This Week's Club For Growth Newsletter, all 3 stories are excellent!

Cimpl-minded arrogance


A Libertarian slogan says, “I love my country but I fear my government.” Too often this is a one-way street: Major elements of government have no fear of the people. That isn’t good.



We have in mind last Wednesday’s now-vanished Facebook posting by Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Dennis Cimpl, documented by the MacIver Institute.



Judge Cimpl, who signed the Walker recall petition—arguably an act of judicial misconduct all by itself—consoled fellow Leftists with this posting: “Can you say Acting Governor Rebecca Klefisch?” (Cimpl misspelled her name.)



The apparent intent—certainly as interpreted by Cimpl’s Facebook friends—was to predict Governor Walker’s removal from office presumably through the John Doe probe Walker requested.



Superficially, Cimpl’s statement betrays the arrogance of a judiciary that feels no need even to pause and reflect on its words and actions.



Deeper down, Cimpl’s statement lays bare the chilling specter of a judiciary yearning to get its hands on people whose political views it finds inconvenient. How many short steps can there be between that, and a judiciary prepared to use its muscle against anyone it simply dislikes?



What’s been abundantly exposed, most recently by this black-robed infant, is that over several decades the political Left has nurtured ignorance and triviality, vesting great power in people with a dim appreciation of their own responsibilities and no humility to rein them in.



The resulting deterioration is visible. Where once Liberal failures were excused by good intentions, now misconduct is not merely excused but positively justified by hating the right people.



Where this eventually leads, civilized societies don’t wish to go. And the only way to escape going there is to make sure government fears—meaning respects—the people.





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A funeral in Appleton

Some Liberals must feel a growing unease over the deranged rhetoric on exhibit at the Democrats’ state convention in Appleton this past weekend.



Such events require early scheduling, so it’s all the more delicious that bad timing and the hand of fate caused the activist Left to convene just three days after being rejected by the people of Wisconsin.



The presumptuousness of today’s Left was evident as Tom Barrett entered the room to the tune of Bruce Springsteen’s September 11 anthem, “The Rising.” The political display of the past 16 months leaves little doubt that many convention-goers consider their defeat equivalent to the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks.



Barrett, for his part, told the crowd "Democrats will come back stronger, will come back harder, and we will come back better to represent the people of this state.” So let’s see:



Stronger? Not likely with tens of millions of Big Labor dollars up in smoke and union membership dwindling.



Harder? That doesn’t sound like Thomas the Nice ending “Wisconsin’s civil war.”



Better? An obvious necessity, but not achievable if Democrats persist in demanding people bow to their desires.



WisPolitics noted there is “no heir apparent” to lead the Democratic ticket for Governor in 2014, mentioning names that range from uninspiring to appalling. Lt Governor Candidate and union thug Mahlon Mitchell was said to be the star. Maybe it was his after-hours performance last weekend.



The world’s oldest political party seems intent on having the world’s longest funeral.





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Voter ID Now!

We’ve spelled out our thoughts about the long-term consequences of a judiciary driven by politics and ideology, but what about the practical, short-term concerns?



There’s no better example than the judicial maneuvers that kept Wisconsin’s voter ID law in limbo for last week’s recall. It might not even be enforceable for the general election this November.



Let’s be clear: The extent of judicial foot-dragging is what will determine whether the Left loses or retains its ability to steal votes this fall.



Ardis Cerny, from a citizen group called “We’re Watching Wisconsin Elections,” told talk-show host Vicki McKenna her organization is asking the local District Attorney to investigate allegedly rampant irregularities in the recall election that flipped control of the state Senate to Democrats last week by roughly 800 votes.



Allegations include repeat voting by a single individual; people attempting to register using mail addressed to “occupant;” and possible active tampering with voting machines, including destruction of ballots already cast, in full public view.



If these allegations are true, not all the abuses would be prevented by photo ID. But many would, and the tactic of enabling fraud by overwhelming election workers with crowds of new registrants would be immediately curtailed.



Last spring, two judges in Dane County blocked the photo ID law. The appellate courts tried to duck the issue by sending it straight to the state Supreme Court, which sent it straight back.



There is no excuse for this game of hot-potato. Its high time honest voters make clear to the judiciary it will be held accountable if it slow-walks ballot integrity.