CBS/AP/ July 24, 2010, 11:12 AM

Inflammatory Language Rejected From Wisc. Ballot

A legislative candidate from Wisconsin barred from using a racially charged phrase to describe herself on the ballot is taking her fight to federal court.

State law allows independent candidates to have five words describing themselves placed after their names on the ballot.

Ieshuh Griffin, an independent running for Milwaukee's 10th District seat in the state Assembly, wants to use the phrase, "NOT the 'whiteman's bitch."'

The state's Government Accountability Board on Wednesday barred her from using the language on the ballot, and on Thursday she filed a federal writ of habeas corpus seeking an order allowing the wording.

The board said the wording was pejorative and therefore not allowed.

Griffin argues the wording is protected free speech, and defended her slogan to CBS Affiliate WDJT correspondent Dylan Wilbur.

"'Whiteman's bitch' is in quotations," said Griffin. "It's not geared towards a person. The whiteman is a compound word put together. A bitch is a dog or a rollover.

"I'm making a statement that says, 'I'm not an average politician,'" she told Wilbur.

After first saying she couldn't use the phrase on the grounds that it's obscene and derogatory, the state's Government Accountability Board voted 3-2 Wednesday to allow it, reported WDJT. However, four votes were needed.

So as of now, Griffin will only have "independent" next to her name on the ballot.
© 2010 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
41 Comments Add a Comment
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weetersonline says:
That Dylan fellow is quite the reporter.
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NoApologies says:
Time and time again we see the value of Victim Status in this country.

Black people will fight to keep their status no matter what. No racism on the part of a black person, no matter how horrific, will ever be seen as racist in the eyes of the black racist. Likewise the smallest most inadvertent, unmeant slight will be akin to a lynching in those same eyes.

Equality is the last thing the black racist wants. They enjoy too much the shield that victim status provides. The shield that tells them that all their failures are someone elses fault. Every traffic ticket, arrest, lost job, denied loan and drug addiction are someone elses fault. Equality will come when they stop blaming others and cast off the cloak of victimhood and they will never do that.

BTW... brianbwb2015 asked for an example of government sponsored black racism... it's called affirmative action.
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theskeptical1 says:
Maybe she doesn't have any connection to the "whiteman", but there's no doubt that she's a howling b|tch.
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euge005 says:
I would be willing to take a chance with her for a term to find out if Michelle Bachman or the lizard Gingrich were the alternative.
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Shocktribe says:
I'm thinking Obama/Griffin 2012. Replace "Change you can believe in!" with "Can you spare some change?".
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euge005 replies:
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I must agree with the ruling, but not knowing what roads she walked cannot condem her reasons.
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rwperkinsjr says:
This lady doesn't realize that these are the types of things that only continue to fuel racism against her?

I, myself am of the human race. My skin happens to be white but my blood is red, just like yours. I have no desire to keep any other skin color down and and I have no desire to call others derogatory names or make inferences of racism.

If you are a racist you will attract racist opinion, that's all there is to it. I live in an area where the white man is a minority. My area is predominately Spanish and Native American. I get along just fine because I am not a racist. I do not look at others and see their skin color, only their skin.

I personally feel this lady is trying to wage a war against all white man when the war she should be waging is probably directed at a few white men and maybe even a couple brown or black men.

Just because a Spanish guy walks by me and says, "F'n gringo," under his breath does not mean I am going to persecute all Spanish men, only that one that has shown his racism. I'm not going to pass that hate on to the next Spanish person I see by calling them a , "F'n ****!"

Come on and quit whipping a dead dog. Racism is not a general notion of our society anymore. I hear more about racism from the people screaming about racism than I do from the people that are supposed to be racist.

I don't know if you have noticed yet but our President is BLACK. Bury the dog you've been whipping already. There is more than enough opportunity if you stand up and take it. Not steal it but work hard, be honest and fair and treat others with dignity. It's that simple and the rest of us complicate it with all of our drama and crap. Now we require more and more laws are made to make us do things that should just be common basic human decency.

Smile and shake the hand of the next serviceman or servicewoman you see, no matter what color they are, and say thanks. Those men and women are the only reason we have the right to discuss things of this nature or have an opinion or even run for the assembly of WI.

Exhibit some self respect. It does not matter what color you are, if you exhibit self respect, intelligence and can communicate and cooperate and work well with others, opportunity is still there but by being difficult to get along with it's not going to come knocking on your door for sure.

Combative is not attractive.
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rockcutr says:
You are what you eat.
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1renegade says:
And not a word from the NAAPC, I mean NAACP.
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dagrandma says:
Stirring the pot a bit, isn't she?
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babooph says:
In a nation where LBJ met with people sitting on the john,this seems calm enough-leave her to her slogan...
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