I'm in favor of any Senate seat remaining vacate until there is a state wide election and the people get to vote for the replacement United Senator. This stuff of giving a US Senate seat to someone as a political payoff sucks. It tells the people of that particular state and America in general, that their voices, votes, and opinions don't count. Just those of the “select few’ count.

We had this BS occur in Missouri, when our fagot governor eight years ago, gave the senate seat to the wife of a dead demonic. Her qualifications? Being the wife of a dead demonic. That was it! She had never done anything in government anywhere in the state, at any level including city committee member. It was a demonic tactic to get a sympathy vote.

New York is considering giving its Senate seat to Carolyn Kennedy. Her qualifications? Being a socialite with the k name. The attitude of the elite is **** on the people of the State of New York. Most individuals and elitists tend to forget that there is a state of New York besides the city. Let the people vote in the State of New York in a special election for a replacement US Senator. Their present Senator hasn’t been representing them for the last two years anyway as she ran for president. What’s wrong with waiting for another six months while there’s a campaign and an election?

Land of Lincoln, same thing, Colorado same thing. Ditto Delaware too! It's wrong. It is not what our founding fathers intended. For these elitist to anoint their favorite of the moment with a United States Senate seat. Knowing that they will have the seat for 2 years and then be able to run for re-election as the incumbent. They are actually running for election, since they were never elected before to the office.

Stand UP and tell these a__holes elites, No Way! We demand to vote and elect any replacement for a sitting Senator that leaves office! No governor anointments!

That’s my view anyway and as you might notice, I do not support the Democrat party, but that has nothing to do with how we should select replacements for US Senators that leave office during their term for whatever reason. I feel the same about senators that want to campaign for President; they should have to resign their senate seat and then campaign. The people of that state should be able to vote on the individual who fills the remaining portion of a senator’s term.

John H,

Not withstanding your disparaging adjectives, I think your argument has grounds. I'm more inclined that absent exigent reasons such as death or criminal conviction, I think that elected officials should be bound by contract to complete the terms of their office before throwing their hat into the ring for a different office. If this puts them out of a job, so be it. They may occur anyway by the process.

John R...

John R do you realize that you just disqualified the ONE from running for the presdency. He didnt complete his term as senator from llinois. Nor did shrillary complete the term she was elected to. As a matter of fact the ONE only went to the senate a few days at all . i believe 130 days.

Yeah, Harris, but the problem with trying to dictate how Senate seats should be assigned is that each state has their own constitution and their own laws to govern such situations. We can have opinions, but if we don't live and vote in those states, opinions are all that they have.

I am quite sure that the reason that nearly every state has a law that gives the governor the ability to appoint a senator to fill a seat until their special election is that state-wide elections cost a bloody fortune. I think that it costs something like 70-80 million dollars to run an election here. Running a special election and then running the real thing less than two years later is more money than most states want to spend. Especially in this kind of economic climate.

These proposals would probably require further amendment to the Constitution.
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Amendment XVII
The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each state, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each state shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the state legislatures.

When vacancies happen in the representation of any state in the Senate, the executive authority of such state shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, that the legislature of any state may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.

This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect the election or term of any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution.
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The middle paragraph of the XVII amendment seems to leave it up to the state legislatures to decide how these vacancies shall be filled, in their own state.
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John: I'm not sure I like your idea.
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Duane: John can't disqualify anyone, nor do I believe he tried to. He simply made a proposal, which would require a constitutional amendment.

Mad Doc and JackB,

You both are correct. I recognize that often people forget the fiscal impact on common sense solutions. My opinion defintiely would have impacted the past election but I still believe it to have merit even if would have been contrary to Obama's participationn in the pesidential election.

John R...