Morton Kondracke Wants John Kasich to Run as an Independent Presidential Candidate in 2020

Real Clear Politics has this essay by journalist Morton Kondracke, who advocates that Ohio Governor John Kasich run for president in 2020 as an independent.

The article quotes John Weaver, a consultant, as saying that it would cost $100,000,000 to get an independent presidential candidate on the ballot in all fifty states. This is ludicrously inaccurate.

Illinois State Senator Sues Leader of the Illinois Senate Republicans Over Caucus Resources

On May 1, Illinois State Senator William “Sam” McCann filed a federal lawsuit against the leader of the Republican Party in the State Senate. He complains that the Illinois Republicans expelled him from the Republican caucus, and now he is deprived of resources to represent his district. McCann v Brady, 1:18cv-3115, n.d.

McCann announced last month that he will be the Conservative Party nominee for Governor of Illinois this year. But he says he never resigned from the Republican caucus. It is not clear why his lawsuit was filed in the northern district, because Springfield, the state capital, is in the central district. The complaint says both McCann and the Republican Party caucus have offices inside the northern district.

Paragraph 41 of the complaint lists all the perks provided to members of party caucuses. These perks are all funded from government funds. The case is assigned to Judge Andrea R. Wood, an Obama appointee.

Eleventh Circuit Expedites Lawsuit Over Whether Florida Must Have Objective Standards for Ex-Felons to Regain Voting Rights

The Eleventh Circuit is expediting the case Hand v Scott. The oral argument will be in late July. This is the case over whether the Constitution demands that Florida must have objective standards concerning how ex-felons apply to regain voting rights. Although last week the Eleventh Circuit had stayed the order that the state come up immediately with objective standards, the Eleventh Circuit has not yet decided the big issue in the case.

Tenth Circuit Refuses to Remove Congressman Doug Lamborn from Colorado Republican Primary Ballot

On May 2, the Tenth Circuit refused to disturb the May 1 order of the U.S. District Court that had put Congressman Doug Lamborn back on the Colorado Republican primary ballot. The three judges were Jerome Holmes and Terrence O’Brien (Bush appointees), and Allison Eid (a Trump appointee). Goodall v Williams.

Lamborn’s opponents also tried to persuade the Colorado Supreme Court to remove him, but that court also declined to do so.