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oraxx's avatar

I wouldn't take any member of the clergy's advice on anything. The Catholic clergy in particular is overwhelmingly of an authoritarian mind-set, and they never met a right-wing dictator they didn't love. Walking away from the Catholic church over half a century ago was one of the very best things I ever did.

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

The Catholic Church has zero legs to stand on regarding morality, but only folks not already indoctrinated or those who have broken the indoctrination can see how immoral their position on pretty much everything is. From Residential schools, the Crusades, and Magdalene Laundries to the child molester protection ring and the Holocaust the church has stood on the wrong side of every easy moral question throughout history. Being authoritarian is the least of its sins.

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Guerillasurgeon's avatar

It was the Catholic Church that enabled fascist regimes to take power in various places in Europe and South America. There's never been a fascist regime without the cooperation of conservatives. They were so desperately anti-Communist, they couldn't stomach social democrats. So they made sure people voted Nazi.

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jomicur's avatar

Taking the Catholic church's advice on morality is roughly the equivalent of following Machiavelli's guidance on politics, Sweeney Todd's on nutrition, or MTG's on the Torah.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Mother Teresa on health care.

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

I’m voting for Protasiewicz, easy choice.

Yes, she is the pro-choice candidate, which is imperative in Wisconsin right now because the alternative is a complete and total ban on abortion that will kill women. She also supports many other positions that should not be controversial, like voting rights and basic human decency.

Add to that Kelly was involved in the alternative electors scheme and took part in the insurrection at the level of other politicians (whether he rioted at the capitol I do not know for sure, but the more dangerous part of the insurrection is where he was involved).

The ads against Protasiewicz are going back to past cases where she supposedly didn’t give jail time without going into details about the case except that they were scary. Protasiewicz mentions her pro-choice stance but is not really pushing it as her only platform as the priest is claiming.

Here’s a little something to give you an idea about what we’re dealing with here.

https://www.facebook.com/IAmPoliticsGirl/videos/932895698064041/

I have other more local fascists to vote away tomorrow too. The author of that opinion piece against my library for one and his little minions. Apparently we also have a school board candidate that can’t control himself during an half hour swim lesson with his children (Who also has called for book bans over LGBT themes but won’t speak in public). Tomorrow is a big day.

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

Thanks, I’ll need it.

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Guerillasurgeon's avatar

More people should take their civic responsibilities as seriously, Then you'd probably have a social democracy, :)

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Len Koz's avatar

Social democracy?!? You mean like...like...like...SOCIALISM?!?!?!?

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

So ... a priest of the Roman Catholic Church, which is utterly opposed to women's reproductive rights, says effectively 𝑒𝑥 𝑐𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑑𝑟𝑎 that his parishioners should not vote for the candidate for Supreme Court who is publicly pro-choice. Cue Gomer Pyle saying, "Surprise, surprise." What he probably doesn't know is that the IRS has been more fully funded with the advent of the Biden administration, and it just might be possible that some notice has been taken by that organization to statements such as the one made by Rev. Dulli.

All that said, I have to take this piece with at least a grain (if not a pound!) of salt. I'm not certain I can recall the last time that a religious 501(c)(3) organization was EVER called to task about politicking from the pulpit. Frankly, so many evangelical bible-thumpers do it that I've lost count.

Still ... it'd be awfully good to see, wouldn't it?

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cdbunch's avatar

So would a MegaMillions check made out to me. Which do you think I have a better chance of seeing?

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larry parker's avatar

Powerball or bust!!

(I, occasionally buy both,)

(Bust is a more likely outcome.)

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cdbunch's avatar

I usually buy whichever has the larger jackpot and only buy both when they get over about $200M

(As I've said, multiple times, I want my own jet. and with cash-value option, you only get about 36% of the published jackpot after taxes)

(Yeah, I don't think I've ever won more than $10 on a ticket)

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Len Koz's avatar

I had a nephew win $77 on Lotto. He had bought $200 worth of tickets though.

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cdbunch's avatar

Yeah, unless you hit the jackpot, it's basically certain you've spent more than you've won.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

You stand a better chance of being bitten by a shark at Granite Peak in Montana during winter than you would winning the lottery.

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larry parker's avatar

I don't buy either until $100M.

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Richard S. Russell's avatar

I've heard it said that the lottery is a tax on people for being bad at math.

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Len Koz's avatar

Since the odds of winning are basically nil, I buy one ticket. If lightning is going to hit, that's all I need. If not, it's a dollar. A coffee costs more now.

