Wis. Supreme Court race ends Tuesday
Third party groups have spent millions in advertising
By Kevin Mueller
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- The Wisconsin Supreme Court election is Tuesday
- Third party groups have spent $1.5 million on television ads between Feb. 20 and March 16
- The two candidates have spent $86,938 on television ads
- More than 4,500 television campaign advertisements aired
Television advertisements shown over the airwaves have gone to great lengths to try to deceive voters before the election, said Mike Buelow, research director for Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, a non-partisan political watchdog group.
Between Feb. 20 and March 16, viewers watched 4,789 television campaign advertisements, according to a recent report by the Brennan Center for Justice.
During this time, third party groups spent about $1.5 million on television campaign advertisements while the two candidates spent a combined $86,938, according to the report.
The two candidates, Justice Louis Butler and Burnett County Circuit Judge Michael Gableman, are vying for a 10-year term on the Supreme Court in a statewide general election.
Judicial elections are nonpartisan.
The election comes a year after Linda Clifford and now-Justice Annette Ziegler fought for a spot on the Supreme Court when third party groups spent a record $3.1 million, according to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.
The group advocates against phony issue advertisements, which don't clearly advocate who to vote for. The groups aren't required to file reports on where its funding originated, Buelow said.
"You can't ban those sorts of groups," Buelow said, but Wisconsin Democracy Campaign would like citizens to know who contributes to these third party groups.
Independent expenditure groups, which run advertisements advocating who to vote for, are required to disclose where its funding comes from, Buelow said.
Erin Celello, communications director for Butler's campaign, said Butler would prefer if third party groups weren't involved in Supreme Court elections.
"A campaign for the Supreme Court requires a great level of dignity," she said. "It's not an election that should be won at any costs."
Celello said it's inappropriate that third party advertisements are misleading voters and Butler's opponent agrees.
"I've said before that I think it would be best if the third party groups would just go away," Gableman said.
A survey of Wisconsin citizens, conducted by American Viewpoint for Justice at Stake in January 2008, discovered 65 percent of Wisconsinites support a plan that would offer public financing to candidates. The survey also found that 77 percent of Wisconsin voters wanted the governor and legislature to take some action on judicial reform before the next election.
One state representative is all ready working on judicial reform that would do away with Supreme Court elections altogether.
Rep. Fred Kessler (D-Milwaukee) supports an appointment from the governor and confirmation by a majority in the Senate, according to a press release.
"Something must be done to protect the integrity of the state's highest court," Kessler said in a statement. "If the public believes that positions on the bench are for sale to the highest bidder, the institution is severely undermined."
Gableman said voters need to pay more attention on the candidate's backgrounds.
He said he considers himself a judicial conservative that reads the plain language of the law and applies it. "I do not legislate from the bench," he said.
Celello said Butler makes a ruling narrowly based on the facts of the case and believes in building a consensus on the court.
Both candidates have histories as judges, but Butler has experience as a public defender and Gableman a prosecutor.
Prior to being appointed to the Supreme Court, Butler served as a Milwaukee County Circuit judge for two years, a Milwaukee Municipal Court judge for 10 years and an assistant public defender in the Wisconsin State Public Defender's Office for 14 years, according to his campaign's Web site.
Before becoming a Burnett County Circuit Judge in 2002, Gableman served as District Attorney in Ashland County for three years, a prosecutor in Marathon County for two years and Assistant District Attorney in Langlade County for one year, according to his Web site.
Butler and Gableman are scheduled to debate Friday in Madison. Wisconsin Public Television will televise the one-hour debate Sunday at 10 a.m. on MPTV-10.
Published: 3/27/08 Section: News
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