Michigan in Mourning: McCotter Resigns

What will we do? Find out the real reason he resigned.

McCotter didn't walk away from his paycheck six months early because he was "frustrated".  He did it because he's got some big problem, and he's trying to run from it.

Is he implicated in the petition fraud?  I have always figured that was the reason he has refused to state the circumstances or accuse his staff of anything specific.

But now I'd guess he faces something else from some other quarter, which has perhaps been brought to light by the petition fiasco.  We'll see.

---

by: Grebner @ Sat Jul 07, 2012 at 04:43:36 AM UTC

special election?

there's not enough time for a special election right?  can you think of any way that the GOP can use this to advantage their preferred candidate Cassis?

---

by: ibelieveinMichigan @ Sat Jul 07, 2012 at 11:36:50 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

There's an MLive article on that topic

Gov. Rick Snyder to review holding special election for U.S. Rep. Thad McCotter's seat

Right now, it looks like the special election might have to wait until November, so people would have to vote on the office twice at one time. I don't know how much that would help Cassis.

Greetings from Detroit, Ground Zero of the post-industrial future!

---

by: Neon Vincent @ Sat Jul 07, 2012 at 13:46:32 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Seniority

It gets her to the top of the seniority list of those who are elected in November, since she would be able to be sworn in immediately on certification rather than waiting until January. Other than that, no real advantage as far as I know.

The same thing happened in the district where I grew up in NJ when the local congressman was elected governor in '69, and the special election to fill the unexpired term was held at the time of the next general election in November '70.

---

by: Don K @ Sat Jul 07, 2012 at 16:22:07 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Confusing

I've heard an idea being pushed around that the AG forced him out to avoid prosecution for election fraud.  This doesn't quite make sense to me as you'd think they'd have done it sooner to allow more time for the special, if that's even possible.

The timing of this just seems to disadvantages to the current race that I can't imagine it was orchestrated by the GOP establishment, unless there is another law enforcement agency out there apart from them working on its own time.

---

by: MiddleGrandGuy @ Sun Jul 08, 2012 at 02:27:33 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

McCotter showed off his vocabulary right up to the very end

"calumnies, indignities and deceits"--McCotter showed off his vocabulary right up to the very end.  He also misused terms; for example, I don't think he realizes what "sovereign citizen" has come to mean.

Speaking of indignities, I walked in a 4th of July parade as one of the volunteers for Lisa Brown--yes, that Lisa Brown--and the people right behind us were the supporters of Bill Roberts, the LaRouche candidate for the Democratic nomination for the 11th CD.  Those guys were a freakshow.  Most of the mainstream Democrats didn't know what to make of them.  Here's to Roberts being defeated soundly by Syed Taj!

Greetings from Detroit, Ground Zero of the post-industrial future!

---

by: Neon Vincent @ Sat Jul 07, 2012 at 13:42:00 PM UTC

The Northville Record did a write-up on Dr. Taj vs. Bill Roberts

I must say, the poor reporter did a masterful job of trying to be even-handed, treating both men with respect and quoting them at some length.

It turned out to be a fine example of "giving the man enough rope to hang himself," as Roberts' own words illustrated his extreme whackadoodliness [if it's not a word, it should be!] far better than any calumnies we might direct at him.

"The two most common elements in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity." ~ Harlan Ellison

---

by: helzapoppn @ Mon Jul 09, 2012 at 14:22:23 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

A special election would be held in the old district

Complicating matters is the fact that a special election for the last two months of McCotter's term would have to be held in the district that elected him in 2010, not in the newly drawn district.  That means that some voters would vote in both a special and the regular election and some would vote in one but not the other.  

I haven't looked at the old and new district maps in detail but it is likely that a special would be difficult to conduct in a few places where the old district lines follow precinct lines that have ceased to exist.

---

by: alanfox @ Sat Jul 07, 2012 at 15:03:12 PM UTC

Hadn't thought about that...

Yes, the old 11th takes in a few precincts in Waterford and a few more in Dearborn Heights. Other than that it follows city and township boundaries. If the boundaries of the affected precincts have changed, would Waterford or Dearborn Heights have to create temporary precincts for this election (hypothetically precinct 14 is split into 14A and 14B) to accommodate the special election? Wouldn't that be fun to sort out at the polling place on election day...