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cdbunch's avatar

I play mostly to dream about what I'd do with all that money. It's a nice de-stresser.

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Guerillasurgeon's avatar

So do I. It's change your life gambling after all. But only occasionally. The worst thing is I have a friend who reasonably regularly wins – but only a few thousand of the time – otherwise I might have had to kill him. He also makes about $5000 a year on horseracing – which I have absolutely no interest in – but it must be a skill. It seems you need to pursue this with an almost monomaniacal concentration – which I can't be bothered doing.

I have another friend who never buys lottery tickets, but keeps a running record of how much he's saved – bastard.

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Guerillasurgeon's avatar

I looked at this when I 1st found out that they could do it. It's sort of interesting to a non-American. Well me anyway. You can count the number of times they did pretty much on the fingers of one hand.

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐭. 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐠 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥, 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐈𝐑𝐒 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐬

A former mayoral candidate wants Allendale United Methodist Church’s tax exemption investigated.

Allendale United Methodist Church bills itself as a “social justice, anti-racist, LGBTQ affirming congregation of believers.” Its pastor, the Rev. Andy Oliver, has led the way, speaking out on inequality and perceived injustices behind and beyond the pulpit.

The church has served as a backdrop for political campaigns, forums and rallies. Oliver is a regular at news conferences, demonstrations and TV appearances. Now, an IRS complaint filed by a former mayoral candidate questions if the church has crossed a line and should have its tax-exempt status investigated.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/this-florida-church-is-too-political-irs-complaint-says/ar-AA19oSr3

For the full article you'll have to go to:

https://www.tampabay.com/news/st-petersburg/2023/03/31/st-petersburg-allendale-church-irs-complaint-politics/

The guy who filed the complaint is registered as No Party Affiliation, but he is a trumpanzee.

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Maltnothops's avatar

“Murder” is a legal term. It is the unlawful taking of a human life. A *legal * abortion is therefore not murder.

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

"do not vote for HER in the Supreme Court race on April 4."

"Dulli only indirectly alluded"

2 candidates, one man, one woman. I don't see how it can be considered indirectly.

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larry parker's avatar

That's just Hemant being friendly. : )

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jomicur's avatar

Well, you see, stochastic epexegesis of the catchistic pleonasm dictates that Catholic apocolocyntosis requires poriferous sntagma. Any good priest could explain that for you.

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larry parker's avatar

It's nice that you try to talk to BHm in her native tongue. ; )

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

When did I say I speak Swahili ?

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Boreal's avatar

Priests and pastors want forced birth to widen the pool of children they can sexually abuse.

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

Priests want more children to abuse, Republicans want more for target practice. They’re all sick.

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jomicur's avatar

Hey, Republicans want children to screw, too. Remember, in the last year alone we've seen GOP legislators in three states--Tennessee, Wyoming and West Virginia--try to legalize marriage to children. I'd guess they were pushed to do it by ministers, but they may have been acting out of pure self-interest. One way or another they're a pack of sick bastards.

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Len Koz's avatar

They're the party of family values. Lot's family, to be precise.

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mechtheist's avatar

It's actually simply wrong to claim voting for anything that would in some way allow for abortions to be legal goes against the Catholic faith. As I keep harping on all the time, because it needs constant harping, is that:

NO religion gets to define what is and isn't true or a fact.

NO religion get's to define what is and isn't moral.

You can still be a good catholic, even in this priests narrow view of what that means, and vote pro-choice if you see it as supporting religious freedom for everyone, that the only way to ensure others won't be able to force their religious views on you is to make sure NO ONE can force their views on anyone else, and THAT means you can't vote for anyone that will do that. If you're happy to vote for someone because they will try to force religious views you agree with on everyone, you sure as hell can't complain if someone with different religious views gets elected and proceeds to force those views on you.

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

No wonder yesterday is called Face Palm Sunday.

I’m my house it is anyway.

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larry parker's avatar

From now on, my house too. Thanks.

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jomicur's avatar

Palm Sunday weekend is always a happy time for me. It's when the best horrifically bad movie ever made airs, The Ten Commandments. Cecil B. DeMille was divinely inspired to have Anne Baxter utter the immortal line, "Oh Moses, you stubborn, splendid, adorable fool!" For lovers of atrocious movies, like me, this is a deeply sacred time of year.

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larry parker's avatar

That'll show those school shooters.

I hope they are bulletproof and big enough to shield the whole class.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Hey, those kids already have bulletproof backpacks. What more do you want?

