A bill allowing Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul to simultaneously run for the presidency and re-election to his U.S. Senate seat in 2016 died earlier this week when the Kentucky legislature adjourned for the year.Would Rand really give up his Senate seat for a long-shot Presidential run?
The bill had passed the Republican-controlled state Senate, but stalled in the Democratic-controlled state House of Representatives.
"In Kentucky, you ought to run for one office at a time," Brian Wilkerson, a spokesman for Kentucky House Speaker Greg Stumbo, told CNN on Thursday. "The speaker's thoughts haven't changed on that."
The state's Democratic governor, Steve Beshear, is highly unlikely to call the legislature into special session to consider the measure. And that means if Paul's allies in the state legislature want to try again, they're going to have to wait until the legislature reconvenes next January.
By that time, a number of 2016 White House contenders may already be officially in the race.
Jennifer "Crazy Lady" Rubin weighs in with her thoughts:
The trickiest issue, however, may be Kentucky state law, which while open to interpretations, seems to preclude Rand Paul from running simultaneously for re-election and for president. His allies’ efforts to change the law have now stalled, and with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) suggesting it is unseemly to run for two offices at once, Rand Paul may have to choose which he pursues. If confronted with the choice, Rand Paul, many would guess, will go for the presidency. He’s never shown much affection for legislating...In a real sense it is now or never for him, and a failed presidential run could well end his years in elected office
Why would he give up his seat in the House of Lords ?
ReplyDeleteHe has shown power tops principle with him.
He will still be pretty young in 2020 and he can create quite the build-up for a "Rand" movement by then.
In the meantime he can launch a campaign for his current seat based on the Dems trying to keep him from "saving" the nation.
This isn't a big deal. Rand may simply decide not to appear on the GOP Primary Ballot for President as a Republican. It wouldn't matter anyway because their elections are at the very end of the primary season, in May. So the few delegates he got from his home state in KY would not matter at the GOP convention most likely. This way he could still run for President and Senate at the same time. If he wins the GOP nomination, then it becomes a challenge because at that point he will have to make a choice on whether or not to abandon his Senate seat to run for President.
ReplyDeleteI think as a rule, any politician ought to resign from his current seat before running for another (higher) one.
ReplyDelete"Did Kentucky Democrats Just Put a Major Barrier in the Way of a Rand Paul Presidential Run? "
ReplyDelete.
Quiting time?
Only I say when its quiting time.
And it ain't yet.
My boy George P.Bush don't need a good yardman........................yet.