Ilene Lieberman Campaigns Among The Enemy: The Photo
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Has hell frozen over?
For some strange reason, the Broward Republican Party let Broward County Commissioner Ilene Lieberman campaign for county judge at their meeting this week.
Okay, she was part of a judicial candidates’ forum. But did that have to include glad handing the members?
Not only is Lieberman an arch-Democrat, but she is exactly the kind of Democrat that the GOP has vowed to sweep out of office. Do they really want her to leave the Government Center only to end up on the bench?
I know judicial races are supposedly non-partisan, but really????
Here is the photo, supplied by an activist who will go unnamed (click to enlarge):
May 22nd, 2012 at 8:18 am
Easy enough to explain. She is going to win and everybody knows it. So what’s the point of becoming the enemy of any winning candidate for office? Besides, she is running non-partisan.
FROM BUDDY:
She can’t visit a partisan political club while running for judge unless all candidates in the race are invited. I wasn’t there. I would suppose that both candidates in this race were invited.
I disagree that she is automatically going to win. I have heard from many that they would never vote for her.
She is a disgrace, lacks real courtroom experience and has been surrounded by allegations of questionable conduct her entire political life. I hope that enough people realize that and vote for her opponent.
May 22nd, 2012 at 9:21 am
Buddy,
Last night, the event was hosted by the Broward Republican executive Committee and all judicial candidates that were on the ballot were invited and were present including Kathleen McHugh who is running against Ilene Lieberman.
Each spoke for two minutes.
Why are you singling out Ilene Lieberman for being there. Is she not a candidate? Have you read canon 7 of Florida’s code of judicial conduct? No one disclosed which party they were affiliated with at any time. In fact, there were many more active Democrats there than Lieberman. What is your fascination or obsession with her all the time?
FROM BUDDY:
My fascination is that I want qualified people elected judge, not life-long politicians that I believe are looking to pump up their taxpayer-paid pension.
May 22nd, 2012 at 9:23 am
well this will be a grand experiment to either confirm name recognition, smoozing and ‘likeability’ to get one elected or not. its clear from last 5 or 6 years that knowledge does not drive voters decisions, and less so with judicial races. a lawyer seeking office is not the same as a litigator seeking a judgeship, and yes they should have some courtroom experience. stay tuned and keep us posted Buddy!
May 22nd, 2012 at 10:29 am
Thank you Buddy – your last paragraph says it all –
PLEASE PEOPLE OF BROWARD COUNTY – THINK – a judge is supposed to represent the best –
All mothers and fathers out there – do you want Ilene Liberman to be someone your daughters will look up to – think about that before you vote. She represents everything WE DON’T WANT OUT DAUGHTERS TO LOOK UP TO …… PLEASE THINK CLEARLY – She CANNOT GET ELECTED UNLESS SHE RECEIVES ENOUGH VOTES…..MAKE SURE YOUR’S ISN’T ONE…..thank you
May 22nd, 2012 at 10:39 am
Were they all invited or not? The balance of your comments, however justified, are only relevant if they impact electability. One could say the same about any number of existing candidates and active officials. Lieberman remains highly electable and is clearly the presumed favorite.
FROM BUDDY:
I can not say the same about “any number of existing candidates…”
I can not remember a single judicial candidate who ran for office with such qualifications — given immunity to testify in a corruption probe, disappeared from her job for months recently for unexplained “health” reasons and surrounded by allegations of questionable activity her whole career.
I do not know what voters will do. I can only continue to write what I believe.
Yes, all the candidates were apparently invited, according to a comment above.
May 22nd, 2012 at 12:59 pm
In addition to qualification issues, what about her temperament. Commission meetings and how she deals with people matter as a hint of what is to come, because once she gets a robe, there is no method of public scrutiny that can stop a judge who treats people badly, rudely, or just doesn’t listen. Unlikely it will be an issue for voters since they never think of these things. Maybe some clips from commission meetings would work.
May 22nd, 2012 at 2:01 pm
Hi, Buddy —
I’m the Treasurer of the Broward Republican Executive Committee and I personally invited all 30 candidates for judge. Commissioner Lieberman attended as did Katie McHugh and 14 other candidates, including the 3 sitting judges who have opposition. We appreciated them all appearing. All are invited to our meetings in June and July as well, the dates of which were included in the letters sent via e-mail and regular mail.
