Sunday, October 19, 2008

Joe Deters and Cincinnati’s Republican Racism Enter National Spotlight

Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati

Photo courtesy of here.

Today, Talking Points Memo has front-paged this item, which, while short, highlights two things about unopposed Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters:  He is engaging voter suppression efforts, and he is friends with the publisher of a racist website.  Fresh on the heels of a local racist lynching an effigy of Obama, this does not look good for Hamilton County, for voting rights, and for anyone who played a role in helping Deters get re-elected.

From The Enquirer article about Deters’ voter suppression efforts:

Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters, who serves as John McCain’s Southwest Ohio campaign chairman, has requested personal information for some individuals who registered and immediately cast a ballot during a weeklong period that ended earlier this month.

Deters issued a subpoena on Friday for complete registration records for roughly 40 percent of the 671 voters who registered and cast a ballot between Sept. 30, when early voting began, and Oct. 6, the deadline for voter registration.

The subpoena, obtained by The Associated Press, is part of a grand jury investigation initiated by Deters in the county…

Ohio State University law professor Dan Tokaji, an elections expert, said Deters’ action is troubling.

“This is extremely worrisome when a partisan official engages in conduct that could reasonably be interpreted as voter intimidation and voter suppression,” Tokaji said. “This appears to be part of a concerted strategy on the part of some elements of the Republican Party to exaggerate voting fraud in an effort to suppress participation.”

Interestingly, when CityBeat’s Kevin Osborne reported about documented election fraud during this past primary, with copies of Party Affiliation Forms showed people marking “For One Day Only,” and other similar violations, no one did anything:

Party-hopping for such dubious reasons violates Ohio law, but Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner doesn’t want to open a criminal investigation. Local election officials insist they’re overworked, adding that tightening up the system is virtually impossible to do on the county level and is a matter best left to state lawmakers. Meanwhile, no state representative or senator has dared broach the issue since the primary.

So here we have McCain campaign chair and Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters refusing to repudiate racism and engaging voter suppression efforts against Obama—in the same week that a local racist has hanged an effigy of Obama in his front yard while proudly proclaiming his racist intent.

Interestingly, no one seemed to care when Republicans illegally voted in the Democratic primary.  But anyway, this same Joe Deters is the one running unopposed due to a deal cut by party bosses and Democrats like Todd Portune.  As reported by the Enquirer (and archived at BizzyBlog):

It will mean that when Hamilton County voters go to the polls in November, they are likely to find:

- No name on the ballot opposing Republican Greg Hartmann—the county clerk of courts who is running for the seat Pat DeWine is vacating;

- Only the name of Ed Rothenberg—a Republican who won’t have his party’s backing—next to the name of Democratic incumbent Todd Portune.

….. As part of the deal, the Democrats also agreed not run anyone against Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters and 10 of the 12 common pleas judges running for election—an easy decision for them, since the party had not recruited any candidates for those positions.

Why hadn’t the Democrats recruited anyone to oppose Deters?  Is it because he is such a high quality person, or is it because this deal had been in the making since last year’s failed jail tax efforts?

Whatever the case, the common denominator in this strand is Joe Deters.  What a shame that no one is running against him this election cycle—a cycle bound to have record turn out for Democrats and for the African American community (two profiles not friendly towards Joe Deters).

What Deters has done with the votes is wrong, and if Democrats are going to get harassed for casting early ballots—as is their legal right—then I don’t see why those Republicans who falsified their Party Allegiance documents in the March primaries are not slapped with election fraud charges, a felony in the fifth degree.

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.Cincy<>Capell. says:
19 Oct 2008  at  12:12 pm | #

Joe Deters should have gone to jail for the crimes that he committed that lead him to return to Hamco with his tail between his legs.  He has a clear conflict of interest here as he is a partisan who is McSame’s local campaign chair. Deters really has no shame, and his actions belie the sheer panic that the right wingers are in because they know that they are going to get creamed on election day. I hope that the national media picks up on this and humiliates Deters.

The bigger question here is what is Deters playing at? Is he going to try to pull off some wide spread challenge to the Hamilton County election results by challenging the vote of all newly registered voters? Here’s a scenario; Deters claims that this “investigation” proved that x percentage of new registrants votes were fraudulent, thus that same percentage of votes in the general election should be disqualified. Brunner is going to have her hands full challenging partisan hacks like Deters in court, that’s for sure.

says:
19 Oct 2008  at  01:54 pm | #

Joe Must Go!  Clearly, clearly, he is incapable of being a fair elected official. 

