Tuesday, April 1, 2008
8:44 AM
Interest groups use mail to boost SC candidates
The national Rifle Association Political Victory Fund issued an "election alert" for Supreme Court candidate Michael Gableman via a blaze orange postcard.
The mailer tells hunters and anglers:
"In the years to come, the Wisconsin Supreme Court will hear cases that permanently define the scope of our Right to Keep and Bear Arms and the Right to Hunt and Fish. When those cases come before the Court, we must have a friend like Judge Michael Gableman who supports our rights. His opponent, Justice Louis Butler, has a track record of casting the Court's deciding vote in cases that arrogantly overturned voter-approved constitutional protections. In 2006, Butler was even part of the 4-to-3 majority that denied a citizen the right to carry a firearm for self defense."
Mailers from the AFL-CIO and AFT-Wisconsin have similar messages encouraging union members to vote for Butler. Both mailers say, "Any gains workers win at the bargaining table and in the Legislature can be stripped away in the courts. That's why it's important to support candidates for the state Supreme Court who understand the needs of working families."
The AFL-CIO mailer adds, in part: "Big corporate interests recognize the importance of the state Supreme Court and have worked hard to elect justices who will bend the law to serve the needs of corporations and the wealthy. These interests will spend millions to support Justice Louis Butler's opponent."
WEAC's PAC sent out a mailer last week urging a vote for Butler.
The mailer reads, in part: "Long before Louis Butler was a Supreme Court justice, he grew up in the projects of Chicago. His family was not wealthy, but they had hope that their son would have opportunities they did not. As Barack Obama would be our nation's first African-American president, Justice Butler was the first African-American person to serve on Wisconsin's Supreme Court. Conservative activists are seeking to win a majority on the court by waging a disgraceful campaign to defeat Louis Butler. It's up to you to make a difference!"
The mailer also includes a line that reads:
"We need someone who will be FAIR when issues come before the Court:
Equal Rights for All Individuals,
Corporate Scandal and Corruption
Environmental Protection."
Labels: 2008 spring election
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