May 22nd, 2012 at 4:52 pm
Under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution a person may not be compelled to testify against himself. Whether that person wants it or not, feels they need it or not, the law requires that a prosecutor confer immunity upon that witness if they want the testimony of that witness.
The fact that someone may have information helpful to a prosecution does not infer that they are guilty of anything. In the specific matter referred to the charges against the accused were dismissed on a motion for summary judgment. That means they should never have been brought in the first place.
Few things are more ethically or intellectually corrupt than inventing a legal argument to impugn someone’s reputation absent any basis in law. When journalists do that they abuse their own first amendment rights by deviating from journalistic ethics.
As to any suspicions about her absence for health reasons, if this was a lie prove it. If not then accept it. Who cares why she was absent and what does that have to do with anything?
We have had judges that were potheads. Former officials that were reputed to have taken bribes. We have had racist and bigot judges. We may still. There have been newspaper reporters guilty of the same offenses. Rumor and innuendo convinces nobody of merit regarding anything.
That’s what is wrong with this society. Too many opinions and actions based on bullshit and not enough reasoned judgment based on facts. I don’t care for somebody’s hunch about somebody else’s character. Put up something that convinces me.
Tell me something I don’t know and you may get the reaction you seem to want.
FROM BUDDY:
The law doesn’t require immunity if they come in voluntarily to testify.
You have your beliefs. I have mine. Isn’t America wonderful?
May 22nd, 2012 at 5:31 pm
I think it is great that she will be a judge when the New Courthose is being built. She hired the same outfit that designed the LA Police Department and it was so over budget that she will wish she ran for Dog Catcher by the time it is built. She will deserve the blame.
May 22nd, 2012 at 5:54 pm
I wonder what she talked about with the BREC members?
-“You really should vote for me, because I have more courtroom experience than my opponent.”
-“I am really happy to be here among friends.”
-“I am not really that partisan.”
-“Liberal shmiberal!”
-“How many trial have I had? Have you tried the punch?”
-“Wow, there really isn’t much difference between the members of BREC and the DEC”
May 22nd, 2012 at 8:27 pm
What makes America wonderful is the ability to exercise our many liberties and rights respectfully and responsibly.
America gets ugly is when we abuse those rights.
It gets uglier still when we are too arrogant to acknowledge the difference.
May 23rd, 2012 at 10:07 am
Buddy, Say it ain’t so! I love you and your column, but resorting to getting photos from “Red Broward” who basically cyber-stalks people is just beneath you. Yes, I’m outing your source because these same photos are on it’s website now so it’s no secret.
This column was always so much classier than Stormin Norman’s and now it’s running in that same area.
Like ya still.
FROM BUDDY:
It ain’t so. I got nothing from Red Broward. I received the photo from a well-known political activist.
May 23rd, 2012 at 12:47 pm
Judicial Watch,
You should have been present at BREC when judicial candidate Steve Feren said this:
“I have some bad news for you. I’m a Democrat!” He got booed.
Too bad nobody filed a complaint.
FROM BUDDY: This needs to be bold-faced.
May 23rd, 2012 at 3:20 pm
There were about 10 people snapping pics of Ilene at BREC. Seriously, it was the Broward equivalent of seeing Barbra Bush hanging in Jamacia for Hedonism.
May 23rd, 2012 at 4:42 pm
This really does not surprise me Buddy. Comm.Lieberman is stone faced . She don’t care. She will get want she wants come hell or high water.
May 24th, 2012 at 8:17 am
not that i’m voting for ilene, cuz i’m not, but if all candidates were invited then it would not be good for her campaign to NOT show up. just sayin’
btw i agree with you buddy… she should not win. but she’s gotta go to this event if all the candidates are going
May 24th, 2012 at 5:15 pm
Buddy,
You should have been in Sunrise when Judge Feren attempted to goad the Commission into back dating an ordinance raising the benefit for the executive retirement package.
All so he could collect an extra $150 per month for life from the taxpayers.
By the way, that was the very night when the newly minted Mrs. Feren boasted that Feren got his deposit back from TAO.