Since the primary elections wrapped up at the end of May, I've been getting complaints about the blog being boring. I kind of anticipated that happening, and quite frankly, was looking forward to a little peace and quiet for a bit. It freed me up to spend more time gravely injuring myself fighting insects.
As I've mentioned before, however, when it rains, it pours when it comes to subject matter for this blog. Rarely has that been better exhibited than this week at the CJC.
Yesterday morning, around 9:15, word quickly circulated through the courthouse that 177th District Court Judge Kevin Fine was resigning his bench effective immediately. As noted in Brian Rogers' article, Judge Fine had a controversial tour of duty on the bench, and had chosen not to run for re-election. The timing of his departure was a surprise.
I plan on writing a little more about Judge Fine in the future (when it stops raining topics), but for now, I'll just say this -- good for him for going out on his own terms. Whether you loved him or hated him, he did it his way, and I'm glad that he ultimately got to walk out the way he wanted to.
As shocking as Judge Fine's departure was, it is eclipsed by today's news that Democratic Party officials had successfully knocked Leapin' Lloyd Oliver off the ballot in November. I blogged yesterday that a lawsuit was afoot to get the thrice-indicted candidate removed from consideration, but I wasn't expecting the suit to be successful. Today's news was a big shock.
The legal blogs are abuzz over this news, and as my friend Thomas Hobbes posted on yesterday's writing, this issue is far from over. Mark Bennett is already rallying to the defense of -- not Lloyd, really -- but the principle that a lawsuit shouldn't be able to trump the will of the electorate.
Look for the issue with Lloyd being on the ballot to heat up in the days to come.
Obviously, I fully support Judge Mike Anderson for District Attorney, but there is something that feels rather undemocratic when Party leaders can make the decision to take Fredo fishing.
11 comments:
I would like to preface this by saying that Lloyd is an absolute buffoon and is absolutely unqualified to be the District Attorney. I found it to be an absolute joke that he defeated a qualified candidate in Zach Fertitta in the primary, a fact that, in my opinion, in best explained by the uninformed Democrat electorate.
That said, the Harris County Democrat Party is making a bigger fool of themselves than Lloyd already has. Of course it is in their other candidates' best interests to jettison Lloyd, as having him in a major race could bring down Adrian Garcia and their judicial candidates and others with his sheer idiocy. I guess I can't blame them for trying.
However, it feels undemocratic, unfair, and despotic to kick a candidate that won your primary by a majority of votes off your ticket, just because he is a buffoon.
The fact that such a joke of a candidate won their primary in an indictment of their party in this county and the leadership of Mr. Lewis and Mr. Hinojosa. Saying never mind, do over, is a chump move.
Lloyd was removed for violating an internal Democrat rule by endorsing Pat Lykos in the Republican primary.
Did that actually happen? Was he just answering a question asked by a reporter? Was it an endorsement? I don't know. Don't care either.
I am no expert on election law. Perhaps I am wrong. It seems to me that they kicked Lloyd out for violating one of their internal rules...not anything out of the election code. It seems to me they kicked him out for being Lloyd, a buffoon that would hurt their entire ticket of candidates.
I am sure Lloyd will file federal suit now, which will just serve to embarrass their party further. It will probably give Lloyd more name recognition, which, as he has stated, is his reason for running in the first place.
Of course Mike Anderson in the only qualified candidate at this time. Of course I want him to win. Of course he should win this election. Of course Lloyd's candidacy is absurd. But, by the sheer ineptitude of the Democrat Party in Harris County, he won the election. Kicking him out for being a dumbass just seems unamerican to me.
-NPH
The Democrat Party's self-serving acts are outrageous and wrong. And, contrary to the Democrats' professed desire to let all votes count, their Party bosses are flouting the will of their own voters.
In other news, dog bites man.
The Texas Election Code specifies grounds for putting names on or taking names off a ballot. Violating some group's non-statutory policies is not one of those grounds. A lawsuit should resolve this quickly.
I certainly want and expect Mike Anderson to win. But is there a Lloyd Oliver lawsuit fund to which we can contribute to ensure Mr. Oliver is on the ballot as a Democrat in November, to help our entire GOP ticket?
Vote straight Republican!
Most democrats are inept dumb asses
anyway, so why single him out.
Sad reality is that the uninformed will be voting again come Nov, remember they walk among us and they vote.
I know Mike is the best candidate, no doubt about it. I doubt seriously that there would have been any competition in this election had they kept the goober on the ballot.
I am really curious to see the outcome of this decision by the dems.
Hooper is back posting on the Chron as "Dinkit".
See comments below using his own special brand of grammar:
Its a sad day in H3!! when a person cant compliment what they believe is (doesnt matter what party they represent) a good thing. As I have watched the primarys (I mean the circus) I have come to a complete decision that OLIVER will be my selection for District Attorney. Our freedom of speech means alot to us all!
Most democrats are inept dumb asses
0/10
Weakest troll, ever.
Rage
Lykos is still gasping her last breaths of power in the waning days of her 4 year effort to demolish the HCDAO as she promised Robert Eckels she would in return for his campaign financing and political arm twisting.
We are all enjoying watching her slowly melt away. No offense Murray, but I'm looking forward to your blog going the way of a 286 computer! It has been terribly useful in salvaging the office but it will soon be unnecessary. Not a bad thing for us.
Pay no heed, Murray. There remains much of interest and it offers an opportunity for more diverse - and generally more informative - posts.
Make sure that nothing happens to Lloyd Oliver, while my mother is alive.
Anon 12:50 not only is that idiot Hooper posting as Dinkit on chron.com, he is spreading a rumor that Ryan Patrick cannot be appointed to succeed Fine because he has not be a lawyer long enough. Hey dumb Donnie, under the law, you have to have been a lawyer four years to be a district court judge. Ryan has been licensed almost six years.
Why dumb Donnie would want to irritate the most popular state senator in Texas is a mystery. But then again so is someone who is such a sorry human that he won't support his flesh and blood.
Anon 9:37 Ryan Patrick appointed by Governor Perry to 177th District Court. Tell Hooper to put that in his pipe and smoke it.
I guess Hooper might have to get a job since he can't keep his mouth shut. Granted RP destroyed her ADA career all by herself, but Donnie continues to destroy any hope she can appear in HC courts in any capacity. Is there any judge he hasn't trashed?
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