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Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Ind. Courts - "Replacing Owen County prosecutor requires tough decision: Republican Fountain was grooming Andree, a Democrat, for the job"
Laura Lane reports today ($$) in the Bloomington Herald-Times:
SPENCER — When it came to fighting crime, politics didn’t much matter to longtime Owen County Prosecutor Allan Fountain.Republican, Democrat, independent or Libertarian — he didn’t care.
For the lifelong Republican, it was all about working together and putting the bad guys behind bars. He wasn’t interested in their politics, either.
When Fountain died of a heart attack Sept. 26, he was toward the end of his last term in office. Thirty years was enough. There was a plan in place whereby Bob Andree, his deputy for 24 years and a Democrat, would seek the elected office next year as a Democrat, with Fountain’s backing and blessing.
Now, it’s up to the county’s top Republicans to fill the vacancy. Precinct committeemen and women are scheduled to gather at Republican headquarters on the courthouse square at 7 p.m. Oct. 20 for a caucus to select Fountain’s successor.
But will it be the person he wanted to fill his shoes? Will diehard Republicans vote for a Democrat with a qualified candidate from their own party on the ballot? * * *
Nick Robertson, the Republican Party chairman in Owen County, could not be reached Monday for comment.
Anton Neff, his Democratic counterpart, said he understands that the Republicans are entitled to choose someone from their own ranks to complete the remaining 14 months of Fountain’s term. “That’s the way the political process works, and if we were in that same position, the same argument would apply,” he said. “As important as the position is, especially for a rural county, it’s very important that their party take into account all the factors. And whatever decision they make has to be respected, certainly.”
He pointed out that Fountain hand-picked a Democrat, Andree, to be his second in command four terms ago. He did the same thing before Andree when he selected liberal Democrat Frank Nardi, now Owen Circuit Court judge, to be his first deputy prosecutor almost three decades ago.
“I believe it was Allan’s desire to shepherd Bob Andree in to be his successor,” Neff said. “And when you look at the many years of dedication to the county, it would seem like Bob is the choice.”
He said Owen County citizens have proven over the years that they vote not according to party, but by the individual on the ballot.
“They vote for the person. It’s that way every election,” he observed. “People do not vote a straight ticket over here. They don’t let politics get in the way.”
Posted by Marcia Oddi on October 13, 2009 11:35 AM
Posted to Indiana Courts