON!