Chief Justice O'Connor Loses Her Invite to the Cocktail Circuit

With the fate of Ohio democracy hanging in the balance, Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor told voters they will have to slay the elected officials behind the Republican power-grab.

One of the many things that drives me insane about the menagerie of losers that comprise our state government is that they aren’t content with the inherent advantage of rural representation that the dead enslavers who founded this country built into its Constitution.

It’s not like they came to power through good looks or charm. They got it by rat-fucking urban voters at every opportunity as evidenced when they called us “dog meat” while gerrymandering our Statehouse and Congressional delegation back in 2011.

But seven years ago, 70% of Ohio voters approved a Constitutional Amendment that basically outlawed gerrymandering.

Unfortunately Ohio’s political leaders have never shown an interest in enacting popular public policy. They did what Republicans always do in these situations—look to see if any of them can go to jail for ignoring the law entirely. If that’s the case, they’ll simply laugh and do just that.

Lord knows they tried it with their latest Statehouse maps for the 10-year redistricting. These hogs cannot hide their disdain for the people that actually makeup the economic backbone of the state, which is why they produced an egregiously gerrymandered Statehouse map that entrenched their legislative supermajorities.

This case went all the way to the Ohio Supreme Court, where the governor’s son Pat DeWine, who looks like this and was last seen banging his mistress in his mom’s downtown Columbus condo, sits as a Justice. He didn’t even have the decency to recuse himself in a case his side lost.

The ruling should have been an easy 7-0 dunk on the Ohio Republican Caucus’ mapmakers, but the party had enough for a 4-3 partisan split, which would have happened without the interference of Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor.

O’Connor, however, concurred with the three Democrats on the bench. Furthermore, she took what cleveland.com political reporter Andrew Tobias called a “remarkable step” of how voters could liquidate the current partisanship of the redistricting commission if that were a thing they might be interested in doing:

“Having now seen firsthand that the current Ohio Redistricting Commission — comprised of statewide elected officials and partisan legislators — is seemingly unwilling to put aside partisan concerns as directed by the people’s vote, Ohioans may opt to pursue further constitutional amendment to replace the current commission with a truly independent, nonpartisan commission that more effectively distances the redistricting process from partisan politics.”

Will the hog voters of Ohio rise up and cast aside this small faction of partisan hacks who would end democracy tomorrow if it ensured them power? No, absolutely not.

Chief Justice O’Connor definitely took a piss on legislative hobgoblins, and it’s always a good day if guys like State Rep. Brian Stewart (R-Ashville) are crying on social media.

Brian Stewart @BrianStewartOH

The Ohio Supreme Court has had the redistricting cases for nearly 4 *months*, and has taken 2 weeks to write up a decision, but the liberal majority now expects the Redistricting Commission to approve new maps in 10 days.

Brian Stewart @BrianStewartOH

It shouldn't be surprising since she has repeatedly weighed in on political & legislative issues during her tenure, but it's still incredible to see CJ O'Connor's opinion in the redistricting case comprised entirely of lobbying voters for a new amendment.

Keep Rep. Stewart in your thoughts and prayers, folks. Between this ruling “of the liberal majority” and Columbus floating the idea of a downtown Amtrak “choo choo” station, he’s realizing how infantile his politics truly are—like a man trying to build a the great pyramid of Giza while only armed with two pounds of Play-Doh.

Though this ruling is the base minimum for judicial integrity, Chief Justice O’Connor also deserves kudos for throwing away her invitation to every upcoming Republican cocktail junket. (Not like those cold-blooded freaks know how to party anyway.)

Guys like Rep. Stewart expected her to tow the bad-faith party line, and she didn’t. The ire being tossed her way is only surely beginning.

This is a win for any shred of democracy we have left to maintain in Ohio (and yes, I recognize corrupt Democratic cabals in our cities also have blood on their hands). I don’t want to get too excited though. Republican ratfuckery always seems to find a way in this state. But maybe this time is different.

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