Apparently it’s not enough that Libertarians need 12 times more signatures to get on the Pennsylvania ballot. It’s not enough that the Republican authorities did all they could to keep Ron Paul out of the primary debates. The McCain-Feingold Incumbent Protection Act isn’t sufficient. Now the Republicans are so desperate they’re resorting to a frivolous lawsuit in Pennsylvania not only wasting taxpayer’s money but also telling 50,000 Pennsylvania voters the McCain campaign thinks their right to democracy is null and void. Why doesn’t it surprise me that the Republicans aren’t even trying to hide their disdain for democracy and fairness, or even the law? Can’t they even wait for the election to start cheating?
Last Monday Victor Stabile a Pennsylvania Republican Party leader filed a suit in Commonwealth Court to remove Bob Barr from the Pennsylvania ballot because the Libertarians in accordance with the law, began petitioning before Barr was officially nominated and then lawfully substituted his name later.
Sean Haugh from the Libertarian Party responded to the claim with this:
“The challenge to the substitution process is completely frivolous. It flies in the face of extremely well-established case law, as the McCain campaign and the Republican Party know full well, and may well be dismissed out of hand by the Commonwealth Court. The lack of moral integrity from the McCain campaign doesn’t surprise me, but the sheer lameness of this tactic does. It shows how pathetically desperate the McCain campaign is to stop Bob Barr.”
The part that’s particularly disgusting is that according to Ballot-access.org, Stabile appears to acknowledge that the action is perfectly legal. However he suggests it “crosses the line” might “taint the process”. Let me gets this straight. A Republican Party leader decides that his personal partisanship outweighs the will of 50,000 voters sufficiently to spend taxpayer money on a frivolous lawsuit.
Talk about tainted. The reason the Republicans are going to get spanked this November is because their candidates are tainted by having people like Stabile in their so-called leadership.
Rank hypocrisy is apparently standard operating procedure for the McCain campaign. Here is what McCain said in his 2000 campaign when the Bush campaign tried the same thing on him. ”We all know that the Berlin wall is down . . . People should be able to get on the ballot in states. Everybody knows that I am a legitimate candidate. I should be on the ballot.”
This isn’t just sleazy , it’s not very bright If they lose they look stupid – as if they could look any more stupid than they already do. If they win they energize the opposition and provide a massive public relations victory for the anti-McCain forces.
Bob Barr responded on this video.
I’ll leave you with another quote from McCain in the 2000 election, he would, “never consider, ever consider, allowing a supporter of [his] to challenge [his opponent]’s right to be on the ballot in all 50 states.”
Sure John – we believe you.