No one supports crime.  We don’t support crime in our communites and we sure in the heck don’t want criminals to be our elected officials.

Clearly when elected officials (or write in candidates) think they might lose their job, they respect the people, and they work hard to be fair.  But when deals are cut so that they can stay in there jobs with NO TERM LIMITS IN PLACE, some officials abuse their power. Time and again Deters has proven that he abuses his power. It’s not fair.

Please join Citizens Against Joe Deters on Friday October 24 at 12 noon for a peaceful protest to take place across the street from Joe Deter’s office.  Make signs to protest Deters double-standard brand of justice…to protest that he is running unopposed…. and his latest act of engaging in voter suppression

JOE MUST GO!

says:
19 Oct 2008  at  07:31 pm | #

Dean, you forgot to mention that Chris Dole stepped up to the plate and with the help of the Green Party he’s on the ballot and running against Greg Hartmann for DeWine’s seat.

anon says:
20 Oct 2008  at  02:46 am | #

You’re kidding me - will Dole be on the ticket as a green or an independent? 
(I love Chris Dole)

Dean - you exaggerate the “deal” this time around with Dirty Deeds Deters.  The county prosecutor has been running unopposed for almost 20 years - maily because no attorney in the area is willing to risk his career to run with the low campaign contributions and following for the democratic party. it had absolutely nothing to do with portune - his deal was limited to the bocc race and that’s the facts.

The only time someone ran against the county prosecutor in recent history was when I forced allen off the ballot and we had 2 write in candidates.  Then, the local dnc rejected my suggestion of a great attorney and went with rucker (who I have nothing against, but does anyone think that whites cross parties and cross racial boundaries in cincinnati so easily?)

says:
20 Oct 2008  at  04:10 am | #

I do not exaggerate The Deal—I recount the facts of it as reported both by CityBeat and The Enquirer.

IF ever there was a time to run a Democratic opposition to Joe Deters, this is the year.

says:
20 Oct 2008  at  11:09 am | #

Dole will be on as an Independent.

The loyal opposition can’t find anyone to run after 20 years? The Corporate Dems raise more money than the Republicans now and they have a majority in the city and at the country level. They will have a huge turn out because of Obama, so why not throw anyone up?

YO CAJD says:
20 Oct 2008  at  05:25 pm | #

I’m a White, Middle Class Woman. If I show up and support you- you gonna kick my teeth out? I don’t agree with Deters at all- and have never voted for him.

And I don’t agree with the judges that he has in his pocket either- that is why I’m really pissed that no one has paid attention to the Dean’s judge’s post or any of the judge’s races.

So-you gonna let me join you? Or are you totally partisian?

CAJD says:
20 Oct 2008  at  05:49 pm | #

So as a middle class white woman who has never voted for Deters, thinks he should be jailed for his illegal behavior, if I care to join you- will you support me or kick me in the teeth?

It this a partisian group?

says:
20 Oct 2008  at  08:40 pm | #

Middle class white woman you are welcome to join Citizens Against Joe Deters.  We are not violent. We welcome all.  It’s about issue and not personally attacking JD.

anon says:
21 Oct 2008  at  02:12 am | #

I completely agree that the dnc missed an incredible opportunity this election cycle in not running more candidates. but, if you look at the fundraising for other offices normally run unopposed like the clerk’s office, etc. they are so far behind in fundraising they still have a slim to none chance of winning - even in this climate.

and, nobody could’ve predicted the campaign of obama - it has been absolutely incredible and visionary in and of itself.

but - don’t lie and say that chesley orchestrated a deal that had anything more to do than with the bocc - that is complete lies.  blame it on burke if you want, or blame it on the dnc local - but you can’t exaggerate the truth and put a cross on portune’s back and crucify him for stuff he didn’t do --- you do a good enough job crucifying him on issues, i agree, were poor judgment (if you couldn’t see the bigger picture)

Anon says:
21 Oct 2008  at  10:50 am | #

Yeah-All of my Republican Friends told me for the past 2 years that this was going to be Hillary’s election! Think they are a little fooled?

White Cincinnati says:
23 Oct 2008  at  06:11 am | #

Please leave Joe Deters alone! He is one of only a few good, hard working white men in a position of real power in Cincinnati, who’s not scared or ashame to show his hate. We need more, a helluva’ lot more just like him.

We love you, Joe. Keep up the hate!

White Pride
WhiteCincinnati.com