---

by: Don K @ Sat Jul 07, 2012 at 16:47:02 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

That's exactly what would have to happen

Special ballots would have to be printed for the old 11th for both August and November.

What I don't know is how candidates would be chosen.

Signatures?
State Party selections (so presumably it would be Dr. Taj vs. former Sen. Cassis)?
Just use the current roster of candidates for the new 11th (Taj, Bentivolio and Roberts, with Cassis having to win a second write-in race overlapping her current one)?

"The two most common elements in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity." ~ Harlan Ellison

---

by: helzapoppn @ Mon Jul 09, 2012 at 14:37:30 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Primary?

I wonder if there even can be a special election in the first place.

Elections have to occur on one of four days: The fourth Tuesday in February, the first Tuesday after the first Monday in May, the first Tuesday after the first Monday in August, or the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

There has to be a primary and a general election for the seat, correct? Since it's too late for the primary to occur in August, it has to take place in November, with the general election taking place in February - by which time the term will have ended several weeks prior.

So unless there's something I'm missing here, the seat will just remain vacant for the rest of the term.

Which doesn't seem that bad. Not having a congressman > Having Thad McCotter as your congressman.

Great Lakes, Great Times, Great Scott

---

by: ScottyUrb @ Mon Jul 09, 2012 at 01:01:26 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Holding an election

The question has not come up since Michigan began limiting election dates; the state's last special election for a seat in Congress was held in 1993.

I think the argument that a special could be held would rest on the fact that authority to call a special is vested in the governor by the US Constitution and not limited by state law.  I assume that the constitutional scholars are puzzling this out.

---

by: alanfox @ Mon Jul 09, 2012 at 02:35:27 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

There will be a special election

Detroit Free Press: Rep. Thad McCotter's seat to be filled in special election

A special primary election will be held on Sept. 5 and the general election for the seat will be held Nov. 6.

So, how will the candidates be chosen?  If they're the current candidates plus the write-in on the GOP side, could you imagine the confusion if Cassis fails to win the regular primary but wins the special?

Greetings from Detroit, Ground Zero of the post-industrial future!

---

by: Neon Vincent @ Wed Jul 11, 2012 at 03:55:17 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I certainly hope the Governor acts this quickly

after November 2012 when he will have at least one and possibly 2 vacancies in the State Senate.  One Dem seat will be open after John Gleason wins his race for Genesee County Clerk and a second seat could be vacant if either Glenn Anderson or Bert Johnson unseats Conyers.  

The Senate Dems could be down to just 10 votes of 38 and will want those seats filled quickly, so I hope the Governor acts with the same haste then.    

---

by: DocHopper @ Sat Jul 07, 2012 at 15:32:45 PM UTC

Wha?

Just HOW much crazier is this story going to get? Have we hit bottom yet or do we have another couple of levels of crazy to go?

---

by: Buster Vainamoinen @ Sun Jul 08, 2012 at 00:20:27 AM UTC

"[D]o we have another couple of levels of crazy to go?"

I don't know if we'll reach them, but the levels are available.  For starters, some one could be indicted.  McCotter could get his TV show up and running.  It could turn out that the GOP establishment convinced him to resign and the reasons for that come out.  Oh, and the race has a Tea Partier on one side and a LaRouchie on the other; which means that the faint possibility of them facing off exists.  That's a guaranteed recipe for insanity.

Greetings from Detroit, Ground Zero of the post-industrial future!

---

by: Neon Vincent @ Sun Jul 08, 2012 at 17:13:40 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

The only reason McCotter would have for resigning on a Friday afternoon...

...would be if there are charges pending the following week (i.e. today or tomorrow), and Bill Schuette accepted his resignation in exchange for NOT pressing charges.

That's my guess, anyway.

If Thad were brought up on charges without resigning, the House of Representatives -- under pressure to show they can act on ethics violations -- could easily have moved to punish the poor schmoe. Nothing like a formal censure or reprimand to really put the icing on McCotter's fall from grace.

"The two most common elements in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity." ~ Harlan Ellison

---

by: helzapoppn @ Mon Jul 09, 2012 at 14:31:03 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Sounds like a great FOIA request

I think the AG would be forced to admit such a deal exists, if it does.  There would be supporting documents, and there wouldn't be any available exemption from FOIA.

---

by: Grebner @ Mon Jul 09, 2012 at 15:48:46 PM UTC

[ Parent ]