April 4, 2013

"Scott Walker may stop filling Dane County judge vacancies after 2nd appointee loses."

"Walker told reporters it was 'unfortunate' that Dane County Circuit Judge Rebecca St. John lost Tuesday's election."
She was defeated by attorney Rhonda Lanford, who used the Walker connection to attack St. John during the campaign.

"The mayor, the (district attorney) and others said that St. John was a great candidate," Walker said. "Unfortunately I think that politics has trumped that."
Why give a good person the kiss of death?
"In the future it probably doesn't make a lot of sense to try and go through that appointment process and make someone who's a good judge — or a good lawyer — be in a position like that," Walker said. "It just doesn't make any sense to drag people through that."
This would mean leaving vacancies unfilled, which seems a bit punitive/dysfunctional, but how is Walker supposed to identify the right person? Who deserves the responsibility along with the burden of fighting against the horrible accusation that you were picked by Scott Walker?

55 comments:

MadisonMan said...

Nobody said it was easy.

Ann Althouse said...

What's the "it"?

Patrick said...

Easy solution Pick hard leftist judges, taint them with the smear of his appointment, and have them lose to a conservative judge at election time.

James said...

That's balanced by the re-election of Rebecca Bradley in Milwaukee County.

" Judge Bradley also served as President of the Milwaukee Lawyers Chapter of the Federalist Society, an organization founded on the principle that it is emphatically the province and duty of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what it should be.

Bob R said...

Walker could nominate a Democrat. Are the people of Dane County smart enough to see through that?

Abdul Abulbul Amir said...


He needs to appoint Loony Tune lefties so they get the kiss of death.

traditionalguy said...

Scott could chose Jessie Jackson, Jr., who could use the job and some good rehab time in Moscow by the Mendota.

Steve Austin said...

Amazing the Walker appointee was endorsed by both Soglin and Ozanne.

But this is fine. That way when these judges strike down more Walker legislation in 2015, they will all have the unionista taint to them. The more Kloppenburg, Sumi, Roseanne Barr angry types on the Madison bench, the better the optics for conservatives.

Plus we are doing our job in the Red counties to make sure the anti-Walker judges get the boot -See Wolfgram, Thomas.

So the battle continues.

garage mahal said...

Poor baby. Is little dictator going to stop appointing judges in Lincoln County too?

sane_voter said...

Anybody know where St. John is politically? I saw she previously was appointed as an assistant state Atty Gen by the Dem AG, so I wouldn't think she is a far right conservative.

Farmer said...

"Unfortunately I think that politics has trumped that."

When Walker wins, it's the will of the people; when the other side wins, it's unfortunate "politics."

MadisonMan said...

"It" is open to interpretation.

I can't quite tell if Walker is complaining about his appt going astray, or is frustrated that a good Judge was torpedoed in a guilt-by-association campaign, or is annoyed that he had to spend time on this.

MadisonMan said...

Also, what Farmer said.

Farmer said...

It's such a shame we can't just prevent people in Dane County from voting for their elected officials. Clearly the reasonable course of action is for Walker to pout and refuse to participate anymore. Sure, it'll cause a backlog of cases, but that's what you get for not doing what Walker says you should.

madAsHell said...

Maybe he should pick some activist, lefty type judge, and burden them with his association at the polls.

damikesc said...

I can't quite tell if Walker is complaining about his appt going astray, or is frustrated that a good Judge was torpedoed in a guilt-by-association campaign, or is annoyed that he had to spend time on this.

All of the above, likely. What remotely qualified jurist would accept the appointment now, knowing that they will never win an election and will be smeared by morons in Madison for doing a job, no matter their political leanings?

Let the dogs sleep in their own shit.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Pay to play... don't leave home w/o it.

Simon said...

It's a little different, but not fundamental, to the situation with the GOP refusing to confirm any appointments to, oh, what was it called, the CFPB? The Elizabeth Warren thing. Our line was: look, our role is to decide whether the President's nominee is a good fit for the position, and yes, that typically means deciding whether this person is a good fit for a position that is taken for granted, but if we conclude that the position is so fundamentally-misshapen that no one could be a good fit for it, then yes, that means rejecting all nominees to it. Effectively, you use the appointment process as a veto-after-the-fact on the office. Presidents can do the same thing: Imagine that President Obama had concluded before arriving in office that the creation of the DNI was fundamentally misbegotten. He can't repeal IRTPA, but he doesn't have to nominate anyone to the position or spend the money appropriated for the position.

So Walker seems to be doing something a little like this. If you don't like my nominees, fine. I don't really think that these courts do anything useful—at least, not useful enough to be worth the hassle—and I'm the one who makes appointments, so I'm just not going to appoint anyone, and see how that works out for you.

Curious George said...

