James D. Piergies learned the hard way that gay-baiting doesn’t pay. The Ohio politico hoped to beat openly lesbianic judge Mary Wiseman for their county’s appeal bench. Piergies may have been a bit overzealous, however, because he and his campaign team decided to question Wiseman’s judicial ethics.
Her homosexuality, said Piergies, may impair her objectivity with cases pertaining to gay marriage. Thus, she should remove herself from such cases. The implication, of course, isn’t only that Wiseman’s same-sex loving would influence her decision making, but also makes her an inherently flawed candidate. No one wants a potentially part time judge, right?
Voters didn’t buy Piergies’ bullshit, however. In fact, the scheme ended up biting him in the ass as legal types and newspapers came out for Wiseman:
“If people of good will are going to stand by when this sort of thinly-veiled bigotry is thrown out and traded upon, then where are we?” attorney Steven Dankof Sr. told the Daily News.
Dankof accused Piergies of violating the canons of judicial conduct, and of raising Wiseman’s sexuality “in the hope that homophobia would rear its ugly head and propel you to elected office.”
Dayton Bar Association president Michael Krumholtz wrote in a letter to the Daily News: “All judges take a solemn oath to follow the dictates of the law in the observance of their judicial duties and to refrain from making decisions based on their personal background, religious beliefs, political viewpoint or lifestyle.”
“For our judiciary, this is their most sacred promise. It is the commitment that their decisions will be based on legal principles as opposed to personal choice,” Krumholtz wrote.
Two days later on January 22, the Daily News endorsed Wiseman…
Piergies dropped out of the race on January 23, telling voters, “This campaign has taken on a tone never intended by me and therefore I believe it is in the best interest of everyone for me to withdraw.” Well, actually you did for the campaign to take that tone, Piergies. You just didn’t think it would fall so flat.
How about we take this to the next level?
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blackiemiko
good.
abelincoln
I’m sure Piergies bigotry against gays would have no influence on HIS judicial renderings on gay marriage. What an idiot. Don’t forget when you point your finger at someone else, three of your fingers are pointing at yourself.
Becca
Karma bit that asshat right in his homophobic butt. Love It!
seitan-on-a-stick
Ohio should work at being the next New Yok State or be doomed to be the the State that handed George W Bush the Pimp-residency of 2004 courtesy of a black Uncle Tom: Kenneth Blackwell and too many indictments to count. Black people (my family) don’t be conned by your Pastor OR Leah Whore-try (who someone will kill) but not on my authority!! She will bring down the Howard Dean revolution with her Hatred? Republicans know how to Conquer and Divide using her name against the largest Democratic donor-base; Gays, bitches. Lesbians are already TEAM HILLARY and we just have to educate the misguided QUEERS.
M Shane Walsh
Your point is completely lost on me, Sextan-on… I’m a Queer who is more than happy with myself and not being on TEAM HILLARY.
In any case, I believe that the Piergies just made a stupid and rash move in implying (realy) that a Queer person was too ignorant to apply the outlines utilized by others in the office.
There’s not to much more to be said. At least he was smart enough to get out once whe screwed up.
M Shane Walsh
Oh yes, I was also going to remark, importantly I think that not all LGBT or Queer people are in favor of marriage as such but believe that we do not necessatily need to seek heteronormative lives, but can best strive for something which meets our own needs.
seitan-on-a-stick
M Shane Walsh is so SLOW to work out that Hillary is TEAM GAYER than the others and has already dropped the “V” bomb as in Barack would make a good Vice President. The backroom deal has already been done but M Shane Walsh is at the back of the SLOW class. What does the “M” stand for? Myopic? Certainly you are not cryptic, your entries are high school level thinking that people will find you interesting when all your posts are so BLAND. You are not a pundit, just under-average brightness. BTW>> It takes a Clinton to clean up after a Bush!