Naked Politics: Is Broward Sheriff Lamberti, a Republican, courting the gay vote?

From The Miami Herald's Naked Politics blog:

Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti will participate in a hate crimes forum at the Gay and Lesbian Community Center in Fort Lauderdale Wednesday night.

Lamberti, a Republican, needs thousands of Democrats to cross over and vote for him Nov. 4. His opponent, North Bay Village Police Chief Scott Israel, has the advantage of being a Democrat in a county dominated by Democrats. But some party activists aren't enamoured with Israel because he switched from Republican to Democrat last year.

The hate crimes forum is sponsored by several gay rights and political groups including the Dolphin Democrats and Log Cabin Republicans. Although the event is technically part of Lamberti's job as sheriff, it will give him exposure as he tries to pick up more votes.

Lamberti's office has reached out to the gay community through town halls. And one of his community involvement specialists, Adriane Reesey, is vice president of the Dolphin Democrats and plays an important role in the gay community outreach.

But some gay voters may want to know Lamberti's position on the Marriage Protection Amendment which would ban gay marriage in the constitution. Lamberti has said he is running a non-partisan campaign so it would be a surprise if he took a stance on that political issue.

Here's the GLBT Democratic Caucus news release:

COMMUNITY FORUM ON HATE CRIMES FEATURES SHERIFF AL LAMBERTI, JUDGE ROBERT LEE

Broward Sheriff, State Attorney’s Office, Broward Leaders to Participate

Fort Lauderdale – Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti, the Office of the State Attorney, and African American and GLBT leaders are among the participants in a community forum on hate crimes to be held this Wednesday night in Fort Lauderdale. The forum will include a discussion of hate crimes in Broward, strategies and successful initiatives, the need for community involvement and mobilization, and other approaches. The panelists will discuss both the unique factors and the commonalities of hate crimes and how they impact different communities. This is the first in a series of community forums to be held throughout the County over the coming months.

WHAT: Community forum on hate crimes

WHEN: Wednesday, September 24

7:00pm

WHERE: Gay and Lesbian Community Center (GLCC)

1717 N. Andrews Ave.

Fort Lauderdale

WHO: Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti

Chuck Morton, Office of the State Attorney

Scott Hall, executive director, Gay American Heroes

Waymon Hudson, president, Fight Out Loud

Tobias Packer, Equality Florida

Judge Robert Lee

Andrew Lewis, chair, American Black Caucus (co-moderator)

George Castrataro, supervising attorney, Legal Aid Service of Broward County (co-moderator)

SPONSORS: Dolphin Democrats

Log Cabin Republicans

Equality Florida

Gay American Heroes

Fight Out Loud

Comments

[Jill]

Sheriff Lamberti is not "trying" to court the "gay vote," he already had it since he was a Major when he personally spent time on 2 occasions in 5 Points actually talking to people, and taking an interest in anti-gay vandalism and violence. These are 2 occasions that I personally know about (and I'm not in the business of keeping track of what the cops do). I'm not surprised he was invited to this forum. He's not ignoring certain parts of the County as so many elected officials do. Who better to invite, and open up to our community's questions, than the top cop in the County?

We Dems don't have the monopoly on diversity and equality. ...AND THANKS MIAMI HERALD for perpetuating labels and partisanship with that headline. That headline reads like a fart in church in this new era where Obama (and even McCain to some extent) are making progress in changing the way we think about issues and politics. You are catering to the same people that just can't get through their heads that Obama can actually LOWER taxes on the middle class because he is a Dem.

