After Refusing to Apologize for Holocaust Comments, Rebecca Bradley Cancels Appearance at Latino-Jewish Alliance Forum

MADISON, Wis. — According to the Milwaukee Jewish Federation website, Rebecca Bradley has abruptly cancelled a previously-scheduled appearance at a Latino-Jewish Alliance candidate forum. The cancellation comes after two weeks of refusing to address or apologize for her college writings, exposed by One Wisconsin Now, comparing abortion to the Holocaust. The Latino-Jewish Alliance is a partnership of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation and the League of United Latin American Citizens of Wisconsin, and the candidate forum had been promoted as featuring both candidates earlier this month.

“While Rebecca Bradley continues her hollow attempt at an apology tour, she has repeatedly refused to apologize for or even address her comparison of a woman’s private medical decisions with the horrors of the Holocaust,” said Scot Ross, One Wisconsin Now Executive Director. “It’s time for Rebecca Bradley to stop hiding behind talking points and speak directly to the hateful and vile things she wrote. People deserve to know where she stands on these issues.”

Bradley’s cancellation of her event with the Jewish community is not the first time she has refused to meet with groups affected by the extreme views she has expressed. Bradley has also declined to respond to Rep. Mark Pocan’s invitation to set up a meeting for her with the gay community.

Bradley has repeatedly refused to tell the public her current views on the issues she wrote about when at Marquette, ranging from comparing abortion to the Holocaust to blaming women for date rape. Following a Milwaukee Bar Association forum on March 9, 2016, Bradley fielded questions from reporters, including at least three questions specifically asking about her comparison of abortion to the Holocaust. When asked “You’ve apologized to the gay community, will you apologize to the Jewish community for using that Holocaust reference?” Bradley’s response was to turn her back and walk away, shielded by a campaign staffer.

Bradley’s recent comments however, shed some light on her current views on reproductive health, despite her repeated refusal to admit her views in recent months. In a 2013 speech at a Milwaukee Reagan Day Dinner, Bradley said she was “very proud” to have the endorsement of Wisconsin Right to Life in her bid to keep her seat on the Milwaukee County Circuit Court. And, in a 2006 column, Bradley compared birth control to murder.

“Her refusal to show up shows her true colors – she doesn’t have the integrity to face the people she has demeaned and dismissed with her writings,” Ross concluded. “How can we seriously expect Rebecca Bradley to hold others accountable in a court of law when she is literally ducking and running from questions about her own past?”