Judicial Activism is both praised and criticized, as it often divides the court„ but it has without question produced valuable results over issues that were controversial at some time, such as Brown v. Board of Education, a critical case that brought an end to segregation during the 1950s. This judicial activism is defined as ‘an […]
The following text (in two e-mails) below was received from timkisting@aol.com, commenting on a brief analysis (SC Decision Striking Down Gun Control Is Fine with This Progressive) on the Supreme Court decision, District of Columbia v. Heller (07-290), that was picked up in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel on Sunday. Well, let’s hope this guy, timkisting@aol.com, doesn’t […]
Earlier this week the Capital Times newspaper called for the recall of ethically challenged Supreme Court Justice Annette Ziegler. They point to her blatant violations of very clear conflicts of interest rules prior to taking her seat on the high court. Her serious and repeated violations of judicial ethics rules are not the only reason […]
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has denied pharmacist Neil Noesen’s petition for review of the 3rd District Court of Appeals decision upholding the Wisconsin Pharmacy Examining Board’s (PEB) reprimand. Noesen, the state-licensed pharmacist who refused to fill or transfer a woman’s birth control prescription in Menomonie in 2002, was disciplined by the PEB in 2005 for […]
Shortly after Annette Ziegler was elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court she closed her campaign committee and took her seat on the high court. Not so for the latest Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) empty suit Michael Gableman. He has started campaign fundraising some 10 years early. He is scheduled to have a fundraiser in […]
John McCain’s campaign is loooking at the recent campaign of Michael Gableman for Supreme Court as a possible route to winning Wisconsin in November. What’s wrong with that? Gretchen Schuldt nails it: Gableman’s disgusting campaign focused on racial fear-mongering. How low will McCain go?
Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has had a rough couple of weeks recently. First he and his partisan hires have been waging a war on the professionals in the Department of Justice. Van Hollen has demoted some of the most respected law enforcement officers in the nation while at the same time actually driving […]
On June 7, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin will celebrate the 43rd anniversary of Griswold v. Connecticut. This landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision paved the way for recognition that birth control is basic health care for women. The 1965 ruling marked the first time that the Supreme Court recognized that women’s reproductive decisions are protected […]
Once again John Torinus has written a column trying his best to minimize the serious violations of Justice Annette Ziegler. Like Ziegler, Torinus is willfully ignoring many factors in the unprecedented decision by the Wisconsin Supreme Court to discipline one of their own. Once again he fails to inform readers of his own conflict while […]
JB Van Hollen’s refusal to investigate Mike Gableman runs in stark contrast to his public integrity promises as a 2006 Attorney General candidate.
Several months ago One Wisconsin Now filed a complaint with the new Government Accountability Board regarding Supreme Court Justice Elect-Michael Gableman. At the center of the issue are what appear to be political calls that he made from a state phone when he was the Ashland County District Attorney. Calls were made to Republican fundraisers, […]
It is no secret that anti-choice groups have long used radical tactics to oppose abortion. This year, we saw young children outfitted in “I survived the American Holocaust” tee shirts in legislative hearings in the Wisconsin capitol. Last July, we watched in horror as a group of “pro-lifers” staged, in front of a Milwaukee abortion […]
In an editorial today the Tomah Journal highlights a case that came before the Wisconsin Supreme Court last week. The case involved the family of a three-year-old boy suffering from brain cancer and a large HMO. The same day that the court slapped fellow Justice Annette Ziegler on the wrist for her willful violation of […]
On Wednesday the State Supreme Court issued its ruling in the disciplinary case against Justice Annette Ziegler. The matter has been a dubious first in the history of the high court. As expected, Ziegler’s colleagues took the recommendation of the Judicial Commission and the Judicial Conduct Panel and gave her a public reprimand, which was […]
In April One Wisconsin Now filed a complaint against Burnett County Judge Michael Gableman with the new Government Accountability Board (GAB). The complaint centered on what appear to be political fundraising phone calls that he made from the Ashland County District Attorney’s office. These troubling actions took place at the same time that the caucus […]
MILWAUKEE — Senator John McCain has been a rubber stamp in the U.S. Senate for the failed agenda of George W. Bush. That’s the message behind the Stamporee event One Wisconsin Now (OWN) is holding outside the Wisconsin Republican Convention in Stevens Point today. “Whenever Bush has needed another rubber stamp in the U.S. Senate […]
Although Wisconsinites passed the ‘marriage amendment’ in 2006, polls at the time showed that they were supportive of domestic partnerships and civil unions. Advocates warned that the amendment would endanger both. Supporters of the amendment disingenuously claimed that it was only an effort to legally define marriage and not one to kill domestic partnership benefits […]
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling that Indiana’s voter ID law is constitutional, about 12 Indiana nuns were turned away Tuesday from a polling place because they didn’t have state or federal identification bearing a photograph. Another person who attempted to vote with a federal ID card was turned away because the card […]
