Good News: Governor Manchin of WV Is "Uncomfortable" With Long Appointment to Byrd's Seat; Wants Election Law Amended to Permit Vote
Bad News: He's At Over 70% Popularity And Wants the Seat For Himself

Either way, though, he's right: this is a corrupt and stupid ruling and cannot be allowed to stand.

Manchin, a Democrat who said he would be "highly" interested in running for the seat himself, expressed discomfort with Secretary of State Natalie Tennant's ruling that the governor should name a placeholder to the seat until it comes up for election in 2012.

"I believe in the power of the vote. I believe in the election process," Manchin told reporters. "Two and a half years to appoint someone to fill the shoes of Robert C. Byrd is too long."

"There is reasonable concern that there should be clarity to this, and that is why I am asking the attorney general [Darrell McGraw] to render a legal opinion on this as quickly as possible," he said.

...

Manchin's announcement came hours after Republican Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, a potential Senate candidate herself, urged state legislators to move for a vote this fall.

His position is that he's asking the AG to rule on whether a special election is permissible, sans a new law, and if the AG says no he'll go ahead and work with the legislature to change the law.

So, hopefully, there will be an election, either in November or shortly thereafter.

Sure, Manchin may win, but better a small chance to get a Republican in there than (as it stands) no chance at all until 2012.

Bad News: He's At Over 70% Popularity And Wants the Seat For Himself&bodytext=Either way, though, he's right: this is a corrupt and stupid ruling and cannot be allowed to stand. Manchin, a Democrat who said he would be "highly" interested in running for the seat himself, expressed discomfort with Secretary of State...&topic=world_news"> posted by Ace at 12:34 PM

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