[Scamberti]

Al Lamberti is nothing more then a Political Opportunist, he has done absolutely nothing to improve the quality of life of those living in Broward County. Crime is up in every jurisdiction that the Sheriff Office covers and Lauderdale by the Sea is looking for Police and Fire Services else where. Morale in his agency has plummeted to the pre-jenne era and he has a virtual revolution going on amongest the staff of Department of Dentention, Communications, and Road Patrol division of the Department of Law Enforcement due to a complete lack of leadership on the part of the Sheriff. The Command Staff that was responsible for the worst crime statistics scandal in Amercian History are still in their high paying positions with no punishment for their actions. Sheriff Lamberti recently brouught back Ken Jenne's Chief of Staff the currently bankrupt Wiley Thompson in an attempt to woo the black vote. I know I as part of the minority community will not be fooled by these types of Shenanigans and find the Sheriffs actions insulting especially when you consider Mr. Thompson's shady past and him shopping his endorsement in exchange for work. To those in our gay community remember Al Lamberti will be there for you until November 5th and then you will never see or hear from him again. He's a Political Opportunist who has never reached out to your community in the past and will never do so again. Ask around how many people from your Community have been hired or hold a managment level position in the Sheriffs Office??? I know the since Sheriff Lamberti took over not one minority has been promoted and Im sure that none will be anytime soon. Lets not be fooled by another corrupt Politician, Vote for Scott Isreal for Sheriff, the man to bring change to the Sheriffs Office and Broward County.

[David]

"But some gay voters may want to know Lamberti's position on the Marriage Protection Amendment which would ban gay marriage in the constitution. Lamberti has said he is running a non-partisan campaign so it would be a surprise if he took a stance on that political issue."

As a gay activist, I'm far more interested in Lamberti's praiseworthy involvement on hate crimes, or stance on domestic partnership benefits or employment discrimination, than in his stance on marriage equality for same-sex couples. Hate crimes are within the job description of the sheriff as the chief law enforcement official in the county. DP benefits and discrimination issues are as well, by virtue of managing a major government agency. Marriage equality is *not* an issue that falls within the sheriff's scope of duties. (If he were running for the state legislature, I'd care -- but he's not.)

Requiring a stance on marriage equality from a candidate for sheriff is about as logical as requiring someone running for the School Board to take a stand on NAFTA. It's apples and oranges, folks.

[Wiley Thompson]

This is Wiley Thompson. As a former assistant director of the FBI and former Democratic candidate for Sheriff, I would like to take this opportunity to tell you why I crossed party lines and am voting to keep Al Lamberti as Sheriff of Broward County. From community leaders such as city mayors, commissioners, and state legislators – to media outlets such as the Sun-Sentinel and the Miami Herald, to other civic organizations including the Police Benevolent Association, the Fraternal Order of Police, the International Association of Firefighters, the Teamsters Local 769, and the Broward 10-13 Club, we collectively believe that Sheriff Al Lamberti is the most qualified candidate to lead the 6300 employee agency in a full term of office.

When Al Lamberti was appointed Sheriff last year, history was made at the Broward Sheriff’s Office. For the first time in its 93-year history, a Sheriff came up through the ranks. Al Lamberti started as a Detention Deputy in the jail and worked his way through the agency in various positions before being appointed Sheriff by the Governor last year. Coupled with his experience in almost every department within the agency, Al Lamberti’s three decade plus career at the Broward Sheriff’s Office gives him a much stronger advantage than that of his opponent - an outsider - who recently resigned as police chief of North Bay Village, a twenty-man plus agency in North East Miami-Dade County.

The Sun-Sentinel says that if voters choose along party lines in the race for Sheriff, they would be making a mistake since partisan politics has no place in law enforcement. Professionalism over politics is why the Sun-Sentinel endorsed Al Lamberti for a full term as Sheriff stating “it’s about competence and integrity.” In support of professionalism over politics, Al Lamberti’s opponent was a lifelong Republican until he switched parties when passed over by Governor Crist for an appointment as Sheriff. The Miami Herald - in endorsing Sheriff Al Lamberti - stated that his opponent “would have a steep learning curve in directing a multifaceted agency with a $700 million budget and 6,300 employees.”

If you draw comparisons, you will realize there are none between Sheriff Al Lamberti and that of his opponent. Change for change sake is irresponsible. The size and multi-faceted complexities of the Broward Sheriff's Office demands the most seasoned and experienced on-the-job professional, not someone who switched his lifelong party affiliation to advance a career. With that said, I hope you will join me in supporting Sheriff Al Lamberti and vote to retain him as Sheriff of Broward County on November 4th.

Wiley Thompson