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cdbunch's avatar

Yes. I'm sure their Ti-85 "calculator" is so very pleased to be safe in a firefight. Too bad the kid can't say the same.

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Mr.E's avatar

Thoughts and prayers???

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Maltnothops's avatar

“Thou shalt not shoot a gun in a room displaying the Ten Commandments.”

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NOGODZ20's avatar

You betcha, Texass.

But make damned sure its the genuine 10 Commandments found in Exodus 34 and actually called the 10 Commandments in Verse 28, not that fake set in Exodus 20 that was never called the 10 Commandments. THAT set...the "Charlton Heston" one...was smashed by Moses and never put into use.

Just wait till folks take a gander at that list and scratch their heads, It bears little resemblance to what you THINK are the 10 Commandments.

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cdbunch's avatar

It was 15 commandments anyway. I saw it in a Mel Brooks documentary, so it must be true.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

That scene left me wondering about the nature of the missing 5. :)

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cdbunch's avatar

One of them was probably, "Thou shall not lie with a woman who sayeth no"

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cdbunch's avatar

Another was probably, "Thou shall not lie with a child for only adults can say yea."

ETA: Probably why Mo dropped it.

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Donrox's avatar

On top of that, there are two ways the commandments are ordered to make it come out to ten. Along with the RC and Episcopalian, in the Lutheran list I grew up with the "do not worship idols" is buried in the first commandment. When I became A United Methodist I had to learn a different order (all other Protestant versions) the "do not covet" is combined in the tenth.

Guess which version will be in public?

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NOGODZ20's avatar

I say let them make up their minds once and for all about one cohesive set of commandments. THEN get back to us.

Of course, "That's a long wait for a train don't come."

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Ben J's avatar

Pro-life....uh-huh.

No comment on guns.

No comment on the ongoing molestation.

No comment on the coverups.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Just now logging on. You beat me to it by 2 hours.

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cdbunch's avatar

That's what you get for living on the sleepy coast. :)

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NOGODZ20's avatar

*grumblegrumblegrumble*

Why can't Hemant wait for me to have access to a computer? ;)

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Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz's avatar

Didn't you get a upgraded subscription for free? Complain, complain, complain....

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

If you have a basement you know what to do.

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Len Koz's avatar

Grow a neck beard?

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

I can already improvise a scarf with my hair 😁

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jomicur's avatar

Now, now, don't you go picking on Nogodz. Like $crooge McDuck he is only a poor old man.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Would that I also had a vault/swimming pool filled with gold coins.

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

I am not sure it's good for your back but you have access to good healthcare.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Peter Griffin tried the Scrooge McDuck swimming in coins thing. Didn't work out so well...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viDL2W0HcJw

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cdbunch's avatar

AFAIK, the RCC has no official opinion on guns.

As for the other two, the official position is "Deny", if that doesn't work, "It was a few bad apples in the distant past", if that doesn't work, "We've appointed this independent investigator, they'll totally get to the truth with our cooperation"

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cdbunch's avatar

I forgot the bit where they send the identified priests to church-run "counseling" centers until they are "cured" and then send them to another parish or parochial school.

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jomicur's avatar

And their independent investigations always have pre-set guidelines for what they can and can't look into. Any seasoned religious leader (or Republican politican, for that matter) can tell you that investigations are like trains: Once you lay down the lines, that's the way they go.

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jomicur's avatar

How can you say that? Here is a fine example of the laws a pro-life governor and legislature give us: https://www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/2023/04/behind-closed-doors-desantis-turns-us-into-majority-permitless-gun-carry-nation/

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larry parker's avatar

Pedophile enabler (at least) says whut?

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Whitney's avatar

Ah, yes. Here we are again, discussing something churches seem to have more problems than they should: playing by the rules.

Laws are written for everyone. Not everyone who isn't Christian, everyone. When a church can't play by the simple laws written by humanity, I wind up asking myself why I should think they'll listen to anything their god says is a rule. Okay, sure, people aren't perfect, and maybe it's a bit much to really expect that standard, but some of the laws churches routinely break are simple common sense standards. It doesn't help when some churches expect to be able to break the very laws they want strictly enforced on non Christians.

Please, IRS, start enforcing the law that says 501(c)(3) organizations cannot direct members on how to vote. It's blazingly clear they have no intention of stopping on their own, and they should not be allowed to form an unstoppable voting monolith. Stripping their tax-exempt status is the very least of the consequences I'd like to see, but it would be a start.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

They don't obey earth laws and authorities, even though their own scripture TELLS them to.

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Aug 24, 2023
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NOGODZ20's avatar

Damn!

