"Levelheaded and Unbiased," Barker Revisits The Durham DA's Race

The Herald-Sun published a curious letter today from John L. Barker of Monroe, North Carolina. Mr. Barker writes:

"The wrong choice?

"Last November, the voters of Durham County were given a choice of candidates for the job of district attorney: a left-wing, liberal idiot who had no political experience or understanding of the job, a civil lawyer who stated he would not serve if he was elected and an experienced criminal lawyer. One in eight voted for the criminal lawyer. The lawyer elected has embarrassed the county so much that Duke University's early applications have dropped 20 percent and he has turned the case that he campaigned on over to the state's attorney general.

"Says a lot about the intelligence of Durham voters, doesn't it?"

It appears that today’s letter is not the first instance of Mr. Barker arrogantly insulting the intelligence of Durham voters. Mr. Barker, it should be noted, interjected himself into the election campaign by posing as John L. Barker Strategies of Union County and producing a phantom election poll supposedly commissioned, according to Mr. Barker, by Senator Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) and other “powerful people.” The results of Mr. Barker’s homegrown poll were released by Nifong running mate Steve Monks in a desperate effort to shore up a campaign that appeared doomed following an independent poll commissioned by the News & Observer which showed Monks polling a pathetic 2% of the vote. Mysteriously, the Barker ruse showed Monks with 22% support.

At the time of the release of the “poll” results, both Mr. Barker, who is the former head of the Union County Republican Party and once was arrested for threatening the life of Governor Mike Easley, and the Monks campaign refused to offer any underlying data for the poll. When a search for information on the elusive John L. Barker Strategies showed no record of such a company registered as a business with the State of North Carolina or Union County, Mr. Barker was kind enough to share some information, about his company and his first, and only, venture into political polling, with an associate of LieStoppers. In addition to informing us that Senator Dole was among the sponsors of the poll, Mr. Barker also claimed that his company was a subsidiary of Harvard University’s Barker Center for the Humanities which, Mr. Barker initially asserted was named after him. When confronted with the understanding the Barker Center at Harvard was the Robert and Elizabeth Barker Center, Mr. Barker, who was born twenty-one years prior to the date Robert and Elizabeth Barker’s eldest child graduated from Harvard, then claimed that Robert and Elizabeth were his grandparents. Oddly (or not), Robert Barker’s obituary lists Margaret Shelly Barker as his only grandchild.

Like many others who have played a role in enabling the Hoax, Mr. Barker (who recently supported his application for a local planning board by claiming: "I believe that levelheaded, unbiased people must do their civic duty if we are to have a better Union County."), fails to apologize for his complicity while instead pointing fingers elsewhere. Although it is uncertain what effect Mr. Barker’s attempt to dupe Durham County voters had on Monks' subsequent rise from an inconsequential 2% to a tide-turning 11%, his letter arrogantly mocking the intelligence of the same voters he deceived further demonstrates the superiority without substance that defined the Monks campaign.

Recall Nifong - Vote Cheek Interviews

In interviews yesterday with John Stevenson of the Herald Sun and Julia Lewis of WRAL, Beth Brewer, spokeswoman for the Committee to Recall Nifong - Vote Cheek, introduced the grassroots movement of Durham residents to the local media. In his enlightening account, Mr. Stevenson notes that the non-partisan group of Durham residents:

• intends to "ensure that the opportunity to restore trust to the office of District Attorney will not be lost."
• expected its efforts would be supported by most of the 10,000 people who signed Cheek's June petition.
• realizes that its "unique approach to this election may be seen in some quarters as a response simply to the drama surrounding the much-maligned prosecution of the Duke lacrosse players” however its mission is not only about the Duke case.
• trusted that “Governor Easley [would] appoint a new District Attorney that would serve this community with honesty, integrity and professionalism”

Regarding the November dance’s designated third wheel, Brewer and Stevenson offered the following:

• "I don't know Steve Monks," Brewer said Monday. "I don't know him as a lawyer. I don't know him as a person. I like his energy, but I frankly don't think he has a chance."
• Monks must run on a write-in basis because an insufficient number of voters petitioned the Board of Elections to place his name on the November ballot.

Mr. Stevenson concludes by offering what appears to be an endorsement of the group’s Anybody But Nifong approach and aim from Lewis Cheek.

• For his part, Cheek said Monday he was totally uninvolved in the district attorney election, even though his name is in the title of the Committee to Recall Nifong -- Vote Cheek.
• "Just because it has my name on it, it doesn't carry with it the implication that I am campaigning in any way," said Cheek. "
• Still, Cheek said he didn't believe a vote for him would be irresponsible or wasted. "It's a vote for the governor to be able to choose somebody," he added. "Sure, it's an unknown, but you're depending on the governor to seek advice and put a qualified person in that position. I don't think there's anything irresponsible about that."

In her brief appearance on WRAL and the accompanying article, Brewer indicated that RN-VC had begun fund raising efforts and reiterated her trust in Governor Easley to make a wise and carefully considered decision regarding Mr. Nifong’s replacement. "We trust he would look at what Durham voters are saying and would appoint someone in there who would unify Durham instead of tear us apart," Brewer said.

Herald Sun
WRAL

The People of Durham v. Defendant Nifong

With hope that this is just the first of several upcoming trials for Mr. Nifong, it appears that proceedings have begun today in the Court of Public Opinion otherwise known as Durham County, North Carolina.

This afternoon, both Steve Monks and the Committee to Recall Nifong - Vote Cheek declared intentions to challenge Mr. Nifong this fall.

Herald Sun

“Conceding that he desperately needed to boost his name recognition, local Republican Party Chairman Steve Monks ended weeks of speculation Wednesday by saying he will run as an unaffiliated write-in candidate for district attorney in November."

The Committee to Recall Nifong - Vote Cheek filed with the Durham County Board of Elections as a Political Action Committee according to Committee spokesperson Beth Brewer. Mrs. Brewer indicated that a formal statement would be released Monday. The Committee to Recall Nifong - Vote Cheek may be contacted at 919.310.1147 or bbrewer@recallnifong.com.

At issue in this trial by election will be Mr. Nifong’s conduct over the course of his brief occupation of the District Attorney’s office. Will the jurors known as Durham County registered voters find Mr. Nifong guilty of betraying justice and public trust in this trial by election?

Will these jurors be asked to consider additional charges against Defendant Nifong such as:

1. Placing persecution before investigation
2. Jumping to false conclusions
3. Improper self insertion into lineup procedures
4. Impersonation of a DPD Chief Investigator
5. Conduct unbecoming a District Attorney by temper tantrum and foot stomp
6. Menacing by verbal assault
7. Inciting racial and social division in their community
8. Electioneering
9. Misappropriation of Public Trust
10. Indecent exposure of Durham County to Civil Lawsuits
11. Hijacking the District Attorney‘s office for his own personal fiefdom

Will the voting jurors of Durham County find Mr. Nifong guilty of incompetence?

Will his temper tantrums be introduced as evidence?

We expect that Mr. Nifong’s defense may be, “But I was a really, really adequate assistant DA for long, long time and you should have seen me in traffic court.”

Jury deliberations are expected to conclude on November 7.