Mathias’ Mud Slinging
A couple of nights ago a bunch of bloggers, readers, and friends got together to have a little holiday party. At the party, Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Mike Gableman stopped by to watch the game and work the room a bit. During that party, this picture was taken:
From left to right, that’s James Wigderson, Fred Dooley, Judge Gableman, and me.
Upon seeing this picture, liberal blogger Michael Mathias said:
I’d say this photo is proof positive that Gabelman (sic) is going to be captive to the state’s most extreme special interests should he be elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Really? I’d say that Mathias’ comment is proof positive that he’s either intellectually dishonest or a fool. Let’s walk through the logic, shall we?
In evidence we have a picture of Judge Gableman standing in close proximity and presumably talking with three conservative bloggers. Mathias has no idea what the topic of conversation was. It could have been about the race. It could have been about the Packer game. It could have been about family. It could have been about how Gableman would check with the three of us before making court rulings after he’s elected. Mathias, of course, assumes the latter. He assumes that not because of any actual evidence, but because of he wanted to attack Judge Gableman. I have also been photographed in close proximity to Rep. Pocan, Peg Lautenschlager, Kathleen Falk, folkbum, Ed Garvey, Tommy Thompson, Mary Panzer, and even Mathias himself. Presumably they will all be beholden to me too?
Furthermore, what is Mathias’ definition of “extreme special interests?” The three bloggers appearing in that picture are just that - bloggers. The only extreme special interest that I represent is myself and my family. Am I not allowed to speak to candidates and tell them my opinions about things? If I do so, does that make the candidate beholden to me? If Mathias speaks with a candidate will that candidate then be beholden to him? Of course not. It’s a ridiculous claim.
The truth is that Mathias took a simple picture and used it to attack Judge Gableman with a baseless charge and attempt to smear Judge Gableman with accusations of bias. The next time you hear Mathias whine about how dirty the elections for justices have become, we will all remember that he’s the one slinging mud all over the place.
I wonder what Mathias thinks about the Milwaukee Police Association’s endorsement of Louis Butler?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 02, 2008 at 0906 hrs
All Mathias is proving is that he is a partisan idiot.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 02, 2008 at 0950 hrs
Where’s Norman Hsu?
Posted by Steve Burri on January 02, 2008 at 0951 hrs
Following the links on everyone’s post, I know why he was so creeped out.
Plaisted links to Wigderson post titled “Brain Trust”,
Wigderson links to a post on the American’s for Prosperity site.Why does Gabelman continue to make these mistakes? Could we have not found anyone better?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 02, 2008 at 1109 hrs
I don’t see why it’s a mistake. Like it or not, we elect our justices in Wisconsin. Because of that the candidates have to go out and campaign. Gableman was there to work the room and try to get people to support him. That’s what campaigning is. Is he supposed to sit at home on his hands and not attempt to garner support? How many events has Butler gone to where there were advocacy groups present?
Posted by Owen on January 02, 2008 at 1138 hrs
That’s fine Owen, liberals are not scruitinized in the same way.
You forget about the double standard.
I’m sure Michael Mathias and his liberal pals will find an opportunity to blast Louis Butler for being seen in public with some liberal pundit…
Posted by Fred on January 02, 2008 at 1151 hrs
This is stupid….candidates on either side of the aisle will use whatever occasion they can to touch base with their electorate. That is what Judge Gableman did. He took the time and effort to sit down next to my better half and they had a great time chatting. And you know what, he engaged her on such top secret topics raising kids and her job (teaching).....
He was actually interested in who she was and what she did.
I give him alot of credit. He was out there EARNING his votes.
Posted by Pete Fanning on January 02, 2008 at 1151 hrs
Sounds evil Pete.
Tell me, how did the lovely Mrs Fanning feel about having a candidate for Supreme Court engage her on such a personal level.
Creepy I bet.
Posted by Fred on January 02, 2008 at 1157 hrs
Does anyone really care about this village idiot, michael Mathias. says?
Does he have that much influence or just another in the long line of liberal blowhards who say a lot but really have nothing to say.Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 02, 2008 at 1213 hrs
Not at all! In fact, she thought he was a very nice gentleman!
And you know what, it was GENUINE interest…..that’s what struck me….
Posted by Pete Fanning on January 02, 2008 at 1215 hrs
So, Owen, are y’all a faction, a secret society, or just a good old-fashioned cabal?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 02, 2008 at 1232 hrs
Go with “cabal”.... MUCH more sinister.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 02, 2008 at 1319 hrs
WOW!