On Friday, the Wisconsin State Journal fawned over Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen in an editorial. It was about a recent opinion that he issued regarding open records on traffic accidents and crime in local communities. While the paper praised Van Hollen for sending a ‘strong signal’ it would have been nice if they also […]
America Votes Statement on Indiana Supreme Court Ruling The voice of every American citizen needs to be heard at the voting booth. It should be easier— not more difficult— for Americans to cast their ballots. This is why the Supreme Court’s ruling upholding Indiana’s law requiring voters to present government identification is so deeply disturbing. […]
On Monday the Supreme Court upheld Indiana’s strict voter ID law. The most direct and accurate analysis of this decision was by Representative Gwen Moore (D-Milwaukee). She said that the decision was ‘an unconstitutional solution in search of a problem.’ This is such a good statement because it is accurate and gets directly to the […]
In Wisconsin, approximately half of the African-American population does not have driver’s licenses, and at least 123,000 people were found to have no form of state-issued photo ID in 2005. And 33% of Wisconsin’s DMV offices, where one theoretically could register to vote, are open less than 4 days a month. Lucky for us, though, […]
There has been some discussion in the news regarding the electoral process and a futile attempt by the Wisconsin State Senate to reform it. Several bills were sent to the Assembly to reform such things as the State Supreme Court races and fund raising. These were all conveniently dropped into committee to die by the […]
On Wednesday Democrats and some Republicans in Congress tried to pass a discrimination bill. It would have allowed employees more time to sue if they were being discriminated against in pay. The bipartisan effort was unsuccessful because of an almost exclusively Republican filibuster. Even if the measure would have passed, it would have also faced […]
Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) successfully bought a corporate majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court this week. They accomplished their goal in the most dishonest and deceptive of ways, churning out a nonstop flow of deceptive ads. They were successful at kicking out one of the most brilliant minds and first ever African American on […]
Even Charlie Sykes, who has no shame, is embarrassed — not by the kind of campaign that WMC and Mike Gableman ran, but by the candidate. He posts this comment from someone he calls a “savvy listener”: Shame on conservatives from letting 2006 hangover result in putting up such a completely lame slate of candidates. […]
“Have you no sense of decency, sir?” Said more than 50 years ago by Joseph Welch in the famed Army-McCarthy hearing, the phrase should be directed this Wednesday morning to Charlie Sykes, the WTMJ radio talk nut. Justice Louis Butler was unseated by a narrow margin from the State Supreme Court in voting yesterday and […]
Paul Singer has come to Wisconsin in the form of $40,000 in late contributions to Judge Mike Gableman from himself, an executive at his company and couple of people with Singer’s same last name. Singer is the slug who’s made his money by operating so-called ‘vulture’ funds, where he purchased government bonds from poor counties […]
Exactly one year ago, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel thundered with rage at Linda Clifford. The Supreme Court candidate had the temerity to use the name of the might Journal Communications newspaper’s name in an autocall going to potential supporters that referenced, well, the Journal Sentinel’s endorsement of her. In virtually the last seconds of the […]
Direct democracy is a necessity in this country. Being able to vote in open, free elections is important and everyone should have a voice to decide who works in their government. However sometimes appointments should be left to the governor and not to the voice of the Wisconsin voter.Such is the case in the current […]
Over the weekend the Associated Press ran a story pointing out the striking similarities of the current fight for Wisconsin’s Supreme Court and a new John Grisham novel, The Appeal. I have not read the book but just hearing some of the details, it seems like someone at Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) got an […]
Honestly, is this some kind of a sick joke? The guy that has been running around the state claiming to be tough on crime sat on a murder case for two years or more? Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Dan Bice has revealed the details of a homicide case while Michael Gableman was Ashland County District […]
Mike Gableman’s largest donors come from Colorado it turns out. John & Carolyn Saeman of Denver wrote $20,000 in checks to Wisconsin’s Gableman a couple of weeks ago. The Saeman’s, who run an investment company in the Rocky Mountain State, are also big fans of George “Macaca” Allen and Rick “Man on Dog/Savage Love Noun” […]
It was just last week that the state media did blanket coverage on issues of open records and open government. It is part of a tradition that they call Sunshine Week. Apparently after only a week they are already burnt out from open records issues. Yesterday the Burnett County District Attorney began looking for a […]
Several newspapers have noted Michael Gableman’s inability to let go of his constantly repeated talking points. Even when a conservative paper tried to ask him about a case that he has used to criticize his opponent, he remained evasive. We can now see with less than a week to go, that Gableman simply refuses to […]
The Burnett County District Attorney has contacted law enforcement officials to serve as a ‘special prosecutor’ regarding Mike Gableman’s refusal to release his public records.
