Supreme Court Hopeful Bill O'Neill Labeled 'A Knucklehead' By Ohio Senate Dem Leader: Insults Fly In Statewide Judicial Primary

Dem Primary Becoming Bareknuckled Brawl

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- State Sen. Eric Kearney, a Cincinnati lawyer sworn in today as the chamber's top Democrat, has come out fighting for his friend and political ally, Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge Fanon Rucker.   Kearney told a rally of Cincinnati area Democrats last night that Rucker's opponent in the March 6 primary is "a knucklehead" whose lack of political and campaign wisdom "will turn a seat over to the Republicans" on the Ohio Supreme Court.  Kearney didn't identify the knucklehead by name (he did use the term twice).  But he was talking about William O'Neill, a Cleveland area Democrat who jumped into the race last month.

Sen. Eric Kearney

Although he's been out of office for several years, O'Neill is a former state appeals court judge who was decorated for service in Vietnam during the war.  So there is a generation gap (Rucker was born just as the war was ending) though not so much a geography gap because Rucker has gotten traction upstate.  He has snagged the Ohio Democratic Party endorsement, along with backing from the county parties in Cleveland and Youngstown.  Rucker was in the Senate chamber today to give Kearney the oath of office as minority leader -- the judge clearly has friends in high places.


So what exactly is a knucklehead?  Webster's New World Dictionary says it is a slang expression for "a stupid person; fool."  Senate leader Kearney was particularly upset that O'Neill won't accept donations to finance his campaign, which means he's running a futile effort, that he's unilaterally disarmed.  Said Kearney: "This man Fanon Rucker was born to be a Supreme Court Justice . . He's got an opponent, a knucklehead, and he's got to get past this primary."


Rucker, 40, said he got into the race last year expecting that he could concentrate on the general election:.  "Originally I didn't have an opponent.  I was running for November.  All I can do for this primary is ask people to take a look, ask them to investigation, ask them to spread the word about me.  Right now, the momentum in my campaign is incredible.  I'm getting endorsements.  I got Mahoning County and that was important . . . I truly have the desire to ensure public trust in the system."


O'Neill can dish it out, and he's wrongly described Rucker as nothing more than a 'judge in traffic court."  In Hamilton County, the Muny Court has countywide jurisdiction and while it does handle traffic tickets, it also handles misdemeanor crimes and civil cases up to $25,000.  The dockets are varied and frequently involve jury trials.  In a comment on Ohio Daily Blog earlier this month, O'Neill disparaged Rucker and said supporters should not delude themselves.  He said Rucker might not be electable in his own county:

"Sorry to rain on everybody's parade here, but last night was THE FIRST EVENT in the primary race since I was placed on the ballot. And the vote by the Trumbull County Democratic Party was 135 for O'Neill and 15 for Rucker. Let's look at some numbers here folks. Judge Rucker seems to be a very nice guy, and there is no question the Hamilton County Democratic Party arranged for him to be APPOINTED a Judge in traffic court. Since then the local party has seen to it that he has had no opponents, so his electability, even in Hamilton County, is very much in question. There is no question about qualifications. I have served a decade on the Court of Appeals, where I was elected and re-elected in a five county area, and I have sat on the Supreme Court of Ohio by assignment. I even have more judicial experience than the incumbent Justice Cupp! So let the race begin. But please, my friends, don't delude yourself. I am the favorite in this primary and I am going to win. Peace. Judge William Michael O'Neill"

Bill O'Neill's campaign website is available by clicking here.  And you can click here to check out Rucker for Justice.