Secret Ballot
Kathryn Jean Lopez
The Corner
Remember this when the new Congress moves to take away union members' secret ballot:
<<< Senate Democrats will vote by secret ballot on Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman ’s fate this week, according to North Dakota Sen. Byron L. Dorgan .
The caucus is due to meet Tuesday to decide whether Lieberman, a Democrat-turned-independent from Connecticut, should be punished for his aggressive support of Sen. John McCain , R-Ariz., for president.
Dorgan, who is part of the Senate Democratic leadership, would not say what type of punishment he would support, or how he expects the caucus to vote.
“Joe is a friend of mine,” the Chairman of Policy Committee said on Fox News Sunday. “He’s a good American.”
But as for his actions on the campaign trail, “is that acceptable,” he asked. “The answer is no.”
Lieberman is expected to speak to the caucus during its first post-election meeting. If the vote follows the form of a leadership election, senators — with no staff — will sequester themselves, one Democrat will ask for a vote and another will second the motion.
Lawmakers will write their vote on slip of paper, those papers will be collected and counted, and the final tally will be read aloud to the caucus. Lieberman, then, will be able to know how many of his colleagues stood with him but will not know their identities. >>>
corner.nationalreview.com |
