Posted on 10/04/2002 5:39:14 AM PDT by ijcr
Black ministers, disturbed over what they see as an attempt to undermine Broward Supervisor of Elections Miriam Oliphant, met privately Wednesday to strategize on her behalf.
As the ministers met, another Oliphant supporter blasted county officials on radio. And Oliphant insisted she is still in charge of her office, even though she has ceded most of her authority to the county.
Critics blame Oliphant for election mishaps in the Sept. 10 primary, including inadequately trained poll workers, no-show clerks and incorrect voter registration cards.
In a closed-door meeting with County Commissioner Josephus Eggelletion, ministers Wednesday aired concerns about the county's treatment of Oliphant.
''We think there's something wrong,'' said the Rev. Eddie Murphy, president of the African-American Ministerial Fellowship, a coalition of more than 20 central Broward black church leaders.
''I just told them the truth: that we have some issues, and we're trying to work those issues out,'' Eggelletion said. ``We're hopeful that things will come out right in the next election.''
Wednesday's meeting followed a community forum last week where more than 70 members of the black community supported Oliphant.
''I've been working with some ministers in order to talk about strategies to find out the truth and what's behind all of this,'' Murphy said. ``We don't know exactly which way to go right now.''
Asked whether he blames Oliphant or county officials for election mishaps, Murphy said, ``Both.''
Unknown to Oliphant, Chris Hood, a former consultant hired to examine elections systems for Oliphant's office, on Wednesday criticized county officials on Caribbean radio station WSRF Mystik-1580 AM.
Hood accused commissioners of withholding money before the election in order to ensure Oliphant's failure, then throwing money and resources at it afterward to make her look bad.
Commissioners say they offered help before the election in the form of temporary employees and full-time administrators.
''I have not abandoned Miriam nor am I trying in any way to discredit her,'' Eggelletion said, citing the fact that Oliphant registered over 100,000 voters in one year, more than any other Broward supervisor of elections.
Hood, of Compliance Research Group Inc., also told listeners Wednesday that Oliphant was planning to fire Joe Cotter, the deputy election supervisor hired in the aftermath of the Sept. 10 primary to administer the Nov. 5 election.
But Cotter is in no danger of being fired, Oliphant told The Herald on Wednesday.
''He's my right hand,'' Oliphant said, adding that Cotter answers to her.
``He's my lieutenant. He's my second-in-command. I run the election.''
Because they are not in the standards business. They are in the numbers business.
(steely)
She appears to have undermined herself by the way the election was administered. Too bad the ministers are more energized by skin color than the pursuit of excellence and competency.
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You can't make up stuff this good...
"O-tay!"
Oh wait, these guys are Democrats, never mind...
OOOOOPS! This isn't working out the way they planned.
I imagine that this is the same group of mental and moral midgets that tried to claim that "Florida blacks were intentionally disenfranchised" by all the election screw-ups, thinking they could blame it all on Jeb Bush and those EvilRepublicans.
The idea that if they were disenfranchised, it was because of the incompetance of some black bureaucrat and not a vast right wing conspiracy doesn't sit well with these folks.
That's because the bad person is always supposed to be white, no matter what. If this is not the case, well, any scrutiny of malfeasance is obviously part of a vast right wing conspiracy to discredit blacks in positions of authority, just like with Marion Berry. Any clearer now?
DISCLAIMER: Remember folks, not all black people are idiots. I suspect this group is exhibiting symptoms of being lifelong Democrats. THAT's why they all are behaving like idiots.
Why would they not do everything they can to keep from losing this windfall which comes their way every two years.
These so called religeous ministers are nothing but Jessie Jackson wanna be's. Do you think for one minute they keep themsleves in the middle of politics because they are patriots and dedicated to the democratic principals and the safe guarding of such? BULLSH*T they are in it for the money and power.
Floridians blame voters and local election personnel for the voting problems, not Jeb Bush.
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