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Fake Democrats

A right-wing Republican from West Allis has been recruiting and promising big money for candidates to challenge incumbent black Milwaukee legislators in the Democratic primary.

Former State Sen. Tom Reynolds, whose right-wing extremism is so far out there the buses don’t run, has not developed a sudden interest in Democratic politics or improving the lives of people living in the inner city.

Threateningly, Reynolds calls his front organization Clean Sweep Wisconsin, but he’s already suffered some losses in his attempt to sweep incumbent black politicians and other Democrats out of office.

Last week, the Government Accountability Board removed from the ballot two of Reynolds’ front candidates — Nicholas Cosey challenging State Sen. Spencer Coggs and Deon Price challenging State Rep. Jason Fields — for failing to submit enough legitimate signatures on their nomination papers.

However, Clean Sweep succeeded in putting fake Democrats (none are members of the Democratic Party) in primary races against North Side incumbent State Reps. Annette Polly Williams, Barbara Toles and Leon Young.

To take the racist tinge off the effort, Reynolds also found a couple of white Democrats he doesn’t like either. Clean Sweep is running challengers against South Side State Rep. Christine Sinicki and West Allis State Rep. Tony Staskunas.

Anyone has a right to run for public office in a democracy. No incumbent legislator should ever be immune from challenge. In fact, election challenges help assure that elected representatives stay on top of concerns in their districts.

However, there’s nothing democratic about an outsider virulently opposed to the interests of people living in Milwaukee pouring anonymous money into the districts of elected representatives to smear them.

The districts are already being flooded with expensive, full-color brochures attacking the incumbents. The brochures are virtually identical with different names and photographs inserted. And they are chock-full of inflammatory charges, non-issues and half-truths.

The attacks are heavy on the hot button “family values” issues right-wing Republicans have tried to use in past elections to inflame voters.

When Reynolds was in office he was so extreme on such issues that he questioned unmarried potential employees about their virginity, openly participated in an anti-gay hate rally in Milwaukee and opposed abortion even in cases of rape and incest or to save the life of a mother.

Unless a Wisconsin legislator is appointed to the US Supreme Court, his or her position on abortion is irrelevant. A woman’s right to choose is the law of the land. There’s nothing a legislator can or should do to violate the law.

The same goes for the issue of gay marriage, a horse so dead in this state it’s turning to dust.

Gay marriage has long been illegal in Wisconsin. During the last gubernatorial race, Republicans put an amendment on the ballot to make gay marriage unconstitutional as well.

So let’s see. Gay marriage is now both illegal and unconstitutional. How many other ways can we outlaw it? Maybe we could revive capital punishment and put to death any gay people who even think about it.

Other nonsensical interpretations of isolated votes are used to dishonestly paint incumbent legislators as anti-family. Did you know, for instance, that a vote against concealed carry was a vote against family values?

Apparently, many families highly value the ability to pack deadly weapons and blow each other’s heads off.

Anyone who voted at any time against tax vouchers to send children to private schools also is dishonestly portrayed as an enemy of families.

Unbelievably, State Rep. Annette Polly Williams, the mother of school choice, is attacked in Clean Sweep literature as an opponent of her own program.

Reynolds owns a printing business, but he’s not independently wealthy. Big money is being put behind the Clean Sweep candidates. It’s rumored to be coming from members of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce.

It’s difficult enough these days getting real Democrats to stand up for social justice, equal opportunity and the Constitution. Imagine how much worse it would be if right-wing Republicans succeeded in replacing all of the incumbents with their own fake Democrats.