Wiggie’s almost as fat as Bill Cosh. Butt Wiggie’s better lookin.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 02, 2008 at 1338 hrs
Fred, you mean like that panel discussion that Loophole Louie participated in over at Marquette where he discussed the very same cases One Wisconsin Now got the State Bar to tar Gabelman because he didn’t stop some of his supporters from talking about those cases? Oh, that’s right, I had to find out about THAT from Rick Esenberg.
Posted by steveegg on January 02, 2008 at 1431 hrs
Exactly.
I’ll await the Mathias post decrying Butler’s loss of objectivity.
Posted by Fred on January 02, 2008 at 1435 hrs
Furthermore, what is Mathias’ definition of “extreme special interests?”
That was the first part of his comment that jumped out at me.
If he was standing talking to 3 drug company executives… It may be accurate to say that is a ‘special interest’, as would a union or whatever.
Not that I know your platform to a T but it seems your positions are rather common to a pretty large segment of the population.
It that is a ‘special interest’ or extreme… Man how the frame of reference has been defined by the left.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 02, 2008 at 1537 hrs
I think the whole thing is silly. Mike was likely just trying to provoke people. It apparently worked.
If Louis Butler did an event and Michael Moore showed up, and a photo emerged of the two together, you absolutely cannot tell me that someone (or many someones) in the conservative part of the internets wouldn’t drag that out and post it as proof that Butler is a left-wing crazy. While the collective celebrity that you, Fred, and James possess is probably a bit less than Moore’s, the principle at work is still the same. Sometimes you can judge a man by the company he keeps.
Even though we disagree regularly, I think guys like you and James are pretty reasonable. But the fact remains that you’ve got a lot of squawkers on your side, people whom the average person would consider to be a couple marbles short. People who can’t spell, people who insist on using childish names like “Shrillary” and “Jim Doyleone” and who are convinced that everything a Democrat does is basically unethical and every Mexican should be deported. Mathias probably sees you as being their ringleader. Well, okay, he probably thinks that Charlie is the ringleader, but you get what I’m saying. Liberals have some crazies too, but for the most part they know how to spell and present themselves a little better.
Maybe you should just take it as flattery that Mike thinks you are so powerful?
Posted by Recess Supervisor on January 02, 2008 at 1544 hrs
Presumably they will all be beholden to me too?
Your foolish Jedi mind tricks don’t impress me, Lord Vader.
Posted by Brian on January 02, 2008 at 1607 hrs
The Recess Supervisor needs to go to that special school for children who don’t play well with others and have a need to tear down others self esteem.
Posted by Fred on January 02, 2008 at 1626 hrs
RS hasn’t said anything that I wasn’t thinking. The good judge made up his mind to whom he’d be beholden long before that picture was taken and it won’t be working schlubs like those three esteemed gentlemen in the picture.
It was smart politicking to be at the holiday party and shake a few hands in the spirit of the season. I’m not surprised that the judge neither bit the head off a bat nor breathed fire at the gathering. Those activities are better saved for other occasions when performed by either party.
It would appear that MM wanted to push a few buttons and a few good souls with shallow button-depth reacted as expected.
I for one am happy for Hizzoner that, not only did he enjoy some fine gemeutlikeit and a Packer victory, but he also went a whole afternoon without having a decision reversed on appeal.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 02, 2008 at 1642 hrs
Would all of you stop at Walgreen’s for Slim fast.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 02, 2008 at 1643 hrs
Heh. I thought it was done tongue-in-cheek. Oh yeah, it was. From Mike’s post:
Update: As it turns out, this post is proof positive that conservative bloggers wouldn’t recognize a joke if it walked up to them in a bar and asked for a photograph. Settle down, everyone. The election’s a long way off, and I’ll you let know when I actually start mud slinging. In the meantime, I was sorry I couldn’t make the event and get my own photo. Sheesh.
And here it is the right saying that the left doesn’t have a sense of humor. Get a grip people, or you’ll have a long year ahead of you.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 02, 2008 at 1739 hrs
Ah yes… he gets caught sliming a candidate and retreats with “it was just a joke.”
Whatever.
The Left’s mantra against judges they don’t like is “they’re biased” regardless of truth. I’m not going to stand by and let the Mathiases of the world get their jollies making baseless accusations against Gableman. Nor am I going to let him spew mud all over the election and then claim that it’s so dirty that we MUST use taxpayers’ dollars to fund the elections in order to “clean them up.” If Mathias doesn’t want dirty elections, then he should cease making them dirty.
