Milwaukee County DA John Chisholm’s Actions Against Conservatives Are Unlawful & UnAmerican
By Aaron Goldstein on 4.22.15 | 4:22PM
If you haven't read David French's piece in NRO concerning the John Doe investigations and the tactics deployed in them under the direction of liberal Democrat Milwaukee County DA John Chisholm, please do so.
A number of conservative activists in Wisconsin who had the temerity to support Governor Scott Walker and his efforts to curb public sector unions found their homes raided by police, their property confiscated and were told by the authorities they could tell no one about what happened not even their attorneys. This was done under the order of Chisholm who has also directly targeted Walker in a John Doe investigation, but has turned up nothing against him.
Now what I'm about to say is stating the obvious, but it I must say it nevertheless. What would happen if a group of union activists who opposed Governor Walker's measures found their homes raided by police, their property confiscated and were told by authorities they could not tell anyone what had happened including their attorney? And what if this happened at the behest of a Republican DA sympathetic to Walker?
Well, I'll tell you. This story would be on page 1 of The New York Times every day for the next two months, would be the lead story of the three major networks, would be profiled on 60 Minutes and would be discussed on an hourly basis at MSNBC and Al Jazeera. We would be told that fascism has arrived in America's heartland and that Republicans are shredding the Constitution. Throw in Scott Walker's White House bid and this story would get a thousand times hotter.
But because a liberal DA is targeting conservatives those outlets it will not make the cover of The New York Times, it will not be the lead story on the three major networks, it will be not profiled on 60 Minutes nor discussed at MSNBC except perhaps to praise the actions of Chisholm. From where these left-wing newsrooms Chisholm is justified, because like all liberals, he is "fighting the good fight" and these conservatives are stupid and evil and deserve what's coming to them.
Now some leftists might argue that conservatives would love a Republican DA who put union activists under investigation. While some conservatives would be down with that, I suspect that most conservatives would be appalled at such intrusiveness by the government into mere political activity (as opposed to clear evidence of criminal conduct) and would speak out against it.
In order for a country to call itself democratic (with a small d) its people must be able to engage in a lively debate over ideas and public policy without fear of recrimination by the state. Clearly conservative activists who reside in Milwaukee County have had their First & Fourth Amendment rights abridged by a DA who cannot tolerate dissent within his jurisdiction. Chisholm's actions against conservative activists are both unlawful and unAmerican.
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