On May 19, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius vetoed HB 2019, which would have provided for a Kansas presidential primary, starting in 2012. This year, Kansas was one of only 10 states with no presidential primary.
The bill said that the presidential primary should be the first Saturday in February. In 2012, the first Saturday in February is February 4. The major parties don’t allow presidential primaries before the first Tuesday in February (except that the Democratic Party gives special rights to four particular states). In 2012, the first Tuesday in February is February 7, so the Kansas primary would have been in violation of the rules of both major parties.
HB 2019 also provides that voters at the polls must show a government photo-Id. The Governor’s message said she is vetoing the bill because of that part of the bill. The Governor praised the part of the bill establishing a presidential primary, and implied she would have signed the bill if it had not had any provisions about photo voter-ID. The Governor did not acknowledge that the primary date would have violated national major party rules.
Gov. Sebelius is a left-wing Democrat and was an early Obama supporter who wants to be vice president.
Her father was Gov. John Gilligan of Ohio. He served only one term, as he was defeated by the Republican James Rhodes in 1974.
The stars just can’t seem to align for Kansas and a presidential primary there (not since 1992 anyway). I’m glad to see someone else has pointed out that that law, had it been passed, would have violated the parties’ 2008 scheduling rules if they were extended to 2012.
It will be interesting to see if the Republicans advance the Ohio Plan to reform the primary process at their convention this summer. What is even more interesting is to imagine how McCain would have fared had the calendar been structured as is laid out in that plan. And does that factor into how his convention will weigh in on the plan?
Actually, Sebelius is part of the DLC (the right-wing of the Democratic Party). There are a number of other right-wing Democrats who have also endorsed Obama, like Senator Ben Nelson.
I suppose DLCers are “right wing” when compared to such people as Kucinich, Dean, Leahy, Kennedy, Boxer, etc.
Of course, Slick Willie was also part of the DLC before becoming president. He proposed socialized medicine and gave us the biggest tax increase in history.
John Gilligan, Gov. Sebelius’s father, is still living.
Steve,
As far as Europe (and most the rest of the world) is concerned we have a conservative party and a really conservative party. The politicians you mentioned would be moderates in most European Socialist parties. Most Republicans would be on the far right flank of any number of liberal or nationalist parties.
What the hell Stevie? Man you’ve got a comment on everything…