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Joan the Dork's avatar

Anecdote from a relative who was a doctor back in the 70s- it was not unusual, in the years after Roe v. Wade became the law of the land, to see pairs of nuns show up in clinics, minus their habits, under assumed names. Everybody knew who they were; they were frequently teachers or assistants at the local catholic school. It was also no secret what they were there for- more often than not, on the word of the local Padre- and, true to RCC form, it seems the optics of having to deal with a pregnant nun won out over the Church's position on abortion. Oh, and it was usually one of the older nuns escorting one of the younger, to make sure she went through with it.

Wanna place bets on what Padre Dullard here would do if one of the penguins in 𝘩𝘪𝘴 parish got knocked up?

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cdbunch's avatar

I'll keep my money to play the lottery. Better chance of winning.

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Boreal's avatar

OT:

Anti-Child Porn Crusader And Florida Sunday School Teacher Arrested While Downloading Child Porn

https://www.joemygod.com/2023/04/anti-child-porn-crusader-and-florida-sunday-school-teacher-arrested-while-downloading-child-porn-video/

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NOGODZ20's avatar

My shocked face:

-_-

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Boreal's avatar

I was so shocked I barely made it to my fainting couch.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Meanwhile, here in Warshintn...

"Disappearing Snapchat messages complicate Sumner High School sex abuse investigation."

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/times-watchdog/allegations-of-sexual-abuse-stacking-up-against-ousted-sumner-coach/

Funny how those messages are mysteriously vanishing like farts in the breeze all on their own *winkwink*

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jomicur's avatar

Mysterious ways? I guess. The God-of-the-gaps crowd always insist that anything with no definitive explanation (at present) must be the work of God, so he must be behind this, too.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

YHVH protecting (alleged) child molesters.

It figures. He was one himself 2000 years ago.

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jomicur's avatar

The three of him are just a few bad apples, I guess.

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cdbunch's avatar

He was a pigeon at the time, so it totally doesn't count.

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Donrox's avatar

According to her biography, she was raised in an RC family on the South Side of Milwaukee. This shows that not all Wisconsin Catholics follow the party line of pedophiles.

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Richard S. Russell's avatar

In Wisconsin, we've been inundated with commercials saying that a Wisconsin Supreme Court justice needs to be impartial, to follow the law and precedents, and to not have her or his mind made up before a case is actually heard. Those are admirable principles, and in fact that’s the way the court USED to operate before its current right-wing cabal engineered the ouster of Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson in 2015. Regrettably, it’s been relentlessly partisan ever since.

The sick irony of those hypocritical commercials is that they’re on behalf of a candidate who’s the exact antithesis of those noble ideals, a situation which would be laffable if it weren’t so tragic. Daniel Kelly, a graduate of Christian Broadcasting University Law School, previously served on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, but not because he was elected to the position. In 2016 he was appointed by then-Governor Scott Walker to fill a vacancy, but he was rejected by the voters when he ran for his own seat in 2020. Now he’s trying for a comeback, this time with backing not from the departed Walker but from tens of millions of dollars in out-of-state dark money. But both Walker and those mystery funders want him on the court for precisely the same reason: they know, in advance, EXACTLY how he’s going to vote.

He’s a reliable rubber stamp FOR voter suppression, the super-rich, gerrymandering, and anything the gerrymandered Republican legislature wants and AGAINST judicial ethics codes, state-agency expertise, open government, religious neutrality, and the rights of workers and women.

After Donald Trump lost Wisconsin in the 2020 presidential election, a group of Republican conspirators put together a slate of fake electors to go to Washington DC and try to claim that Trump, rather than Joe Biden, won Wisconsin. This outrageous attempt to subvert the will of the people needed legal advice, and guess who they got it from. Yup, old reliably hyper-partisan Dan Kelly. His work on behalf of a slate of fake electors alone should disqualify him from ever again holding a position of public trust. Really, it WOULD have made him the most disgraceful ex-justice in Wisconsin if his fellow election denier, also-defeated former justice Michael Gableman, hadn’t set the bar even lower by squandering millions of taxpayer dollars “investigating” non-existent electoral fraud at the behest of the gerrymandered legislature.

Come April 4, the last person any fan of judicial impartiality should be voting for is Dan Kelly.

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Richard S. Russell's avatar

... set the bar even lower by squandering millions of taxpayer dollars “investigating” non-existent electoral fraud at the behest of the gerrymandered legislature.

Come April 4, the last person any fan of judicial impartiality should be voting for is Dan Kelly.

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