On April 9, the 6th circuit denied a request by the Tennessee Democratic Party to terminate the lawsuit Kurita v State Primary Board of Tennessee Democratic Party, no. 08-6245. This case is one of the most interesting political party cases filed in recent decades. Tennessee State Senator Rosalind Kurita won the 2008 Democratic primary in her quest to be re-elected. However, the Tennessee Democratic Party had refused to accept the primary results, saying that individuals known to be Republicans had voted in that primary, and therefore that her opponent would be the Democratic nominee instead. Tennessee does not have registration by party.
Kurita lost last year in U.S. District Court, but she has been appealing. Her brief on the merits is due in the 6th circuit on May 11, 2009.
This situation seems to point to a dishonest and corrupt Democrat Party in Tennessee. And a dishonest and corrupt Democrat Party, including the “news” media, across the whole country.
In Tennessee, people do not register by party; people do not pay dues to belong to a party. How, then, can a person be said to belong to any particular party, especially if that person never does anything but vote?
And because Tennessee does not have — so far — party registration, and thus people can at least theoretically vote in a different party at each primary, the question must be asked how the Democrats can say “Republicans voted in our primary”?
Aren’t ballots supposed to be secret?
I believe if another party had pulled such a scam, trying (and so far succeeding) in keep Ms. Kurita from her seat and even from her place on the ballot, there would have been loud denunciations nationwide.
Technically, the Democratic party in their kangaroo court proceedings ruled that the result of the primary was “uncertain”, because they couldn’t be sure how the “Republicans” had voted, and voided the result. They then dictated a procedure to determine the nominee of the party (even though Tennessee law requires party nominees to be determined by a primary).
This case has been the most disturbing thing I ever saw from the Democratic Party that I have called “my” party all my life. How on earth could the Executive Committee think it was a good idea to set aside an election that was paid for by the taxpayers — and allow a candidate to be chosen by a handful of people on the state executive committeee and another handful of executive committee members in the 3 counties of the Senate District? The damage done to the Tennessee Democratic Party is incalculable and will take decades to overcome. The Party ‘won a battle’ but ‘lost the war’ i.e., lost control of the state legislature while it was trying to reap revenge on one senator. The decision by TNDP has made many good Democrats very sad…especially me.
Ms. Sanford, that is exactly why so many of us refuse to call it the “Democratic” Party — cause it ain’t.
Since 1840, the official name of that party has been the Democratic Party.
Of course, if they were honest, they would call themselves the Socialist Democratic Party.
BTW: Did you know that the Russian party that consisted of the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks was called the Social Democratic party? In 1919, the majority Bolsheviks renamed themselves the Communist party.