Posted on 05/03/2006 11:13:42 AM PDT by flixxx
Result is dire for party switcher
BY C. DAVID KOTOK
The second-ranking Douglas County election official switched himself out of a job when he changed his party registration from Democrat to Republican.
The No. 1 legal requirement for the Douglas County deputy election commissioner is that the person be of "a different political party than the election commissioner."
Dennis Womack, the Democratic deputy, changed his party affiliation to Republican on April 18 without telling his Republican boss, Election Commissioner Dave Phipps, or Democratic Party officials.
"Dumb luck" brought Womack's action to Phipps' attention Tuesday, Phipps said.
Phipps said Womack's switch was discovered by an election worker preparing registration lists for the polls. After a question was raised, Phipps said he had to act.
It proved bad luck for Womack, who was removed from the $34,000-a-year partisan post by Phipps.
Womack said he wanted to vote for U.S. Rep. Tom Osborne in Tuesday's Republican primary for governor.
"I wanted to exercise my right to vote for the best candidate to serve the people of Nebraska," Womack said.
After the primary, Womack said, he intended to switch his party affiliation back to Democrat.
Womack's removal brought no objection from Democratic Party officials.
"Dennis Womack brought this on himself," said Barry Rubin, the Nebraska Democratic Party executive director. "Dennis should have known better."
The Douglas County Democratic Party's executive committee met this morning to begin the process of recommending three candidates to replace Womack. Phipps will choose a successor to Womack from the list.
Douglas County Democratic Chairman Chris Jerram said he hoped to get the list to Phipps later today.
"I don't have any problem with what Dave (Phipps) has done," Jerram said. "He's just following the law."
The election commissioners in Douglas, Sarpy and Lancaster Counties are chosen by the governor with state law spelling out that the deputy must be a registered voter from another party.
Getting rid of Womack a week before the primary is the last thing Phipps wanted. Phipps said he sought advice from the offices of the Nebraska Secretary of State and Douglas County attorney. Both agreed he had no option but to view Womack's party switch as tantamount to resignation.
"I don't think I had any option," Phipps said. "The only alternative was to not follow the law."
After notifying Womack, Phipps said, he called Jerram to notify the Democratic Party that a replacement had to be named before Tuesday's primary.
Phipps said he is not legally bound to have a deputy on election day. But having a deputy representing the opposition party is "common sense," Phipps said.
"It gives everyone the comfort level that there are proper checks and balances," he said.
As a courtesy, Phipps also notified the Nebraska Party and the Green Party, but the new deputy will be chosen from the list provided by the Democrats, Phipps said.
Womack was chosen in 2004 by Phipps' predecessor, Carlos Castillo, who is now Gov. Dave Heineman's 2006 campaign manager.
Womack switched parties the day after prominent Democrats urged party members to temporarily reregister to vote in the Republican primary for governor.
State Sen. Gwen Howard of Omaha, Douglas County Commissioner Chris Rodgers and other prominent Omaha Democrats changed parties to oppose Heineman's signing of Legislative Bill 1024. The law has a provision that splits the Omaha Public Schools into three districts.
The controversial schools legislation did not trigger his action, Womack said.
stupid is as stupid does
Future Darwin Award nominee...
He couldn't pour water out of a boot with instructions written on the heel...
Sounds like a great opportunity for the LP or Constitution or Green Party.
This story is an illustration of just exactly what is wrong with the GOP these days. Our party has been watered-down, dumbed-down and generally bastardized by the unprincipled members of the RAT party that have jumped from their sinking ship in the name of political expediency.
The sooner that we winnow out these people(RINOs), the better off we'll be.
Choice of political party is not a constitutionally protected right but choice of sexual fetishes are. < /sarc >
"what more can you say about this???"
The word "duh" comes to mind.
}:-)4
The guy admits to switching sides so he can screw with the Pubbies primary. I know the Dems are doing this all over.
Many folks in Nebraska would throw themselves under a train for Tom Osborn, former football coach. This guy is just an example.
The more I see of the kinds of sleazy people behind Congressman Tom Osborne's candidacy to defeat incumbent Gov. Dave Heineman, the more I urge Nebraska voters to reject Osborne wholeheartedly.
I'm not a Nebraska voter, but so far as primaries go, I am automatically against anyone endorsed by that simpering twit John McCain.
If the primary is competitive, of course. I don't mean those meaningless, automatic endorsements of noncompetitive candidates.
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