Redstate

Absolutely stunning and shocking turn of events. And he still faces federal charges for violating the Mann Act and Money Laundering.

WOW.

I wish Spitzer and his family (especially his wife -- look at her, she is absolutely DEVASTATED) WELL.

And I wish the new Governor God's speed in his new role.

http://osi-speaks.blogspot.com/2008/03/its-official-governor-elliot-sexc...

With malice towards none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see right.

http://www.senate.state.ny.us/lbdcinfo/senconstitution.html

"In case of vacancy in the office of lieutenant-governor alone, or if the lieutenant-governor shall be impeached, absent from the state or otherwise unable to discharge the duties of office, the temporary president of the senate shall perform all the duties of lieutenant-governor during such vacancy or inability."

The local TV station for NY news, NY1, is reporting the Lt. Gov
slot will remain empty, de jure.

A check of history will help clarifying matters:
http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=1&aid=79337

"The last time a New York governor resigned from office was in 1973, when Nelson Rockefeller stepped down to devote his time to his Commission on Critical Choices for Americans after 15 years as governor. His lieutenant governor, Malcolm Wilson, finished out his term and Rockefeller was appointed vice president under Gerald Ford the next year, following the
resignation of President Richard Nixon."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_M._Anderson

"In his role as Temporary President of the Senate, Anderson twice served as the state's 'acting lieutenant governor.' The first was from December 1973 to December 1974 after the resignation of Gov. Nelson Rockefeller elevated Lt. Gov. Malcolm Wilson to the governorship. The second was from February 1985 to December 1986 after Lt. Gov. Alfred Delbello resigned."

You can always count on the democrats to complain about "the system" and "disenfranchisement" when they loose, but there's a dirty little secret at the core of "progressive" thinking; the dark side of the "smarter than thou" attitude is that they don't really think the Great Unwashed is smart enough to make important decisions.

Despite the talk about representing "the little guy", they always leave themselves some way to override the "little people" when necessary, and to exempt themselves from thier own rules when it suits them.

The delegate/superdelegate system was set up for exactly this reason; the rank and file may have it's say, but they left themselves room for the party elites to control the outcome of a close race.
_____________________________________
"You can't save the Earth unless you're willing to make other people sacrifice" - Scott Adams (speaking through Dogbert)

nt

Note that Patterson was not a superdelegate by virtue of his office. The Lt. Gov. of NY is not a superdelegate. Patterson sits as a DNC committeeman. So, theoretically, if he were to abandon his seat on the DNC, NY would be entitled to a replacement, who would, by virtue of being a DNC member, become a superdelegate. Patterson would trade in his DNC superdelegate status for a superdelegate vote based on holding the governor's chair.

It is irrelevant to this that there is no Lt. Gov. or that Joe Bruno will act as Lt. Gov. (which is meaningless as the Lt. Gov has no function other than as President of the Senate unless given some sort of responsibility by the Governor). It has to do with the fact that two separate superdelegate votes (one for Governor of NY one for DNC member from NY) are being collapsed into a single person - David Patterson - who will only get to cast a single vote at the convention.

"There's nothing democratic about the Democratic Party." - Rusty Humphries