Just to wrap up a strange story, I thought I’d let folks know that Bush has finally been cleared to appear on the presidential ballot in Illinois.
Illinois lawmakers agreed Monday to grant President Bush an exception from the usual deadline for placing candidates’ names on the fall election ballot.
Illinois law requires the ballot to be finalized 67 days before the election. But Republicans are holding their convention unusually late this year, and Bush won’t be officially nominated until 61 days before the election.
Democrats and Republicans have been wrangling for weeks over granting an exception so Bush’s name can appear on ballots this fall. Democrats originally tried to link the issue to some changes they wanted in state election law.
The House voted 108-0 Monday for a bill limited just to the Bush deadline issue. There was no debate.
This had to happen eventually, of course, but it was fun to see the GOP sweat it out a little.
Serves them right for moving the convention date back to shamelessly exploit the third anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.