"Farmer said...
It's such a shame we can't just prevent people in Dane County from voting for their elected officials. Clearly the reasonable course of action is for Walker to pout and refuse to participate anymore. Sure, it'll cause a backlog of cases, but that's what you get for not doing what Walker says you should."

Of course this is not in any way accurate. The fucktards in Madison will get an opportunity to vote.
Walker is simply saying he will not go through the bother nor appoint a qualified person to be a judge because morons like you will simply vote them out. Why put a good person through that.

I'm with damikesc, let the dogs sleep in their own shit.

James Pawlak said...

A Walker Judge won this week in heavily Democrat Milwaukee County.

In the Dane County Peoples Republic that seems unlikely.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Why give a good person the kiss of death?

When he can give them a wristband instead.

garage mahal said...

It seemed to have lit a fire under Walker, judging by this fundraising letter.

LOL

He admits there are more Democrats than Republicans in Wisconsin. Losing a race here or there shouldn't make him so upset.

tim maguire said...

In a democracy, people deserve the government they get. And if you get a critical mass of liberals who prefer dysfunction to admitting a political opponent may have done something right, then they should have dysfunction.

tim maguire said...

I wonder if the liberal commenters here have (or will) bother to notice that the complaint is not that the appointee lost, but that the race was used as a proxy to vote against Walker, in the process smearing a good and dedicated public servant.

MadisonMan said...

I'm really uncaring when it comes to doing something that upsets a politician, by the way. This makes me a horrible horrible person, I know.

It's not the role of the people to be cowed into being easily governed. It's the role of the elected rulers to do the job they were elected to do with a minimum of complaining and tax dollars.

Calypso Facto said...

Losing a race here or there shouldn't make him so upset.

I don't read it as Walker being upset about the loss of a race, like you said, that happens in politics. I read it as true distress that rabid partisanship in Madison leads to reflexive attacks on a judge originally hired by Dem Peg Lautenschlager and endorsed by virtually the entire current Circuit Court as well as the Dem Mayor and Sheriff, etc., just because she happened to be appointed to the open seat by Walker.

The vitriol boils up quickly in Madison when the liberal hegemony feels threatened -- even when there is no real threat.

edutcher said...

If these races are that county-specific in regards to Walker's endorsement, I can understand the sour grapes of the Lefties

Lipperman said...

It's such a shame we can't just prevent people in Dane County from voting for their elected officials. Clearly the reasonable course of action is for Walker to pout and refuse to participate anymore. Sure, it'll cause a backlog of cases, but that's what you get for not doing what Walker says you should.

Appointees, especially in Dane County, are well aware of the underhanded tactics of the left.
Public service does not necessarily have to be a career. Governor Walker should appoint a young, talented law professional, who could benefit from even a short stint on the bench while providing great service to the community.

garage mahal said...

The vitriol boils up quickly in Madison when the liberal hegemony feels threatened -- even when there is no real threat.

A Walker appointee lost in Lincoln County as well. But that doesn't serve the Big Bad Madison Boogeyman narrative that he can fund raise off of. He's just about run out of people to blame for his failures I think.

test said...

garage mahal said...
He's just about run out of people to blame for his failures I think.


Revealing that garage defines failures as electoral losses. Walkers has returned the state to solvency from the fiscal disaster Democrats were pushing it into and that doesn't merit a comment. But a judge Walker nominated lost, so Walker's a failure.

Why are the leftist nuts so conditioned to consider party politics the determinant of success or failure rather than the effects government policy has on the state and country?

On the one hand it's sad, but mostly it's a warning. Don't put them in office: they don't care what effect their policies have as long as they can pass them. Think Obamacare.

Farmer said...

So Walker seems to be doing something a little like this. If you don't like my nominees, fine. I don't really think that these courts do anything useful—at least, not useful enough to be worth the hassle—and I'm the one who makes appointments, so I'm just not going to appoint anyone, and see how that works out for you.

Ah, the "take my ball and go home" approach to governing.

Curious George said...
because morons like you will simply vote them out.


I didn't vote for either candidate. I wasn't going to vote at all but I decided to at the last minute because the kids were being unusually well-behaved while I was out running errands with them. I didn't have time to look into which of the judges was the Walker appointee so I abstained. If I had voted in that race, I'd've voted for Walker's appointee because my understanding is that she's done a good job, and I think it's silly to vote somebody out just because you don't like the guy who appointed them. Just as silly as throwing a hissy fit because your appointee got voted out.

Lipperman said...
Governor Walker should appoint a young, talented law professional, who could benefit from even a short stint on the bench while providing great service to the community.


Exactly! I can't figure out why so many of you guys would prefer that he hold his breath until he turns blue. It's embarrassing to have a governor who flies into a snit every time he doesn't get his way. Do your job.



kjbe said...

