Chris Abele Suspending Values Tour

By Jeff Simpson

Capper has well documented, the exploits of current Milwaukee County Exec Chris Abele.  Anything that happens with him should come as no surprise. 

We pointed out recently how Leadership MKE, the political arm of Abele, is working hard to temper the coming blue wave. 

The fake Democrat Abele's group, led by GOP allies George Aldrich(Abele's Chief of Staff) and Andy Suchorski(Abele's Political director), have been attacking progressives in Milwaukee.

Now "Leadership MKE" (who the hell named that), has jumped in the Sheriff's race by strongly backing Richard Schmidt.  Yes, we live in a Democratic Republic and you can back who you want to back, but when the person you are backing believes this:

The criticism surfaced Monday about comments Schmidt made last year during a podcast interview. Schmidt told domestic violence victims who are Christians to submit themselves to the Holy Spirit, adding that God would restore their relationships.
Schmidt also failed to criticize the podcast host, a minister who said the victim should change, not the abuser. 

But wait there is more - like an exact quote:

“If someone is struggling, and their marriage is just a disaster ... get off God’s throne, submit yourself to that person and love that person,” Schmidt said. “If we’re Christian we submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit ... get off the prideful ladder, [and] God can bless that marriage and restore those relationships.”

Yes, if your spouse is beating you, you need to be a better person.   As the saying goes in right wing wacko land

Q. What do one million battered women have in common?
A.  They just don't listen! 

What does the Milwaukee County Exec Chris Abele. the guy who paid to keep the courthouse open so our LGBTQ friends could get married, one of the main funders of Emerge, do about this revelation? 

Doubles down to support Schmidt!

Abele has sicced his political hit team after Lucas and supporting Schmidt.

There is a saying that you reflect your values in how you spend your money.  Abele has shown his by going all in with Schmidt.   Which means the next move is Emerge's.

Abele is a huge funder of Emerge, and everyone needs money:

Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele, $900,200. Abele, who was first elected county executive in 2011, is also a businessman and philanthropist who traditionally supports Democratic candidates and groups. Abele’s 527 contributions went to the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, which backs lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender candidates nationwide, and Emerge Wisconsin, which helps elect women Democratic candidates.

EmergeWI has the following vision and mission:

Our Mission: To increase the number of Democratic women leaders from diverse backgrounds in public office through recruitment, training, and providing a powerful network.
Our Vision: To change the face of power, politics, and leadership in this country in order to have policies that are responsive to all Americans.

A great organization, dedicated to a great cause surely would publicly let everyone know that this was a bridge too far for them. 

Unfortunately no.   

When I contacted Emerge about it, I was told that he is just a donor and not on the board and that the money does not come with strings, so while they were disappointed they have no control over it.

Money ALWAYS comes with strings. 

Readers of CogDis, will remember, that when Diane Hendricks became chief fundraiser for the Donald, that I asked that my alma mater Beloit College remove her from the Board of Trustees(Here, here, here and here). 

I was given the same basic response from Beloit College, which can be interpreted as Money Changes Everything. 

But wait there is more.  Another person who has not weighed in on this horrible controversy is Kelda Roys, candidate for Governor? 

Why is this issue relevant to Kelda?  Because as a small business owner, she relied on investments.   One of her biggest investors?

Chris Abele! 

Research suggest that police officers have a much higher rate of domestic violence than the general population and since it is already very hard to get away and get help, what is the message you are sending to the community when the head acting law enforcement officer believes such incredible things?

While I admire Emerge WI and Kelda Roys for the positive difference they have made and are making in our state, their failure to publicly admonish Chris Abele in this instance, because he writes big checks, is very disappointing.

As Margaret Atwood says:

“Better never means better for everyone... It always means worse, for some.”

Milwaukee "Democrats" Are Sabotaging the Blue Wave

By Jeff Simpson 

 As we are on the verge of a blue wave, as we have seen all over the country, and shortly that will start ramping up towards the November election.   

In Wisconsin, before we can even start to concentrate on getting some of the hard care right wing extremists out of office, there is a major obstacle to overcome first.  

Milwaukee Democrats.  

First there is the Supreme Court race, where there are three candidates(Burns, Screnock and Dallet).  Tim Burns proudly wears his progressive values on his sleeve and that does not sit well with the right wing.  It also does not sit well with Dallet, who has decided to spend her time attacking Burns.   

While campaigning throughout the state and at many Democratic events, Dallet, (with a team run by "Democratic" consultant and former Hillary top staffer and also working with Nation Consulting) takes every chance she can to run down the Progressive name and values.   

