Milwaukee County Sheriff, the folkbum endorsement: Vince Bobot

This one's easy: Since there is exactly one real Democrat running in the primary for Milwaukee County Sheriff, I'm enthusiastically endorsing him: Vince Bobot.

Feel free to search my archives, as I've never been a big fan of David Clarke. But Don't just take my word for it: Consider Clarke's having been fired from the Milwaukee Police Department, for example. Michael Horne's got a story up at his blog right now detailing Clarke's obsession with guns, but the archives and permalinks seem broken. Here's the relevant portion:

Clarke has been criticized for his cavalier attitude toward weaponry, and milwaukeeworld will here add a third instance to the two already publicly known.

Clarke was famously photographed wearing his gun into the jail when he was escorting a fugitive into the slammer during one of his frequent publicity stunts, and this year Clarke wore his piece while bartending at an event for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

On October 21, 1975, the Milwaukee Police Department arrested David Alexander Clarke, Jr., D.O.B. August 21st 1956, on one count of “Reckless Use Weapon 941.20” Back then, to be charged with a reckless use of a weapon, one actually had to have pointed the weapon at another individual, which seems to heighten the severity of the allegations.

Clarke was ultimately not prosecuted, and this remains his only arrest on criminal charges.

Milwaukee is not actually a Kevin Costner western.

Bobot's long career as a public servant includes much lauding and great praise, which you can read about at his website. Hearing him speak last fall, I was particularly impressed with his commitment to the community prosecution program he's been working with at the DA's office, and I hope he'll continue to encourage that kind of work when he assumes the mantle of Sheriff in January.