Virginia Ballot Lawsuit: GOP Candidates Likely To Prevail On Issue, Judge Says

RICHMOND, Va. -- A judge says Texas Gov. Rick Perry and three other presidential candidates are likely to prevail on a key issue in their lawsuit seeking inclusion on Virginia's Republican primary ballot.

U.S. District Judge John Gibney said in court papers Tuesday that a provision that allows only Virginia residents to circulate petitions to get candidates on the ballot is probably unconstitutional. Gibney was explaining his order barring distribution of absentee ballots until after a Friday hearing.

Perry sued after failing to collect the 10,000 voter signatures required to qualify for the state's March 6 primary. Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman and Rick Santorum also failed to qualify and later joined Perry's lawsuit.

Only former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Texas congressman Ron Paul qualified for the Virginia GOP primary.

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Comments

[Rocket Man1]

07:23 PM on 02/20/2012

If you are a voter from Virginia who has been disenfranchised by the GOP establishment to vote for the Presidential candidate of your choice, please sign this petition. http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/virginia-republican-primary-voters-disenfranchised.html

[markdart]

03:05 PM on 01/13/2012

Definition of Hypocrite: When a Republicans lips are moving…
Republican lips 1 – Judicial activism; Federal Government should not trump state laws.
Republican lips 2 – A Federal judge is looking at forcing Virginia to allow Republican candidates on the ballot in spite of state laws to the contrary. The candidates are not volunteering to comply with Virginia law in spite of judge’s ruling.
Republican lips 1 – The government has no business in the bedroom; family values; for life
Republican lips 2 – anti-abortion, no birth control post-fertilization, no gay-straight equality, Iran, Afghanistan, capital punishment, life of the mother, repeal health care
Republican lips 1 – There wasn’t any surplus at the end of the Clinton administration
Republican lips 2 – Newt and the Republicans ran a surplus at the end of the Clinton administration
The facts: When the national debt ran up 85% under the Bush administration, the Republicans were very silent about our impending doom. However, when the national debt ran up 35% under the Obama administration, the end of the world was announced. Listening to Republicans now you would think that the 9% increase in unemployment in the Obama administration is massive compared to the 66% under the Bush administration On the face of it this is extremely hypocritical.

http://www.mixermuse.com/blog/2012/01/06/all-you-need-to-know-about-politics-1-6-12-2/

[akrazyrunner]

12:55 PM on 01/11/2012

All day every day all we here over and over again is States Rights,
but when the state law works against them the suddenly sing a different tune.

[GDWhiteman]

08:44 AM on 01/11/2012

Where did the self-proclaimed champion of state's rights go? Apparently Rick P is only for state's rights when it's what he wants but against it when it's not. Flip-flop opportunist, Si, presidential material, No.

[photobug90802]

07:55 AM on 01/11/2012

Let them run, the more Republicans in the primary the better. Let them go to the convention with a fractured party. The longer they talk tit just becomes the better for Obama . The GOP is only interested in destroying what's left of the economy for the 99%.

[pixeloid]

12:43 AM on 01/11/2012

In the picture on the front page, they show people standing in front of the new electronic voting machines. For some strange reason, Republicans seem to do exceptionally well in areas that use those types of machines.

[llyd wlsh]

11:52 PM on 01/10/2012

if a member of the democratic party had a hissy fit and filed a lawsuit over this issue the repu6e/b@ggers would be vilifying them....but then rules and playing fair don't mean anything to repu6e/b@ggers

[nbtexas]

10:12 PM on 01/10/2012

So, Virginia will change a long standing law to accomodate a few incompetent campaigners who would have you believe that they aren't amateurs.

[FORTRUTH2]

06:32 AM on 01/11/2012

They changed the rules just this past November.

[Nic Wilson]

10:09 PM on 01/10/2012

The fairest thing to do would be to uphold the law for this election, but repeal it going forward. If they would have filed before the deadline rather than after, when they realised they hadnt made it (newt)

[RCnDC]

10:01 PM on 01/10/2012

oh wait... these are constitutionalist who are always saying that we should be living by the laws of this land.. that some members of society should rule over other less represented members.. that not everyone is equal, it's too bad... they preach that we should live by the laws of the land.. ah, only when it benefits them..

[l78lancer]

01:54 AM on 01/11/2012

You got it. Only when it's convenient for them.

[RCnDC]

09:57 PM on 01/10/2012

sure... lets let NY wall streeters also be able to circulate petitions in states that they don't even live in.. they've proven they can be trusted to run companies, so let's let them gather signatures in any state and from anybody domestically or internationally.. what a complete joke..

[navyvet55]

09:51 PM on 01/10/2012

We believe in the Rule of Law when it applies to disenfranchising voters, but when restrictions are applied to us....the rule was put in place to keep groups from outside the State from interfering with Virginia politics...we hate the Rule of Law...the Republicans......

[Dave TN]

09:35 PM on 01/10/2012

Republiecans, if you are too lazy to follow the law then throw a tantrum on camera and claim the law isn't fair. The ironic thing is the rule was made by Virginia GOP, I guess this means that these candidates view the VA GOP is too liberal. I hope VA voters boycott these jokers.

[demisfine]

09:27 PM on 01/10/2012

Seems unfair to the candidates who managed to play by the rules and satisfy the requirements.
If I wanted to run for President, I think I'd manage to do all the things required to run.
You have to want it enough to be willing to follow the rules.
Unless you are a republican who isn't Ron Paul or Mitt Romney.

[henrypapillon]

09:26 PM on 01/10/2012

Good. The more mixups and mess in the Republican primary, and the more hard feelings, the better I like it.