Indiana Sheriff: "Don't Criticize Me For Campaigning"

That seems to be the message that Democrat Brad Ellsworth is sending after Republicans criticized him for being in Washington while a "man accused of sodomizing a child" was released from jail. Here's Ellsworth's 'defense':
The sheriff acknowledged he was in the midst of a two-day campaign-related stay in Washington, D.C., when a deputy accidentally released accused child molester Matthew J. Long from jail Wednesday. Ellsworth added, however, that hundreds of sheriff's department employees process more than 12,000 jail inmates annually, and he could not have done anything to stop Long's release. "If I had been in the very next room, nothing would have changed," he said. "(The deputy) wouldn't have called me and said, 'Sheriff, should I let this guy go?'"
Isn't that reassuring? And this guy wants to represent the people of Indiana? What type of excuse is it to say that deputies "process more than 12,000 jail inmates annually"? It isn't like all of these inmates are accused of sodomizing children. The sheriff deputies should've paid special attention to this type of prisoner.

His excuse seems to be 'Don't criticize me for not getting the job done. Criticize me for not even being on the job."

Here's how the Indiana GOP and the RNC responded:
  • "Brad Ellsworth clearly cannot afford to spend time traveling across the 8th District asking for money and attacking John Hostettler when his department is letting alleged sex offenders run free," the Indiana GOP's statement quotes party chairman Murray Clark. "Apparently, Brad Ellsworth has a choice to make: He is either a full-time sheriff or a full-time candidate. It is obvious he cannot do both."
  • National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Ed Patru said Ellsworth "needs to make up his mind. Either he is a full-time candidate for Congress or he is a full-time sheriff," Patru said.
Mr. Ellsworth is being paid $115,000 per year to be sheriff. If he isn't going to be available to do his duty fulltime, then he's stealing money from his constituents.

That's unacceptable, though it isn't unprecedented.

Here in Minnesota, DFL Senate candidate Amy Klobuchar is doing the same thing, except she's the Hennepin County District Attorney. Further complicating matters is that violent crime rates are rising in Minneapolis under her watch.

If Mr. Ellsworth and Ms. Klobuchar won't devote the time to doing their current jobs and they won't stop violent criminals from reaching the streets, then they aren't qualified to represent people in Washington.



Posted Wednesday, June 14, 2006 4:34 PM

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