Local Mayor "Booted" from Democrat Party for Supporting a Republican

Mayor Martin Zanotti of Parma Hts has been the shown the door at Cuyahoga County Democrat HQ for supporting a republican candidate over a democrat.

Taking immediate action Democrat Chairman Jimmy Dimora sent Zanotti packing with this message, "Don't let the democrat door hit you in your republican supporting ass."

From the PD Tip Off --

Zanotti, president of the Cuyahoga County Mayors & Managers Association, is miffed because Dimora criticized Zanotti's public endorsement of Bay Village Mayor Deborah Sutherland, a Republican running for Cuyahoga County commissioner against incumbent Democrat Peter Lawson Jones.

Zanotti accused Dimora of excluding him from a recent breakfast meeting of Democratic suburban mayors and said Dimora made political threats against him during the meeting.

"Finding and supporting strong Democratic candidates is laudable, but strong-arm tactics and attempting to relive the bygone days of machine politics does nothing but stifle our future," Zanotti wrote. "Petty politics should not be allowed to stand in the way of the progress we are making in developing bipartisan solutions."

To which Dimora says, "Huh?"

"Peter Lawson Jones is an incumbent officeholder. A Democrat. And he is head over heels well qualified to be re-elected to this seat," said Dimora. "It is my personal responsibility as chairman of the party to support Democrats. We're a partisan organization. That's why they call it the Democratic Party. I'm not chairman of the Bipartisan Party of Cuyahoga County."

Zanotti offered to resign from the party's executive committee if members of the party "so choose." Dimora said he accepts the resignation.

"I'm glad he did the noble thing and resigned because I would have had to remove him anyway," he said.

"It's in the bylaws of the party. It's a mortal sin. You cannot be on the executive committee of the Democratic Party and support a Republican."

Petty politics? No Mayor Zanotti it is called partisan politics.

A partisan party cannot operate successfully if the members are going to support candidates from the other party. It does not bode well for the integrity of the party when members of the executive committee or officers of the party give to the opposing side. Being on the Executive Committee of the Cuyahoga County Democrat Party, Zanotti should have known better.

Even though he is a democrat, I could not agree more with Dimora's decision on removing Zanotti. I believe if you choose to engage in party politics you must accept the partisanship that goes with it. It is well known throughout the ranks of politically active people in Cuyahoga County that Dimora and the democrats do not tolerate this behavior.

The removal of Zanotti for supporting a republican only further reinforces what has been known for a long time around here - Democrats do not tolerate party members supporting candidates from any opposing party.

Which brings us to my party - the Republican Party of Cuyahoga County (RPCC). The bylaws of our party also indicate RPCC member's should not donate or support a member of another party. This section of our bylaws seems to have been forgotten by several members of our party.

Last month I asked RPCC Chairman Rob Frost on his feelings about several of our party members donating too and publicly endorsing democrats over republican candidates. Even though Democrat Chairman Dimora did not need prodding to show leadership and take action - I am still awaiting a response from RPCC Chairman Frost.

Unless the Republican Party of Cuyahoga County has turned into the Bi-Partisan Party of Cuyahoga County and our chairman is just there collecting a check - the answer should be a no-brainer!