Letters to the Editor
The Washington Post
Monday, August 31, 2009
“Situational Politics”
In 2004, the Massachusetts legislature changed state law so that if Sen. John F. Kerry was elected president, the Republican governor, Mitt Romney, would not be able to appoint a replacement for Mr. Kerry. The legislation called for a special election if a Senate seat was vacated in Massachusetts. The legislation passed, although Mr. Kerry lost.
Now that Edward M. Kennedy’s Senate seat has become vacant and Massachusetts has a Democratic governor, the Democrats do not like the change they made in 2004 [“Filling a Void,” editorial, Aug. 29]. Suddenly they have decided the governor should be able to appoint a replacement to the Senate.
Perhaps the Democrats should just write legislation stating that when a Senate seat opens while a Democrat is governor, the governor appoints a replacement, but if a Republican is governor, a special election must be held.
LAWRENCE INK
Beltsville
