A last thought before the election results come in

Who woulda thunk the Ziegler-Clifford Supreme Court race was the substantive court election?

The hits just keep on coming

I let my inner Silvio Dante do the talking in this week's column. I don't think Democratic activist Ruth Page Jones and Project ABC are going to like my giving away the plot. And I reminince about how the hit on Annette Ziegler backfired and it was Linda Clifford that got whacked.

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Predictions and last minute observations

I don't claim to have inside information; I'm only making these predictions from observation. But if you were going to bet on the State Supreme Court race (and we all know that would be wrong), then I'm guessing the negative ads worked and we're looking at Clifford the Big Red Dog winning 52% to 48% over Annette "Gut Check" Ziegler.

Owen Robinson has some contrary poll numbers from the Wisconsin Realtors showing Ziegler up by 17%.

Just a couple of observations about the race. Fred of Real Debate forwarded and Owen at Boots and Sabers posted a phone call made by Clifford supporters without the required disclaimers. I wonder who paid for those?

Speaking of Owen Robinson, some interesting developments in the complaint filed with the state elections board. Representing Monica Sitter who filed the complaint is attorney Bruce Davey of the law firm Lawton & Cates. Also practicing at Lawton & Cates is former State Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager (they must have great parties). Lautenschlager recently endorsed Linda Clifford. It's a small world after all. (The attorney for Ms. Sitter has not responded to my questions about whether they intend to widen the complaint to include liberal blogs endorsing Clifford.)

Finally, I find myself in agreement with Mike Mathias on the subject of Clifford's campaign using the endorsement from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. If the editors didn't want Clifford to use the endorsement, don't make the endorsement. Gee, why should the "public" be confused about whether the newspaper is supporting Clifford after the newspaper declares that it is supporting Clifford?

Heck, I've used the Journal Sentinel's endorsement in campaigns even when they endorsed my candidate's opponent.

Update! 7:13pm
Proof that you can get a good education at UW-Milwaukee:
Mike Mathias, Tim Rock, Jessica McBride and I all agree - The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel should stop their whining and do some real reporting. Now if we could only agree what that is!


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Philosophically unqualified

The verdict is in. I have weighed the evidence, listened to the charges and counter-charges, and while I agree Judge Ziegler did violate the rules, I find her opponent Linda Clifford guilty of being philosophically unfit to serve on the state supreme court.

In the case of Ziegler v. Clifford, the choice is between Ziegler’s conflicts of interest and Clifford’s competence to serve. While nobody can point to a case where Ziegler benefited from her decisions, it’s pretty clear that her opponent is confused about the nature of the office she is seeking. Clifford envisions the state Supreme Court as a super Legislature, achieving legislative ends by judicial fiat. The office she is seeking calls for someone to interpret the law rather than write new law.

Clifford’s philosophy renders her more fit to serve in the Assembly than on the state’s highest court. On Tuesday we’ll see if the voters agree.

I gotta admit, if the balance of the court wasn't in question, I might've been more supportive of the idea of putting the philosophically troubling Clifford on the court. But because she would complete a tilt to the Left on the state's highest court in judicial philosophy, and because that philosophy is damning in itself in rendering someone unfit to serve, we'll go for the candidate who must've been sleeping through the lecture on, "Kick those conflicts of interest down the road."

It's the vote for the least amount of harm. Doesn't mean you have to like it.


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This will be funny to about twelve people

With the state supreme court election less than a month away, I decided to do my public service by giving you this do-it-yourself get-out-the-vote postcard for you to mail out the Friday before election day. Remember, it doesn't matter whom you remind to vote as long as don't tell them to vote for a particular candidate. I suggest sending this to those possible voters that live in the suburbs in traditionally Republican voting areas, as nobody ever reminds those people to vote. When was the last time you saw Jesse Jackson registering white suburbanites to vote? So do your part and help remind them to vote, too. Use the postcard below (I suggest printing it before trying to cut it out) and make sure your Republican or pro-life friends remember to vote on April 3rd.



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Who asked for your vote?

In this week's column for the Waukesha Freeman, I tell the voters, let's not ask which politician to vote for, but ask which politician asks for our vote. It's my plea for more candidates to actually go door-to-door to campaign, and not just at my house.

Years ago when I first learned about political campaigning from the Republican National Congressional Committee, we were told the most important asset to any campaign was the candidate. Not because we could mold him or her to our will as political consultants, but because the voters were much more likely to vote if asked by the candidate.
Think about your own experience as a voter meeting a candidate and how often you were more likely to vote for that person even after just a two-minute conversation.

In a similar vein, Dave Diamond explains why he "sucks" and decided not to go to the polls, Linda Clifford didn't ask him.

Y'see, where I live there was one and only one primary on the ballot, state Supreme Court. And Linda Clifford hasn't asked me to vote for her. Everyone else on every Dem mailing list I'm on has asked, but I've yet to get an e-mail or phone call from the Clifford campaign. Thus I couldn't vote for her, because I have a personal rule about not voting for people who don't ask me.

Given the Big Red Dog is going to need every vote she can get out of Dane County in April, I suspect Dave will be hearing from her soon.

And in the "Great Minds Think Alike Department", it's purely coincidental my use of American Idol as an example of Democracy in action and this discussion between Ann Althouse and James Pinkerton. But it's fun just the same.

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Ziegler, Clifford advance

Hardly earth-shattering news, but Annette Ziegler and Linda Clifford advance to round two of the race for state supreme court. My prediction at the beginning of the year of a Ziegler victory in April looks better than ever, with Ziegler's impressive vote total on Tuesday ("57 percent, according to unofficial returns with 70 percent of precincts counted").


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Check the endorsement

An interesting question before tomorrow's primary is why the Pro-Life Wisconsin Victory Fund (PLWVF) PAC endorsed attorney Joe Sommers over Annette Ziegler. Despite the ravings of one blogger, the answer is really quite simple, and was easily found out with a phone call to Pro-Life Wisconsin's Legislative Affairs Director Matt Sande. The simple answer is that Annette Ziegler apparently did not seek PLWVF's endorsement, and did not respond when the PLWVF attempted to ask the candidate about her views. Joe Sommers, on the other hand, was a known quantity to Pro-Life Wisconsin, is outspokenly pro-life, was responsive to the PLWVF's board, and lives by a pro-life philosophy.

Ziegler's campaign manager Mark Graul did speak with Matt Sande last week, and Sande said he was assured Ziegler is a strict constructionist. However, Sande pointed out the Pro-Life Wisconsin Victory Fund would be unable to continue the process to determine if they should endorse Ziegler without being able to question the candidate. Sande said, "the door is always open."

A couple of other tidbits.

This is the second statewide race in a row for Republican campaign manager Mark Graul where the candidate did not seek the Pro-Life Wisconsin Victory Fund endorsement. Last election cycle it was former Congressman Mark Green's campaign for governor. (Mark Graul did not return my call.)

The Pro-Life Wisconsin Victory Fund did receive a response from Linda Clifford, who declined to state her views on abortion saying it would be "inappropriate." No word why the other interest groups would be more appropriate.

Update! I forgot I wanted to add WVCY's interviews with the three candidates can be found at their website.

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