Abele For County Executive, Kloppenburg For Supreme Court

Just one final reminder to vote for the progressive alternatives in Milwaukee today.

Milwaukee County has a chance to wipe the slate clean with Abele's election. He offers a fresh start for a County government and populace ignored for the last eight years as Scott Walker, disinterested in the nuts-and-bolts of local government and public service, used his office to plan a statewide, ideological run for Governor.

He was all about himself, and the next step - - always his step - - and not the County's. Of, by or for the County.

The entire eight years was stagecraft, a manipulation, a plotted precursor to the chaos he has unleashed from Madison on the state with a 'mandate' of 52% of the vote. Little wonder that a recall backlash against him continues to grow.

Milwaukee County and its residents need attention, and advocacy, and real policy-making inclusion - - plus a productive partnership with the City of Milwaukee - - a dynamic that Abele and Mayor Tom Barrett can foster with public input, then manage and lead.

It's a one-time shot for progress and hope around here; the alternative is more stagnation due to an even blander version of Walker, leading to more lost years and desultory decay while Jeff Stone listens to talk radio and waits by the phone for Walker's marching orders.

Enough.

As for the Supreme Court race, I hope JoAnne Kloppenburg pulls off an immense upset and defeats the tone-deaf and WMC water-carrying incumbent Justice David Prosser.

Temperamentally, he's lost it. Politically, too - - as his campaign signaled early an affinity for the extremely partisan Walker and his grasping, control-mad legislative allies.

That's a bunch with altogether too much power, too few constraints and too little common sense; a Supreme Court that is open and independent enough to at least consider different paths is a vital check and balance in the democratic, Wisconsin tradition.

Approving, with Prosser's vote and language an 'ethics' code written for Justices by the WMC and Realtors proved that he's too comfy with already powerful special interests who have been raising money for support ads and that helped elect the ideologically conservative and compliant Justices Annette Ziegler and Mike Gableman.

Kloppenburg would be a breath of fresh air on the court and, apparently, in chambers. I hope voters throw open the doors and windows and throw overboard the whole big-business-as-usual (Ziegler/Gableman/Roggensack/Prosser majority mindset.

Ya Basta!

And finally - - hats off to Abele and Kloppenburg - - first-time candidates - - for being willing to step into a poisoned arena and take on seasoned statewide special interests and their national right-wing consultants and financiers.

Win or lose Tuesday, Abele and Kloppenburg have performed a real public service.