Posted by Owen on January 02, 2008 at 1756 hrs
Problem is Capper, it is literally impossible to tell the difference between when a leftie is being serious or when they are telling a joke.
Especially when dealing with someone like Mathias (or yourself for that matter).
You both spend so much time sniping at conservatives it becomes the default position for anything written from your keyboard.
You may not like that answer but I can assure you it is the truth.
(And that was no joke)
Posted by Fred on January 02, 2008 at 1756 hrs
All this proves is that middle aged white guys can successfully eat too much and exercise too little.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 02, 2008 at 1808 hrs
Wow ... what is the deal with all the cracks about people’s weight? On the childish scale, comments like that rank near the top! Grow up!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 02, 2008 at 1828 hrs
While I do not think Owen and James fall into that group, Fred’s comments on this post proves Plaisted’s point.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 02, 2008 at 1848 hrs
Truth hurt John?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 02, 2008 at 1919 hrs
They are pushing up healthcare costs but will save social security.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 02, 2008 at 1922 hrs
No Fred, the sad matter is that some people are so narcistic that they like to dish it out, but can’t take it.
I have been able to joke and hold civil conversations with many conservative bloggers (even Owen
). The difference is that others are willing to look at where the other person is coming from, even if they don’t agree.That is where some people (on both sides of the political spectrum) seem to have the biggest problem. They’re either so arrogant and/or insecure that they cannot handle having someone disagree with them.
Case in point: Look at Whallah! or folkbum’s blogrolls. They include both sides of the political aisle. RDW, among others, do not. Why would that be?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 02, 2008 at 1944 hrs
The only question that I have is which one has the bigger “beer belly?”
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 02, 2008 at 1955 hrs
Orv said that? Gableman is in the best shape to run. The others should run behind.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 02, 2008 at 2015 hrs
Ah the typical and ever so predictable asshat Mike “Oh I was only joking” excuse
He does this all the time he takes shots at people and when called out right away does not have the guts to stand behind what he said.
Instead he tired to play it off as a “joke”
the best way to handle this asshat it to either give him the finger(worked for me) or just ignore him in the end he really is not worth any of our time
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 02, 2008 at 2051 hrs
I confess myself baffled that an idle comment, so clearly meant as a light-hearted joke, could engender such histrionics. (Dad29 got it, fellas—go back and read the post again.) Honestly, it’s not as if I published someone’s full name, address, phone number and e-mail information. But don’t worry, Owen, I am willing to forgive your error here. For my part, I promise to provide any mudslinging I may actually engage in with a prominent label so there is no confusion in the future.
Posted by Michael Mathias on January 02, 2008 at 2216 hrs
Who is Michael Mathias and who cares?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 02, 2008 at 2232 hrs
Great move on Gableman’s part since most people in the State have never heard of the guy. Now he gets some pub in the SE Wisconsin market via the blogs….
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 03, 2008 at 0012 hrs
Steve Austin’s right. You people should be thanking me.
Posted by Michael Mathias on January 03, 2008 at 0023 hrs
I just assumed y’all were discussing the Wiggy-Robinson feud.
Posted by Dean on January 03, 2008 at 0058 hrs
Gableman should blow up this picture and put it on a billboard. Although, most people would just think it was an ad for Old Country Buffet or something.
Posted by jesusisjustalrightwithme on January 03, 2008 at 0908 hrs
Aaah, you people! That must be racist, sexist or leftist or something. If he said that to a minority community we could report him to someone. Adam Sandler said it on that plane and got tazed.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 03, 2008 at 0918 hrs
You gave yourself the finger, Chris? (your punctuation).
Posted by Tim on January 03, 2008 at 0942 hrs
Well remember Tim I always have time to give you the finger why don’t you go bother you buddy James.
Tim why don’t you take you punctuation and shove it up your ass, it should fit since you are such a big assYou know it is funny Tim I did not mention you in my comment, but you had to interject yourself.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 04, 2008 at 0952 hrs
The only thing I find revealing about the photo is the “Papa’s Social Club” sign. Interesting choice as a site to host a holiday party.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 04, 2008 at 1029 hrs
Mathias is a rube!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 07, 2008 at 0918 hrs
I’m late coming back to this but, Chris, you are too mental. Thanks for the laugh.
Someday we’ll get a chance to meet face-to-face.
Posted by Tim on March 13, 2008 at 0850 hrs
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