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sisyphusshruggedA big-timey Republican lawyer from Washington went down to Louisiana t0 try and keep the Alexander suit in a federal court, despite the fact that a federal judge said there were no federal issues involved
Alexander also came up with yet another of his reasons for leaving the Democrats (so far, we've had not comfortable with his party, afraid of the other Democrat who qualified and wanting his constituents to know where he stands on the issues).
I really really like this one, though. Alexander switched parties because he could have never imagined that the Democrats would become pro-choice and support gun control.
A lawsuit challenging U.S. Rep. Rodney Alexander's last-minute switch to the Republican Party in the 5th District congressional race was bounced back to state court on Friday by a federal judge.
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Spawned by Democrats' fury at the congressman's sudden switch, the suit seeks to have Alexander either kicked off the November ballot, or be forced to run as a Democrat.
First filed in a state court at the southern tip of Alexander's sprawling district, the congressman's lawyers pushed the lawsuit into federal court last week, saying his constitutional rights were at issue.
But Friday, a U.S. judge here rejected Alexander's arguments, saying the suit raised no federal issues. U.S. District Judge Frank Polozola invoked individual states' authority in election matters, and suggested the case fell squarely into that category.
The suit now goes back to a state court in Plaquemine, in Iberville Parish, where it will be tried Monday.
Alexander's conversion was quickly embraced by national Republicans two weeks ago, and Friday, a Washington lawyer used by the Republican National Committee in high-profile cases argued that the suit should stay in federal court.
Lawyer Bobby Burchfield argued that Alexander was acting as a federal official when he switched, so he had a right, like other federal officials, to have his case heard in federal court.
Burchfield also represents House Majority Leader Tom Delay in Texas litigation challenging a big, Republican-tilted redistricting there, and he also helped argue the Republicans' case in the 2000 Florida election dispute that led to the Supreme Court decision halting the recount. He has argued for the RNC in attacking the new campaign finance law as well.
Alexander also came up with yet another of his reasons for leaving the Democrats (so far, we've had not comfortable with his party, afraid of the other Democrat who qualified and wanting his constituents to know where he stands on the issues).
I really really like this one, though. Alexander switched parties because he could have never imagined that the Democrats would become pro-choice and support gun control.
