Greensboro Editorial Editor Tells Democrat Party
Chairman Meek That He Does Not Get It With
Rachel And The Non-Partisan Thing
June 07, 2006
Parties, naturally, just can't get with this nonpartisan thing
Mark Binker reported on his blog yesterday about a flap involving
Rachel Lea
Hunter and Vernon Robinson (that's a pair for you). State Democratic
Party
Chairman Jerry Meek stepped in quickly to chastise Hunter.
Meek also said he'll recommend the party withhold an endorsement in the
N.C.
Supreme Court race between Hunter and Justice Mark Martin.
What a cop-out!
The Democratic Party press release states -- incorrectly -- that
"Rachel Lea
Hunter ran as a Republican for the State Supreme Court in 2004 and was
defeated." She did not run as a Republican; she ran in a nonpartisan
race.
The release adds: "After a falling out with the North Carolina
Republican
Party, Hunter switched her party registration to Democrat in 2005. She
filed
to run for a non-partisan State Supreme Court seat this year and will
be on
the November 7th ballot."
At least the Democratic Party understands that this year's judicial
races
are nonpartisan.
But why, when the party plans to endorse candidates in these
nonpartisan
races, would Meek recommend sitting out the Hunter-Martin contest? Why,
because Martin is a registered Republican. Heavens, we can't endorse
him.
Yet, that wasn't a problem for the state's three living former
Democratic
chief justices -- Jim Exum and Henry Frye of Greensboro and Burley
Mitchell
-- all of whom endorsed Martin. They believe partisan politics have no
place
on the state's highest court.
I guess, by their nature, the Democratic and Republican parties just
can't
admit that. Which means, in this case, the chairman of the Democratic
Party
would just as soon see Hunter win the Supreme Court seat as an
experienced
justice who's been endorsed by the top Democratic jurists of recent
years
but happens to be a Republican.
But, by the way, why didn't the party find a candidate it COULD
endorse?
Maybe because there's no mainstream opposition to Martin in the state's
legal circles?
Posted by Doug Clark at June 7, 2006 09:07 AM
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