"He'll do whatever he thinks democracy dictates," she said, "But we as courts are limited." 

Dallet contended that despite Burns' claim of candor, he hasn't fully identified his clients, or how many cases he's handled in Wisconsin courts. She's dubious he would follow the law when it would direct an outcome he doesn't like.

Yes, she is trying to get elected and needs to discredit her opponent, the thing is the opponent she gives a pass to, is a twice arrested hard core right wing Walker apologist.    

Staying in Milwaukee, we see that Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele, has started his own attack on Democrats.   

Abele wrote a check to start a PAC which is poorly called Leadership MKE.   Abele launched his new PAC to attack local leaders and stack the deck with Abele supporters in the spring election.   

 Leadership MKE will focus on numerous elections this Spring, including several Milwaukee County Board campaigns, local mayor races, and potentially some suburban school board and trustee elections.       
The organization’s platform is focused on continuing Milwaukee County’s growth through sustainable investments in social services, including investing in public safety services to make our communities safer, County Parks to ensure a high quality of life for all residents, public transit to connect workers to jobs, and local infrastructure projects to grow and attract new businesses across Milwaukee.  

The reality is that Abele, who has put hundreds of thousands of dollars into this PAC, is using it to target anyone that dares criticize his budget.   

It is incredibly interesting that Chris Abele has to charge people to park in public parks, but has an extra half million to attack the county board, laying around. 

Edit note: At some point the public needs to say no more of politicians spending millions of dollars attacking each other while children starve on the streets. 

As above, who is running this dark money attack on good people? 

Why long time Democratic insiders of course.   

George Aldrich, former chief of staff for Peter Barca, and Chris Abele and head of the Assembly Democratic Campaign Committee(which oversaw the Democratic drubbing in 2016) is executive director.  Andy Suchorski, former Nation employee, who also had a hand in the ADCC drubbing is Abele's and Leadership MKE's political director. 

With so many Democratic insider mercenaries working so hard to taint the Progressive and Liberal name in WI, all for a paycheck, that could be the biggest roadblock to the blue wave that Wisconsin so desperately needs. 

With friends like these, who needs enemies! 

If November does not go well, remember these people!

 

Joe Donald Doesn't Merit Your Support

By Jeff Simpson

We have reported before on the upcoming Supreme Court race (primary on February 16th) especially in terms of the Walker flunky - Rebecca Bradley.  Bradley, who was not even a judge before 2010, has been on the fast track of getting appointed to new positions by Scott Walker.  While Ms. Bradley likes to tell people she is an independent, her works speak louder than her words, and we all know that to be complete bull.



Most people who care about the law, and are not bitter partisans, would be disgusted by this blatant show of partisanship by a Judge.  However there is one prominent person that has supported Ms. Bradley through the years - Joe Donald(her primary opponent).  

Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Joe Donald, one of two candidates vying to unseat Justice Rebecca Bradley on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, endorsed Bradley's 2013 campaign to remain on the Milwaukee County Circuit Court and served as a reference for her application to the 1st District Court of Appeals in 2015.

So why would an "impartial" Judge give  glowing recommendation to a bitterly partisan Judge who has not earned her own stripes and is just there to do Scott Walker's bidding?  

The answer from the campaign is probably the worst possible answer they can give:

"Joe usually, unless he has a serious problem with the person, usually supports the incumbents. Left, right, doesn’t matter," Suchorski said. "That was primarily it: as a fellow incumbent judge, he supported her."

Let's look at that again and really let it sink in:

 "Joe usually, unless he has a serious problem with the person, usually supports the incumbents. Left, right, doesn’t matter," Suchorski said. "That was primarily it: as a fellow incumbent judge, he supported her."

The Donald campaign is telling us that Judge Donald's word means absolutely nothing.   That Judge Donald has decided if you have the job of Judge you might as well have it forever and it does not matter how qualified you are (or are not), Judge Donald will write you a recommendation.  

Many positions rely on recommendations in hiring qualified people.  If you recommend people who you feel are not qualified you are doing a great disservice to the people who are being recommended, the people looking to hire and your own reputation?

According to Donald's campaign manager, Mr. Donald does not care about any of the above issues and will just give anyone a standard recommendation that asks.  

How does that laziness, and lack of effort translate into how he will research a tough issue and rule on it according to the law?

That is up to you to decide, but in my mind it is very troubling.

That is why I support Judge Kloppenburg to be our next Supreme Court Justice!!!