Attempt to recall senator (Robert Menendez) moves to N.J. high court

[alp227]

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer

The move to recall U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, driven by tea party activists and conservatives angry over bank bailouts and health-care costs, started at a kitchen table in the hills of Sussex County.

Long active in conservative issues, little-known county tea party chairwoman RoseAnn Salanitri wrote to Menendez last year protesting President Obama's health-care legislation.

She says Menendez didn't respond, describing the slight as "probably the trigger" for the recall movement, which will play out before the state Supreme Court on Tuesday.

Read more: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/front_page/20100525_Attempt_to_recall_senator_moves_to_N_J__high_court.html

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Hmm. Why would a Philadelphia newspaper cover New Jersey news...oh wait Philadelphia's near the New Jersey border so yeah that's why it'd matter to some in the metro area of the City of Brotherly Love.

Further in this article it notes that among the supporters of the recall are creationists and gun rights advocates. And...Conservapedia founder Andrew Schlafly is chief legal counsel for the Recall Menendez movement. If you've monitored Schlafly's actions on Conservapedia or his clown moment being ill-informed about a biology study in 2008 it's probably telling about his character.

[Cleita]

1. We got to have laws stopping this. The way to get rid of a sitting senator

is to vote him out of office in the next election. Trying to remove elected officials after the voters have indicated their preference is disenfranchising the vote of a majority of citizens IMHO, like what happened in California to Governor Grey Davis. It has to stop.

[gateley]

2. OMG - not just because I like Menendez, but are these people just thinking

they can recall everybody they don't like?

Any New Jerseyites(?) -- does this have legs?

[brooklynite]

3. This will be going to Federal Court...

The 17th Amendment (bane of the Tea Party) states clearly:

The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years

not "subject to the continued approval of the people", not "unless recalled or replaced as provided by law"

I'm not a constitutional scholar, but that would seem to trump any state law or provision for recall.

[Iliyah]

4. And the

people of NJ are going for this???? Both laws has and will benefit them. This needs to stop.

Look what happend in California, it got worse.

[name not needed]

7. I doubt it.

This pointless charade originated in Sussex County, which is 95% white and home to Lou Dobbs. That should explain what these morons are thinking with this recall.

[karynnj]

9. No - if no courts stop it, getting 1.3 million to sign the petition would

McCain got 1.6 million votes. I don't have any recent poll numbers for Menendez, but they are likely far higher than Christie's mid thirties. The Republican party itself has a vested interest in not encouraging this.

[ejpoeta]

5. one would think that you should be stuck with someone elected unless he or she

commits a crime or something which is a reason to kick them out. just because you don't like how they vote shouldn't be a reason to kick them out. i have a lot of congress and senators both state and fed who i would LOVE to get out, but elections are the way to go.

[happygoluckytoyou]

6. I GUESS THEY COULDN'T CATCH HIM WIDE-STANCING IN THE LOCAL AIRPORT MENS ROOM

[karynnj]

8. Even if no court called it illegal, they would need 25% of all registered NJ voters

to sign the petition (1.3 million) to get on the ballot. To put that in perspective, McCain got 1.6 million votes)
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/05/nj-supreme-court-hears-arguments-on-attempted-menendez-recall.php#more

The other thing they should consider is that while this is questionable for a federal office, it is clear cut for a state one - and we have a governor with an approval rating in the mid 30s, even though he just won in November.