I'm really uncaring when it comes to doing something that upsets a politician, by the way. This makes me a horrible horrible person, I know.

It's not the role of the people to be cowed into being easily governed. It's the role of the elected rulers to do the job they were elected to do with a minimum of complaining and tax dollars.


Agreed.

SteveR said...

Lots of projection in the comments. Who's upset?

garage mahal said...

Revealing that garage defines failures as electoral losses.

Actually I didn't. But, carry on, moron.

KJE said...

If he wanted to prove a point; he'd appoint the most bat-shit insane liberal he could find to the vacancy. Give them the shit sandwich for which they yearn.

Calypso Facto said...

A Walker appointee lost in Lincoln County as well.

The fact that Walker isn't lamenting that loss just bolsters my point.

Big Mike said...

@Althouse, you and Meade don't live in a county. You live in one large lunatic asylum.

Petunia said...

Walker "flies into a snit every time he doesn't get his way"? Are you for real? He's remained incredibly calm and professional during the past two-plus years, including during the liberal hissy-fit at the Capitol and the idiotic recall campaign, and despite all of the death threats and downright stupid dictator and Hitler references, and his response to St. John's defeat was thoughtful and measured.

Sadly, the majority of Dane County voters, who (falsely) pride themselves on being educated and informed, can't get past their Walker derangement and will robotically vote against anyone associated with him, because said voters are...well...morons.

garage mahal said...

Walker surprised a city and county he shits on constantly votes against him?

He's delusional.

President-Mom-Jeans said...

Bitchtits Mahal says:

He's just about run out of people to blame for his failures I think.

Who do you blame for your failed marriage, fatboy? I'm guessing Bush, but thats just a shot in the dark.

Calypso Facto said...

Because limiting someone's ability to help themselves to state revenues is exactly like "shitting on" them.

garage mahal said...

Because limiting someone's ability to help themselves to state revenues is exactly like "shitting on" them.

He always craps on Madison and Milwaukee. He campaigns on it.

test said...

garage mahal said...
He always craps on Madison and Milwaukee. He campaigns on it.


Reading garage is a case study in pathology. We need video, frothing at the mouth is hilarious.

Calypso Facto said...

He always craps on Madison and Milwaukee

Well maybe Madison and Milwaukee should stop taking a disproportionate share of tax revenues. Just a thought.

garage mahal said...

. We need video, frothing at the mouth is hilarious.

You are never hilarious. Or interesting. Or informative.

Just mindless whining from thread to thread.

Douglas2 said...

He should just appoint an eminent retired place-sitter like MA did to replace senator Kerry, and let whomever wishes to run unsullied by his endorsement do so in the "nonpartisan" election.
Or is there something that requires one candidate to be sitting in the position?

President-Mom-Jeans said...

Bitchtits the Uneducated says:

"You are never hilarious. Or interesting. Or informative."

This less than 24 hours after Althouse described his contributions as a "quagmire of your incoherent, inconsistent lefty bullshit."

Perhaps if you had gone to college you might have learned self awareness.

garage mahal said...

All the stupid trolls who follow me around like lost puppies are here, except for Drago. He should be here any minute to come and step on a rake.

test said...

garage mahal said...
. We need video, frothing at the mouth is hilarious.

You are never hilarious. Or interesting. Or informative.

Just mindless whining from thread to thread.


I'm quite relieved. If I was producing the drivel you think interesting I'd be as useless as you.

Anonymous said...

garage,

How is Walker a dictator?

President-Mom-Jeans said...

Yes bitchtits, posting on a forum is absolutely following you around. It's all about you fatboy, its all about you.

Poor persecuted you, why don't you go the Inga route and complain that people are stalking by posting on a semi-public forum.

You are a sad pathetic loser. You can rage against Walker all you want, but he continues to govern your state. No amount of your secret router shrieking, puppet shows, or your incoherent lefty bullshit changes that.

You are and always will be a failure in education, marriage, and physical fitness. These are undisputable facts.

But back to the topic of Walker and Wisconsin judges, how are those union dues going now that the government is not acting as collections agent?

tiger said...

It's things like this that make me frustrated with Walker.

In his polite low-key way he should say 'FY' and keep filling them.

What a spineless guy - and I like him!

tiger said...

'garage mahal said...
Walker surprised a city and county he shits on constantly votes against him?

He's delusional.'

How long have you been an alcoholic - or are you still in denial?

garage mahal said...

Yes bitchtits, posting on a forum is absolutely following you around

You do follow me around, loser. Get a life.

Kylos said...

Am I missing something? How can Walker's response be considered a snit or spineless? It's pragmatic. Why waste effort on the the residents of Dane county who will only reject his appointees? Is there really any argument that any of his Dane county appointees would not be rejected in an election? He's the governor of the whole state, after all, and I'm sure he has more productive things to do with his time.