[FURTHER UPDATE] Drudge is not reporting that Perry/Gringrich are on the ballot; but Bachmann, Gingrich, Huntsman, and Santorum have joined Perry’s lawsuit.

The Attorney General of Virginia “plans to file emergency legislation to address the inability of most Republican presidential candidates to get their names on the ballot;” as everyone reading this already knows, the recent Virginia primary ratification process ended up with only Mitt Romney and Ron Paul getting on the ballot. Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry had too many of their signatures invalidated by the process; the other candidates didn’t even try. As I understand the situation, emergency legislation will require a super-majority in the state (well, Commonwealth) legislature; but the fact that Cuccinelli is already getting bipartisan backup (and the reported support of the Governor) suggests that such a thing may be actually achievable.

Particularly since it is becoming increasingly clear that the VA GOP itself is aware that it has mucked up its own primary certification process; frankly, the fact that it apparently violated state election law* itself via the hasty enactment of a loyalty oath (such things require ninety days’ notice, you see) should have made that clear. I understand that it may be more, well, satisfying to blame five out of seven Presidential campaigns for this situation; it may be even more satisfying to blame only two out of those seven. But I have to say that actual party officials in Virginia are certainly acting as if the entire thing is their doing; I know that noting that bothers some people, but it’s not exactly my fault.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

[*A reader has pointed out that the Virginia Board of Elections has since decided that the ninety day requirement applies to the party, not to them. These people are entertaining, no?]