Heirs of the Wal-Mart fortune have given at least $6,000 to Mike Gableman’s campaign for Wisconsin State Supreme Court. Who knows how many countless dollars they may have given to the right wing front groups like WMC to churn out sleazy ads? So why would out of state fat cats from the world’s largest corporation […]
For Release On: March 25, 2008 For more information contact: Jennifer Epps 414-443-0682 Fed up with Injustice, Milwaukee Residents “Rise Up” More than 1,000 city residents unite to solve Milwaukee’s economic crisis Milwaukee is facing harsh economic times. In response, residents are “Rising Up.” At 5 pm on Saturday, March 29th, just 3 days before […]
Supreme Court candidate Michael Gableman has traveled around the state complaining about specific cases in which incumbent Justice Louis Butler rendered a decision. Although Gableman repeatedly fails to offer a legal argument that Butler applied the law incorrectly, he and his allies continue to use these selected cases as a basis for removing Butler from […]
There seems to be a theme developing in the media regarding Michael Gableman. It is not one that would surprise those that have been paying close attention. Apparently they are just beginning to get a clue that this guy is little more than a walking breathing list of talking points. A couple weeks ago I […]
Roundly criticized for his Willie Horton-style race-baiting TV spot, Burnett County Judge Mike Gableman got more bad news yesterday. Dodge County District Attorney Stephen Bauer officially yanked his support for Gableman, citing the ad and calling the ad “revolting.” According to Bauer: “This is not a factual ad. …This crossed the line. It was revolting, […]
Yesterday One Wisconsin Now was forced to file an open records complaint because Michael Gableman has refused to turn over emails from his state account. He claims that eight of those emails are personal even though they fit our search criteria of mostly political names and words. Yesterday the Associated Press reported on our struggle […]
*UPDATE BELOW*Way back in September, One Wisconsin Now made an open records request of Burnett County Judge Michael Gableman. In it we asked for copies of emails from his state email account that fit a very specific set of keywords and phrases. Most of them were political which included both names of individuals and organizations […]
Don’t mind me, I’m just practicing my hand at writing a Gableman/WMC style attack ad. You see, the United States Supreme Court threw out the murder conviction of a man yesterday because they found that the prosecution improperly kept African Americans off of the jury during the African American defendant’s trial. I can already see […]
We already know that when Michael Gableman was working in Appleton as an Administrative Law Judge, that he traveled to a Republican fundraiser some 250 miles away without taking off from his state job. While he was being paid by the hardworking people of Wisconsin, he was busy traveling the state to help raise cash […]
*UPDATE* I learned after posting this item that John Torinus decided not to serve on the WJCIC after all. I am only aware of one news source that reported this change in his status and missed the development. The Wisconsin Judicial Campaign Integrity Committee made a few late additions to their ranks, both of which […]
As Cory pointed out, Mike Gableman’s unconscionably slimy ad about Louis Butler is a knock off of the race-bating Willie Horton ad that ran during the Bush-Dukakis race of 1988. Any thoughts on the next old inflamatory ad they’ll borrow from? Maybe this one?
Last year I went to the Online News Association conference and blogged about the experience. The highlight for me was when Jim Pugh joined a panel discussion on polling. Jim is the resident mouthpiece for Wisconsin’s corporate lobby, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC). As I reported last year, Pugh was nearly laughed out of the […]
When Michael Gableman refused to sign a clean campaign pledge that simply sought to reinforce the judicial code, I wondered what he had in mind in this race for our high court. Now we know, he is intent on dragging it into the lowest gutter. Michael Gableman did not use his very first ad to […]
Mike Gableman has been touting his crime prosecuting prowess. While on the loathsome Vicki McKenna’s show in December (fyi — she called OWN “soulless”), Gableman said, ‘I did prosecute everything from child sexual assault cases, arson cases, white collar crime, and domestic abuse.’ But two media outlets have analyzed Gableman’s claims, which are currently being […]