More drama from the soap opera of Vigo County politics...

[PVnRT]

For those who care or who are interested, Vigo County Democratic Central Committee Chairman Mike Ellis wrote in to the Tribune-Star to defend his support of Republican candidates for county offices:

Linkage

Although Etling, the chairman of our Democratic Central Committee, is in the process of removing me as their secretary for not supporting all of our Democrats, I am, in fact, the only Democrat officer who is in tune with our Democrat constituency. Many of our Democrat leaders fail to recognize that it is the interests of our Democrat voters who we should be loyal to and not the interests of political bosses. The days of making decisions in smoke-filled backrooms and then mandating them against the will of the public should be gone. My inability to conform to their mandates is what this is really all about. For that, I will never apologize.

...

Ironically, while I’m being chastised for supporting Republican Terry Modesitt for prosecutor, our Democrat Chairman Joe Etling vowed to support Republican Terry Modesitt if Democrat Hal Johnston had won the Democrat primary. In that case I would have been in trouble for supporting the Democrat, if I chose to, because the “party bosses” had made a decision to support the Republican against Hal Johnston. I think Hal Johnston would have made a fine prosecutor too.

...

I don’t want to further divide our party by requiring you to vote which of us is a better Democrat. The fact is that none of us have been very good lately because we’ve lost our two major offices to the Republicans. Sure, many of us good Democrats helped that happen, but it is our fault that we couldn’t encourage good, qualified Democratic candidates to run so that we would have the opportunity to nominate them as our candidate for the fall elections. We all share in that blame together.

Even more reasons why working with the Vigo Country Democratic party organization is a complete, utter waste of time.

[IndianaGreen]

1. Anyone that refers to the Democratic Party as the "Democrat" Party is a repuke

Mike Ellis is nothing more than a fifth columnist for the GOP. Good riddance!

[LiberalFighter]

2. They should refer to the Party Rules

Grounds for Removal

Any party officer of a Party committee may be removed only for the following reasons:

1) Neglect of duty;
2) Willful violation of these rules;
3) Conviction of a felony;
4) Disloyalty to the Democratic Party; or
5) Any course of conduct that does not promote the best interest of the Party or creates dissension within the Party.

He may also be a precinct chair or vice chair.

Duties of Precinct Officers
(1) Inside his or her precinct, the precinct committeeperson’s duties include:
(A) Polling residents;
(B) Registering voters;
(C) Maintaining a current poll list of voters;
(D) Identifying and assisting absentee voters to register;
(E) Promoting Party candidates;
(F) Operating an election day organization;
(G) Encouraging voting by persons preferring Democratic Party
candidates;
(H) Recommending persons for the precinct election board;
(I) Recruiting volunteers for the Party;
(J) Attending training and other party-building activities sponsored by the
State Committee;
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(K) Reporting periodically on the state of the Party to the county chair or
his or her designee.

[PVnRT]

3. The Vigo Co. Democratic Party is more concerned about status quo

They always have been and always will be, rules be damned.