The validity of the recent postcard promoting the continuation of Sheriff David A. Clarke's reign of horror has already been questioned, with comments made that there are people on the list of supporters who do not actually support him.  That's only one part of what we should be questioning about Clarke's campaign literature.  What with all the fuss he is making about the Purple Heart that appeared on Vince Bobot's literature, I guess he was hoping to divert attention from all the BS on his own.

This is the 3rd mailing I have (unfortunately) gotten at my house.  All three of them share one unique trait–lots of inspiring quotes, attributed to no one.   

Here is one of the more recent spouts:

In these times of excessive budgets, it's refreshing to have a sheriff who can stay within budget and still make substantial improvements.  Clarke is just such a guy.

Who said that??? 

Certainly no one who has heard of Clarke's $600,000 request to redecorate his office!  No one who has had an accident on the freeway system and had to wait and wait and wait for a deputy to arrive, because they have been redirected to duplicate MPD's efforts while leaving our freeways largely unpatrolled.  [On a side note, is it just me or are we seeing a LOT more Milwaukee County squads on the freeways in these last weeks before the election?  Coincidence? You decide.]

Here's another one: 

Let's not forget that David Clarke was a beat cop in Milwaukee for 11 years so he knows about crime in the neighborhoods.  I think that's why he put crime fighting back in the daily schedules of his deputies.

Again, who said that?? 

Yes, Clarke was a beat cop, and his motto was "I don't drive, I don't write and I don't get involved."  I am told he was fond of patrolling the former Northridge Mall with his head shaved into a Mohawk and wearing bright blue contact lenses.  While we're on the subject of not forgetting, let's not forget that Chief Harold Brier actually fired him in 1983, during those 11 years as a beat cop.  THAT'S something to be proud of!

How about this one: 

A leader for change.

According to whom??  He has changed a lot at the MCSO, most notably deputy morale.  Clarke's postcard states that he believes he has "respect.  Respect for the people I serve . . . "  What??  What about the deputies themselves?  A hallmark of good leadership is respecting your subordinates, and putting their needs first.  A true leader gives credit for success to his or her team and takes the blame for what goes wrong.  Without the respect for and of people you lead, any respect for any other group is meaningless.  Clarke has demonstrated again and again the lack of respect he has for the men and women of his department, calling them "headless nails" and blaming individual deputies for things that go wrong, sometimes even before having all the facts.  Yet whatever they do well, Clarke credits his own "leadership".  Heaven forbid Clarke could be responsible for any error, yet thanks to the mainstream media, we're lead to believe that he is the Savior of the County, riding his white horse into battle against crime every day. 

All I can think when I read these unattributed quotes is that these must be the voices in Clarke's head, telling him how great he is.  Then again, it could be the flunkies he has surrounded himself with, who are so in fear of losing their jobs that they will of course tell the Emperor how great his new clothes look, regardless of the reality.  But with no names on the quotes, and not one single name on the list of supporters that is recognizable, it's hard to tell where the line between reality and Clarke's fantasies begins.

Looking through the list of names of "supporters" there are noticeable absences.  There is not one single law enforcement organization, not a single labor union, no associations, no public officials, and no groups of any kind endorsing Clarke for reelection.  The Democratic Party altered its own bylaws to endorse Bobot in the primary, something they have never done before.  Not too surprising, as Clarke is really a Republican wearing an ill-fitting "Democrat" mask.  It is really easy to see through, and fortunately the associations, the unions, the public officials, all have seen the truth.  Let's hope the voters do, too.

Too bad Clarke cannot put the truth on his campaign literature, because the truth WILL hurt.  As the late, great Johnny Cash sang, "Go tell that long-tongued liar . . . you can run on for a long time, but sooner or later God'll cut you down."  Let's pray that the voters do the cutting next week.