Uppity Wisconsin

Unless memory fails me, it has never happened in the past, no matter how vile, false or egregiously unfair the ad's claims may be.

But Supreme Court candidate Mike Gableman has set a new standard with an ad so despicable that even Sykes had to "throw a flag" on it.

Other right wing bloggers have tried out some tepid defenses of the Gableman spot, designed to make people think that Justice Louis Butler got a child rapist off and released, only to have him rape another young victim.

But Sykes had this to say:

Somewhat predictably, the left is trying to play the race card, by claiming that this ad is somehow racist. Actually it's worse: it is misleading. And, therefore, dumb. The case in the ad is not one Butler handled as a judge or a justice... it focuses on a case he handled as a public defender, a very different matter altogether. The viewer has no way of knowing that even as a lawyer Butler was NOT responsible for Mitchell being out on the street again. The prosecution WON on appeal. So the claim that Butler was somehow responsible for the subsequent rape is completely unfounded.

The irony is that there are more than few legitimate rulings Butler has made that the ad could have discussed. Butler's record on the Supreme Court is an especially target-rich environment.

Instead, they opted to go with an ad that debases the debate and is likely to backfire on the campaign.

"offensive, race-baiting style reminiscent of the infamous "Willie Horton" advertisement."

To view the commercial and read more about it, visit this post: Willie Horton, with Grisham plot, comes to Wisconsin.