Current Liberty Politics

Reliable sources have indicated to Liberty Dispatch that every Democratic officeholder that did not have looming legal problems or a yellow dog ultra partisan reputation was asked in November of 2009 to consider switching parties and distancing themselves from what almost seems like systemic bad behavior in the courthouse over the last decade.

As we know now, the only two Democrats that switched and ran in the Republican Party were the only two on record voicing concern over the most recent alleged unethical and illegal behavior. 253rd District Judge Chap Cain expressed his concern and perhaps his frustration with the mismanagement and possible illegal use of FEMA funds face to face with County Judge Phil Fitzgerald in Commissioner’s Court. That confrontation of the good ole boy system and Cain’s courage to risk his re-election by switching parties was rewarded by Republican primary voters giving him an almost two to one victory in his first Republican primary. Fitzgerald's and CT Hight's play to take Chap Cain down with candidate, Michelle Merendino was futile and sophomoric. This act was almost as futile as the mail tampering allegedly done by Merendino, CT Hight and Fitzgerald against our judge, Chap Cain.

The other candidate switching parties, Commissioner Norman Brown, won in numbers similar to Judge Cain’s in his first Republican primary. Brown, though he still has not made as strong a stance or revealed the kind of specifics of wrongdoing as Judge Cain, added his two cents on the behavior in the courthouse by suggesting the Commissioners’ Court do some things to promote and insure ethics. Some Republicans who have not been fans of Brown have held their nose as he joined their party and are said Brown should do more to clean up what he has been all around than just make suggestions. Nevertheless, whether Brown comes forward and blows a louder more helpful whistle that helps to clean up some of the mess in the courthouse, he is the only other candidate to distance himself from what has become known as a dirty courthouse. Brown however has a well known well liked challenger in November as he faces Leroy Hanel.

It is important to note that our sources tell us retiring County Court at Law Judge Don Taylor has been “very concerned” about revelations that have come to light in the courthouse. Judge Taylor may have been a third party switcher had he decided to seek re-election. His disgust with the way people were taking care of the people’s business was well known, but since his pending retirement was also well known we will never know how he would have reacted to a proposal of running as a Republican. Instead, Assistant County Attorney Tommy Chambers decided he would run as a Republican. Chambers came within a whisker’s edge of running for County Attorney as a Republican last election cycle, and voters can only surmise that Fitzgerald’s behavior along with some of the difficult positions he was put in as a result of courthouse politics, helped him to decide it was a good time to distance himself and run like he wanted to before (as a conservative). Sources tell us that Democrats plan on attaching their own ethical problems to Chambers as the November general election grows closer. How successful Chamber’s opponent will be in making look like someone who has embraced being just one of the good ole boys will probably depend on how successfully he can distance himself from his close family ties to three men Liberty County politicians who served during the time of this systematic spirally down of Liberty’s ethical reputation.

So when we say every Democratic officeholder that did not have looming legal problems or a yellow dog ultra partisan reputation was asked in November of 2009 to consider switching parties and distancing themselves from what almost seems like systemic bad behavior in the courthouse over the last decade, we also are assuming the way those who were never considered and never asked have a plan to win election or re-election. In political circles it is called “scorched earth”.

How do you get past the fact that Democratic officeholders did nothing while every scandal that has gone on in the courthouse has been discovered by outside sources and there has been no whistle blowing? How does that not get all over every Democratic candidate and look like a culture of corruption? Easy, Democrats prepare their own charges of misconduct. To counter Phil Fitzgerald receiving a great leasing deal for his dump trucks from a man connected to hi by family and one connected to him because he gave him the FEMA contract, by saying the Dayton Mayor let locals get contracts with no bid too. Never mind Mayor Stevens had no dump truck leasing situation that funneled money back to him.

Some may say Democrats have a problem with this scorched earth strategy because none of the Republicans on the November ballot are incumbents or officeholders, but that will not slow them down. They will undoubtedly try and attach Assistant County Attorney Tommy Chambers to the Glen Vickery’s DUI scandal. Never mind that Chambers was serving and doing the bidding of then outgoing Democratic County Attorney Jack Hartel and never mind Chambers wisely wrote in to his dealing with these cases an option to refile, the Zbranek’s old style Chicago like politics will cover the airwaves with the idea that this is a scandal that should force voters to vote for Zack.

Republicans were excited primary night to embrace District Judge Chap Cain as an indication of not only his, but the voters’ desire to raise the standards of this county. He took a clear and bold stand and voters stood with him election night. It is as sure as the sun will come up tomorrow that Democrats still have a plan to win. Only two candidates switched and only one retired (and he had planned on retiring), so the rest are preparing for the politics of election time. But this election, just like the last one, no matter what mudslinging goes on it is now incorrect to say “I am just going to vote in the Democratic primary, the Republican can not win locally.” This time it will be awful tempting to send a message about our courthouse, as well as the White House, and vote straight ticket and refuse to stand by those who will not help end the corruption.