Ceasar’s Endorsement of Black GOP Judge Generates Complaint
BY BUDDY NEVINS
State Democrats are facing the most vital Florida election in years. For the first time since 1998, Ds have a real shot at recapturing the governor’s office.
And what does one longtime party gadfly believe Democrats should be doing with their time?
Hold hearings on Broward Democratic Party boss Mitch Ceasar.
Good idea. Waste time and divide Democrats less than four months from the election.
The hearings are the brainchild of Randy Fleischer, long-time Broward party dissident.
Fleischer complained to the state Democratic Party about Ceasar this week.
Among his complaints: Ceasar’s endorsement of Broward Circuit Judge Mary Rudd Robinson, a Republican.
Never mind that Robinson is one of the few blacks on the bench.
Never mind that judicial races are non-partisan.
Never mind her opponent is a goof who changed his name to Jordan Jordan, but changed it back to the original Jordan Breslaw for the ballot.
Party bylaws allow a Democratic Party official to endorse a member of any party in the non-partisan judicial races.
That’s not good enough for Fleischer.
Fleischer sent an e-mail this week about Ceasar to Milli Smith, the state Democratic director of party affairs.
(An aside: I find it ironic that Fleischer, who styles himself a progressive, i.e., liberal, is complaining about Ceasar’s endorsement of one of the few blacks on Broward’s bench.)
Fleischer wrote:
“The Broward DEC is stagnant as a result of Ceasar’s actions as he is more concerned about his own power base than helping candidates. Except that he has endorsed Republican judicial candidates.
Actually, Fleischer was wrong. It was not “candidates,” but one candidate who is Republican.
Of the five judges Ceasar endorsed, only Rudd is a Republican. Two are Democrats and two are independents.
Fleischer also accused Ceasar of various party rule violations, including not appointing required committees and covering up a dispute about the legality of the Tamarac Democratic Club.
He asked for the state to schedule “committee hearings that would be willing to hear these grievances…
Exactly seven minutes after Fleischer’s e-mail is time stamped, Milli Smith answered:
“Randy:
We are not holding a Judicial Council Review for your (sic) to argue and exchange word with Mitch. We have too much work to do and if you were in(sic) engaged in helping us with Vote By Mail, you would not have time to be sending these e-mailHave a good evening!
Basically, she is saying: Randy F-You. We’ve got an election to win.
July 21st, 2010 at 6:14 pm
Isn’t this the same Randy Fleischer who lost several times when he ran against Mitch for chairman?
This is sour grapes. Fleischer has little support in the party.
July 21st, 2010 at 6:26 pm
I didn’t know Robinson was a Republican, and honestly I don’t care. The key is “was.” You run as an independent.
She is a good judge, and Ceasar was right.
July 21st, 2010 at 9:15 pm
Everyone knows Robinson used to change her party affiliation to the same as the then sitting Gov. I take issue with Mitch backing Judge Rodriquez who until recently was a member of the Republican Party for almost 40 years. Just another turncoat party switcher whose campaign is run by Judy Stern. Scott Israel, Barbra Stern and Rodriquez all were REPUBLICANS until they needed to get elected in Broward.
July 21st, 2010 at 10:01 pm
First, I thought that he was moving to Arizona about a year ago.
Second, he takes obnoxious partisanship to levels beyond imagination. The sad part is that he doesn’t even realize how many people view him as a horse’s backside.
July 21st, 2010 at 11:09 pm
Mr Fleischer, like many other good folks in this county, has the right to be passionate about the Democratic party and Democrats.
Buddy – not very professional of you to be writing “F-you”.
July 22nd, 2010 at 12:23 am
Randy Fleischer is a trouble maker…plain and simple with the emphasis on simple.
Someone should get him some cheese for his whine.
July 22nd, 2010 at 6:25 am
Randy is smart. Mitch used to have a good appearance. Now in my opinion he has not aged well so his appearnce isn’t good. This is too bad but a reality we can’t ignore any longer. Please let’s replace Mitch with someone with good looks and the Dems will wrestle back control of Broward and Dade and Monroe too
July 22nd, 2010 at 9:55 am
The BCDEC needs a Brutus to put a knife in Ceasar and finally end his reign of inaction and defeat.
That said, Randy is not the person to do this. Randy is a loud mouth and offensive. He does not know the bylaws. He does not know how to work with others. When Brutus is finished with Ceasar, do away with Randy, too. We need somebody like Howard Forman.
July 22nd, 2010 at 11:34 am
Fleischer was going to move to Arizona three years ago.
Fleischer showed us what he’d do as leader of the Democratic Party when he took over the Pine Island Ridge club several years ago. He basically stated that the limitations on sexual predators were useless because they weren’t the problem. In his own words he stated that the real problem were the fathers of little children.
Fleischer needs to study harder for the Arizona Bar.
March 16th, 2012 at 10:32 am
I thought you meant it would kill your innards.