gorgehiker Loc: Lexington, Ky

Thank you, Wisconsin -

Democratic-backed Janet Protasiewicz will win Wisconsin's Supreme Court e******n, CNN projects, flipping majority control in liberals' favor in what could be the most consequential e******n of the year with a******n access, e******n rules and more on the line in the key swing state.

Protasiewicz, a Milwaukee County circuit court judge, will defeat conservative Daniel Kelly, a former state Supreme Court justice, in a race that shattered spending records on state judicial e******ns. Her win likely breaks an era of Republican dominance in a state that has been ensnared in political conflict for more than a decade.

WNYShooter Loc: WNY

This thread is mistitled, it should properly read, "George Soros, The Democrat Party Owner, Buys Another Elected Seat in Government".

Soros-Backed Fund Spends Millions to Turn Wisconsin Supreme Court Liberal

https://legalnewsline.com/stories/640255552-soros-backed-fund-spends-millions-to-turn-wisconsin-supreme-court-liberal

A political committee backed by billionaire George Soros is spending millions of dollars to defeat the conservative candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, in hopes of placing Judge Janet Protasiewicz on the bench and flipping the court majority to the liberal side.

A Better Wisconsin Together Political Fund has spent more than $4 million so far on internet and TV ads focused on the Supreme Court e******n, first opposing conservative candidate Judge Jennifer Dorow in the primary, then against Daniel Kelly in the general e******n. Better Wisconsin’s spending helped ensure that Protasiewicz, who has the support of the national Democratic Party, is competing against an archconservative a******n opponent who may be unpopular with suburban and female v**ers.

A Better Wisconsin received $500,000 from State Victory Action, a Raleigh, N.C. fund, on Jan. 31. The Soros PAC contributed $834,000 of the $1.5 million State Victory Fund raised in 2022, according to Opensecrets.org. Better Wisconsin also received $100,000 from the Toolbox Fund in Arlington, Va., a group formed in July 2022 by a consumer-products plaintiff lawyer that reported exactly that amount in contributions in 2022.

Democrats nationwide are pouring millions of dollars into the Wisconsin Supreme Court race. Republican critics say the Milwaukee judge, a former prosecutor, has been too easy on criminals in some egregious cases. Democrats see control of the state’s highest court as an essential brake against the Republican-controlled legislature. Adimpact Politics estimated more than $13 million has been spent on the Wisconsin Supreme Court race since the primary, $8.3 million by Democrats and $4.9 million by Republicans.

The support from Soros could elicit comparisons between Protasiewicz, a longtime prosecutor before she became a judge, and progressive prosecutors the billionaire philanthropist has backed in e******ns nationwide, including Philadelphia and Los Angeles. Critics have accused Soros of promoting prosecutors who fail to pursue cases against violent criminals and ignore the rights of victims.

A Better Wisconsin started criticizing the conservative Supreme Court candidates last year, describing Kelly and Dorow as “extreme” and threats to women’s health. In a March 6 news release about controversial blog posts Kelly made, Communications Manager Lucy Ripp said: “At every turn Dan Kelly shows us, in his own words, he doesn’t share the views on the issues or the values of the vast majority of the people of Wisconsin.”

“The danger with Dan Kelly is that the extremism he spews in his blog posts isn’t just talk. He’s shown us throughout his career, including his short time on the court before losing in 2020, that his extremism on these issues informs his actions.” Executive Director Chris Walloch cited “Kelly’s extremism on issues like a******n access and his shilling for right-wing special interests” in a March 3 post.

A Better Wisconsin Together, the group’s “issue advertising” arm, has run television ads urging viewers to “Tell Jennifer Dorow and Dan Kelly they’re too extreme on opposing access to a******n care,” and saying about Kelly, “He’s too extreme.”

While legally a nonpartisan e******n, Protaziewicz is supported by the Democratic Party, which has t***sferred at least $2.5 million to her campaign since she won the primary. Kelly has drawn support from conservative entities including WMC Issues Mobilization Council – for Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce – which has reportedly spent more than $3 million on advertisements supporting him.

Shutterbug1697 Loc: Northeast

Like the GOP hasn't backed candidates in the past?

