Dems Get Green Party Candidate Tossed Off PA Ballot

The Dems were successful in getting the Green Party candidate for Senate tossed off the Pennsylvania ballot on a technicality:

A Pennsylvania judge has ordered the Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate removed from November ballot because the party did not have enough valid signatures in its nominating petitions.

Carl Romanelli's candidacy had been challenged by state Democrats, who say that the third-party bid was backed by GOP Sen. Rick Santorum in an effort to siphon votes from his Democratic opponent, state Treasurer Bob Casey.

Judge James Kelley ruled that Romanelli, a railroad industry consultant from Wilkes-Barre, was 8,931 signatures shy of the 67,070 he needed to qualify as a minor-party candidate.

There's some question as to the exact guidelines for qualifying for the ballot, so this isn't completely over yet. The judge used the strictest guideline which set the bar the highest, but that could still change.

If the Greenie doesn't make the ballot, it will make it somewhat more difficult for Santorum.