Tuesday, October 03, 2006

FOP Backs Carl Brizzi and Steve Davis

The labor union which represents Marion County's law enforcement officers has voted to back incumbent prosecutor Carl Brizzi (R) over Democrat Melina Kennedy and Republican challenger Steve Davis over incumbent Sheriff Frank Anderson (D). This is particularly a major blow to Anderson, who received the FOP's endorsement just four years ago. The Star reports:

The vote by the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 86 was overwhelming, said Vince Huber, president of the lodge.

Anderson, the Democrat who received the union's endorsement four years ago, lost the FOP's support to Republican challenger Steve Davis largely because he supported the consolidation of the Indianapolis Police Department and the Marion County Sheriff's Department, Huber said.

The merger was opposed by 97 percent of the union's members, and Anderson initially held the same position but changed his mind.

The FOP represents about 2,200 active members in 15 law enforcement departments; 111 voted on the endorsements Monday. Huber said the union's endorsements for state and federal offices would be announced today.

"If he flipped then, how is he going to flip in the future," Huber asked.

FOP members haven't forgotten that Anderson promised them he would not support consolidation efforts four years ago. The full list of endorsements by the FOP includes the following:

Sheriff -- Steve Davis; prosecutor -- Carl Brizzi; auditor -- Jennifer Ping; clerk -- Donna Edgar; recorder -- Angela Cypress; judges -- Robert Altice, Lisa F. Borges, Sheila A. Carlisle, Michael D. Keele, William J. Nelson, Carol J. Orbison, Scherry "S.K." Reid, Clark H. Rogers, Reuben B. Hill and William E. Young; Washington Township constable -- Pat Comiskey; Warren Township constable -- John Koss; Wayne Township constable -- Roger Bowser.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

A few questions, and if you know the answers AI, please provide them, or any other readers, please do likewise:

1. I thought the judges' election was final in May? Are there going to be judges on the ballot? Or, is it just the requisite number of judges for the openings, thus everyone on the ballot will be elected?

2. Two friends who are sheriff's deputies told me about 100 people voted, out of 1600-1800 members. That's kinda paltry, dontcha think?

3. They actually supported no Dems? Not even the clerk candidate, whom almost everyone acknowledges is going to win?

As long as Vince Huber speaks for them, the FOP has very little credibility. He hasn't gotten the memo yet, that consolidation is the law of the land. He needs to get over it already.

I've been extremely impressed with the committees working on consolidation. Maybe my life is pretty boring, but I've watched many of their meetings on Ch. 16. It's great to see law enforcement professionals working together, ironing out problems, trying to make consolidation work. You can tell there is still some friction, but it's all very professional.

Maybe the camera doesn't pan the audience well enough, but I've never seen Vince there. If he's only going to whine, and then orchestrate ridiculous votes like this one, what is his purpose? How does he plan to make the FOP effective?

If they keep this up, they'll be a non-issue themselves. Which is too bad, because I, for one, want to know what the average policeman/woman thinks about many issues. The FOP could be the ideal voice for those issues.

But they've become a shrill, whiney argumentative group under Huber.

Gary R. Welsh said...

Every superior court judge on the ballot will be elected. Each party will get to elect 10 judges this year. Each party only nominated 10 judges. I thought the turnout for the endorsement vote was rather small as well.

Anonymous said...

First memo to FOP -- Fire Vince Huber.

Second memo to FOP -- You've endorsed an entire Republican slate. In 2003, you endorsed Greg Jordan for Mayor. In 1999, Sue Ann Gilroy. Your endorsements have become secondary Republican slating conventions. And, it doesn't mean all that much.

Anonymous said...

"Not even the clerk candidate, whom almost everyone acknowledges is going to win?"

The same clerk candidate that has basically said she would knowingly violate state law? She doesn't like Voter ID and basically she thinks it's a bad law.

Anonymous said...

8:48 is right on with his assemsment!

Anonymous said...

It'll be interesting to see if the State FOP endorses legislative incumbents who did not show up for their candidate forums. If that occurs, you'll know the process is rigged!

Anonymous said...

So the judge candidates didn't even need endorsement? DId anyone tell Vince he didn't need to risk pissing off ten judges, by staying out of the fray?

What a jackass. If you have no need to endorse, and thus NOT endorse some candidates, why risk it? Using his endorsement logic, the FOP will probably vote next week on whether to support consolidation.

Vince is a one-hit wonder who has lost a lot of credibility. Why don't they go ahead and endorse ABB (Anyone but Bart) for next year?

Anonymous said...

10:14, get over it: the Dems coulda put up almost anyone and won the clerk's office, as badly as the incumbent has screwed things up there. She's spent hundreds of thousands of legal dollars at the behest of the county GOP, on stupid and unwinnable positions, in two ridiculous lawsuits. She chose a nearly-incompetent company as the election machine vendor.

Ms. White almost won four eyars ago. She's gonna win this time, going away.

And Ms. White's contentions about Votern ID Law are exactly correct. It's the law, but it's a bad one. Put forth by people like Field Marshall Rokita.

Say, how's Todd doin' these days?

Anonymous said...

Huber is irrelevant, and the FOB impotent. As was pointed out earlier, only a tiny fraction of its members voted.

Anonymous said...

And Ms. White's contentions about Votern ID Law are exactly correct. It's the law, but it's a bad one.

you're just pissed because you no longer have that cemetary bloc to count on.

Anonymous said...

5:56, I've actively participated in over 20 elections in this county. The closest thing I ever saw to voter fraud, was a forgetful already-voted-absentee old lady on the eastside who insisted she should be able to vote again.


Alas, the cemeteries do not vote. So sorry to burst your bubble.

It is a bad law, but it is the law. And Ms. White, as clerk, will enforce it.

And here's betting she won't enter into any ridiculous lawsuits that cost us a few hundred thousand dollars, with no hopes of winning.
Partisan lawsuits, to boot.

Clerk Sadler is finally leaving, and good riddance.

That speed dial to GOP Hdqts. will have to be reprogrammed.

Anonymous said...

Alas, the cemeteries do not vote. So sorry to burst your bubble.

So why did you DUMBocrats fight to have the voter rolls purged of dead folks? because you recruit homeless people and bus them around to vote in place of the recently deceased. That's why.

It is a bad law, but it is the law. And Ms. White, as clerk, will enforce it.

I beg to differ. She said in so many terms at Holy Angels Church she'll play fast and loose with that law.

Anonymous said...

Back to the original intent of this post...

The State FOP is almost as irrelevant as the Local FOP. Their state legislative endorsements includes only one challenger in the Senate and very few in the House... So much for this being a competitive election cycle... They keep endorsing GOP candidates and wonder why they never get any friendly legislation passed... Gee, a Union endorses republicans and doesn't get anything from it... Sounds silly to me.