Suck it up buttercup!

gorgehiker Loc: Lexington, Ky

Yada, yada, yada...conservatives love big money when it is on their side. Trump has already convinced poor fools to donate 7 million to him just since his indictment. You can even buy a $36 t-shirt with a f**e mug shot of the grifter. It is free if you donate $47.

National Park

And here's the rest of the story.... Kelly's candidacy was also supported with boatloads of money from wealthy supporters, and, although Protasiewicz received more campaign funds that Kelly, Kelly apparently received even more outside money support than Protasiewicz. If Kelly had won, would you have complained about the $$$ used by Richard “Dick” Uihlein in support of Kelly? Here is some info on $$$ used to support Kelly's candidacy:

Before the primary, Kelly’s campaign reported a pair of $20,000 donations — from Leonard Leo, co-chair of the conservative Federalist Society and Beloit industrialist Diane Hendricks, a top-tier Republican Party patron, who recently gave $200,000 to the Wisconsin GOP. But subsequent campaign records show a flurry of activity with at least 21 individuals writing $20,000 checks to the campaign.

They include Michael White, chair and owner of major Milwaukee industrial manufacturer Rite-Hite, who penned an infamous email warning his 1,400 employees of “personal consequences” if President Barack Obama was re-elected in 2012.

Northwestern Mutual chair and CEO John Schlifske and his wife Kim also contributed a combined $40,000.

The family owners of Sargento Foods, the Plymouth-based cheese giant, also gave generously to the Kelly campaign, with retired executive Louis Gentine and his wife Michelle shelling out $20,000 each in addition to the $100,000 he gave to the Wisconsin GOP. His son, Sargento CEO Louie Gentine, followed suit three days later with a maximum donation of his own.

For Kelly, other in-state interests include Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, the state’s largest business lobby. Real estate interests have also contributed about $37,000 from their membership and a Realtors’ PAC.
Diane Hendricks stands and speaks to another person, with more people standing to the side and in the background.

Wisconsin billionaire Diane Hendricks attends a forum at Beloit College on March 27, 2019. The Beloit industrialist wrote a check to the Daniel Kelly campaign for $20,000 and made a $200,000 contribution to the Wisconsin Republican Party, which is supporting Kelly in the race for Wisconsin Supreme Court. (Credit: Angela Major / The Janesville Gazette via AP)

Protasiewicz appears to hold a lopsided advantage in direct donations. But that’s not the whole story, cautioned Douglas Keith of the Brennan Center for Justice, which tracks money in politics.

That’s because Kelly’s core mega donors have funneled millions into committees running attack ads against his opponent. Wisconsin Democracy Campaign estimates $13.7 million has been spent supporting Kelly or attacking his opponents. Protasiewicz’s allies have spent nearly $11.2 million on her behalf.

“Dan Kelly is raising significantly less money than Janet Protasiewicz,” Keith said. “But Dan Kelly also has gotten substantially more outside money support.”

Illinois billionaire Richard “Dick” Uihlein has funneled at least $4 million into the Fair Courts America PAC that he controls.

The PAC spent at least $5.4 million on advertising attacking Kelly’s opponents including during the primary. And it’s only one of several committees that has spent millions in advocacy and attack advertising in the Wisconsin race. His wife, Elizabeth Uihlein, gave $500,000 to the Wisconsin Republican Party during the campaign.

letmedance Loc: Walnut, Ca.

So as we see once again it is money that wins e******ns.

WNYShooter Loc: WNY

Exactly my point! Unfortunately, but not at all surprisingly, that fact went right over the heads of the Dem Useful I***ts here.

The Aardvark Is Ready

We've reached a sad state of affairs when liberals or conservatives or wh**ever cheer their side getting "control" of a court. Justices are not supposed to rule on their political opinions, but the law.

National Park

Actually, it didn’t go over the head of this “Dem useful i***t.” The e******n is a poster child for the need for campaign finance reform. I just felt it necessary to make the point that Kelly was also getting lots of outside money since the post I responded to was silent about that.

cwp3420

Go ahead and celebrate the slaughter and dismemberment of more innocent children with a glass of wine.