Setting The Record Straight By " Madame Justice"

Posted at Blue NC
April 27, 2006

First of all, I am not endorsing anyone for the judgeship in the Wainwright seat. There are 5 people running, three of them Democrats. I certainly can't support the Republicans, so leave them out of it. That leaves the three Democrats, Ms. Cheek, Judge Gore and Judge Hudson.

I don't know Ms. Cheek and never met Ms. Cheek. I cannot speak ill or good of her. At prior gatherings, Judge Hudson has attempted to avoid someone like me. However, she and I both attended the Democratic gathering at Fearrington Village last evening. I made the same offer to her been made to other Democrats. As the primary is fast approaching, I offered to let other Democratic candidates have use of my email list by sending out alerts on their behalf.

I met Judge Gore at the YDNC even last March. He requested any assistance that I could lend him and he volunteered to put me on his prayer list. He seems to be a decent Christian man and prayer certainly can't hurt.

This is what I said, in part, to Jerry Meek, when he asked about it:

"[T]the questionnaire was put out by a group that I have dubbed "The Church Ladies" after Dana Carvey's famous Saturday Night Live Character.

I have no argument against people of faith, but I do take issue with people who are intolerant and who seek to impose their own religious views on others. I have been battling these people for over two years. I therefore do not agree with many of the questions or positions taken in the questionnaire.

[U]nderstand Judge Gore's position. He hails from eastern NorthCarolina. The people from this area are predominantly Christian. Ihave met many Democrats who have proven that you can be a Christian and a Democrat; they are not mutually irreconciliable positions. I myself believe in true Christian principles of loving one's neighbor, lending a hand to those in need etc.

Judge Gore appears to fall within the Christian-Democrat mold. He also does not like some of the things that I see happening at the national level. Such individuals are more "conservative" than others in more urbanized areas and he may have been playing to his base. While I am not anti-homosexual, for example, I do not doubt that many Christian Democrats in this state are not ready for gay marriage. It is nothing more than a recognition of reality, not a position."

I passed along his email saying only that he was worth a second look, which was the same thing that I said in my statement of a couple weeks' back. I sent it along to my email list, both as a service to voters and because Judge Gore asked for help. I did not change anything or exhort voters to vote for him - the email is from him asking for that.

As I said, I would do the same thing if requested by the other candidates, including Judge Hudson. In fact, I have done so for a candidate running for a district attorney seat in Greensboro, for example.

I understand the views of this group. I have my own views as I have been fighting the legal Establishment as well as the NC GOP. In fact, you cannot point to any other judicial candidate who has been so ill-spoken of, insulted and vilified as much as I have been. It saddens me that not one single person, judicial or otherwise, have come forward publicly and stated "enough! No candidate, no matter your views of them, should endure this kind of treatment." Things are the way they are and I will keep fighting until the election in November. I only mention this so that you can understand my position. For me, there is no clearly Progressive choice in the race and the choice me will be among the lesser of evils.

There are four seats up for election. This presents us with an historic opportunity to change the dynamic of the court. Whatever the voters decide in the primary and in the November elections, I hope that the victorious Democrats will be able to work together to benefit the people of North Carolina and to do real justice.

Best wishes,

Rachel Lea "Madame Justice" Hunter

RETURN TO NEWS RELEASE PAGE