oddly enough

oddly enough

Federal court bars candidate’s lawsuit over expletive

MADISON, Wis.

A federal court has rejected a lawsuit filed by an independent candidate for the state Assembly in Wisconsin who wants to use a racially charged phrase to describe herself on the ballot.

U.S. District Judge Rudolph Randa said in the order filed Wednesday that Ieshuh Griffin’s lawsuit must be dismissed because it was a habeas corpus action and those require the person bringing it to be in custody.

Randa did not rule on the merits of the lawsuit. Griffin is fighting a decision by the state Government Accountability Board barring her from using the phrase “NOT the ‘whiteman’s b----’” to describe herself on the ballot.

The judge said Griffin’s claims should be brought in a civil-rights lawsuit.

Griffin, who is black, told The Associated Press on Thursday she intends to refile the lawsuit as a civil-rights action as the judge recommended as well as appeal his order rejecting the original lawsuit based on how it was filed.

State law allows independent candidates to have five words describing themselves placed after their names on the ballot as long as the description is not pejorative, profane or discriminatory.

Errant ear swab sends Romanian leader to hospital

BUCHAREST, Romania

The mystery of the Romanian president’s unscheduled hospital visit has been explained.

News that President Traian Basescu had to see an ear, nose and throat specialist at the Military Hospital quickly became the top news story of the day Wednesday. Television crews rushed to the hospital, and speculation ran rampant, with political rival Claudiu Saftoiu hinting that the 58-year-old president’s health maybe be suffering due to overwork.

Hours later, Basescu finally disclosed the purpose of his visit — in another unscheduled appearance, this time on national television.

After his morning swim, he accidentally had rammed “a cotton bud in my ear the wrong way” while speaking on the phone to a minister, the president told the nation.

No further details were given.

Officer’s pay raise up to voters

ADDYSTON, Ohio

If an Ohio police officer expects to hold onto a pay raise, he’ll need the support of voters in his community.

When he received a promotion two years ago, police Cpl. Don McWhorter was given a 3 percent raise in Addyston, 11 miles west of Cincinnati.

A short time later, all village employees got a 3 percent raise except for McWhorter because of his promotion.

Some Addyston council members didn’t think that was right, so an ordinance passed earlier this year gave McWhorter the raise, retroactively.

Residents unhappy with the ordinance have placed an issue on the fall ballot to overturn it.

Associated Press