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Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2008 > September > 05 > Entry
Butler County GOP blasts Strickland appointments
Butler County Republican Party Chairman Tom Ellis just released this blistering press release about Gov. Ted Strickland’s appointment of two Democrats to fill two local judgeships:
Let the Voters Decide - Not Politics as Usual
(Hamilton, OH) The Butler County Republican Party concedes that no one should be too surprised that the Democratic governor chose Democrats to fill the two open judicial positions in Butler County, but “the process has now been tainted by politics,” says Butler GOP Chairman Tom Ellis.
Two judicial openings in Butler County occurred in the last few weeks when longtime Juvenile Judge David Niehaus passed away and Area Court Judge Robert Hendrickson resigned his position to run for Appeals Court. Both of these judges were endorsed by the Republican Party and elected by the voters of Butler County.
Democratic Governor Strickland promised to change the political selection process when he was elected in 2006. He has created a task force to vet and consider all interested and qualified judicial candidates. In the case of the local Butler County openings, both the two Democrat endorsed candidates and Republican endorsed candidates applied for the position. All were recommended by the Task Force, but the governor chose the Democrats in both cases. One of the Democrats, Glenda Smith, is the former Chair of the Butler County Democratic Party and active on the Governor’s campaign.
The governor could have allowed qualified interim judges to stay on the bench through the election and allowed the voters to make the decision without outside influence. “The governor has politicized the election process, but we are confident that the conservative voters of Butler County will see through this and elect our conservative team of Tim Evans for Juvenile Court and Dan Haughey for Area Court. Both are highly qualified and both will keep the same conservative, common sense approach of their two predecessors,” said Ellis.
Here in Butler County, our citizens are going to send the Governor a strong message in November; keep your liberal politics in Columbus, and let us select our own judges.”
Permalink | Comments (6) | Post your comment | Categories: Crime and courts
Comments
By jessica
September 6, 2008 8:28 PM | Link to this
Oh, Please Tom Ellis is at it again being a cry baby wa, wa, wa!! If he thinks Strickland screwed them wait until he sees what the voters are going to do to his corrupt Republican office holders in November !By William Buckley
September 7, 2008 12:42 AM | Link to this
Strickland is really demonstrating Obama’s “change” model isn’t he? My, two women, a black, a white. Pandering to blunt Palin in southwestern Ohio Governor? the audicity of authenticy eroded again by the audicity of hypocrisy and empty suits. Change? I don’t think so, politics as usual. Were they also both ‘cv’ rated Governor? Change—-you can’t believe in occuring within the Democratic party. Hopefully Portland takes Strickland down in the next election or Dewine. All Strickland has done is play the politics to get Billary elected, leveraging the regional colleges and main universities and an affront to get the college students to vote for the “annointed” one.By Savanation
September 7, 2008 12:19 PM | Link to this
I really don’t see what Mr. Ellis’ point is. If the four candidates were all qualified (that is: they know the Law), wouldn’t it be natural to choose those candidates who are sure to use their power as judges to bring Justice for all, not just the richest or the best connected? I wonder if it ever occurred to Mr. Ellis to voice such concerns when year after year Republican politicians would appoint anyone, hack or not, to the bench as long as the guy had an “R” behind his name. Mr. Ellis, you may not like the party of these judges, but at least you are assured that you are getting professional, competent men in those positions. Lucky you.By Modern Esquire
September 8, 2008 10:08 AM | Link to this
Um, Judge Romans was a Magistrate in the Juvenile Court and was appointed to that position by the very judge she is replacing. How is that a partisan appointment? And Glenda Smith has been practicing law over twice as long as her Republican opponent. Also, I don’t know where the GOP gets it’s information about Glenda Smith “active” in Strickland’s campaign— she was a candidate for State Representative during the same election, so I can’t imagine she had a lot of time to help Strickland out. Regardless, there’s no doubt that both of these appointments were objectively more qualified than either of the Republican candidates. Perhaps the Butler County GOP would like some cheese with their whine?By Don Carpenter
September 8, 2008 11:11 PM | Link to this
You may gloat, the both of you, all of you want. On November 5th, I sure hope that you remember all of this. At least the Republican were open about their partisianship, unlike T-Shirt Ted who really relished the opportunity to stick one in us. Numbers being what they are, and of course, the talent level of the players, it will be an interesting and energizing battle, one we political junkies live for.By Matt Hurley
September 9, 2008 11:26 AM | Link to this
You’ll be the one whining on November 5th…