Desperate for Attention, TJ Johnson Smears Brunner
Submitted by Anthony Fossaceca on Tue, 03/09/2010 - 10:43am.
Unwilling to graciously accept defeat, former US Senate candidate TJ Johnson is now trying to smear Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner. In a press release issued by the former candidate this morning, Johnson claims - without offering a shred of proof - that Brunner is involved in "foul play" because more than half of the 2000 signatures she submitted turned out to be invalid. This doesn't sound like "foul play" as much as it does sloppy campaigning.
From the now-former candidate:
Traci “TJ” Johnson community servant and candidate for United States Senate finds herself caught between two political giants, Lee Fisher and Jennifer Brunner. Johnson, in a history making feat, is running to become the 1st Female and 1st African American United States Senator for the State of Ohio. If elected she will be the only African American in the United States Senate.The Johnson for United State Senate Campaign is alleging foul play and conflict of interest from the Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner’s Office. The campaign gathered and filed close to 2,000 signatures for the office of the United States Senate with Jennifer Brunner her opponent. Brunner’s office validated 834 signatures preventing her opponent Traci “TJ” Johnson name from appearing on the May 4, 2010 Primary Election Ballot.
Johnson campaign is in disbelief after collecting close to 2,000 signatures to have 834 validated to miss the ballot by 166 signatures. “We will contest this decision made by my opponent and her office. I owe it to the people of Ohio to make sure that we have a fair and equitable political process. I will fight to make sure that every signature is counted.” The Johnson campaign has vowed to scrutinize the remaining 1166 signatures and validate each signature.
“Ohioans across this State are fed up with the games that politicians play with people’s lives. This new government demands new leadership, Washington is regurgitating politicians every month. We can no longer send politicians to Washington, we must send real people, who relate to real problems, concerned about real people and will provide real solutions.”
This is so bullshitty
that I think we can discard the idea that Lee Fisher is behind this. This approach would destroy his campaign if he won the primary and if his involvement came out, which it would. His campaign has been inept but not this self-destructive.
Frankly, this strategy of suing Jennifer for spurious, unsubstantiated allegations to try to make her look like she's using her office for political motivation sounds so familiar that I now believe Johnson is an operative for Rob Portman. This is perfect ammo for the Portman campaign. If Lee wins the primary, they can tie it to him. If Jennifer wins, they can sabotage her by saying, "See – even Democrats thinks she's misused her power." It's got Republican fingerprints all over it. I don't care if Johnson is technically a Democrat. People can be bought. In Pennsylvania a few years back there was a campaign in which a Green candidate was almost entirely financed by the Republican Party in order to steal votes from the Democrat.
If Johnson is in such "disbelief" that more than half her signatures — probably collected on the fly since she seems to have no organized campaign whatsoever — are invalid, she doesn't have a clue how things work. She's given absolutely no reasons for running. In fact, her naked playing of the race card is shameful. Virtually ALL she is touting is that she would be the first African-American senator from Ohio. That's not a qualification; it's pathetic. Where are her extensive position papers on issues relevant to the African-American community — like job creation, education, foreclosure remediation, health-care access? Nonexistent.
She plays the race card the way Republicans do, where skin color automatically demands support regardless of qualifications or position (Anyone remember "Help us make history — elect Ken Blackwell Ohio's first black governor?" The black community didn't fall for that either.)
She's a Portman shill. I think it's obvious.
Since I posted that, I have learned
that the SoS office doesn't validate the signatures; the local boards of election do. So Traci "TJ" Johnson has just made an ass of herself in a very Republican manner reminscent of John Boehnhead.